Teti

Teti founded Egypt's Sixth Dynasty and ruled about twelve years, around 2345 to 2333 BCE, succeeding Unas. His pyramid at Saqqara is the second known royal tomb whose inner chambers are carved with the Pyramid Texts, the oldest large body of Egyptian religious writing.

Manetho, writing much later, says Teti was murdered by his bodyguards; no contemporary evidence confirms this. During his reign high officials such as the vizier Mereruka built large decorated tombs near his pyramid. Excavations around his complex continue to produce finds, including a funerary temple of his wife Queen Neith announced in 2021.

The texts in his burial chamber continue the spells first carved for Unas: utterances to protect the dead king, help him rise from the tomb, and join the gods and the circumpolar 'imperishable stars' in the northern sky. Read together, the pyramids of Unas, Teti and their successors show how the collection grew and varied from tomb to tomb.