The wars of Seti I in the Land of Canaan and central Syria, 1291-1271 B.C.

THE WARS OF SETI I IN THE LAND OF CANAAN AND CENTRAL SYRIA, 1291 to 1279 B.C.

The last third of the fourteenth century B.C., during the reign of Tutankhamen, Ay and Horemheb, saw Egypt hard-pressed to maintain her hold on Canaan. The political unrest in Egypt itself was resolved by the time Horemheb's successor, Ramesses I, had founded the nineteenth dynasty (1293 B.C.). The old Hyksos town of Avaris was revived as the new dynastic capital in the eastern delta under the name Pr-Ramesses, “House of Ramesses.” The energetic second pharaoh of this dynasty, Seti I, set out to reaffirm Egyptian control over Canaan and to challenge the Hittites for control of the Levant. For his first campaign, during his first year of reign (1291 B.C.), relatively good documentation has survived, especially his reliefs on the north wall of the hypostyle hall at Karnak and a stele found at Beth-shean, plus several topographical lists at various temples. His relief of crossing the northern Sinai shows him returning victoriously after defeating the Shasu pastoralists in northeastern Sinai. The series of outposts and supply depots, used by the Egyptians during the entire New Kingdom period, are depicted on this relief. Word had come that “the foe belonging to the Shasu are plotting rebellion; their chiefs are gathered together, waiting on the mountain ridges of Khurru; they have begun clamoring and quarreling, one of them killing his fellow; they have no regard for the laws of the (Egyptian) palace.” Seti I had to pacify these troublesome nomads and also to make a show of force along the main military routes of Canaan.

Article abstract from The Sacred Bridge