Go here for notes on Mazar, chapter 7

You will often find scholars claiming that Monotheism - belief in one God - originated with Akhenaten, and that the Israelites got the idea from him. None of them seem willing to consider that things might be the other way around - that Akhenaten might have got the idea from Joseph and/or the Israelites during their stay in Egypt. To me, it seems more likely that Akhenaten took the idea from the Hebrews. Akhenaten's view of "Aten" seems limited to a sun-god who gives life, and Monotheism in Egypt died out with Akhenaten's death.
The Hebrew concept of God continued to develop, and has endured and flourished to the present day.

The most likely time for the Hebrews to have been welcome in Egypt, and for a foreigner such as Joseph to rise to a high position, was during the period of the Hyksos - the foreign Canaanite rulers of Lower Egypt.
Then, when the Hyksos were expelled by Pharaoh Ahmose, the Hebrews might also have been treated as conquered tribes rather than as welcome guests.
The Pharaoh most often associated with Moses and the events of the Exodus is Ramses II. Moses' name itself is Egyptian, rather than Hebrew, and has the same root as Ah-mose and Tuth-mosis.

The "New Kingdon" in Egypt

The New Kingdom dates from the time when the Egyptians, led by Ahmose, drove out the Hyksos overlords, and re-established rule by Egyptian Pharaohs.
Art and building flourished, the country became rich again. However, the priesthood began to increase in power, until by the time of the death of Tutankhamen it seems that the priests were so powerful that they could force the new young Pharaoh to change his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankamun. His name shows that he had originally been dedicated to "Aten", the name of the one god introduced by Akhanaten, The priests re-asserted the rule of a pantheon of gods, led by Amun, the god of Thebes.

Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty :

• Ahmose, 1,539 - 1,514 BC
• Amenhotep I, 1,514 - 1,493 BC
• Tuthmosis I, 1,493 - 1,481 BC
• Tuthmosis II, 1,491 - 1,479 BC
• Queen Hatshepsut, wife of Thutmose II, mother of Thutmose III, 1,473 - 1,458 BC
• Tuthmosis III, 1,504 - 1,450 BC
• Amenhotep II, 1,427 - 1,392 BC
• Tuthmosis IV, 1,419 - 1,386 BC
• Amenhotep III, 1,382 - 1,344 BC
• Amenhotep IV - Akhenaten, 1,350 - 1,334 BC
• Smenkhkare, 1,336-1,334 BC
• Tutankhamun, 1,334 - 1,325 BC
• Ay, 1,325 - 1,321 BC
• Horemheb, 1,323 - 1,295 BC

Note : The dates given above are approximate. Tuthmosis is sometines spelled Thutmose.

Pharaohs of the 19th Dynasty

• Ramesses I, 1,295 - 1,294 BC
• Seti I, 1,394 - 1,279 BC
• Ramesses II, 1,279 - 1,213 BC
• Merenptah, 1,213 - 1,203 BC
• Amenmesse, 1,203 - 1,200 BC
• Seti II, 1,200 - 1,194 BC
• Siptah, 1,194 - 1,188 BC
• Tausert, 1,185-1,187 BC

Note : The dates given above are approximate.

This Week's Assignment

Show and Tell - on a separate Web Page

Remember to cite your sources

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