Amenemhet

Amenemhet 

Name of Egyptian pharaohs of the 12th dynasty (Middle Kingdom).

Amenemhet I Founder of the dynasty, ruled circa 2000–1970 B.C. He fought to weaken the power of the local nomarchs (district rulers), replaced the old nomarchs with aristocrats devoted to him, and established new boundaries between the nomes (districts). He launched a campaign against Palestine, made war on the Libyans, and conquered the region of Vavat in the south. His “Sermon” to his son Senusret has come down to us.

Amenemhet II Ruled 1934–1896 B.C. and continued the policy of economic and military penetration into Cush and the land of Punt in East Africa.

Amenemhet III Ruled circa 1849–1801 B.C. The period of his reign is known as the period of the second flourishing of Egypt, for it saw the intensive building of temples, the expansion of copper mines on the Sinai Peninsula, and the construction of irrigation works, mainly in the Faiyum Oasis, where an artificial reservoir—Lake Moeris—was built. The Greek historian Strabo reports that King La-mares (possibly Amenemhet III) constructed a huge building near Faiyum (in northern Egypt), which the Greeks called the Labyrinth.

Amenemhet IV Ruled circa 1801–1792 B.C.

I. A. STUCHEVSKII