About 1800 B. C. the Hyksos or Shepherd-kings, said to be of Arabian
race, conquered Lower Egypt, and then subdued the kingdom of Thebes,
ruling the whole land down to 1580 B. C. Probably to this period the
story of Joseph in Egypt belongs. The shepherd-kings were expelled with
the aid of the Ethiopians from the south, and then came the great period
of Egyptian history. During this time, Egypt was a great empire with
Thebes for its capital. Under Thutmose III., Amenhotep III. and IV., and
Seti I., Egypt rose to great heights of development and art.