Akenaten verses Moses.
It is too coincidential that Akhenaten initiated his monotheism at the same time as the origin of Moses, the monotheist. Furthermore, we see that the entire Amarna family disappeared at roughly the same time, leaving no tombs except Tutankhamun (though the creators of this site do believe the tomb of Nefertiti and Akenaten does exist as yet unfound). The sudden appearance of Hebrew script at this time indicates that it was Akenaten (himself the Levitical High Priest) who broke the code of the priests and began the original dispersion of monotheistic thought.
The chronology as we see it:
- 1650 b.c. The mega-eruption of the Santorini/Thera caldera is heard and seen as far as Tibet
- Coastal inundation of Egypt and all western coastlines of the Mediteranean
- Hyksos invaders and "Sea Peoples" (Phoenicians) come on the coat-tails of this eruption
Pharaohs in the book of Exodus[edit]
The Bible tells how the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt and eventually escape under the leadership of Moses. At least one or two pharaohs are involved, the "pharaoh of the oppression" who enslaves the Israelites, and the "pharaoh of the exodus", during whose rule the Israelites escape. The biblical story of the written Torah alone, does not name either, nor does it give enough information to identify the period in which the events are set, with the result that there have been many suggestions as to which of Egypt's many rulers was involved. The oral tradition and Rabbinic sources state that the First Temple stood for 410 years and the Seder Olam Rabbah (c.2nd century CE) place its construction in 832 BCE and destruction in 422 BCE (3338 AM), 165 years later than secular estimates. The Seder Olam Rabbah determines the commencement of the Exodus to 2448 AM (1313 BCE). This date has become traditional in Rabbinic Judaism.[4] 1 Kings 6:1 states that the Exodus occurred 480 years before the construction of Solomon's Temple, which would imply a secular date of the Exodus c.1477 BCE, or rabbinical date 2448 AM (1313 BCE), both during Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty, the first at its beginning and the latter at its end.[5] Furthermore, the 18th dynasty was the first of the New Kingdom of Egypt, which followed the expulsion of the Hyksos and their last king Khamudi (c. 1522 or 1540 BCE) from Avaris in the northeastern region of the Nile Delta, marking the end of the Second Intermediate Period.[6]Candidates put forward for the role of Pharaoh of the Exodus include:
- Dedumose I (died c.1690 BCE): David Rohl's 1995 A Test of Time revised Egyptian history by shortening the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt by almost 300 years. As a by-result the synchronisms with the biblical narrative have changed, making the 13th Dynasty pharaoh Dedumose I (Dudimose, Dedumesu, Tutimaos, Tutimaios) the pharaoh of the Exodus.[7] Rohl's theory has failed to find support among scholars in his field.[8]
- Ahmose I (1550-1525 BC): Most ancient writers considered Ahmose I to be the pharaoh of the Exodus.[9]
- Thutmose II (1479–1425 BC). Alfred Edersheim proposes in his "Old Testament Bible History" [10] that Thutmose II is best qualified to be the pharaoh of Exodus based on the fact that he had a brief, prosperous reign and then a sudden collapse with no son to succeed him. His widow Hatshepsut then became first Regent (for Thutmose III) then Pharaoh in her own right. Edersheim states that Thutmose II is the only Pharaoh's mummy to display cysts, possible evidence of plagues which spread through the Egyptian and Hittite Empires at that time.
- Amenhotep II (1425-1400 BC). Shea suggested that there were 2 Amenhotep II's. The first one died in the Sea of reeds, after which his brother took the same title.[11][better source needed]
- Akhenaten (1353–1349 BC). Sigmund Freud in his book Moses and Monotheism argued that Moses had been an Atenist priest forced to leave Egypt with his followers after Akhenaten's death.[12] However, in his book "Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus" Ahmed Osman concluded that Moses and Arkhenaten are one and the same person.[13]
- Ramesses II (c.1279-1213 BCE) Also known as Ramesses the Great, he is the most commonly imagined figure in popular culture, being one of the most long standing rulers at the height of Egyptian power, but there is no documentary or archaeological evidence that he chased any slaves fleeing Egypt. Ramesses II's late 13th century BCE stela in Beth Shan mentions two conquered peoples who came to "make obeisance to him" in his city of Raameses or Pi-Ramesses but mentions neither the building of the city nor, as some have written, the Israelites or Hapiru.[14] Additionally, the historical Pithom was built in the 7th century BCE, during the Saite period.[15][16]
- Merneptah (c.1213-1203 BCE): Isaac Asimov in his Guide to the Bible makes a case for him to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus.[17]
- Setnakhte (c.1189–1186 BCE): Igor P. Lipovsky in his book "Early Israelites: Two Peoples, One History: Rediscovery of the Origins of Biblical Israel" makes a case for him to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus. ISBN 061559333X
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