Feb.4] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY. [1890.
the events betweenthe Exodus and the building of the temple would
shrink up to little morethan twohundred,so that the idea that
Mer-en-ptahwas the king of the Exodus wouldunquestionablyhave
to be abandoned. The time which I suggest for the Exodus, the
end namely of the reign of Horemhebi or of Ramessu I, would then
be brought downto the date fixedby Lepsius for the Exodus, and
wouldthereforebe nearer the foundation of the temple than I like
it to be. If, however, 1322 B.C. werethe date of the death of
RamessuII, and we allow a century for his reign andthatof Seti I,
my Exodus datewouldbe about 1422 B.C. It will be observed that,
as Ramessu II is known to have reigned 67 years, I am only allow
ing 33 years for his father Seti, insteadof 50 which are usually
assignedto him. Thisis because we have no evidence for the 50
yearsexceptthatof Manetho, Seti'shighestmonumentallyrecorded
yearbeinghis ninth, andbecauseI think it highly improbablethat a
king having so extremely lengthy a reign as 67 years shouldbe
precededby a father whohadso unusually longa reign as 50 years,
especiallyas Ramessu II was not an infant whenhe succeeded his
father,but fought the battle of'Kadeshin his 5th year. I naturally
wishto shorten Seti'sreignas much as is compatible withfacts,in
orderthatit and the earlier yearsof Ramessu II may fall within the
periodduringwhichthe Hebrews were,uponmy hypothesis, in the
wildernessandeastof the Jordan, so that I may escapethe objection
I have urgedagainstothertheories,that,if the Hebrews hadbeen
in Palestine whenRamessuII was there he, or they, or both, would
haverecordedit.*
Theprincipalpointsin favour of the hypothesis I have nowput
beforeyou may be briefly summed up as follows :—
- It accords with the known factsand with the probabilities
bothof Egyptian andHebrewhistorybetterthanany other theory.
- It is supported by the identification of Pharaoh's daughter.
- It does not violate anyascertained factor reasonable proba
bility.
I have nowto submit to you a second set of suggestions which
may be accepted or rejected without in any way affecting the
acceptanceor rejection of those alreadymade.
* If we allow fifty yearsfor Seti, then 1322 + 67 for Ramessu + 50 for Seti
— 1439 B.C.,or within a year of the date fixedby Mr. Schwarz, thoughon a
differentsystemof chronology.
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