E2 - Rise and Fall of the Hyksos

Who were the Hyksos—the “foreign kings” who once ruled Egypt—and why did they leave such a deep scar on Egyptian memory? And could they be connected to the origins of the Israelites?In this episode, we trace the long and bitter relationship between Egypt and its northern neighbors. As migrants from Canaan move into Egypt, they rise from traders and migrants to rulers of the Nile Delta, establishing the Hyksos kingdom. Their rule provokes a violent Egyptian response: the rise of the New Kingdom and a campaign of destruction that reaches into Canaan itself.By the end of the episode, the world before the Israelites looks very different—shaped by migration, conquest, and the lingering memory of foreign rule.Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/You can also reach me at: [email protected]