Old Kingdom period
During the Old Kingdom period, the pharaoh had total power over Egypt. During this time, several pyramids were built giving the time the nickname, "Age of the Pyramids". During this period, the king was known as a pharaoh, which was used to describe all ancient Egyptian kings from then on. The king of Egypt, (not called the pharaoh until the new kingdom), became a living god, who ruled absolutely and could demand the wealth and services of all his subjects.
The Kingdom of Kush
The early Kingdom of Kush developed around the settlement of Kerma. Although the Kingdom of Kush of Kush existed during the old and middle kingdoms, Kerma reached its zenith during Egypts second intermediate period. The Ancient Egyptians referred to its inhabitants as the "People of Yam".
Invasion of Hyksos
The Hyksos first appear during the Reign of the 13th dynasty pharaoh Sobek Hatep IV, and by 1720 BCE took control of the town of Avaris. The outlines of the traditional account of the "invasion" of the land by the Hyksos is preserved in the Aegypitaca of Manetho, who records that during this time the Hyksos overran Egypt, led by the Salitis, the founder of the 15th dynasty. This invasion is possibly the cause of Egypts attempt to create a buffer between the Levant and Egypt, and attain its greatest territorial extent.