IN CONCLUSION
According to the King’s List, the earliest date for the Exodus would have to be 1503 BC, however due to inaccuracies this date is only an approximate.
We know that Pharaoh would have to have had his capital in the Nile Delta, and only the Hyksos ruled from Avaris during that timeframe. Scholarly assumptions on when the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt vary tremendously; dates from 1580 to 1521 BC have all been purposed. Pharaoh Ahmose I, who was responsible for driving the Asiatics back into Canaan, ruled anywhere from 1570-1514 BC.
Pharaoh Ramesses II who sacked Jerusalem is believed by some scholars to be the same Shishak of the bible. This author isn’t going to get into the linguistic proof--interested readers can look up new chronology theories proposed by David Rohl if they are so inclined. However, Ramesses II became one of the mightiest and wealthiest pharaohs of the New Kingdom, and if he had carried away all the treasure of the Temple and the royal palace in Jerusalem that would explain a lot.
If Ramesses II was contemporary with Solomon and Rehoboam that would alter the Egyptian Chronology significantly, seeing that his reign is thought to have begun in 1279 BC. The fifth year of Rehoboam would have been 982 BC, nearly three hundred years later.
Because Egyptian chronology is not precise, the dating of Ahmose I can be difficult. Especially since the Sothic cycle is not well understood nor reliable. Yet, despite the guess-work, we still see Ahmose I falling within the same time period as the Exodus c. 1500 BC.
If we go by the lowest chronology, we have a discrepancy of 18 years from 1503 to 1521.
When looking back nearly 3500 years, such a discrepancy is minute.
We also have an eight spoked chariot wheel found off the Gulf of Aqaba dated 1550-1340. This artifact corresponds with the c. 1500 timeframe. Along with two violent volcanic eruptions dated to 1680-1535 and 1628-1540 BC.
It’s this author’s belief that the Exodus occurred c. 1500-1550 BC, with a dating of 1515-1525, being favored.
The Pharaohs of the Exodus would have been either Khamudi or Apepi, and Ahmose I from Thebes.
The Israelites were enslaved by Hyksos pharaohs and were later delivered out of Egypt shortly before the collapse of the Hyksos dynasty.
Some theories suggest that Ahmose I enslaved the Israelites, but this makes little sense seeing that his entire war campaign in the north was to rid himself from the Asiatics, not make them slaves. Egyptians did not differentiate Hyksos from Israelites, so all of them would have been run out. This dynasty also does not correspond with a capital in the Nile Delta nor does it see any massive destruction at the end the dynasty. The eighteenth dynasty was headquarter at Thebes, was prosperous, and lasted for roughly 260 years.
The only new king who could arise over Egypt (by usurpation as commentators have suggested) and not know Joseph, would have to be a foreigner who did not benefit from Joseph’s life-saving policies during the famine.
The 14th dynasty in Egypt saw a benevolent Levantine leadership in the Nile Delta, which was overcome when the Hyksos, who were a minority in the region, gained control of the provincial government. These men of ‘obscure race’, who were likely Assyrian in origin, killed and lead away women and children into slavery.
The Israelites were multiplying rapidly and, possibly, with male dominant births. The Hyksos/Assyrians, who had already usurped the seat of power away from the Israelites, grew to fear them, anticipating retaliation, perhaps. In order to maintain control of the region, the Israelites were enslaved and the male babies later killed.
Native Egyptians seem to regard the Hyksos with a tolerant attitude and would have followed the orders given regarding the enslavement of the Israelites. So while the officers and taskmasters of pharaoh were native Egyptian, pharaoh himself was not.
Pharaoh Apepi ruled for 35-40 years. This would have been the same duration of time that Moses had lived in Midian. And at the same time, Apepi upset relations with the Theban dynasty to the south.
After his death, Khamudi rose to power with a reign of 1 to 11 years. It’s possible that Moses returned to Egypt during this time and told Khamudi to let the Israelites go.
Meanwhile in the south, Ahmose I gets a revelation from the gods stating, “I have set terror in the northlands and the Hyksos will be slain beneath thy feet”. With this proclamation from the gods, Ahmose I, heads north to campaign against Avaris.
By time he lays siege, the Israelites have already departed. Possibly weakened by the plagues, and the army having been drowned in the Red Sea, the Hyksos could not withstand the Theban forces and succumbed to defeat by the fourth attack.
Many researchers claim that the Exodus never occurred because if it had, there should be some type of evidence documenting the incredible event.
However, Egyptologists and historians are looking for the Exodus in Egyptian records; but if no Egyptian dynasty enslaved the Israelites, no proof of an Exodus will be found and thus the story is mitigated as a fairy-tale.
But if we look into the little-known Hyksos dynasty, that’s where we will find the Exodus story.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE END OF DAYS
As it was in the beginning, so it will be at the end. In Isaiah 52:4, God reflects on Israel’s beginnings and how, Assyria oppressed Israel without cause. ‘And now what do I have here?” the Lord remarks, envisioning a separate time at the end of days when, ‘my people have been taken without cause and are taunted’. And by whom are they taken, by whom are they taunted?
By the Assyrian who strikes with the rod and lifts up his staff against them, as it was in the days of Egypt.
In like-fashion, when God sent Moses to deliver Israel; in the end days, God will raise up a prophet like Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15] Chiefly, Jesus Christ who will deliver Israel. Whose feet shall rest on the Mount of Olives; to proclaim peace and salvation, and upon his mountain shall tread the Assyrian underfoot.
God commands the Passover to be kept unto all generations forever. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: God recounts in Hosea 4:6, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
As it is said: Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
The Exodus of Israel from Egypt and the Return of Jesus Christ are bookends. History doesn’t repeat, but it surely does rhyme. Let’s not forget it.
According to the King’s List, the earliest date for the Exodus would have to be 1503 BC, however due to inaccuracies this date is only an approximate.
We know that Pharaoh would have to have had his capital in the Nile Delta, and only the Hyksos ruled from Avaris during that timeframe. Scholarly assumptions on when the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt vary tremendously; dates from 1580 to 1521 BC have all been purposed. Pharaoh Ahmose I, who was responsible for driving the Asiatics back into Canaan, ruled anywhere from 1570-1514 BC.
Pharaoh Ramesses II who sacked Jerusalem is believed by some scholars to be the same Shishak of the bible. This author isn’t going to get into the linguistic proof--interested readers can look up new chronology theories proposed by David Rohl if they are so inclined. However, Ramesses II became one of the mightiest and wealthiest pharaohs of the New Kingdom, and if he had carried away all the treasure of the Temple and the royal palace in Jerusalem that would explain a lot.
If Ramesses II was contemporary with Solomon and Rehoboam that would alter the Egyptian Chronology significantly, seeing that his reign is thought to have begun in 1279 BC. The fifth year of Rehoboam would have been 982 BC, nearly three hundred years later.
Because Egyptian chronology is not precise, the dating of Ahmose I can be difficult. Especially since the Sothic cycle is not well understood nor reliable. Yet, despite the guess-work, we still see Ahmose I falling within the same time period as the Exodus c. 1500 BC.
If we go by the lowest chronology, we have a discrepancy of 18 years from 1503 to 1521.
When looking back nearly 3500 years, such a discrepancy is minute.
We also have an eight spoked chariot wheel found off the Gulf of Aqaba dated 1550-1340. This artifact corresponds with the c. 1500 timeframe. Along with two violent volcanic eruptions dated to 1680-1535 and 1628-1540 BC.
It’s this author’s belief that the Exodus occurred c. 1500-1550 BC, with a dating of 1515-1525, being favored.
The Pharaohs of the Exodus would have been either Khamudi or Apepi, and Ahmose I from Thebes.
The Israelites were enslaved by Hyksos pharaohs and were later delivered out of Egypt shortly before the collapse of the Hyksos dynasty.
Some theories suggest that Ahmose I enslaved the Israelites, but this makes little sense seeing that his entire war campaign in the north was to rid himself from the Asiatics, not make them slaves. Egyptians did not differentiate Hyksos from Israelites, so all of them would have been run out. This dynasty also does not correspond with a capital in the Nile Delta nor does it see any massive destruction at the end the dynasty. The eighteenth dynasty was headquarter at Thebes, was prosperous, and lasted for roughly 260 years.
The only new king who could arise over Egypt (by usurpation as commentators have suggested) and not know Joseph, would have to be a foreigner who did not benefit from Joseph’s life-saving policies during the famine.
The 14th dynasty in Egypt saw a benevolent Levantine leadership in the Nile Delta, which was overcome when the Hyksos, who were a minority in the region, gained control of the provincial government. These men of ‘obscure race’, who were likely Assyrian in origin, killed and lead away women and children into slavery.
The Israelites were multiplying rapidly and, possibly, with male dominant births. The Hyksos/Assyrians, who had already usurped the seat of power away from the Israelites, grew to fear them, anticipating retaliation, perhaps. In order to maintain control of the region, the Israelites were enslaved and the male babies later killed.
Native Egyptians seem to regard the Hyksos with a tolerant attitude and would have followed the orders given regarding the enslavement of the Israelites. So while the officers and taskmasters of pharaoh were native Egyptian, pharaoh himself was not.
Pharaoh Apepi ruled for 35-40 years. This would have been the same duration of time that Moses had lived in Midian. And at the same time, Apepi upset relations with the Theban dynasty to the south.
After his death, Khamudi rose to power with a reign of 1 to 11 years. It’s possible that Moses returned to Egypt during this time and told Khamudi to let the Israelites go.
Meanwhile in the south, Ahmose I gets a revelation from the gods stating, “I have set terror in the northlands and the Hyksos will be slain beneath thy feet”. With this proclamation from the gods, Ahmose I, heads north to campaign against Avaris.
By time he lays siege, the Israelites have already departed. Possibly weakened by the plagues, and the army having been drowned in the Red Sea, the Hyksos could not withstand the Theban forces and succumbed to defeat by the fourth attack.
Many researchers claim that the Exodus never occurred because if it had, there should be some type of evidence documenting the incredible event.
However, Egyptologists and historians are looking for the Exodus in Egyptian records; but if no Egyptian dynasty enslaved the Israelites, no proof of an Exodus will be found and thus the story is mitigated as a fairy-tale.
But if we look into the little-known Hyksos dynasty, that’s where we will find the Exodus story.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE END OF DAYS
- Isaiah 52:1 "Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you. [2] Shake off your dust! Rise up and sit on your throne, O Jerusalem. Remove the chains from your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. [3] For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.” [4] For this is what the Lord GOD says: “At first My people went down to Egypt to live, then Assyria oppressed them without cause. [5] And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long. [6] Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!” [7] How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Exodus 12:17 "And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever."
- Isaiah 10:24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. [25] For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” [26] And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
- Isaiah 14:26 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
As it was in the beginning, so it will be at the end. In Isaiah 52:4, God reflects on Israel’s beginnings and how, Assyria oppressed Israel without cause. ‘And now what do I have here?” the Lord remarks, envisioning a separate time at the end of days when, ‘my people have been taken without cause and are taunted’. And by whom are they taken, by whom are they taunted?
By the Assyrian who strikes with the rod and lifts up his staff against them, as it was in the days of Egypt.
In like-fashion, when God sent Moses to deliver Israel; in the end days, God will raise up a prophet like Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15] Chiefly, Jesus Christ who will deliver Israel. Whose feet shall rest on the Mount of Olives; to proclaim peace and salvation, and upon his mountain shall tread the Assyrian underfoot.
God commands the Passover to be kept unto all generations forever. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: God recounts in Hosea 4:6, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
As it is said: Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
The Exodus of Israel from Egypt and the Return of Jesus Christ are bookends. History doesn’t repeat, but it surely does rhyme. Let’s not forget it.
