Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] The Exodus' mention in Egyptian Annals ?

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: RGmyrken AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Exodus' mention in Egyptian Annals ?
  • Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 19:22:20 EDT

Dear Walter (and Marianne),

It is important to note that Manetho does not describe any expulsion of
Hebrews, but rather an expulsion of Hyksos, and then an expulsion of Hyksos
together with polluted Egyptians. It is only Josephus who equated these
groups
with the Jews of the Exodus (although some Egyptians in Manetho's day equated
the figure Osarseph in the second story with Moses - but neither the Jews nor
Moses appear in the story itself). Note that the Hyksos worshipped the god
Seth
at Avaris, and Osarseph revived the cult of Seth ["Typhon"] at this same city
(which reflects the historical Ramesside revival of the cult of Seth). In
Egyptian literature (and in Plutarch's Isis and Osiris) the followers of Seth
are repeatedly defeated, expelled from Egypt, yet regroup and return. The
two
expulsion of Sethians in Manetho reflect this stock Egyptian
literary-religious
motif. I wouldn't put much stock in Manetho's account as historical,
especially his second story (as there appears no historical evidence for a
Ramesside
return of Hyksos to Avaris!).

Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin

> Redford's analysis, is not a "new" one though, he was preceded by some 2000
>
> years, by the Egyptian priest-historian Manetho and the Jewish historian
> Josephus, who associated the Hebrew Exodus with the defeat and expulsion of
> the Hebrews under two events, the Hyksos expulsion and a later expulsion
> under Amenophis and son Rameses.
>





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page