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Volume 7 issue 4 February 2007

ANCIENTEGYPT explores the WORLD WIDE WEB ...

The people we know as the Hyksos had steadily moved into the Delta and Northern Egypt as the power of the Middle Kingdom waned. After the collapse of the Thirteenth Dynasty, they took over control of the north of the country and ruled as kings of Egypt; refer:

http://touregypt.net/featurestories/hyksos.htm and http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/hyksos.html

The Greek scholar and priest Manetho (writing in the Ptolemaic Period) gives the Egyptian view of this ‘invasion’;

refer: www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/manetho_hyksos.htm

The Hyksos controlled an area as far North as Hermopolis, and at first the Egyptian princes had no option but to accept the situation, as there appeared to be no way to remove the Hyksos from the occupied territory. Slowly, however, rulers in Thebes began to unite the country once more, until they were in a position to challenge the Hyksos for control of Egypt.

The kings of the Hyksos were aware of the Seventeenth Dynasty’s gathering strength, and king Apophis I sent a insulting message to the Theban king Seqenenre Tao II, complaining that the hippos at Thebes were keeping him awake in Avaris (the Hyksos capital, over three hundred miles away!):

“Give orders that the hippopotamus-pool which is in the flowing spring of the city be abandoned; for they [the voices of the hippos] do not allow deep sleep to come to me either by day or by night; but their noise is in mine ear.”It was clearly a challenge, or a warning,

(refer: www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/seqenenretaoII.html),

but it was one which king Seqenenre Tao II could no longer ignore – and he launched the first of a series of attacks to push the invaders from Egyptian soil. Seqenenre Tao himself was killed in one of these battles and the head wounds on his mummy clearly show evidence of Hyksos battle axes and arrows. His death did not bring a halt to the campaign, however, and his son Kamose took up the battle; refer to the Inscription of Kamose:

www.terraflex.co.il/ad/egypt/kamose_inscription.htm

which clearly show that the Hyksos had made an alliance with the Nubians, to the South of Egypt, to defeat the Theban kings.

Despite this alliance, the Hyksos began to retreat before the onslaught of Kamose, who unfortunately died before final victory was achieved. It was his brother (or son), king Ahmose, who finally defeated the Hyksos, established control over all of Egypt, and became recognised as the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Refer:

www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ahmose1.htm

www.crystalinks.com/dynasty18.html

www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/ahmoseI.html

It is at this point that we encounter one of the most famous characters in Egyptian history, the soldier/marine “Ahmose Son of Ebana”, who made a record of his military career under the reigns of Kings Ahmose, Amenophis I and Tuthmosis I. Refer: www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/ahmoseebana.html

www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/ahmose_inscription.htm

The Hyksos made their last stand at Hatwaret, in the Delta, and the final battle was recorded by Ahmose son of Ebana in his inscription. After this success, king Ahmose turned his attention to the south and launched a campaign in Nubia (which was also recorded by Ahmose son of Ebana). While king Ahmose was away in Nubia, supporters of the Hyksos launched an attack against Thebes itself, and the area had to be defended by Ahmose’s mother, Queen Ahhotpe, who was apparently successful in withstanding the rebels’ attacks and was duly awarded the “gold flies of valour” by her son, in recognition of her defence of the city; refer:

www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=692

To celebrate his great victory, Ahmose, the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty, had a great ceremonial copper axe made, which pictorially depicted his victory over the Hyksos; refer:

www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=597

So, Egypt was a united country again and settled into a peaceful rule under the son of king Ahmose, Amenophis I;

refer: www.touregypt.net/featurestories/amenhotep1.htm

The stage was set for the great expansion of Egyptian power and the construction of an Egyptian Empire under the Tuthmosid warrior kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

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