THUTMOSE III
The Eighteenth Dynasty marks the beginning of the New Kingdom period in ancient Egyptian history with the reassertion of Egyptian power and the building of an empire. Thutmose III was the sixth ruler in a line of young and famous rulers during this dynasty that included Hatshepsut, one of the few women pharaohs and Tutankhamun, the boy king known as King Tut.
Thutmose III (ruled c.1504-1452 BCE) was very young when his father, Thutmose II, died. After the pharaoh’s death, Hatshepsut, his wife and half-sister, assumed power, first as regent for the young Thutmose III, and then as pharaoh. However, by about 1482 BCE, Thutmose III became the sole ruler.
As pharaoh of Egypt, Thutmose III devoted himself to the expansion of the empire through numerous, successful military offensives, leading campaigns into Canaan, Phoenicia and Syria in the Middle East. To the south, he expanded Egypt’s hold over the wealth of Nubia and Kush.
Thutmose set up an efficient administration, both civil and military, and assessed large yearly tributes from the defeated kings and chiefs of conquered lands. This allowed Thutmose to construct temples, obelisks and monuments at numerous sites throughout his empire including a Festival Temple at Karnak. After nearly 50 years as ruler of Egypt, Thutmose III died.
The impact of Thutmose III on Egyptian culture was profound. He was a national hero who was worshiped long after his death. His reverence for his ancestors and his care for his people was acknowledged by the Egyptians as demonstrated in the cult that grew up around him and the many monuments that were built in his memory. Several of the objects seen in The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt, were produced during the reign of Thutmose III. An exact replica of the interior walls of his burial chamber is also a part of the exhibition. On the walls you will see the Amduat text, the story of the pharaoh’s journey through the underworld.
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