Seti I (Menmaatre)

Restoring the empire

Seti I sought to restore Egyptian military dominance in Canaan and the Levant, which had severely eroded during the Amarna period. He launched aggressive campaigns against the rising Hittite Empire, temporarily recapturing strategic territories like Kadesh and Amurru.

The Abydos king list

To cement his dynasty's legitimacy, he commissioned a massive building program, most notably the Great Temple of Seti at Abydos. Inside this temple is the famous Abydos King List. This relief depicts Seti I and his son making offerings to 76 recognized past rulers. He deliberately excluded the Hyksos kings, Hatshepsut, and all the pharaohs associated with Akhenaten's religious revolution to officially erase them from Egyptian history.