The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana
Egyptian records of driving out the Asiatic rulers, background to 'a new king who knew not Yosef'
Found 1908 — Carnarvon Tablet found by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter at Thebes (1908); Kamose stela fragments at Karnak (1932, 1935); second Kamose stela found by Labib Habachi at Karnak (1954); tomb of Ahmose son of Ebana at El-Kab recorded by Lepsius (1840s) and published by Champollion, Lepsius and later Breasted
Where Karnak and Dra Abu el-Naga (Thebes); El-Kab (Egypt)
Dates from c. 1555–1530 BCE · Late 17th – early 18th Dynasty · End of the sojourn; rise of the oppression (context)
Now at Second Kamose stela: Luxor Museum; Carnarvon Tablet: Egyptian Museum, Cairo; Ahmose's tomb (EK5) at El-Kab
How The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana was found
The Carnarvon Tablet, a scribal copy on a wooden writing board, preserved Kamose's war account; the Karnak stelae proved it came from royal monuments. Habachi found the second stela reused as a statue base. The autobiography of the soldier Ahmose is carved on the walls of his rock tomb at El-Kab.
What it is
Kamose's stelae describe his campaign north from Thebes against the Hyksos king Apepi at Avaris, mocking Apepi as 'chieftain of Retjenu' and describing the capture of his messenger to Kush. The Ahmose autobiography tells how the soldier fought in the siege of Avaris under King Ahmose, won the 'gold of valour', and then besieged Sharuhen in southern Canaan for three years.
Why it matters for the Bible
Exodus 1:8 says 'a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Yosef'. Since Josephus, readers have linked the Hyksos, Semitic rulers of the Delta, to the era of Yaakov's family, and the Theban kings who expelled them to the new regime that turned against Israel. These texts are the Egyptian side of that story: real, dated records of a native dynasty driving Asiatics out of Avaris and pursuing them into Canaan. Whether Israel's sojourn overlapped the Hyksos is debated, but the expulsion explains why a 'new king' could fear a Semitic population in the Delta.
The Hebrew word: MEH-lech chah-DAHSH
מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ
מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ is pronounced MEH-lech chah-DAHSH and means 'a new king', Exodus 1:8 (Strong's H4428 + H2319).
People this discovery connects to
- Joseph — יוֹסֵף (yoh-SEF) — he adds
- Pharaoh — פַּרְעֹה (par-OH) — 'great house', the Egyptian king's title
Places
- Egypt — מִצְרַיִם (mits-RAH-yim) — Egypt (the two lands)
Events
The rise of a new king who did not know Yosef (context); the expulsion of the Hyksos
The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana in Scripture
Genesis 30:24 First mention of Joseph in Scripture.
Genesis 46:34 'Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians'; often read against the Egyptian view of Asiatic rulers.
Exodus 1:8-10 A new king who did not know Yosef fears that the Israelites will join Egypt's enemies; the Hyksos expulsion is the background most often proposed.
Questions people ask
What is The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana?
Kamose's stelae describe his campaign north from Thebes against the Hyksos king Apepi at Avaris, mocking Apepi as 'chieftain of Retjenu' and describing the capture of his messenger to Kush. The Ahmose autobiography tells how the soldier fought in the siege of Avaris under King Ahmose, won the 'gold of valour', and then besieged Sharuhen in southern Canaan for three years.
When was The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana discovered?
It was found in 1908 by Carnarvon Tablet found by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter at Thebes (1908); Kamose stela fragments at Karnak (1932, 1935); second Kamose stela found by Labib Habachi at Karnak (1954); tomb of Ahmose son of Ebana at El-Kab recorded by Lepsius (1840s) and published by Champollion, Lepsius and later Breasted, at Karnak and Dra Abu el-Naga (Thebes); El-Kab.
Where is The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana today?
Second Kamose stela: Luxor Museum; Carnarvon Tablet: Egyptian Museum, Cairo; Ahmose's tomb (EK5) at El-Kab.
Which Bible verses does The Hyksos Expulsion: Kamose's Stelae and Ahmose son of Ebana relate to?
Genesis 30:24, Genesis 46:34, Exodus 1:8-10.
Related discoveries
- גֹּשֶׁןAvaris (Tell el-Dab'a)A Semitic city in the eastern Delta, in the land the Bible calls Goshen
- רָעָבThe Famine Stela (Sehel Island)A Ptolemaic rock inscription telling of seven years of famine under Djoser
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםAvaris 'Asiatic Official' Statue and TombA smashed statue of a Semitic dignitary in a striped coat, beside a twelve-pillared house
- מִשְׁנֶהStatue of an Asiatic Official at AvarisA Semitic dignitary honored with a tomb-statue in Egypt
- עַבְדִּיאֵלTomb of the Vizier Aper-ElA Semitic-named vizier of Egypt under Amenhotep III and Akhenaten
- יֵשׁוּעַThe Talpiot Tomb ('Jesus Family Tomb')A first-century family tomb with common names that a 2007 film claimed held Yeshua's family
Sources
- Wikipedia: Carnarvon Tablet
- Wikipedia: Ahmose, son of Ebana
- Habachi, The Second Stela of Kamose (1972)
- Armstrong Institute, 'Who Was the Pharaoh Who Knew Not Joseph?'
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