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The Fifteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

The Fifteenth Dynasty was a foreign dynasty founded by Salitis, a Hyksos from Canaan whose people had invaded the country and conquered Lower Egypt peacefully.

Salitis, the first king of the Hyksos dynasty, filled the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Fourteenth Dynasty by leading his people into the Nile Delta and peacefully establishing his capital at Avaris. The term Hyksos originate from the Egyptian ḥqꜣ-ḫꜣswt, Heqa-khasut, meaning 'ruler of foreign lands'. Before the decipherment of the hieroglyphs the main source was Josephus, quoting Manetho, describing the name as meaning Shepherd King. Upper Egypt remained unconquered which ultimately led to a bloody conflict with the Seventeenth Dynasty at Thebes.

Dynasty 15

The chronological order

It is important to note that the chronological order of the pharaohs is an evolving subject and should therefore be treated with a certain degree of caution. As new research is conducted, the order may be subject to change, which is a fundamental principle that applies to all Egyptian dynasties.

Table 1: The kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty
№ Pharaoh Also known as
1Salitis
2Sakir-HarSakarher, Seker-Her
3KhyanKhian, Khayan
4ApepiNebkhepeshre, Aqenenre, Aweserre, Apophis
5KhamudyKhamudi
?Aperanat
?Semqen
?Apachnas
?Sharek
?BeonBnon

The Fifteenth Dynasty according to Manetho

The contents of their epitomes of Aegyptiaka must have been quite different, as can be seen from the differences between the more complete text of Africanus and the missing information of Eusebius.

ACCORDING TO AFRICANUS

Fifteenth dynasty of shepherds

There were six foreign kings from Phoenicia, who also captured Memphis.

  1. Their first king was Saites,
    who reigned for19 years
    The Salte none is named after him. They also built a city in the Sethroite nome, which they used as a base of operations when they subdued the Egyptians.
  2. Bnon44 years
  3. Pachnan61 years
  4. Staan50 years
  5. Archles49 years
  6. Aphobis61 years
  7. Total284 years
ACCORDING TO EUSEBIOS

Fifteenth dynasty of kings of Diospolis

These reigned for 250 years

ARMENIAN TRANSLATION

Fifteenth dynasty of kings of Diospolis

who reigned for 250 years

Eusebius placed the same kings in his Seventeenth Dynasty, albeit in a different order and with different reigns. It seems probable that Eusebius moved the Fifteenth Dynasty to align it with Josephus, by placing the Shepherd kings just ahead of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

New Kingdom king lists

None of the shepherd kings appear in any of the New Kingdom king lists.

Other sources

Josephus, Contra Apion

1.15 “... there came, after a surprizing manner, men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts, and had boldness enough to make an expedition into our country, and with ease subdued it by force; yet without our hazarding a battle with them. So when they had gotten those that governed us under their power, they afterwards burnt down our cities, and demolished the temples of the Gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner. Nay some they slew; and led their children and their wives into slavery.
At length they made one of themselves King, whose name was Salatis; he also lived at Memphis, and made both the upper and lower regions pay tribute, and left garrisons in places that were the most proper for them. He chiefly aimed to secure the eastern parts, as foreseeing that the Assyrians, who had then the greatest power, would be desirous of that Kingdom, and invade them. And as he found in the Saite Nomos, a city very proper for this purpose, and which lay upon the Bubastic channel, but with regard to a certain theologic notion was called Avaris; this he rebuilt; and made very strong by the walls he built about it, and by a most numerous garrison of two hundred and forty thousand armed men which he put into it to keep it. Thither Salatis came in summer time: partly to gather his corn, and pay his soldiers their wages, and partly to exercise his armed men, and thereby to terrify foreigners.
When this man had reigned 19 years; after him reigned another whose name was Beon for 44 years; after him reigned another called Apachnas for 36 years and 7 months; after him Apophis reigned 61 years, and then Janias 50 years and 1 month; after all these reigned Assis 49 years and 2 months.
And these six were the first rulers among them, who were all along making war with the Egyptians and were very desirous gradually to destroy them to the very roots. This whole nation was styled Hycsos, that is, Shepherd Kings: for the first syllable HYK, according to the sacred dialect, denotes a King: as is SOS a shepherd: but this according to the ordinary dialect: and of these is compounded HYKSOS: but some say that these people were Arabians. These people, whom we have before named Kings, and called shepherds also, and their descendants, as he says, kept possession of Egypt five hundred and eleven years. After these, he says, that the Kings of Thebais, and of the other parts of Egypt made an insurrection against the shepherds; and that there a terrible and long war was made between them.”

1.15 “When this people or shepherds were gone out of Egypt, to Jerusalem, Tethmosis, the King of Egypt, who drove them out, reigned afterward twenty five years, and four months, and then died.”