DYNASTIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

APPROX. DATES

Pre-dynastic and early dynastic periods
The Nile River valley and delta were brought under one ruler.

3400-3100 B.C.

First and Second Dynasties

3100-2800 B.C.

Old Kingdom--Third to Fourth Dynasties
The great pyramids were built near Memphis.

2800-2200 B.C.

First Intermediate Period--Seventh to Tenth Dynasties
Outsiders controlled the delta--Libyans from the west and Asians from the east.

2200-2000 B.C.

Middle Kingdom--Eleventh to Fourteenth Dynasties
Egypt was again unified with capital at Thebes. This period was the high point of Egyptian art. Abraham was in Egypt during this period (Gen 12).

2000-1780 B.C.

Second Intermediate Period--Fifteenth to Seventeenth Dynasties
Egypt was ruled by Hyksos, Asian invaders who had high technical and military skills. They were based in the delta and had traded with Syria and Palestine. Possibly Joseph, and then Jacob and his sons were in Egypt during this time.

1720-1570 B.C.

New Kingdom--Eighteenth to Twentieth Dynasties
Many famous Egyptian rulers lived in this period, including Amenhotep; Queen Hastshepsut; Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaton, who worshiped only Aton, god of the sun; Tutankhamen, also known as King Tut, who restored the worship of Amon, the chief traditional god of the Egyptians; Rameses II, who may have been the Egyptian king when the Hebrews were led out of Egypt by Moses in a great exodus.

1570-1085 B.C..

Third Intermediate Period--Twenty-first to Twenty-fifth Dynasties

1085-656 B.C.

Late Period--Twenty-sixth to Thirty-first Dynasties
After struggles with the Assyrians and support by the Greeks, the Persians took over the Near East, including Egypt. Then Alexander the Great of Macedonia took over Egypt in 332 {scb.c.} Alexander built a new capital city on the Mediterranean Sea coast at the very northern edge of the Nile River delta. This city was called Alexandria. For six hundred years it was one of the great centers of learning in the whole world.

664-343 B.C.