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The Origins Of The Hyksos

The Hyksos?

The Hyksos?

The origins of Egypt's Pharaohs during the Second Intermediate Period is an answer that has eluded scholars since antiquity. Egypt between the Middle and New Kingdom had become a complex puzzle in which many missing pieces needed to be ascertained through diligent research of the historical and archaeological record. The label given to these Pharaohs is Hyksos, this is derived from an Egyptian phrase meaning 'rulers of foreign countries.' (Save-Soderbergh 1951:56) The Hyksos, arrived on the heels of a turbulent time in Egyptian history, and managed to gain sovereignty over Lower and Middle Egypt. Who were these people? Where did they come from and how did they manage to overtake Egypt? These are some of the pieces yet to be found, but through examination of society in the New Kingdom and how it evolved from the Second Intermediate Period (i.e. religion, technology, policy) and some contemporary (and not so contemporary) writings I believe this paper can shed some light on this never ending puzzle.
To set the stage let us explore what Egypt would have looked like to the Hyksos. In the nineteenth century B.C. it seemed that nothing in the Near East was accomplished without the touch of Egypt. It was a good time to be Pharoah; occupation of Nubia and a thriving trade at Kerma created a river of gold that followed the the Nile northward. (Save-Soderbergh 1951:53) With this immense wealth the unruly north had become stable, or rather it was hard to squirm under the heavy foot of Pharaoh. The kinglets of Syria and Byblos had become vassals of the Egyptian god-king, which was symbolized at their coronation where they were anointed with oil from a container bearing Pharaoh's seal.(Save-Soderbergh 1951:53). Many rich tombs from this time are found in Nubia, and Kerma seems to enjoy a higher standard of living.(Save-Soderbergh 1951:54) These surrounding countries gained a large amount of wealth very quickly from the incredibly large...