Apepi

Apepi, also known by the Greek form Apophis, was the pre-eminent ruler of the Hyksos Fifteenth Dynasty during the late Second Intermediate Period. He ruled from the delta stronghold of Avaris for approximately thirty years, from around 1585 to 1555 BC, with dates subject to an uncertainty of about twenty years. His reign represented the climax of Hyksos power and the beginning of the open warfare that eventually drove his dynasty from Egypt.

Apepi oversaw an active administration that engaged deeply with traditional Egyptian culture and religious scribal arts. The famous Rhind Mathematical Papyrus was copied during his reign, attesting to sophisticated bureaucratic and educational activity in Lower Egypt. However, political friction with the Seventeenth Dynasty at Thebes escalated into sustained military confrontation along the Nile valley.

Historians know Apepi from several official royal monuments, including inscribed stone blocks at Bubastis, excavations at Tell el-Dab'a, and contemporary administrative documents. He changed his royal prenomens several times during his long reign, using Nebkhepeshre, Aqenenre, and Aauserre. His tomb has never been discovered.

Monuments

• Tell el-Dab'a
• Bubastis
• Rhind Mathematical Papyrus

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