Hyksos

The Hyksos (Egyptian: ḥqꜣ(w)-ḫꜣswt; Greek: Ὑκσώς) were the kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling Lower Egypt and Middle Egypt from their capital of Avaris from around 1650 BCE until around 1550 BCE. They were believed to be worshippers of Seth, lord of chaos and violence in Egyptian mythology. Known for their military prowess, the Hyksos made ample use of copper bows and shotels, as well as scythed chariots, making use of the horses that they had introduced to Egypt.

The Hyksos' last pharaoh Khamudi had his capital attacked many times during his rule, though his warriors managed to defend the city and prolong his reign for many years until its inevitable fall. After their defeat, some Hyksos communities survived until Pharaoh Hatshepsut's reign. After eradicating one such community, she had a tomb engraved to celebrate her victory, with symbols of Isis triumphing over Seth representing her victory over the Hyksos.

Behind the scenes

"Hyksos" is a term derived from an Egyptian phrase meaning "foreign ruler". While sometimes applied to any foreign ruler of Egypt, such as the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty that ruled from 744 – 656 BC, it most commonly refers to the kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty who hailed from Canaan and occasionally is used for the ethnic group from which these kings belonged. While some ancient and modern religious historians have suggested—without archaeological evidence—that the Hyksos' arrival and expulsion parallels that of the Israelites' arrival with Joseph and their leaving with Moses as part of the Jewish foundational myth of The Exodus written in the Torah, scholarly consensus is that the transcribed events are not to be taken as literal fact, though they may have an unclear grain of historicity to them.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game – Forging History (mentioned only)