308 New Kingdom, Egypt who complained that his rule meant nothing while he was “bound to an Asiatic and a Nubian.” He pushed as far south as the Second Cataract and set up the new government office of viceroy of Nubia, “the King’s Son of Kush.” He began a series of campaigns against the Hyksos that ended their rule at Avaris and united Egypt once more Ahmose strengthened Egypt’s borders in Nubia and Syria and consolidated his rule at home The Eighteenth Dynasty is best seen through several remarkable pharaohs Thutmose I (1504–1492 b.c.e.), a nonroyal, succeeded Amenhotep I without dynastic change In his short reign a series of successful forays into Nubia and Syria defined Egypt’s early empire Thutmose I enlarged and endowed the temple of Amun at Karnak, practices continued by his successors that would lead to the wealth and power of Amun’s priesthood rivaling that of the pharaoh Thutmose II married his half sister, the famous Hatshepsut His life was brief, and his young son by a concubine became Thutmose III (r 1479–1427 b.c.e.) For two years Hatshepsut, “Foremost of Noble Women,” was content to be regent for her nephew, but she soon assumed royal trappings, even having herself portrayed as a male Other women ruled in Egypt, but she is the best known, chiefly from her magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri A relief from this temple shows the circumstances of her divine birth where the god Amun visits her mother, Queen Ahmose Her tomb is in the Valley of the Kings, the preferred burial place of New Kingdom pharaohs The huge mortuary temple built for Ramses II, the Ramesseum, stands on the West Bank at Thebes After her death Thutmose III came into his inheritance In his 32 years of sole rule he proved an energetic and adept military leader, advancing to the Fifth Cataract in Nubia He made 17 campaigns into Syria, even crossing the Euphrates He captured the strategic cities of Joppa and Megiddo and brought the city of Kadesh firmly under Egyptian domination These wars were intended for plunder, tribute, and future peaceful trade, and Thutmose III’s incessant activity ensured Egypt’s prosperity His building activities extended throughout Egypt His tomb in the Valley of the Kings contains the complete set of vignettes and accompanying text of the Book of What Is in the Underworld, recounting the night journey of the sun god, Ra Amenhotep II (1427–1400 b.c.e.) followed his energetic father into Syria and Nubia These campaigns of his first 10 years mark the end of the consolidation of Egypt’s empire The reign of Thutmose IV began the association of the king with the sun god, Ra, and the joining of Ra with Amun as the supreme deity AmunRa Also royal women came to prominence in the roles of “king’s mother” and “great royal wife.” The Eighteenth Dynasty reached its high point in the magnificent opulence of Amenhotep III, who reigned for almost 40 peaceful and prosperous years Two large statues of this king stand forlornly beside the tourist road to the Valley of the Kings, all that survives of his mortuary temple Every class of Egyptians appears to have prospered, and Amenhotep III was later revered as a fertility god The cult of the sun god increased at Thebes and devotion centered on the, aten, the sun disc or sphere, as the giver of life Amenhotep III was followed by his second son, Amenhotep IV (1352–36 b.c.e.) Initially he ruled from Thebes and did not disrupt traditional religious life The cult of the Sun reached its climax in his reign: The aten was depicted with its rays ending in hands holding the ankh, symbol of life In year five of his reign he abruptly ordered the building of a capital at a site in Middle Egypt, el-Amarna, called Akhetaten, “Horizon of the Aten,” where the court moved in year nine His name change to Akhenaten, “servant of the Aten,” signaled his complete rejection of the other gods, notably Amun Akhenaten’s famous wife, Nefertiti, played an equal role with her husband The Amarna idyll lasted only until his death in 1336 b.c.e The boy-king Tutankhaten was moved to the ancient capital at Memphis, and his name changed to Tutankhamun, a clear return to the old ways and gods of Egypt, notably Amun Enormous effort was made to expunge the Amarna period from Egypt’s history and to obliterate Akhenaten’s memory