Statue of Thutmoses III in the British Museum

Type:  Ancient Egyptian Scarab
Age: 1500-500 BCE
Era: Middle Bronze Age 
Culture: New Kingdom to Late Dynastic Egyptian
Excavated: Unknown


This Egyptian Scarab Seal has a cartouche with the name of Pharaoh Thutmose III (right side inside the oval).


As with almost anything in the field of Archaeology there is significant disagreement among scholars. This is most notable, however, when something is related to the Bible. In fact, there is a whole school of archaeology (the minimalists) who have a knack for trying to refute anything that could provide support for the Biblical narrative. Guess who gets the most media attention when topics of archaeology arise. That's right, the minimalists. But there are other scholars, just as well trained and respected, that are not afraid to consider a Biblical connection to archaeological finds. This school, which has become known as the maximalists, provide, in my opinion, compelling evidence for the presence of the Israelites in Egypt and for the Exodus. 

Most scholars agree that a semitic group of people infiltrated Egypt in the 18th century BCE. They are recognized as the Hyksos. According to 1st century historian Josephus, who cites an earlier Egyptian historian called Manetho, the Hyksos were foreign rulers, referred to shepherd kings, who came from the Levant (modern day Israel, Lebanon, Syria). The Hyksos capital, now called Tel El Daba, was called Avaris during the time of the Hyksos and at one point, the city of Rameses. 

Based upon the Biblical Timeline, Joseph would have arrived in Egypt around 1880 BCE. The Exodus would have occurred 430 years later, in 1446 BCE, the exact time we see a dramatic change in Egyptian prosperity and culture. Also, about 40-60 years before Canaanite kings request military assistance to battle the roaming nomads referred to as the Habiru (see the Amarna letter). Based upon this timeline it can be determined that Thutmose III was the Pharaoh that enslaved the Israelites and his son Amenophis II would have been the pharaoh of the Exodus.

Thutmose II's daughter, Hatshepsut may well have been the queen who saved moses. It is even more intriguing that she was loved by Egyptians for some time, but after her death, she was hated; so much so, that they tried to eradicate any evidence of her existence. Could it be because she raised the child who, by the command and power of God, brought about the desolation of Egypt? It is interesting that a non-Egyptian entered into the royal family that matches the time frame and situation of Moses quite well. His name was Senemnut. A very compelling article about this character and the possible connection to Moses can be found here. 

Thutmose IV was pharaoh after Amenophis II, but did you know Thutmose IV was not the first-born child of Amenophis? Why does this matter? Well, the first-born of the Egyptians would have been killed in the plague. The Dream Stele, found between the paws of the Great Sphinx (written around 1401 BCE) suggests that Thutmose IV was not the first-born child but became Pharaoh, nonetheless. We also know that Amenophis II was not the first born, because Egyptian writing indicate that Amenhemet was the Kings eldest son and stepbrother of Amenhotep II. This is why the Pharaoh did not die in the tenth plague.

Thutmose III was renowned for the numerous military campaigns he undertook; however, Amenophis II engaged in very few campaigns. The most notable one, however, was in the Levant where he captured many thousands of slaves. Could this have been to rebuild the slave base that had left in the Exodus.

Let us not neglect to recognize the common use of Moses in the name of the pharaohs, Thutmose being a prime example.  

But didn’t the Bible and that movie “The Ten Commandments” tell us that Rameses was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? To answer this, please see the Amarna Letter information regarding the dating of the Exodus. Scholars believe that the reference to the Israelites building the storehouses of Rameses is a later addition. The city of Rameses was formerly known as Avaris, the Capital City when the Israelites were in Egypt. If I were writing about the Southern Salt Lake Valley today, I would not use the name Evansville because people would not know where that is. Rather, I would use the name Lehi, which was formerly known as Evansville. The same thing likely happened with the Bible. Later readers would know the city as Rameses rather than Avaris, thus the name was likely updated.