Khakaure Senusret III (also written as Senwosret III or the hellenised form, Sesostris III; died 1839 BC) was the fifth king of the late 12th Dynasty of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom. His military campaigns gave rise to an era of peace and economic prosperity that reduced the power of regional rulers and led to a revival in craftwork, trade, and urban development."The Pyramids: Their Archeology and History", Miroslav Verner, Translated by Steven Rendall, p386–387 & p416–421, Atlantic, Senusret III was among the few Egyptian kings who were deified and honored with a cult during their own lifetime."The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology", Edited by Donald B. Redford, p. 85, Berkley, 2003,
Family
Senusret III was the son of Senusret II and Khenemetneferhedjet I, also called Khenemetneferhedjet I Weret (the elder). Three wives of Senusret III are known for certain. These are Itakayt, Khenemetneferhedjet II, and Neferthenut, all three mainly known from their burials next to the pyramid of the king at Dahshur.
Children with unknown spouse(s)
Amenemhat III (died 1814 BC): His successorPierre Tallet: Sesostris III et la fin de la XIIe dynastie, Paris 2005, , p. 14–30
Possible children
Sithathor Mereret: Her tomb was found partly robbed but a pectoral of Senusret III was missed by the tomb robbers. Menet Senetsenebtysy
Reign He was a great king of the 12th Dynasty and is considered to have ruled at the height of the Middle Kingdom. Consequently, he is regarded as one of the sources for the legend about Sesostris. Proposed dates for his rule may vary depending on author, from around c. 1878 BC to c. 1839 BC during a time of great power and prosperity,Kim S. B. Ryholt, The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c.1800–1550 B.C., Museum Tusculanum Press, Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications 20, 1997. p. 185
Accession Senusret III succeeded his father Senusret II upon the death of the latter. There is no evidence, such as double-dated stelae, indicating a coregency between the two. Thus, Senusret III would have had his accession year (Year 0) for the remaining months and days of regnal Year of Senusret II, and formally started his Year 1 on I Akhet day 1 (New Year).
Constructions
Water canals Water canals were important for river transport and irrigation. Senusret III cleared a navigable canal through the first cataract of the Nile River,J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, Chicago 1906, §§642–648 (this was different from the Canal of the Pharaohs, which apparently, Senusret III also tried to build). Jacques Morgan, in 1894, found rock inscriptions near Sehel Island documenting his digging of a canal.
Medamud At Medamud, he built at the Temple of Montu.Bisson de la Roque/Clère 1928:107-115
Abydos
At Abydos, in his late reign, Senusret III built the planned town Wah-Sut, a mortuary temple and a second tomb dug into the bed-rock beneath the Mountain of Anubis.Wegner 2000, 2001
Qantir At Qantir, blocks from a doorway was found (in a secondary context?).Habachi 1952:46–56, pl. II–IV
Levant During the reign of Sensusret III, the Egyptians were active along the Levantine coast and inland in the Southern Levant. The relations to local lands and peoples were based on trade and military campaigns. One campaign may have occurred around Year 16 (see stela below: Nubia).
Sebek-khu stele The Sebek-khu Stele, dated to the reign of Senusret III, records the earliest known Egyptian military campaign in the Levant. The text reads "His Majesty proceeded northward to overthrow the Asiatics (Aamu ꜥꜣmw; Asiatics; Amorites). His Majesty reached a foreign country of which the name was Sekmem (...) Then Sekmem fell, together with the wretched Retenu", where Sekmem (s-k-m-m) is thought to be Shechem and "Retenu" or "Retjenu" are associated with ancient Syria.
Nubia During the 12th Dynasty, Nubia had been a region into which the great kings could expand their territory and secure resources. The reign of Senusret III was characterized by several military campaigns in Nubia and development of fortresses to secure the region (cf. the reign of Senusret I). Such was his forceful nature and immense influence that Senusret III was worshipped as a deity in Semna by later generations.Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames & Hudson Ltd, (1994), p.86
He pushed his expantion into Nubia where he erected massive river forts including Buhen, Semna, Shalfak, and Toshka at Uronarti. He carried out at least four major campaigns into Nubia in his Years 8, 10, 16, and 19.J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, Chicago 1906, §§640–673
Year 8 | His Year 8 stela at Semna documents his victories against the Nubians, through which he is thought to have made safe the southern frontier, preventing further incursions into Egypt.J.H. Breasted, §652
Year 16, III Akhet | At Semna a great stela is dated to the third month of Year 16 of his reign mentions his military activities against both Nubia and Canaan. In it, he admonished his future successors to maintain the new border that he had created:
Year 19 | His final military campaign, which was in his Year 19, was less successful because the king's forces were caught due to the Nile being lower than normal. They had to retreat and abandon their campaign in order to avoid being trapped in the hostile Nubian territory.Ian Shaw, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press 2003, p. 155
Semna Boundary Stela
In Nubia, the region of Semna had been established as a fortified area in the reign of Senusret I. One of the three forts of Semna, known as Semna-West was where king Senusret III formed the stela known as the Semna Boundary Stela of Senusret III.
One of Senusret I's major achievements was the conquest of Lower Nubia, which was later consolidated by Senusret III. In general in ancient Egypt, boundary stela served the purpose of demarcating territorial lines, acting as a notice that the demarcation was to be enforced. When Senusret III built various fortresses along the Second Nile Cataract as a militant frontier guard against the Kerma kingdom, he also constructed two monumental stela at the forts of Semna and Uronarti. The stela reiterated Egyptian dominance over Nubia and called for future authorities to preserve the boundary.
The stela was discovered in 1845 by German Egyptologist Karl Lepsius. The text clearly reinforces Senusret III's expansionist policies. The stela was replaced during the 18th Dynasty to be incorporated into shrines for mortuary cult worship.
An English translation of the central text of the Semna Boundary Stela of Senusret III:
His Majesty established the southern border at Heh. I established my border further south than my forefathers. I added to what was bequeathed to me. I am a king who speaks and acts. I make happen what I conceive, eager to seize, hasty to succeed, in whose heart a matter doesn't slumber, anticipating inferiors, suppressing mercy, merciless to the enemy who attacks him, who attacks one who would attack, who is silent when one is silent, who replies to a matter as befits it. For to be idle after an attack is to strengthen the heart of the enemy. Aggression is valour and retreat is cowardice. Who is driven from his border is truly a coward. For the Nubian listens to the word of mouth. Answering him is making him retreat. If one acts aggressively towards him, he turns his back. Retreat, and he will take occasion to act aggressively. For they are not respectable people. They are wretches with broken spirits. My Majesty has seen them; it is no lie. I captured their women, I carried off their underlings, went to their wells, drove off their bulls, tore out their barley, set fire to it. As my father lives for me, I speak truthfully, there is no boast that comes from my mouth. As for any son of mine who shall maintain this border that My Majesty established, he is my son, born to My Majesty. It befits a son that he be the champion of his father, and maintains the border of his begetter. As to him who shall lose it, who shall not fight for it, he is not my son, he was not born to me. Now, My Majesty had a statue of My Majesty made at this border that My Majesty established, so that you may be persistent at it and that you may fight for it.
Worship
The "Cycle of Songs in Honor of Senwosret III" is a series of 6 songs as part of the archive of papyri from Illahun. It is suggested by Adolf Erman that they were written and composed for the king in a town south of Memphis. The songs outline the responsibilities of the king and embody kingship ideology in the Middle Kingdom. This ideology includes protecting the unity of the two kingdoms, extending the borders of Egypt, striking fear in Egyptian enemies, and ensuring the success of his subjects. Though there is not a strong difference of hymns to living kings or dead kings, there is indication that these hymns were to be sung by the king's subjects while he was alive. A hymn reads "may he live for ever and eternity." He was often compared to Sekhmet in the hymns because of his iron fist and conquering of enemies. The hymn excerpts of the "Cycle of Songs in Honor of Senwosret III" that associate Senusret III with Sekhmet are:
He who fires an arrow as Sekhmet does, he fells thousands of those unaware of his power The tongue of his Person is the restraint on the Bow-land and his commands are what set the nomads to flight ... How great is the lord for his city! indeed he is Sekhmet against the enemies who tread on his border
Clearly, the identities of the Sekhmet and Senusret III are repeatedly juxtaposed. The cult of the king after his passing lasted for roughly 300 years at South Abydos.
Succession Coregency In Year 19 of Senusret III, I Akhet Day 1 (New Year), he became senior coregent (Osiris) by appointing his son Amenemhat III as junior coregent (Horus). A double-dated papyrus in the Berlin Museum shows Year 19 of his reign next to Year 1 of his son, Amenemhat III; generally, this is presumed to be a proof for a coregency with his son. A coregency may indicate that Senusret III, who had been exceptionally active on military campaigns, no longer was fit to travel the country and conduct military campaigns retiring to Abydos in Year 19, while Amenemhat III took over these duties. It also may explain Senusret III associating himself with Osiris at Abydos.
Reign length The highest attested date of Senusret III is the papyrus dated to Year 19.
The Turin King List 6:24 reads: "[The Dual King Nebkaura ...] 30+ x years."https://pharaoh.se/ancient-egypt/kinglist/turin/column-6/ Pharaoh.se This indicates that Senusret III reigned more than 30 regnal years.
According to Josef Wegner, a Year 39 hieratic control note was recovered on a white limestone block from:
Wegner stresses that it is unlikely that Amenemhat III, Senusret's son and successor, would still be working on his father's temple nearly two decades into his own reign. He notes that the only possible explanation for the block's existence at the project is that Senusret III had a 39-year reign, with the final 20 years in coregency with his son Amenemhat III. Since the project was associated with a project of Senusret III, his Regnal Year was presumably used to date the block, rather than Year 20 of Amenemhat III. Wegner interprets this as an implication that Senusret was still alive in the first two decades of his son's reign.
Wegner's hypothesis is rejected by some scholars, such as Pierre Tallet and Harco Willems; according to them, it is more likely that such a coregency never occurred, and that the Year 39 control note still refers to Amenemhat III, who may have ordered some additions to Senusret's monuments.
Royal Court