Walls of the Ruler

The Walls of the Ruler^[1][2] was a fortification, or possibly a whole string of them, built by Amenemhat I in the 14th nome of Lower Egypt to protect the eastern approaches to Egypt.^[1] It succeeded the Old Kingdom Walls of Sneferu.^[3]

The Walls of the Ruler are mentioned in the Tale of Sinuhe^[2] and in the Prophecy of Neferti.^[4] No remains have been found.^[1] New Kingdom depictions show forts which had a secured supply of water and were surrounded by crocodile-infested ditches or canals which were spanned by bridges.^[3]

Cultural impact

Alfred J. Hoerth speculates that in the biblical tradition of the Exodus, Moses led the Israelites south to Pithom and Etham; would he had led the people northwards toward the Promised Land, they would have most likely encountered the Walls of the Ruler. It would not have been possible for a large group of people to go undetected pass these fortifications.^[5]

A fictionalized version of the Walls of the Ruler are present in the first DLC (The Hidden Ones) of the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed Origins. Unlike real-life accounts of it, it is located on the Sinai Peninsula, rather than mainland Egypt.