Amenemhat II

The third pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty was the son of Pharaoh Senusret I and his wife, Queen Neferu III. He ruled for thirty-five years, part of which he spent as co-regent with his father and predecessor Senusret I, and later as co-regent with his own son and successor, Senusret II. This king established extensive trade relations with foreign commercial centers such as the land of Punt, Syria-Palestine, and even Cyprus. He was not as active in warfare or monumental construction as his father or grandfather, for the internal situation of Egypt during his reign was stable and prosperous thanks to the achievements of his predecessors. He is also known to have maintained friendly and cordial relations with several rulers in Syria and Palestine.

Information about the reign of Amenemhat II comes from a stela that records part of his history. This stela was found in the Temple of Ptah at Memphis (present-day Al-Badrashein) near the Fayum. From it we learn that he conducted a campaign in southern Palestine during which two cities were destroyed. The stela also mentions the arrival of foreign princes and envoys to the Egyptian king, as well as extensive royal offerings to various temples in Egypt.

Amenemhat II is definitively known to have had commercial connections with Crete and Lebanon, and to have dispatched two expeditions to the land of Punt on the Red Sea. The most important administrative record from the early years of his reign is contained in what is known as the “Annals of Amenemhat II,” discovered at Memphis. These annals document donations to temples and occasionally political events. Among the political entries is a reference to a military expedition in Asia during which two cities—Lu’i and Lasi—were destroyed, though their exact locations remain unknown. The annals also record the receipt of tribute from Asia and Kush. Several mining and quarrying expeditions also took place under Amenemhat II, including at least three journeys to Sinai, an expedition to Wadi al-Gawasis in year 28 of his reign, and another to Wadi al-Hudi in search of amethyst. Construction activities under his rule are known at Heliopolis (Ain Shams), Herakleopolis (Ihnasiyya), Memphis, the eastern Delta, and in the restoration of a ruined temple at Hermopolis (al-Ashmunein). One of the most notable surviving artifacts associated with Amenemhat II is the great Tanis Sphinx, now housed in the Louvre Museum.

In 1936, a treasure was discovered at the temple foundation in the town of Tôd, dating to the time of Amenemhat II. It consisted of four bronze chests inscribed with the king’s name, each filled with more than two hundred gold and silver vessels, along with gold and silver ingots, large quantities of beads, Babylonian cylinder seals, and lapis-lazuli amulets. Notably, some of these objects were made in the Aegean region, indicating cultural exchange between Middle Kingdom Egypt and foreign civilizations.

One of the most important monuments of Amenemhat II is the so-called “White Pyramid” at Dahshur. Near it were found the tombs of the princesses Ita, Khnumet, Iti-auiret, and Sat-Hathor-Mut. Excavations revealed a rich array of funerary furniture, including wooden coffins, alabaster perfume vessels, and canopic chests. The tombs of Ita and Khnumet yielded a large quantity of exquisite jewelry. Indeed, the “Dahshur Jewelry” stands as powerful evidence of a society whose artistic sensibility four thousand years ago was in no way inferior to, and perhaps even more refined than, our own.