"shepherd kings" referred to the what?

Question

"shepherd kings" referred to the what?

Answer 1

the three kings who travelled to Bethlehem to adore the baby jesus.

Answer 2

Evie is correct, except that I think it should be "Hyksos,"

Answer 3

The Arabic translation for the Hyksos*, who invaded the eastern Nile Delta beginning the 2nd intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt, was the "shepherd kings".   The Hyksos rose to power in the 17th century BCE and formed the 15th and possibly 16th Egyptian dynasties.  Since these rulers had Canaanite names, some scholars, notably Josephus, have associated them with the ancient Hebrews who came to Egypt before the Exodus.

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*Lakewood C. thanks for the proofreading!