Amosis I

King 1570-1546 BC.

    Amosis I was the son of *Seqenenre Ta'o II and *Ahhotpe, who were both children of Ta'o I and Tetisheri. He succeeded his brother, *Kamose, as ruler and married *Ahmose-Nefertari, who was probably *Kamose's daughter.

    He was later regarded as the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty, a man who introduced a new era. In c.1567 BC he succeeded in expelling the *Hyksos, driving them back into southern Palestine and completing the task started by his immediate predecessors, *Seqenenre and *Kamose, the Theban princes of the Seventeenth Dynasty. Details of the campaigns are preserved in the biographical inscriptions in the tomb at El Kab of Ahmose, son of Ebana and of Ahmose Pennekheb. Both men fought for Amosis I and it is clear that he gained the respect of his soldiers.

    After bringing about the fall of Avaris, the *Hyksos capital in the Delta, the king proceeded into southern Palestine; once the *Hyksos were subdued, he then dealt with the insurrection in Nubia and having secured Egypt, he returned to subdue Palestine and southern Phoenicia so that the *Hyksos could not renew their strength there and return to Egypt.

    Although he is primarily regarded as a great military king, *Amosis I also concentrated on re-establishing an internal administration in Egypt that would effectively execute his commands. Little is known of how he achieved this; there are few remains of his temple building programme, although it is evident that he fostered the cult of the Theban god Amen-Re, and was worshipped after his death at Abydos, Egypt's great centre of pilgrimage. The royal queens were of great importance during his reign. His mother, *Ahhotpe, may have acted as his co-regent in the early years of his reign and Amosis provided her with fine jewellery in her funerary treasure. His wife, *Ahmose-Nefertari, was revered by later generations and exerted considerable power.

    Amosis I was buried in a tomb at Dira Abu'n Naga at Thebes, near his ancestors of the Seventeenth Dynasty. His son, *Amenophis I, inherited a united and stable country and Amosis was remembered as the founder of the New Kingdom who had restored Egypt's freedom and greatness.

BIBL. AEL ii. pp 12-21; Vandersleyen, C. Les Guerres d'Amosis, fondateur de la XVIIIe dynastie. Brussels: 1971, pp. 17-87.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David