The Hyksos were a dynasty of Canaanite origin that ruled Egypt for more than one hundred years (ca. 1650–1540 BCE). Their name is the Greek version of the Egyptian term heqau khasut ("Rulers of Foreign Lands"), used by the Egyptians to refer to the rulers of Canaanite city states. It is found in the writings of the third century BCE Egyptian historian Manetho as preserved by the first-century CE historian Flavius Josephus and early Christian authors. Manetho's account of the Hyksos describes the appearance of "men of obscure race" who came from the east, conquered Egypt, burned its cities, destroyed its temples, and treated its people with ruthless cruelty. This late tradition names six foreign kings who established their capital in the Nile Delta. Egyptian sources predating Manetho confirm the existence of a foreign dynasty of six kings who ruled northern Egypt in the Second Intermediate Period. Remains unearthed at Tell el-Dab'a, the Hyksos capital in the eastern Delta, established their Canaanite origin, as did evidence of close commercial and cultural ties between the eastern Delta and Canaan during this period. The Hyksos were ultimately expelled by King Ahmose (1550–1525 BCE), founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
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