Who is the PHARAOH of the EXODUS? | Pt.8

Who is the pharaoh of the Exodus? Next (Pt.9):    • Which Pharaoh ENSLAVED the Hebrews? | Pt.9   Previous (Pt.7):    • Patterns of Evidence & the Middle Kingdom ...   Recommended Reading “Let My People Go!” by Steven Collins: https://amzn.to/3D1ZuMj (affiliate) There are four main assumptions I will be using to offer my opinion: 1) the variant readings of 1 Kings 6:1 support 480-440 years prior to Solomon as round numbers (for our purposes, a time period of ~1450-1400 BC), 2) a standard deviation of ~5-50 years in the dates of traditional Egyptian chronology, 3) that the Exodus resulted in Egypt’s inability to exercise economic and military control of the Levant and 4) that the “Habiru” of the Amarna letters refer, at least in part, to the Israelite conquest during the reign of Akhenaten. (For substance to any of these assumptions, please refer to the earlier videos of this series.) First, I believe that there is enough in the Exodus account to support pharaoh being drowned in the sea along with his army (Exodus 14:28). This leads many to believe that pharaoh’s body would have been irretrievably lost. However, Exodus 14:30 states that, “…Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” The question then becomes whether or not pharaoh’s body would have been among those that washed up on the shore? I cannot give a definitive answer either way. There is enough ambiguity in Exodus 14 though for us to at least consider the possibility that pharaoh’s body could have been recovered as one that washed up on the shore. In presenting this video, I will therefore try to be open to either possibility: that pharaoh’s body was recovered posthumously or that it was irretrievably lost in the sea. With that being said, let’s begin to narrow our search. The variant readings of 1 Kings 6:1 give point us to approximately 1450-1400 BC as the time of the Exodus events. Acknowledging 480 and 440 respectively to be round numbers, there may even be room to extend this time period to ~1460-1390 BC, although I admit that may be pushing the issue. When we examine the traditional chronologies of Egyptian history, four pharaohs emerge as reigning in or around these dates: Thutmose III – 1458-1425 BC, Amenhotep II – 1427–1397 BC, Thutmose IV – 1397–1388 BC and Amenhotep III – 1388–1351 BC. Even though an exact interpretation of the, “480 years,” of the Masoretic reading of 1 Kings 6:1 lands during the reign of Thutmose III, we can almost immediately rule him out as the pharaoh of the Exodus. The reason is that Egypt is at the height of its imperial power and influence during and after his reign. If the Exodus occurred at this time, Egypt would not be as strong and wealthy as it was. Amenhotep II has historically been a popular candidate for those advocating an early date of the Exodus. When we examine the state of Egypt in the wake of his reign however, we find that Egypt’s power and influence has not diminished. For this reason, I don’t believe Amenhotep II is the pharaoh of the Exodus. Some interesting circumstances take place following Thutmose IV's time on the throne. It’s in the wake of his reign that Egypt begins losing control of it’s Levantine territories during the reign of his successor, Amenhotep III, ultimately resulting the subjugation of Egypt’s number one ally, the kingdom of the Mitanni by the Hittites during the reign of his grandson, Akhenaten. Another interesting point is that if Thutmose IV is the pharaoh of the Exodus, the duration of Amenhotep III’s reign is between 37-38 years – the amount of time Israel wandered in the desert before the first generation of the Israelites passed away (Deuteronomy 2:14). It’s in the wake of Amenhotep III’s 38 years of rule that the mentions of the, “Habiru,” in Canann appear during the reign of Akhenaten, which would match up quite well with Joshua’s conquest. For these reasons, I believe a strong case can be made for Thutmose IV being the pharaoh of the Exodus. The circumstances of Amenhotep III’s reign are attractive for similar reasons as they are for Thutmose IV. A weakness for his candidacy though is that these events happen prior to his death. If the Exodus took place during his reign, this would mean that he did not perish in the sea crossing. However, recall that the premature death of Thutmose IV likely meant that Amenhotep III ascended to the throne as a child. If this were the case, he would be pharaoh in title only, as Egypt would be ruled by intermediaries until he matured enough to rule of his own accord. Perhaps, then, it’s possible that one of Thutmose IV’s viziers was the acting pharaoh during this time. If the Exodus occurred during the early years of Amenhotep III, while he was a child, it may have been this hypothetical official who was the pharaoh of the Exodus. If the pharaoh’s body was recovered, then my pick for the pharaoh of the Exodus is Thutmose IV. If the pharaoh’s body was lost, then I suggest a ruling intermediary during the early years of Amenhotep III was the pharaoh of the Exodus.