Sand Kings Trivia Quiz

Answer: First Dynasty

Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt were united about 3150 BC. Several theories about the first Pharaoh of the first dynasty have occurred, but since 1993 we know the unification was a historical fact.
As for the first Pharaoh, let's briefly sketch the different theories. Most Egyptologists believe the first Pharaoh was Narmer, who also held the name Menes. Other scientists think Narmer was the son of the first Pharaoh, and yet others think Narmer was the father of Menes. Combining these theories into one generally accepted tenet is not possible: we would then say that Narmer was his own son and perhaps grandson.
Narmer was buried at Abydos, which perhaps was also the capital city of Egypt during his reign.
The First Dynasty had in total nine Pharaohs (if we count Menes and Narmer as the same person and start the dynasty with this one). Their reign ended about 2890 BC.
The red herrings are figments of my imagination. Those of you who fell for the Dallas Dynasty, have seen too many soap operas during the 1980s.

Answer: Imhotep

Imhotep was the vizir and main architect of Pharaoh Djoser. He acted as Djoser's chancellor, was responsible for the building of several pyramids and has also left us one of the very first texts on anatomy and medicine. According to the remaining depictions of Imhotep, he also acted as a high priest.
Djoser has been identified as the same Pharaoh as Netjerikhet (a word meaning "divine of body", so it could perhaps be a religious epithet for Djoser). Egyptian historian Manetho uses Djoser's Hellenized name Tosorthros.
Between them, Djoser and Imhotep created the famed Step Pyramid near Saqqara. Djoser ordered the building, and Imhotep was the main architect. At first Djoser was content with one rectangular mastaba grave, but in the end five smaller ones were superimposed. Djoser was buried in the Saqqara Step Pyramid. Imhotep's grave is yet unidentified.

Answer: Djedefra, Khufu's son

As all these options are less famous than the Pharaohs who left us their pyramids, I chose to add already one family relation. Since Khufu was the father of Khafra and the grandfather of Menkaure, all these people are related one to each other. But don't try to sketch a family tree, for it is far more complicated than we're used to. (One of the reasons is the custom that a Pharaoh would marry his sister).
According to the French Egyptologist Vassil Dobrev, it was Djedefra who apparently ordered the Great Sphinx, in honour of his late father. Khufu was already buried in his eponymous pyramid when Djedefra had the Sphinx completed. (Other Egyptologists think that Khafra has ordered the Sphinx, or that the Sphinx was already erected centuries before Khufu).
As soon as Djedefra ascended the throne, he ordered a pyramid a little smaller than Khufu's pyramid. Alas, in latter ages the Romans demolished Djedefra's pyramid and recycled each and every brick.
Sneferu was the first Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty.
Khamerernebty I was probably Menkaure's mother.
Meresankh III was one of the less important wives of Pharaoh Khafra.

Answer: Pepi II

Pepi II Neferkare was born in 2284 BC. He ascended to the throne in 2278 BC, as the fifth Pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty. A rare statue of Pepi II shows him early in his reign, when his mother Akhesenpepi II still assumed the regency. The infant Pepi is therefore depicted sitting on his mother's lap, although crowned as a reigning Pharaoh.
Qakare Ibi, the one who built the last pyramid at Saqqara, was a Pharaoh of the Eighth Dynasty. He ruled perhaps from 2169 to 2167 BC, but the Turin Canon (a list of Pharaohs edited during the 19th or 20th Dynasty) mentions that he ruled for "4 years, 3 months and 2 days".
Merhotepre Ini, of the 13th Dynasty, ruled for "2 years, 4 months and 9 days" according to the Turin Canon.
Tutankhamen (of the 18th Dynasty) died young. He probably reigned for nine years.

Answer: Sesostris I

Kheperkare Senusret I is also known as Sesostris I. The word Kheperkare is the Horus name of Sesostris I (to be compared with a royal title, such as "Queen of the United Kingdom and of the other Commonwealth realms" for Elizabeth II).

Sesostris I reigned over Egypt frome 1971 BC, when he had probably just reached adulthood. His father, Amenemhat I, had appointed him as a co-ruler, and this situation (with two kings at the same time) went on till Amenemhat was murdered (in 1962 BC). This period of co-rulership explains why some sources (among them the "Encyclopaedia Britannica") state that Sesostris was only Pharaoh for 36 years, while historical documents speak of events in Sesostris' 44th year on the throne.
Khefren was the hellenized name of Pharaoh Khafra, from the Fourth Dynasty.
Pergamon was a city in Asia Minor (nowadays Turkey), which gave its name to parchment.
Sesame, other than the well known spice seeds, refers to the password Ali Baba used in "Tales of 1,001 Night".

Answer: Ahmose I

Kamose and Ahmose I led several expeditions against the Hyksos, who controlled the northern part of the Nile country, and against the Nubians, who lived in the southern Nile basin (nowadays Ethiopia). Kamose declared his intent to drive out "the Asiatics" (the Hyksos) from the Nile delta, something finally accomplished by Ahmose I. As the Hyksos had an alliance with the Nubians, both Pharaohs had to campaign to the north and to the south. Ahmose I also campaigned in the Sinai desert and in Palestine.
Teti was the founder of the Sixth Dynasty and ruled from 2345 BC to 2333 BC.
Mentuhotep I reigned about 2135 BC.
Nubkaure Amenemhat II, from the Twelfth Dynasty, ruled from 1929 BC until 1897 BC.

Answer: Ramesses III

Ramesses ascended the throne in 1186 BC. During his reign, mysterious people from 'over the sea' (the so-called Sea People) invaded Egypt and set up their own kingdom in the Nile Delta. Ramesses was not pleased with this and gathered his army. In a land battle and in a naval battle, Ramesses defeated the Sea People. After this double defeat, the Sea People settled in the south of the region then called Canaan (and now called Israel) - according to Ramesses, at his very own suggestion.
Thutmose I reigned between 1520 BC and 1492 BC. He was the first to cross the Euphrates with an Egyptian army.
Seti II ruled from 1203 BC until 1197 BC.
Ptolemy IV reigned from 222 BC until 204 BC. He is best known for building one of the largest warships of his time.

Answer: True

Famous foreign dynasties include the Fifteenth Dynasty (the Hyksos), the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty (Kushites) and the Twenty-Seventh Dynasty (the Persians). Also the Twenty-Second Dynasty (the Libyans) can be counted as a foreign dynasty. After the Thirty-First Dynasty, we encounter a Greek influence during the Argead Dynasty (the Macedonians, with Pharaoh Alexander the Great).

Answer: Southwest of Egypt, present day Sudan

Necho I was officially known as Menkheperre Nekau. He started his career as a governor of the city of Sais, and proclaimed himself Pharaoh of all Egypt in 672 BC. He left us a stele (stone slab) witnessing a large donation of land to the worshippers of Osiris.
In 664 BC, Egypt was invaded by the army of Kush. In the battle that ensued, Necho was killed. His son Psammetichus I succeeded him as Pharaoh.
Kush was an ancient kingdom to the southwest of Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, and more specifically downstream of the First or Second Cataract. The name Kush was first mentioned about 2000 BC, and it was used for the region that the Egyptians called previously Ta-Seti. Kush took over Egypt around 700 BC. The Pharaohs of the Twenty-Fifth dynasty were all of Kushite descent. The tide turned, and Egypt slowly reconquered Kushite regions.
Around 350 AD, the Kushite kingdom completely disappeared and the Nubian kingdom was established at roughly the same places.
The region southeast of Egypt, near the southern limit of the Red Sea, was known to Necho as D'mt.
Algeria was controlled by the Carthaginians when Necho I was Pharaoh. The Romans knew this region as Numidia.
In the period considered, the Persian Empire dominated what we now would call Turkey.

Answer: Berenice

Egypt has 31 dynasties indicated merely by their sequential numbers (for instance Twelfth Dynasty, Twentieth Dynasty) and finally the two mentioned in this question, which are not indicated by their number but by their specific name.
The Argead was in fact Alexander the Great and his close relatives' Dynasty (his half-brother Philip III and Alexander's son Alexander IV). When Alexander conquered Egypt in 332 BC, he allowed the Egyptian people to welcome him as their new Pharaoh.
The Ptolemaic Dynasty was founded by Ptolemy I, a general from the Macedonian army. He abdicated in 285 BC, and his wife Berenice I then acted as regent to their son Ptolemy II.
Berenice was born in a small town in Macedonia and raised in the Greek style. Some sources state that she would have won the chariot races in an unspecified Olympiad. I personally doubt this very much: women were not allowed as visitors to the Olympic Games, let alone as competitors.
Hatshepsut was the wife of Thutmose II.
Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten.
Sobeknefru (full title: Sobekkare Sobeknefru) was a the first female Pharaoh of whom we are certain. There are perhaps other female Pharaohs who ruled Egypt before Sobeknefru, but we lack certitude.