Egypt
The lush land of the Nile, called "Mizraim" in Hebrew was one of the oldest
cradles of civilization and truly the land of history. A fertile and powerful
land to the south of Israel, prominent throughout the history of the Old
Testament, especially during the time of the Exodus.
Egypt enjoyed three periods of greatness:
- The "Old Kingdom" or "Pyramid Age" from about 2600-2200 BC.
- The "Middle Kingdom" (12th Dynasty) was about 2060-1786 BC.
- The "New Kingdom" or the "Empire" included the 18th-20th Dynasties, and
covers the period from about 1500-1070 BC. Memphis was capital and Thebes was the
sacred city.
Egypt began to decline during the Late Period from about 1070-330 BC.