The Hyksôs (in Démotique heka khasewet , literally “chiefs of the foreign countries”, in Greek old: Ὑκσως ) formed a group formerly pluriethnic living in Asia of the west, and which arrived at the east of the Delta of the Nile during the second intermediate period.

They drove out the leaders of, who sat at Memphis, and based it and Egypt (between -1674 and -1548), reigning on the Basse and the Average-Egypt during more than one century.

Traditionally, only six leaders of are called " Hyksôs". The Tanach describe themselves as Cananéens, descendants of Ham, wire of Noah. The Hyksôs names are very close to the names cananéens, and certain archeologists think that Hyksôs and the Phénicie NS are a single people. Hyksôs introduced new armaments in Egypt, in particular the composite Arc, the Cheval and the tank.

The many princes of are partly Hyksôs, partly Semites, partly Asian and partly Egyptians. The names of the princes of us arrived thanks to works and at the Egyptian monuments, like by the History of Egypt of Manéthon, written under Ptolémée {{III}}.

Hyksôs

The term “Hyksôs” comes from the expression Démotique heka khasewet (Main of the Foreign Grounds), used by the Egyptians, in particular in the List of Turin which counts the leaders of the countries neighborhood. One notes the appearance of this expression under the Ancient Empire, addressing oneself in particular to many chiefs Nubie NS, and until the beginnings of the Average Empire, returning this time at the Bedouins of Syria - Palestine. One thinks today that only six of the Pharaon S of were really of Hyksôs, not only because they carried the Egyptian crown, but also because Manéthon called them itself " Hyksôs". On the whole, Hyksôs reigned 108 years on the Kingdom of Egypt.

Wolfgang Helck posed the assumption according to which Hyksôs were part of Hurriens and Indo-Aryens, having migrated towards the East. Always according to Helck, Hyksôs lived in the Hurrien empire extending on the majority from Asia Orientale. Today, one considers more readily than Hyksôs were Semitic people. However, the most recent data show, according to Dominique Valbelle, that the language of Hyksôs did not belong to the family of the Semitic languages.

The names, the order and the full number of the Pharaons of are not known with certainty. The names are quoted in the form of hiéroglyphes on the monuments, small objects and jewels, on vases. Whenever the Prænomen (the 4th name of the Pharaon, which follows the royal title n-sw-bity , “King de Haute and of Low-Egypt”) and the Nomen (the 5th name of the Pharaon, which follows the royal title S 3 R ˁ , “Re Wire”) do not appear together on the same object, one cannot thus affirm that both, joined together, belong to only one person.

This period of the Egyptian History is, for the archeologists and the historians, a true chronological nightmare. Only of new elements could solve this generalized ignorance. The History of Egypt de Manéthon is known only through works of other authors, such as the Roman Flavius Josephus. These indirect sources do not give the name of the Hyksôs leaders in the same order. For still complicating the problem, the orthographies are so divergent from/to each other which they are unusable: Beon/Bnon, Apachnan/Pachnan, Asses/Staan, Sitted/Archles…

The names of the Pharaons Hyksôs of found on the various historic buildings are:

1. S3-k3-n-Rˁ Shalik

2. m3-jb-Rˁ Sheshy
3. Mr.-Wsr-Rˁ Yaqob-her
4. Swsr-n-Rˁ Khayan (Séousérenrê)
5. Apopi (inter alia possible names: Aawoserra, Aaqenenra, and Nebkhepeshra)
6. ˁ3-Sḫm-Rˁ Khamudy supposed that the origin of the war against Hyksôs is a war of religion: Amon against Seth. Nothing however seems to support this assumption - it is more probable only the domination, perceived like foreign by princes de Thèbes, started the conflict.

Kamosé attacked and destroyed the southern garrison of Hyksôs with Nefrusy, city in the north of Cusae (today Asiout), then carried out its army in the vicinity of the town of Avaris. Without succeeding in however taking the city, the Egyptian troops devastated the fields, the cultures and the villages around.

At the end of the reign of Aawoserrê Apopi, one of last kings Hyksôs of, the Hyksôs forces in rout in Average-Egypt were withdrawn in north, and took refuge in king Fayyum, in Atfih. This large king Hyksôs exceeded his rival, prince Séqénenrê Taâ, and was still on the throne with died of Kamose.

Last kings Hyksôs of reigned relatively little of time, before the come to power of the successor of Kamose with died of this last, Ahmose, first king of.

Under Ahmosis

Ahmosis, first king of, sat on the throne of Thèbes before continuing the war towards Hyksôs.

One finds the details of his military campaigns on the walls of the tomb of another Ahmose, a soldier of El-Kab - small town of High Egypt - from which the father served Séqénenrê Taâ, and resulting from a noble family. Several campaigns, seems it, were necessary to overcome Hyksôs, which were finally driven out basic Egypt. There is no certainty as for the time of the facts.

Some date expulsion from Hyksôs at the fourth year of the reign of Ahmose, others with its fifteenth (D. Redford). The Ahmose soldier specified that it followed to foot the tank of king Ahmose - it is the first time that it is mentioned of horses and tanks by the Egyptians. In the various combat around Avaris, the soldier captured prisoners and cut many hands, which was worth to him after the battle of many rewards, in particular the Or of the Brave men to three recoveries.

After the fall of Avaris, Hyksôs fleeing Egypt were continued by the Egyptian army until the the Sinai and in Palestine. There, in the deserted of Negev, between Rafa and Gaza, the strengthened city of Sharuhen which héberga undergoes them, according to the soldier, three years of seat. We have, there still, only few reliable chronological elements allowing to date with certainty these events.