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Dynasty XII

Side by side with the fourth dynasty, the twelfth, the great family of the old Theban line, looks insignificant if measured by its monuments. The solitary obelisk which yet stands on the site of ancient Heliopolis, the beautiful sepulchral grottoes of Benee-Hasan, and a few interesting fragments of small temples, are all that are seen in Egypt as monuments of this family. The city of Thebes, which gave its name to the dynasty, shows scarcely a trace of its rule.

Egypt under the old Thebans had made great strides in civilization beyond the highest point reached by the pyramidbuilders. The vast artificial lake of Moeris is a startling proof that the kings of the twelfth dynasty had larger views of the true welfare of Egypt than those who went before them, and had the energy to throw the whole force of the people into works that this foresight suggested. Theirs was the golden age of ancient Egypt, probably never before or after as prosperous as under their rule, not even, indeed, in the richest age of its Muslim rulers.

The founder of the twelfth dynasty, Amenemhat I, probably a successful military chief, made his son his colleague with equal royal power. This has often been done by founders of a new house. It was the policy of Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus thus to secure a doubtful succession. The custom was, however, continued by Amenemhat's successors, and this implies a certain degree of weakness in the royal power. It is however, spoken of in the same terms of awe as before. Saneha, in the well-known story of his life, a most interesting Egyptian text, tells us how he returned after flight from his country and long residence at the court of a foreign king, and coming into the presence of Amenemhat, fell on his face, and with what kindness the terrible Pharaoh restored his courage. The king's last words to his son and colleague give a better picture of his true power, while they confirm Saneha's evidence of his kindness.

The "Instructions of Amenemhat" form the oldest book of royal advice. Copied out under the nineteenth dynasty, they were then so famous that no less than six texts of the whole or part have come down to modern times. The form is that of a dream in which the deceased king counsels his son: the character of the record is so true to the thoughts of a living king, and so beyond the courage of a subject, that it can scarcely be doubted that Amenemhat was himself the author. The writer speaks as one whose life's object was the welfare of all his subjects, especially the poor and unprotected. He reminds his son of how he had raised him from being "an eater of rations" to the throne. He tells him to be better than "the Graces" his predecessors, to maintain concord with his subjects, not to isolate himself, keeping no society but that of the nobles, but to be careful of new associates.

He tells him how he owed his own popularity to his protection of the weak and the afflicted, from what plots and bad counsels he had escaped, how they had ruled together, how he had aided his son in the suppression of seditions, in assisting the people in time of famine, how he had protected him against those who would have taken advantage of his youth. He recites what he had done — how he guarded the boundaries, won the love of the people by his care of them, how he hunted the lion and captured the crocodile, how he subdued the nomads around. Then he describes his tomb, "adorned with gold," its roof colored with ultramarine, the "passages" of stone, bound together not unlike the treasurehouse at Mycenas with "metal hooks," "made for eternity, time shrinks before it." Now he is one of the happy dead doing honor to his son, having already begun prayers for him in the celestial boat of the sun.

The interest of the time is, however, in the great public works of the kings, and their endeavors to extend the Egyptian territory. The welfare of Egypt depends on the annual inundation of the Nile. A very low inundation causes famine, a very high one is a disastrous flood, and it is not seldom that the utmost level of the river little exceeds that which portends famine, or falls little short of the scarcely less fatal flood-height. There are, moreover, many tracts in Egypt which the inundation never reaches, unless the water is raised by artificial means, and by such means the inundated lands may again be irrigated so as to produce a second and third harvest. Thus the regulation of the inundation, the construction of canals and reservoirs, are the main methods of benefiting Egypt, naturally an agricultural country. It was to these objects that the kings of the twelfth dynasty turned the force of the nation.

Amenemhat III executed the greatest ancient work of engineering skill, the most useful one to the country ever carried out in Egypt, the Lake Moeris. About seventy miles, measured on the course of the river, to the south of Cairo, the low edge of the western desert opens and forms the entrance to an oasis, fertilized by the waters of the Nile, which are conducted into it by a canal having many branches, and which finally empties itself into a great inland lake.

Today this oasis, the Feiyoom, finds much of its soil is unwatered and unproductive, though marked by the signs of ancient plenty. This is because the great hydraulic work of Amenemhat was allowed, since the Muslim rule of Egypt, to fall into decay and ultimately to disappear. It was only in the 19th century that its remains were discovered, and its true site fixed, by M. Linant, a French engineer.

The Lake Moeris lay in the south-east of the Feiyoom. It was bounded on the south and east by the natural elevated edge of the oasis, on the other sides by great dykes which may still be traced. Its shape was thus irregular, but some idea may be formed of its size from the fact that had it been square each side would have measured about twelve miles. Evidently the construction of this vast work was aided by the natural shape of the country, and it is possible that it needed but little excavation; yet the construction of the dykes of the strength necessary to keep a vast body of water from falling into the lower level to the north-west must have been a work of prodigious labor. The object of the lake was to receive the waters of the Nile, and convey them as it became desirable over the country around. It was also turned to good account as a fish-preserve.

The twelfth dynasty has left one puzzle for archaeologists and critics, the famous Egyptian labyrinth. It was built by the king to whom the Lake Moeris was due, and stood in its immediate neighborhood. Professor Lepsius excavated the site, and found a great number of very small chambers. Unhappily they were in a very dilapidated state. It is quite possible, however, from these remains that Herodotus is right in saying that the labyrinth contained three thousand chambers, half under and half above the ground. There is a general agreement among ancient writers that it was a true labyrinth in the Greek sense, perplexing to the visitor. They also state more or less distinctly that it was connected with the Egyptian provinces or nomes, each of which had its place of meeting here, as Strabo says, not only for religious but for legal purposes. The few fragments of inscriptions discovered by Lepsius throw no light on this subject, nor has anything else been discovered tending to clear up its mystery.

Was the Egyptian labyrinth the parent of that of Crete? Pliny says that it was. The most complete representation of the Cretan wonder on the coins of Cnossus has, as Bunsen has pointed out, a family likeness to what the Egyptian labyrinth must have been. The name was almost certainly adopted from Egypt by the Greeks; why not the form? The Egyptian labyrinth was still kept in repair as late as the end of the monarchy, not long before the subjugation of Egypt by Alexander.

With the builder of the labyrinth and constructor of the Lake Moeris, the twelfth dynasty wanes. Two short reigns, the last that of a queen, brought it to a close, and there is the brink of another chasm in Egyptian history.

Sehetepibre 1937-1908 B.C.
This 11th Dynasty vizier assumed the throne when Montuhotep IV died. It is believed that Amenemhet usurped the throne from the reigning king. He campaigned against the Libyans and the Asiatics in Sinai.

There he erected the Wall of the Prince to guard the eastern borders. He also built a trading post in Nubia at Kerma. He named his capital city, (on the border of Upper and Lower Egypt), Itj-Tawy, “Seizer of Two Lands.” Among his many wives was Nefrutotenen, mother of Senwosret I. Amenemhet made Senwosret I co-ruler in 1971 B.C. Amenemhet’s line, from non-royal birth, began a golden age for Egypt.

The Testament of Amenemhet , included in the Milligan Papyrus and the Papyrus Sallier II, was written as a commemorative following Amenemhet’s death. The Testament defines royal obligations and the needs of the people. It states that there are perils awaiting a king that is not alert to those around him. It also states that loneliness and personal sacrifice make for a good king.

Kheperkare
1917-1872 B.C.
The second king of the 12th Dynasty was the son of Amenemhet I and Queen Nefrutoten. Senwosret served as co-ruler with his father for more than ten years.

He received news of his father’s death while away on a campaign. During his reign he extended Egypt’s borders to the area between the Second and Third Cataract. He established the fortress of Kerma. Senwosret mined gold, copper and granite.

After securing Egypt’s borders he erected buildings along the Nile and refurbished existing temples. He built a funerary complex at Lisht.

His pyramid consisted of separate compartments filled with sand and then covered with limestone. A second layer of stone completed the structure. His son, Amenemhet II, served with him as co-ruler and assumed the throne when Senwosret died in the 45th year of his reign

Amenemhet II
(Nubkaure)
1875-1840 B.C.
Amenemhet II was co-ruler with his father Senwosret I for three years. Upon his father’s death, Amenemhet II became the third king of the 12th Dynasty. His only campaign was in Nubia.
Instead of military expeditions he directed his attention toward internal affairs and the nomarchs.

These nomarchs were nobles of Egyptian provinces, or nomes, and served as the kings representatives. Raising their own armies, they defended their own borders. During times of weak kings the nomarchs became more independent and were easily provoked by royal orders. Amenemhet was buried in Dashur.

Senwosret II
(Khakheperre)
1842-1836 B.C.
Senwosret II was the fourth king of the 12th Dynasty. He ruled the country from 1842 till 1836 BC. The king ruled the country before he claimed his throne during the period when his father, Amenemhet II, was ill before he died.

Senwosret II conducted many agricultural projects in Faiyum that transferred thousands of marshlands into fields. His goal was to establish a strong economic base for Ancient Egypt.
The king conducted many military campaigns in Nubia and extended his kingdom’s border further south. Also, Senwosret II protected the minerals in Nubia and Sinai and continued extracting natural resources from them. He built a pyramid near Faiyum which was destroyed by Ramesses II.

(Khakaure)
1836-1817 B.C.
The fifth king of the 12th Dynasty was the son of Senwosret II. Being a “man of the people” he supported the rise of the middle class. These people were farmers, artisans, merchants and traders. Also active militarily, he extended Egypt’s borders in Nubia to Wadi Halfa. He built mortuary complexes at Dashur for his wives and daughters.

Amenemhet III
(Nimaatre)
1817-1772 B.C.
The son of Senwosret III and Queen Sebekshedty-Neferu, this sixth king of the 12th Dynasty was to be the most remarkable king of that era. He completed the building of the great waterwheels of the Faiyum, thus diverting the flood waters of the Nile into Lake Moeris.

The irrigation system and an overflow canal, was used to drain the marshes. An estimated 153,600 acres of fertile land was reclaimed from the water. Amenemhet raised two colossal statues of himself nearby to celebrate this feat.

Among his many achievements was the famous Labyrinth, also known as the Pyramid of Hawara, one of the great wonders of the ancient world. The central burial chamber of the pyramid, carved from a single block of granite, is estimated to have weighed 110 tons.

His pyramidal tomb was built at Dashur, which he abandoned in favor of the Hawara Pyramid. Amenemhet mined copper from the Sinai and local mines, and had many quarries. He provided the workers with housing and protection from the Bedouins.

Neferusobek
(Sobekkare)
1763-1759 B.C.
Neferusobek was the eighth queen of the 12th Dynasty. She ruled the country from 1763 till 1759 BC. Some historians say that she was the daughter of Amenemhet III and half sister of Amenemhet IV, her predecessor. Neferusobek was mentioned in the Karnak, Saqqara and Turin List of Kings. Three statues and a sphinx for her were found near the Nile Delta.