War & Trade With the Pharaohs: An Archaeological Study of Ancient Egypt's Foreign Relations

The ancient Egyptians presented themselves as superior to all other people in the world; on temple walls, the pharaoh is shown smiting foreign enemies – people from Nubia, Libya and the Levant – or crushing them beneath his chariot. Officially, foreigners represented disorder and chaos – the opposite of Egypt’s perfect land of justice and order. But despite such imagery, from the beginning of their history, the Egyptians also enjoyed friendly relations with neighboring cultures; both Egypti...