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The Ancient Egyptians & Israelites

Ethnic Makeup of the Ancient Egyptians, Israelites, and Hyksos Ethnic Makeup of the Ancient Egyptians, Israelites, and Hyksos A comparative look at the peoples of the Nile and the Levant in the New Kingdom period (18th–19th Dynasties). Ethnic Makeup of the Ancient Egyptians The Egyptians of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1189 BC) were primarily a Northeast African population rooted in the Nile Valley. Their features reflected a mixture of indigenous Saharan, Nubian, and Nile Delta ancestry. Genetic studies of royal mummies and skeletal remains reveal a population connected to both Sub-Saharan Africa and the ancient Near East, consistent with Egypt’s geographic position as a crossroads of Africa and Asia. Royal families often intermarried with foreign princesses to cement alliances. For example, Amenhotep III married women from Mitanni and later Ramesses II married Hittite royalty. This resulted in foreign admixture at the highest levels of society, though the g...

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