Amenhotep II: The Skillful Archer and Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty
Amenhotep II was the successor and son of the late Pharaoh Thutmose III and was named as the seventh pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. His reign from 1427 BCE to 1400 BCE marked him as a military king who was skillful in battles, a characteristic he inherited from his father. He was also known for his athletic ability, especially in archery.
Continue reading to find out what he achieved for his beloved kingdom.
What Is Amenhotep II Known For?
In particular, Amenhotep II was famous for his four-bow shot through copper plate targets while riding on horseback. This famous act was so legendary that it was even drawn in inscriptions within his tomb. He was depicted holding a bow while riding a chariot. His immense strength was even given a hyperbolic description of how he was stronger than 200 sailors on a ship.
With his great military leadership, he was able to keep his reign peaceful and prosperous as compared to his predecessor and successor. This was something he was also well-known for, and he could easily go down in history as one of the most prominent Egyptian leaders of all time. It is very easy to say that Amenhotep II cemented his status as a formidable and highly efficient leader.
Who Was Amenhotep II?
Amenhotep II, who was also called by the Greek name Amenophis the Second, carried the definition of his birth name that literally means “Amun is pleased” (Amun was the name of their worshipped god). He was considered as one of the most youthful kings in the Egyptian dynasty.
He was a great warrior of his time, but he was overshadowed by the popularity of Hatshepsut, Thutmose II (his son), Akhenaten and Tutankhamun (King Tut). These instances of overshadowing developed one of the stains of his overall personality and somehow contaminated his almost spotless capability as a highly respected leader.
How He Came to the Throne
Amenhotep II was not originally designated as the heir to the throne, but it seemed that circumstances and even fate led him to become a ruler. When his older brother, Amenemhat, together with his mother, the chief queen of Egypt, Satiah, both died, he became next in line to the throne.
He acceded the throne and adopted the name “Aakheperure,” which means “Great are the manifestations of the sun god Ra.” His father, Thutmose III, married Merytre-Hatshepsut, a daughter of a priestess, who eventually became his mother.
As the prince of Egypt, he was already in the military, and he undoubtedly inherited his prowess as a warrior and commander from his father, Thutmose III. He was born in the north side of Memphis, Egypt and was once even made as high priest of Egypt.
He excelled in athletic sports, such as archery, running, sailing and horse riding. He was known as one of the most physically capable and enthusiastic rulers of Egypt, and although most Egyptian rulers were very interested in sports, Amenhotep II outshined most of them.
Regardless of the famous quote saying that leaders are made and not born, there was something about Amenhotep II’s demeanor that exuded status and leadership. This could also be due to the influences of those surrounding him.
Nonetheless, he was not perfect as a leader. Like some male Egyptian leaders, he had a tendency to observe an almost hedonistic lifestyle as he enjoyed heavy drinking and other acts of pleasure.
Years of Rule
As a co-regent in the military who shared responsibility with his father, Amenhotep II became fully incumbent of the throne at the age of 18. He reigned from 1427 BCE to 1400 BCE. During his reign, Amenhotep II only focused on peace and prosperity. However, he did not neglect any opportunity to campaign in order to strengthen his kingdom.
In his seventh and ninth years of ruling, he staged campaigns against Syria and won both times. This was against various rebellious or non-aligned chieftains from previous conquered states. They were previous enemies of the late pharaoh, so when the new pharaoh took over the throne, they challenged the young king.
Amenhotep II’s Accomplishments
Some of Amenhotep II accomplishments were legendary during his victorious campaigns. He killed seven rebel princes of Kadesh and shipped their bodies to Thebes by hanging each of them upside down on the prow of his ship. Upon reaching Thebes, he mounted six princes in their city walls, and the other one was taken to an often-rebellious territory in Nubia.
They were hung on the city walls of Napata as an example of the consequence of an uprising against the pharaoh. His last campaign, however, did not take him farther than the Sea of Galilee.
Mitanni sought peace with Egypt, and from then on, the armies never fought again. Consequently, during the rising power of the Hittites, Mitanni, who had already become an ally of Egypt after Amenhotep II’s period, sought protection from Egypt against their enemies.
Family of Amenhotep II
Descendants of Amenhotep II were not properly discovered or documented due to a lack of records on ancient Egypt, but there are claims that Amenhotep II married his mother, Merytre-Hatshepsut, who then became the “great royal wife.” Marriage within the family was not uncommon for royalty in the ancient Egyptian era.
It has even been shown that Thutmose III and Hatshepsut were half-siblings. Hatshepsut was the co-regent of Thutmose III, her stepson, as he was still too young to give her the position of wife.
Some Egyptologists theorized that Amenhotep II felt that women became too powerful and dangerous under the title of “god’s wife of Amun.” Thus, he participated in systematically removing all of Hatshepsut’s (his mother) monuments, reliefs and cartouches, as well as her name, from the official king list of Egypt (as Hatshepsut was the fifth king of the 18th dynasty). This act was started by his father.
He defaced all the monuments of Hatshepsut in order to fulfill what his father envisaged: to let his lineage inherit the throne without a female pharaoh’s interruption. It has also been said that he had several wives, but proven evidence only shows that he married a woman named Tiaa.
This union was believed to have produced nine children named Amenhotep, Amenemopet, Nedjem, Iaret, Nefertari, Ahmose, Khaemwaset, Webesenu and Thutmose IV. Thutmose IV later became the heir to the throne of Amenhotep II.
Legacy of Amenhotep II
In addition to the great ability he had in military leadership and his strength in battles, Amenhotep II was also a diplomat who pursued peace and prosperity during his period. He held a few military campaigns in Syria.
He fought less compared to his father and worked for the cessation of hostilities between Egypt and Mitanni. During his regency, he created and maintained a period of stability, peace and wealth, and he even created and founded a lot of monuments for Amon.
Temples and Structures
He built a temple dedicated to Horemakhet, the sun god identified with the great Sphinx of Giza, and he expanded the temple of Karnak from the column he erected between the fourth and fifth pylons of the temple.
A dream stele was later built in between the front paws of the Sphinx by his son, Thutmose IV. The temple of Karnak was decorated with elaborate royal regalia for the king.
Amenhotep II also participated in several building projects at Karnak, including ceremonial residences or palaces. He also built a statue of himself in a kneeling position with an altar offering table (Cairo CG 42073), which is currently kept at the Brooklyn Museum. He constructed a number of sanctuaries in Upper Egypt, although these were not documented.
Overall, he revolutionized the aesthetics and infrastructure trend of Egypt under his reign. He combined visuals and functionality that truly reflected the architectural marvel that transcended time on this side of the Earth. Some of his building projects even became the precedents for later leaderships.
How did Amenhotep II Die?
According to the archeologist who discovered Amenhotep II’s mummy, there is no concrete evidence obtained on how he died. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings in the Nile River near Thebes, presently known as KV35. The Amenhotep II tomb location was discovered by Victor Loret in March of 1898.
The Valley of the Kings is where all preceding and succeeding pharaohs and noble Egyptians were buried. A great discovery was unearthed as archaeologists found nine other royal bodies there. These included the bodies of his mother, Hatshepsut-Meryetre, as well as the preceding and succeeding pharaohs to Amenhotep II.
The location was found connected to the burial chambers in his original tomb chamber. It was later confirmed that the tomb of Amenhotep II was used as a royal cache for safekeeping from tomb robbery and re-embalming royal mummies in the 21st dynasty. His tomb included relics, as well as inscriptions of him firing arrows at copper plate targets in the Temple of Amun, Thebes, Egypt and some amulets.
Amenhotep II’s Mummy
The well-preserved tomb and sarcophagus of his great-great-grandson, King Tut, the last king of the 18th dynasty, was also discovered in the Valley of the Kings. The Amenhotep II mummy, although unconfirmed, is one of the most well-preserved when it was discovered.
According to the archeologist who discovered the mummy, his death had no signs of any foul play or bad health (it was even recorded that he had good teeth, a typical indicator of overall physiological health). Consequently, there was no evidence obtained on how he died.
The linen was removed from the mummy’s face, and a strong resemblance to Amenhotep II’s son, Thutmose IV, was noted. His arms were crossed low over his chest, and his right hand was clenched tightly compared to his left hand. In April of 2021, Amenhotep II’s mummy was moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization along with the mummies of other kings and queens in an event dubbed as the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade.
Amenhotep II and the Bible
The ancient Egyptian dynasty was already present before the Exodus that was written in the Bible, so this is why Amenhotep II and the Exodus is often intertwined in some ancient writings. The Bible narrated how an adopted Israeli, Moses, took out Israelites from their slavery to the pharaoh of Egypt.
Researchers claim, based on their studies, that this was during the time of Ramesses II, the third king of the 19th dynasty. His name was adapted and portrayed in some movies, such as “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and “The Ten Commandments.”
The pharaoh of Egypt that was omitted from the Book of Exodus was characterized as wealthy, excellent in military campaigns, and good at riding a chariot. Certain historians argue that it was originally Amenhotep II of the 18th dynasty, as he was known for building temples and sanctuaries dedicated to their worshipping the god Amun. In the biblical context, the God of Moses said that to free his chosen people, he would kill every firstborn son starting from the son of the pharaoh to every household in Egypt.
In this case, Thutmose IV was the successor of Amenhotep II. It was revealed on the dream stele in front of the paws of the Great Sphinx that he was not originally the heir to the throne. Apparently, conservative scholars cite that he had an older brother who died in one of the 10 plagues that killed every firstborn son.
Contradicting Evidence
However, evidence shows that when Thutmose IV was resting under the shadow of the Sphinx one time, he dreamed of the god of Harmakhis, who told him he would exalt him as the next pharaoh if he would take away the sand covering the god’s neck and reveal all his paws. This is somewhat contrary to the biblical reasoning of eliminating all the firstborn sons.
This development opened the possibility that he could also be the father of Amenhotep II, with Thutmose III as the pharaoh of Egypt. He was the one who originally created the wealth of Egypt and built numerous temples for the god Amun.
His older brother, Amenemhet, who was supposed to be the next pharaoh, died before his succession. This could mean that Amenhotep II survived the plague of the firstborn sons and fully inherited the throne after co-regency when his father died.
No Egyptian inscriptions exist that directly show who the specific pharaoh in the Bible was and when exactly the Exodus of the Israelites happened and no other evidence has been found thus far. This is one of the mysteries that is still being validated and researched up to the present.
Chronological and Data Inconsistencies
One of the greatest challenges in assessing discovered mummies, aside from identifying who the mummy was, is determining their real age and accurate cause of death. We are lucky that archaeologists now have access to more advanced technology to achieve a considerable level of accuracy in interpreting available data, in addition to scriptures and genetic sampling.
Previously, information on some mummies was miscalculated in terms of age by the time of their death, as well as their corresponding or underlying cause of death. Through technological advancement, this margin was significantly narrowed, which allowed researchers and students, as well as Egyptians themselves, to have a more detailed understanding about what is regarded as one of the most fascinating histories in the world.
Technological advancement also cleared some speculations that were previously not verified, which include such details as the pharaohs’ last meals or even the illnesses they endured until their last breaths.
Conclusion
Amenhotep II was undoubtedly a great king in his period, and this has been consistently validated in credible historical artifacts and manuscripts.
Here are the prominent points of his reign that we have discussed in the article above.
Amenhotep II became fully incumbent of the throne at the age of 18 and reigned from 1427 BCE to 1400 BCE.
With his great military leadership, he was able to keep his reign peaceful and prosperous as compared to his predecessor and successor.
Amenhotep II staged two campaigns against Syria and won both times.
He killed seven rebel princes of Kadesh and shipped their bodies to Thebes by hanging each of them upside down on the prow of his ship.
Amenhotep II was innately athletic and excelled in everything he set his mind to, like his father before him.
He considered the discipline of athletics and physical endurance to be part of his reflections as a valued and respected leader.
He made his reign one that was characterized by a peaceful and wealthy empire.
Amenhotep II built a temple dedicated to Horemakhet and expanded the temple of Karnak from the column he erected between the fourth and fifth pylons of the temple.
As there were no significant historical changes during Amenhotep II’s period, he was unfortunately overshadowed by his successors, who completed exemplary projects during their reign.
Despite this, Amenhotep II was one of the most significant pharaohs in Egyptian history.
Although not as well-known, Amenhotep II’s rule over Egypt was a significant one, characterized by peace, prosperity and success for the nation.
