Hordjedef, also known as Djedefhor, was a son of Kheops. His mother probably was Meretites. Little is known about the life of this prince. We do not know to whom he was married -if he was married at all- and who were his children.
It is believed by some that Hordjedef may have been the founding father of the 5th Dynasty, but in view of a lack of sources linking him to any offspring, this is not generally accepted.
His known titles are: King’s Son of his Body, Count and Keeper of Nekhen.
More is known about the credit this prince was given after his death. He was credited by the Ancient Egyptians as the composer of a wisdom-text, now known as the Teachings of Hordjedef and stating the moral rules of behaviour for his alleged son Awetibre, and of a harper’s song.
In the story noted on the Papyrus Westcar, it is he who introduces the wise magician Djedi to Kheops. His posthume credit even went so far that the Ancient Egyptians believed that it was he who found some of the spells of the Book of the Dead in the temple of Thot in Hermopolis during the reign of Mykerinos. If there is even a hint of truth behind this story, it is possible that Hordjedef survived into the reign of his nephew, Mykerinos.
A Middle Kingdom graffito in the Wadi el-Fawakhir shows the cartouches of Kheops, Djedefre, Khefren, Baefre and Hordjedef, which has led some Egyptologists to believe that Hordjedef may have become a king or at least was a candidate for the throne. It is, however, also possible that Hordjedef's name was included merely because of his fame and reputation.
He was buried in mastaba 7210-7220 in Giza. His tomb was found utterly destroyed. It is not known whether the destruction of his tomb was the result of a dynastic struggle or of tomb-robbery.