Biblical Hebrew Forum

[John Ronning <ronning AT xsinet.co.za>]

Dear Walter,

On late bronze Dibon:
"Charles Krahmalkov has demonstrated that the Transjordanian
route of the Hebrews was a traditional road used by the
Egyptians throughout the Late Bronze Age.  Three Egyptian
topographical lists - from the reigns of Thutmosis III (ca.
1479-1425 B.C.), Amenophis III (ca. 1391-1353 B.C.), and
Rameses II (ca. 1290-1224 B.C.) - provide a description of a
route from the Arabah to the Plains of Moab at the Jordan
River.  The earliest list, sometimes referred to as the
Palestinian List, chronicles sites in Transjordan from Iyyin
to Dibon to Abel to Jordan.  Those place-names are four of
the Transjordanian stations listed in the Israelite
itinerary in Numbers 33.  All three Egyptian lists mention
Dibon."
John Curid, Ancient Egypt and the OT (Baker, 1997);
Krahmalkov, "Exodus Itinerary Confirmed by Egyptian
Evidence," BAR 20.5, 1994.

According to Kitchen, Rameses II claimed to capture Dibon
("Some New Light on the Asiatic Wars of Rameses II," Journal
of Egyptian Archaeology 50, 1964, 47-50), though this has
been disputed.

I'd also point out that in Kenyon's ISBE article on Jericho,
she says she uncovered remains attributable to Hiel the
Bethelite.

All of which cautions us about both your facts and your
methodology.

Regards,

John