| Salitis | |
|---|---|
| Salatis, Saites | |
 Einfall der Hyksos ("Invasion of the Hyksos") by Hermann Vogel (c. 1880); the Hyksos invaders are imagined just after a victorious battle against the Egyptians. | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | around 1650 BCE |
| Predecessor | Timaios (13th Dynasty?) none/founder (15th Dynasty) |
| Successor | Bnon/Beon |
| Dynasty | 15th Dynasty |
In theManethonian tradition,Salitis (GreekΣάλιτις, alsoSalatis orSaites) was the firstHyksos king, the one who subdued and ruledLower Egypt and founded the15th Dynasty.
Salitis is mainly known from a few passages ofFlavius Josephus' workContra Apionem; for these passages, Josephus claimed to have reportedManetho's original words. It seems that during the reign of anEgyptianpharaoh calledTimaios orTutimaios,an army of foreigners suddenly came from theNear East and took over theNile Delta without a fight. After conqueringMemphis and likely deposing Timaios, the invaders committed several atrocities such as destroying cities and temples and killing or capturing the native Egyptians.[1]: I:75–6 After that, they
made one of their number, whose name was Salitis, king. He resided in Memphis and exacted tribute from both theupper and lower country, leaving fortresses in the most strategic places.
— Flavius Josephus,Against Apion, I: 77.[1]
Salitis was determined to hold down his new conquests. For this reason he fortified the eastern borders, and sought a strategic position to establish an imposing stronghold from which he could dominate the independent-minded Upper Egyptians. Having found it in the city ofAvaris on the east bank of theBubastite branch of the Nile,[1]: I:77–8 Salitis
established this city and rendered it extremely secure with walls, settling there a large body of armed troops – as many as 240,000 men – as a frontier guard. He used to go there in the summer, partly to hand out rations and distribute pay, and partly to train them carefully in military exercises, to frighten foreigners.
— Flavius Josephus,Against Apion, I: 78–80[1]
Salitis died after 19 years of rule and his throne passed to another Asiatic called Bnon or Beon.[1]: I:80–91
Several attempts have been made to identify Salitis with an archaeologically attested ruler. He was sometimes associated with a ruler namedSharek or Shalek – who is mentioned ina genealogical priestly document from Memphis – and also with the much more attested kingSheshi.[2]: 59 [3] GermanEgyptologistJürgen von Beckerath believed that Salitis could be associated withYakbim, anotherSecond Intermediate Period ruler.[4]William F. Albright suggested that Salitis may have been the same person as theUmman Manda king, Zaluti. Albright assigns "Za-a-lu-ti" anIndo-Iranian etymology.[5][6]: 227 At the current state of knowledge, Salitis remains unidentified.[7][1]: I:77, n.300
Even for his name there are no clues of what it could have originally meant inEgyptian, though the variantSaites used bySextus Julius Africanus in his epitome of Manetho, might contain a reference to the deltaic city ofSais. It has been suggested that the name might be linked toshallit, a title borne by thebiblical patriarchJoseph during his stay in Egypt (Genesis 42:6) with the meaning of "keeper of the power"; however, this is considered a very weak assumption.[8][1]: I:77, n.300
As for him, also the identification of his Egyptian predecessor Timaios and Asiatic successor Bnon were a matter of debate; though the former was tentatively identified withDjedneferre Dedumose of the waning13th Dynasty;[2]: 52 [3] this identification was questioned for being rather weak.[9]