Feb.4] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1890.
wouldhaveascended the throne 663 yearsbefore Sheshenk,that
is, in 161 1 ; but, after the necessary deduction of the thirteen
years, it is now proved that Ahmes began his government in
B.C. 1598, so that his fifth regnalyearwas1593. Thisis exactly
the 400th yearafter 1993, the Biblical year for the Exodus of
Hebrewsfrom Haran, whose immigration into Egypt, according
to the above chronology,tookplacein the same year. Theservi
tude of the Hebrews in Egypt had lasted exactly 400 years in
'theyearfive'of Ahmes, from 1993-1593,and thirty yearsafter
this date of the Elkab inscription theywere led out of Egypt
by Moses, in the Biblicalyearfor this event, 430 yearsafterthe
Exodus fromHaran,that is, in 1563. The Hebrewshave there
fore sojourned 430 years in Egypt, as recorded in the Bookof
Exodus, and in that land which was not theirs they served its
rulers,and thesedid afflict them 400 years,as transmitted in the
Bookof Genesis.*
ThePharaohof the Exodus was Amenophis I, the ' Amenophis '
of Manetho, duringwhose reignof thirteen yearsthe second oc
cupation of Egypt by the Hyksos took place, whose return was
assistedby the leprous peopleor Hebrews accordingto Manetho,
that is, according to the Elkabinscription(line 22), by 'rebels'
who'joined them.' Notonly do the thirteen yearsof Manetho
correspondwiththe thirteen regnalyearsof Amenophis I, but whilst
Manetho refers to the retirement of ' Amenophis ' to Ethiopia,
the Elkab inscriptionrefersto the 'journey up to Kush' of ' King
Sor-Ka-Ra,' that is, of Amenophis I (line 23). t Manetho calls
this Amenophis the son of Ramses, and there was a Prince Ramses
belonging to the family of Ahmes. AmenophisI may havebeen
a grandson of Ahmes.
A harmony so extraordinary between Hebrew and Egyptian
chronologyandhistoryit would be impossible to explain by a mere
chancecoincidence. Thisresulthas been obtainedby establishing
a calendrian yearfor the fifth of Rehoboam which is likewise the
twentiethof Shishak, and by reckoning backwards fromthisyear
B.C. 928 to the accession of Ahmes the regnal yearsof the Pharaohs
transmittedby Manetho.
Thisnewresultcan be raised to the dignity of a fact by the now
possible explanation of the 390 years announced by the vision
- Gen. xv, 13 ; Ex. xii, 40, 41.
t Manetho in Josephuscont.Ap.,I, 26-35.
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