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Add #17 to your notecards New Kingdom – 1550 B.C. 1080 B.C.

Egypt reaches its highest point of power and then begins to decline

V. New Kingdom

Hatshepsut• Woman pharaoh• Ruled after her husband’s death• Preferred to boost economy by using trade

instead of war to strengthen Egypt• Encouraged new building projects in Egypt• Ruled 21 years until her stepson Thutmose III

overturned her rule and became pharaoh.• Thutmose III destroys all temples and statues of

Hatshepsut after her death

Thutmose III• Preferred war to encourage expansion in

Egypt• Regained lost lands with a strong army• Enslaved many conquered people• Encouraged trade and tribute from

conquered people• Encouraged new building projects• Most likely the pharaoh during the Israelite

exodus

• Slavery became very common in Egypt during the New Kingdom.

• It was possible for enslaved people in Egypt own land, marry, and could buy their freedom.

• When the Israelite people left, Egypt began a slow decline

Amenhotep• In 1370 B.C. Amenhotep began trying to

lead Egypt in a new direction• He was worried that the priests in Egypt

were gaining to much power• So he introduced a new religion with a

new god called Aton• He got rid of the old gods and any of the

priests that refused to accept his religion

• Egyptian people refused to accept his new religion

• Amenhotep became so wrapped up in his new beliefs that he refused to do anything when Egypt’s lands were invaded by outside forces

• As a result Egypt lost much of its land in the East

Ramses II• Ramses II ruled Egypt for 66 years.• At the age of 10 he was a captain in the Army

and became famous later on for his exploits on the battlefield

• He tried to restore Egypt by conquering new lands and encouraging new construction

• He was most famous for building the temple at Abu Simbel

• He is known to historians as “Ramses the Great”