Dynasty of Egypt

8/4/2019 Dynasty of Egypt

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Protodynastic Era

1st Dynasty (3100-2890 BCE)

According to Herodotus Upper and Lower Egypt were united by Menes (who may be representing a number of

kings involved in the process of unification), the founding king of the first dynasty who, according to Manetho, came

from the Thinite province in Upper Egypt. Whether unification was achieved by military or peaceful means isuncertain.

According to tradition, Menes founded Memphis on an island in the Nile, conducted raids against the Nubians and

extended his power as far as the first cataract. He sent ambassadors to Canaan and Byblos in Phoenicia to establish

peaceful commercial trade links. He founded the city of Crocodilopolis and built the first temple to the god Ptah.

Legend has it, that he died at the age of sixty three, killed by wild dogs and crocodiles near Fayum. According to

Manetho he was killed by a hippopotamus after a 62 year reign. His was buried at Saqqara, the necropolis of

Memphis. His wife Neithotep became regent until their child, Djer, was old enough to reign.

Djer, married to Herneith, ruled from Memphis during fifty years, building palaces and conducting military

expeditions against Asiatics in the Sinai desert. An inscription with his name south of the first cataract points to the

extent of the realm.

Of Djet (Wadj), who succeeded him little is known. His limestone stela was found near Abydos where he was

buried.

Queen Merenith ruled Egypt as regent when Den became king as a child. There are, however, many scholars who

think that Merenith was a ruler in her own right. Stone vessels and sealings bearing her name were found at Saqqara,

as was a stela with her name written in an archaic form with crossed arrows signifying the name of Neith. Merenith

has two burial sites, one at Abydos and one at Saqqara (Mastaba 3503). The Saqqara tomb contains some artifacts that

show the the name of a high court official called Seshemka. The Abydos burial complex is amongst those of the kings

of her dynasty.

During Den's fifty year reign he conducted military campaigns in the Sinai desert in order to gain control of the

mineral deposits there. He was buried at Saqqara, even though he built his mortuary complex in Abydos. The cult of

Apis was introduced during his reign.

Anendjib who was legitimized by his marriage to Betrest of the Memphite royal family, ruled for fourteen years

from Memphis. His power over the south was challenged by local tribes and the northern nomes were often

rebellious.

Semerkhet reigned for only nine years, and is thought by some to have been a usurper. According to Manetho

disasters occurred during his reign. He may have caused the unrest during Anendjib's reign. He is responsible for

erasing Anendjib's name from stone vases. A little black stela bearing his name is the only direct evidence found.

Qa'a is mentioned on jar sealings and two damaged stela. One one of these stela he is shown wearing the White

Crown of Upper Egypt and being embraced by the GodHorus. According to Manetho he reigned for about 26 years.

He was buried at Abydos in the tomb designated Tomb Q. A German archaeological expedition in 1993 re-excavatedthe tomb and discovered that several alterations had been made in the tomb.

Until the reign of Den Egypt seems to have enjoyed stability and prosperity. Order broke down during Anendjib's

reign, when conflicting factions caused changes that would end this great dynasty. The practice of subsidiary burial

where retainers were killed in order to serve the ruler in the afterlife ceased after the reign of Qa'a.

2nd Dynasty (2890-2686 BCE)
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According to Manetho, this dynasty consisted of nine kings of Thinis. The royal names Manetho gives bear little

resemblance to those found in contemporary inscriptions. These rulers were buried at Saqqara or Abydos.

Hotepsekhemwy has been identified only by some sealings discovered at Saqqara near the Pyramid of Unas. He

may have been given his name which translates asPleasing in Powers for having ended the political strife that occurred

during the 1st Dynasty. His rule spanned 35 years and may have been ended by a military coup organized by his

brother.

Raneb followed Hotepsekhemwy to the throne of Egypt, and is thought to have ruled for 39 years. Many sealings

found at Saqqara and a stela located at Abydos bear his name. Raneb had, according to Manetho, initiated the

worship of the sacred goat of Mendes.

Nynetjer ruled according to some accounts for 47 years. The Palermo Stone records a number of events that

occurred between the 6th and 26th year of his reign. He had many festivals dedicated to various deities of Egypt.

among them the Running of the Apis Bull. The wrecking of the city of Shem-Re is connected with his name [1].

Peribsen (Sekhemib) made sweeping political changes. The serekhs bearing the royal names are not surmounted

by Horus anymore but by his religious rival, Seth, who became the primary royal patron deity. A stela bearing

Peribsen's name found at Abydos illustrates this change in loyalties. He may have been a usurper or a member of acollateral branch of the ruling family. Peribsen was buried at Abydos.

When Khasekhemwy ascended the throne he had to put down a Northern rebellion. The rebels reached as far

south as Nekheb and Nekhen, the ancient southern capital. His victory is described on two statues. Both portraits

show the king with northerners cringing at his feet wearing the White Crown symbolizing the South. It is recorded

that there were more than 47,000 casualties.

Old Kingdom

3rd Dynasty (2686-2613 BCE)

According to Manetho this dynasty comprised nine Memphite kings about most of whom very little is known. They

were buried at Saqqara.

Djoser (Netjerykhet) ruled for almost two decades (2668-2649 BCE) and is credited with building the Step Pyramid at

Saqqara. Imhotep was the architect of that great tomb, and of the magnificent royal funerary complex at Saqqara.

King Djoser led several campaigns against Asiatic peoples in Canaan and extended his influence over the Sinai desert

with its copper mines where some graffiti and his serekh were found at Waddi Maghara.

4th Dynasty (2613-2494 BCE)

Manetho claims that eight kings belonged to this dynasty. They ruled at Memphis and built pyramids at Dahshur

(Snefru) and Giza.

Snofru, 2575-2551 BCE., was an active military leader. His campaigns against the Nubians are recorded on the

Palermo Stone. He conquered the Sinai desert, important for its copper and turquoise mines, initiated a series of

construction projects throughout Egypt and began trade with the other Mediterranean nations. To supply Egypt with

timber, he sent a fleet of forty ships to Phoenicia. While there, he erected monuments to commemorate the event.

He built his mortuary complex at Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid, the Red Pyramid, and the Meidum Pyramid near

Crocodilopolis. The bent pyramid is thought to be an architectural link between the Step Pyramid and the true

pyramids. Snofru was deified [1] by the kings of the 12th Dynasty. Many of the rulers of that time built their own

mortuary complexes beside his.
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Khufu (Cheops)(2585-2566 BCE), Khafre (Chefren) and Menkaure (Mycerinos) are best known for the pyramids they

built at Giza.

Shepseskaf, who followed them (2514-2494 BCE), had to assert his power against various priests and southern tribes.

His tomb is at South Saqqara.

5th Dynasty (2494-2345 BCE)

Eight kings made up the fifth dynasty, according to Manetho, though he gives nine names, all of which are also

found in the archaeological records. They ruled at Elefantine and built pyramids at Abusir and Saqqara.

Userkaf (c.2494-2487 BCE), grandson of Djedefre, founded the fifth dynasty. He built a sun temple at Abusir and

erected his pyramid at Saqqara.

Sahure (c. 2487-2475 BCE) established the Egyptian navy and sent a fleet to Punt and traded with Canaan. His

pyramid has colonnaded courts and reliefs of his naval fleet, but his military career consisted mostly of campaigns

against the Libyans in the western desert.

Niuserre ruled Ancient Egypt from 2416 till 2392 BC, and is famous for both his solar temple at Abu Gorab and his

pyramid at Abusir. The reliefs in the burial chamber of his pyramid describe his military campaigns in the WesternDesert and in the Sinai.

Unas (Wenis) ruled Egypt from 2356 till 2323 BC. Successful trading expeditions were conducted to neighbouring

nations. An inscription at Elephantine shows a giraffe that was brought to Egypt with other exotic animals. Another

drawing found on a vase shows battle scenes. There was a major famine during this time. His pyramid was the first

one to be decorated with the magical spells which are referred to as Pyramid Texts.

6th Dynasty

The kings list of Manetho states that six kings of Memphis belonged to this dynasty. They were buried in pyramids at

Saqqara.

Egypt being fairly cut off from the more warlike middle-eastern nations by the Sinai desert, did not have a standing

army. Whenever necessary, forces would be called up by local noblemen and sometimes Bedouins and Nubians

would serve as well.

Teti, the first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty reigned from 2346 to 2313 BCE. He sent his army several times into southern

Canaan under Weni, a long lived official who served also under Pepi I and Merenre. After a conspiracy in the royal

household, Weni was appointed to try the case. The embattled vizier Fefi (Meref-nebef), whose grave has been

discovered not long ago, held power over the finances as head of the administration.

Pepi I (2289-2255 B.C.) had to enlist the support of noblemen from Upper Egypt in order to defeat a usurper and

Upper Egyptians came to play an important part in his administration: He married two of his vizier's sisters,

andWeni, a close advisor, led Nubian troops against the Bedouins in Sinai and southern Canaan.

Pepi campaigned in Nubia and established garrisons and trading posts. Trade relations with Byblos were flourishingand Punt in the Horn of Africa was frequently reached. His pyramid was so impressive that its name, Mennefermare,

was given to the area. The capital, originally named Hiku-Ptah, was renamed Mennefer, then Menfi. The Greeks later

transliterated it as Memphis. Pepi built temples at Tanis, Bubastis, Abydos, Dendera and Coptos.

Merenre followed Pepi I, but died at a young age. He was succeeded by Pepi II, his half brother, who was still

underage. His mother, Queen Ankhesenpepi II, widow of Pepi I, became regent. She was buried in her own pyramid

in the mortuary compound of her husband.

According to the kings list Pepi II reigned for 94 years [2], during which time the power of the pharaoh decayed, as too
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much wealth was expended on burials and the more talented and vigourous officials left Memphis for the regional

capitals. Foreign campaigns into Nubia under Harkhuf and trade expeditions to Punt met with little success.

First Intermediate Period

There was a breakdown of centralized government, with kings belonging to different dynasties having overlappingreigns and vying for supremacy. For some time the kings of Heracleopolis, supported by the nomarchs of Siut,

succeeded in preventing a southern coalition led by the nomarchs of Thebes from conquering northern Egypt, but

finallyMentuhotep established order from his capital at Thebes. According to Manetho the 7th dynasty counted 70

kings ruling at Memphis for seventy days, but none of these has been identified and the whole dynasty may be a

fiction. The 8th dynasty was given 27 kings by Manetho, who ruled at Memphis during 146 years, some of whom

feature in king lists. Manetho accords nineteen kings to the 9th dynasty, who resisded at Herakleopolis during 146

years. Doubts have been cast on the accuracy of these numbers, as of those of the 10th dynasty, who, according to

Manetho comprised of nineteen kings, ruling from Herakleopolis for 185 years. The Turin Canon assigns a total of

eighteen kings to both dynasties, while other king lists do not mention them. The Theban Mentuhotep II of the 11th

dynasty made an end to the rule of the Herakleopolites.

11th Dynasty

Manetho accords this Theban dynasty 16 kings and a reign of 43 years. Its members before Mentuhotep II who united

the country under his rule, are not considered to have been pharaohs. The later kings were buried at Deir el Bahri.

Inyotef I (ca.2133-2123) took Thebes as the capital of Egypt and ruled from 2074 till 2064 BC. He was the son of

Mentuhotep I, the "elder". The king took over a divided Egypt and tried to reunite the north and the south.

Inyotef II (ca.2123-2074) led an army against his Herakleoplitan allies in Sauty (Assyut). His enemies sacked the city

of Tjeni (Thinis) and desecrated its tombs. Inyotef captured the entire tribe but ceased hostilities. He decided to trade

with them and maintain the integrity of the Southern Kingdom peacefully.

He was followed by Inyotef III who ruled from 2074 until 2066.

Mentuhotep I (2066-2040 B.C.) took the city of Herakleopolis which was the capital of the kings of the rival 10th

Dynasty. This victory established his rule from Thebes. He fought against the Libyans in the Delta and the nomads in

the Sinai. He built his mortuary complex at Deir el Bahri. He is not generally accepted as a pharaoh.

Mentuhotep II Nebhepetre (c.2040-2010) conquered the north and rebuilt a centralized monarchy, inaugurating the

Middle Kingdom.

The intensity and causes of these disruptive events are uncertain. Later Egyptian writers, appalled by the deviation

from accepted norms, exaggerated the revolutionary aspects; they also described an imaginary environmental

deterioration, actually a poetic cosmological counterpart to social disorder. More significant were external pressure

and internal political instability that long endured; even the 11th dynasty may have been ended by a coup, and the

victor, Amenemhet I was himself later assassinated.

Middle Kingdom

12th Dynasty, c.1991-1786 BCE

The 12th dynasty which, according to Manetho had seven kings, was founded by Amenemhet I, Mentuhotep IV's

vizier, (1991 BCE), and worked hard to restore royal prestige, seriously damaged by civil war and periodic famine. Its

kings, moving their capital to Itjtawy, reduced the power of the provincial rulers and fostered the growth of a loyal

central elite, usingpropagandistic literatureto encourage recruitment of able civil servants and their unconditional

allegiance, and transform the royal image from that of an insecure war leader to that of a confident, semidivine ruler.
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They continued the tradition of pyramid building and were buried in the Fayum region and at Dahshur.

The external situation remained dangerous. The northern Nubian and Sinai buffer zones were reoccupied and, for

the first time, heavilyfortified.Foreign tradeexpanded and diplomatic contacts were established, but Egyptian

activity was more confined than during the Old Kingdom.

Social change was considerable. People had become more conscious of their rights, and royal policies had to both

satisfy and temper this tendency. Religion was affected: funerary beliefs and rituals once largely restricted to kings,

their immediate family and close followers, spread throughout all classes.During the First Intermediate Period Egyptians had been less dependent on the state which had virtually

disintegrated, stressing their economic self-sufficiency. Under the 12th dynasty royal policies encouraged the growth

of a middle class, whose members were buried in well-furnished tombs and active at cult centers such as Abydos.

Osiris, formerly a royal funerary god, became accessible to all.

Architectural remains become more varied. AtKahun, a large town was divided up into zones of better and poorer

housing, reflecting significant socio-economic stratification; superbly designedfortresseswere built inNubia; and the

ground plans of several temples have survived. Some kings built cenotaphs at Abydos, where many private

memorial chapels of unique type have also been discovered recently.

Funerary remains continue to be the best source of art forms. At Thebes a new type of royal tomb developed,

culminating in the unique terraced monument ofNebhepetretopped, not by a pyramid, but by a cubical version of

the primeval mound. The pharaohs of the 12th dynasty, anxious to be identified with the autocratic Old Kingdom,

revised the classic complex pyramid but included unusual subterranean elements evoking the mythical tomb of

Osiris.Royal statueswere often idealized, but some depicted a care-worn and more realistic figure. The elite

continued to be buried in mastabas and rock-cut tombs, decorated first in awkward but striking styles reflecting the

breakdown of the ancient stylistic norms, but later returning to more sophisticated, traditional modes.

Amenemhet I, (Ammenemes I) , murdered in 1962 BCE, overthrew the Theban rulers of Egypt to found the 12th

Dynasty about 1991 BCE. He campaigned against the Libyans and the nomads in the Sinai. There he erected the Wall

of the Prince to guard the eastern borders. He also built a trading post in Nubia at Kerma. He moved his capital from

Thebes to central Egypt (on the border of Upper and Lower Egypt) and named it Itj-Tawy, "Seizer of Two Lands."

Among his many wives was Nefrutotenen, mother of Senusret I. Amenemhet made Senusret I co-ruler in 1971 BCE.

Amenemhet's line, from non-royal origin, began a golden age for Egypt. The 'Testament of Amenemhet', included

in the Milligan Papyrus and the Papyrus Sallier II, was written as a commemorative following Amenemhet's death.

The 'Testament' defines royal obligations and the needs of the people. It states that there are perils awaiting a king

who is not wary of those around him. It also states that loneliness and personal sacrifice make for a good king.

The teachings of Amenemhet

The inscription of Khnumhotep I

Senusret I (Sesostris), (1971-1928 BCE) who had not been appointed successor yet, secured the throne for himself

after Amenemhet's assassination, by executing the plotters and publicizing his father's testament, The Teachings of

Amenemhet, which became an Egyptian literary classic. He conquered Lower Nubia (Wawat) and controlled it by

building a number of fortresses, among them Buhen. The economic importance of the region lay in

itsminesandquarries- gold in the Wadi Allaqi, amethyst in the Wadi el Hudi and gneiss at Toshka. To the east in

the Red Sea region, expeditions were led to Wadi Hammamat, Gawasis and Gasus. Senusret I was succeeded by his

son Amenemhet II.

Amenemhet II was co-ruler with his father Senusret I for three years. Upon his father's death, Amenemhet II

became the third king of the 12th Dynasty. His only campaign was in Nubia. Instead of military expeditions he

directed his attention toward internal affairs and the nomarchs. These nomarchs were nobles of Egyptian provinces,

or nomes, and served as the kings representatives. Raising their own armies, they defended their own borders.

The inscription of Khnumhotep II, description of four generations of Middle Kingdom noblemen.

The inscription of Thuthotep, the nomarch of the Hare nome.
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Senusret III, 1878-1843 BCE, fixed Egypt's southern border above the second cataract of the Nile. He also waged

campaigns aimed at combating the Libyans of the Western Desert and retaining Egyptian influence and trade ties

with Syria and Canaan. He supervised the design and construction of numerous public works and curbed the power

of the nobility. These efforts led to an ever greater centralisation of the administration and concentration of power in

the capital, with an accompanying growth of well-being, and a decline of the provinces.

The Semna Stelae of Senusret IIIEarliest mention of a campaign in Canaan(Stela of Khusobek)

Amenemhet III (Nimaatre) (1817-1772 BCE) completed the building of the great waterwheels of the Fayum, thus

diverting the flood waters of the Nile into Lake Moeris. The irrigation system and an overflow canal, was used to

drain the marshes. An estimated 153,600 acres of fertile land was reclaimed from the water.

Amenemhet raised two colossal statues of himself nearby to celebrate this feat. Among his many achievements was

the famous Labyrinth, also known as the Pyramid of Hawara, one of the great wonders of the ancient world. The

central burial chamber of the pyramid, carved from a single block of granite, is estimated to have weighed 110 tons.

His pyramidal tomb was built at Dashur, which he abandoned in favor of the Hawara Pyramid.

While most kings were forgotten by the population a short while after their deaths, Amenemhet III was still

remembered in the region in Ptolemaic times, and children were named after him.[1]

Under Amenemhet copper was mined in the Sinai and local mines, often under dreadful conditions for the miners.According to two missives Amenemhet prevented a migration of starving Nubians into Upper Egypt by providing

food aid, sending bread and beer to the drought stricken region.

Second Intermediate Period

13th Dynasty, 1786-1633 BCE

Manetho assigns sixty kings to this dynasty, and a reign of 453 years, numbers which are certainly inaccurate.

With the decline of the 13th Dynasty, Egypt lost much of its power and cohesion. The military leaders and soldiers

stationed in Nubia became more and more independent. Some of them may even have permanently settled in Nubia.

The fortresses built along the Eastern border were either abandoned, or control over who passed the borders was not

as strict as it used to be. Canaanite nomads entered the country freely.

Most of these Canaanites settled and became traders, farmers or craftsmen, but at least one of them, Khendjer,

became a king. By the end of the 13th Dynasty, the Eastern Delta was populated mostly by Asiatics.

14th Dynasty, c. 1786-1603 BCE

According to Manetho the 14th dynasty was from Xois and comprised seventy-six kings who ruled for 184 years. The

dynasty is very obscure.

15th and 16th Dynasties: the Hyksos, c. 1684-1567 BC

Weakened by internal problems, Lower Egypt was taken over seemingly with little fighting by the invading or

perhaps just immigrant Hyksos, who set up two contemporaneous dynasties. The 15th dynasty (1674-1567) of thegreat Hyksos kings, which according to Manetho consisted of six kings, dominated the, according to Manetho, 32

Hyksos vassal chiefs of the 16th dynasty (1684-1567). Alternatively this was a dynasty of five kings ruling at Thebes.

Greek writers, beginning with Manetho, called them "Hyksos," which was mistranslated as "shepherd kings."

Egyptians seem to have called these kings heqa-khasut, rulers of foreign lands, but they generally referred to invading

foreigners as amu, asiatics orshamu, sand-dwellers.

The Hyksos were a Semitic (Canaanite or Amorite) people and may have come from southern Canaan or Syria.

Evidence seems to point to their having had a nomadic life style.

The dating and naming of the Hyksos kings is still quite uncertain. The foundation of their capital Avaris, which
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used to be referred to as Tanis, and the beginning of their domination of the Delta took place in about 1720, according

to the 400 year stela of Ramses II found there, which describes the arrival of his father Seti, then Vizier of Horemheb

at Tanis to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the adoration of Seth at Tanis. The Bible mentions the foundation of

Tanis

Their rule over Lower Egypt lasted from the conquest of Memphis by Salitis (Sheshi) in 1674, till their expulsion in

1567 BCE and was mainly a time of peace and prosperity. Major Hyksos cities or camps were at Tell el-Yahudiyeh,Heliopolis, Tell el-Maskhuta and Tell ed-Dab'a (Avaris).

Egyptian religion was respected; Egyptian was the language of government; and many Egyptians served in the

administration.

Their most important contributions to Egyptian culture were perhaps the introduction of Canaanite deities such as

the Storm God whom they identified with Seth, and Asian artifacts, which were instrumental in abrogating the

despotism and isolationism of the Old and Middle kingdoms.

Foreign culture became established at a few eastern Delta sites, and the Egyptians acquired new military

techniques, such as the use of the horse-drawn chariot and the composite bow during this period. Their conquests

were strengthened by a type of rectangular fortification of beaten earth used as a fortress; archaeologists have

uncovered examples of these mounds in Canaan at Jericho, Sihem, and Lahish.

The Hyksos seem to have behaved in accordance with Egyptian manners, laws, and theories of monarchy since thetimes of Khyan (Iannas, last third of the 17th century). It was also during his reign that Hyksos influence, political

and economical, over Egypt and Canaan became more marked. They maintained tribute or trade relations with the

Minoans and Babylonians and Egyptian artifacts bearing Khyan's name were found as far as Babylon, Knossos and

Hatti. As so often happened in the ancient world, the foreign conquerors gradually adopted the ways of the

conquered.

But the Hyksos dream of being integrated into Egyptian society died within a century. The ruling family of Upper

Egypt which originated from Thebes, waged war against the Hyksos kings. Apepi I (Auserre, c.1600 to 1560) tried

unsuccessfully to counter the threat posed by Tao II (Sekenenre) and Kamose (Wadjkheperre) by entering into an

alliance with the Kushites who had conquered Nubia. He killed Tao II in battle (though some think that Tao was

assassinated), but had to retreat northward before Kamose to the vicinity of Avaris in the delta.

In the end the Thebans forced Khamudi (Apepi II), the last king of the 15th (Hyksos) Dynasty to negotiate the

withdrawal of the Hyksos army from Avaris and most of the Delta. The southern Pharaohs did not keep the

agreement and Amosis (Ahmose I), the great general, drove the Hyksos out of Egypt by 1550 BCE after a decisive

victory at Tanis.

17th Dynasty, c.1650-1567 BCE

The surviving records of Manetho concerning this dynasty are confusing. It sometimes seems to be identified with

the 15th dynasty, alternatively 43 kings are given ruling at Thebes. Among them

were Tao I Seakhtenre, Tao II Sekenenre, and Kamose who conducted the military campaign against the Hyksos.

After their expulsion the Theban kings of the 18th Dynasty kept on raiding the Hyksos cities of the Middle East for

many years to come.

The role played by the queens of this epoch was at times crucial to the success of the Thebans and attested to in the

tombs of the 18th dynasty. They didn't just provide legal continuity, but often led their armies after the demise of

their husbands. The tomb of Queen Ahhotep, wife of Kamose, contained much weaponry and threegolden flies, the

Egyptian award for bravery.

New Kingdom

18th Dynasty
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Most pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty acceded while still very young and no reference is made to brothers of the king

although in a number of cases certainly more princes were alive at the time of death of their father. These young

rulers did not possess much power over themilitary, the officialdom and thepriesthood of Amen. The queen's palace

also played an important role. All these parties tried to manipulate the king, who often only served to legitimise the

government controlled by one faction or another.

Ahmose I (r. c.1570-1546 BCE), was the founder of the 18th dynasty, one of the most outstanding kings in thehistory of ancient Egypt. His principal achievement was to weaken the Hyksos, who had dominated Lower Egypt for

some 300 years, by taking Avaris, their citadel in the north. He pursued them into southern Canaan and laid siege to

Sharuhen for three years. On his campaign in Upper Egypt against rebelsgreat slaughterwas recorded in all the

battles.

Ahmose continued Kamose's expansion into Nubia as far as Buhen (near the second cataract) in an attempt to

prevent a recurrence of the incursions of the Kushites, which Upper Egypt had suffered from during the 17th

Dynasty. The overseer over these conquered lands became one of the most important people in Egypt and was later

given the title of "Son of the King".

Amenhotep I (Amenophis) was the son of Ahmose I, and ruled from c. 1546 to 1526. He undertook military

campaigns in Libya and in Nubia (up to the 3rd cataract) using boats on the Nile to transport his army, and extended

the boundaries of his empire by establishing a vice-royalty in Nubia.

Thutmose I, (r. c. 1525-1512), husband of the princess Ahmose, continued the expansive policy of his predecessors,

appointedTuri vice-roy of Nubiaand extended the empire southward deeper into Nubia. At the third cataract he

erected a stela on an island proclaiming:

His sword touches both ends of the earth.

Later, while pursuing the retreating Hyksos during his Asian campaigns, he reached the Euphrates and crossed

over intoNahrin, the land of the Two Rivers, which belonged to the Mitanni.

In his third year he re-excavated the canals bypassing the first cataract, put down a rebellion and returned with his

fleet, with

He added walls and obelisks to the temple of Amen at Thebes and the axial temple he created was often copied. Hewas the first king to be buried in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes.

Thutmose II (r. c.1512-c.1504 BCE) married his half sister Hatshepsut and succeeded his father, Thutmose I.

During his reign Thutmose put down Kushite rebellions in Nubia and revolts by bedouins in Canaan and continued

temple construction, albeit on a small scale only, at Karnak.

Hatshepsut (Hatshepsowe), (died c.1482 BCE) was one of the few women to rule Egypt as a pharaoh. After the

death (c.1504) of her husband, Thutmose II, she assumed power, first as regent for his son Thutmose III, and then

(c.1503) as pharaoh. She encouraged commercial expansion, sent a trading expedition to Puntand sponsored a major

building program overseen by Senenmut; the monuments of her reign include the temple at Deir el-Bahri. Toward

the end of her reign she lost influence to Thutmose III who came to be depicted as her equal.

Thutmose III (c.1504-1450 BCE) was very young when his father, Thutmose II, died and was until 1482 the co-regent

of his aunt, Hatshepsut. Some time after he became sole monarch,he tried, for unknown reasons, to erase the memory

of Hatshepsut by destroying many of the monuments which bore her name or effigy. From 1482 onwards, he devoted

himself to the expansion of the Egyptian empire, leading many campaigns into Canaan, Phoenicia and Syria.

AtMegiddo(c.1480) he destroyed a Syrian-Canaanite coalition employing mercenary armies and chariots. On the

east bank of the river Euphrates inNahrin, he defeated the forces of the kingdom of Mitanni, which had been

extending its power in the Middle East.

Thutmose expanded his navy and used it to transport his armies swiftly to the Phoenician coast, while in Setet
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(Nubia) and Kush he extended his rule beyond the fourth cataract.

He set up an efficient administration, both civil and military, and extorted large amounts of tribute from the

defeated kings and chiefs. Much of this tribute Thutmose used to build temples at Karnak (the Festival Hall of the

temple of Amen), Heliopolis and Abydos.

Amenhotep II, the 7th king of the 18th dynasty, son of Thutmose III, ruled Egypt from c.1450 to 1425 BCE. He

continued the military exploits of his father, particularly in Syria, where he crushed an uprising and demanded oathsof loyalty from local rulers. His mummy was discovered in the Valley of the Kings.

Thutmose IV campaigned in Nubia and Retenu. He concluded a treaty with the Babylonians and entered into an

alliance with the Mitanni by marrying Artatama's daughter.

Amenhotep III ruled (c.1417-1379 BCE) Egypt at the height of its power. His extensive diplomatic contacts with

other Near Eastern states, especially Mitanni and Babylonia, are revealed in theAmarna tablets. Of the great temple

he built near Thebes, only two statues, the so-called colossi of Memnon, remain. Amenhotep's wife Tiye, a woman of

non-royal birth, was prominently associated with him during his long and peaceful reign.

Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) (c. 1379-1361), was invested as king not in the Amen temple at Karnak as custom

dictated, but at Hermonthis, where his uncle Inen was High Priest of Re and immediately began building a roofless

temple to the Aten, the disk of the rising sun. He soon forbade the worship of other gods, especially of the state god

Amen of Thebes. In the 6th year he changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amen is satisfied") to Akhenaten

("beneficial to Aten") and left Thebes for a new capital at Akhetaten (El Amarna).

Living there with his queen Nefertiti, six daughters, and possibly several sons, he fostered new styles in art and

literature. The confiscation of the wealth of the Amen temples wreaked havoc upon itspriesthood. Akhenaten used

these riches to strengthen the royal control over the army and his officialdom. His concentration on internal affairs

brought about the loss of some of the Egyptian possessions in Canaan and Retenu (Syria) and of the Egyptian naval

dominance, whenAzirudefected to the Hittites with his fleet.

His religious reforms did not survive his reign and monotheism [2] in its pure form was forgotten in Egypt, even

though it found a new expression in the trinity of Re, Ptah and Amen. The Aten temples were demolished, and

Akhenaten came to be called "the Enemy" or the "criminal of Akhetaten."

The subsequent events are unclear, but it is possible that on the death of Akhenaten, Meritaten, who had become

his wife as well as co-regent, married Smenkhkare. (Some think that Meritaten may have been Smenkhkare)

An attempt by Kiya to usurp the throne was suppressed and the remains of Akhenaten and Tiye were transferred

to another site in the Valley of the Kings; Akhenaten was buried in Kiya's coffin. In Tutankhamen's reign, both

mummies were moved to the tomb of Amenhotep III.

Tutankhamen (c. 1361-1352 BCE), the son in law of Akhenaten, succeeded his brother Smenkhkare when he was

only nine years old. His vizier Ay restored the traditional polytheistic religion, abandoning the monotheistic cult of

Aten of Akhenaten, its religious centre at el Amarna and returning to the capital Thebes. By reviving the cult of the

state god Amen he strengthened the position of Amen's priesthood. The pharaoh changed his name

Tutankhaten, (living image of Aten), to Tutankhamen, (living image of Amen).

During his reign, the general Horemheb sought to 'pacify' Canaan and fought against the Hittites in northern Syria

allied to the Assyrians.

Tutankhamen died at the age of 18, some claim that he was murdered, but there is no real evidence to support this.

As there were apparently no legal heirs, a plea by the King's Wife for a suitable prince consort seems to have reached

the Hittite king Suppiliuma.

Tutankhamen was succeeded by Ay (c. 1352-1348), who married his widow, Ankhesenamen, and furnished the

former king's tomb [1]. Ay acceded to the throne despite Horemheb's claim to be the designated successor. His
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accession to the throne may have been an attempt on the part of the Egyptians to appease the Hittites, by whom they

had just been defeated.

Horemheb (c.1321-1293) who followed Ay, pursued a more hawkish policy vis--vis the Hittites, rebuilding his

army devastated by the pestilence, which had affected much of the Near East killing the Hittite king Suppiluliuma

who was followed by Mursili.

19th Dynasty

Ramses I, founder of the 19th dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs, reigned for little more than a year, between 1293 and

1291 BC. Apparently chosen for succession by the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, Horemheb, in whose army he had

been a commander, Ramses planned and started to build the colonnaded hall in the temple at Karnak.

Seti I succeeded his father, Ramses I and ruled from about 1291 till 1278 BCE. He reoccupied the forts in Sinai

which had been taken over by the Shasu and conducted several campaigns in Syria and Canaanfighting local kings,

the Hittites and nomadic tribes like the Hebrews.

He is remembered for his work on the temples at Karnak and for his magnificent tomb at Thebes. He was

succeeded by Ramses II.

Ramses II (c. 1278-1237 BCE) is remembered for his military campaigns and his extensive building program [3], the

remains of which are still conspicuous. Ramses, like his father Seti I, pursued a vigorous foreign policy by attacking

the Hittites, the chief opponents of the Egyptian empire in the East. His first campaigns against them in the fifth year

of his reign ended in an Egyptian retreat after a violentbattle at Kadeshin Syria, during which Ramses himself

narrowly escaped capture mainly thanks to the intervention of a troop contingent arriving from Amurru. The

consequent loss of prestige sparkedrevolts within the empire, and Ramses could not resume direct hostilities against

the Hittites until the tenth year of his reign; the conflicts were finally concluded by a peace treatyin his 21st year.

He also fought in Trans-Jordan and Nubia and secured the western coast road of Egypt against Libyan invaders by

building fortresses along the Mediterranean coast as far as 300 km west of the Delta.

Ramses was responsible for building many large temples, most notably that at Abu Simbel in Nubia. He also

founded a new royal capital at Per-Ramesse ("the house of Ramses") in the eastern Nile delta. During his long reign,

Ramses had more than 100 children, and by his death he had outlived his 11 eldest sons.

Ramses was succeeded by his 12th, surviving son, Merneptah (c.1212-1202 BCE). Under Merneptah an army of the

Sea Peoples attacked Egypt which consisted for the most part of the Akhaivasa (perhaps Achaeans), and has been

chronologically related to the migratory wave that put an end to Troy VII a.

The time following his reign waschaotic,Seti II who was probably a legitimate heir, reigned for some six years,

while coming from Nubia, a usurper, Amenmes controlled Upper Egypt and was followed byRamses Siptah(later

called Merneptah Siptah).

Queen Twosret, widow of Seti II, tried to expunge the memory of her predecessor. According to the Harris

PapyrusYarsu, perhaps identical with the Syrian chancellor of Siptah, usurped the throne during this period.

20th Dynasty

Succeeding his father Sethnakhte who reigned for three years, Ramses III (c.1182-1151 BCE) saved Egypt from

foreign invasion but failed to solve internal problems (political conspiracies and weakened social structures) that led

to the disintegration of the Egyptian state 80 years after his death. Ramses fought offLibyan invasionsin his fifth and
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eleventh year. He also claimed to have held back a horde of invading Sea Peopleswho were sweeping down the

eastern Mediterranean coast towards Egypt.

Despite these external successes, royal power declined and Egypt lost its Asiatic colonies which were conquered by

the Sea Peoples, even if in the Medinet Habu texts describing the battle of Ramses III the Egyptians claim that they

settled them as vassals in Southern Canaan.

During the reigns of Ramses III or IV most centres of Egyptian power in Canaan were destroyed and Ramses VI

withdrew from Serabit el Khadim, the copper mines of Timna and possibly Megiddo. During this time the templesbecame richer at the expense of the pharaohs; Ramses III for instance attempted building only one major structure.

Government was corrupt and inefficient, and Ramses himself was the target of anassassination plotbefore being

succeeded by his son Ramses IV in 1151 BCE. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

Until the end of the 20th dynasty the empire shrank and ambitious royal building programs failed. Government

was impeded by the independence of officialdom, as offices became hereditary, and corruption and inefficiency

increased. Its influence in the Middle Eastdeclined. The New Kingdom ended in turmoil under Ramses XI.

Third Intermediate Period

21st Dynasty , c.1070-945 BCE

Funeral mask of Psusennes

(21st dynasty)

Source: Akhet website

Some time after 1080 BCE - the Tanite Nesbanebded (c.1070 - 1043) still had some

control over Upper Egypt- Egypt split between a northern 21st dynasty claiming

national recognition reigning from Tanis, and a line of Theban generals and high

priests of Amen, who actually controlled the south from Thebes. Relations between

the two authorities were peaceful. The Tanites were driven from power by Libyan

warriors who established their own Twenty-Second Dynasty.

There was a tradition of representing the high priest as the king's representative:

Herihor did not claim royal dignity. During this period they called Renaissance (whm

msw.t) Herihor and his successors Pinedjem, Masaharta, and Menkheperre, with the

exception of Piankh, all used the title of High Priest of Amen as their principal title. The titles gradually diminished

in number, reflecting not so much a reduction in power but an emphasis on their role as the highest authority in the

Thebaid and Upper Egypt. The title of High Priest of Amen gave the bearers control over the domains of Amen and

at the same time emphasized the fact that they derived their power from Amen.

In the peculiar combinations of royal titles and that of High Priest, it becomes clear that the rulers of Tanis and

Thebes only represented an ideal kingship.

22nd Dynasty , c.945-730 BCE

The 22d dynasty (945-730 BCE) was founded by Sheshonq I, probably descended from long-settledLibyan

mercenaries, the Meshwesh. He supported Jeroboam against King Solomon's son, Rehoboam and campaignedlaterin Palestine(ca.930) laying tribute upon the king of Judah. He instituted a decentralized system, with kings

based in the north and their sons ruling key centers elsewhere. Rivalries and sporadic civil wars followed, and by the

8th century BCE Egypt had been divided into eleven autonomous states, whose inhabitants depended on congested,

walled towns for security. Their increased anxiety found expression in their worship of local rather than national

gods.

23rd Dynasty , c.818-715 BCE
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The 23rd dynasty was of Libyan origin possibly residing at Tanis, with, according to the various sources based on

Manetho, either three kings reigning for 44 years or four kings in power for 89 years. Their sphere of influence was

local. There are archaeological remains which can be assigned to the first king, Pedubast I and his

successorOsorkon III. Their authority was recognized by the rulers of Thebes.

24th Dynasty , c.727-715 BCE

Another somewhat obscure dynasty, which according to Manetho consisted of Bakenenref who ruled at Sais for 44

or more probably six years. Tefnakhte, his predecessor, is sometimes included as well.

25th Dynasty , 747-656 BCE

Upper Egypt held out long against Ethiopian invaders until being overrun by the armies ofPiye(Piankhi), son of

Kashta, all the way to Memphis. During this period there was an artistic and cultural revival, such as the restoration

of the supremacy of the god Amen. Piye moved north against the coalition of four Egyptian Kings in year 21 of his

Nubian reign.

Shabaka succeeded his brother Piye in about 716 BCE, moved his capital from Napata to Thebes and reunited

Upper and Lower Egypt, by defeating King Bochchoris (Wahkare Bakenrenef) of Sais and removing all the otherkings. He completely subdued the foreign invaders who had settled in the Delta. His was the Golden Age of the

Nubian domination of Egypt.

He foughtagainst the Assyrian Empirein Palestine and Syria and was followed by Shebitku and then

by Taharka who recognized in 665 BCE his cousin Tanutamun, as his heir and co-regent.

In 674, the first Assyrian attack under Asarhaddon on Egypt foundered at a border fortification, probably Migdol,

on the eastern rim of the Delta. On his second campaign (671), Asarhaddon skirted the fortress, and conquered

Memphis in just a few days, expelled King Taharka andoccupied Lower Egypt. The third campaign was prematurely

ended by Asarhaddon's death in 669, and Taharka used the momentary Assyrian weakness to try and reconquer

Lower Egypt. He occupied his former capital Memphis, but was defeated by an army hastily sent by Ashurbanipal

and retreated to Thebes.

Reinforced by Levantine nobles, an unsuccessful attempt was made to conquer Upper Egypt. On their return a

conspiracy against the Assyrian occupiers was uncovered; two of the involved noblemen, Necho and Sharruludari

were captured and exiled to Nineveh. Necho received a pardon and was reinstalled at Sais, probably because the

Assyrians depended on his support. His son, the later Psammetic I, was given an official position at the same time,

stressing the importance the Assyrians attributed to Necho's family.

AfterTaharka's deathin 664, Tanutamun, Taharka's nephew, became ruler of Kush. With his accession he

attempted to reconquer Lower Egypt and attacked Memphis, but he did not receive the hoped-for support of the

noblemen of the Delta. Ashurbanibal's troops counterattacked, expelled the Kushites fromThebesand plundered the

city and the great Amen temple at Karnak, thus ending the 25th Dynasty.

Late Period

26th Dynasty , 664-525 BCE

Egypt regained its independence in 656 BCE under Psammetic I (656-609 BCE) of Libyan origin, founder of the

26th dynasty. Under him the country experienced another golden age. Towards the end of his reign heaided the

crumbling Assyrian empirein a vain attempt to contain the rising Babylonians.
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Necho II (609-594 BCE) began and later abandoned the re-excavation of thecanalconnecting the Nile to the Red

Sea, rebuilt thefleet, conquered Syria , continued his predecessor's policy of supporting Assyria with an unsuccessful

siege of Haran during hisfirst campaignin 609, but was defeated by the king of Babylon, Nebukadrezzar II , (605

BCE, at Karkamesh on the Euphrates), lost Syria and was pursued by the Babylonians to the traditional Egyptian

border in Sinai.

Wahibre (Apries) supported unsuccessful Syrian revolts against the Babylonians. In North Africa, Adicran, aLibyan chieftain in Cyrene, turned to Egypt for protection against the Greek colonists. An Egyptian expeditionary

army was crushed and in the ensuing revolt Wahibre was toppled in 569.

The last great African Pharaoh, Ahmose II (Amasis, 569-526), was of Libyan ancestry. He came to power with the

help of mercenary soldiers, overthrowing King Apries who had been blamed for a military catastrophe in Libya.

Under him Egypt enjoyed its last brilliant period. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Ahmose II's reign was

prosperous and mainly peaceful: he left many architectural monuments, developed relations with Greece, and

married the Greek Ladice of Cyrene.

The Babylonians tried twice to invade Egypt and were repulsed. After a first failed attempt in 601, Nebukadrezzar

attacked the Delta in 568 and Ahmose hired Ionian mercenaries who thanks to Marduk were put to flight; but the

defense of Egypt was successful.

In an attempt to counterbalance therising Persian empireAhmose conquered Cyprus in 560 which Egypt helduntil its conquest by the Persians in 525.

Many of the best soldiers of Egypt's armydesertedto the Ethiopian king at Meroe, and Ahmose was forced to use

Libyan and Greek mercenaries against foreign invaders. In spite of being a Philhellene, he restricted the activities of

the Greeks to the great city of Naukratis in the Delta southwest of Sais, thus achieving a political equilibrium between

Greeks and Egyptians.

A few months after his death, however, his son Psammetic III was deposed when the Persians under King

Cambyses II conquered Egypt.

27th Dynasty: The Persians , 525-404 BCE

Libya and the Greeks of Cyrene surrendered to Cambyses, but his attempts to enlarge his African possessions

were largely unsuccessful. The conquest of the Greek colony at the Siwa oasis failed, when his army died on the

march through the desert and his Nubian campaign led only to the establishment of a Persian garrison at

Elephantine.

His successor, Darius I, re-excavated thecanalconnecting the Nile, and thus the Mediterranean, with the Red Sea,

promoting trade.

The Persians ruledEgypt as a satrapyfrom 525 to 404 BCE, and again from 341 to 333 BCE (31st Dynasty). Much of

their reign over Egypt was uneventful, but there were occasionally revolts, such as the rebellion of 486 following a

rise in the level of taxation, which was put down by Xerxes.


Amyrtaeusof Sais led a revolt against the Persians in 404. Amyrtaeus ruled in the midst of unrest and conspiracy

for five years. In 400 he united the country by conquering Upper Egypt.


According to Manetho this Mendesian line consisted of four kings, among them Nefaarud and Hakor who are also

known from contemporary records. The weakness of the Persian empire prevented it from taking advantage of the
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unstable political situation in Egypt.Hakor(Achoris, 393-380) employed native Greek mercenaries and rebuilt the

Egyptian navy. He formed alliances with other kings threatened by the Persians and repelled a Persian invasion.


This line from Sebennytos consisted, according to Manetho, of three kings and ruled for either twenty or thirty-

eight years. The founder of the dynasty, the generalNakhtnebef(Nectanebo I, 380-362) ousted the legal heirNepherites II and withstood a Persian attack on the Delta, suffering heavy casualties. His son Djedhor(Tachos or

Teos, 365-360), allied to Chabros and the Spartan Agesilaus, invaded Palestine. But in order to pay his mercenaries he

had raised taxes. His cousinNakhthorheb(Nectanebo II) took advantage of the Egyptian resentment of the taxes and

the confiscation of temple property and replaced Djedhor with the support of the priesthood.

31st Dynasty: The second Persian conquest, 343-332 BCE

Another Persian attack was repulsed in 350, but in 343 Artaxerxes III led his army against Pelusium and defeated

the Egyptian forces. After the conquest of Egypt Nakhthorheb fled to Nubia. Artaxerxes plundered the country and

destroyed fortifications and city walls. The Nubian Khabbash gained control over Egypt after the murder of

Artaxerxes (338), but Darius III retook the country in 335.
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Predynastic Period c.3500-3100 BCE

Early Dynastic Period c.3100-2686 BCE

'Scorpion'

Narmer

1st Dynasty c.3100-2890 BCE

Menes(Hor-Aha)

Djer

Wadj(Djet)

Den

Anendjib

Semerkhet

Qa'a

2nd Dynasty c.2890-2686 BCE

Hotepsekhemwy

Raneb

Nynetjer

Seth-Peribsen

Khasekhemwy

Old Kingdom c.2686-2181 BCE

3rd Dynasty c.2686-2613 BCE

Sanakhte (Nebka) (c.2688-2668)Djoser(Netjerikhet) (c.2668-2649)

Sekhemkhet (Djoser Teti) (c.2649-2641)

Khaba (c.2641-2637)

Huni (c.2637-2613)

4th Dynasty c.2613-2494 BCE

Snofru (c.2613-2589)

Khufu(Cheops) (c.2585-2566)

Djedefre (c.2566-2558)

Khafre (Rekhaf) (c.2558-2532)

Menkaure (Mykerinos) (c.2532-2514)Shepseskaf (c.2514-2494)


Userkaf (c.2494-2487)

Sahure (c.2487-2475)

Neferirkare Userkhau (c.2475-2455)
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Shepseskare (c.2455-2448)

Raneferef (c.2448-2445)

Niuserre (c.2445-2421)

Menkauhor (c.2421-2413)

Djedkare (c.2413-2381)

Unas(Wenis) (c.2381-2345)


Teti(c.2345-2313)

Pepi I Meryre (c.2313-2279)

Merenre(c.2279-2270)

Pepi IINeferkare (c.2279-2181)

First Intermediate Period c.2181-2040 BCE

7/8th Dynasty c.2181-2173 BCE

Wadjkare

Qakare Iby

9/10th Dynasty c.2160-2040 BCE

Meryibre Kheti (Akhtoy) I

Merykare

Kanrferre

Nebkaure Kheti (Akhtoy) II

Wahkare Kheti (Akhtoy) III

Merikare


Intef I (Inyotef I) Sehertawy (c.2133-2123)

Intef II (Inyotef II) Wahankh (c.2123-2074)

Intef III (Inyotef III) Nakhtnebtepnefer (c.2074-2066)

Mentuhotep I ? (c.2066-2040)

Middle Kingdom c.2040-1786 BCE

11th Dynasty

Mentuhotep IINebhepetre (c.2040-2010)Mentuhotep III Sankhkare (c.2010-1998)

Mentuhotep IV Nebtawyre (c.1998-1991)


Amenemhet ISehetepibre (c.1991-1962)

Senusret IKheperkare(c.1962-1917)
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17/21

Amenemhet IINubkaure (c.1917-1882)

Senusret II Khakhperre (c.1882-1878)

Senusret IIIKhakaure (c.1878-1841)

Amenemhet IIINimaatre (c.1841-1796)

Amenemhet IV Maakherure (c.1796-1790)

Queen Sobeknerfu Neferusobek (c.1790-1786)

Second Intermediate Period c.1786-1567 BCE

13th Dynasty (about 70 kings) c.1786-1633 BCE

Wegaf Khawitawire (c.1783 - 1779)

Amenemhet V Sekhemkare

Harnedjheriotef Hetepibre

Sobekhotep I Khaankhre (ca.1750)

Hor

Amenemhet VII Sedjefakare

Sobekhotep II Sekhemre-Khutawy (ca.1745)

Khendjer

Sobekhotep III

Neferhotep I Khasekhemre (c.1723-1713)

Sobekhotep IV Merihotepre Khaneferre (c.1713)

Iaib (c.1713-1703)

Ay Merneferre (c.1703-1680)

Neferhotep II

and eight more kings


Nehesy


Hyksos kings

Semqen ? Aper-Anati ?

Sakir-Har

Khyan (Apachnan)

Apepi I(Apophis)

Apepi II(Khamudi?) (c.1542-1532)


Hyksos kings

?

?

17th Dynasty c.1650-1567

Sobekemsaf I Sekhemre Wadjkhau

Sobekemsaf II
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18/21

Intef VII

Tao I Seakhtenre

Tao IISekenenre

KamoseWadjkheperre

New Kingdom c.1570-1070 BCE


Ahmose INebpehtyre (c.1570-1546)

Amenhotep IDjeserkare (c.1546-1527)

Thutmose IAkheperkare (c.1527-1515)

Thutmose IIAkheperenre (c.1515-1498)

QueenHatshepsutMaatkare (c.1498-1483)

Thutmose IIIMenkhepere (c.1504-1450)

Amenhotep IIAkheperure (c.1450-1412)

Thutmose IV Men-khepru-Re (1412-1402)

Amenhotep IIINebmaatre (c.1402-1364)

Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten Neferkheperure (c.1350-1334)

SmenkhkareAnkhheperure (c.1334)

TutankhamenNebkheperoure (c.1334-1325)

AyKheperkheperure (c.1325-1321)

HoremhebDjeserkheperure (c.1321-1293)


Ramses IMenpehtyre (c.1293-1291)

Seti IMerienptah Menmaatre (c.1291-1278)

Ramses IIMeriamen Usermaatre Setepenre (c.1279-1212)MerneptahHetephermaat Baenre Meriamen (c.1212-1202)

AmenmesHeqawaset Menmire Setepenre (c.1202-1199)

Seti IIMerenptah Userkheperure Setepenre (c.1199-1193)

Merneptah SiptahSekhaenre/Akhenre (c.1193-1187)

Queen TwosretSetepenmut Sitre Meriamen (c.1187-1185)


SethnakhteUserkhaure Setepenre (c.1185-1182)

Ramses IIIUsermaatre Meriamen (c.1182-1151)

Ramses IVUsermaatre/Heqamaatre-Setepenamen (c.1151-1145)

Ramses V Usermaatre Sekheperenre (c.1145-1141)Ramses VI Nebmaatre Meriamen (c.1141-1133)

Ramses VII Usermaatre Setepenre Meriamen (c.1133-1128)

Ramses VIII Usermaatre Akhenamen (c.1128-1126)

Ramses IX Neferkare Setepenre (c.1126-1108)

Ramses X Khepermaatre Setepenptah (c.1108-1098)

Ramses XIMenmaatre Setepenptah (c.1098-1070)
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19/21

Third Intermediate Period c.1070-664 BCE

High Priests (Thebes)

Contemporaries of the 21st dynasty at Tanis

HerihorSiamun Hemnetjertepyenamun (c.1080-1074)

Piankh (c.1074-1070)

Pinedjem I Meriamen Khakheperre Setepenamun (c.1070-1032)

Masaherta (c.1054-1046)

Djedkhonsefankh (c.1046-1045)

Menkheperre (c.1045-992)

Smendes II (c.992-990)

Pinedjem II (c.990-969)

Psusennes (c.969-959)

21st Dynasty

Tanitec.1070-945 BCE

NesbanebdedHedjkheperre Setepenre (Smendes I) (c.1070-1043)

Nephercheres (Neferkare-hekawise Amenemnisu Meramun (c.1043-1039)

Psusennes IAkheperre Setepenamun (c.1039-1000)

Amenemope Usimare Setepenamun (c.1000-991)

Osorkon the elder (Osochor) (c.991-985)

Psinaches (c.985-976)

Psusennes II Titkheprure (c.976-962)

Siamun Nutekheperre Setepenamun Siamun Meramun (c.962-945)

22nd Dynasty

Bubastitec.945-730 BCE

Sheshonq IHedjkheperre Setepenre (c.945-924)

Osorkon I Sekhemkheperre Setepenre (c.924889)

Sheshonq II Hekakheperre Setepenre (ca. 890)

Takelot I Usimare (c.889874)

Osorkon II Usimare Setepenamun (c.874850)

Harsiese (ca. 865)

Takelot IIHedjkheperre Setepenre (c.850825)

Sheshonq III Usimare Setepenamun (c.825773)

Pamai (c.773767)

Sheshonq V Akheperre (c.767730)

Osorkon IV (c.730712)

23rd Dynasty

Tanitec.817-730 BCE

PedibastetMeriamen Usermaatre Setepenre(c.818793)

Iuput I (ca. 800)

Sheshonq IV Usermaatre Meriamen (c.793787)

Osorkon IIIUsermaatre Setepenamen (c.787759)

Takelot III Usermaatre (c.764757)
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Documents

Dynasty of Egypt