(fl. 11th century B.C.E.) Tomb robber of the Twentieth Dynasty
Amenpanefer committed his crimes in the reign of RAMESSES XI (r. 1100–1070 B.C.E.) in THEBES. A stone carver who labored in the tombs of the VALLEY OF THE KINGS at Thebes, he was arrested by authorities and taken in for questioning after a rash of tomb robberies. Amenpanefer confessed to being part of a nefarious gang that preyed upon the mummies of Egypt’s dead pharaohs. He described how he and eight coconspirators dug a tunnel and broke into the tomb of SOBEKEMSAF III (a Seventeenth Dynasty ruler). They stole jewels and then set fire to the royal mummy. Queen NUBKHAS (2) (Seventeenth Dynasty) received the same destructive treatment from Amenpanefer and his fellow criminals. Amenpanefer and his cohorts faced harsh sentences when condemned. Most grave robbers were executed, not just for stealing and vandalism, but also for the crimes of blasphemy and impiety.
