Chronologically Helpful Parallels between the Hyksos and the Amalekites

The 12th Dynasty The Amada Stele of Amenhotep II What we can learn from the Hyksos Dynasties

The Exodus The 18th Dynasty Ein Vergleich der Hyksos mit den Amalekitern in Deutsch

The Hyksos in Historical Sources

The Amalekites in the Scriptures

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01.

The Amu or Hyksos were driven out of Arabia after a great plague, earthquake and flood. Papyrus Ipuwer "A foreign tribe from abroad has come to the land."3:1; "What has happened? ... through it is the cause the Asiatics to know the condition of the land." 15:1. See: The ancient Arab author Macoudi, "L'Abrege des merveilles" and "Les Praires d'or", Vol. III, p.101; Kitab-Alaghaniy (trans. Fresnel), pp. 206ff. Many perished during the migration in a sudden flood that swept the land of Arabia. Kitab-Alaghaniy (transl. Fresnel), p. 207. See also evidence of such floods from modern satellite pictures.

01.

Egypt was laid in ruins by a series of catastrophic calamities. Though written in a poetic manner in trying to describe devastation through tectonic and/or meteorogical events, we read: Exodus 7:14; 8:1; 15:7-12. "By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea."

02.

The Hyksos overran Egypt without encountering resistance. Macoudi, "L.P", Vol. II, p.307; Aboulfeda H.a.p. p. 179. Josephus quoting Manetho in "Against Apion", I, Sec. 14, p. 611. "There was a king of ours, whose name was Timaus. Under him came to pass ... there came ... 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...."

02.

The Amalekites lived in southern Palestine after escaping the calamities in Arabia. Number 13:29 "The Amalekites live in the Negev (dwell in the land of the south)." NIV & KJ Translations. Even if the land of the south is usually Egypt in the scriptures, they had unhindered access to the Negev. When they learned of the Israelites leaving Egypt they moved toward them to rob them of their possessions but could not overcome the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. Numbers 14:43; Exodus 17:8-16; "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephedim." From years later we read this information: "Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea." Numbers 14; 25, 43; 45.

03.

They were cruel invaders. Flinders Petrie, "Hyksos and Israelite Cities", p.12. [UCR Rivera Library DT73.H9P48]

03.

The Amalekites committed atrocities. When you were weary and worn ... they cut off all who were lagging behind ..." Deuteronomy 25:17-19.

04.

They were destructive people. "..., they afterwards burnt down our cities, and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner...." Manethos in Josephus Ibid; Also see the Speos Artemidos Inscription. Restoration of the Desolation of the Hyksos "... I have restored that which was in ruins, I have raised up that which was unfinished since the Asiatics ('mw) were in the midst of Avaris of the Northland, and the barbarians were in the midst of them, overthrowing, that which was made, while they ruled in ignorance of Re. ... I removed the abomination of the great god, [I] captured the land of their sandals. ..." [Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, `Speos Artemidos', Sec. 303]

PSBA, Nov 1900, p. 313,314.

05.

They were a contemptuous people. Sallier Papyrus I; Papyrus Ipuwer 17:2; "So when they had gotten those that governed us under their power, they afterwards burned down our cities, and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner: ney, some they slew, and led their children and their wives into slavery." [Manetho in Josephus, AA, Bk. I, Sec. 14]

06.

They enslaved and taxed the native Egyptian population. Papyrus Ipuwer; Papyrus Ermitage; Manetho-Josephus.

06.

They stole women and children. Numbers 14:3

07.

a) b)

They were from Asia. (In those days Asia meant the whole Middle Eastern area.) Manetho in Josephus, Ibid; Papyrus Ipuwer 14:10; They were herdsmen. Manetho in Josephus, Ibid.

07.

They were of hamitic descent. Encyclopedia of Islam. They were herdsmen. Judges 6:3,33; 7:12; 1.Samuel 15:9,14

08.

They were skilled with bow and arrow. Papyrus Ipuwer 14:10; 15:3; Carnarvon Tablet.

08.

They destroyed Egypt. Macoudi, Ibid.

09.

They ruled as Pharaohs. Scarabs of Hyksos kings; Sallier Papyrus I; Manetho in Josephus; Breasted, `A History of Ancient Egypt', p.218. The name of the first and last king was Apop. "The prince of the southern city remained silent and wept a long time, and he did not know how to return answer to the messenger of king Apophis [Apop]."Papyrus Sallier I; "... Would that I might bring their beauty before thy face. Verily it is greater than [that of] any office." Papyrus Sallier II. See also Flinders Petrie, `A History of Egypt', p. 243.

09.

The name of the first and last king was Agog. "Their (Israel's) king will be greater than Agog ..." Numbers 24:7; " ... but Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle ..." 1.Samuel 15:8. Apepi I/Apop I

10.

They ruled over Syria and Canaan without peer. Edouard Meyer, `Geschichte des Altertums', Vol. I, Pl. 2, p.319.

10.

They intermingled with the Philistines. "... when the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul ... After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days ... Who are you? An Amalekite ... Where are you from? I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." 1. Samuel 31:11; 2.Samuels 1:1, 8, 13.

11.

They build city fortresses east of the delta. Excavation results; Josephus, `Against Apion', Bk. I, Sec. 14.

11.

They had city fortresses. "Saul went to the city of Amalek (of the Amalekites) and set an ambush in the ravine ..." 1.Samuel 15:5-7.

12.

They invaded their neighbors fields just before harvest.

12.

The Midianites and Amalekites despoiled the harvest. "Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country ... and ruined the crops ... and did not spare a living thing for Israel ..."Judges 6 & 7; "He fought ... and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who plundered them." 1.Samuel 14:48

13.

They ruled Egypt for some 500 years. Josephus, `Against Apion', Bk. I, Sec. 14, "says 511 years".

13.

They ruled Egypt from the time of the Exodus to King Saul.

14.

Their end came when their fortress city was besieged by a foreign host.

14.

King Saul besieged their fortress. 1. Samuel 15:5.

15.

A part of their population was allowed to depart. Even though Josephus had some misinformation and made the `Shepherd-kings' into Israelites, he was right in placing their history into the time of Thummosis, a name not far removed from the Tuthmosides. "... upon his dispair of taking the place by that siege, they came to a composition with them, that they should leave Egypt ..." Josephus, `Against Apion', Bk. I, Sec. 14. But the battle was not yet over and won by the besiegers afterwards.

15.

Saul allowed the Kenites from among the Amalekites to depart. 1. Samuel 15:6.

16.

The expelled Amus lived in the fortress of Sharuhen. They were besieged and lost. Tomb of Ahmose.

16.

King David continued the war against Amalek and their city Rabbah [Sharuhen?] and vanquished them. 2.Samuel 11; Ginzeberg, `Legends', IV, 99; Al-Samhudi, Geschichte der Stadt Medina', p.26.

This comparison underscores the fact that the Hyksos of history were the Amalekites of the Scriptures. The Amada Stele of Amenhotep II The Amada Stele is thought by some to have been composed by clever scribes in that Egyptian words were sort of strung in a repetition of syllables, some of them depending upon the reader to associate them with their customary vocalization and others perhaps creating the `repetition' only visually. Interestingly enough the Amada Stele of Amenhotep II refers to "hill-country sheiks among the princes of Retenu" as the king prides himself that none among these people mentioned can draw the string of his bow as he can. Some have taken this reference to the `hill-country sheiks' as referring to the Hyksos. [Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 792] At this point we must understand that those people we call today the Hyksos were not called that by the Egyptians themselves. In the records of Ahmose we simply read: "One besieged the city of Avaris, I showed valor on foot before his majesty..." "Now after his majesty had slain the Asiatics..." [Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 8, 14] From this reference we learn that the Hyksos themselves, having come from `Asiatic lands', probably mostly from what is today Saudi Arabia, some 400 years before, were still regarded as Asiatics probably to differentiate them from native born Egyptians who now were engaged in getting back control over their land. There is no indication that the `hill-country sheiks' are a term for the Hyksos. Hill-country sheiks lived in the Middle Eastern lands long after the Hyksos were gone. In revised view they could have been any other Arabic group or tribe of people living their nomadic life wherever they could. What can we learn from the Hyksos Dynasties? Dynasties 14 - 17 are regarded as that of the Hyksos occupiers of Egypt. When they first arrived Egypt had just lost its king and army making their takeover of the country very easy. As the above comparison shows the Hyksos rulers overcame native resistance with force and punishments. Having been a desert wandering tribe for some time they sought to plunder the neighboring lands of their harvest, meaning, that the Egyptian farmers may have found ways to prevent their crops from reaching Hyksos government store houses in sufficient quantities. These raids may also indicate that the troops stationed in desert outposts were not receiving sufficient supplies and thus augmented them by robbery. El Arish, also known as Avaris, was one of the largest fortified outposts facing Palestine. It was the seat of their power and became the center which needed to be conquered when Ahmose and Khamose decided they had enough support to try and route the foreign invaders from their lands. During the 400 years of their reign Egyptian artisans and workmen like before produced their products with great skill and dexterity giving the impression that life was going on as before. For the most part this was probably true but underneath the serenity their must have been a seething wish to be free again.

The Exodus
Crawl out of this tomb