War Records of Pharaoh Ahmose I

War Records of Pharaoh Ahmose I

Prince Amos I of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt circa 1549–1524 BC. Pharaoh Amos I was the younger son of Pharaoh Tao II and Queen Ahotep I of the Seventeenth Dynasty until a conflict arose between the local king of Thebes and King Apep of the Hyksos After a period of conflict and war Amos also began campaigning in Syria and Nubia In the 22nd year of his reign Amos attacked the city of Jahi in the Levant possibly reaching the Euphrates River His successors intended to undermine the Hyksos power by destroying their cities Many sites were completely destroyed and never rebuilt during this time

Ritual ornaments and weapons found in Queen Ahoteb's burial / an axe with a blade depicting Ahmose I slaying a Hyksos soldier, and a golden fly given to the queen for her supporting role in the fight against the Hyksos.

However Amos is believed to have referred to Kamudi's Hyksos rivals as the Rind papyrus refers to Amos as the lower-ranking prince of the south rather than as king or pharaoh Amos supporters from Thebes during his reign began the conquest of Lower Egypt which the Hyksos occupied Beginning around the 11th year of Amos reign the conquests preceded the siege of the Hyksos capital at Avaris and subsequent battle records are found on the walls of Amos's military tombs Records indicate that Amos led three raids against Avaris the Hyksos capital but also suppressed minor rebellions in southern Egypt

A winged griffin tablet inscribed with the name Nepehtyr Ahmose I

Amos's campaigns in Nubia are well documented Shortly after the first campaign in Nubia a Nubian named Ata rebelled against Amos but was suppressed Following this attempt an Egyptian rebel against Thebes named Teshian gathered numerous rebels in Nubia until Amos restored Egyptian rule over Nubia controlled by a new administrative center at Buhen The unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Amos led to the resumption of royal patronage of art and monumental buildings

Dagger of Ahmose I, Luxor Museum

It is recorded that Pharaoh Amos dedicated one-tenth of his entire oeuvre to the first god The works during Amos reign were made of much more refined materials than those from the Second Intermediate Period although the craftsmanship during his reign was not comparable to the masterpieces of the Ancient or Middle Kingdoms When the Nile Delta and Nubia were reunited under Egyptian control access to resources not available in Upper Egypt became possible such as gold and silver from Nubia lapis lazuli from remote areas of Central Asia and cedar from Byblos and the Sinai Peninsula