Twelfth dynasty of Egypt

Dynasties of Ancient Egypt Early Dynastic • 1st Dynasty (c. 3050 – 2890 BC) • 2nd Dynasty (2890 – 2686 BC) Old Kingdom • 3rd Dynasty (2686 – 2613 BC) • 4th Dynasty (2613 – 2498 BC) • 5th Dynasty (2498 – 2345 BC) • 6th Dynasty (2345 – 2181 BC) First Intermediate • 7th Dynasty (2181 – 2160 BC) • 8th Dynasty (2181 – 2160 BC) • 9th Dynasty (2160 – 2130 BC) • 10th Dynasty (2130 – 2040 BC) • 11th Dynasty (Thebes only) (2134 – 1991 BC) Middle Kingdom • 11th Dynasty (All Egypt) (2134 – 1991 BC) • 12th Dynasty (1991 – 1803 BC) • 13th Dynasty (1803 – 1649 BC) • 14th Dynasty (1705 – 1690 BC) Second Intermediate • 15th Dynasty (1674 – 1535 BC) • 16th Dynasty (1660 – 1600 BC) • 17th Dynasty (1650 – 1549 BC) New Kingdom • 18th (1549 – 1292 BC) • 19th (1292 – 1186 BC) • 20th (1186 – 1069 BC) Third Intermediate • 21st (1069 – 945 BC) • 22nd (945 – 720 BC) • 23rd (837 – 728 BC) • 24th (732 – 720 BC) • 25th (732 – 653 BC) Late Period • 26th (672 – 525 BC) • 27th (First Achaemenid Period) (525 – 404 BC) • 28th (404 – 398 BC) • 29th (398 – 380 BC) • 30th (380 – 343 BC) • 31st (Second Achaemenid Period) (343 – 332 BC)

The twelfth dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty XII) is often combined with Dynasties XI, XIII and XIV under the group title Middle Kingdom.

Contents 1 Rulers 1.1 Amenemhat I and Senusret I 1.2 Senusret II 1.3 Amenemhat III 2 Ancient Egyptian literature 3 See also 4 References

Rulers

Known rulers of the twelfth dynasty are as follows ^[1]:

Dynasty XII pharaohs of Egypt

name of King	Horus (Throne) Name	date	Pyramid	Queen(s)
Amenemhat I	Sehetepibre	1991 BC - 1962 BC	Pyramid at El-Lisht	Queen Neferitatjenen
Senusret I (Sesostris I)	Kheperkare	1971 BC - 1926 BC	Pyramid at El-Lisht	Queen Neferu III
Amenemhat II	Nubkhaure	1929 BC - 1895 BC	White Pyramid	Queen Kaneferu Queen Keminub?
Senusret II (Sesostris II)	Khakheperre	1897 BC - 1878 BC	Pyramid at El-Lahun	Queen Khenemetneferhedjet I Queen Neferet II Queen Itaweret? Queen Khnemet
Senusret III (Sesostris III)	Khakaure	1878 BC - 1839 BC	Pyramid at Dahshur	Queen Meretseger Queen Neferthenut Queen Khnemetneferhedjet II Queen Sithathoriunet
Amenemhat III	Nimaatre	1860 BC - 1814 BC	Pyramid at Dahshur	Queen Aat Queen Hetepi Queen Khenemetneferhedjet III
Amenemhat IV	Maakherure	1815 BC - 1806 BC
Queen Sobekneferu	Sobekkare	1806 BC - 1802 BC

The chronology of the 12th dynasty is the most stable of any period before the New Kingdom. The Ramses Papyrus canon (1290 BC) in Turin gives 213 years (1991-1778 BC. Manetho stated that it was based in Thebes, but from contemporary records it is clear that the first king moved its capital to a new city named "Amenemhat-itj-tawy" ("Amenemhat the Seizer of the Two Lands"), more simply called Itjtawy. The location of Itjtaway has not been found, but is thought to be near the Fayyum, probably near the royal graveyards at el-Lisht. Egyptologists consider this dynasty to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom.

The order of its rulers is well known from several sources — two lists recorded at temples in Abydos and one at Saqqara, as well as Manetho's work. A recorded date during the reign of Senusret III can be correlated to the Sothic cycle, consequently many events during this dynasty are frequently assigned to a year BC or BCE.

Amenemhat I and Senusret I

This dynasty was founded by Amenemhat I, who may have been vizier to the last pharaoh of Dynasty XI, Mentuhotep IV. His armies campaigned south as far as the Second Cataract of the Nile and into the Near East, and he reestablished diplomatic relations with Byblos and the rulers in the Aegean Sea. His son Senusret I followed his father's triumphs with an expedition south to the Third Cataract, but the next rulers were content to live in peace and enjoy the trade and tribute brought to them until the reign of Senusret III.

Senusret II

Finding Nubia had grown restive under the previous rulers, Senusret sent punitive expeditions into that land; he also sent an expedition into the Levant. These military campaigns gave birth to a legend of a mighty warrior named Sesostris, a story retold by Manetho, Herodotus, and Diodorus Siculus. This conqueror not only subdued the lands as had Senusret III, but also conquered Asia and had crossed over into Europe to annex Thrace.

Amenemhat III

Senusret's successor Amenemhat III reaffirmed his predecessor's foreign policy. However, after Amenemhat, the energies of this dynasty were largely spent, and the growing troubles of government were left to the dynasty's last ruler, Queen Sobekneferu, to resolve. Amenemhat was remembered for the mortuary temple at Hawara that he built, known to Herodotus, Diodorus, and Strabo as the "Labyrinth". Also under his reign the marshy Fayyum was first exploited.

Ancient Egyptian literature

It was during the twelfth dynasty that Ancient Egyptian literature was refined. Perhaps the best known work from this period is The Story of Sinuhe, of which several hundred papyrus copies have been recovered. Also written during this dynasty were a number of Didactic works, such as the Instructions of Amenemhat and The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant.

Pharaohs of Dynasties XII through XVIII are also credited with preserving for us some of the most remarkable Egyptian papyri:

• 1900 BC – Prisse Papyrus
• 1800 BC – Berlin Papyrus
• 1800 BC – Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
• 1650 BC – Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
• 1600 BC – Edwin Smith papyrus
• 1550 BC – Ebers papyrus

See also

• History of Ancient Egypt
• Twelfth dynasty of Egypt Family Tree
• Execration Texts

References