Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts
Egypt's fortified coastal road, the 'way of the land of the Philistines' Israel avoided
Found 1981 — Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud (Egyptian Antiquities, Tell Hebua, from 1981); James K. Hoffmeier (Tell el-Borg, 1999–2008)
Where Tell Hebua and Tell el-Borg, northwestern Sinai near Qantara (Egypt)
Dates from c. 1550–1150 BCE · Late Bronze Age (18th–20th Dynasty) · The Exodus route
Now at Sites (northern Sinai); finds in Ismailia Museum and Egyptian Museum, Cairo
How Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts was found
Survey and excavation of the northern Sinai margin found a chain of New Kingdom forts matching the fort list on Seti I's Karnak relief. Tell Hebua I proved to be Tjaru, the great frontier fortress with walls up to 13 meters thick.
What it is
Massive mudbrick fortresses, granaries, and a bridge-and-canal crossing on the military road from the Delta to Gaza. Seti I's Karnak relief pictures the same road with its forts and wells, each labeled by name.
Why it matters for the Bible
Exodus 13:17 says Elohim did not lead Israel by the coastal road 'although it was near' because of war. The excavations show why: the road was lined with Egyptian garrisons. The forts and the canal at Tjaru also help locate the border zone Israel had to cross and make the choice of a southern desert route understandable.
The Hebrew word: shoor
שׁוּר
שׁוּר is pronounced shoor and means Shur, 'wall'; the desert east of Egypt's fortified border (Strong's H7793).
Places
- Way of the land of the Philistines — דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים (DEH-rech EH-rets pe-lish-TEEM) — the coastal road to Canaan
- Shur — שׁוּר (shoor) — wall (the fortified frontier)
Events
Israel turned away from the coastal road
Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts in Scripture
Genesis 10:14 First mention of Philistines in Scripture.
Exodus 13:17 Elohim avoids the 'way of the land of the Philistines'; that is the fortified Way of Horus.
Exodus 15:22 Israel enters the wilderness of Shur after the sea; Shur likely refers to Egypt's line of border walls.
Questions people ask
What is Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts?
Massive mudbrick fortresses, granaries, and a bridge-and-canal crossing on the military road from the Delta to Gaza. Seti I's Karnak relief pictures the same road with its forts and wells, each labeled by name.
When was Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts discovered?
It was found in 1981 by Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud (Egyptian Antiquities, Tell Hebua, from 1981); James K. Hoffmeier (Tell el-Borg, 1999–2008), at Tell Hebua and Tell el-Borg, northwestern Sinai near Qantara.
Where is Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts today?
Sites (northern Sinai); finds in Ismailia Museum and Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Which Bible verses does Tjaru (Tell Hebua) and the Way of Horus Forts relate to?
Genesis 10:14, Exodus 13:17, Exodus 15:22.
Related discoveries
- גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּלGibeah of Saul (Tell el-Ful)Albright's Iron Age fortress on the ridge north of Jerusalem, beneath an unfinished royal palace
- פִּתֹםTell el-Retaba (Pithom candidate)A Ramesside fortress-town in the Wadi Tumilat with Egyptian and Semitic residents
- קָדֵשׁKadesh-Barnea (Tell el-Qudeirat)The oasis where Israel camped for a generation; fortresses found, but from later kings
- מִבְצָרBeth-zur FortressThe border stronghold that Judas Maccabeus fortified and Antiochus's generals besieged
- מֵיטַב הָאָרֶץWadi TumilatThe green valley from the Delta to the Bitter Lakes, the heart of Goshen
- מַרAyun Musa (Springs of Moses) near SuezThe traditional Marah or Elim on the Egyptian shore of the Gulf of Suez
Sources
- Hoffmeier, Ancient Israel in Sinai (2005)
- Abd el-Maksoud, 'The Ramesside Fortresses at Tjaru (Tell Heboua I, II)', in Perspectives on the Ramesside Military System (2023)
- BAS: Largest Known Ancient Egyptian Fortress Excavated at Tell el-Habua
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