Changes in the reign of the king
We do not know the reason for this, but in the fifth year of the reign of King Khufu, the design of his pyramid complex was modified, as the burial chamber located underground was left and only some of the stone rubble was moved into it, and then an iron ascending passage was started through the body of the pyramid, and this passage led to an upper chamber in the pyramid, currently known incorrectly as the Queen's Chamber, and it was planned to make an ascending passage - either at the same time or as another modification to the interior design - which is an architectural marvel, which is known as the Great Hall, which leads to the third burial chamber, known as the King's Chamber, which contains the granite sarcophagus of the king.
The funerary temple was expanded, as the stones of those buildings were left as they were in the mother rock, and the upper entrance to the ascending path was also changed, and in order to connect it to the Valley Temple, its path was modified in some parts.
These amendments were most likely related to a change in the royal doctrine, and a continuation of Sneferu's conflict with the priests of Ra in Heliopolis. Perhaps the priests were putting some pressure on the king to fulfill their demands and try to make him follow the system they had set for him, or most likely Khufu wanted to emphasize that the country's wealth would go to Giza and not Heliopolis. In any case, it is likely that in the fifth year of his reign, Khufu declared himself the god of the sun.
The death of King Khufu and the end of his reign
It was believed that King Khufu ruled for 23 years, as mentioned in the Turin Papyrus from the New Kingdom, although an inscription was found in the Dakhla Oasis recording a mission sent by King Khufu in the 27th year of his reign to bring the maft. It is known that the ancient kings dated their reigns according to the cattle census every two years, which could cause a conflict between year 23 and census 23. If the New Kingdom Papyrus specifies census 23, then Khufu may have ruled for 46 years. Another possibility is that the papyrus gave each king of that dynasty a generation's reign. The common expectation based on the available evidence is that King Khufu ruled for 30-32 years and was approximately 58-60 years old when he died. The burial ceremony was supervised by his son and successor, Prince Djedefre, and he may have been assisted in the ceremony by the vizier Ankhhaf, while the vizier Hem Iunu had died before that. The king's body was first taken to the Valley Temple and placed on a bed inside the purification tent, which was called in hieroglyphics "Wabt", which was prepared for the purification ceremony of the king's body. After a series of rituals, the body was taken to the embalming chamber, where it remained for 40 days, immersed in natron to remove moisture from the body, and then another 30 days to complete the mummification process. On the day of burial, the sacred royal mummy was placed inside a golden coffin, and carried to the north side of the pyramid by a procession of priests. As soon as the coffin reached the entrance to the pyramid, Ankh Haf stopped the procession and dismissed all the priests except two of them. The coffin bearers led him out of the entrance chamber, followed by the mourners, Tandin, the king of Egypt. Then they entered the middle chamber of the three chambers, and there the priests placed the coffin inside that secret chamber and closed it completely. When Ankh Haf left with the priests, he ordered the entrance to the pyramid to be closed to protect the secret that King Khufu was not buried in the chamber with the granite coffin, but was buried in a place that would make him safe and eternally at peace. Even the next king, Djedefre, did not know this secret.
Conclusion
At the end of this research and exploration of the life and legacy of King Khufu, this ruler appears to us as a major player in the arena of ancient Egyptian history. Once we shed light on the course of his life and his famous pyramid, we realize that Khufu was not just a king, but a living symbol of power and influence.
In building his pyramid, King Khufu demonstrated not only remarkable engineering skills, but also exceptional strategic vision, and turning this vision into a tangible reality reflects the remarkable dedication and inspiration he provided to the history of ancient Egypt and to humanity.
King Khufu's influence was not limited to the magnificent architecture only, but extended to multiple fields, from religion and arts to the system of government, he had a pioneering role in defining and correcting the features of Egyptian society.
Through this research, we understand the importance of understanding historical figures as major factors in shaping the destinies of nations, King Khufu remains a witness to the human ability to achieve greatness and leave a lasting mark across the ages.
In conclusion, King Khufu emerges as a symbol of dedication and lasting influence, making him an interesting subject and ongoing research in the field of ancient studies and Egyptology and leaving an unforgettable legacy throughout the ages, challenging us to benefit from the lessons of his history in understanding the challenges and opportunities facing civilizations in every time and place.
References
1. Ahmed Rashad Moussa, Studies in the Economic History of Egypt, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Supreme Council of Culture, Cairo, 1998
2. Ahmed Fakhry, The Egyptian Pyramids, Anglo Egyptian Library, Cairo, 1963
3. The Pyramids of Egypt, A. A. S. Edwards, Translated by Mustafa Othman, Reviewed by Ahmed Fakhry, Egyptian General Book Authority, Cairo, 1997
4. Dr. Ali Hassan, Khufu and His Great Pyramid, Dar Al Maaref, Cairo, 2008
5. Zahi Hawass, The Family of King Khufu: History and Secrets of the Fourth Dynasty, Old Kingdom, Dar Al Masryia Al Lubnaniyya, Cairo, 2009
6. Zahi Hawass, The Miracle of the Pyramid of King Khufu, Dar Nahdet Misr, Cairo, 2006
7. Abdel Aziz Saleh, The Ancient Near East in Egypt and Iraq, Anglo Egyptian Library, Cairo, 2012