Zoser (active ca. 2686 B.C.) was the first king of the Third Dynasty, which ushered in Egypt's first golden age, the Old Kingdom.

Zoser is always described on his monuments as the "Horus Neteryerkhet." In the so-called Turin Canon of Kings, a hieratic papyrus dating from about the reign of Ramses II, his importance as the founder of a new epoch (Third Dynasty, 2686-2613 B.C.) is noted by the exceptional use of red ink in writing his name. According to the Turin list, he reigned for 19 years, but this period seems much too short for the erection of his vast monument, the Step Pyramid. The Ptolemaic historian Manetho allots him a reign of 29 years.

Zoser's main claim to fame is his Step Pyramid at Saqqara, overlooking the ancient capital city of Memphis. The man responsible for its conception and construction was Zoser's architect Imhotep. Known to the...