Best Books on the Middle Kingdom of Egypt

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt, roughly 2055 to 1650 BCE, is the period that ancient Egyptians themselves considered their classical age. The literature produced during this era, including the Story of Sinuhe and the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, was still being copied by scribes a thousand years later. The funerary texts became more democratic. The artistic canon reached a stability that later periods tried to imitate. And the reunification of Egypt after the chaos of the First Intermediate Period gave the period its defining political drama. Yet outside specialist circles, the Middle Kingdom is less well known than the New Kingdom periods dominated by Ramesses II and Tutankhamun. These books correct that. ## What the Middle Kingdom Was The period begins with Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty, who reunified Egypt around 2055 BCE after roughly 150 years of political fragmentation. It continues through the Twelfth Dynasty, considered by many Egyptologists the high point of ancient Egyptian civilization, and ends with the gradual disintegration of central authority that allowed the Hyksos to establish control over the Nile Delta during the Second Intermediate Period. The Middle Kingdom is not a single political story but a long arc of consolidation, cultural flowering, and eventual fragmentation. ## 1. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson Wilkinson's single-volume history of ancient Egypt is the best starting point for readers new to the subject. He gives the Middle Kingdom serious attention, covering the political reunification under Mentuhotep II, the administrative innovations of the Twelfth Dynasty, and the cultural achievements of the period. The book is narrative history written for a general audience without sacrificing accuracy. [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385531281?tag=31813-20) ## 2. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt edited by Ian Shaw This is the standard academic reference for the full sweep of ancient Egyptian history. The chapters on the Middle Kingdom are written by specialists and are more technically demanding than Wilkinson, but they give you the scholarly state of the question on contested periods and events. Particularly useful for the First Intermediate Period, the reign of Mentuhotep II, and the Hyksos problem at the end of the Middle Kingdom. [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0192804588?tag=31813-20) ## 3. The Literature of Ancient Egypt edited by William Kelly Simpson If you want to read the Middle Kingdom texts themselves, this anthology is the best single-volume collection in English. It includes complete translations of the Story of Sinuhe, the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, the Eloquent Peasant, and a selection of Middle Kingdom poetry and wisdom literature. The translations are by leading Egyptologists and the introductions provide enough context to understand what you are reading. [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300099061?tag=31813-20) ## The Twelfth Dynasty: Egypt's Classical Age The Twelfth Dynasty produced some of the most enduring works of ancient Egyptian art and literature. The pharaohs of this dynasty, from Amenemhat I through Amenemhat III, built extensively, extended Egyptian influence into Nubia and the Levant, and created the administrative infrastructure that made the state more stable and more literate than the Old Kingdom had been. The Middle Kingdom coffin texts brought elaborate funerary literature to a wider population. The period's portraiture is distinctive for its realism: the famous royal portraits from this period show tired, aging faces rather than the idealized youth of Old Kingdom royal sculpture. ## The Hyksos Question The Middle Kingdom ends with the establishment of Hyksos rule over Lower Egypt, a process that is still debated by historians. The traditional narrative of a sudden invasion has been complicated by archaeological evidence suggesting a more gradual migration of Semitic-speaking people into the Nile Delta over several generations. The Hyksos are important not only as the end of the Middle Kingdom but as the agents through whom the horse and chariot entered Egypt, transforming Egyptian warfare and setting up the military culture of the New Kingdom. Wilkinson covers this well in his survey. ## Further Reading For more books on ancient Egypt and the civilizations of the ancient world, browse the [history category](/category/history) on Skriuwer.