Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>]

This is an interesting idea when related to Rohl's redating of Saul 
and David to the Amarna era. Could there in fact have been an 
understanding between David and the Amarna Egyptians? Rohl dates 
Akhenaten as 1022-1006, so dying shortly before David captured 
Jerusalem in 1003, but Akhenaten's successors could have continued 
their sponsorship of David and encouraged him to promote a similar 
religion. Rohl suggests that Solomon's Egyptian princess wife was the 
daughter of Haremheb, and locates her palace in Jerusalem where the 
church of St. Etienne now stands, where 18th dynasty Egyptian 
artefacts have been found. But perhaps (though this requires a slight 
adjustment to the chronology) she was rather the daughter of Ay (did 
he try to revive the Amarna religion?), and this marriage and the 
building of a temple in Jerusalem similar to that at Amarna was part 
of a revived policy of Egyptian sponsorship of the Amarna religion in 
Canaan. Of course this was anathema to the 19th dynasty, and when 
Rameses II had the chance, in his 8th year, he came to Jerusalem and 
desecrated the heretical temple. Yet somehow the spark of religion 
survived.

Well, this makes for interesting speculation. Don't expect me to prove 
this connection!

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Hebrew/Habiru
Author:  <banyai AT t-online.de> at Internet
Date:    10/02/2000 05:51

<snip>

The famous Jachin and Boas Jerusalem columns have but a single parallel in 
the ANE, namely in Akhet-Aton in the main Aton temple. Their pomegranates 
chain decoration appears identically on its inner court columns.

Could have Amenophis IV pacificated Palestine by his religious reform and 
won the Habiru on his side? There are no more Retenu campaigns or 
interventions during this period.

Best regards,

Banyai Michael