Neferefre

Neferefre
Raneferef, Neferefra, Noufirre, Noufirefre, Cherês
Painted limestone statue of Neferefre
Pharaoh
Reign	Likely two years or less in the early to mid 25th century BCE(5th Dynasty)
Predecessor	Neferirkare Kakai (most likely) or Shepseskare
Successor	Shepseskare (most likely) or Nyuserre Ini
Royal titulary
Consort	likely Khentkaus III
Children	uncertain, either Menkauhor Kaiu ♂ or Shepseskare ♂ Nakhtsare ♂ Conjectural: Kakaibaef ♂
Father	Neferirkare Kakai
Mother	Khentkaus II
Died	aged 20–23
Burial	Pyramid of Neferefre
Monuments	Pyramid Netjeribau Raneferef Sun temple Hotep Re

Neferefre Isi (also known as Raneferef, Ranefer and in Greek as Cherês, Χέρης) was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, likely the fourth but also possibly the fifth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He was very likely the eldest son of pharaoh Neferirkare Kakai and queen Khentkaus II, known as prince Ranefer before he ascended the throne.

There are very few archaeological sources contemporaneous with Neferefre's reign, which is now seen by Egyptologists, including Miroslav Verner, to witness a very short reign. In particular, as of 2017, only one inscription dated to his rule is known. It was left by the builders of his pyramid on a corner block at the end of the corridor leading down to the pyramid substructures. The inscription was written on the fourth day of the Akhet season in the year of first occurrence of the cattle count, an event consisting of counting the livestock throughout the country to evaluate the amount of taxes to be levied. It is traditionally believed that such counts occurred every two years during the Old Kingdom although recent reappraisals have led Egyptologists to posit a less regular and somewhat more frequent count. Therefore, the inscription is likely to refer to Neferefre's first or second year on the throne, and his third year at the very latest.

Neferefre is present on several Ancient Egyptian king lists, all dating to the New Kingdom period. The earliest such list mentioning Neferefre is the Abydos King List, written during the reign of Seti I (fl. 1290–1279 BCE), and where his prenomen occupies the 29th entry, between those of Neferirkare Kakai and Nyuserre Ini. During the subsequent reign of Ramses II (fl. 1279–1213 BCE), Neferefre appears on the Saqqara Tablet, this time after Shepseskare, that is as a second successor to Neferirkare Kakai. Neferefre's prenomen was most likely also given on the Turin canon (third column, 21st row), which dates to the same period as the Saqqara tablet, but it has since been lost in a large lacuna affecting the document. Nonetheless, the reign length attributed to Neferefre by the canon is still legible, with a single stroke sign indicating one year of reign.