Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>]

I have been following the exchanges between Marianne Luban and Peter Kirk
about whether or not Hatshepsut did any restoration work at Avaris after the
Hyksos expulsion. Perhaps archaeology can cast some light upon the matter ?

According to Manfred Bietak who is charge of the excavations at Tell
ed-Dab'a (identified as being Avaris), after the expulsion of the Hyksos by
Ahmose I the site was abandoned. But, he did note that at nearby Ezbet
Rushdi, an Egyptian fortress was erected in "early 18th dynasty" times. Near
this fortress he found houses which he called "Middle Class Settlement."
Excavations in and about the fortress and the houses uncovered several
occupational strata. Some of the items recovered were scarabs which could be
dated. He stated that the LATEST occupational date he could establish for
Ezbet Rushdie was the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep II whodated by Clayton as
reigning ca. 1453-1419 BCE. (cf. p. 112. Peter A. Clayton. Chronicles of the
Pharaohs. London. Thames & Hudson. 1994).

Clayton dated Hatshepsut as circa 1498-1483 BCE (p. 104. Clayton). So, it is
"possible" that Hatshepsut could have been responsible, in part, for some
kind of restoration work in the vicinity of Tell ed-Dab'a at Ezbet Rushdie.
For all the details cf. pp. 68-73. Manfred Bietak. _Avaris, the Capital of
the Hyksos, Recent Excavations at Tell el-Dab'a_. London. British Museum
Press. 1996.

None of this "proves" that the Hyksos were still at Avaris and vicinity,
only that an Egyptian settlement existed in the area in Hatshepsut and
Amenhotep II's days. Bietak understood Ahmose I was responsible for the
initial settlement and fortress.

Regards, Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld y de la Torre, M.A. Ed.
mattfeld12 AT charter.net
www.bibleorigins.net