The Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt was a series of rulers reigning during the Second Intermediate Period over the Nile Delta region of Egypt. It lasted between 75 (c. 1725–1650 BC) and 155 years (c. 1805–1650 BC), depending on the scholar. The capital of the dynasty was Xois in the central Delta according to the Egyptian historian Manetho. Kim Ryholt and some historians think that the dynasty's capital was probably Avaris. The 14th Dynasty was another Egyptian dynasty that existed concurrently with the 13th Dynasty based in Thebes.Marc van de Mieroop, 'A History of Ancient Egypt,' pp. 122 The Egyptian rulers of the 14th dynasty are recorded and attested in the ancient Egyptian Turin List of Kings. On the other hand, another proposed list of contested vassals or rulers during the 14th Dynasty (proposed by Kim Ryholt) are identified as being of Canaanite (Semitic) descent, owing to the foreign origins of the names of some of their rulers and princes, like Ipqu (West Semitic for "grace"), Yakbim ("ia-ak-bi-im", an Amorite name), Qareh (West Semitic for "the bald one"), or Yaqub-Har. Names in relation with Nubia are also recorded in two cases, king Nehesy ("The Nubian") and queen Tati. This probably remarks the beginning of Hyksos control and domination over eastern Delta.

Chronology The 14th Dynasty is commonly grouped together with the 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th as the Second Intermediate Period. Less commonly, the 14th Dynasty is combined with the 11th, 12th, and 13th Dynasties in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt period, though the 14th Dynasty overlaps at least partially with either of (or both of) the 13th Dynasty and the 15th Dynasty.

There are enough gaps in the knowledge of the 14th Dynasty that its absolute chronological position is debated, and can vary by as much as 75 years between authorities. Egyptologist Kim Ryholt proposes that the 14th Dynasty emerged during the late 12th Dynasty, around 1805 BC, during or shortly after Sobekneferu's rule. He contends that the Canaanite immigrants who have infiltrated into East Delta declared their independence and staved off possible attempts from the 13th Dynasty Memphite kings to recover the Delta. According to Ryholt, the 14th Dynasty lasted from around 1805 BC until its demise under the Hyksos 15th Dynasty around 1650 BC, lasting a total of around 155 years.

This hypothesis is not shared by some Egyptologists, such as Manfred Bietak, Daphna Ben Tor, and James and Susan Allen, who argue that the 14th Dynasty could not have emerged before the mid 13th Dynasty, around 1720 BC, after the reign of Sobekhotep IV.Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 315, 1999, pp.47–73.Janine Bourriau, "The Second Intermediate Period (c.1650–1550 BC)" in Ian Shaw (ed.) The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press, 2000. pp.192 & 194 In particular, they argue that the evidence from the strata levels where 14th Dynasty seals have been discovered conclusively establishes that the 14th Dynasty was only contemporary with the 13th Dynasty in the last half century of the latter's existence, i.e., after around 1700 BC. Additionally, Manfred Bietak has dated the inscriptions and monuments of Nehesy, possibly the second ruler of the 14th Dynasty, to around 1700 BC as well.Bourriau, "The Second Intermediate Period," pp.178–179, 181

Following the very short reign of Nehesy, most scholars – including Manfred Bietak and Kim Ryholt – agree that the Delta region was struck by a prolonged famine and perhaps a plague lasting until the end of the 14th Dynasty.Manfred Bietak, "Egypt and Canaan During the Middle Bronze Age," BASOR, 281 (1991), pp. 21–72, esp. p. 38, available online The same famine may have affected the 13th Dynasty, which also exhibits instability and numerous ephemeral kings in its last 50 years of existence, from around 1700 BC until 1650 BC. The weakened state of both kingdoms may explain, in part, why they fell rapidly to the emerging Hyksos power around 1650 BC.

Seat of power The Manethonian tradition credits the 14th Dynasty with as many as 76 kings ruling from Xois rather than Avaris. However, Egyptologist Kim Ryholt notes that the Turin Canon mentions only approximately 56 kings, and does not have enough space to have recorded more than 70. Ryholt also points to excavations at Avaris that revealed the existence of a large royal palace dating to the Second Intermediate Period. One of its courtyards housed a statue of a king or high-ranking official, over twice life-size, and possessing non-Egyptian attributes. For these reasons, Ryholt and most Egyptologists share the view that Avaris – rather than Xois – was the 14th Dynasty's seat of power.

Extent of rule and foreign relations The precise borders of the 14th Dynasty state are not known, due to the general scarcity of its monuments. In his study of the Second Intermediate Period, Kim Ryholt concludes that the territory directly controlled by the 14th Dynasty roughly consisted of the Nile Delta, with borders located near Athribis in the western Delta and Bubastis in the east.

Seals attributable to the 14th Dynasty have been found in Middle and Upper Egypt – then entirely the territory of the 13th Dynasty – and as far south as Dongola, beyond the Nile River's Third Cataract. To the north, seals have been found in the southern Levant, principally along the Mediterranean coast, even as far north as Tel Kabri (in modern-day northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon). This indicates the existence of important trade conducted between the 13th Dynasty, the Canaanite city-states, and Nubia. Ryholt further proposes that king Sheshi, whom he sees as a 14th Dynasty ruler, married a Nubian princess, queen Tati, to strengthen relations with the Kushite kingdom.

Rulers The following rulers are not controversial, being established by the Turin Canon – and, for a few of them, by contemporary sources as well:

+14th Dynasty Monarchs of Egypt Portrait Name Reign Lifespan Comments Unknown Nehesy c. 1705 BC Died c. 1705 BC Best attested king of the dynasty, he left his name on two monuments at Avaris. His name means "The Nubian".Darrell D. Baker, The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I - Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC, Stacey International, , 2008, p. 277 Khakherewrec. 1705 BC Died c. 1705 BC Nebefawrec. 1705 – c. 1704 BC Died c. 1704 BCTurin canon: reigned 1 year, 5 months, 15 days Sehebre c. 1704 – c. 1700 BCDied c. 1700 BCTurin canon: reigned 3 years [lost] months, 1 day Merdjefare c. 1700 – c. 1699 BCDied c. 1699 BC Attested by a single stela from Saft el-Hinna, in the DeltaKenneth Kitchen: Ramesside Inscriptions, Blackwell Publishing 1993, , p.546 Sewadjkare III c. 1699 – c. 1698 BCDied c. 1698 BCTurin canon: reigned 1 year Nebdjefare c. 1698 – c. 1694 BC Died c. 1694 BC Webenre c. 1694 – c. 1693 BCDied c. 1693 BC Unknown c. 1693 – c. 1692 BCDied c. 1692 BCLost in the Turin king list [...]djefare c. 1692 – c. 1691 BCDied c. 1691 BC [...]webenre c. 1691 – c. 1690 BCDied c. 1690 BC Awibre II c. 1690 – c. 1689 BCDied c. 1689 BC Heribre c. 1689 – c. 1688 BCDied c. 1688 BC Nebsenre c. 1688 – c. 1687 BCDied c. 1687 BCAttested by a jar bearing his prenomen. Reigned for at least 5 months. Unknown c. 1687 c. 1686 BCDied c. 1686 BCwsf in the Turin king list, indicating a lacuna in the document from which the list was copied [...]re c. 1686 – c. 1685 BCDied c. 1685 BC Sekheperenre c. 1685 – c. 1684 BCDied c. 1684 BC One of the only undisputed 14th Dynasty kings known from contemporary sources (along with Nehesy, Nebsenre, and Merdjefare) Djedkherewre c. 1684 – c. 1683 BCDied c. 1683 BC Sankhibre c. 1683 – c. 1682 BCDied c. 1682 BC Nefertum[...]re c. 1682 c. 1681 BCDied c. 1681 BC Sekhem[...]re c. 1681 – c. 1680 BCDied c. 1680 BC Kakaukemure c. 1680 – c. 1679 BCDied c. 1679 BC Neferib[…]re c. 1679 – c. 1678 BCDied c. 1678 BC I[...]re c. 1678 – c. 1677 BCDied c. 1677 BC Khakare c. 1677 – c. 1676 BCDied c. 1676 BC Aakare c. 1676 – c. 1675 BCDied c. 1675 BC Semenenre c. 1675 – c. 1674 BCDied c. 1674 BC Djedkare c. 1674 – c. 1673 BCDied c. 1673 BC Babnum [...]kare c. 1673 - c. 1672 BCDied c. 1672 BC Unknown c. 1672 — c. 1671 BCDied c. 1671 BCUnknownc. 1671 – c. 1670 BCDied c. 1670 BCUnknownc. 1670 – c. 1669 BCDied c. 1669 BCUnknownc. 1669 – c. 1668 BCDied c. 1668 BCUnknownc. 1668 – c. 1667 BCDied c. 1667 BCUnknownc. 1667 – c. 1666 BCDied c. 1666 BCUnknownc. 1666 – c. 1665 BCDied c. 1665 BCUnknownc. 1665 – c. 1664 BCDied c. 1664 BC Senefer[…]re c. 1664 – c. 1663 BCDied c. 1663 BC Men[...]re c. 1663 – c. 1662 BCDied c. 1662 BC […]Djed[…] c. 1662 – c. 1661 BCDied c. 1661 BC Unknown c. 1661 – c. 1660 BCDied c. 1660 BCUnknownc. 1660 – c. 1659 BCDied c. 1659 BCUnknownc. 1659 – c. 1658 BCDied c. 1658 BC Inenek[…] c. 1658 – c. 1657 BCDied c. 1657 BC Ineb[…] c. 1657 – c. 1656 BCDied c. 1656 BC'Ip[…]c. 1656 – c. 1655 BCDied c. 1655 BCPossibly Apophis I, see possible list below Unknown c. 1655 – c. 1654 BCDied c. 1654 BCUnknownc. 1654 – c. 1653 BCDied c. 1653 BCUnknownc. 1653 – c. 1652 BCDied c. 1652 BCUnknownc. 1652 – c. 1651 BCDied c. 1651 BCUnknownc. 1651 – c. 1650 BCDied c. 1650 BC The order of rulers for this dynasty is established by the Turin Royal Canon and is widely accepted – except for the first five rulers, which are given below after Ryholt. The names of these rulers are not given on the Turin Canon (except for perhaps one), and Ryholt proposes that they were mentioned as wsf in the list, which denotes a lacuna in the original document from which the list was copied during the Ramesside period. Rather, Ryholt identifies the first five kings thanks to a seriation of their seals. His conclusions are debated, however, in Ben Tor's study of the strata levels, in which seals attributed to the first five kings have been found. Ben Tor concludes that the reigns of Sheshi, Ammu, and Yakbim date to the second half of the Hyksos 15th Dynasty, and are not contemporary with the 13th Dynasty. According to Ben Tor, these kings were most likely minor vassal rulers of the Hyksos kings that ruled over the Nile Delta. Several rulers attested by contemporary artefacts who are otherwise unknown from the Turin Canon could be dated to the 14thKim Ryholt, The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, Museum Tusculanum Press, (1997) or 15th Dynasty.Daphna Ben-Tor: Scarabs, Chronology, and Interconnections: Egypt and Palestine in the Second Intermediate Period, Volume 27 of Orbis biblicus et orientalis / Series archaeologica: Series archaeologica, Academic Press Fribourg 2007, , excerpts available online Their identities and chronological position remain unclear.

+14th Dynasty Monarchs of Egypt, undetermined position Portrait Name CommentsYakbimMight be a vassal of the 15th DynastyYa'ammu Shenshek1 scarab-seal Wazad5 scarab-sealsQareh Khamure2 scarab-sealsAmmu Yakareb2 scarab-sealsSheshi Yaqub-Har27 scarab-seals Nuya 1 scarab-seal Sheneh3 scarab-sealsApophis ITurin Cannon preserves only 'Ap[...] (see uncontested list above). Ryholt and Baker consider proper reconstruction to be 'Apepi, who they thus consider to be the 51st ruler of the 14th Dynasty, c. 1650 BC; von Beckerath sees 'Apepi as a member of the late 16th Dynasty and a vassal of the Hyksos rulers of the 15th Dynasty.

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