Pharaoh Thutmose III

Original Documents

Pharaoh Thutmose III - the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt

Thutmose I
Jeroboam
Old Kingdom
Thutmose auf Deutsch
Karnak Treasures
More on Kadesh
Ancient Army Routes
Alexander in Egypt
Hatshepsut

Tying together sources
Pharaoh Thutmose III
Thutmose III Key Events
References to `Mykty'
The `Beth Horon Ascent'
Carrying the god
City List of Thutmose III
Plundering the Holy Land

Alternative to the Route to `Mkt'
Jerusalem Hord of Karnak
Inventory of Jerusalem
Egyptian Records and the Bible
Thutmose as a law maker
Manasseh in Egyptian Records
Flora & Fauna at Karnak
Age of Gold

Exodus Route
Palestinian Nobles
EA Encyclopedia
Many Faces
Queen Nefertiti
Info on Thutmose I
Solomon's Temple
City List
Encyclopedia

The stamp of very old antiquity has long been put upon the time of Pharaoh Menkheperre and his equals. Represented in their short kilt, bare upper body, wearing the crown of Egypt, these kings seemed to appear out of the vast desert dust bowls accompanied with similarly lightly clad men of war attacking and capturing like a ghastly horde from nowhere. Having come back from these raids at some point the stone masons and artists would go to work and carve these crowded scenes on scant spaces on the walls of temples and buildings. Gazing nonchalantly out into the world these kings, with hardly a frown nor a smile, nevertheless, were bad news for those captured in their war efforts. The overwhelming `power' of the man made gods of Egypt had to be exemplified toward their now helpless victims. Leaving behind widows and orphans such cycles of human tragedies repeated themselves over and over again under the blue sky above and in the silence of the desert sands. Sometimes people hate their enemies more than they love their children whom they send to die - a sad paradox in human existence. But as far as chronological aspects are concerned, such kilted armies attacking and avenging, fit just as well in later as they were projected into earlier centuries. The desert cold at night and heat in the day were in effect for all those eons of time. How many adventures of capture and escape must have been played out in all these scenes past and present, little acts of heroic victories and defeat. But we shall examine their records and read their words to find out what moved them and what they thought. Little parts of words and phrases are often the only pieces we find to put together a puzzle worthy to be re-analyzed again and again.

Tying together two biblical and Egyptian records - In the Bible we read that Rehoboam paid tribute to pharaoh Shishak as a result of his conquest of Judah. [2.Chronicles 12:8 implied]. About 200 years later Hoshea of Israel also paid tribute to (Pharaoh?) So (or of the town of Sais) of Egypt. Correspondingly there are two records in Egypt in complete agreement with these two transactions. However, applying conventional chronology which makes Pharaoh Shoshenk Shishak,[200] has no counterpart to the records of Thumoses III receiving tribute and no counterpart for Israel having paid tribute to (Pharaoh) So.

A Comparison of Independent Hebrew Sources with Egyptian Records
in the Revised Context Showing Complete Agreement.
Here We Have A Powerful Witness to Synchronized Ancient History!

Tribute paid in the days of Rehoboam to Thutmose III/Shishak:
"Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know the difference between serving me, or serving other kings and countries." [2.Chronicles 12:8; paraphrased; the intent is for Israel to find out the cost of serving another king.]

Tribute received by Thutmose III from the land of Israel (Retenu/Erez Israel/Our land of Israel as the Jews thought of it):
"The tribute of the chiefs of the land of Israel (Retenu) ..." [300] Then follows a list of taxations.]
"Tribute of the princes of Israel (Retenu), who came to do obeisance to the [souls] of his majesty in this year ..." [310]

About 200 years later

Tribute paid in the days of Hoshea, king of Israel to Pharaoh So/Sheshonk:
"And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria..." [2.Kings 17:4; These `presents' amounted to the payment of protection tribute, a form of taxation. The implication is Pharaoh So received presents, but not the king of Assyria.]

Tribute received by Sheshonk (Pharaoh So) from Syria/Palestine:
"Year ... under the majesty of king Sheshonk ... tribute of the land of Syria ..." [320]

Such close correspondence of independent sources ought to weigh something in a discussion on chronology.

In agreement between both accounts of the first campaign the city surrendered peacefully once we realise that `mkdy' was Jerusalem and not Megiddo.

"Then my majesty surrounded it with a wall, made thick --- (the wall made thick probably refers to his army surrounding the city and not a physical wall for it continues...) they tasted not the breath of life, surrounded in front of their wall ---- the Asiatics of all countries came with bowed head, doing obeisance to the fame of my majesty. " "These Asiatics who were in the wretched `mkdy' came forth to the fame of Menkheperre, given life, saying: `Give us a chance, that we may present to thy majesty [our] impost.'" "Then my majesty commanded to give them the breath of life ---- all their goods, bearing ----" [500]

In agreement with both records the city was spared destruction and there is no record from this first campaign that its ruler, though humiliated, was taken prisoner or physically harmed in any way. In a moment we shall discuss the identity of `mkdy'.
Pharaoh Thutmose III - Tcheser-khau, Sheser-khau, or Shisher-'ka, (S-H-S-K, Shishak)
[520]

Thutmoses' III famous campaign to `Kadesh' is the same described in the Bible as Shishak coming to take Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam. Following the annals of Thutmose III on his trail to `M-k-t-ty' we learn that `M-kt-ty' could not have been Megiddo since there is no mountain pass which is of any difficulty or even danger whatsoever. "Let our victorious lord proceed upon [the road] he desires; (but) cause us not to go by a difficult road." [540] The only mountain pass which fits the description in his annals is the one known as the `Beth-horon' road. This led from Gezer, Aijalon, Beth-horon over steep hills to Jerusalem and Jericho. It was the site of several battles and approaches used by armies. The first is the famous battle under Joshua: "...the Lord struck them [the Amorites] with a panic, on account of the children of Israel, and the Lord routed them, with a great slaughter, at Gibeon. And they [the Israelites] pursued them by way of the ascent of Oronim [Beth horon road], and smote them ... And as they were fleeing before Israel, at the descent of Oronim, the Lord poured a storm of hailstones from heaven upon them....", Joshua 10:10-15 (Septuagint). Second came Thutmose. He wrote: "How is it, that we should go upon this road, which threatens to be narrow?... Will not horse come behind horse and man behind man likewise?" [550] There were two other roads they could have taken, but they wanted to go on that one which the enemy might not expect them to take. Their fear of being exposed on the road, knowing what happened in the days of Joshua led them to do something never done in Egyptian history before or after, they carried the image of their god Amon-Re before them for protection from the God of Israel. "My majesty proceeded northward [actually northeast] under the protection of my father, Amon-Re, lord of Thebes, [who went] before me, while Harakhte [strengthened my arms] -- my father, Amon-Re..." [570] Thirdly the Maccabeans,[1.Maccabeans 3:24-25; 7:26-50]. Fourth, the Romans in 66 AD, and Fifth the British in 1917 under general Allenby [580]. This was the only time that the British recorded in their dispatches "... successfully withdrawn."

Thutmose had the image of Amon in its portable shrine carried on the shoulders of a body of priests, as the Hebrews carried the ark, according to Nelson. What kind of fear had gripped the pharaoh that he felt it necessary to take this precaution?

Mountainous Ethiopia He had traversed higher and more treacherous mountains before as in Ethiopia where mountains rise up to 10,000 feet with sheer cliffs and narrow canyons filled with rushing streams. All that was before pharaoh now was a 4 km long ascent to a mountain ridge, the average height of which rarely exceeded 800 meters. The answer to this question belongs into the realm shunned by science in an age when techniques have replaced belief in divine guidance. For Thutmose a higher Being was a reality and part of life. That is where we must look for the answer. Thutmose was not afraid of a human enemy, but he was reluctant to enter a road where `The God of Israel' had signally intervened for his people. [600]

But it just may be that back in his mind he hoped that the heart of Rehoboam at that time would weigh heavy for the things he had done to his people and perhaps his God might not help him this time and let him pass safely through the road to the `old thrashing floor of Aruna' giving him the victory. - And so he proceeded on his way.

In line with the Davidic Thutmoside kings of Egypt it appears that the knowledgeable prophet Shemaiah, talking about laws of inheritance, knew the real king of Jerusalem was not Rehoboam but Thutmose III, son of Thutmose II., grandson of Thutmose I/David, and so he caused the surrender of Rehoboam, who humbled himself and was left to rule his territory as the pharaoh's servant, [2.Chron. 12:5-8].

Shishak/Thutmose III was the son and successor of Thutmose II, who in turn was the son of Thutmose I/David and Bethsheba.

The Disappearing Treasure Chests - We can assume that Thutmose as a young lad had accompanied Hatshepsut on her journey to Punt or knew the reports. He had made up his mind that once he was king he would go to that former slave nation, conquer their capital and possess all these treasures for himself. He might have even reasoned that they properly belonged to Egypt for Israel having abandoned their masters during the Exodus in the days of Moses.

Two times in the history of Israel and Judah did the king show foreign visitors [the Egyptians and the Hittite/Chaldeans] his treasures and both times that was enough to make them come back and own them by force. The story of the first we find described in 1.Kings 14:25-26:

"And it came to pass in the 5th year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak (Thutmose III) king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord..."

The story of the second reads like this:

"At the time of Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not." 2.Kings 20:12,13

This report stayed with the Chaldeans for over 100 years and when Nebuchadnezzar became king he went and took the treasures once again to Babylon. Hezekiah had not learned the lesson taught to Israel in the days of Solomon and Rehoboam.

"And all the vessels of the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces there with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels there. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia." 2.Chronicles 36:18,19

Thutmose III and Key Events Reinterpreted - an amazing news story!

Palestine, not Africa, was always the region where conquering armies expected to find great riches. The Levant and Palestine also were looked upon as a sort of buffer zone by the kings of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Own Palestine and you could more or less sleep in peace or so they hoped. So it happened that the Queen of Sheba, Hatshepsut, `opened the doors' of the treasuries of Solomon laying the seed in the heart of young Thutmose to someday return and make them his own. We do not find this scenario explicitly explained in the Egyptian nor the Biblical documents, however, it stands to reason that considerations of this type, plus the success of splitting the 12 tribes, were the underlying factor in the sacking of Jerusalem by Pharaoh Thutmose III/Shishak. Therefore, the Queen, who visited Solomon, came from the same country Shishak came from, for the Jewish writers the ends of the earth were somewhere near Thebes bordering on the vast Sahara desert and the giant African continent. We can say that the southern tip of Saudi Arabia, today's Yemen, were not the mysterious ends of the earth to the Jewish and Egyptian authors for the navy of Solomon and also Egypt passed through those waters, familiar to them, for quite some time bringing the riches of the world into the coffers of the king. For this reason, the circumnavigation of Africa, not Arabia, was long a goal of the pharaohs of Egypt. The reign of Thutmose III also presents the ideal background to the kinds of conspiracies alluded to in the Bible and his own records:

"Now, (at) that period [the Asiatics had fallen into] disagreement, each man [fighting] against [his neighbor] .... Now it happened that the tribes .... the people, who were in the city of Sharuhen (S-r-h-n); behold, from Yeraza (Y-r-d) to the marshes of the earth, (they) had begun to revolt against his majesty." [650]

Sure we wished it was spelled out more specifically who the participants were but even with the somewhat vague allusions in Egyptian records we find conditions described which could echo the events going on between the 12 tribes. This becomes especially apparent once we stamp the period of the 18th Dynasty rule and the sort of history it went through on top of the affairs of Israel starting with King Saul. It may not be sufficient to try and criticize one pillar of this multi-pillard structure, we have to view it as a whole, probably even as far into the future centuries until we get to at least Ramses III/Nectanebo I, and perhaps even Si Amon.

The Gebel Barkal Stela of Thutmose III from the First Courtyard of the Great Temple of Amun - this stela reports [relevant excerpts only] his ...
1) Campaign against Mittani -
"He is a king valiant ... Naharin which its lord had deserted out of fear ... I hacked up its towns and villages and I set fire to them ... I carried off their inhabitants ... also their herds of cattle ... I felled all their plantations and their fruit trees ...I had many vessels ... built on the mountains of God's Land in the neighborhood of the Lady of Byblos ... then on that mountain of Naharin, my Majesty erected my stela, carved out of the mountain on the western side of the Euphrates.."

Discussion: Should it surprise us that the area around Byblos is called God's Land? As we showed in Jeroboam, the territory of Solomon extended further north than given credit to him. But there is no indication that Thutmose thought of all these regions as being under the government of a central king, some years after the passing of Solomon. He rather seems to regard the land as his for doing and taking whatever he pleased. The division of Israel and Judah were already a historical fact at this time. As we showed already, Yarim Lim, Zimri Lim and Hammurabi were influential rulers of the recent past. Apparently Thutmose carefully avoided the town of Shechem where the ruler of the Ten Tribes now resided, until Omri built Samaria.

"And Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwellt therein ..." [1.Kings 12:25]

"And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tir-zah: And when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died." [1.Kings 14:17; Tirzah may have been located in the territory of Ephraim.]

The significant point we want to make is that even though the army with its chariots and mighty men had come out from `Mkty' against the approaching Thutmose, they did not put up a fight but surrendered probably for fear that their untrained, unready ranks would be no match against the well trained Egyptian army. According to the Book of Chronicles, the Egyptian military might, included:

1. 1200 chariots
2. 60,000 horsemen
3. the people without number; the Lubims (Lybians), Sukkims, and Ethiopians [2.Chronicles 12:3]

Other Campaigns of Thutmose III

2) Elephant hunt at Niy - At the lake of `Niy' he hunted a herd of 120 elephants.
[Interestingly enough the ivory age was just a mere 30+ years away following this hunt. It is also true that, according to the biblical record, ivory is first mentioned from the time of King Solomon, 1.Kings 10:8.]
3) The Syrian campaigns

But each year about the month of October, during the feast of Opet, pharaoh seemed to have been at home.

The First Campaign - Year 23

It is very likely that Thutmose III, son of Thutmose II and his Royal Wife Iset as a young prince, accompanied Hatshepsut on her voyage to Punt and Jerusalem and had seen the riches of Solomon at that time. Later, after he had become pharaoh, he remembered what he had seen and resolved to make these treasures his own. He invaded Palestine, overcame `m-k-t' and took Jerusalem without a fight.

Here is the scenario of the campaign against Jerusalem.

Advice of the Officers to Thutmose III

The textual (Papyrus Anastasi I) requirements seem to imply the dangerous road to be a path cut into the side of a cliff (as in a), not one on the bottom of cliffs (b). If (b) was an option that would require the sides of the cliffs coming very close together (only room for one horse), a feature probably not seen at Wadi Ara. [800] See ** for a report on the Wadi 'Ara (Musmus) road to Megiddo described as a narrow road, not one that hugs the side of a cliff.

"They spoke in the presence of his majesty, `How is it, that [we] should go upon this road

, which threatens to be narrow

? While they [come] and say that the enemy is there waiting, [hold]ing the way against a multitude. Will not horse come behind [horse and man behind] man likewise? Shall our [advance-guard] be fighting while our [rear-guard] is yet standing yonder in Aruna [

`'-rw-n] not having fought? There are yet two (other) roads: one road, behold, it [will] - us, for it comes forth at Taanach [T'`-n-k], the other, [behol]d, it will [bring us upon] the way north of Zefti [Df-ty], so that we shall come out to the north of My-k-ty. Let our victorious lord proceed upon [the road] he desires; (but) cause us not to go on a difficult

road.'"
[850]

Champollion and all other scholars later on identified My-k-ty with Megiddo. This campaign started in the 22nd year, 4th month of Thutmose III [860] when he crossed the boundary of Egypt. One of his goals was to quell a rebellion in the city of Sharuhen. Nine days later was his anniversary, the beginning of his 23rd year. At that time he was at `G'-d-tw, said to be Gaza. Breasted wrote that it took Thutmose from the 19th of April to the 14th of May to get to M-k-ty. All in all it took him 175 days (5 months and 25 days) from start to finish. Scholars say Thutmose did not follow the northern route through Zephath, neither did he take the southern route from Gath to Taanach, instead he took a route in between, through Aruna and the `Nahal Iron', which is called in Arabic `Wadi Ara'. But a visitor to this Wadi Ara will realize at once, there is nothing dangerous or overly steep about this route toward Megiddo. It is incomprehensible why the officers of the king would almost start a mutiny not wanting to go that dangerous road. Comparing Breasted's `History of Egypt' and `Records' account of events shows that he takes great liberties to get Thutmose to arrive in Megiddo ignoring other possibilities completely. The Nahal Iron is certainly not `inaccessible', `secret', or `mysterious' as the annals describe the actual route.

The Alternative to the Route to `M-k-t' - the conventional Megiddo

The problematic route we must first deal with is the road to Aruna, the one Harold H. Nelson had so much difficulty harmonizing with Wadi Ara leading to Megiddo [1000] in the north. It had been suggested that, instead this road to Aruna is the same as that described in the papyrus Anastasi I.

"Behold, the ... is in a ravine 2000 cubits deep (600 feet?), filled
with boulders and pebbles ... Thou findest no scout, that he might
make thee a way crossing ... thou knowest not the road. Shuddering
seizes thee, (the hair of) thy head stands up, and thy soul (life)
lies in thy hands. Thy path is filled with boulders and pebbles,
without a toe hold for passing by ... The ravine is on one side of
thee, and the mount rises on the other. Thou goest jolting, with
thy chariot on its side, afraid to press thy horse (too) hard
. If it should be thrown toward the abyss, thy collar-piece would be
left uncovered and thy girth would fall."

Nelson commented on this, "Deep gorges as these are scarcely found in Palestine at all and certainly not in the region of Megiddo."

But such a defile cannot vanish from the map. It should be found not only in books on historical geography but also in the Bible. It so happens that the name `Aruna' has been preserved in written Hebrew - letter for letter- though with a slightly different pronunciation. It is the so-called thrashing floor of `Arauna the Jebusite' (2.Samuel 24:16,18-24) the location where later the temple was built on. In other words the dreaded road was the camel road leading from Jaffa up the so-called `Beth-Horon' ascent to Jerusalem, approaching the city from the north.

For our purposes then learning more about the geographical conditions of the a) Wadi Arah Pass and b) Aruna Pass/Beth Horon Ascent becomes important. C. Conder and H. Nelson furnished a description of the Wadi `Arah:

"From the Plain of Sharon to Jordan. This line ... ascends by the broad and open valley Wady 'Arah, crossing the watershed at Ain Ibrahim, which is about 1200 feet above the sea. Thence the road descends, falling some 700 feet in three miles to Lejjun, where it bifurcates ... This line, which appears to be ancient, is of great importance, being one of the easiest across the country, owing to the open character of Wady 'Arah'." [950][C. Conder, `The Survey of Western Palestine', Mem. II, Sheet VIII, 40; See also G. Smith, `The Historical Geography of the Holy Land', p 251]

Nelson traveled the Wadi `Arah pass in 1909, and again in 1912. Here is his detailed description:

"... the road enters the Wadi `Ara which is there ... flat and open ... All the way to a quarter mile above `Ar'arah the valley is wide and level ... the ascent is so gradual as to be scarcely perceptible ... a watcher posted on the hill above Lejjun could discern an approaching army at least a mile above the mouth of the pass." [970]

Harold H. Nelson had two reservations about the views of his days,
1. He could not believe that the name of the pass matched that of the defile named in the account of Thutmose: "Etymologically, it seems hardly possible to equate (the Egyptian) `Aruna' with the Arab `Ar'arah'."

2. Nelson had problems with the hardly understandible logistics imposed by identifying `Mkty' with Megiddo. In the great `Palestine-list' `mkty' appears in 2nd place, in the Karnak list in the Temple of Amun in 31st place.

Nelson was unable to understand the behavior of `the Allies' - as he called them - or why they should have, as he said: "...(have) thrown away the advantage afforded by the narrowness of the pass ... to strike Thutmose under circumstances so favourable to the success of the Allies. Our meager sources must leave us forever ignorant of the reasons of the Allies for thus throwing away the greatest chance of victory ..."

Despite the name given to Nelson's thesis, `The Battle of Megiddo', it appears that there was no battle. As Nelson admitted:

"On the actual conflict which took place there is not a vestige of information. To judge from the Annalist's narrative it would seem that the Asiatics fled without striking a blow ... why the Asiatics fled is not plain. They probably mustered a considerable force."

And finally, why was the city not taken by storm? Nelson could only wonder at this:

"Just why Thutmose did not make such an attempt at once is hard to surmise ..." [1060]

The surroundings of Jerusalem were called `Kd-sw' (Kadesh ), `Jebel el Kuds' or `Har Kodsho', the Holy Mount. In other words `Kd-sw' was not the name of a city but of the nearby surrounding land. [Seti the Great also refers to a `qds' in his Temple of El Qurneh' list, using .] [1150]

The Beth Horon Ascent was always a focal point of battles and attempts to stop troops trying to reach Jerusalem. The most famous incident that took place here is the first one:

a) Joshua 10:10-14 where Joshua prayed and the sun stood still,
b) 1.Maccabeans 3:23,24 & 7:26-50; revolt against the Romans,
c) Also the Roman general Gaius Cestius Gallus (66 AD) took this route
and encamped his army at Gibeon, where the Jews attacked. Though
Gallus checked them, a large part of the Roman rearguard was cut off
by the Jews as they were mounting towards Beth-Horon. But the real
disaster overtook the Romans during their retreat, after they had
become involved in the defiles and had begun the descent. Josephus
wrote:
"... but when they were penned up in their descent through narrow
passages..." [1180]
d) In November 1917 the British tried in vain to force the road. It was
the only occasion during general Allenby's campaign that the ominous
words, `successfully withdrew', appeared in the daily dispatches. [1210]

(Comment: While the British used several routes with their various army units several of which were directed into the region of Megiddo, we are talking about that particular one which forced them into retreat.)

The location translated as `Zefti' is the biblical Zephathah from 2.Chronicles 14:10:

"Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array
in the valley of Zephathah at Maresha."

This is the place where Asa won his battle against Zera, who was either Amenhotep II himself or his general. Maresha was the Judean border fortress facing Philistia. Zephathah may have been on the other side of the fence. The road runs north for about 6 miles then turns northeast at the very location which is considered to be the one where David met Goliath. The defile then splits into several wadis, one of which reaches the ridge around Bethlehem in the south, while the other joins the more northerly defile which leads to a point north of My-k-ty, as suggested by the Egyptian officers of Thutmose among them perhaps Djehuti his general (TT11) known from the Joppa story. Even though the hieroglyphics are commonly translated as `My-k-ty' others (Gauthier) read `Makta'. It is interesting to note, however, that in the latter 19th dynasty inscriptions, the last element `ti' of the name is written `sh', `s', or `tsh'. Among the names referring to Jerusalem are:

a) Bait-al-Makdis or Makdis

b) Miqdash

10th century Arab writer Muqadassi the Jerusalemite in his description of Syria, p. 34.

Ibid.

Therefore `My-k-ty' could be read `My-k-sh' or `My-k-tsh', Makdis or Miqdash according to the 19th Dynasty information.

The reading `Aruna' lying in the midst of the mountains according to Breasted is correct but the mountains are not the Carmel heights but rather the mountains of Ephraim and those of Benjamin, Har Kodsho of the Scriptures.

Carrying the god

When Thutmose began his entrance into the dangerous road we find in his inscriptions the following account:

"My majesty proceeded northward under (the protection of my) father, Amon-Re, lord of Thebes, [who went] before me, while Harakhte [strengthened my arms] ---- (my) father, Amon-Re, lord of Thebes..." [1300]

Eva Danelius wrote:
"This is the only instance I know of in Egyptian records where we are told that statues or images of the gods were carried into battle, as the Hebrews carried the ark."

"What kind of fear had thus gripped the pharaoh that he felt it necessary to take this precaution? ... Why did he take it here, and only here, once in a lifetime? ... The answer to the riddle should be of a kind which explains, too, why Thutmose judged his successful ascent through the Aruna road as one of the outstanding achievements of his military career. ... The answer offered here belongs to a realm shunned by science in an age in which techniques have replaced metaphysics, and rationality rules supreme. At the time we are dealing with, religion, including a contact with a higher Being outside oneself, was a reality and part of life. That is why the answer should be sought there. ... In other words, Thutmose was not afraid of a human enemy but was reluctant to enter a road where `The God of the Land' had intervened, from heaven, to help his people..." [1360]

Carrying the god In our estimate the history of Megiddo is irrelevant to this particular campaign by Thutmose III. The very fact that the Egyptian statue was carried for protection from the God of the land they were about to invade is also of some chronological help in that it would make much more sense in this having been the God of Judah of whom the Egyptians were very well aware, whose protection of His people we already outlined, rather than a god of the Canaanites or the Ten tribes of Israel who had candidly forsaken being followers of the God of Abraham, Isaak and Jacob and made their own gods out of wood and stones with their own hands bowing before them as if they were divine.

Interestingly enough a fragment of a painted limestone relief showing priests carrying on poles the shrine of a god were found in 1996 at the chapel of Thutmose III at Abydos as well as bricks stamped with `Thutmose III beloved of Osiris'. Even though the scene with these priests would have nothing to do with the Egyptians carrying a god before them on the road to Aruna, the fragment represents eloquent evidence that such events occured during his reign. [1380]

Therefore, we would like to spell it out for conventionally bound scholars:

The fact of this incident puts Thutmose III into the 10th century BC, the time of Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

In his list of conquered cities the first one is `q-d-s', Kadesh, Jerusalem, the holy city. Then come other names like `m-k-t', Maqtar 9 miles north of Jerusalem; `d-b-h' Tibhath; `t-m-s-q', Damascus; `Itmm', Etam; `Bt Sir', Beth-zur; `Sk', Soccoh; and so on 2.Chronicles 11:5ff. Even though pharaoh Shoshenk also carved a list of locations we can tell that he copied Thutmose in this and none of the names of his list are any locations we can pinpoint today. Since Thutmose III encountered no resistance from Rehoboam he did not destroy Jerusalem. Instead he made them pay a yearly tribute to him which he himself sometimes even collected.

This list of Palestinian cities found in Karnak allows us to compare the pictures of the people of this land as portrayed by the artists of Thutmose III with those of the Puntites as portrayed by the artists of Queen Hatshepsut. In both cases artists of practically the same generation did the sculpturing. They were masters in depicting the characteristic features of different races. A glance at the people of God's Land, the "people of the South", and the Egyptians on the bas-reliefs of the expedition to Punt may help us understand the fine feeling these artists possessed for expressing the types of their own and foreign races. The same characteristic profiles, the same hair styles, with ribbon around the hair tied behind, and the same long beard, shaped as a prolongation of a pointed chin, make it certain that types of one and the same people were pictured on the bas-reliefs of both Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.

Caravans - Plundering the Holy Land

But one might ask, if Thutmose III went to the same country to which Hatshepsut had gone two or three decades earlier, why did he not call the country of his conquest, Rezenu (Palestine), by the same names that Hatshepsut called it, God's Land or Punt?

Well, he did. Year after year Thutmose III returned to Palestine to collect tribute (2.Chronicles 12:8: "... they shall be his servants"). Three years after the conquest of `m-k-t' (Miqtar, Jerusalem and its surrounding territories), and other cities, he had carved on the walls of Karnak pictures of trees and plants that he had brought from Palestine and added this inscription:

"Plants which his majesty found in the land of Retenu. All plants that grow, all flowers that are in God's Land which were found by his majesty when his majesty proceeded to Upper Retenu." [1400]

In another inscription after describing tribute obtained from Shinar, Kheta and the land of Naharin (northern Syria), the register reads:

"Marvels brought to his majesty in the land of Punt in this year: dried myrrh ..." [1450]

The translator (Breasted) was surprised at this phrase. We find therefore that Thutmose III used the same term - Punt and God's Land - frequently together indicating they both had interests for that land. If Punt was a coastal town in Africa or an enclave of imported Africans in Israel is open for conjecture. In this case the Egyptian references to both would indicate the use of these terms as opposites in direction of the compass. But `God's-Land' is used together with `Retenu' making them the same place.

Since we are also showing that the borders of Israel in the days of Solomon extended much further north than previously thought by including Baalbek reading about Upper Retenu should not surprise us.

We also find confirmation that indeed myrrh and frankincense (olibanum) were grown in Palestine in the days of Solomon.

"Until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense."[Songs of Solomon 4:6]

After his 5th visit of inspection to conquered Syria and Palestine, Thutmose III listed frankincense, oil, honey, and wine as tribute. Following his 9th visit he states that he received "horses, chariots, various silver vessels and also dry myrrh, incense, sweet oil and green oil and wine jars." [1510]

He wrote:

"Tribute of the princes of Retenu, who came to do obeisance ... to the souls of his majesty... Now every harbor at which his majesty arrived was supplied with loaves and with assorted loaves, with oil, incense, wine, f[ruit] ---- abundant were they beyond everything ... The harvest of the land of Retenu was reported, consisting of much clean grain, grain in the kernel, green oil, wine fruit, every pleasing thing of the country." [1530]

The Gebal Barkal Stela of Thutmose III puts it this way:

"It was my army which felled the flagpoles¹⁾ on the terraces of `s-wood', on the mountains of God's Land .... for the monuments of my fathers, all the gods of Upper and Lower Egypt. Oared barques of `s-wood' are built for my Majesty .... the coast of Lebanon in the fortress ..... The chieftains, lord of Lebanon, construct the royal ships in order that people may sail south in them to bring all the marvels of the "Garden" to the palace. LPH. ... The cieftains of Retjenu (Retenu) who drag the flagpoles by means of oxen to the shore, it is they who come with their dues to the place where his majesty is, to the Residence in ...... bearing all the fine products brought as marvels of the south and being taxed for tribute annually as (with) all bondsmen of his Majesty." [1560]
1) `Flagpoles' may refer to tall trees suitable for ship building and the products of the south arrived in Egypt via the harbors they used.

Thutmose recalls how he felled the tall trees planted in God's Land, the land of terraces, Phoenicia/Judah/Palestine. He then recounts, how, in imitation to the combined Phoenician/Israelite fleets of Solomon, he, like later King Jehosphat would do, also has his ships made for him by the men of Lebanon (Hiram's men). They also sail to the south to bring marvels of the "Garden". To sail south from Lebanon one would invariably arrive at the estuary mouths of the Nile allowing access into Egypt. But the context does not seem to imply that Egypt is meant in the text. Therefore, the point of departure of these ships may again have been Eilat, the old harbor of Solomon and their goal the coasts of Africa, the "Garden" perhaps meaning the lucious, tropical regions of that great continent, far away regions probably also little known to the Egyptians. Perhaps Eilat was selected as the point of departure because it was easier to transport long wood to it rather than an Egyptian coastal harbor on the shores of the Red Sea.

And so it is that we read the following account from the reign of King Jehoshaphat:

"There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not: for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber." [1.Kings 22:47, 48]

"And he joined himself with him [Ahaziah, king of Israel] to make ships to go to Tharshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer ... prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Behold, because you joined yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken your works. And the ships were broken (probably during a storm) that they were not able to go to Tharshish [or better `not able to go out in the sea or ocean']." [2.Chronikles 20:36, 37]

"Thou breakest the ships of Tharshish with an east wind." [Psalms 48: 8]

Only about 100 years after Hiram/Salomon had made their fleet of merchant ships Jehoshaphat in imitation also tried such a venture as we read above. These undertakings were so successful for Solomon that later generations could never quite forget those days, "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth the food from afar."[Proverbs 31:14]

The Jerusalem Hord on the walls of Karnak

It is very fortunate for us that the walls of the Karnak temple preserved the record of a treasure of goods looted from another temple, the temple of Kadesh (Jerusalem - the holy city). But scholars did not dare to examine the question if `kds' could refer to Jerusalem, for in their chronological structure that could not have been so. This list of temple goods is rarely discussed in any literature and at the expense of real history we believe. The relief pictures we refer to show vessels, furnishings, tools, utensils and adornments typical for temple services and is without such items which would typically be found in pagan temples such as nakedness, phallic or yonic implements, grotesque representations and so on. A complete account of these treasures, applying conventional chronology however, is found in W.Wreszinski's, `Atlas zur alt�gyptischen Kulturgeschichte', Leipzig, 1935.

Besides the quotations given above on Thutmose III receiving the flora and fauna of the land he just conquered other translators before Breasted say it this way with reference to Thutmose taking the property of the vanquished people:

"Then my Majesty made them take their oaths of allegiance as follows: never again shall we do anything evil against Menkheperre (another name for Thutmose III), may he live forever ... Then my Majesty had them set free on the road to their cities [1700] . They went off on donkeys for I had seized their chariotry. I captured their inhabitants for Egypt and their property likewise." [1720]

The period under Thutmose III also provides the best background for the kinds of conspiracies going on in behalf of Jeroboam and how he came to power in Israel. The policies of Solomon and his son Rehoboam were very costly to Israel. The tribes split apart permanently and the rest is biblical history.

As we demonstrate, Shishak is the scriptural name of Thutmose. Since the tablets of Ras Shamra belong to the period of the Amenhoteps and Thutmose, we should expect to find in them, besides the biblical name of Zerah (Terah, Poem of Keret), that of Shishak. It was found, in fact, among the first of the deciphered words and it caused considerable surprise.

"Le mot `Swsk' semble, un nom propre, a rapprocher peut-etre de l'egyptien Sosenq, hebreu Sosaq, et Sisaq." [Transl. "The word `Swsk' resembles a proper name, bringing together perhaps the Egyptian, Hebrew Shoshenk, or Shishak."] [1770]

The translator did not dare to draw the correct conclusion, for what was this pharaoh of the 9th or 10th century doing in the middle of the second millennium? Why was the name `Sisaq' (French) `Shishak' found on a 15th century tablet in Ras Shamra?

Did the city of Jerusalem exist in the days of Thutmose III? The wealthy city of Jerusalem did not exist in the conventional time frame for Thutmose III, but it did in the revised scenario. The El Amarna Letters reflect the time of Ahab and Jehoshaphat/Jehoram, they also mention Jerusalem.

Who says there is no need to revise ancient history?

The Inventory of the Temple Treasures of Jerusalem

In telling this story we shall rely only on the Karnak account of the looted temple treasures and representations of them from the tomb of Rekhmire, the vizier of Thutmose, Puimre (TT39), Amenmose and Menkheperre-Seneb, his high priest and James Breasted's `Records' account of Egyptian inscriptions. These craters and ornate vessels are usually referred to as of Syrian origin. In our account though the probability is high that many may derive as well from Jerusalem, the Syrian/Palestinian realm of the successors of King Solomon and their contemporaries throughout the conquered region. All of these accounts together we shall compare piece by piece with the Biblical account in order to realize the amazing agreement between these sources which can only be a result of contemporaneity of the Egyptian with the Biblical records.

The military campaign of Thutmose's 23rd year was directed against Palestine and Syria. He subdued these countries and vanquished some of their cities by force; others bowed down before him and opened their gates like Jerusalem did, and they became tributaries to the Egyptian crown.

A bas-relief at Karnak shows the treasures of gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones that the Pharaoh had brought from one of his campaigns; other murals exhibit the flora and fauna he transported from Palestine to Egypt.

These campaigns are supposed to have been waged against the settlements of the Canaanites long before the Israelite tribes had arrived in the region. But we find the proponents of this theory in gross error of the detailed facts. There are no, zero, evidences that the Canaanites were the producers of these products. The story of the Levite and his concubine [Judges 19:1ff] demonstrates that some Israelites lived in cities just like the Jebusites. Therefore, we may assume that they also traded goods and merchandise, including pottery and other durable artifacts, with each other. For this reason it is by no means a sure task to date artifacts found during excavations and pronounce them to be of Canaanite origin or of some other time period. We learn from the story of the Levite that Israelites also inhabited cities and not only tents as some scholars assume. We would suggest that even pottery and pottery sherds may not be a safe guide in labeling occupation layers. Craftsmen would certainly trade with anyone who could pay their price. The Bible does mention the Canaanites skill in metal working and the cities they had, but only to say that - see the Canaanites had this but we have it even better. It was the Israelites who were the working craftsmen while being in slavery in Egypt. Their skills had been honed and advanced for many generations. The loss of this work force prompted pharaoh to try and force them to return to their slave duties when he and his army drowned in the sea of reeds.

In the days of David and Solomon these craftsmen found increased employment in the construction of the Jerusalem temple and the palaces of the king. It stands to reason that Solomon had a palace built for his Egyptian first wife and Queen; and that she had among her dowry the image of the god Amon-Re in her possession in Judaic, Hebrew Jerusalem.

Among the murals of the Punt expedition, one, defaced by a chisel, contained an inscription, and from the few words which remained Kurt Sethe in about 1905 understood that a statue, obviously of the god Amon-Ra, was erected in the Divine Land visited by the Punt expedition. Just the damaged remains of such a statue was recently found in Jerusalem itself.

Now, as we indicated that Punt could also be referring to Solomon's trading posts along the African coast and that the Punt expedition stopped probably in several harbors in a `Go Around', perhaps even going first to Africa before heading for Eilat in order to see what the great king of Israel had done, Punt also stood for the Palestine of Solomon at this time.

A Detailed Comparison of the Egyptian Records with the Contents of Solomons Temple
The Exodus The List & Images of Thutmoses' Karnak Temple in German The 21st Dynasty Transplanted
Das Heiligtum The Queen of Sheba The NT Sanctuary

#15 and 16, furniture with rings for carrying sticks. Cmpr. Exodus 37:3, 13-14.

#177, altar with inscription `One great bronze altar'. Cmpr. 2.Chronicles 4:1.

The altar #9 is among the with gold overlaid items and also has a crown of gold run about its upper edge. Cmpr. Exodus 30:1, 3 "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense ... a cubit in length ... breadth ... two cubits in height ... and thou shalt make a crown of gold round about it."

Altar with inscription `One great altar of bronze'

#9 is among the gold overlaid furniture and probably represents an altar

Cone #138 on the left bears the superscript `White bread' but was made of silver. In Exodus 31:1-11 we learn that goldsmiths

, not bakers, made the shewbread.

#35-38 are candle sticks. #30-34 are hooks, spoons, and other implements used in the Temple, 2.Chronicles 4:16; Exodus 35:15.

The straight bars represent a `1'; the inverted `U'

is `10'; the spiral

represents `100'.

The usage of these is as candlesticks with lotus flower holders. Buds among flowers are also mentioned as decorative items, Exodus 37:17ff, and can be seen on item#195 and 75. (Go to `Galleria' for more illustrations.) 1.Kings 7:49.

The tables of #29 are in the 3rd row and are made of gold and represent `Tables of Shew Bread'.

Illustration #117 shows `Tables of Shew Bread' made of silver

Incense altars

About the incense altars we read, "The incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil" were in the Temple of Jerusalem, Exodus 35:15. #41 and 181 could possibly be dishes on a stand used to burn incense since we do not have a better description of them in the Bible.

In the Temple of Jerusalem were also used golden candle snuffers to help spread the fragrance during the service (2.Chronicles 4:22; 1.Kings 7:50), fountains [masrek] able to eject a fluid (1.Kings 7:50; 2.Chronicles 4:22).

Fluid ejecting fountain (German: Prunkgef��e).Often these fountains feature frogs with small disks, running mice, lotus blossoms on the top.

According to the Bible, Solomon had 100 basins of gold, 2.Chronicles 4:8. In Karnak 95 of them are shown.

The Bible specifies doors overlaid with copper, 2.Chronicles 4:9. At Karnak we count 30 doors "of beaten copper", #190.

Targets or shields of "beaten gold" are named among the booty of Pharaoh, 2.Chronicles 9:15. These 300 shields, together with the 200 targets of gold (2.Chronicles 9:15,16), were not taken from the Temple; they adorned "the house of the forest of Lebanon". 3 disks in the 7th row, #127, represent 300 of them in Egyptian numericals.

The ephod is not mentioned as having been taken by Pharaoh, but we see numerous parts of priestly garments and collars with breast plates.

Ornate chalices are represented at Karnak revealing a high degree of artistry fit for a splendor loving king, 1.Kings 7:50.

Syro/Palestinian tribute bearers from the tomb of Sebehotep of the time of Pharaoh Thutmose IV. [W.Wreszinski, `Atlas ...' Tafel 56a]

The clickable loot in the tomb of Rekhmire gives us an additional impression of the goods taken to Egypt. Above `A' we see a leopard and over `B' a baboon. These we find also mentioned in the inscription at Deir el Bahari, "Apes, monkeys ... A southern panther alive ...", Records, Sec. 265,272; 1. King 10:22. In the days of Solomon leopards were native to Palestine/Lebanon, Song of Songs, 4:8.

Syro/Palestinian tribute - Tomb of Sebekhotep, time of Thutmose IV

Left: Ornate craters from the tomb of `Ipu-Imre', Thutmose IV.
Below: The most valuable metalwork products of the tribut paying rulers of the Levant presented by Amenmose to his king. The higher stand underneath `c-h', in particular `f-h', seems to suggest ceremonial rather than household use. Palestinian pottery presented by Amenmose to his Thutmose IV

Palestinian pottery presented by Amenmose to his Thutmose IV

The body of craters `f' and `g' minus the top decoration look similar to pottery described as `12th - first half of the 11th century BC' local Canaanite from a Tell el-Farah tomb and shown in Trude Dothan's `Philistines'.

Various types of vessels, furniture, even chariots of gold and silver, were among the booty caravaned by the Egyptians as a result of the invasion of Judah.

The Egyptian records specify:

".... 340 living prisoners; 83 hands; 2,401 mares; 191 foals; 6 stallions; ... young ...; a chariot, wrought with gold, (its) pole of gold, belonging to the chief of `M-k-ty' (as the land around Jerusalem was called); .... 892 chariots of his wretched army; total, 924 (chariots); a beautiful suit of bronze armor, belonging to the chief of Jerusalem; .... 200 suits of armor, belonging to his wretched army; 502 bows; 7 poles of (mry) wood, wrought with silver, belonging to the tent of that foe. Behold, the army of his majesty took ...., 297 ...., 1,929 large cattle, 2,000 small cattle, 20500 white small cattle." [2050] [See also the following sections.]

Different types of skilled work of the invaded nation's elite craftsmen is represented in the artistic vessels and utensils shown at Karnak and in paintings in the tombs of the officials. Many of these men were brought to Egypt to practice their skills for Pharaoh. Judaic presence in the New Kingdom Egypt before their appearance at Elephantine is something we should not be surprised about. In the tombs of Rekhmire gold, silver and copper smiths, cabinet makers, sculptors and builders and bricklayers are shown and we find it written for example over the copper smiths:

"Bringing the Asiatic copper [-smiths] which his majesty captured in the victories in Retenu." [2070]

Over the cabinetmakers it was written:

"Making chests of ivory, ebony."
Over the brickmakers:
"Captives which his majesty brought for the works of the temple of Amon."
"The task master, he says to the builders: `The rod is in my hand; be not idle.'"

All of this evidence was taken as proof that the Canaanites of Palestine were skilled in the arts, strange as that may seem for there are no records of such achievements from their ranks. The translators (Mercer) wrote about this state of affairs:

"At this time (Thutmose III, 1503-1449) the Syrians stood at a higher stage of civilization than even the wonderfully gifted race of Egypt. The plunder carried back to Egypt of coats of mail, of gold plated chariots, of chariots inlaid with silver, witnesses to an industrial and artistic development that was able to teach Egypt. With all these precious goods went captives, who fell to working in the Nile valley at the crafts to which they were accustomed at home, and as they worked they taught the Egyptians ... The Syrian craftsmen worked so well in Egypt that their wares changed even the taste of the Egyptians, while the language was semitized, and the method of writing gradually developed into smooth-flowing and graceful style. Under the great influx of foreign blood even the features of the conquering race were changed into a less bold and more delicate form. Egypt had never known such changes since the beginning of the monarchy." [2210]

While it is true that richly chased vessels (Prunkgefäße) were never found in Israel, we read statements in the Bible which lead us to conclude that such existed but since vanished. Such royal quality vessels are represented at Karnak and in the tomb of Rekhmire. But the artistry to make such vessels has been cultivated for a lengthy period and in several countries and locations. It may not be hard to realize that the cupbearers of the royal court saw to it or commissioned trades people that their king would be served from the highest quality utensils available.

"And all the kings drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver ... and all the earth sought to Solomon ... and they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold ... Belshazar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords and drank wine ... (and) commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem ... and they brought the golden vessels ... they drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." [1.Kings 10:5, 21; Daniel 5:1-4]

Some of the most enigmatic statements in the Bible concerning ancient buildings are the references to the Solomonic `King's House' and a palace called the `Forest of Lebanon'. We might guess that the latter name implies a structure where much of it was made of wood, but there must also have been some stones used. All evidence of both of these buildings as well as his temple have perished in antiquity. Jerusalem went through events not experienced by any city in Egypt. We might add that no fluid ejecting vessels of the `Karnak treasures' kind was ever found in Egypt either.

While there is total lack of confirmed, written, Canaanite documentation of these skills, the Biblical account verifies these same skills as being part of the kingdom of the early Israelite monarchy.

We read:

"King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple." [Song of Solomon 3:9, 10]

As we have shown the conquest of Palestine by Thutmose III did not take place in the 15th century but in the days of King Rehoboam of Jerusalem. We showed the same profile of the people visited by the Punt expedition of Queen Hatshepsut and those represented as captives by Thutmose. After the initial campaign in his 23rd year (-925) and the 5th year of Rehoboam, Thutmose returned every year carrying nearly everything in sight to Egypt. But coinciding with the end of the reign of Rehoboam, during the reign of Abijah (913-910) and Asa (910-869), these campaigns also began to fade out. Thutmose died about -901.[2500] Only toward the end of his life campaigns into Kush were recorded on his monuments. The sheer quantity, workmanship, presence of precious materials, and variety make it clear that a very rich temple was the source for these objects illustrated at Karnak. No other temple besides the new Temple of Jerusalem fits these specifications in our opinion.

But the `Abijah' of Judah was not the only person by that name, the child of Jehoboram by his Egyptian wife, the princess Ano, was also called `Abijah'.

"At that time Abijah (`Father is Jah`) the son of Jeroboam fell sick." 1.Kings 14:1; Septuagint Regnorum III, 12:24e: "kai Sousakim edoken t� Ieroboam ten An� adelphen Thekeminas ten presbuteran tes gunaikos autou aut� eis gunaika aute en megale en mes� t�n thougater�n tou basile�s kai eteken t� Ieroboam ton Abia uion autou." [2610] Tribute from Assur

Among those giving tribute to Egypt was also the `chief of Assur'.

"The tribute of the chief of Assur (Ys-sw-r): genuine lapis lazuli, a large block, making 20 deben, 9 kidet; genuine lapis lazuli, 2 blocks; total, 3; and pieces, [making] 30 deben; total, 50 deben and 9 kidet; fine lapis lazuli from Babylon (Bb-r); vessels of Assur of hrrt- stone in colors, ---- very many." "Tribute of the chief of Assur: horses ---. A ---- of skin of the M-h-w as the [protection] of a chariot, of the finest of --- wood; 190(+x) wagons --- --- wood, nhb wood, 343 pieces, carob wood, 50 pieces; nby and k'nk wood, 206 pieces; olive oil, ------.." [2680]

Certainly no riches are here mentioned one might think of as appropriate for a wealthy kingdom. If this reflects the state of affairs in ancient Assur/Assyria at the time we can't be sure of.

Thutmose III as a law maker

With Thutmose III having been a contemporary of King Solomon we may perhaps be able to locate some faint echoes of the influences this era may have had on him in parallel to Hammurabi's code. Before this time inscriptional evidence or references to law and order, law making, are none existing or rare at least back to the 12th dynasty. After all the campaigns came to an end and steady streams of imposts, gifts and tribute were received, the scribes of the king turned their attention to the `Wise Administration' of the king.

"Behold, my majesty made every monument, every law, (and) every regulation which I made, for my father, Amon-Re, lord of Thebes, presider over Karnak, because I so well know his fame. I was wise in his excellence, resting in the midst of the body, while I knew ------- that which he commanded to do, of the things which he desired should be, of all things which his ka desired that I do them for him, according as he commanded. ..." [2720]

Much of the rest of Thutmose's statements sound like he was not at home when it came to giving moral guidance and a philosophical foundation of government. Solomonic wisdom, at best he may have heard of, but his own wisdom seems to have been very much centered on war related matters judging by the surviving sources.

Not until 1962 the deeply buried remains of a temple of Thutmose III were found adjacent to and south of the temple of Hathsepsut at Deir el-Bahari. [2810]

The Tribe of Manasseh mentioned in Egyptian Records of Sesostris III and Seti the Great

"We have shown that Retenu/Rezenu is Palestine, `erez Israel'. This word (Rezenu) is found only once reportedly in the inscriptions of the period of Sesostris III of the 12th Dynasty. It is part of a very short account relating a raid against `M-n-tyw'. Because `Mntyw' is mentioned together with `Rezenu' we look for it in Palestine.

"His majesty proceeded northward, to overthrow the Asiatics (Mntyw-Stt). His majesty arrived at a district, Sekmem (Skmm) was its name. His majesty led the good way in proceeding to the palace of `Life, Prosperity, and Health (L.P.H.,' when Sekmen had fallen, together with Retenu (Rtnw) the wretched, while I was acting as rearguard." [2840]

As we shall find that same name, Mntyw, in Egyptian documents of a much later period, that of King Menashe (Manasseh), the `Mntyw' of the Middle Kingdom must mean the tribe of Menashe/Manasseh.

Time of Seti the Great - Presentation of Syrian Prisoners and Precious Vessels to Amon

Before the King

"Slaying of the Asiatic Troglodytes (Ynw-Mn�t�yw [Menate, Manasseh]), all inaccessible countries, all lands, the Fenkhu of the marshes of Asia, the Great Bend of the sea (w'd-wr)."

Over the king

"Smiting the Troglodytes, beating down the Asiatics (Mn�t�yw), making his boundary as far as the `Horns of the Earth', as far as the marshes of Naharin (N-h-r-n)." [2900]

The Flora and Fauna Reliefs at Karnak

Solomon was like a master of all trades. Besides being at first a faithful servant of the Lord, Solomon was also something of a naturalist. He collected birds, animals and plants of other, exotic regions and planted them on the terraces of his kingdom and displayed the creatures on his palace grounds. Many of these if not all also were transported by caravans in annual trips to Egypt.

The Age of Gold

Having looted Judah in numerous campaigns until no more riches were to be had from that country, Thutmose turned his attention toward Kush. Pharaoh's knowledge of the sources for the riches of Solomon had also turned on his desire for more gold. He invaded the land and its capital Kerma. The Nubians living in Kush became the servants of pharaoh. Wall paintings show a stream of African riches being transported to pharaoh whose overseer of this trade became rich himself. [2940]

Period Artifacts and Discoveries

The Ivory Horn
The B&W image of an ivory horn decorated with gold bands encircling it at 3 locations was found in the so-called 14th century palace at Megiddo and can be seen in Alfred J. Hoerth, `Archaeology and the Old Testament', Grand Rapids, 1998, p. 254. Such horns, if open at the narrow end, may have been used as a musical instrument in a band together with other instruments like cymbals, trumpets, and drums. Or it may have been used as an attention getter by the designated community herald. If closed on one end it may have been made to pour oil or liquids.

An Obelisk
There exists an obelisk in Istanbul, which was erected by orders of Theodosius the Great (379-395 AD), which rises above a marble base. This obelisk is the oldest monument in the city and was commissioned by Pharaoh Thutmoses III and raised at the Amon-Re temple at Karnak. The tip of it is pyramidal in form and was originally gilt covered. Hieroglyphic inscriptions covered all for faces. It was used as a sundial. The base of the obelisk traces special events and presentations of awards in the career of the emperor. The Greek inscription at its base reads, "Fortune bestowed only on Emperor Theodosius the courage to erect the pillar of four facades that lay for long years on the earth challenge of succeeding and he was able to erect it in 32 days." [Quoted exactly as given. Istanbul Museum] - The predecessor of Theodosius was Gratianus (375-383). In 395 AD the Roman Empire was finally divided into East (395-1453) and West (395-476). In the east, Theodosius was followed by Arkadios (395-408) and in the west by Honorius (395-423).

Notes & References

[200] The same is true for any other chronology which does not put Thutmose into the time of Rehoboam, King of Judah.

[300] JBRE', Vol. II, Sec. 447.

[310] Ibid., Sec. 471.

[320] Ibid., Sec. 724; Palestine and with it Judah and Israel were often referred to as `Syria' in Egyptian texts.

[500] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 440, 441, 442.

[520] K.Birch, `Shishak Mystery?', Chronology and Catastrophism Workshop, No. 2 (1987), p. 35; `Sheser-khau' is derived from the Egyptian `Djeser' or `Tcheser' in Hebrew pronunciation only since hieroglyphics cannot directly be translated except by sound.; The Golden Horus name was: `Sekhempahtydsejerkhaw'.

[540] JBRE, Sec. 421. A modern image of the `Aruna Pass', or `Wadi Ara' road is found in `Biblical Archaeologist' June 1991, p. 71. It shows the low, undulating hills through which it runs and is therefore not the road taken by Thutmose III for his approach to `mkty.'.

[550] Ibid, Sec. 421.

[570] JBRE, III, Sec. 425.

[580] See Hershel Shanks, Horsing in BAR, Mar 2003, p. 50-59. Showing original photos of General Allenby.

[600] Eva Danelius, `Did Thutmose III Despoil the Temple in Jerusalem?', SIS Review II, No.3, (1977/78), p.65.

[650] Breasted, James H. (1865-1935), `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 416.

[800] See `http://www.bib-arch.org/aosp98/pharaoh.html' Even this account is not specific enough of the true geological characteristics of the Wadi Ara since the terms `narrow' and `dangerous' are not explained.

[850] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 421; W. Helck, `Egyptian Historical Records of the Later 18th Dynasty', (trans. B. Cumming) Vol. I, Sec. 1235; See also H.H. Nelson, `The Battle of Megiddo', UCC Press, 1913, p. 21, 22; Percy E. Newberry, Extracts from my notebooks in PSBA, Vol. XXIV, Jun 1902, p. 245. According to this source a black statuette exists of an officer of Thutmose III., named `Min-nekht'.

[860] Images of the replica museum of the tomb of Thutmoses I in Edinburgh can be seen in Ancient Egypt, Aug/Sep 2005, p. 22-26.

[970] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 409, 428, 429, Note (e).

[1000] For evidence that Solomon built the six chambered gate of Megiddo see Valerie M. Fargo, Is the Solomonic City Gate at Megiddo Realy Solomonic?', in BAR, Sep/Oct 1983, p. 8-13. The conclusion is, `Yes', Solomon built the gate.

[1060] H.H. Nelson, `The Battle of Megiddo', (1913). Faulkner, op. cit., 8, n. 38, uses much stronger language still regarding the `incredible inept performance of Thutmose's opposition.' (Rehoboam's untrained, and religiously/politically deeply split Judaic forces. But the encounter between them, we hold, did not take place at Wadi `Ara but rather at the Road to Aruna, the Beth Horon Ascent, in the surrounding territory of Jerusalem.).

[1150] Simons, `Egyptian Topographical Lists', p. 144.

[1180] Josephus, `Wars of the Jews', Book II, Sec. XIX, 1-9.

[1210] `A brief record...under...general Allenby', GCI (1918), notes opposite plates 20 & 23; See also the Preface to Nelson's 1920 edition of his Thesis.

[1300] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 425.

[1360] Eva Danelius, `Did Thutmose III Despoil the Temple of Jerusalem?', Kronos 1, No.3, (1975), p.4.

[1380] Archaeology Jul/Aug 2001, The Chapel ofThutmoses III, p. 58.

[1400] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 451.

[1450] Ibid., Sec. 486.

[1510] Ibid, Sec. 491.

[1530] Ibid., Sec. 471-473.

[1560] Barbara Cumming, `Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eigtheenth Dynasty', Fascicle I, Sec. 1240; Transl. from W. Helck, `Urkunden der 18. Dynastie' Heft 17-19.

[1700] Because when conquering enemies approached Israel, the people of the surrounding territories would come to Jerusalem for safety.

[1720] W. Helck transl. by B. Cummings (1982), `Urkunden der 18. Dynastie', `Egyptian Historical Records of the Later 18th Dynasty'.

[1770] The translator was Edouard Dhorme (1881-1966), `Revue biblique', Vol. XL (1931), p.55; Claude F. Schaeffer (1912-1984), `Cuneiform Texts'; Charles Virolleaud (1879-1968), `Les Inscriptions cuneiformes' in `Syria', Vol. X (1929), p. 305.; Claude Francis A. Schaeffer (1898-1982) was a French archaeologist. Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) was a theologian & philosopher.

[2050] JBRE, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 435.

[2070] JBREA, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 755,

[2210] R.W. Rogers, `Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (2nd ed., N.Y. and Cincinatti, 1926), p. 255.

[2500] For a profile side view of Thutmose comparing the head of his statue with his mummy, see KMT, Vol. 11, No. 1, Spring 2000, p. 56. See also KMT, Fall 2004, Vol. 15, No. 3, p. 22 the very well preserved and intact after restoration, dark, almost black, grandiorite seated statue of Thutmose III as it was found by the Polish-Egyptian team in the 1970's.

[2610] The name `Ano' was also read on a canopic jar of the time of Thutmose III, Metropolitan Museum of Art, No. 10.130.1003.

[2680] BREA, Vol. II, Sec. 446, 449.

[2720] Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 568.

[2810] For the artist's model image and artifacts see KMT, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 1996, p. 48.

[2840] Breasted, `Records', Vol. I, Sec. 680.

[2900] Ibid., Vol. III, Sec. 118. The reader will recall that we date Seti the Great [in whose inscriptions this record was found] into the time of King Manasseh. This is another example that only revised chronology can discover intricate details which otherwise make no difference or sense.

[2940] D.B. Redford, `Akhenaten', p. 23-27; Even though the author discusses the issue with conventional chronology in mind it works the same way in revised mode.