CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

Egypt to the Persian Conquest

The next big surprise in Egyptian history is the dating of Ramesses the Great and Dynasty XIX. Few scholars were willing to consider the evidence, presented in 1945, for dating Ramesses about seven centuries later than the conventional dating (see "Theses for the Reconstruction of Ancient History," "Scripta Academica-Hierosolymitana", Scientific Report III, by Immanuel Velikovsky).
Ramesses the Great was a contemporary of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon! The king of Hatti whom Ramesses fought at Kadesh was the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar. At the rise of Babylon to a world power, Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Hatti -- the ancient name of Syria, Palestine and a portion of Asia Minor.
The site of the battle of Kadesh, which Ramesses made so famous in his monuments, was not a city on the Orontes River in Syria, but the famous city of Carchemish. Kadesh is a Semitic word for "holy." Kadesh was a holy city. A number of cities in the ancient world bore the name Kadesh because they were holy places. Carchemish was famous -- as was Jerusalem -- as a holy city. The Greek name of Carchemish was Hieropolis, meaning Holy City.
Before proceeding with the detailed relationship between Ramesses and Nebuchadnezzar, we should first establish the chronology of the period from Manetho's transcribers. The exact dating of Dynasty XVIII (and preceding dynasties) has been established and confirmed by the Biblical record. Dynasty XIX follows Dynasty XVIII -- and therefore ruled in the eighth, seventh and sixth centuries B.C.

The following table establishes the proper chronology of the period.
 

Names of Kings of Dynasty XVIII after 773 B.C. and of Dynasty XIX from Eusebius	Lengths of Reign	Date
Ramesses	68	771-705
Ammenophis	40	705-665
Sethos (Seti I)	55	665-610
Rampses (Ramesses the Great)	66	610-544
Ammenephthis (Merenptah)	8	544-536
Ammenemes	5 (See Africanus' epitome)	536-531
Thuoris, whose husband was Sethos II	7	531-524

The Egyptian year at this period began January 1 531 B.C. and January 1, 524 B.C. This makes the calendar year 525 the last full year of Thuoris. With Queen Thuoris, a contemporary of Psamtik III, this royal line of Egypt and Nubia died out as Ezekiel foretold.
Dynasty XIX has been greatly confused in history books because historians carelessly discarded Manetho. They confounded several Ramesses in Manetho's list into one. It will be proved later that the Ramesses who ruled from 773 to 705 was the Ethiopian Piankhi. Modern historians have long assumed Manetho overlooked him. He didn't. Ramesses (773-705) is not a mere duplicate of Rampses (610-544). They are two different individuals.
The last documented year of Ramesses the Great recorded on any monument in Egypt is year 44 -- 567-566. The dynasty withdrew to Nubia following Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Egypt.

The "Israel" Inscription

This restoration of history for the first time makes sense out of the Egyptian account of "Israel" under Ramesses' son, Merenptah.
The name "Israel" has been clearly found only once in all Egyptian annals. This illustrates how inadequate is archaeology when used as the whole source of knowledge. The single inscription appears from the reign of Merenptah, son of Ramesses the Great. It is often referred to as the "Israel Stela." The reference to Israel is as follows:
 

"... Plundered is the Canaan with every evil;
"Carried off is Ashkelon; seized upon is Gezer; ...
"Israel is laid waste, his seed is not ...."
(See Pritchard, "Ancient Near Eastern Texts", page 378.)

It is to be specially noted that in the Egyptian text all names are preceded with a determinative sign meaning land, except for the name of Israel. The hieroglyphic determinative which precedes the name of Israel refers to people, not land. The record of Merenptah is therefore a historical account of the disappearance of the people of Israel from Palestine. This was never completely fulfilled until the captivity of the House of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar!
For decades historians have attempted to read into this document an account of the exodus, or of Joshua's invasion! Utter nonsense! It is a contemporary record of the deportation of the last remnant of the people of Israel from Palestine.

The "Thirteen Fatal Years"

In Josephus' "Contra Apionem", I, 26-31, there is a remarkable account of Egyptian calumnies against the Jews involving this period. The story involves "thirteen fatal years," and foreign invaders who polluted the Egyptian religious temples. The Egyptian Manetho made it appear that the enemies of Egypt were the Jews. The enemies were not the Jews but the Assyrians who sent their troops into Egypt, conquered the land and polluted its religious worship.
The setting of the event is during the time of an Amenophis. Josephus doubted such an individual lived. Josephus was correct in assuming the account was propaganda against Jews, but he was incorrect in denying the historical reality of the personages involved. Amenophis, king of Egypt, had, at the beginning of the thirteen years of exile, a five-year-old son Sethos. Young Sethos was named Ramesses after his grandfather. Amenophis was subject to the Ethiopian king, Manetho reports.
The grandfather Ramesses is the Ramesses who rules from 773-705. The Amenophis is his son who ruled during the years 705-665 (including the 13-year exile). The 5-year old son is Sethos (665-610), father of Ramesses the Great. The period is the Assyrian occupation during Dynasty XXV.

Nebuchadnezzar and Ramesses the Great

As final proof of the dating of Ramesses' reign to 610-544, notice the parallels between Egypt and Chaldaea. The history of Chaldaea for this period is best summarized in the "Chronicles of the Chaldaean Kings" 626-556 (B.C.), edited by D.J. Wiseman, 1956 edition. Egyptian source material may be found in J.H. Breasted's "Ancient Records of Egypt", vol. III.

From these Chaldaean and Egyptian records the following events are extracted.
 

Egyptian:	Chaldaean:
607-606 -- fourth year of Ramesses, Egyptians march through Palestine, slay Josiah of Judah, and reach Kadesh (Carchemish) on Euphrates.	607-606 -- year nineteen of Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, Chaldaeans march up Euphrates, seize Kimuhu on banks of the river near Carchemish.
606-605 -- fifth year of Ramesses, Egyptians record spectacular victory in vicinity of Kadesh (Carchemish) over ruler of Hatti (Syria).	606-605 -- Babylonian Chronicle reports for twentieth year of Nabopolassar: "... the army of Egypt came to the city of Kumuhu and then captured the city." "The Egyptian army which had crossed the Euphrates at Carchemish came against the Babylonian army ... the Babylonian army withdrew quickly and retreated."
605-604 -- Ramesses silent about events in Syria and Palestine.	605-604 -- Egyptian army smashed at Carchemish. Chaldaeans seize "the whole area of the Hatti country."
604-603 -- Ramesses again silent about events in Palestines	604-603 -- Chaldaeans capture Judah and city of Ashkelon in land of Philistines.
603-602 -- eighth year -- Ramesses reconquers Ash-kelon, overruns Galilee and proceeds to Carchemish. Breasted comments in a footnote: "At some time between the fifth and eighth years all Palestine ... revolted against Ramses II, and he was obliged to take up the reconquest of his Asiatic possessions, at his very door, Ashkelon" (pp. 157-158). Ramesses records nothing of the outcome of his march to Carchemish (Kadesh)except that he received tribute upon reaching the Euphrates.	603-602 -- in spring of year 603 Chaldaeans marched to land of Hatti with a powerful army. employ siege towers against a city whose name is broken away on the clay tablet. A notable victory is achieved. Jeremiah 46:2 comes to our aid. This victory was achieved at Carchemish -- it is the second battle for Carchemish (historians have only taken note of the first The Egyptians are totally overthrown. (Who Pharaoh Necho was in the Biblical account will be explained later.)
601-600 -- a damaged monument seems to refer to year 10 of Ramesses and a struggle for Palestine (see p. 125 of Breasted's work, vol. III).	601-600 -- Chaldaean chronicle records: the king "took the lead of his army and marched to Egypt. The king of Egypt heard (it) and mustered his army. In open battle they smote the breast (of) each other and inflicted great havoc on each other. The king ... turned back and returned to Babylon."

Here is historical confirmation of astounding significance. We have proceeded with the restoration of Egyptian history from its earliest period. That restoration required that Ramesses the Great be placed in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. -- contemporary with Nebuchadnezzar. And when the pages of history are opened for those centuries. the parallels are there!
In conclusion. note the deeds of Ramesses "the Great" found on the monuments under the name of Tirhakah, in classical tradition a contemporary of Nebuchadnezzar.
Inscriptions found upon certain reliefs at Medinet-Habu -- the Pylon of the Ethiopians -- record the statement that a king Tirhakah claimed sovereignty over Western Mesopotamia, the land of Hatti, part of Assyria, as well as Libya and other regions of Africa (G. Daressy, "Medinet Habou", page 9). Scholars immediately recognized this vast realm was unhistorical for the Tirhakah of Dynasty XXV. The list was pronounced "worthless." Then Mariette discerned that the same record appeared elsewhere on the base of a colossal statue of Ramesses II. (See Mariette's "Karnak", page 67, plate 18.) Mariette refused to believe his eyes. But there was the evidence: This Tirhakah was indeed Ramesses "the Great."
"Curiously enough," admits E.A. Wallis Budge in "A History of Egypt", vol. VI, page 157, "Tirhakah obtained the reputation of being a great traveller and conqueror, and Strabo, under the name of 'Tearko the Ethiopian,' mentions him ... as one whose expeditions were not generally known." (See "Strabo", book I, chapter 3, part 21.) "In another place he quotes Megasthenes, who says that ... Tearko the Ethiopian advanced as far as Europe ...." (See "Strabo", book XV, chapter 1, part 6.)

Catching Up Loose Ends

Now to complete the restoration of Dynasty XIX from archaeology and Manetho's transcribers. According to Eusebius, Manetho assigns 8 years (544-536) to Ammenephthis (known as Merenptah from archaeology). In Syncellus' copy of Eusebius' epitome of Manetho the figure given is 40 years -- that is 576-536. Now see this confirmed from archaeological sources:
 

Names of Ramesses and Successors from Monuments	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Ramesses	67	610-543
Merenptah	10	576-566
Sethos II	6	543-537
Siptah	6	537-531
Twosre, a queen and widow of Sethos II (Thuoris in book of Sothis)	7	531-524

Compare this chart, based on archaeological evidence, with the record of Manetho. The reign of Merenptah (Ammenephthis) is given as 8 years in the Armenian version of Eusebius. This eight year period followed the reign of Ramesses. But Syncellus' copy of Eusebius' Manetho reads 40 years. Merenptah therefore reigned jointly with his father Ramesses for 32 years. Since the 10-year reign of Merenptah is recorded in Egypt, and not solely in Nubia, these ten years are Merenptah's first ten years -- 576-566. Merenptah continued his reign in Nubia after Egypt was depopulated between 570 and 566 by the Chaldaeans.
The reign of Ramesses in Nubia was followed by those of Sethos II, Siptah and Twosre. All the historical inscriptions of Siptah are Nubian graffiti, primarily from Wadi Halfa. Here again is confirmation of Ezekiel's prophecy of Egypt's 40-year desolation (Eze. 29:8-16).

The tombs of these rulers are all found in Egypt. The explanation is simple. Manetho's longer figures indicate that each began to reign in Egypt jointly with Ramesses before the land became desolate. Notice these additional figures from Manetho confirming the joint reigns!
 

Names of Rulers of Dynasty XIX according to Africanus	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Sethos	51	656-605
Rapsaces (Ramesses the Great)	61	605-544
Ammenephthis (Merenptah)	20	557-537
Ramesses (Siptah -- in contemporary records his name is spelled Ramesse-siptah)	60	591-531
Ammenemnes	26 (according to Eusebius)	557-531
Thuoris (Twosre)	50 (from book of Sothis)	574-524

For the date 656 marking the beginning of the reign of Sethos, see Gardiner's "Egypt of the Pharaohs", p. 450, especially the comment on the reign of Tanuatamun.
With this, the restoration of Dynasty XIX has been completed. But what are we to do with all the other dynastic houses which, historians say, ruled Egypt during these centuries? And who is that other long-lived Ramesses dated 773-705?

Dynasty XXV, the Ethiopians

Drop back in time to the end of the eighth century B.C. This is the period of Ethiopian rule of Egypt. The evidence from Assyrian sources for the proper dating of this period is so overwhelming historians have been unable to upset it.

From archaeological discoveries the reigns of the recognized kings of Dynasty XXV appear as follows:
 

Names from the Monuments and Stelae	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Shabako	15	707-692
Shebitku	3	692-689
Taharka	26	689-663

In 663 Thebes was sacked by the Assyrian king Assurbanipal. In 663 Taharka was succeeded by another Ethiopian Bakare Tanuatamun, whom the Assyrians named Urdamane. Archaeology has recovered indications of only 8 regnal years, but the history of Dynasty XXVI of Sais preserves evidence that his reign following the destruction of Thebes was 9 years -- 663-654.

The account of Dynasty XXV from Eusebius provides additional information of joint rulership not discovered by archaeologists.
 

Names of Dynasty XXV in Eusebius	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Sabacon	12	707-695
Sebichos	12	695-683
Taracus	20	683-663

The name of Tanuatamun does not appear in the dynasty. In the book of Sothis the names are as follows: 75 Sabacon; 76 Sebechon; 77 Taraces. The lengths of reign are those of Eusebius.
A comparison of Eusebius' Manetho with archaeological finds indicates Shabako and Shebitku reigned as equals for 3 years -- 695-692, as did Shebitku and Taharka for 6 years -- 689-683.

The account of Africanus differs somewhat from that of Eusebius.
 

Names of Dynasty XXV in Africanus	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Sabacon	8	705-697
Sebichos	14	697-683
Tarcus	18	683-665

The shorter reign of Sabacon will be explained later by the 46-year reign of Bochchoris, preserved by Eusebius. Thus:
 

Bochchoris	46	751-705
Sabacon	8	705-697

In Africanus it may be observed that Sebichos (Shebitku) is found associated on the throne in 697, two years earlier than the coregency indicated by Eusebius. A Biblical parallel may be observed in the relationship of Jehoshaphat and Jehoram. Jehoshaphat associated his son Jehoram on the throne with him in year 17, but it was not till year 22 that he was made full co-regent (compare I Kings 22 with II Kings 1 and 8).
Again these figures illustrate that if all the information is available, the records fit perfectly.
Scribal errors are not the cause of the variations. More important is the individual author's evaluation of events which leads him to emphasize different dates.
The short 18-year reign of Taharka (to 665 instead of 663) is easily accounted for by Egyptian and Assyrian information. Two years after Assurbanipal attacked Memphis (667) the Assyrian records indicate Tanuatamun came to the throne. He was king of Egypt during the final Assyrian attack on Thebes in 663. Though archaeology has provided no documents mentioning a joint reign, the classical writers plainly confirm the Assyrian record. Taharka and Tanuatamun were ruling jointly for two years: 665-663. With the end of the reign of Tanuatamun the last vestiges of Ethiopian control of Egypt cease.

Dynasty XXVI of Sais

The Ethiopian rule over Lower Egypt ended in 663 with the end of the reign of Taharka. Thereafter It passed to Dynasty XIX. In Lower Egypt in that year Dynasty XXVI of Sais rose to power. It was established by Assyrian authority, but its rulers were, to some extent, related to the Ethiopian Theban line by marriage. From the monument the following list of kings, parallel with Dynast; XIX Thebes in Upper Egypt, has been firmly established.
 

Names of Kings of Dynasty XXVI of Sais in Lower Egypt	Lengths of Reign	Dates
(Taharka)	(26)	(689-663)
Psamtik I	54	663-609
Necho	16	609-593
Psamtik II	5	593-588
Apries (Hophra)	19	588-569
Ahmose II (Amasis)	44	569-525
Psamtik III	6 months	525

The Persian invasion occurred in the year 525 and the line of Egyptian royalty passed from the scene. The princes that had ruled Egypt for centuries ceased. At this point the proof of the restoration of Egyptian history is established. It agrees to the very year -- from the Tower of Babel in 2254 to the Persian conquest in 525.
Though the archaeological record for the last Saite dynasty is amply demonstrated, some scholars have been puzzled by the dating of the last king Psamtik. A record early in his year 2 has been found. The answer is, of course, that he counted the 44th year of Amasis, during which he came to the throne, as his first year. This method of pre-dating hereafter became the usual mode of reckoning the Persian rulers in native annals. Psamtik's six months of reign overlapped the end of one calendar year and the beginning of the next, hence the date "year 2" during which he was overthrown.
The classical writers preserve some important additional information concerning Dynasty XXVI that is not known from archaeology.

Manetho's Account of Dynasty XXVI

The evidence from Herodotus is especially valuable, as it gives a fuller view of joint reigns of the various kings. His information for the reign of Apries, the Hophra of the Bible, is as follows:
 

Name of King	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Psammetichos I (Psamtik)	54	663-609
Nechao II	16	610-594
Psammetichos II	6	594-588
Apries	25	594-569
Amasls	44	569-525
Psammetichos III	6 months	525

The overlap of Necho II is insignificant. But it is worthy of note that Herodotus pictures Apries and Psammetichos exercising power from the same year. Both Africanus and Eusebius preserve a short reign of 6 years for Necho II, and Eusebius assigns 17 to Psammetichos. Thus:
 

Nechao II	6	610-604
Psammetichos	17	604-587

Psammetichos died in the early part of 588, near the beginning of his 17th calendar year. From this it appears that Psammetichos and his father Necho shared the throne jointly for 10 years -- 604-594.

In Eusebius' "Chronicon" another set of regnal years (though improperly dated) is preserved for Apries and Psammetichos:
 

Psammetichos II	12	599-587
Apries	30	599-569

Here again one sees that Apries exercised equal authority with Psammetichos II even prior to his sole reign, whatever the significance of the year 599 may be.

Eusebius has two other variants of historical significance. He assigns Amasis 42 years only 567-525 -- dated from his expulsion by the Chaldaeans to Cyprus. Also, Eusebius assigns for the Theban reign of Psammetichos I 45 years (according to Syncellus) and 44 in the Armenian Version. These may be easily understood if 9 years (to be proved from book of Sothis) are assigned to Tanutamun, nephew of Taharka, and if 610 and 609 are considered the beginnings of the reign of Necho II. It should be remembered that Psamtik I ruled in Lower Egypt nine years before his first year at Thebes commenced.
 

Tanuatamun	9	663-654	or	9	663-654
Psammetichos I	45	654-609		44	654-610
Nechao II	15	609-594		16	610-594

These are not scribal blunders, but consistent evaluations based upon different points of view. Some dates are predated, others postdated. The year 610 is predated. It marks the year in which Ramesses the Great, Necho's contemporary, rose to power. Dynasty XIX of Thebes and Dynasty XXVI of Sais were undoubtedly related. Their kings participated on joint ventures -- as, for example, the wars of Ramesses and Necho with Nebuchadnezzar.

Before the reign of Psamtik I, Manetho preserves a number of kings not included in archaeological lists. From Africanus the following list may be drawn up.
 

Names of Rulers of Dynasty XXVI	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Stephinates	7	684-677
Nechepsos	6	677-671
Nechao I (whom the Assyrians appointed in 671)	8	671-663

Eusebius adds the following extra information from Manetho not preserved by Africanus:
 

Names of Rulers of Dynasty XXVI	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Ammeris the Ethiopian	12	696-684
("Ameres" in Armenian Verion)	18 (in Armenian Version)	702-684

The remainder of the list is the same as Africanus'.

Book of Sothis and Dynasty XXVI

Before restoring other dynasties of this period, look at the book of Sothis. It ends with additional figures for the Saite dynasty. It appears so divergent from all other records that it has been totally rejected. Yet its details agree with this restoration of history. In the following chart the dates have been inserted, after which they will be analyzed.
 

Names in Book of Sothis	Lengths of Reign	Dates
77 Taraces (Takarka II)	20	683-663
78 Amaes (Tanautamun)	38	692-654
79 Stephinathes	27	684-657
80 Nechepsus	13	684-671
81 Nechao	8	671-663
82 Psammetichus	14	648-634
83 Nechao II	9	609-600
84 Psamuthes II	17	604-587
85 Uaphris (Hophra)	34	600-566
86 Amosis (Amasis)	50	575-525

Several of these dates are in chronological order, others are not. In numerous instances the reigns apparently indicate the total length of public service. They take on meaning only after a consecutive chronology for the period has been established.
What is the significance of Nechepsos' 13-year reign? According to Manetho, his 7-years' reign ended in 671 at the Assyrian invasion of Esarhaddon. The 13 years of his reign must therefore precede that date. His reign parallels that of Stephinathes, beginning 684.
In the Sothic list Amaes is given as the successor of Taharka. (The break in continuity occurs after Amaes' name, not before.) Tanuatamun was his Egyptian name. Urdamane is the name in Assyrian. He was the son of Shebitku and nephew of Taharka. He reigned as late as calendar year 655-654 according to Manetho. His 38-year reign would therefore extend from 692-654. It is significant that in 692 Shebitku assumed control of the government according to the archaeological record of Dynasty XXV. Shebitku then associated his son on the throne with him when he came to power.
Necho II's 9 years of reign in the book of Sothis immediately precedes an unusual 34 years of Hophra. This evidence indicates that Hophra, or Apries, assumed powers of government in 600. It explains the emphasis placed by one account of Eusebius on the next (postdated) year -- 599 -- as the commencement of the reign of both Psamtik II and Apries.
But did Hophra live into the calendar year 567-566? Indeed he did. His death is recorded on the Elephantine Stela as occurring in Year 3 of Amasis. Amasis' year 3 was from 567-566. The 50-year reign of Amasis is obviously his sole rule and co-regency.
And what is the origin of the unusual dating of Psammetichus? For an explanation we must turn to an earlier portion of the Book of Sothis.

Another Look at Book of Sothis

The account commences with the end of Dynasty XVIII.
 

Names in Book of Sothis	Lengths of Reign	Dates
47 Ramesses Aegyptus	68	770-702
48 Amenophis	8	702-694
49 Thuoris	17	694-677
50 Nechepsos	19	677-648
51 Psammuthis	13	648-635
52 --- (no name)	4	635-631
53 Certos	20	631-611
54 Rampsis (Ramesses "the Great")	45	611-566

This unusual list seems clearly to be based on political events and royal family relationships otherwise unrecorded. Notice the reign of Psammuthis (Psammetichus), beginning in 648. Observe also the date 702. Compare this with the 18-year reign of Ameres from Eusebius' version of Manetho's Dynasty XXVI presented earlier. Ameris the Ethiopian succeeded Ramesses-Piankhi the Ethiopian in 702.
Now turn back Egyptian history to the beginning of the Ethiopian period in Egypt.

Appearance of Dynasty XXIV of Sais

Immediately before the reign of Shabako of Dynasty XXV the city of Sais, in the Delta, became prominent in politics. Its dynasty is famous for one man, Bochchoris. His father Tefnakhte was of much less importance. The classical writers mention only Bochchoris. Archaeologists recovered the name of Tefnachte. The total duration of Dynasty XXIV was 44 years.

Africanus assigns only 6 years to Bochchoris, but Eusebius and the book of Sothis each attribute 44 years to him. The variation allows for a simple explanation. Tefnakhte, Bochchoris' father, was a local prince before he became king. At the time he rose to kingship he associated his son with him on the throne. Tefnachte must have survived 38 years. The dates of the dynasty are as follows:
 

Name of King	Lengths of Reign	Dates
Bochchoris, or Bocchoris (the Bekenrinef of archaeology)	44	751-707

or

Tefnakhte	38	751-713
Bocchoris	6	713-707

The end of the official reign of Bochchoris is 707.
In one document Eusebius indicates Bochchoris survived two more years, for he assigns 46 years to his entire reign -- 751-705.
Africanus informs us that Bochchoris was captured by his successor Sabacon (Shabako).

Who Was Usimare Piankhi?

The pages of history must be turned back a few years again to establish the identity of the Ethiopian Usimare Piankhi, of Dynasty XXV, the immediate predecessor of Shabako, who ruled over all Egypt in the eighth century before the present era. By archaeologists Piankhi is determined to be the father of Taharka (689-663), and of Shebitku (692-689), and the brother of Shabako (perhaps the English "half-brother" would be more correct).
All archaeologists have expressed surprise that Manetho would have neglected so famous a ruler! But Manetho did not neglect him! The annals of Usimare Pianki reveal who he was.