| BibleFacts |
Moses and the Exodus
in Ancient Historical
Documents
|
On Legends |
The purpose of this paper is to show all the ancient
documents that may shed light of the date of the Exodus and the name each
nation gave to Moses. Many of these works are no longer existent, so only
portions of them are quoted by other historians.
Josephus is careful to point out that while the records
of the Hebrews, Chaldeans, and Phoenicians were very accurate, the records
of the Egyptians and Greeks have dates that are way off compared with the
consensus of all the other accounts, and sometimes they add wholly factious
events.
Early Church Fathers:
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Moses lead the exodus from Amosis
king of Egypt in the 42nd year of the Assyrian empire. Old Assyrian empire was
~1500-1100 BC. Justin Martyr (Greeks 9) and Clement of Alexandria (Stromata
1.21)
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Quotes Apion in saying the Exodus was in the days of
pharaoh Amosis. The Exodus was about 700 years before the great Trojan War.
Also says the Berosus says the Trojan War was in the days of Alexander the
Great. Tatian (Greeks 36 & 38)
-
Quotes Manetho in saying the Exodus was in the days of
pharaoh Amosis, but says Manetho's dates are way off. Berosus chronology is
correct, the Greek dates a way off, and the Sac of Troy was 700-900 years
after the exodus. (some of his calculated dates are off however). TethMosis
enslaved the Israelites and Danaus came to Argos 313 years (before?) the
Exodus. Theophilus (3.20)
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Moses was about 700 yrs before the Trojan war. Lactantius, Divine Institutes 4.5
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Pharaoh's Daughter who took Moses for her own was named Thermuthis.
Josephus Ant. 2.9.7
Hebrew Documents:
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The exodus was 2448 AM, and the Hebrews called the
pharaoh of the Exodus Adikam, son of Melol. Melol ruler for 94 years
and his son for only 4. Jasher 77:1,3, see also the Talmud
-
This was the 31st year of Latanus, the 3rd King of United Italy. Jasher
74
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Tharmuth, was the daughter of
Pharaoh who adopted Moses. Book of Jubilees 47:5
Egyptian Documents:
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Manetho, Egyptian history 2 - "There was a king of ours
whose name was Timaus. Under him it came to pass, I know not how, that God
was averse to us, and there came, after a surprising manner, men of ignoble
birth out of the eastern parts, and had boldness enough to make an
expedition into our country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without
our hazarding a battle with them. They demolished the temples of the gods
and at length they made one of themselves king, whose name was Salatis; he
also lived at Memphis, and made both the upper and lower regions pay
tribute, and left garrisons in places that were the most proper for them. He
chiefly aimed to secure the eastern parts, as fore-seeing that the
Assyrians, who had then the greatest power, would be desirous of that
kingdom, and invade them; and as he found in the Saite Nomos, [Sethroite,] a
city very proper for this purpose, and which lay upon the Bubastic channel,
but with regard to a certain theologic notion was called Avaris, this he
rebuilt, and made very strong by the walls he built about it, and by a most
numerous garrison of two hundred and forty thousand armed men whom he put
into it to keep it. Thither Salatis came in summer time, partly to gather
his corn, and pay his soldiers their wages, and partly to exercise his armed
men, and thereby to terrify foreigners. When this man had reigned thirteen
years, after him reigned another, whose name was Beon, for forty-four years;
after him reigned another, called Apachnas, thirty-six years and seven
months; after him Apophis reigned sixty-one years, and then Janins fifty
years and one month; after all these reigned Assis forty-nine years and two
months. And these six were the first rulers among them, who were all along
making war with the Egyptians, and were very desirous gradually to destroy
them to the very roots. This whole nation was styled HYCSOS, that is,
Shepherd-kings: but some say that these people were Arabians."
Now in another copy it is said that this word does not denote Kings, but, on
the contrary, denotes Captive Shepherds, and this on account of the particle
HYC; for that HYC, with the aspiration, in the Egyptian tongue again denotes
Shepherds, and that expressly also; and this to me seems the more probable
opinion, and more agreeable to ancient history.
[But Manetho goes on]: "These people, whom we have before named kings, and
called shepherds also, and their descendants," as he says, "kept possession
of Egypt five hundred and eleven years." After these, he says, "That the
kings of Thebais and the other parts of Egypt made an insurrection against
the shepherds, and that there a terrible and long war was made between
them." He says further, "That under a king, whose name was Alisphragmuthosis,
the shepherds were subdued by him, and were indeed driven out of other parts
of Egypt, but were shut up in a place that contained ten thousand acres;
this place was named Avaris."
Manetho says, "That the shepherds built a wall round all this place, which
was a large and a strong wall, and this in order to keep all their
possessions and their prey within a place of strength, but that Thummosis
the son of Alisphragmuthosis made an attempt to take them by force and by
siege, with four hundred and eighty thousand men to lie rotund about them,
but that, upon his despair of taking the place by that siege, they came to a
composition with them, that they should leave Egypt, and go, without any
harm to be done to them, whithersoever they would; and that, after this
composition was made, they went away with their whole families and effects,
not fewer in number than two hundred and forty thousand, and took their
journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, for Syria; but that as they were
in fear of the Assyrians, who had then the dominion over Asia, they built a
city in that country which is now called Judea, and that large enough
to contain this great number of men, and called it Jerusalem. (9)
Now Manetho, in another book of his, says, "That this nation, thus called
Shepherds, were also called Captives, in their sacred books."
Josephus Against Apion 1.14
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"When this people or shepherds were gone out of Egypt
to Jerusalem, Tethtoosis the king of Egypt, who drove them out, reigned
afterward twenty-five years and four months, and then died; after him his
son Chebron took the kingdom for thirteen years; after whom came Amenophis,
for twenty years and seven months; then came his sister Amesses, for
twenty-one years and nine months; after her came Mephres, for twelve years
and nine months; after him was Mephramuthosis, for twenty-five years and ten
months; after him was Thmosis, for nine years and eight months; after him
came Amenophis, for thirty years and ten months; after him came Orus, for
thirty-six years and five months; then came his daughter Acenchres, for
twelve years and one month; then was her brother Rathotis, for nine years;
then was Acencheres, for twelve years and five months; then came another
Acencheres, for twelve years and three months; after him Armais, for four
years and one month; after him was Ramesses, for one year and four months;
after him came Armesses Miammoun, for sixty-six years and two months; after
him Amenophis, for nineteen years and six months; after him came Sethosis,
and Ramesses, who had an army of horse, and a naval force. This king
appointed his brother, Armais,, to be his deputy over Egypt." [In another
copy it stood thus: After him came Sethosis, and Ramesses, two brethren, the
former of whom had a naval force, and in a hostile manner destroyed those
that met him upon the sea; but as he slew Ramesses in no long time
afterward, so he appointed another of his brethren to be his deputy over
Egypt.] He also gave him all the other authority of a king, but with these
only injunctions, that he should not wear the diadem, nor be injurious to
the queen, the mother of his children, and that he should not meddle with
the other concubines of the king; while he made an expedition against
Cyprus, and Phoenicia, and besides against the Assyrians and the Medes. He
then subdued them all, some by his arms, some without fighting, and some by
the terror of his great army; and being puffed up by the great successes he
had had, he went on still the more boldly, and overthrew the cities and
countries that lay in the eastern parts. But after some considerable time,
Armais, who was left in Egypt, did all those very things, by way of
opposition, which his brother had forbid him to do, without fear; for he
used violence to the queen, and continued to make use of the rest of the
concubines, without sparing any of them; nay, at the persuasion of his
friends he put on the diadem, and set up to oppose his brother. But then he
who was set over the priests of Egypt wrote letters to Sethosis, and
informed him of all that had happened, and how his brother had set up to
oppose him: he therefore returned back to Pelusium immediately, and
recovered his kingdom again. The country also was called from his name
Egypt; for Manetho says, that Sethosis was himself called Egyptus, as was
his brother Armais called Danaus." Josephus Against Apion 1.15 -
This means 393 years after the exodus is when Danaus came to Argos.
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It now remains that I debate with Manetho about Moses.
Now the Egyptians acknowledge him to have been a wonderful and a divine
person; nay, they would willingly lay claim to him themselves, though after
a most abusive and incredible manner, and pretend that he was of Heliopolis,
and one of the priests of that place, and was ejected out of it among the
rest, on account of his leprosy; although it had been demonstrated out of
their records that he lived five hundred and eighteen years earlier, and
then brought our forefathers out of Egypt into the country that is now
inhabited by us. Josephus Against Apion 1.31
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Cheremon gives a completely different account and mixes
Joseph up with Moses. Josephus Against Apion 1.33
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Lysimachus is another Egyptian historian that tells yet
another completely different story Josephus Against Apion 1.34
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Longest ruling pharaoh (94 years) was May-ree-air
or Neph-ree-cary-fee-ops or
Pepi II and his son
Neph-ree-cary the younger ruled only 4 years.
This was the end of the 6th dynasty and the end of the old kingdom
period. (this agrees with the Jasher account)
Tablets of Abydos in the Abydos Temple and Turin
papyrus
Phoenician Documents:
-
Therein it was recorded that the temple was built by
king Solomon at Jerusalem, one hundred forty-three years and eight months
before the Tyrians built Carthage; and in their annals the building of our
temple is related; for Hirom, the king of Tyre, was the friend of Solomon
our king, and had such friendship transmitted down to him from his
forefathers. He thereupon was ambitious to contribute to the splendor of
this edifice of Solomon, and made him a present of one hundred and twenty
talents of gold. He also cut down the most excellent timber out of that
mountain which is called Libanus, and sent it to him for adorning its roof.
Solomon also not only made him many other presents, by way of requital, but
gave him a country in Galilee also, that was called Chabulon. (13) But there
was another passion, a philosophic inclination of theirs, which cemented the
friendship that was betwixt them; for they sent mutual problems to one
another, with a desire to have them unriddled by each other; wherein Solomon
was superior to Hirom, as he was wiser than he in other respects: and many
of the epistles that passed between them are still preserved among the
Tyrians. Now, that this may not depend on my bare word, I will produce for a
witness Dius, one that is believed to have written the Phoenician History
after an accurate manner. This Dius, therefore, writes thus, in his
Histories of the Phoenicians: "Upon the death of Abibalus, his son Hirom
took the kingdom. This king raised banks at the eastern parts of the city,
and enlarged it; he also joined the temple of Jupiter Olympius, which stood
before in an island by itself, to the city, by raising a causeway between
them, and adorned that temple with donations of gold. He moreover went up to
Libanus, and had timber cut down for the building of temples. They say
further, that Solomon, when he was king of Jerusalem, sent problems to Hirom
to be solved, and desired he would send others back for him to solve, and
that he who could not solve the problems proposed to him should pay money to
him that solved them. And when Hirom had agreed to the proposals, but was
not able to solve the problems, he was obliged to pay a great deal of money,
as a penalty for the same. As also they relate, that one·Abdemon, a man of
Tyre, did solve the problems, and propose others which Solomon could not
solve, upon which he was obliged to repay a great deal of money to Hirom."
These things are attested to by Dius, and confirm what we have said upon the
same subjects before. Josephus Against Apion 1.17
Babylonian Documents:
-
Berosus, gives us a history of the deluge of waters
that then happened, and of the destruction of mankind thereby, and agrees
with Moses's narration thereof. He also gives us an account of that ark
wherein Noah, the origin of our race, was preserved, when it was brought to
the highest part of the Armenian mountains; after which he gives us a
catalogue of the posterity of Noah, and adds the years of their chronology,
and at length comes down to Nabolassar, who was king of Babylon, and of the
Chaldeans. Josephus Against Apion 1.19
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This is what Berosus relates concerning the
forementioned king, as he relates many other things about him also in the
third book of his Chaldean History; wherein he complains of the Grecian
writers for supposing, without any foundation, that Babylon was built by
Semiramis, (14) queen of Assyria, and for her false pretense to those
wonderful edifices thereto buildings at Babylon, do no way contradict those
ancient and relating, as if they were her own workmanship; as indeed in
these affairs the Chaldean History cannot but be the most credible.
Josephus Against Apion 1.20
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So that the records of the Chaldeans and Tyrians agree
with our writings about this temple; and the testimonies here produced are
an indisputable and undeniable attestation to the antiquity of our nation.
And I suppose that what I have already said may be sufficient to such as are
not very contentious. Josephus Against Apion 1.21
Greek/Roman
Documents:
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Menander the Ephesian, as an additional witness. This
Menander wrote the Acts that were done both by the Greeks and Barbarians,
under every one of the Tyrian kings, and had taken much pains to learn their
history out of their own records. Now when he was writing about those kings
that had reigned at Tyre, he came to Hirom, and says thus: "Upon the death
of Abibalus, his son Hirom took the kingdom; he lived fifty-three years, and
reigned thirty-four. He raised a bank on that called the Broad Place, and
dedicated that golden pillar which is in Jupiter's temple; he also went and
cut down timber from the mountain called Libanus, and got timber Of cedar
for the roofs of the temples. He also pulled down the old temples, and built
new ones; besides this, he consecrated the temples of Hercules and of
Astarte. He first built Hercules's temple in the month Peritus, and that of
Astarte when he made his expedition against the Tityans, who would not pay
him their tribute; and when he had subdued them to himself, he returned
home. Under this king there was a younger son of Abdemon, who mastered the
problems which Solomon king of Jerusalem had recommended to be solved." Now
the time from this king to the building of Carthage is thus calculated:
"Upon the death of Hirom, Baleazarus his son took the kingdom; he lived
forty-three years, and reigned seven years: after him succeeded his son
Abdastartus; he lived twenty-nine years, and reigned nine years. Now four
sons of his nurse plotted against him and slew him, the eldest of whom
reigned twelve years: after them came Astartus, the son of Deleastartus; he
lived fifty-four years, and reigned twelve years: after him came his brother
Aserymus; he lived fifty-four years, and reigned nine years: he was slain by
his brother Pheles, who took the kingdom and reigned but eight months,
though he lived fifty years: he was slain by Ithobalus, the priest of
Astarte, who reigned thirty-two years, and lived sixty-eight years: he was
succeeded by his son Badezorus, who lived forty-five years, and reigned six
years: he was succeeded by Matgenus his son; he lived thirty-two years, and
reigned nine years: Pygmalion succeeded him; he lived fifty-six years, and
reigned forty-seven years. Now in the seventh year of his reign, his sister
fled away from him, and built the city Carthage in Libya." So the whole time
from the reign of Hirom, till the building of Carthage, amounts to the sum
of one hundred fifty-five years and eight months. Since then the temple was
built at Jerusalem in the twelfth year of the reign of Hirom, there were
from the building of the temple, until the building of Carthage, one hundred
forty-three years and eight months. Wherefore, what occasion is there for
alleging any more testimonies out of the Phoenician histories [on the behalf
of our nation], since what I have said is so thoroughly confirmed already?
and to be sure our ancestors came into this country long before the building
of the temple; for it was not till we had gotten possession of the whole
land by war that we built our temple. And this is the point that I have
clearly proved out of our sacred writings in my Antiquities.
Josephus Against Apion 1.18
Other:
- Solomon built the temple 612 years after the Exodus Josephus Against Apion 2.2
- Thermuthis is the Pharoahs daughter that adopted Moses
Josephus ANT 2.9.7
Notes on Chronology:
- Exodus 12:40 shows 430 years of sojourn in Egypt (Hebrew) but the
Septuagint (Greek) shows 430 years sojourn in Egypt and in Canaan. All the
chronology books of the Jews ( Jasher, Seder Olam, and others ) show the 430
years was from the promise given to Abraham to the exodus from Egypt, not the
stay in Egypt alone. This is consistent with Galatians 3:16-17 which states
the 430 years was from the promise given to Abraham unto the giving of the Law
at Mount Sinai.
- According to these ancient history books (Jasher, Seder Olam, ect) the
date for the exodus was 2448 years after creation. The Flood was 1656 years
after creation. So we have a time period of 792 years from the flood of Noah
to the Exodus from Egypt.
- According to the book of Jasher the Israelites refortified the cities of
Ramesss and Pithrom, they did not build them from scratch.
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Date: 5-2004 |