BBS Pi-Ramesses
Introduction
The Bible’s Buried Secrets
claim that an historical core is to be found is just so much subjective
irrationalism. Whose history? What core?
From the content of the presentation we get a very good idea that The
Bible’s Buried Secrets intends to define and even rewrite such an
historical core for us. Thanks, we can
do our own thinking. We don’t appreciate
this method of handling evidence.
Neither do we appreciate the use of question begging pseudo-logic that
assumes the conclusion before it starts.
Sticking to the disproved idea that
Tanis is Piramesse, is just an incredible blunder. Moreover, we are not seeking mere resonance,
we are seeking solid connections.
There is no evidentiary reason to
associate Ramesses II with the biblical Exodus.
The Ramessides are simply too late in time. On the other hand there is insufficient
evidence to associate any other pharaoh with the biblical Exodus. Any modification of the dating structure
could change the whole ballgame. The “traditional”
solution remains unproved. The Pharaoh
of either Joseph or the Exodus remains unidentified.
Script[1]
Pi-Ramesses,
House of Ramesses (time 21:30)
N: Because the poetry in Exodus is so
ancient, is it possible the story has some historical core? Here in the eastern Nile delta of Egypt, a surreal
landscape of fallen monuments and tumbled masonry, archaeologists uncovered a
lost city. Inscribed on monuments throughout
the site is the name of Ramesses II (1275-1208), one of the most powerful
Egyptian rulers. It is Ramesses, who is
traditionally known as the Pharaoh of the Exodus.[2] Ancient Egyptian texts call the city Pi-Ramesses,[3] or House of Ramesses, a
name that resonates with the biblical story of Exodus.[4]
Coogan: The only specific item mentioned in
the Exodus story that we can probably connect with non-biblical material is the
cities that the Hebrews were ordered to build, and they are named Pithom[5] and Ramesses.[6]
N: Scholars agree that the biblical city
Ramesses, the ancient Egyptian city, Pi-Ramesses, its ruins are here in
present-day Tanis.[7]
Manfred Bietak:[8] Most of the Egyptologists identified
Pi-Ramesses, the Ramesses town with Tanis, because here you have an abundance
of Ramesside monuments.[9]
Historical
Cores
The opening question, if The
Bible’s Buried Secrets is to be taken with any credibility, has only
one answer, the “Song of the Sea”. Yet
why should this question and answer be taken credibly? If the measure of genuine antiquity and historicity
in Scripture is poetry or hymnology, then why shouldn’t we start with the “Song
of Creation”[10]
rather than the “Song of the Sea”? What
constitutes hymnology or poetry in Scripture anyway?[11] If the “Song of the Sea” qualifies as “core”
historic narrative, then why doesn’t the “Ode to Wells”[12] also qualify? Why should we not consider the “Song of
Covenant”?[13] If the “Song of Covenant” is equally oral
tradition, alongside of the “Song of the Sea”, why does Moses command that it
be written and rehearsed before it has a chance to become oral tradition? Or if the “Song of Covenant” already exists
in written form before 1200, why and how must it be recorded and edited in 950,
850, 600, and 500? The question, “Is it
possible the story has some historical core?” is little more than a very
unscientific invitation to reject any data that is not approved by a select
group of experts.[14]
Tanis
The exploration of Tanis is a
different matter. The sheer volume of
archaeological materials here is overwhelming.
So we are a bit amused to learn that much of this material originated
elsewhere. Evidently, Tanis wasn’t even
founded until just before 1039[15]: so we are discussing a
city that originates only thirty years before David becomes king. In other words, we are discussing a city that
was developing as David was a little shepherd boy, during the final years of
the Philistine uprising. It is laughable
that the Israelite scribes would be so ignorant of their contemporary world
history that they should have inadvertently manufactured a legendary
pseudo-history involving a city that they must have known, did not exist in
antiquity. In any case, it is impossible
that Tanis could be the site of Pi-Ramesses.
Ironically, the noteworthy
archaeologist, Manfred Bietak is to be credited with discovering that this
archaeological blunder[16] associating Tanis with
Pi-Ramesses is incorrect. So it is
ironic that The Bible’s Buried Secrets should seem to cut off Bietak’s
words in mid-sentence before he can explain the correction.
Bietak is known for his work at Tell El-Dab’a (Avaris), Pi-Ramesses (Piramesse, Qantir), and other critical
locations.[17] It may be his work that discovered that the
Nile silted over near Avaris, making the city uninhabitable, and forcing a
relocation. Avaris (1705-1535)[18] was one of several minor ancient
capitals[19] of Lower Egypt. Yet as early as 2134 Thebes, located some
four hundred miles south of Avaris, was already the primary center of Egyptian
government. In any case Tanis is neither
Pi-Ramesses, nor is it an ancient capital. Tanis is first employed as a capital around
1039, during the twenty-first dynasty. The Bible’s Buried
Secrets suppressed important
data. This is where the story begins to
get interesting.
Geography
Beginning with Bietak’s search for the true Pi-Ramesses, we set out
to make a simple outline of relevant history.
The more we researched and studied, the more confusing it got. Finally, we settled on a plan to study the
geography, especially of the capital cities of Egypt, as they developed. We began with the assumption that Mesopotamia
is the cradle of both civilization and of life.
The peoples we call Egyptians migrated from Mesopotamia, around the
Fertile Crescent, and to the Nile River, spreading south. As the Egyptians spread south settlements
were established along the Nile. Eventually,
Egyptians thought of this linear development as Lower Egypt, in the north; and
Upper Egypt in the south. Upper Egypt
continued to grow, so today we think of it as divided into Middle Egypt, and
the rest of Upper Egypt.[20]
We define Lower Egypt (LE) as
everything from the Mediterranean Sea to Cairo (the delta). Middle Egypt (ME), really part of Upper Egypt,
runs between Cairo and Qena.[21] The rest of Upper Egypt (UE) lies between
Qena and Assuan.[22] Lower and Upper Egypt had their own special
deities, cobra goddess, Wadjet, and the vulture goddess, Nekhbet; their own
plants, lily, and papyrus; red and white crowns; and possibly linguistic
differences in the Egyptian Arabic (not-so-Saidi Arabic) and Saidi Arabic, which may also have ethnic implications.
For whatever reasons, some such villages, rose to prominence and became
capital cities, especially after Lower and Upper Egypt were united in the first
dynasty. In order, these were:
- Thinis (3150-2686), a lost city[23]
- Memphis (2669-2160), about 120 miles south of the Mediterranean[24]
- Herakleopolis (2160-2040), about 80 miles south-southwest of Memphis[25]
- Thebes (2134-1077), about 300 miles south and slightly east of Herakleopolis[26]
- Itj-tawy sometimes known by its tombs at el-Lisht (1991-1649), a lost city possibly south of Cairo[27]
- Memphis (1803-1649), a second rising of Memphis to prominence[28]
- Avaris (1705-1535), in the eastern Nile Delta[29]
- Thinis (1650-1600), a second rising of Thinis to prominence[30]
- Tanis (1039-943), in the eastern Nile Delta, twelve miles north of Avaris[31]
- Bubastis (943-716), about 40 miles southwest of Tanis[32]
- Herakleopolis, Hermopolis, and/or Thebes (837-728), Hermopolis, new to us, is located close to Amarna, in the fifteenth nome of Upper Egypt[33]
- Sais (732-720), in the western Nile Delta[34]
- Meroe (732-653), in Sudan[35]
- Sais (672-525), a brief revival of power[36]
- Persia (525-332), in Mesopotamia[37]
- Mendes (398-380), in the eastern Nile Delta[38]
- Sebennytos (380-343), in the eastern Nile Delta[39]
- Alexandria (332-30)[40]
- Rome[41]
These capitals may be grouped by
their geography:
- LE: Avaris (1705-1535), Tanis (1039-943), Bubastis (943-716), Sais (732-720; 672-525), Mendes (398-380), Sebennytos (380-343), Alexandria (332-30)
- ME: Memphis (2669-2160; 1803-1649), Herakleopolis (2160-2040), Itj-tawy (1991-1649)
- UE: Thebes (2134-1077), Amarna? (1351-1334), Hermopolis? (837-728)
- Unknown: Thinis, Others
- Foreign Nations: Hyksos, Meroe, Persia, Macedonia, Rome
We hardly know what to make of LE. The Egyptians emphasized the importance of
unification: yet, of what. If Thinis is
not an LE capital, then LE appears to be devoid of a capital until 1705. This reinforces the idea that the Egyptians
did not think much of LE, an opinion also found in the Bible. The development of LE government appears to
be a response to external forces: specifically, a way to manage crop wealth,
control immigrants, and repel invaders.
The government of LE appears to be sporadic and unstable, ideas that fit
well with the history of both Joseph and Moses.
Instability is supported by the terrain, which could be described as
sinking, silting, and swampy. Whatever
other factors are involved, it is difficult to think of LE as stable.
ME appears to be relatively
stable. Its governments precede LE by
nearly a millennium, which is quite a surprise.
There is only one gap (2040-1991) of 49 years, and this may be more a
lapse of knowledge than a real gap. We
are startled to see ME government evaporate in 1649; yet this may be the result
of attending to pressing business in the north.
This increases our curiosity over LE, where we now expect stable
government to develop? So what happened
to the missing governments?
UE appears to be completely stable,
until it also disappears as a seat of government in 1077. Only on hiccup, revolving around a single
Pharaoh ruffles the surface at Amarna.
Still, from 1077 on, all government seems grouped in LE. So, when the Nubians come in 732, they appear
to fill a vacuum.
Sources
To have mastery of this era, we must know more than a handful of all too falsely
impressive artifacts. The Egyptians knew
how to impress: in fact they seemed to have loved the pomp, circumstance, and
show. Could they keep their facts straight? Did they know how to organize and keep
records? Mastery of this era and region
requires competence with the following sources:
- Palermo Stone (2392-2283),[42] a list of pharaohs inscribed on stone.
- Turin King List (1279-1213),[45] a list of pharaohs recorded on papyrus, about 50% legible.
- Saqqara Tablet (1279-1213),[46] a list of pharaohs inscribed on stone from the tomb of a Ramesses II official, it appears to bear considerable resemblance to the art and style of the Abydos King List.
- Judicial Papyrus of Turin (1186-1155),[47] court trial records.
- Manetho (third century),[48] several books written in Greek.
- Berossus (third century),[49] Babylonian history.
- And much, much more. An enormous amount of material still lies buried or under water.
We might suppose, with all this wealth of source material, that an
indisputable Egyptian chronology could be easily constructed. This is not the case. According to Anstey, since 1906 the dating
for Menes has dropped from 5510 to as low as 2691, thus compressing all of
Egyptian chronology with it.[54] In contrast with biblical chronology,
Egyptian chronology is a mess of uncertainties.
Consequently, Egyptian chronology is being contested from several
angles.
“The well-established Egyptian chronology” is anything but
well-established. There is just too much
unresolved material, too many absent dates, and too numerous unidentified
pharaohs to call Egyptian chronology anything besides shaky or tenuous. Most of the evidence derives from the
Ramessides. Evidently, most other
Egyptians were not very good at keeping books, or the Ramessides destroyed them. Alternately, this may indicate an imbalance
in archaeological research: the chronologies from other dynasties may not have
been found, because we failed to look for them.
History
Because of the immense problems with Egyptian chronology and geography, it
is difficult to build a cohesive history for Egypt’s whole existence. Funds are short and skilled people are
lacking. Who wants a career in
Egyptology without pay? So attaining
such a history is apt to take a long time.
Considering the obstacles of submerged and sunken towns, along with
moving landmarks, such as rivers that change their riverbed in every flood
season, obtaining a cohesive Egyptian history may be out of human reach. People would rather explore space. Here are several more resources that we found
useful.[55]
The focal object, historically speaking, is to find something more than a
solution that resonates. Resonates is a
technical term that means nothing more than they sound alike. Frankly, we are looking for something more
than that one of the biblical words, Pithom and Ramesses, sounds like the
Ramesside dynasty in general, and Ramesses II in particular.
What we discovered concerning the Ramessides is that they are not noble
stock, but were promoted into a position among the Theban kings because of diligence
and hard work. The Ramessides did indeed
come from around Avaris, Ramesses I was born there, and the family was no doubt
a prominent family in that region. We suspect
that Pi-thom also represents a prominent family name, perhaps Athom, but that
remains unsubstantiated.
As far as Joseph and the twin cities, Pithom and Ramesses are concerned the
biblical record fits the time of the fifteenth dynasty; yet it fits even better
with the overlapping sixteenth dynasty and the reigns of Sekhemre-sementawi
Djehuti, Sekhemre-seusertawi Sobekhotep VIII, and the rest of the sixteenth
dynasty. The establishment of grain
forts for the regulation of distribution near to the main grain production area
just makes sense. Even so, Exodus 1:11
does not associate Pithom and Ramesses either with grain, or with Joseph; but
rather with treasure.[56] So, the association drawn between grain bins
and horse stables is a red herring. The
existence of worldwide famine would explain how and why such grain forts would
transition into military forts, and one a capital city in due time. It would be reasonable to think that within a
few years, worldwide famine might transition from people seeking food to more
massive migrations, even invasions and panic.
Egypt had food in 1630; therefore, Egypt must be rich.
Over the span of a few years, this creates the perfect environment for
prejudices to ripen. It’s all the fault
of those unclean Israelite goat-herders from the north. Moses leads the Exodus.
So much for a working hypotheses, it’s all quite subjective. What we need from Egyptian history is not
another working hypothesis; but more evidence coming from Egyptian
archaeology. The advantage of our
working hypothesis is that it diligently tries not to ignore the biblical
evidence, while at the same time giving credit to the Egyptian evidence.
Conclusion
The Bible’s Buried Secrets
claim that an historical core is to be found is just so much subjective
irrationalism. Whose history? What core?
From the content of the presentation we get a very good idea that The
Bible’s Buried Secrets intends to define and even rewrite such an
historical core for us. Thanks, we can
do our own thinking. We don’t appreciate
this method of handling evidence.
Neither do we appreciate the use of question begging pseudo-logic that
assumes the conclusion before it starts.
Sticking to the disproved idea that
Tanis is Piramesse, is just an incredible blunder. Moreover, we are not seeking mere resonance,
we are seeking solid connections.
There is no evidentiary reason to
associate Ramesses II with the biblical Exodus.
The Ramessides are simply too late in time. On the other hand there is insufficient
evidence to associate any other pharaoh with the biblical Exodus. Any modification of the dating structure
could change the whole ballgame. The “traditional”
solution remains unproved. The Pharaoh
of either Joseph or the Exodus remains unidentified.
[1]
What is for the most part an exact copy of the script follows. There are a few places where individual
speakers could neither be heard nor understood: for this we apologize. Every effort was made to be precise: there
were just spots that defeated us. Since
this is a quote in its entirety it seemed unnecessary to mark it with quotation
marks. The notation for each speaker is
tedious enough: Narrator, Reader, etc.
If you discover bothersome errors please reply to this Blog and point
them out. You may verify the script more
easily by starting to replay it where the “time” stamps indicate discussion
begins. The second of these links is
free from advertising and thus easier to use.
This blog is found at:
http://swantec-oti.blogspot.com/
[2]
This assumption of a Ramesside Exodus is most likely false. Fatal to this postulate is the absence of a
powerful queen figure: although Nefertari
(d. 1256) is a candidate. Nefertiti (1353-1336 or 1351-1334
BC) makes a far better candidate, but even she pales before Hatchepsut. Several of Hatchepsut’s monument records were
destroyed toward the end of the reign of Thutmose III, for no apparent reason.
Hatchepsut (1508-ascension
in 1473-1458 BC) is the perfect candidate.
With Moses birth and youth (1526-1486) almost perfectly coinciding, a
dating error of only 38 years would provide a perfect fit. She is actually queen regent of Egypt: the
combination of a weak husband and opportunity, places her in power. She bares no male children and only one
daughter, which may explain her motivation for adoption. Her predecessor is Thutmose II (disputed,
1493-1479, 1513-1499 BC). Her successor
is Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC): we cannot fail to note that Moses is an
Egyptian name from this very dynasty.
She continues to reign throughout the childhood of Thutmose III, who
makes the perfect candidate to avenge the murder committed by Moses in
1486. Thutmose III is Hatchepsut’s
step-child, which may indicate that a “sibling” rivalry was in play with
Moses. Moses’ return in 1446 is twelve
years after the death of Hatchepsut in 1458.
When we enquire, why pharaoh did not simply kill Moses and Aaron; the
answer may be that pharaoh was on a tight leash held by a powerful
step-sister/cousin, Neferure (1473-1457:
Hatchepsut’s daughter). We can’t
ask for a better fit.
[3] It
is suggested that Psusennes I moved the monuments of Pi-Ramesses. Judging from the basis of a 1039 foundation
date this appears to be correct. We also
found evidence that the Ramesside family was from the Nile Delta and possibly
even from Avaris or Qantir, which are only about 253 feet apart: a one minute
stroll. Some conflicting pieces of data
remain unexplained: the Seti capital is listed as Memphis and as Thebes; the
Ramesses II capital is listed as Pi-Ramesses and as Thebes; all were buried in the Valley of the Kings
(Thebes). Since Delta cities are
separated from Thebes by a distance of 320 to 400 miles (as the crow flies),
the puzzle remains partially unexplained.
[4] If
we were looking for tangencies with Moses, we would be better off searching at
Thebes. Thebes is Capital of Egypt 1549-1189
BC (the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties), if the dates are believable. In fact from 2134 to 1077, Thebes is the very
definition of what it means to be Egyptian.
This is problematic for Thebes is some four-hundred miles south of
Tanis, Avaris, and Pi-Ramesses. Nevertheless, the eighteenth dynasty is
closely tangent with the Septuagint dates for Moses (1406-1366), while the
nineteenth dynasty is too late. The
temporary collapse of Thebes as the capital could be explained by the plagues. Hatchepsut is a Theban queen. Ramesses II is a Theban king.
[6] We
seek something buried beneath anything known to Ramesses II. The sites are not even necessarily the
same. Nevertheless, we are coming to
firmer dates for Joseph (1661-1551), as well as for Moses (1526-1406), and
these dates show some interesting tangencies at Tell-el-Daba (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tell_El-Dab%27a#Residences).
Still the record is far from being
proved. Some of the information rests on
radar imaging technology, so much more can be learned when excavation is
complete. Indeed, Tell-el-Daba is one of
the most promising sites in Egypt.
[7]
This statement is at worst, deliberately false; at best misleading. It is true that the Ramesses II ruins are
here in present-day Tanis. However, they
are not from Tanis, and Tanis is not the city of Ramesses; they were
transported here from “Qantir, near
the old site of Avaris.” So any
association between Tanis and the biblical store cities of Pithom (possibly Tel
al-Maskhuta) and Ramesses is cast in doubt.
Since this discovery (ca. 1960) that Qantir is the true Pi-Ramesses, not
Tanis, is credited to Manfred Bietak, it is strange that The
Bible’s Buried Secrets suppressed this information.
[8] Manfred
Bietak (1940 …), an Austrian archaeologist
and Egyptologist formerly with the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Works: Sayala (1961), Tell El-Dab’a, Pi-Ramesses, Thebes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Bietak
[9]
Bietak seems to be cut off in midsentence.
[10]
Genesis 1:1-2:3
[12] Numbers
21:17-20
[13]
Deuteronomy 31:19-22
[14]
For other examples see Deuteronomy 32:44; Judges 5:1-12; 1 Samuel 29:5; 2
Samuel 22:1-51
[15]
This date does not mesh with the twenty-first dynasty, which is thought of as
the dynasty from Tanis. If 1039 is
correct, and if the twenty-first dynasty chronology is correct, then Psusennes
I, aka Pasebkhanut I (1047-1001) would necessarily be the city founder: Tanis
being built and occupied for the first time as a/the capital city during his
reign.
[16]
It was no blunder in the nineteenth century when Flinders Petrie and Auguste Mariette first
explored Tanis: it was an automatic and inevitable observation. Even so, it was a mistaken observation. Repeating this error today, when now we are
overwhelmed with an increasing pile of contrary evidence, that is the blunder. To cover up these facts, using the very
archaeologist who discovered many of them, namely Manfred Bietak, and
return to the old mistaken theory is deception and fraud.
[17]
According to Google Earth, the two cities are only 77 meters apart (253 feet), one
minute on foot. We apologize for not
knowing how to make the direct linkage with Google Earth.
[18]
There are conflicting dates for Avaris (Piramesse). One authority claims dates as widespread as 1783-1047.
Ahmose I may have destroyed it in 1535.
The dates listed above (1705-1535) are those for which we could
establish a dynastic presence (fourteenth and fifteenth dynasties). We take the founding of Avaris/Piramesse as 1783, most likely as the capital of a
nome. Since it was situated at the
juncture of four nomes and on the Nile it was naturally prominent. Avaris/Piramesse then became the capital of LE in 1705. The logical connection with the Ramessides,
who appear to be a Theban royal family, most prominent in the nineteenth and
twentieth dynasties, is now known. Ramesses
I was born in or near Piramesse of non-royal stock. Although Piramesse was prominent enough to be the ideal
location for the establishment of grain forts in the time of Joseph, external
pressures such excessive migration and the need for customs control drew the
northern focus away from Memphis/Herakleopolis/Itj-tawy and directed it to
increasing external problems in the Delta.
Since it had already been a royal city since 1705, it only makes sense
that Ramesses II wanted Piramesse to be his northern capital. In any case Piramesse seems to have been the
Ramesside family town for over four-hundred to five-hundred years before
Ramesses II was born. Ramesses II,
however, was the one who put it on the map.
The possible destruction by Ahmose I in 1535 adds fuel to the fire and
confusion to the history. We need to
excavate Piramesse.
[19]
More recent investigations have revealed that Avaris/Piramesse/Qantir is many
times larger and more impressive than once supposed.
[20]
This is pretty much the same way that Americans think of the mid-west, the real
west, and the west coast. At the start,
nobody ever dreamed of how big it would become.
West was on the other side of the Alleghenies. Upper was on the
other side of Cairo.
[21] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8770
[22]
This is an old spelling. The place where
the big dam is, near Elephantine, where the Nile Cataracts began.
[23]
Thinis is a lost city. The mark on the
map is of dubious importance. More
likely this Thinis is in the Delta.
While we are not implying or stating that Thinis has been found, we are
suggesting that there are very good chances of finding much more archaeological
evidence sunken in the muck all over the Nile Delta and in the Sea beyond.
[24]
Memphis is also known as Ineb-Hedj (with several variant spellings), or White
Walls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Egypt
[28]
Ostensibly, Memphis reached a second prominence during the thirteenth
dynasty. The thirteenth dynasty is
marked by such chaos and disorder that it is essentially un-datable. More likely, Memphis never lost prominence,
but was always one of the larger and more influential cities: frequently, the
seat of government is not the real seat of power. The possibility of close proximity between Itj-tawy,
Lisht, and Memphis, may mean that they were only one seat of power in reality.
[29]
Avaris is supposedly the seat of Canaanite, Hyksos, or Semitic leadership. Its prominence in Egyptian government is
uncertain. Its chain of “Pharaohs” is
unclear and mostly un-datable. It was a
prominent center of business. The
Ramesside presence may have been for purposes of levying import duties,
tariffs, and taxes. It may also have
served as an immigrant screening and security post. Note how difficult it is to connect Ramesses
II (1279-1213) to Avaris as any kind of capital city (1705-1535). Obviously, Ramesses II built somewhere in
that area; but why? The answer seems to
be that Ramesses was a prominent Egyptian family name long before Ramesses II
became pharaoh, either in Avaris or in Thebes.
The Ramesside family happened to be from the Avaris region. Ramesses II had cause to honor his family with
works around Avaris. This does not give
us warrant to suppose that the Ramessides were not Egyptian natives. We are probably off track to suppose that
Avaris was a Canaanite, Hyksos, or Semitic stronghold. More likely Avaris existed to keep the
Canaanites, Hyksos, or Semites under an Egyptian thumb. There is a claim that Ahmose I destroyed
Avaris, in which case Ramesses II rebuilt it.
[30]
There is no assurance that this Thinis is even associated with the previous
Thinis. This Thinis is ostensibly the
capital of the so-called Abydos dynasty, which appears to be little more than a
place holder in Egyptian chronology and history. Egyptian sources are filled with information
that can neither be identified, nor dated.
This makes Egyptian history a jumble of confused disinformation: other
whole dynasties escape confirmation.
This may indicate, yet unsolved, periods of turmoil in Egyptian history,
times of division, the rise to power of minor fiefdoms, or even the dominance
of feudal government: contrary to the usual claim of a unified Egypt. The Abydos dynasty is an unidentifiable
ghost.
[31]
Tanis is not important because of the Ramessides. Tanis is important because, if its dates are
correct, it corresponds to the reigns of David and Solomon (1010-930). Tanis is exclusively related to the
twenty-first dynasty.
[32]
Bubastis is primarily important to us because of its association with Shishak (Shoshenq
I). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubastis
[33]
The three cities were identified in relationship to the twenty-third dynasty
and are not critical to the present discussion.
Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten (1351-1331) during his brief reign of twenty
years also took the capital away from Thebes in the eighteenth dynasty.
[34]
Sais is also outside of the scope of our study focus, is only prominent during
the twenty-fourth and twenty sixth dynasties, and may indicate nothing more
than that the prominence of Thebes has finally ended.
[35]
The domination of Meroe in the extreme south as with the rise to prominence of
Sais in the extreme north indicates that power and prominence have vanished in
Upper Egypt. In a quirk of fate, the
Kushites, extending their influence even into Lower Egypt, restore much of
Egypt.
“The 25th dynasty
ushered in a renaissance period for Ancient Egypt. Religion, the arts, and architecture were
restored to their glorious Old, Middle, and New Kingdom forms. Pharaohs, such
as Taharqa, built or restored temples and monuments throughout the Nile valley,
including at Memphis, Karnak, Kawa, Jebel Barkal, etc. It was during the 25th dynasty that the Nile
valley saw the first widespread construction of pyramids (many in modern Sudan)
since the Middle Kingdom.”
Since the existence of Kush seems to add confirmation, and
credibility to the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), one wonders why no reference
to it was mentioned as evidence in The Bible’s Buried Secrets.
[36]
The revival, which began when Psamtik I drove the Kushites from Egypt, lasted
less than 147 years.
[37]
From this point on, Egypt ceases to be a viable world power. Revivals are brief and weak.
[38]
Mendes, at this point, represents only an eighteen year respite from Persian
dominations. However, further excavation
may reveal a greater prominence in that region.
Avaris, Tanis, and Bubastis are already known and proposed as capital
cities. Pi-Ramesses is in the
vicinity. Merneptah, a Theban Pharaoh is
now known to have influence in the area as well. Since Egypt has always been greatly concerned
with the idea of a unified kingdom, the outcome of archaeological searches at
Mendes and similar places, may uncover a northern capital complex like that of
Thebes: so that possibly Egypt always had twin capitals, over which each
Pharaoh reigned at the same time. Since
unified Egypt is the binding of two goddesses, two plants, two crowns, and
possibly two languages; why not two capital cities at the same time? This is another site that we wish would
receive greater attention.
Naqada II
period, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerzeh_culture
[40]
The Macedonians defeated the Persians, from that point on Egypt was a vassal of
a superpower. When the Macedonians
divided after the death of Alexander, the Ptolemaic Empire was formed.
[41]
Rome conquered Greece; then went to bed with Philopator.
[54]
Anstey, Martin, Chronology of the Old Testament (Kregel, Grand
Rapids, 1973 reprint of 1913 original: 271 pages), page 48
[56] Treasure
sounds a lot like regal center or capital.
[57] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations,
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