Ancient Egypt: The Latest Chronology

Recognizing, as Christians and churches, the importance of maintaining a historical memory, we do well to be as clear as possible about place and time. With those two coordinates, we can place people and events in a meaningful context.

Keeping clear about years and chronologies gets easier the closer we come to our own time. Getting any meaningful clarity at all grows more difficult the farther we reach back into ancient history.

Different chronologies exist for ancient times. One used on the "History" page is by James Ussher (1658). Ussher's chronology remains our best guide to the information we may glean from the Bible.

A credible alternative chronology for ancient Egypt is provided by Ian Shaw as editor of The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000; pp. 480-3). Listed below are highlights, with the exception of Narmer, taken straight from that book.

As indicated above, the farther back in history we go, the sharper the divergence between the chronologies of Ussher and Shaw. In good Chalcedonian fashion, however, we're not going to separate the two chronologies or mix them together. Instead, we will affirm the distinct integrity of both. 

Predynastic Period (ca 5300-3000 BC)

Narmer (Herodotus: Menes) (d. ca 3000)

Early Dynastic Period (ca 3000-2686)

1^st-2^nd dynasties

Old Kingdom (2686-2125 BC)

3^rd-8^th dynasties

3^rd Dynasty (2686-2613)

Djoser (2667-2648)

4^th Dynasty (2613-2494)

Khufu (Cheops) (2589-66)

Khafra (Chephren) (2558-2532)

Menkaura (Mycerinus) (2532-2503)

Pyramids of Giza

First Intermediate Period (2160-2055)

9^th-10^th dynasties

Middle Kingdom (2055-1650)

11^th-14^th dynasties

Second Intermediate Period (1650-1550)

15^th Dynasty: Hyksos (1650-1550)

16^th-17^th dynasties (1650-1550, Thebes)

New Kingdom (1550-1069)

18^th Dynasty (1550-1295)

Ahmose (1550-1525)

Amenhotep 1^st ((1525-1504)

Thutmose 1^st (1504-1492)

Thutmose 2^nd (1492-1479)

Thutmose 3^rd (1479-1425)

Queen Hatshepsut (1473-1458)

Amenhotep 2^nd (1427-1400)

Thutmose 4^th (1400-1390)

Amenhotep 3^rd (1390-1352)

Amenhotep 4^th/Akhenaten (1352-1336)

Neferneferuaten [Nefertiti] (1338-1336)

Tutankhamun (1336-1327)

Ay (1327-1323)

Horemheb (1323-1295)

19^th Dynasty (1295-1186)

Rameses 1^st (1295-1294)

Sety 1^st (1294-1279)

Rameses 2^nd (1279-1213)

Merenptah (1213-1203)

20^th Dynasty (1186-1069)

Third Intermediate Period (1069-664)

21^st Dynasty (1069-945)
22nd Dynasty (945-715)
Sheshonq 1st (945-924): destroys fortified cities of Judah following split of Israel and Judah

23rd-25th dynasties (818-656)

Late Period (664-332)

26^th Dynasty (664-525)

Nekau 2^nd (Neco) (610-595)

     Against Josiah (609)

27^th Dynasty (1^st Persian Period) (525-404)

Cambyses (525-22)

Darius 1^st (522-486)

Xerxes 1^st (486-465)

Artaxerxes 1^st (465-424)

Darius 2^nd (424-405)

Artaxerxes 2^nd (405-359)

28^th Dynasty (404-399)

Amyrtaios (404-399)

29^th Dynasty (399-380)

30^th Dynasty (380-343)

Nectanebo 2^nd (360-343): last native Egyptian pharaoh

Artaxerxes 3^rd (343-338)

Arses (338-336)

Darius 3^rd (336-332)

Ptolemaic Period (332-30)

Macedonian Dynasty (332-305)

Alexander (“the Great”) (332-323)

Ptolemaic Dynasty

Ptolemy 1^st Soter 1^st (305-285)

Ptolemy 2^nd Philadelphus (285-246)

Ptolemy 3^rd Euergetes 1^st (246-221)

Ptolemy 4^th Philopater (221-205)

Cleopatra 7^th Philopater (51-30)

Roman Period (30 BC-AD 395)

Augustus (30 BC-14 AD)

Constantine 1^st (306-337)

Theodosius (379-395)

Byzantine (Coptic, Christian) Period (>395)