Chronology of the Rulers of Ancient Egypt

January 11, 2024

Conventional Egyptian chronology

This is a conventional chronology of the rulers of ancient Egypt, taking into account well accepted developments during the 20th century but not including any of the major revision proposals that have also been made in that time.

See also Egyptian chronology, Pharaoh. Even within a single work, often archeologists will offer several possible dates or even several whole chronologies as possibilities.

Consequently, there may be discrepancies between dates shown here and in articles on particular rulers. Often there are also several possible spellings of the names. The dates of Dynasties 1 to 10 are from Baines and Malek, Atlas of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 1980). The dates of Dynasties 11 to 20 are from Kitchen, ?The Basics of Egyptian Chronology in Relation to the Bronze Age?, in Astrom (ed) High, Middle or Low (Gothengurg, 1987), taking his low chronology.

The dates of Dynasties 21 to 26 are from Kitchen, Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1973, Warminster). (This information has been supplemented from The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw (Oxford, 2000), and Digital Egypt for Universities, which was developed by The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.)

It should be noted that there is a 60 year discrepancy between the dates proposed by these two authors. There is no attempt to remove this in the combined chronology presented below, which is the ?Conventional Chronology? that is quoted by David Rohl in A Test of Time (1995, Century).

All dates BC

Early Dynastic Period

Possible Kings of Dynasty 0

Crocodile
Iry-Hor
Ka
Scorpion
Narmer

1st Dynasty 2920-2770

Aha / Menes
Djer
Djet
Queen Merytneit
Den
Anedjib
Semerkhet
Kaa

2nd Dynasty 2770-2650

Hetepsekhemwy
Reneb
Ninetjer
Sekhemib
Peribsen
Sened
Weneg
Khasekhem
Khasekhemwy

Position uncertain

Sneferka
Ba (two different writings, possibly two separate kings)

Old Kingdom

3rd Dynasty

Netjerkhet (Djoser)
Sekhemkhet
Khaba
Sanakht (Nebka ?)
Huni (Horus Qahedjet ?)

4th Dynasty

Snefru 2575-2551
Khufu (Cheops) 2551-2528
Djedefre 2528-2520
Khafre (Chephren) 2520-2494
Nebka (Bikheris of later Greek-language sources)
Menkhaure (Mycerinus) 2490-2472
Shepseskaf 2472-2467
Thampthis (in later Greek-language sources)

5th Dynasty

Userkhaf 2465-2458
Sahure 2458-2446
Neferirkare Kakai 2446-2426
Shepseskare Ini 2426-2419
Neferefre 2419-2416
Niuserre Izi 2416-2392
Menkauhore 2396-2388
Djedkare Izezi 2388-2356
Wenis (Unas) 2356-2323

6th Dynasty

Teti 2323-2291
Pepy I (Meryre) 2289-2255
Merenre Nemtyemzaf 2255-2246
Pepy II (Neferkare) 2246-2152

First Intermediate Period

7th Dynasty

In the kinglist summaries from the third century BC historian Manetho, this
is a group of 70 kings ruling 70 days: there is no evidence for this – it
may be a later literary metaphor for chaos at the end of the Sixth Dynasty,
chaos for which there is also no direct contemporary evidence.

8th Dynasty

Netjerikare
Menkare
Neferkare
Neferkare Nebi
Djedkare Shemai
Neferkare Khendu
Merenhor
Neferkamin
Nikare
Neferkare Tereru
Neferkahor
Neferkare Pepyseneb
Neferkamin Anu
Qakare Ibi
Neferkawre Kha…
Neferkawhor Khuwihap
Neferirkare

Kings with Unknown Position

Sekhemkare
Wadjkare
Ity
Iymhotep
Hotep …re
Khui
Isu
Iytjenu

9th and 10th Dynasty 2135-1986

Khety (I)
Neferkare
Khety (II)
Senen…
Khety (III)
Khety (IV)
Shed…y
H…
Wahkare Khety
Se…re Khety
Nebkawre Khety
Meryibre Khety
Merykare

11th Dynasty

Montuhotep I 2080-2074
Inytoyef I (Sehertawy) 2074-2064
Inyotef II (Wahankh) 2064-2015
Inyotef III (Nakhtnebtepnefer) 2015-2007
Montuhotep II 2007-1986

Middle Kingdom

11th Dynasty (continued)

Montuhotep II (Nebhepetre) 1986-1956
Montuhotep III (Sankhkare) 1956-1944
Montuhotep IV (Nebtawyre) 1944-1937

Unknown Position

Intef Qakare
Iyibkhenetre
Segersen

12th Dynasty

Amenemhat I (Sehetepibre) 1937-1908
Senuseret I (Kheperkare) 1917-1872
Amenemhat II (Nubkaure) 1875-1840
Senuseret II (Khakheperre) 1842-1836
Senuseret III (Khakaure) 1836-1817
Amenemhat III (Nimaartre) 1817-1772
Amenemhat IV (Maakherure) 1772-1763
Neferusobek (Sobekkare) 1763-1759

Second Intermediate Period

13th Dynasty

21 kings for about 63 years then

Neferhotep 1696-1685
Sihathor 1685-1685
Sobekhotep IV 1685-1678
Sobekhotep V 1678-1674
Iaib 1674-1664
Ay 1664-1641

Then 6 more kings for about 20 years

14th Dynasty

About 76 minor kings of the Delta, contemporary with the second half of the
13th dynasty.

15th Dynasty 1633-1525

Salitis
Bnon
Apachnan (Khyan)
Iannas (Ianassi son of Kyan)
Apophis (Auserre Apepi)
Assis

16th Dynasty

32 minor kings contemporary with the 15th and 17th dynasties.

17th Dynasty 1606-1539

About 15 kings in all, contemporary with the 15th dynasty, the last three
being

Tao I (Senakhtenre)
Tao II (Sekenenre)
Kamose (Wadjkheperre)

New Kingdom

18th Dynasty

Ahmose (Nebpehtyre) 1539-1514
Amenotep I (Djeserkare) 1514-1493
Thutmose I (Akheperkare) 1493-1481
Thutmose II (Akheperenre) 1481-1479
Hatshepsut (Maatkare) 1473-1458
Thutmose III (Menkheperre) 1479-1425
Amenhotep II (Akheperure)
Thutmose IV (Menkheperure)
Amenhotep III (Nubmaatre) 1382-1344
Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten (Neferkheperure-waenre) 1352-1336
Neferneferuaten (Ankhkheperure – possibly Nefertiti) 1341-1337
Smenkhkare (Ankhkheperure) 1337-1336
Tutankhamun (Nebkheperure) 1336-1327
Ay (Kheperkheperure) 1327-1323
Horemheb (Djeserkheperure) 1323-1295

19th Dynasty

Ramesses I (Menpehtyre) 1295-1294
Seti I (Manmaatre) 1294-1297
Ramesses II (Usermaatre-setepenre) 1200-1194
Merenptah (Baenre-hotephirmaat) 1213-1203
Amenmesse (Menmire) 1203-1200
Seti II (Userkheperure-setepenre) 1194-1188
Tausert (Sitre-meritamun) 1188-1186

20th Dynasty

Setnakht (Userkhaure-meryamun) 1186-1184
Ramesses III (Usermaatre-meryamun) 1184-1153
Ramesses IV (Hekamaatre-setepenamun) 1153-1147
Ramesses V (Usermaatre-sekheperenre) 1147-1153
Ramesses VI (Nebmaatre-meryamun) 1143-1136
Ramesses VII (Usermaatre-setepenre) 1136-1129
Ramesses VIII (Usermaatre-akhenamun) 1129-1126
Ramesses IX (Neferkare-setepenre) 1126-1108
Ramesses X (Khepermaatre-setepenre) 1108-1099
Ramesses XI (Menmaatre-setepenptah) 1099-1069

Third Intermediate Period

Tanite 21st Dynasty

Smendes (Hedjkheperre-setepenre) 1069-1043
Amenemnisu (Neferkare-hekawaset) 1043-1039
Psusennes I (Akheperre-setepenamun) 1039-991
Amenemopet (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 993-984
Osorkon the Elder (Akheperre-setepenre) 984-978
Stamun (Netjerkheperre-setepenre) 978-959
Har-Psusennes II (Tjekheperre-setepenre) 959-945

Theban 21st Dynasty

Herihor 1080-1074
Piankh 1074-1070
Pinudjem I 1070-1032
Masaharta 1054-1046
Djedkonsefankh 1046-1045
Mankheperre 1045-992
Smendes II 992-990
Pinudjem II 990-969
Psusennes III 969-945

22nd Dynasty

Shoshenk I (Hedjkheperre-setepenre) 945-924
Osorkon I (Sekhemkheperre-setepenre) 924-889
Shoshenk II (Hekakheperre-setepenre) 890-889
Takelot I (Hedjkheperre-setepenre) 889-874
Osorkon II (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 874-850
Harsiese (Hedjkheperre-setepenamun) 870-860
Takelot II (Hedjkheperre-setepenre) 850-825
Shoshenk III (Usermaatre-setepenre/amun) 825-773
Pimay (Usermaatre-setepenre/amun) 773-767
Shoshenk V (Akheperre) 767-730
Osorkon IV (Akheperre-setepenamun) 730-715

23rd Dynasty

Pedubast (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 818-793
Iuput I 804-803
Shoshank IV (Usermaatre-meryamun) 793-787
Osorkon III (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 787-759
Takelot III (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 764-757
Rudamun (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 757-754
Iuput II (Usermaatre-setepenamun) 754-720
Shoshenk IV (Wasneterre-setepenre) 720-715

24th Dynasty

Tefnakht (Shepsesre) 727-720
Bekenranef (Wahkare) 720-715

25th Dynasty

Alara 780-760
Kashta (Maatre) 760-747
Plankhy or Piye (Usermaatre/Sneferre) 747-716
Shabaka (Neferkare) 716-702
Taharka (Nefertemkhure) 690-664
Tantamani (Bakare) 664-656

26th Dynasty

Ameris 715-695
Tefnakht I 695-688
Nekauba 688-672
Necho I (Menkheperre) 672-664

Late Period

26th Dynasty (continued)

Psamtek I (Wahibre) 664-610
Necho II (Wehemibre) 610-595
Psamtek II (Neferibre) 595-589
Apries (Haaibre) 589-570
Amasta II (Khnemibre) 570-526
Psamtek III (Ankhkaenre) 526-525