Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
|
|
| Pharaoh Name | Dates |
|---|---|
| Ahmose I | 1570 BC-1546 BC |
| Amenhotep I | 1551 BC - 1524 BC |
| Thutmose I | 1525 BC - 1518 BC |
| Thutmose II | 1518 BC - 1504 BC |
| Thutmose III | 1503 BC - 1450 BC |
| Hatshepsut | 1498 BC - 1483 BC |
| Amenhotep II | 1453 BC - 1419 BC |
| Thutmose IV | 1419 BC - 1386 BC |
| Amenhotep III | 1386 BC - 1349 BC |
| Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) | 1350 BC - 1334 BC |
| Smenkhkare | 1336 BC - 1334 BC |
| Tutankhamun | 1334 BC - 1325 BC |
| Kheperkheprure Ay | 1325 BC - 1321 BC |
| Horemheb | 1321 BC - 1293 BC |
The Eighteenth Dynasty is perhaps the most famous of all the dynasties of Ancient Egypt. It included Tutankhamen, whose relatively undisturbed tomb was one of the greatest of all archaelogical discoveries; Akhenaten, widely held to have promoted the first expression of monotheism; and a number of Egypt's most powerful Pharaohs. Although modern students of Egyptology consider the monotheism of Akhenaten the most important event of this period, for centuries this period was best known as when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt.
It was founded by Ahmose, the brother of Kamose, the last ruler of the Seventeenth Dynasty. Ahmose finished the campaign to expel the hated Hyksos rulers. With this dynasty, the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt ended, and the New Kingdom of Egypt or the Egyptian Empire began.
Highlights of this dynasty include: Queen Hatshepsut, who effectively ruled during the minority of her stepson, but was later considered a usurper; the first formal relations with foreign countries under Amenhotep III, of which some records were included in the el Amarna letters; Akhenaten, whose religion offended many in power, and who later suffered damnatio memoriae. Scholars believed that Akhenaten caused a great deal of antipathy by his devotion to his God Aten, which contributed to the end of this dynasty.
Its final years were clearly shakey: the unidentified widow of king Nibhuruyiras (identified with either Akhenaton or Tutankhamun) wrote to Suppiluliumas I, king of the Hittites, asking him to send one of his sons to be her husband and rule Egypt. Suppiluliumas sent an ambassador to investigate, who reported that the situation was accurately described; however the destined Hittite prince died en route, and the last two members of this dynasty came from officials of the royal court.
The Nineteenth dynasty of Ramesses I succeeded it in 1293 BC.
See: History of Ancient Egyptde:Neues Reich (Ägypten)#18. Dynastie fr:Égypte antique, XVIIIe dynastie sk:18. dynastia Egypta