New Kingdom Egypt
Egypt's imperial age — the era of Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses the Great, when Egypt was the dominant power of the eastern Mediterranean.
Overview
The New Kingdom (Dynasties 18–20) was ancient Egypt’s imperial age and its most thoroughly documented period. After expelling the Hyksos, Egypt transformed into a military superpower controlling an empire stretching from Nubia to the Euphrates. This era produced many of Egypt’s most famous rulers and monuments, and saw Egypt engage as a major player in the international “Club of Great Powers” alongside the Hittites, Mitanni, Babylon, and Assyria.[5]
18th Dynasty: Egypt’s Golden Age
- Ahmose I — Expelled the Hyksos and founded the New Kingdom
- Hatshepsut — One of the rare female pharaohs, built the stunning mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, sent a famous trading expedition to Punt
- Thutmose III — “The Napoleon of Egypt,” conducted 17 campaigns into the Levant, expanded the empire to its greatest extent
- Amenhotep III — Presided over Egypt at its wealthiest; magnificent building program, Amarna Letters diplomacy
- Akhenaten — Initiated a radical religious revolution promoting the sole worship of the Aten (sun-disc), founded a new capital at Amarna; his queen was Nefertiti
- Tutankhamun — The boy-king whose intact tomb, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, captivated the world[1]
Ramesside Period (19th–20th Dynasties)
- Ramesses II (r. c. 1279–1213 BCE) — Egypt’s longest-reigning pharaoh, fought the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites (c. 1274 BCE) and concluded the world’s earliest known peace treaty. Built Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, and much of Karnak and Luxor temples
- Merneptah — His victory stele contains the earliest known reference to “Israel”
- Ramesses III — Defended Egypt against the mysterious Sea Peoples confederation (~1177 BCE)[2]
Religion & Funerary Culture
The Valley of the Kings (across from Thebes/Luxor) became the royal necropolis. The Book of the Dead guided the deceased through the underworld. The great temples of Karnak and Luxor were continually expanded. Amun-Ra became Egypt’s supreme deity, and the Amun priesthood at Thebes accumulated enormous power and wealth.
Collapse
The New Kingdom ended with the Third Intermediate Period — internal power struggles, the division of Egypt between pharaohs in Tanis and high priests in Thebes, and the loss of the Levantine empire.
Learning Resources
- Aidan Dodson, Amarna Sunrise / Amarna Sunset — Excellent studies of the Amarna period
- Eric Cline, 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed — The Bronze Age collapse and Sea Peoples
- Theban Mapping Project — Comprehensive mapping of the Valley of the Kings
- UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology — Peer-reviewed scholarly articles
- Kent Weeks, The Illustrated Guide to Luxor — Detailed guide to New Kingdom monuments
References
- ↑ *Aidan Dodson, Amarna Sunrise / Amarna Sunset*** — Excellent studies of the Amarna period
- ↑ *Eric Cline, 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed*** — The Bronze Age collapse and Sea Peoples
- ↑ Theban Mapping Project — Comprehensive mapping of the Valley of the Kings https://thebanmappingproject.com/
- ↑ UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology — Peer-reviewed scholarly articles https://uee.cdh.ucla.edu/
- ↑ *Kent Weeks, The Illustrated Guide to Luxor*** — Detailed guide to New Kingdom monuments