Welcome to The Real History. A blog where I talk about the real historical inspirations for my YA fantasy debut “Treasures of Egypt.”
Sobekneferu — The Woman Who Was King
Sobekneferu was the first woman in Egyptian history we know, without any doubt, ruled alone as the king. Her reign, though brief, marked the last hurrah of the Middle Kingdom before the start of what will be known as the second intermediate period and the beginning of Egypt’s division into two countries.
Sobekneferu, whose name is a tribute to the crocodile god Sobek and roughly translates as “the beauty of Sobek,” was the daughter of Amenemhat III, a ruler known for his architectural projects and the prosperity of his reign.
Today, we will meet a woman who witnessed Egypt both at its strongest and its weakest and learn about her depiction in the YA fantasy novel, Treasures of Egypt: the Spear & the Scythe.