On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 2:36 PM, G. Zack <atdgz AT hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Further to your mention of Hoffmeier ...
>
> If memory serves I believe that Hoffmeier shows that Ramssess existed as a
> town only betweem 1275 and 1075 BC.
>
> I had never heard of Hoffmeier before today, then all I know is from these
messages. However, in that he agrees with K. Kitchen shows that he belongs.
One of the things that attracted me to a Hyksos pharaoh being the pharaoh of
the Exodus was the deliberate destruction of Hyksos records at the time they
were kicked out of Egypt. Thus a large population of Hebrew slaves could
have left, with the destruction of the records obscuring the event from
Egyptian history.
Basically, we're presented with two scenerios: either the Exodus and other
pre-kingdom writings are legends, myths with a possible kernel of truth that
is way exagerated from what actually happened; or it is accurate history. If
the former, then there is no problem with the dating of K. Kitchen,
Hoffmeier, et al; if the latter is true, then those dates are hopelessly
wrong.
For the record, which most of you already know, I personally opt for the
latter.
But away from such "historicity"-- there is, according to Hoffmeier,
> archaeological and topographical evidence that supports the Exodus narrative
> as a plausible account of some people's/clans'/families' departure from an
> abusive sejourn in Egypt circa 1230...
>
> How much do we really *know* about Egyptian toponyms from the Hyksos
period and before? Can we catagorically rule out the production cities
mentioned in Exodus as being from an earlier period? I don't think so.