# Sixteenth Dynasty of Egypt

Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt :
All years are BC :
Early Pre-dynastic period First Dynasty I c. 3150–2890 Second Dynasty II 2890–2686 :
Old Kingdom Third Dynasty III 2686–2613 Fourth Dynasty IV 2613–2498 Fifth Dynasty V 2498–2345 Sixth Dynasty VI 2345–2181 :
First Intermediate Seventh Dynasty VII spurious Eighth Dynasty VIII 2181–2160 Ninth Dynasty IX 2160–2130 Tenth Dynasty X 2130–2040 Early Eleventh Dynasty XI 2134–2061 :
Middle Kingdom Late Eleventh Dynasty XI 2061–1991 Twelfth Dynasty XII 1991–1803 Thirteenth Dynasty XIII 1803–1649 :
Second Intermediate Fourteenth Dynasty XIV 1705–1690 Fifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos) XV 1674–1535 Sixteenth Dynasty XVI 1660–1600 Abydos Dynasty 1650–1600 Seventeenth Dynasty XVII 1580–1549 :
New Kingdom Eighteenth Dynasty XVIII 1549–1292 Nineteenth Dynasty XIX 1292–1189 Twentieth Dynasty XX 1189–1077 :
Third Intermediate Twenty-first Dynasty XXI 1069–945 Twenty-second Dynasty XXII 945–720 Twenty-third Dynasty XXIII 837–728 Twenty-fourth Dynasty XXIV 732–720 Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Nubian) XXV 732–653 :
Late Period Twenty-sixth Dynasty XXVI 672–525 Twenty-seventh Dynasty (1st Persian Period) XXVII 525–404 Twenty-eighth Dynasty XXVIII 404–398 Twenty-ninth Dynasty XXIX 398–380 Thirtieth Dynasty XXX 380–343 Thirty-first Dynasty (2nd Persian Period) XXXI 343–332 :
Hellenistic Egypt Thirty-second Dynasty XXXII 332–305 Thirty-third Dynasty XXXIII 305–30 :
Roman Egypt Thirty-fourth Dynasty (Roman Pharaohs) XXXIV 30 BC – 313 AD :
Byzantine Egypt Thirty-fifth Dynasty (speculated) XXXV 379 AD – 641 AD :
See also: List of pharaohs by period and dynasty Periodization of ancient Egypt :
vte :
The Sixteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty XVI) was a dynasty of pharaohs that ruled the Theban region in Upper Egypt for 70 years.
This dynasty, together with the 15th and 17th dynasties, are often combined under the group title, Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650–1550 BC), a period that saw the division of Upper and Lower Egypt between the pharaohs at Thebes and the Hyksos kings of the 15th Dynasty based at Avaris.

## Identification

Of the two chief versions of Manetho's Aegyptiaca, the Sixteenth Dynasty is described by the more reliable Africanus (supported by Syncellus) as "shepherd [hyksos] kings", but by Eusebius as Theban.
Ryholt (1997), followed by Bourriau (2003), in reconstructing the Turin canon, interpreted a list of Thebes-based kings to constitute Manetho's Sixteenth Dynasty, although this is one of Ryholt's "most debatable and far-reaching" conclusions. For this reason other scholars do not follow Ryholt and see only insufficient evidence for the interpretation of the Sixteenth Dynasty as Theban.

## History

The continuing war against 15th Dynasty dominated the short-lived 16th Dynasty. The armies of the 15th Dynasty, winning town after town from their southern enemies, continually encroached on the 16th Dynasty territory, eventually threatening and then conquering Thebes itself. In his study of the Second Intermediate Period, the Egyptologist Kim Ryholt has suggested that Dedumose I sued for a truce in the latter years of the dynasty, but one of his predecessors, Nebiryraw I, may have been more successful and seems to have enjoyed a period of peace in his reign.
Famine, which had plagued Upper Egypt during the late 13th Dynasty and the 14th Dynasty, also blighted the 16th Dynasty, most evidently during and after the reign of Neferhotep III.

## Kings

Various chronological orderings and lists of kings have been proposed by scholars for this dynasty. These lists fall broadly in two categories: those assuming that the 16th Dynasty comprised vassals of the Hyksos, as advocated by Jürgen von Beckerath and Wolfgang Helck; and those assuming that the 16th Dynasty was an independent Theban kingdom, as recently proposed by Kim Ryholt.

### As vassals of the Hyksos

The traditional list of rulers of the 16th Dynasty regroups kings believed to be vassals of the Hyksos, some of which have semitic names such as Semqen and Anat-her. The list of kings differs from scholar to scholar and it is here given as per Jürgen von Beckerath's Dynasty XV/XVI in his Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen. Wolfgang Helck, who also believes that the 16th Dynasty was an Hyksos vassal state, proposed a slightly different list of kings. Many of the rulers listed here in the 16th Dynasty under the hypothesis that they were vassals of the Hyksos are put in the 14th Dynasty in the hypothesis that the 16th Dynasty was an independent Theban kingdom. The chronological ordering is largely uncertain.
Dynasty XV/XVI as vassals of the Hyksos :
| Name of king | Dates | Comments |
| 'Anat-Har | | Possibly a prince of the 15th Dynasty or a Canaanite chieftain contemporary with the 12th Dynasty |
| 'Aper-'Anati | | May belong to the early 15th Dynasty |
| Semqen | | May belong to the early 15th Dynasty |
| Sakir-Har | | May belong to the early 15th Dynasty |
| Apepi | | May be identical with the Hyksos ruler Apepi |
| Maaibre Sheshi | | May belong to the early 14th Dynasty |
| Yaqub-Har | | May belong to the late 14th Dynasty |
| Jamu | | |
| Jakebmu | | |
| Amu | | |
| Sneferankhre Pepi III | | |
| Hepu | | |
| Anati | | |
| Bebnum | | |
| Nebmaatre | | May belong to the 17th Dynasty |
| Aahotepre | | Possibly the same person as 'Ammu |
| Anetrire | | |
| Meribre | | |
| Nubankhre | | Kingship contested |
| Nikare II | | Kingship contested |
| [...]kare | | |
| [...]kare | | |
| [...]kare | | |
| Sharek | | May belong to the 15th Dynasty, only attested in later sources |
| Wazad | | Most likely belongs to the 14th Dynasty |
| Qur | | Possibly Qareh, may belong to the 14th Dynasty |
| Shenes | | Likely to be Sheneh rather than Shenes; may belong to the 14th Dynasty |
| Inek | | |
| 'A[...] | | |
| 'Ap[epi] | | |
| Hibe | | |
| Aped | Uncertain reading |
| Hapi | | |
| Shemsu | | |
| Meni[...] | | |
| Werqa | | |

### As an independent Theban Kingdom

In his 1997 study of the Second Intermediate Period, the Danish Egyptologist Kim Ryholt argues that the 16th Dynasty was an independent Theban kingdom. From Ryholt's reconstruction of the Turin canon, 15 kings can be associated to the dynasty, several of whom are attested by contemporary sources. While most likely rulers based in Thebes itself, some may have been local rulers from other important Upper Egyptian towns, including Abydos, El Kab and Edfu. By the reign of Nebiriau I, the realm controlled by the 16th Dynasty extended at least as far north as Hu and south to Edfu. Not listed in the Turin canon (after Ryholt) is Wepwawetemsaf, who left a stele at Abydos and was likely a local kinglet of the Abydos Dynasty.
Ryholt gives the list of kings of the 16th Dynasty as shown in the table below. Others, such as Helck, Vandersleyen, Bennett combine some of these rulers with the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt. The list of rulers is given here as per Kim Ryholt and is supposedly in chronological order:
Dynasty XVI as an independent Theban kingdom :
| Name of king | Dates | Comments |
| Unknown | 1649–1648 BC | Name lost in a lacuna of the Turin canon |
| Sekhemre-sementawi Djehuti | 1648–1645 BC | |
| Sekhemre-seusertawi Sobekhotep VIII | 1645–1629 BC | |
| Sekhemre-seankhtawi Neferhotep III | 1629–1628 BC | |
| Seankhenre Mentuhotepi | 1628–1627 BC | |
| Sewadjenre Nebiryraw I | 1627–1601 BC | |
| Nebiriau II | 1601 BC | |
| Semenre | 1601–1600 BC | |
| Seuserenre Bebiankh | 1600–1588 BC | |
| Sekhemre Shedwaset | 1588 BC | |
| Unknown | 1588–1582 BC | Five kings lost in a lacuna of the Turin canon |
Additional kings are classified as belonging to this dynasty per Kim Ryholt but their chronological position is uncertain. They may correspond to the last five lost kings on the Turin canon:
Dynasty XVI as an independent Theban kingdom (uncertain order) :
| Name of king | Comments |
| Djedhotepre Dedumose I | May have tried to sue the Hyksos for peace |
| Djedneferre Dedumose II | |
| Djedankhre Montemsaf | |
| Merankhre Mentuhotep VI | |
| Seneferibre Senusret IV | Left a colossal statue of himself in Karnak |