Wahibre Haaibre

Pharaoh Apries submitted a (belated) article into the news lately, which they're now trying to translate. Hieroglyphic stela.

I couldn't say I knew much about this guy so I looked it up. Wahibre Haaibre.

The name in Jeremiah 44:30 MT is "Ḥ-P-R-`", usually voiced "Ḥophra". The Greek translation (of the better text) is at 51:30, τόν Ουαφρη βασιλέα Αιγύπτου. Here God is promising to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.

This guy ruled 589-70 BC. His first adventure was to bolster Jerusalem against Nabukadrezar II. It didn't work (to say the least) and, it seems, he faced a mutiny up in Aswan.

The man ruled late enough that, I think, the Greeks and Copts like Herodotus and Ptolemy of Mendes had a decent handle on his name and deeds. Diocletian moved his obelisk over to Rome where it's now at the Santa Maria sopra Minerva church. Now there is a new stela. This has to do with a military campaign to the east.

They don't know which campaign, yet; it might be the Jerusalem misadventure, or the civil war which would unseat the pharaoh, or some other dustup entirely. Unsure how long the translation will take.