| Period or Event | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Temple Construction | The Temple of Dendur was on the west bank of the Nile, 50 miles south of Aswan and 600 miles south of Cairo. This location was just below ancient Egyot’s border in the area known as Lower Nubia. | |
|---|---|---|
| Aswan Dam | 1900 | A dam was built at Aswan about 1900, and heightened several times so that the Dendur Temple was completely flooded part of every year. |
| Aswan High Dam | The High Dam at Aswan, begun in 1960 would have submerged this temple and similar monuments forever. | |
| UNESCO Appeal | The Government of Egypt thus appealed to nations of the world through UNESCO to help save the Nubian monuments. The US Government responded with a gift of $16 million in Egyptian credit, and the result was that America was able to choose the finest of the four shrines offered by Egypt in gratitude. | |
| Metropolitan Award | 1967 | The Temple of Dendur is in fact a gift of the Government and People of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Government and People of the United States. It was awarded to The Metropolitan Museum by a presidential commission in 1967 on the basis of the Museum’s ability to provide a suitable protected environment; opportunity for numerous people to view it; and major Egyptian collection as a context for it. |
| Reconstruction | The temple and its gateway were rebuilt at The Metropolitan Museum much as they were on the banks of the Nile. The setting of gray granite has been reconstructed to the greatest extent possible from comparable temples and pre-20th century documents. | |
Kadesh Treaty, ~1269 BC. Akkadian on Terracotta from Hattusa. Museum of the Ancient Orient Bo. 10403+6549+6674. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/08/28.The Kadesh Treaty was established ~1269 BC between Hittite king Hattusilis III and Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, and is the earliest known equitable peace treaty. Ramses II’s reign began with hostility against the Hittite Empire, culminating in the mutually devastating Battle of Kadesh. The overextended Hittites lost the critical Mitanni region; and Egypt’s defeat prompted its Levantine vassals to revolt. Nearly six years after the Battle of Kadesh, Egypt and the Hittites allied for: non-aggression to avoid further ruin; and mutual military aid to thwart the encroachment of the Sea Peoples.
Two Egyptian and three Akkadian versions of the treaty are known to exist. One Egyptian version was carved into the walls of the temple of Amon at Karnak; another was carved into the walls of the Ramesseum, though it embellished Egypt’s peacemaking role. The three Akkadian versions are much closer to the formal agreement; these were excavated at Hattusha by joint Turkish and German teams (led by Hügo Winckler and Teodor Makridy). One of these Hittite tablets are at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; two are at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Below are excerpts from the treaty:
Treaty of Rea-Mashesha-Mai Amana the great king, the king of the land of Egypt, the valiant, with Hattusilis, the great king of the Hatti land for establishing good peace and good brotherhood worthy of great kingship forever.
These are the words of Rea-Mashasha-Mai Amana: Now I have established good brotherhood [and] good peace between us forever. In order to establish good peace [and] good brotherhood in the relationship of the land of Egypt with the Hatti land forever.
Thus: Behold, as for the relationship between the land of Egypt and the Hatti land, since eternity the god does not permit the making of hostility between them because of a treaty [valid] forever.
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Middle Kingdom | 2040-1785 BC | Began 2050 BC | The Middle Kingdom began ~2050 BC when a family of Theban princes garnered hegemony over the entire nation by defeating a dynastic line from Heracleopolis. This victory was not complete until the reign of Mentuhotpe II, though his predecessors were later regarded as legitimate rulers of Egypt. The Middle Kingdom was an era of renaissance, trade, quarrying, mining and military campaigns. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammenemes I | May have been vizier to Mentuhopte IV. | ||
| Twelfth Dynasty | 1940-1756 BC | The capital was moved to Itj-tawy near Faiyum, where brick pyramid tombs of the kings still stand. A system of co-regencies was established between the king and his succession, ensuring a peaceful transfer of power that gave the Twelfth Dynasty great stability. Also strengthening the Twelfth Dynasty was Egyptian king Sesostris III’s reduction of wealthy local governors’ power. Egypt’s foreign contact increased, as shown by Egyptian objects found in Syria and Palestine. Egypt extended its southern frontier into Nubia and established fortresses in the Second Cataract region. | |
| Thirteenth Dynasty | 1755-1630 BC | ||
| Ammenemes III | Power began to decline after the reign of Ammenemes III. | ||
| Ammenemes IV | The Middle Kingdom neared collapse. | ||
| Sebnekneferu | End of the Middle Kingdom. | ||
| Fourteenth Dynasty | |||
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| 3rd Intermediate Period | 1552-1069 BC | A time of foreign invasion and civil war. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty-First Dynasty | |||
| Twenty-Second Dynasty | |||
| Twenty-Third Dynasty | |||
| Twenty-Fourth Dynasty | |||
| Twenty-Fifth Dynasty | |||
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Late Period | 712-332 BC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Ptolemaic Period | 332-30 BC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Roman Period | 30 BC – AD 395 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview | |
| Predynastic Period | 5300-3000 BC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Era | Overview |
|---|---|
| Old Kingdom | The ba of the god or of the king encompassed the powers of that entity. It was the vehicle by which they were manifested as individuals. Even a town or a door had its own ba. A god or a place could have multiple bau (plural) representing the numerous divine powers or deities associated with them. Sometimes ba is translated as personality, but this is not entirely accurate. |
| Middle Kingdom | The ba was more clearly defined as being an aspect of mortals. In funerary literature of this period, each individual had his own ba and it was one of the modes for his existence after death. Though not a physical being, the ba could eat, drink, speak and move. This capacity to move about was its most important facet, as the ba was the means for the dead to leave the tomb and travel. |
| New Kingdom | Depictions of the ba in papyri, coffins and tomb-paintings began in the New Kingdom and continued to the Roman Period. Its association with mobility was manifested in its form, a bird with a human head and oft even human hands and arms as well. Mortuary texts began to describe the ba’s behavior, such as its ability to separate from the body at death. The Book of the Dead depicted the ba as perched on the façade of the tomb. Some Late Period funerary stelae had a small ba figure attached to the top. |
Pottery model of a simple dwelling with a courtyard full of food. About 1850 BC. British Museum. EA 32610. Image by L M Clancy 2009/09/13| Period | Overview |
|---|---|
| Old Kingdom | In some fo the Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts, the dead king is identified with Osiris and thereby was believed to experience rebirth just as the murdered god had done. |
| Name | Overview |
|---|---|
| Khepri | The newly-risen dawn sun, represented by a scarab beetle propelling the solar disc into the sky. |
| Ra | The daytime sun. |
| Atum | The evening sun, and the creator god in one of the main cosmogonic myths. |
Granite ram of Amun with King Taharqa. Dynasty 25, 690-664 BC. From Kawa in Nubia. The worship of Amun, imported into Nubia by the Egyptians, was carried on with great zeal by the royal family of the twenty-fifth dynasty. Taharqa built or enlarged several temples in honor of Amun. This statue symbolizes the god’s protection of the king. British Museum, EA 1779. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/13.| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| 1st Intermediate Period | 2200-2040 BC | 2125-1975 BC | A time of civil war. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seventh Dynasty | |||
| Eighth Dynasty | |||
| Ninth/Tenth Dynasty | 2125-1975 BC | Only in Herakleopolis | |
| Eleventh Dynasty | 2080-1975 BC | Only in Thebes | |
| Eleventh Dynasty | 1975-1940 BC | All of Egypt |
Bibliography
Hamiton 2007, xxiii
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| 2nd Intermediate Period | 1785-1552 BC |
Egypt’s central government weakened, allowing Asiatic kings based in the eastern Delta to seize power of Lower Egypt and set up an independent regime in ~1650 BC. These Asiatic kings were known as the Hyksos, based on the Egyptian phrase meaning rulers of foreign lands. Hyksos power grew over all of Egypt but was based in Avaris and never directly controlled Thebes. The Hyksos strove to accomodate native customs and beliefs, contrary to their modern reputation of violence. The brought innovations to Egypt, including the horse and chariot. The Hyksos was met with resistance by the Seventeenth Dynasty, a new family of Theban rulers whose last king, Kamose, sacked Avaris; the Hyksos were finally defeated and expelled from Egypt under the reign of Kamose’s brother, Amosis, who founded the New Kingdom. |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifteenth Dynasty | 1630-1520 BC | The reign of Hyksos kings. | |
| Sixteenth Dynasty | |||
| Seventeenth Dynasty | |||
| Kamose | |||
| Amosis | Founder of the New Kingdom. | ||
Bibliography
Hamiton 2007, xxiii
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| New Kingdom | 1552-1069 BC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Eighteenth Dynasty | 1539-1292 BC | ||
| Nineteenth Dynasty | 1755-1630 BC | ||
| Twentieth Dynasty | 1190-1075 BC | ||
| Ramses III | |||
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Old Kingdom | 2700-2200 BC | 2575-2125 BC | The Old Kingdom was a stable and prosperous period that followed Egypt’s development during the Early Dynastic Period. Government power was held by the king, who was regarding as more divine than in any other period. The state religion focused on the sun-god Re, especially in the Fifth Dynasty when special solar temples were erected at Abu Gurab. From this date onwards every king bore the title Son of Re. Expeditions were sent outside Egypt’s frontiers to obtain goods. Copper was mined in Sinai; diorite was brought in from quarries in Nubia; and trade was conducted with the Near East. Some tomb inscriptions of Sixth Dynasty nobles describe in detail the expeditions they commanded, some using force and others peace. Under the strain of reduced central authority and growing provincial power, the Old Kingdom collapsed at the end of the Sixth Dynasty following the long reign of King Pepi II. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third Dynasty | 2650-2575 BC | ||
| Fourth Dynasty | 2575-2450 BC | ||
| Fifth Dynasty | 2450-2325 BC | ||
| Sixth Dynasty | 2325-2125 BC | ||
| Collapse | |||
Bibliography
Hamiton 2007, xxiii
To the king, my lord, and my Sun-god, say: Thus Biridiya [ruler of Megiddo], the faithful servant of the king. At the two feet of the king, my lord, and my Sun-god, seven and seven times I fall. Let the king know that ever since the archers returned to Egypt, Lab’ayu [ruler of Shechem] has carried on hostilities against me, and we are not able to pluck the wool, and we are not able to go outside the gate in the presence of Lab’ayu, since he learned that you have not given us the archers.Now his face is set against Megiddo, but let the king protect his city, lest Lab’ayu seize it. Verily, the city is destroyed by death from pestilence and disease. Let the king give 100 garrison troops to guard the city lest Lab’ayu seize it. Verily, there is no other purpose in Lab’ayu. He seeks to destroy Megiddo.
To the king, my lord, and my Sun-god, say: Thus Lab’ayu [ruler of Shechem], your servant and the dirt upon which you tread. At the feet of the king, my lord, and my Sun-god, seven and seven times I fall. I have heard the words which the king wrote to me, and who am I that the king should lose his land because of me? Behold, I am a faithful servant of the king, and I have not rebelled and I have not sinned, and I do not withhold my tribute, and I do not refuse the requests of my commissioner. Now they wickedly slander me, but let the king, my lord, not impute rebellion to me!
Further, my crime is namely that I entered Gezer and said publicly: “Shall the king take my property, and not likewise the property of Milkilu [ruler of Gezer]?” I know the deeds which Milkilu has done against me! Further, the king wrote concerning my son. I did not know that my son associates with the ‘Apiru, and I have certainly delivered him into the hand of Addaya [Egyptian governor in Gaza].
To the king, my lord, say: Thus ‘Abdi-Kheba [king of Jerusalem], your servant. At the two feet of the [king,] my lord, seven times and seven times I fall. Behold the deed which Milkilu and Shuwardata did to the land of the king, mylord! They rushed troops of Gezer, troops of Gath, and troops of Keilah; they took the land of Rubutu; the land of the king went over to the ‘Apiru people. But now even a town in the land of Jerusalem, Bit-Lahmi [Bethlehem] by name, a town belonging to the king, has gone over to the side of the people of Keilah. Let my king listen to ‘Abdi-Kheba, your servant, and let him send archers to recover the royal land for the king! But if there are no archers, the land of the king will pass over to the ‘Apiru people. This was done at the command of Milkilu [and at] the command of Shuwardata[... ] so let my king take care of his land!
Amorite/Canaanite (Canaanites refer to Amorites coming from region of Canaan) center in eastern Delta. Capital of XV Dynasty of Egypt (~1,600-1,530 BC), time of breakdown of Egyptian central control thus allowing foreigners to take control of themselves. This is an Egyptian site with obvious Canaanite characteristics, indicating Canaanite spread. Settled from start of MBA. Largest Canaanite population in MB IIC. Amorite cultural practices: ceramics (dietary customs); burials (mortuary customs) and temples (rituals).
| Feature | Overview |
|---|---|
| Minoan Fresco | The “Theran” Minoan Fresco at Avaris. It’s not like you can just take a picture of a style and then reproduce it at home. If something looks Minoan then it required the skill set of Minoan artsits. They must have thus been at least “loaned out” to these places and suggests a very connected world. |
| Hyksos Scarabs | The “Hyksos” scarabs were used for impressing seals and also jewelry. But the hieroglyphs on these don’t really mean anything because in the Hyksos period all these things found in Canaan are purely artistic borrowings of Egyptian hieroglyphs. They just want to look Egyptian. Asiatics in Canaan have these lookalikes. |
| Tots in Pots | “Tots in pots” refers to Asiatic children being buried in same fashion as Canaan. In Canaan you’ll find MBA jars with infants in them dug into the ground. Burial customs are very conservative and do not readily change. |
Ramses III ruled during the early 12th century (Levantine Iron IA) and built a grand mortuary temple (~1180 BC) at Medinet Habu for worshipping him. The temple reliefs mentioned various groups active at that time and heralding from the sea: Sherden (likely heralding from Sardinia); Sikil (Sicily); Tursha (Etruria); Ekwesh (Ashhiyawa); Danuna (Danunim); Pelset (Philistia). The reliefs showing the Philistia told of a war against the Sea Peoples. Additional reliefs at Medinet Habu show mostly Sherden and Philistines being killed en masse.
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They desolated its people and its land was like that which has never come into being. They were coming forward toward Egypt, while the flame was prepared before them. Their confederation was the Philistines, Tjeker, Shekelesh, Denye(n), and Weshesh, lands united. They laid their hands upon the lands as far as the circuit of the earth, their hearts confident and trusting: “Our plans will succeed!”
Now the heart of this god, the Lord of the Gods, was prepared and ready to ensnare them like birds … I organized my frontier in Djahi, prepared before them: princes, commanders of garrisons, and maryannu. I have the river-mouths prepared like a strongwall, with warships, galleys and coasters, (fully) equipped, for they were manned completely from bow to stern with valiant warriors carrying weapons …
Those who reached my frontier, their seed is not, their heart and their soul are finished forever and ever. Those who came forward together on the sea, the full flame was in front of them at the river-mouths, while a stockade of lances surrounded them on the shore. They were dragged in, enclosed and prostrated on the beach, killed, and made into heaps from tail to head. Their ships and their goods were as if fallen into the water.
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The campaign described above is the first synchronism between Biblical chronology and Egyptian or Mesopotamian chronology. According to reliefs at the Karnak Temple, Shishak conquered towns in central Israel and the Negev. Rather than seeking power, however, it was just a razzia campaign seeking booty and plunder.
Located in modern-day Luxor.
First found in an Egyptian royal tomb in Abydos, Abydos Ware has since been found in Egyptian royal tombs elsewhere as well. Abydos Ware is of Canaanite origin and indicates extensive trade. Abydos Ware was important in trading wine and oils, and includes several different groups:
| Ware | Abbrev | Overview |
|---|---|---|
| Red Polished | RPW | |
| Deep-Grooved Lattice Burnished | Ceramic vessels effectively sweat, keeping insides much cooler than outside while losing liquid. This will basically ruin wine by losing liquid, creating some sort of awful vinegar liquid. Polishing the ceramic and applying combs are strategies to prevent it from sweating. | |
| Light-Faced Painted | A light colored ware with red decorations such as stipling and matching. | |
| Metallic Combed |
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Founding of Egypt | ~3,100 BC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic Period | 3000-2686 BC | ||
| First Dynasty | 2950-2775 BC | ||
| Second Dynasty | 2775-2650 BC |
Bibliography
Hamiton 2007, xxiii
With origins in the Middle Kingdom (~1,900-1,700 BC; early 2nd millennium), execration texts were Egyptian clay bowls or figurines of bound human captives that were inscribed in hieratic with the names and locations of enemies. In an attempt to magically curse Egypt’s foes, powerful imprecations were recited and the objects were then broken. Princes as far north as Damascus have been named in execration texts. There are two groups of execration texts, all found in fortresses of the border of Nubia in Egypt: the Berlin Group, which are older and name 20 places; and the Brussels group, which are more recent and name 62 places.
Noted for the Amarna Letters. What these letters reveal is that Egypt controlled this region. What it masks is that from our perspective reading these texts is that a small site has as much importance as a large site. The Egyptian kings divided and conquered, wedging themselves and fracturing them so that individual cities report to the Egyptians instead of the older power bases.
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