The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Aahmes I

AAHMES I, the founder of the 18th dynasty in Egypt. c. 1600 b.c., and its final liberator from the Hyksos or Shepherd Kings, Asiatic nomads who had conquered the land a century or two before. Native kings had already recovered it in part; but Aahmes captured the last Hyksos fortress, Hatwaret (Awaris), expelled them from Egypt, and followed them into southern Palestine, besieged their army five years in “Sharuhen” and captured it. He then penetrated farther into Palestine, levying tribute on it and on the seaboard. This began a long series of Egyptian retaliatory expeditions into West Asia and a long dominance over it. He had an admiral of the same name, whose self-laudatory inscription on his tomb is a most valuable mine of knowledge on the military and naval operations of the time. Aahmes-Nefertari was his queen: her mummy-case, one of the most magnificent ever discovered, is in the museum at Gizeh.