capnkirk

Peter,

The consensus conclusion is that the Hyksos migrated to the Nile delta region from Canaan, prospered and eventually became dominant. That they brought chariot technology with them precludes their being Hebrews, and makes it more likely that they had entered Canaan from the north, perhaps from Syria, but the latter is just speculation.

This closely parallels the Biblical story of Joseph's rise from slave to powerful advisor to Pharaoh, both in theme and in approximate timeframe. The story of Joseph may well represent a consolidation/personification of the rise of a people, into a heroic epic of one man's rise to leadership. This form of mythmaking has been prominently employed by most early societies, and the Hebrews were certainly no exception. That the Hyksos were expelled by Amhose I around 1530 BCE is also well documented. What is less well known is what followed the expulsion. Specifically, border traffic from the east was severely curtailed (lest such a future migration lead to another war).

For the next 500 years, the border between Egypt and Palestine, Canaan, et al, was essentially closed to immigration. Frontier fortifications were built and maintained, and records of all transients from the east were kept. There was an abiding determination that a Hyksos-like event would never be repeated. These fortifications and their standing orders make the Exodus story exceedingly improbable whether you take the OT explanation that it was the decendants of Joseph who grew in number and were enslaved (i.e. semites who somehow were allowed to remain behind when the Hyksos were expelled), or that a new wave of immigration ensued that created the Hebrew presence in Egypt that was a necessary precursor to the Exodus.

Egypt maintained their fortifications along their eastern frontier (the isthmus of Suez) for military reasons as well. It was no accident that the garrisoned and provisioned forts were spaced about a day's march apart. Young Ramses II utilized these forts as he marched his army up the coastal plain of (modern day) Israel and Lebanon to Kadesh (near the present Syrian/Lebanese border)to engage the Hittites in 1296 BCE. That he was able to make this march unopposed by the Philistines and Phoenicians speaks to the relationship that Egypt had with these states during this period. They were undoubtedly on friendly terms with Egypt, and were most likely either vassal states or at least close allies. All these things strongly mitigate against the possibility of an Exodus of half a million Hebrews out of Egypt into Canaan during this time-frame.

There is abundant archaeological evidence that the coastal regions were well developed in this period, but not so the highlands to the east (Jerusalem, for example). The only reference in Egyptian records to Jerusalem before the 8th century BCE leave the impression that it was little more than the village of some tribal chief and too small and weak to be of any interest to Egypt.

Israel Finkelstein has done considerable archaeological work at the sites supposedly used as encampments by the Hebrews in the wilderness, and claims that none of those sites shows any sign of having been occupied by anyone during the time of the Exodus. Some had been occupied before, others after, and all were occupied during the 7th century BCE when the Pentateuch was first committed to writing. All of this strongly implies that the Hebrew Exodus was a major work of mythmaking reaching its presently recognizable form some 500-600 years after the purported events.

The seed of truth in this mythmaking was most likely the distant memories of the Hyksos' flight to Canaan circa 1530 BCE.

__________________
Enterprise...OUT.

offa

Peter Fletcher

Does anyone have any knowledge that these people could have been related?

Offa,
Josephus writes about the Hyksos and I will post what he wrote
about them below. However, I want to make a point about what Josephus
writes. His "Egypt" is not in Africa, it is in Judea and is Qumran
to be specific. Foolish readers, billions of them, are fooled into
believing that Moses, for instance, ever set foot in Africa. Also,
Jesus never set foot in Galilee, Syria. His Galilee and Moses' Egypt
are locations in Judea. The "world" that was flooded, was also in
Judea. The Jerusalem of today is not the same Jerusalem in Scripture!
So, here is what Josephus writes,

XIV.

APION 1-073 I shall begin with the writings of the Egytians; not
indeed of those who have written in the Egyptian
language, which it is impossible for me to do. But
Manetho was a man who was by birth an Egyptian; yet he
had made himself the master of the Greek learning, as is
very evident, for he wrote the history of his own
country in the Greek tongue, by translating it, as he
saith himself, out of their sacred records: he also
finds great fault with Herodotus for his ignorance and
false relations of Egyptian affairs.
APION 1-074 Now, this Manetho, in the second book of his
Egyptian History, writes concerning us in the following
manner. I will set down his very words, as if I was to
bring the very man himself into the court as a
witness: -
APION 1-075 "There was a king of ours, whose name was Timaus.
Under him it came to pass, I know not how, that God was
adverse to us; and there came, after a surprising
manner, men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts,
and had boldness enough to make an expedition into our
country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without
hazzarding a battle with them.
APION 1-076 So when they had gotten those which governed us
under their power, and afterwards burnt down our cities,
and demolished the temples of the Gods, and used all the
inhabitants after a most barbarous manner; nay, some
they slew, and led their children and their wives into
slavery.
APION 1-077 At length they made one of themselves king, whose
name was Salatis; he also lived at Memphis, and made
both the uppuer and lower regions pay tribute, and left
garrisons in the places that were the most proper for
them. He chiefly aimed to secure the eastern parts as
foreseeing that the Assyrians, whohad then the greatest
power, would be desirous of that kingdom and invade them;
APION 1-078 and as he found in the Saite Nomos [Seth-roite] a
city very proper for his purpose, and which lay upon the
Bubastic channel, but with regard to a certain theologic
notion was called Avaris, this he rebuilt, and made very
strong by the walls he built about it, and by a most
nemerous garrison of two hundred and forty thousand
armed men whom he put into it to keep it.
APION 1-079 Thither Salatis came in summertime, partly to gather
his corn and pay his soldiers their wages, and partly to
exercise his armed men, and thereby to terror foreigners.
APION 1-080 When this man had reigned thirteen years, after him
reigned another, whose name was Beon, for fouty-four
years; after him reigned another, called Apachnas,
thirty-six years and seven months; after him Apophis
reigned sixty-one years, and then Jonias fifty years and
one month;
APION 1-081 After all these reigned Assis forty-nine years and
two months; and these six were the first rulers among
them, who were all along making war with the Egyptians,
and were very desirous gradually to destroy them to the
very roots.
APION 1-082 This whole nation was styled Hycos - that is,
sherperd kings; for the first syllable, Hyc, according
to the sacred dialect, denotes a king, as is Sos a
shepherd, but this according to the ordinary dialect;
and of these is compounded Hycos. But some say that
these people were Arabians."
APION 1-083 Now, in another copy it is said that this word does
not denote Kings but, on the contrary, denotes Captive
Shepherds, and this on account of the particle Hyc; for
that Hyc, with the aspiration, in the Egyptian tongue
again denotes Shepherds, and that expressly also: and
this to me seems the more probable opinion, and more
agreeable to ancient history.
APION 1-084 [But Manetho goes on:] "These people, whom we have
before named kings and called shepherds also, and their
descendants," as he says, "kept possession of Egypt five
hundred and eleven years."
APION 1-085 After these, he says, "That the kings of Thebes and
other parts of Egypt made an insurrection against the
shepherds, and that there a terrible and long war was
made betwen them."
APION 1-086 He says further, "That under a king, whose name was
Alisphragmuthosis, the shepherds were subdued by him,
and were indeed driven out of other parts of Egypt, but
were shut up in a place that contained ten thousand
acres: this place was Avaris."
APION 1-087 Manetho says, "That the shepherds built a wall
around all this place, which was a large and strong
wall, and this in order to keep all their possessions
and their prey within a place of strength;
APION 1-088 but that Thummosis, the son of Alisphragmuthossis,
made an attempt to take them by force and by a siege,
with four hundred and eighty thousand men to lie round
about them; but that, upon his dispair of taking the
place by that siege, they came to a composition with
them that they should leave Egypt, and go, with out any
harm to be done them, withersoever they would;
APION 1-089 and that, after this composition was made, they went
away with their whole families and effects, not fewer in
number than two hundred and forty thousand, and took
their journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, for
Syria;
APION 1-090 but that, as they were in fear of the Assyrians, who
had then the dominion over Asia, they built a city in
that country which is now called Judea, and that large
enough to contain this great number of men, and called
it Jerusalem."
APION 1-091 Now Manetho, in another book of his, says, "That
this nation, thus called Shepherds, were also called
Captives, in their sacred books." And this account of
his is the truth; for feeding of sheep was the
employment of our forefathers in the most ancient ages;
and as they led such a wandering life in feeding sheep,
they were called Shepherds.
APION 1-092 Nor was it without reason that they were called
Captives by the Egyptians, since one of our ancestors,
Joseph, told the king of Egypt that he was a captive,
and afterwards sent for his brethren into Egypt by the
king's permission; but as for these matters, I shall
make a more exact inquiry into them elsewhere.