Evidence for the Israelite Sojourn in Egypt: Difference between revisions

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==Chariot Wheels==
==Chariot Wheels==


The Bible records that Joseph was given a chariot to travel through Egypt.  Most historians, however, would claim that the chariot was introduce to Egypt by the Hyksos in the 15th dynasty.
The Bible records that Joseph was given a chariot to travel through Egypt.   
 
Most historians, however, would claim that the chariot was not introduced to Egypt until the Hyksos in the 15th dynasty.


If Joseph and Imhotep were the same person, this would mean that chariots existed in Egypt as early as the third dynasty.
If Joseph and Imhotep were the same person, this would mean that chariots existed in Egypt as early as the third dynasty.
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In the third dynasty, only high officials like the pharaoh and his chancellor / sage / vizier were afforded a chariot to travel in.
In the third dynasty, only high officials like the pharaoh and his chancellor / sage / vizier were afforded a chariot to travel in.


Chariots in the 3rd dynasty were not horse drawn, they were carried by a procession of servants.
'Chariots' in the 3rd dynasty were not horse drawn; they were carried by a procession of servants.


''The Hebrew word (merkabah) in the Bible can be translated as ‘chariot’ or ‘riding seat’.  It does not distinguish between a vehicle that is horse drawn or a vehicle that is carried.''
''The Hebrew word (merkabah) in the Bible can be translated as ‘chariot’ or ‘riding seat’.  It does not distinguish between a vehicle that is horse drawn or a vehicle that is carried.''
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The enigma of chariots in the third dynasty is, therefore, easily explained.
The enigma of chariots in the third dynasty is, therefore, easily explained.


 
The introduction of the horse draw chariot is also an important landmark in the Egyptian chronology as the horse drawn chariot was in common usage at the time of the Exodus.  (It is unlikely that the pharaoh equipped his army with 600 riding seats, let alone pursued the Israelites with them!)


The Bible records that all chariots prior to the Exodus were lost in the Red Sea.  Most of the 12 dynasty artwork in which chariots could have been depicted has also been lost.
The Bible records that all of the 600 chariots belonging to the pharaoh were lost in the Red Sea at the time of the Exodus.


No discoveries horse drawn chariots have been found prior to the 15th dynasty (except for those found by Wyatt at the bottom of the Red Sea in 1978). This would tend to suggest that the Exodus took place just before the 15th dynasty.  One would not expect to find chariots of dynasties prior to the Exodus because they were all destroyed at the time of the Exodus.
No discoveries horse drawn chariots have been found prior to the 15th dynasty (except for those found by Wyatt at the bottom of the Red Sea in 1978). This would tend to suggest that the Exodus took place just before the 15th dynasty.  One would not expect to find chariots of dynasties prior to the Exodus because they were all destroyed at the time of the Exodus.


Wyatt found chariot wheels covered with coral strewn across the bottom of the Red Sea.  There was a well preserved golden 4 spoked chariot wheel. He also found six and eight spoked chariot wheels covered with coral from one side of the Red Sea to the other in the Gulf of Aqaba where there is a large beach and a natural land bridge at the opening of the Wadi Wadir, just a little bit north of Jabel Lawz on the opposite side.  Wyatt also found a pair of columns which appeared to have been left by Solomon to mark the site of the Red Sea crossing at this point.
Wyatt found chariot wheels covered with coral strewn across the bottom of the Red Sea.  There was a well preserved golden 4 spoked chariot wheel. He also found six and eight spoked chariot wheels covered with coral from one side of the Red Sea to the other (in the Gulf of Aqaba where there is a large beach and a natural land bridge at the opening of the Wadi Wadir, just a little bit north of Jabel Lawz on the opposite side).  Wyatt also found a pair of columns which appeared to have been left by Solomon to mark the site of the Red Sea crossing at this point.


Unfortunately, as no examples of 12th dynasty chariots have been found, the chariot wheels found by Wyatt were dated to the 18th dynasty. This has lead many an archaeologist to go looking for the Exodus in the 18th dynasty.  There is no evidence for a mass Exodus in the 18th dynasty.  There was an exodus at the end of the second intermediate period but this is when the Hyksos kings were evicted from Egypt and is clearly not the Israelite exodus.
Unfortunately, as no other examples of 12th dynasty chariots have been found, the chariot wheels found by Wyatt were dated (by experts in antiquity) to the 18th dynasty. This has lead many an archaeologist to go looking for the Exodus in the 18th dynasty.  There is no evidence for a mass Exodus in the 18th dynasty.  There was an Exodus at the end of the Second Intermediate Period but this is when the Hyksos kings were evicted from Egypt and is clearly not the Israelite exodus.


The Bible states that the exodus pharaoh pursued the Israelites with all of Egypt's chariots and that these were lost in the Red Sea.  One would, therefore, not expect to find a chariot that predated the exodusIf a chariot has been found, other than in the Red Sea, then it must have been produced after the Exodus.   
The Bible states that the Exodus Pharaoh pursued the Israelites with all of Egypt's chariots and that these were lost in the Red Sea.  One would, therefore, not expect to find a chariot that predated the ExodusOne would expect that if a chariot was found, other than in the Red Sea, then it must have been produced after the Exodus.   


If the Hyksos (15th dynasty) did use chariots to invade and occupy lower Egypt, they were only able to do this because the Egyptian army had been decimated by the Exodus and all of its chariots were at the bottom of the Red Sea.  
If the Hyksos (15th dynasty) did use chariots to invade and occupy lower Egypt, they were only able to do this because the Egyptian army had been decimated by the Exodus and all of its chariots were at the bottom of the Red Sea.  


Many historians and archaeologists believe that the horse drawn chariot was introduced to Egypt by the Hyksos because there are no findings of 12th and 13th dynasty chariots.  If all of Egypt's chariots were lost at the time of the exodus, the finding of 15th dynasty chariots should suggest that the Exodus occurred prior to the 15th dynasty, namely the 13th dynasty.  It also follows that the chariot wheels found in the Red Sea by Wyatt were from the 12th and 13th dynasties.
Many historians and archaeologists believe that the horse drawn chariot was introduced to Egypt by the Hyksos because there are no findings of 12th and 13th dynasty chariots.  If all of Egypt's chariots were lost at the time of the Exodus, the finding of 15th dynasty chariots should suggest that the Exodus occurred prior to the 15th dynasty, namely the 13th dynasty.  It also follows that the chariot wheels found in the Red Sea by Wyatt were from the 12th and 13th dynasties.


The Hyksos were credited with having introduced the chariot to Egypt only because no 12th and 13th dynasty chariots have been found (until 1978 when Wyatt discovered chariot wheels covered with coral strewn across the bottom of the Red Sea at Nuweiba).  The fact that Hyksos chariots are the earliest surviving chariots to have been found means that the Exodus took place immediately before the Hyksos entered Egypt.  This would further support a 13th dynasty Exodus.
The Hyksos were credited with having introduced the chariot to Egypt only because no 12th and 13th dynasty chariots have been found (until 1978 when Wyatt discovered chariot wheels covered with coral strewn across the bottom of the Red Sea at Nuweiba).  The fact that Hyksos chariots are the earliest surviving chariots to have been found means that the Exodus took place immediately before the Hyksos entered Egypt.  This would further support a 13th dynasty Exodus.
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Also supporting a 13th dynasty exodus is the prolific use of mudbricks in the 12th dynasty and the finding of a slave village at Kahun that was rapidly evacuated in the 13th dynasty when Neferhotep I was ruling (as evidenced by scarabs found by Petrie).  Amenemhet III has the credentials to be the pharaoh of Moses birth and the pharaoh that Moses fled from.  Sobeknefru has the credentials to be Moses foster mother and Amenemhet IV has the credentials to be Moses himself!
Also supporting a 13th dynasty exodus is the prolific use of mudbricks in the 12th dynasty and the finding of a slave village at Kahun that was rapidly evacuated in the 13th dynasty when Neferhotep I was ruling (as evidenced by scarabs found by Petrie).  Amenemhet III has the credentials to be the pharaoh of Moses birth and the pharaoh that Moses fled from.  Sobeknefru has the credentials to be Moses foster mother and Amenemhet IV has the credentials to be Moses himself!


Horse drawn chariots were used for military purposes and were not introduced until the 12th dynasty.  Most of the chariots of the 12 & 13th dynasty were lost in the Red Sea at the time of the Exodus and paintings depicting horse drawn chariots in the 12th dynasty did not survive either.
Historians and archaeologist have, therefore, erroneously credited the Hyksos (15th dynasty) with the introduction of the horse drawn chariot to Egypt.
 
Chariot wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea were incorrectly dated because of this assumption.
 
Horse drawn chariots used for military purposes were not introduced until the late 12th dynasty or 13th dynasty.   
 
Most of the chariots of the 12 & 13th dynasty were lost in the Red Sea at the time of the Exodus.  Paintings depicting horse drawn chariots in the 12th dynasty have not been preserved.


It is hardly surprising then that there are no findings of horse draw chariots before the Hyksos (15th dynasty) unless, of course, one accepts that the chariot wheels found in the Red Sea by Wyatt in 1978 were from the 12th and 13th dynasty.
It is hardly surprising then that there are no findings of horse draw chariots before the Hyksos (15th dynasty) unless, of course, one accepts that the chariot wheels found in the Red Sea by Wyatt in 1978 were from the 12th and 13th dynasty.
Historians and archaeologist have, therefore, erroneously credited the Hyksos (15th dynasty) with the introduction of the horse drawn chariot to Egypt.  Chariot wheels have been found at the bottom of the Red Sea were incorrectly dated because of this assumption.


== A workers village built during the time of Senusret II was discovered by Petrie at Kahun ==
== A workers village built during the time of Senusret II was discovered by Petrie at Kahun ==
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