Amenemhet IV: Difference between revisions

Some believe that Amenemhet IV should be identified as the [[Moses]] of the Biblical Exodus.<ref name=Ashton92>Ashton, John F., and Down, David. ''[[Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline]]'' p.92, Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2006.</ref> [[Sobekneferu]] is often listed as Amenemhet IVs sister and also his wife, and it may have been she who found Moses in the Nile River. It is known that she had no children, which may explain Amenemhet III was willing to accept his as heir to the throne. But when Moses came of age and identified himself with the people of [[Israel]] and was forced to flee from Egypt leaving way for Sobekneferu to take the throne. When she died the dynasty died and was succeeded by the 13th dynasty.<ref name=JOC />

Egypt's wealth and power reached it's peak in the 12th dynasty under Sesostris III and his son Amenemhet III but as they had no successors, the Middle Kingdom started to fall apart when they died. Moses, an Israelite baby was adopted by the Princess Sobekneferu and groomed to be the next Pharaoh (Amenemhet IV). Amenemhet IV did in fact co-reign with Amenemhet III for a period of 9 yrs but when he had to flee to Midian at the age of 40 years, there was suddenly no successor for Amenemhet III. His daughter Sobekneferu had to take over the reigns when Amenemhet III died. She only lived for another 4 yrs and when she died, the 12th dynasty ended, Egypt fell into turmoil and became politically unstable. There was a quick succession of Pharaohs in the 13th dynasty until Neferhotep who was the Pharaoh who was ruling when Moses (Amenemhet IV) returned from exile in Midian. After a series of ten plagues that were inflicted on Egypt, Neferhotep let Moses take the Israelities into the desert. When they did not return, he pursued them with his army. The Israelites were able to cross the red sea at the Gulf of Aqaba but Neferhotep and his army drowned when they tried to follow.

When the Israelites left Egypt, Pharaoh and his son died and all the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea taking all of Egypts chariots with them. Egypt was then thrown into termoil. Thy Hyksos were able to take power and Egypts second intermediate period followed (until the Hyksos were finally defeated in the 18th dynasty).