Feb.4] PROCEEDINGS. [1890.SOME SUGGESTIONSRESPECTING THE EXODUS.By A. L. Lewis, F.C.A.Thequestion,underwhichof the Pharaohs the Hebrew Exodus
took place, is one that has engaged the attei.tion of most
Egyptologistsat some timeor other. It has been generallycon
sideredthatRamessuII was the oppressor, and thathis son and
successorMer-en-ptahwas the king of the Exodus, but that difficulties
havealwaysbeenfelt in accepting this view, is evident fromthe fact
thatother theories are from time to time put forth. In i860
Mr. Basil Cooper published a pamphlet in which he fixed upon
TahutmesII as the king, and 1515 b.c. as the date of the Exodus.
In 1886 Mr. David Burnettpublisheda pamphlet in which he fixed
uponApachnas(whowas,he says, the last Hyksos kingbut one) as
the king, and 1665 b.c. as the date of the Exodus. In 1889
Mr. Jacob Schwartz published some articlesin the "Theological
Monthly,"in which he fixed upon TahutmesIII as the king, and
1438 b.c.as the year of the Exodus. Lastly, M. de Bunsen has
just designated AmemhotepI as the king and 1563 as the date of
the Exodus.
Therehave doubtlessbeenothertheories propoundedwhichI
havenot become acquaintedwith,but to the five already mentionedI
am about to add a sixth of my own. As a justification for this appa
rentlyunnecessaryaction,it is desirable in the first placeto examine
the theories alreadymentioned,andsee why and where theyfail to
commanduniversalacceptance.
Whatmaybe calledthe orthodox theory,namelythatMer-en-ptah
was the king of the Exodus, has been ablyset forth by Lepsius, who
consideredthe date to have been 1314 b.c. Lepsiusthoughtthat
the period commonlyassignedto the Hebrew Judgeswasmuchtoo
long;that Osarsiph and his lepers (spokenof by Manetho and
Josephus)were Mosesandthe Hebrews ; that the king Amenophis
who fled from the lepersto Ethiopia, was not one of the Amen-hoteps
but Mer-en-ptah (or as he called him Menepthes) ; and that his prede
167