Raneferef

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 BC(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.

Some of the Abusir Papyri discovered notably in Khentkhaus II's temple and dating to mid to late Fifth Dynasty mention the mortuary temple and funerary cult of Neferefre. They constitute a written source near-contemporaneous with his reign, which not only confirmed the existence of Neferefre's pyramid complex at a time when it has not yet been identified, but it also give details regarding the administrative organisation and importance of the funerary cult of the king in Ancient Egyptian society.

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 BC), 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 BC), Neferefre appears on the Saqqara Tablet, this time after Shepseskare, that is as a second successor to Neferirkare Kakai. Owing to a scribal error, Neferefre's name on this list is given as "Khanefere" or "Neferkhare". 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 part of the reign length attributed to Neferefre by the canon is still legible, with a single stroke sign indicating one year of reign to which a decade could in principle be added, as the corresponding sign would be effectively lost in the lacuna of the document.