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  • From: RGmyrken AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Exodus' mention in Egyptian Annals ?
  • Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 13:54:56 EDT

Dear Joe Baker,

Thanks for your comments. I agree (along with most writers on this
passage in Manetho!) that Manetho's chronology here is confused. One point
I'll
comment on is the problematic identity of Orus, the "predecessor" of
Amenophis. The passage in Josephus (Contra Apion I.232-33) quoting Manetho
is as
follows:

(232) Thus, after admitting that so many years had elapsed since out
forefathers left Egypt, Manetho now interpolates this intruding Amenophis.
This king,
he states, conceived a desire to behold the gods, as Or, one of his
predecessors on the throne, had done; and he communicated his desire to his
namesake
Amenophis, Paapis' son, who, in virtue of his wisdom and knowledge of the
future, was reputed to be a partaker of the divine nature. (233) This
namesake,
then, replied that he would be able to see the gods if he cleansed the whole
land
of lepers and other polluted persons.

Rather than looking for some pharaoh with a throne name of Or = Horus
(which I imagine, without having studied the point, probably included most
pharaohs, considering the proliferation of royal titles), I think it best to
take
this as a direct reference to Horus, son of Isis and Osiris. Osiris was
considered the first king of Egypt (in Dynasty I, consisting of gods and
demigods), and Horus was the second "good" king, who overthrew the wicked
rule of Seth,
who slew Osiris and ruled Egypt with his gang of confederates. The expulsion
of Seth and his gang by Horus is a central motif in Egyptian religious
literature and plays into both stories in Manetho (where the Hyksos as well
as the
polluted followers of Osarseph are worshippers of Seth-Typhon at Avaris, and
in
effect historical stand-ins for the wicked god Seth). Seth and his followers
are associated with various pollutions, including leprosy, in Egyptian texts.
The overthrow of Seth is effectively functions as a cleansing of pollution
from Egypt (especially in the literature of the Saite period and later, when
Seth had been demonized, and in late royal propaganda in which the
suppression
of Egyptian rebellions is often portrayed as a victory of the [Ptolemaic]
pharaoh-as-Horus over the rebels-as-Sethians). Note that Horus was the
archetypal
predecessor of all Egyptian pharaohs (as shown by enthronement inscriptions
such as the Rosetta Stone, where identification of the new king with Horus is
prominent). This mythological interpretation of Horus seems the best, most
natural interpretation of the reference to Or in the Amenophis story IMHO.

Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin

> I agree that the equation Osarsiph = Moses was not in Manetho's
> original source about the rebellion of polluted Egyptians and their
> Hyksos supporters. As noted by Russell the equation was supplied by
> Manetho and presumably was based on a belief held by some in his days.
>
> Although the original story does have some connection with the days of
> Akhenaten/Amenophis 4. via Amenophis son of Paapis and also Manetho's
> Oros, the king who succeeded Amenophis/Amenophis 3 and was father to
> the female ruler Akenkheres (Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten = Meritaten)
> and her brother Rathotis (Tutankhamun). The story of the battles and
> expulsion of the polluted Egyptians and their Hyksos allies has its
> closest Egyptian parallel in the year 2 stela of Setnakht where he
> records his defeat and expulsion of certain ruling Egyptians and their
> hired Asiatic allies.
>
>





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