New Kingdom of Egypt (Many Wonderful Things)

The New Kingdom of Egypt, also known as the Fourth Age in Egypt, or less commonly the Imperial Era of Egypt, was a period of Egyptian history between the unification under Ahmose I in 1550 BC and the Egyptian civil war in 975 BC. This was the period of Egypt's greatest stablization and centralization, as well as their greatest political influence to the rest of the Near East and Mediterranean. The conquests Egypt made in Nubia, Libya, and Canaan, as well as their influence towards Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Greece, made it the largest extent of Phraonic civilization, as well as the largest Empire of its era.

This is known as the Fourth Age due to its placement in history, as it corresponds to the period of Israel's history between the time of Moses and King Solomon. As the Israelite Theocracy, and later United Monarchy was the largest state between Egypt and Hattica, its political and cultural influence shaped much of Egypt's history at this time.

Early Rulers
Ahmose I inherited the throne of Upper Egypt from his brother Kamose in 1550 BC, and continued his campaign against the remaining Amalekites in the north. After many battles across Lower Egypt, Ahmose eventually pushed the remaining Hyksos back to their capital in Avaris in 1535, and besieged it for three years. With the Amalekites defeated, Egypt returned to native Egyptian rule, oppressing and enslaving all the Canaanite people who had gave them such hardship.

In general, the 18th Dynasty is known as the beginning of Egypt's greatest international enterprise. Having adopted Semetic technology from the Hyksos, Egypt was now ready to push its frontier far into Asia, becoming one of the largest powers in the Near East. Ahmose' son was Amenhotep I, also known as Telegonus. Amenhotep made many reforms to Egypt's religion, finalizing the Book of the Dead which was started by Khufu. Among his consorts was Io, from whom he had a son Thutmose.

Thutmose I (1508-1495 BC) was also known as Epaphus, or alternatively Apis. He and his general, Ahmose, led military campaigns against Nubia, officially incorporating it as a province of Egypt. He was married to Ahmose, who according to one stela was born by the goddess Hapi in the city of Memphis. They had several children, including Amenmose, Thutmose, and Hatshepsut. Amenmose himself died with all the first-born of Egypt, and shortly afterward Thutmose I himself died in the Red Sea with all his army.

Thutmose II was married to Hatshepsut, his sister, but died from boils only two years later. As he had no adult children to succeed him, his sister assumed the throne for herself, being the third and greatest sovereign female monarch of Egypt. Also known as Libya, she sent many peaceful expeditions across Africa and Syria, expanding trade relations lost by the Amalekite wars. The largest of these expeditions was to the Kingdom of Sheba, also known as Punt, which was ruled by the Matriarch Anti. Various legends depicted her as daughter of Amun, and married to the god Sobek. Her son Agenor was appointed as governor of Tyre.

Growth to Empire
Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC), also known as Belus or Sethosis, ascended to the throne as co-ruler late in Hatshepsut's reign. In memory of his grandfather, Thutmose I, the new Pharaoh exhumed a body from those fallen in the Nile, and re-entombed it in the Egyptian manner. as a final act against the Amalekite overlords, Thutmose III ordered Avaris completed destroyed down to the foundation. He was married to Satiah, also known as Anchiroe, and from her had many children.

Thutmose III is referred to as the "Egyptian Alexander" as early as the late 14th century AD, the early phase of aegyptography. Thutmose had Egypt's largest military and navy up to that point, and made wars against Cyprus, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Nubia, among others, thus bringing Egypt to its largest extent. The details of his conquest of Canaan and Syria, particularly the Siege of Joppa and Battle of Megiddio, was preserved in the memories of his general Djehuty. Since The memories were translated in the 15th century AD, they became inspirational for many military leaders since, including Napoleon Bonaparte.

Thutmose had left his brother, Nebnefer (also known as Harmais) as governor of Egypt while he was gone, but Nebnefer attempted to seize power for himself, forcing the Pharaoh to depose him. According to the Mount Sinai Stela, Thutmose's daughter Meritamen (also known as Thronia) married the god Thoth, and from him had Arabus. After his last Arabian campaigns, Thutmose appointed Arabus governor of the Sinai desert.

Upon the death of Thutmose III, his son Amenhotep II succeeded him. Amenhotep was warned by his vizier, Sennefer, to distrust both foreigners and women, because of how both plagued the reigns of his predecessors. Amnehotep took this to heart, and was known by later documents as a fierce tyrant, until his death in 1399 BC. After he died, there was no Pharaoh in Egypt for nine months, and the empire was at risk of chaos. At that time Thutmose, his younger son, had a prophetic dream in front of the Great Sphinx of Khafre, giving him confidence needed to assume the throne for himself in 1398 BC. Immediately upon becoming king, Thutmose IV excavated the area around Giza, becoming the earliest example of aegyptography.

Amarna Period
Thutmose IV was succeeded by Amenhotep III (1388-1351 BC), whose reign was the height of international diplomacy, influence, and prestige. He was also known as Aegyptus, and Egypt is named after him. Just as his ancestors, Amenhotep started his reign with further conquest into Nubia. He was married to Queen Tiye, and had from her 50 sons, while his brother Siatum, also known as Danaus, had 50 daughters, known as the Danaides.

Amenhotep-Hapumose (1431-1357 BC), vizier of Amenhotep III, was one of the most brilliant scholars and philosophers since the time of Imhotep. Hapumose was most instrumental for the construction of Colossi of Memnon, as well as being an important healer for the King. Hapumose wrote many works of both medicine and architecture, which together with the books of Imhotep were most influential towards Egyptian architecture in the Renaissance. Like Imhotep, Hapumose is the attributed author of many mystical texts influential on both Modern Kemetism and the Illuminati. According to one stela dating to 1376 BC, Hapumose was the one to advise Amenhotep III to use leapers as slave labor in mining.

Amenhotep III was succeeded by his son Amenhotep IV (1351-1335 BC), but starting in 1346 BC he changed his name to Akhenaten, also known as Cepheus. For the first time in the history of the New Kingdom, the Pharaoh did not marry his sister, but instead married Nefertiti, also known as Cassiopeia, who was the daughter of the vizier Ay (also known as Agenor). Both of them had many daughters, as well as two sons: Tutankhamun and Semenkhare, also known as Phineus. Akhenaten, who by another name was known as Uchoreus, revolutionized Egypt's religion, and moved the capital from Thebes to Akhetaten, now known as Amarna.

Both Nefertiti and her daughter Neferneferuaten (also known as Andromeda) were famed to be exceptionally beautiful. According to the Perseus Papyrus, that hubiris caused disaster upon Egypt, as the god Hapi caused bubonic plague to ravage the country, starting in 1339 BC. At the very end of Akhenaten's reign, the Oracle of Amun declared that the only way to end the plague was to have Neferneferuaten killed, and so the Pharaoh sent his daughter to Jaffa to be executed.

Decline of the Dynasty
Tutankhaten reigned after him until 1325 BC, changing his name to Tutankamun in 1332 BC. It was at that same time that the Pharaoh moved the capital back to Thebes. Also known as the Latinized name Totius, his tomb in the Valley of the Kings was the first completely in-tact tomb ever discovered, being excavated by Ciriaco de' Pizzicoli in 1454 AD. Most of the treasures found are still kept in the Museum of Florence, although many were sold to other countries in the late 18th century. The historian Panvinio, writing in the mid 16th century, first recorded the story that Tutankamun was assassinated, and various historians after him would embellish this tale. However, by the mid 17th century this theory was rejected, in favor of believing the Pharaoh died by either accident or disease.

Tutankhamun was married to Ankhesenamun, his sister. After the Pharaoh died, his widow feared the fate of Egypt's empire, and so reached out to Suppililiuma I, great king of the Hittites. Suppililiuma sent his son, Zannanza, to marry Ankhesenamun, but he was killed by raiders en route. Instead, the King's widow remarried Ay, father of Nefertiti.

Horemheb, commander of the military, seized power over Egypt in a military coup, and ruled from 1322-1309 BC. Also known as Busiris, Horemheb ruled Egypt with an iron fist, using the military to restructure Egypt's society from the ground up. His draconian rule was known as one of the most cruel of his era. He claimed power through his mother, Anippe, who reportedly was wife of Tutankhamun. Among the acts of his purge, Horemheb deconstructed the city of Akhetaten down to the foundation. The Pharaoh himself died childless, thus ending the 18th Dynasty.

Nineteenth Dynasty
Ramses I was the vizier for Horemheb, also appointed from the military. He established the 19th Dynasty in 1309 BC, although he only lived another year afterwards. He was succeeded by Seti I (1308-1297 BC), also known as Pharos. Seti dedicated his reign to reconquer the territory originally taken by Thutmose III, and much of the information on Thutmose's campaigns were recorded at this time. These campaigns continued for nine years into his reign. In 1298 BC, however, it is recorded on a correspondence from Seti that he had gone blind, and was entreating to Temple of Thoth for healing. Seti trained his son, Ramesses, in all the works of strategy and warfare he recorded, as well as general wisdom and athletics.

Ramesses II the Great
Seti I was succeeded by his son, Ramesses II the Great (1297-1232 BC), also known as Sesostris or Ozymandias. He made some of the most dynamic structural reforms of Egypt in its history, creating a secondary capital at Pi-Ramesses and redefining Egyptian art. He also had the most monumental works of architecture since the Great Pyramids, creating colossal statues for himself at every frontier. He also constructed the Great Temple of Ptah in Memphis, which was added to by his successors in the rest of the dynasty. His daughter, Meritamen, also known as Athyrtis, was one of the most beautiful and intelligent women of her day.

Ramesses wrote one narrative, where it said Ptah visited him in a dream, prophesying how he will one day rule the whole world. He made both naval and land campaigns in every direction, subjugating the Arabian Sea and proceeding to invade Syria and Mesopotamia. Egyptian artifacts from the Rammasid period were found as far away as Orumzud. With his total army numbering over 250,000, Ramesses annexed much of Kush and the Middle East, setting up local rulers over every subdued region. He took many exotic animals back to Egypt, and was said to take lions with him on campaigns.

Ramesses was very innovative with his process of labor management, employing workers from across Egypt's vassals. However, a group of Babylonian workers revolted in 1241 BC, one of the most egregious revolts in the New Kingdom's history. Ramesses had many children, among whom was Khaemweset and Amunherkhepeshef. Khaemweset was a brilliant scholar and philosopher, on the same tradition as Amenhotep-Hapumose, and his historical writings are considered the first documents of formal aegyptography in history. The Book of Thoth, written by him and his son Si-Osire, is an important scripture for modern Kemetism. 1272 BC, while Ramesses was on campaign, a great fire rose up in Pi-Ramesses, killing his eldest son Amunherkhepeshef and injuring many others.

The Tomb of Ramesses the Great was probably the most magnificent of the New Kingdom. Details of its splendor were recorded by early aegyptographers in the 14th century AD, and the mummy itself may have come to Rome in 1388 AD by the name of "King Belus", erroneously identifying the body with Thutmose III. Howard Carter managed to reconstruct the best estimate of the tomb of Ramesses in 1933, utilizing Medieval descriptions compared to more in-tact tombs. Hundreds of poems and songs from Egypt as late as the Ptolemaic era revered the memory of Ramesses, referring to him as "Great Sesostris" or "Great Ancestor".

End of the Dynasty
Ramesses II was succeeded by his son Merneptah (1232-1211 BC), who like his father and grandfather was well-trained in strategy and warfare. Also known as Proteus, the Pharaoh spent much of his campaigns against a confederacy of Libyans, who had allied with the Sea People. These Sea People, or the Thalassocracy of Eqwesh, were almost completely wiped from history due to a series of natural disasters. However, their history was carefully preserved by the Egyptians, including their list of kings going back to either 1317 or 1305 BC, according to different chronologies.

After Merneptah died, a civil war broke out between two branches of Ramesses' descendants: Amenmesse and Seti II. Amenmesse was also known as Actisanes or Mesuyy, and originally he was appointed Vizier of Kush by Merneptah. But upon the King's death, Amenmesse invaded Upper Egypt and claimed the title of Pharaoh for himself. According to letters he sent out from Thebes, he was aided in this effort by social insurrection against Seti II, who was a cruel and unjust ruler. Amenmesse himself was generally well-received, although he utilized the prison of Rhinocolura as punishment to his enemies.

After Seti II reunited Egypt in 1207 BC, he erased all trace of the conflict that he could, re-asserting power over Kush. Bureaucracy created by Amenmesse was also cleaned out, including two officers Anpu and Baeta who were exiled to Canaan. He was married to Twosret, also known as Polybia, although they had no children together. In general, however, the nation fell into great decline as a result of the conflict, and for the rest of the Dynasty unrest and anarchy increased.

Pharaoh Siptah, who succeeded Seti II, was initially manipulated by the ambitious Chancellor Bay, a man whose gang of thieves would loot tombs in Egypt for treasure. After Bay was executed in 1195 BC, the former queen Twosret took power instead, becoming the fourth sovereign female Pharaoh in 1194 BC. This did not last long, however, as Twosret was removed in a revolution the next year, as the general population had lost all confidence in the 19th Dynasty. This revolt, documented by the early rulers of the 20th Dynasty, is later known as the Bastet Rebellion.

Twentieth Dynasty
The Twentieth Dynasty was established by Setnakhte in 1193 BC, having seized power as a result of the Bastet Rebellion. He managed to establish order in Egypt, ending the anarchy of the previous decade, although the looting of tombs continued. His son Ramses III (1190-1159 BC) was instrumental in Egypt's greatest military defense. As the empire had been weakened from the end of the 19th Dynasty, every traditional enemy of Egypt attacked the nation simultaneously, including the Libyans and Sea People. Ramses defeated them in the Eqwesh-Egyptian War from 1182-1179 BC, but the aftermath severely weakened the land for the rest of the dynasty.

In general, increasing famines and plagues as part of the Bronze Age Collapse typified Egypt in the decline of the New Kingdom. In 1159 BC, Ramses III's wives had him assassinated, but the conspirators were immediately executed by his successor, Ramses IV. Subsequent to this assassination, the children of Ramses III would fight among each other for the throne. Finally Ramses IX, also known as Rhampsinitos, reigned relatively peacefully from 1129-1111 BC. However, by this point most the empire lost most of its prestige outside of the continent.

In an attempt to rebuild Egypt's economy, Ramses IX nationalized much of the silver of the nation, storing it in buildings he constructed in Upper Egypt. He also cracked down on tomb robbing, which had continued since the end of the 19th Dynasty. It is recorded that 58 separate incidents of tomb robbing were apprehended in 1127 BC alone. According to a later papyrus, Ramses IX also played dice with Isis and Osiris in the underworld, gaining extra time on his life. In the early reign of Ramses XI, (1108-1084 BC) the progressive de-centralization saw Egypt largely fall into anarchy, with many government officials vieing for power. Starting in 1098 BC, Ramses XI would attempt a push to reverse this degradation, but would ultimately prove unsuccessful.

Twenty-First Dynasty
As the central power of the Twentieth Dynasty was disintegrating, much of Lower Egypt was consolidated around the Hight Priests of Amun. A relative of the High Priest, Smendes, took advantage of this vacuum by concentrating power at the city of Tanis (formally known as Zoan). Smendes gained de-facto power in 1093 BC, dispatching Wenamun to Levant for cedar. He first was proclaimed as Pharaoh in 1084 BC, but this wasn't fully recognized until Ramses XI died in 1079 BC. When he died in 1058 BC, Smendes was buried in an elaborate tomb that takes the form of a labyrinth, which had been explored periodically since the 13th century AD.

In general, the 21st Dynasty was largely unable to stabilize Egypt as a single nation, largely due to the autonomous power of the High Priests of Amun. Most of the power wielded by Smendes and his successors focused on Tanis in Lower Egypt, with tentative control over Upper Egypt centered at Thebes. It was thus at this time that the Kush broke free to be subsumed as part of the Kingdom of Sheba. Amenemnisu pardoned some prisoners in 1056 BC that had deserted from Smendes years earlier. Amenemope (1013-1004 BC) was known as a very wise and learned ruler, and wrote his own set of Proverbs. After Amenemope died, power briefly shifted towards lords of Ma ruled by Libyan invaders, starting with Orsokon the Elder and ending with Siamun in 981 BC.

Power was wrested back by the Priests of Amun with Psuseness II. However, shortly afterward the whole Lower Delta region would fall into the conflict known as the (Ancient) Egyptian Civil War (975-967 BC). This is the most well-attested civil conflict in the Pharonic period, described by military dispatches from both sides found at Tanis. This is also the only major conflict fought mostly in Lower Egypt, whereas most power struggles split Egypt north and south. The Lords of Ma, backed by Libyan kings with the claimant through Orsokon the Elder, eventually subsumed de-facto power after 973 BC, officially ending the 21st Dynasty in 967 BC.

Prelude
At the start of the New Kingdom, or the Fourth Age, Egypt's population had a very large portion filled with Semetic people, which had been immigrating in since the end of the Middle Kingdom. Some of these Canaanites, such as the Amalekite empire by Sheshai, became rulers of Egypt themselves known as the Hyksos Dynasty. Among these Semetics was also the Israelites, originally just 75 people, but by the 18th Dynasty had grown large enough to be an autonomous nation within Lower Egypt. The "Exodus Stele" from 1535 BC records the Israelites numbered as much as 420,000 people.

As the New Kingdom began reuniting Egypt under the late 17th and early 18th Dynasties, the Egyptians had grown to utterly despise their former overlords, and sought to punish them by enslaving the whole population. Avaris, also called Goshen, was kept as the residence of the Israelites, while they were forced to build cities on behalf of the new Pharaoh, Ahmose I, who was also called Ramses. As an attempt to control the population of the slaves, Ahmose ordered that newborn children be caste into the Nile. The Egyptians seem to take pride in this action as a last victory over the Hyksos, and is depicted on the walls of Ahmose' private Mastaba.

Moses, leader of the Israelites, is described in various texts as late as the 20th Dynasty as a terrible sorcerer of Set, whose magic brought near calamity to Egypt. Also known as Moyses or Hapimose, he was originally rescued from the Nile by Ahmose-Sinamut, daughter of the Pharaoh. He lived among the Israelites until the fifteenth year of Ahmose, when he was driven from Egypt for stirring sedition.

Plagues and Aftermath
Thutmose I, who was also called Apis or Mastema, had a relatively peaceful and prosperous reign until the appearance of Moses. Aaron, the companion of Moses, is called in the Egyptian records as Peteseph. Their first appearance to Thutmose, including the incident of Aaron's staff, is attested by the tomb of the magician Mamre, who was apparently present. He recounts how the Hebrew sorcerer invoked the power of Apophis to turn his staff to a snake, which he countered with the power of Re.

Archaeological evidence for the traditional Ten Plagues of Egypt was gradually uncovered in the late Renaissance. Historical records would have been nonexistent if not for the Lamentations of Ipuwar, apparently an eye-witness of these events. The Mount Thera Eruption, which devastated much of the northern hemisphere, is believed to be largely responsible for these catastrophic episodes. Contamination of the Nile by debris turned it blood red, poisoning all fish. Volcanic pieces raining from the air devastated the flax and barely, and killed many farmers. Volcanic ash darkened the sky with a tangible blackness. Finally, tsunamis cased by the eruption withdrew enough water from the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through, but the subsequent recession completely crushed all of Thutmose's army, drowning the Pharaoh himself.

Miscellaneous plagues of insects, diseases, and pestilence are also recorded by Ipuwar, along with disasters not mentioned by Jewish tradition. Some of these, particularly the plague of boils and other diseases, continued to devastate Egypt even after the Exodus. It is this moment, the dawn of the Jewish religion, that the Israelites under Moses agreed to leave Egypt peacefully, taking many gold and livestock with them. The Egyptian accounts agree how Moses instituted laws and religious customs with the Israelites as soon as they had become independent, before they had even left the country.

Thutmose I was drowned in the Red Sea in 1495 BC, where his remains was presumably lost. His eldest son, Amenmose, had died of the plague that struck the firstborn, so Thutmose II succeeded instead. He did not live long, however, as he too succumbed to the plague of boils only two years later. It is this brief succession crisis then that helped place Queen Hatshepsut take power for herself. Thutmose III the Great, years later, would hastily attempt to re-bury his father from a random body from the Red Sea, but this has been proven to not be the real Thutmose I.

Initial Wars
Imediately after Egypt recovered from the devastation by the Exodus, it determined to subjugate the lands of Canaan and Asia to re-establish their national pride. Thutmose III the Great, also known as Belus, or since the Middle Ages as the Egyptian Alexander, was the first commander of these expeditions. He had Avaris (also called Goshen) utterly destroyed, erasing as much memory of the Israelites as possible. His twelve campaigns, from 1473-1456 BC, were the most effective expansions in Egyptian history, annexing all of Canaan as far the Kingdom of MItanni.

This apparently did not involve the Israelites, as they were a nomadic people at this time and were not seeking urban regions to settle. Instead, the Hebrews in turn destroyed the nations of the Amalekites and Amorites, thus breaking the last vestiges of the Hyksos state.