Monday, September 7, 2020

The Book of Ephesians

The Book of Ephesians is all about who we are in Christ.
Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the believers in Ephesus (Eph 1:1). 
Ephesus was located in the province Asia, in present-day Turkey,
see the map in The Book of Colossians.

In the New Covenant that we have as Christians, we are blessed
with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 1 Pet 1:3–4).
We aren't promised physical blessings, such as physical healing. 
God can heal people physical, but we aren't promised that
in this New Covenant, because it's a spiritual covenant. 
See chapter False Teaching on Healing in Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.

The following applies to us as Christians:

  • We have been chosen by God before the creation of the world
    (Eph 1:4    –6). However, this doesn't mean that the condition of lost people is set in place by God before they are born and is fixed,
    see The Predestination Theory.
  • God has adopted us into his kingdom (Eph 1:5–6). Adoption is no less valuable than biological connection to a family. An adopted child
    is considered by law to be the same as a biological child.
  • God had redeemed us by his blood (Eph 1:7–8).
    That is, Christ has given his life for us. We are forgiven.
  • God has made known to us the mystery of his will (Eph 1:9–10). It speaks of the intimacy of the relationship with Christ (John 15:15). The mystery has been revealed to us through the Word of God by the Holy Spirit.
  • God has given us an inheritance (Eph 1:11–12, 1 Cor 3:21–23,
    Rom 8:16–17). It's a spiritual heritage. See Jesus and the Law.
  • We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13–14, Rom 8:29, i Cor 15:49). It's a living seal. We are sealed with a person. It's a picture of Christ. 
    It's a guarantee of our inheritance in Christ.
Paul doesn't stop giving thanks for them because of what he has heard:
(Eph 1:15–16).

Paul gives a picture of what we were like before we were saved:
  • Spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). It's not about feeling, it's something we were.
    We are born into this world disconnected from God as a result of the Fall, see The Fall of Man in The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.
  • Walking according to the world (Eph 2:2a).
  • Under the Devil's control (Eph 2:2b, 1 John 5:19).
  • Indulging the flesh (Eph 2:3a),
    see The lust of the flesh in The Book of John.
  • Subject to the wrath of God (Eph 2:3b), see Body, Soul, and Spirit 
    in The Danger with Gnosticism and God has wrath in God's Attributes.
After we are saved the following happens:
  • We become spiritual alive (Eph 2:4–5), see Body, Soul, and Spirit 
    in The Danger with Gnosticism, based on God's grace, mercy, and love.
    It's not because we deserve it in any way, because we don't.
  • We are seated with Christ (Eph 2:6).
  • We become a living display of God's grace and goodness (Eph 2:7).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 
(Eph 2:5b, 8–9). See Jesus and the Young Rich Man.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15).
We have all sinned (Rom 3:23).

Now that we have been saved, God has given us good works to do 
(Eph 2:10, Mat 25:34–36, 41–43) to bring forth the fruits of our salvation,
see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas and The Sheep and the Goats.

The Gentiles' conditions before they came to Christ were (Eph 2:12 (ESV)):
  • Separated from Christ. Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel
    (Mat 15:24).
  • Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.
    We aren't part of God's chosen nation.
  • Strangers to the covenant of promise, the Abrahamic covenant,
    it's the coming of Christ (Gal 3:16, 29, Heb 6:13). 
  • Having no hope, see Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.
  • Without God in the world we were godless.
But we Gentiles have been brought near to God through the blood of Christ 
(Eph 2:13, 3:6), see The Depth of the Riches in The Book of Romans.
When we respond with faith in Jesus, we come to him and are saved,
see salvation. As Christians; Gentiles and Jews belong to the same family
(Eph 2:14, 19). We are all equal in Christ, whether we are Gentiles or Jews,
rich or poor, popular or unpopular (Gal 3:28, Rom 3:20–24). We are one body 
(Eph 2:16–18, 3:5–6). As born again Christians (John 1:12–13) we have become
a holy temple for the Lord  (Eph 2:21–22), see born again in The Book of Peter.

We are now living in the church age which will end at the time of The Rapture. 
The meaning of a church in this case isn't a building. We born again Christians are the church, the Body of Christ, see time 45:08–47:01 in February 2025 Bible Q&A. This doesn't mean that the promises to Israel have been taken over by the church, see The Depth of the Riches in The Book of Romans. The church age wasn't revealed by the Old Testament prophets. It wasn't known to them and is therefore called The Mountain Peaks of Prophecy. These prophets saw only the peaks of the prophetic timetable, but couldn't see what was in the valleys between the peaks.


All Christians are called to reflect the very character of Jesus' heart 
(Rom 8:29a). We should live it out in our daily lives (Eph 4:1). This can
be done only by the power of the Holy Spirit and not in our own strength. 

We will then strive for the following (Eph 4:2–3 (ESV)):
  • Humility (Mat 11:29). This is how we see ourselves in the light of God
    and his Word. If we do, we can also see and treat others in a better way.
    See 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount.
  • Gentleness (Mat 11:29). Biblical gentleness is how we respond to people when we feel attacked. The ability to be hurt without getting angry, vengeful, or bitter, which we naturally do (Eph 4:26, Psalm 4:4 (5 in some translations)). See Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount.
  • Patience. This refers to how we react to failures, mistakes,
    and annoyances from other beings. To persevere with our temper intact. 
    See Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount.
  • Eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 
    (Eph 4:3). The Holy Spirit has already done a work within all born again
    Christians to unite us with each other (Eph 4:15–16), s    ee Unity.
Seven truths of the Christian faith that unify believers (Eph 4:4–5, 6 (ESV)):
  1. One Body, the Body of Christ consisting of all born again believers
    in Christ    , see The Book of Peter. We belong to each other, see Unity. However, there is a difference between the church and the Body of Christ. The church consists of non-believers and believers who attend Christian meetings. The Body of Christ is defined as those who have recognized
    the need for a Savior, who have turned from their old life,
    have come to Jesus, and embraced him as their Savior,
    and are now trusting in him for the forgiveness of their sins.
  2. One Spirit, the Holy Spirit. All who receive Jesus as their Savior
    receive the Holy Spirit in their lives (Eph 4:30). It means that there is only one truth. We as Christians can be divided in the area of truth.
    We may have been wrongly taught or misunderstood the Word of God,
    it happens all the time (Eph 4:13–15).
  3. One Hope. Our hope should be based on the return of our 
    great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, 1 Cor 15:19),
    see Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. 
  4. One Lord. This refers to Jesus Christ as the Creator of the world
    (1 Cor 8:5–6), see Jesus is the Creator in Jesus is God.
    See also Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
  5. One Faith. There is only one true faith in the Bible (Jude 1:3), 
    see Faith in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. See also How to Build Your Faith.
  6. One Baptism. Baptism means immersed. It means immersed in water
    and is done after receiving Jesus as my Savior (Mat 28:19, 1 Cor 12:13).
    It's a picture of my salvation. It doesn't save, but is an act of obedience.
    See Christian Water Baptism in The Book of Romans.
  7. One God of all. There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10–11), see The Trinity. 
    God is over all our lives and works through all believers.
    God is in all believers through the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:6).
There are differences between natural abilities and spiritual gifts.
Both are given by God. Musical talent is an example of a natural ability.
We are born with natural abilities. Spiritual gifts are abilities empowered
by the Holy Spirit, see Spiritual Gifts. We aren't born with them.
They are abilities to do what we would otherwise not be able to do.
Natural abilities and spiritual gifts can be used together.

Jesus has distributed spiritual gifts (and natural abilities) in the following ways:
  1. Jesus has given every member of his body power to do work by grace 
    from God (Eph 4:7a), see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas.
  2. Jesus has chosen to distribute his power and ability
    to each member of the body as he sees fit (Eph 4:7b). 
    He doesn't do it equally in the Body of Christ.     
Spiritual Gifts can be discovered in the following ways:
  • Continue to grow in the Word, especially from the New Testament.
  • Ask the Lord to reveal your gifts.
  • Serve wherever there is a need.
  • Notice your passions/burdens.
  • Be patient with God's timing.
Jesus gave the following services to the Body of Christ (Eph 4:8b, 11):
  • Apostle. One sent forth with authority.
  • Prophet. Gives a message from God. God speaks
    through one of his children. See 6. Prophecy in     Spiritual Gifts.
  • Evangelist. Reaches the lost with the message of Christ.
  • Shepherd (=Pastor), see The Book of Timothy and The Book of Titus.
  • Teacher. Explains God's Word. 
The purpose of these services is to equip the believers, 
to build up the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12, 16).
See these services explained further at time 3:59–7:36
in Pastors, Elders and Overseers (A study on New Testament Leadership).

Apostles and prophets have built the foundation of the early church
with Jesus as the cornerstone (Eph 2:19–20), see The Parable of the Tenants
and The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders. 

But apostles or prophets today aren't allowed to speak things that are revelatory, words that would add to the revelation of God's Word in the Bible (Rev 22:18–19).
If it was allowed, it wouldn't be possible to test what is taught according to
God's Word in the Bible, if new revelations happened all the time (Acts 17:10–12).
See how it's abused in the NAR movement at time 7:33–20:05
in How The NAR Movement is Deceiving MILLIONS of Christians.

An apostle today is more like a missionary, see the following explanations: 
The word apostle in Greek means "one sent forth with authority". In Christianity,
it's someone who has been sent out to spread the good news about Jesus Christ
and to establish congregations. The term apostle was coined by Jesus himself
(Mark 3:14–15). Among other things, Jesus was also an apostle and a high priest (Heb 3:1). Paul called himself an apostle (Eph 1:1). An apostle needs to have
an evangelical heart, but doesn't necessarily have to be an evangelist. 

One who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging,
and comfort (1 Cor 14:3, Acts 15:32), see 6. Prophecy in Spiritual Gifts.

An evangelist isn't necessarily sent out. It's a person who has the gift
of sharing the gospel. It's not a person to bring people along in their faith,
unless you also are a teacher, but to bring them to the place of decision
to become a Christian and to encourage them. We are all called
to be prepared for some aspect of evangelism (1 Pet 3:15b–16).

A shepherd must be able to teach, see The Book of Timothy and The Book of Titus.

A teacher doesn't have to be a shepherd. A congregation needs a teacher
who conveys the truth from God's Word. That is, reading a text from the Bible
and being able to explain what it means, and encourage the application
of this message. See time 4:28–5:29 in Bible Q&A • Episode 52.
However, not many of us should become teachers,
because those who teach will be judged with greater severity (Jas 3:1).
Whenever we speak for God, it's important that we know what we are saying,
that it's truly from God (2 Pet 2:1–3). A teacher must not go beyond
what is written (1 Cor 4:6). Our attitude when teaching should be
that we do only what is our duty (Luk 17:10).
Note that a teacher isn't the same as a preacher,
see The Book of Timothy and The Book of Titus.

When Jesus came into our lives, we received the Holy Spirit, and we received
the benefits of what Jesus did on the cross for us. He broke the dominion
of the sinful nature in our lives (Rom 6:6, 11). We have been set free
from living a life of sin (Rom 8:2). We have been given a new nature
even though the old nature remains. We should choose to live differently
according to the new nature (Eph 4:22–24, 5:15, Rom 6:15–16).
When we struggle with something in our lives that stems from the old nature,
we should look to the solution; on Jesus, instead of on the problem
(2 Pet 1:3–4, 1 Cor 10:13), see Sanctification. 

We should be slow to anger and not let it cause us to sin 
(Eph 4:26–27, James 1:19–20). When we are treated badly by other people,
we should first take it to the Lord before we act (Eph 4:29–32, James 3:8–10,
Heb 12:15), see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.

We should walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us
(Eph 5:2a). We are commanded to love one another (1 John 3:14, 16, 18, 23), 
see the end part of The Ten Commandments. Love is the determination of the will,
not a feeling. We should love sacrificially (Eph 5:2b, Mat 5:43–46),
see Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount.

As Christians, we should live a life that is consistent with our calling (Eph 4:1). 
We are called to live not only for ourselves, but for God. 
Sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among us (Eph 5:3, 5). We aren't to get drunk with alcohol (Eph 5:18),
see What does God think about Christians drinking alcohol?
in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
If we fall into any of these areas, we must repent, see Sanctification. 

The husband has a special authority in a family, 
see The order of leadership in a marriage
in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

Children should obey their parents, see the 5th commandment
in The Ten Commandments. It should be like obeying the Lord.

As Christians, we are members in the New Covenant which is a spiritual one,
with a spiritual enemy (1 Pet 5:8, James 4:7–8a). We must therefore act as follows:
Summary (James 4:7–8a):
  • This life is a battlefield.
  • A dangerous enemy is at large.
  • Worldly temptations are many.
  • Our flesh is weak.
  • Jesus won the victory on the cross.
  • In Christ we are more than conquerors!
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Saturday, August 29, 2020

Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus?

Content:

  • Summary
  • The Pharaoh of the Exodus
  • Explanation of the New Egyptian Chronology
  • Criticism of the New Egyptian Chronology

Summary


The Bible doesn't tell us the names of who the Pharaohs were at the time of Moses.
The following chapters all give interesting and convincing suggestions as to who
the Pharaoh of the Exodus is, but their names are different. My personal opinion
is that the suggestion by Christopher Eames gives the correct Pharaohs at the time of Moses. If so, then Amenhotep II is the Pharaoh of the Exodus.

Why it can't be Ramesses II is explained in the following videos:
The biblical Ramesses was rebuilt as the capital of Egypt under Ramesses II, when it probably also got its name, which is used in the Bible even before it got its name
just to locate its place (Exo 1:11, 12:37, Gen 47:11). This is called an anachronism.

The Pharaoh of the Exodus


Christopher Eames is a New Zealander, educated in the US, working in England,
who has a huge passion for Israel. Some of his best life experiences have been digging and traveling around Israel with his friends. He has always had a passion
for things buried in the earth – and no earth is more interesting than Israel’s!

These Pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty ruled in the following order:
Amenhotep II (Pharaoh of the Exodus)→
Thutmose IV→Amenhotep III→ Akhenaten.

Hatshepsut, daughter to Thutmose I, was married to her half-brother Thutmose II.
Upon the death of Thutmose II, she ruled as regent to her stepson, Thutmose III,
who inherited the throne at the age of two. Several years into her regency,
she assumed the position of Pharaoh making her a co-ruler alongside Thutmose III. 
Hatshepsut's reign was a period of great prosperity and general peace.
She was Moses' stepmother. From her reign we get interesting details that point to her being identified as the famous "Pharaoh's daughter" mentioned in the Bible.

See it described in detail in the the article: Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus?
It puts the Exodus in 1446 BC and Israel’s entrance into Canaan in 1406 BC.

Akhenaten turned towards Monotheism, specifically the worship of the sun god Aten. 
He renamed himself after the god, his original royal name was Amenhotep IV.

Akhenaten’s reign marked a time of major upheaval in Canaan.
The invasion of Canaan fits remarkably well with the biblical account
of Israel’s conquest of Canaan; the Promised Land, see Joshua.
It started during the reign of Akhenaten’s father, Amenhotep III.

An inscription on a pylon from the time of Amenhotep III mentions YHWH,
which is the earliest known mention of the famous name of the God of Israel.

Amenhotep III’s father and predecessor was Pharaoh Thutmose IV.
He publicly declared on the Dream Stele that he was divinely installed. Presumably because he wasn't the firstborn, the presumed heir to the throne
of Egypt. This is consistent with the biblical account of The tenth plague:
the death of the firstborn, which included the crown prince of Egypt.

The fact that the Pharaoh in the Exodus also survived The tenth plague logically suggests that he wasn't the firstborn either. Egyptian records reveal Amenhotep II, father of Thutmose IV, for not being the firstborn heir to the throne either.
This places Amenhotep II as the Pharaoh of the Exodus from Egypt.

Moses died at the age of 120, with his life divided into three 40-year periods:
  • First, he was a prince in Egypt.
  • Second, he lived in the desert of Midian. 
  • Third, at the age of 80, he was called to deliver Israel from Egypt
    and took them, over a period of 40 years, to Canaan.
If Israel entered Canaan in the late 15th century (1446 BC),
Moses must have been born in the latter half of the 16th century.
This place the birth of Moses somewhere within the reign of Thutmose I.

Thutmose I fathered a fully royal daughter, Hatshepsut (born by his great royal wife, Ahmose), and a semi-royal son, Thutmose II (born by his minor wife, Mutnofret).
To secure his son's rightful place on the throne of Egypt, 
Thutmose I had his 18-year-old son marry his 24-year-old half-sister.

Thutmose II's reign lasted as little as three years. A discovery during his reign
sheds light on an Egyptian practice at this time, the killing of enemy boys.

Hatshepsut failed to produce a male heir for Thutmose II, who instead
fathered his successor, Thutmose III, through a concubine named Iset.
However, Thutmose III was only 2 years old when his father died, so Hatshepsut began a 22-year co-regency with Thutmose III 
and became a powerful Pharaoh in her own right.

Including his involvement with his stepmother Hatshepsut, Thutmose III 
reigned for 54 years, one of the longest in Egyptian history. As a sole monarch, 
Thutmose III set about establishing himself as arguably Egypt's greatest,
most powerful Pharaoh. He was undoubtedly Egypt's greatest conqueror.
Through his many campaigns, this "Napoleon of Egypt" (as he is sometimes called) created the largest empire Egypt had ever seen. During this long period of time,
it's a good chronological fit that Moses was in the royal court of Egypt and then fled into the wilderness of Midian where he lived for a significant period of time.

If Thutmose III preceded the Pharaoh in the Exodus from Egypt, his firstborn son and successor to the throne, the royal prince Amenemhat, would probably be
the Pharaoh of the Exodus. But in Egyptian records, Amenemhat is barely
a historical footnote, since Thutmose III’s firstborn son died before his father.
When Pharaoh Thutmose III died, the throne of Egypt was inherited by a son
who wasn't the firstborn; Amenhotep II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus.

Egyptian records show that Pharaoh Amenhotep II ascended the throne at the age of 18 and reigned for 26 years. Several royal inscriptions show that he initiated three massive military campaigns; these conquests occurred in the first half of his reign,
in years 3, 7, and 9. During his third campaign, he apparently imported more than 101,000 captives (the highest number of slaves brought into Egypt by any Pharaoh).
This pharaoh was notorious for his cruelty towards captured enemies and prisoners.

But after his third campaign we have almost no record of his reign. The same is true of his monuments. Of the monuments we have from his reign, some are apparently only partially complete. He died in his early 40s, an age confirmed by analysis
of his mummy. He warned of the dangers of foreign "magicians" late in his reign.

More than 2,000 years ago, Manetho and Chaeremon, both Egyptian priests
and historians, insisted that the Pharaoh of the Exodus was Amenophis (Amenhotep). Amenophis is the Classical Greek form of the name Amenhotep.

This means that Amenhotep II was Pharaoh during the Exodus from Egypt,
and Moses' stepmother in Egypt was the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Explanation of the New Egyptian Chronology

New Chronology (Rohl) is an alternative Egyptian chronology developed
by the English Egyptologist David Rohl and other scholars (see John Bimson).

It's re-dating Egyptian kings of the Nineteenth Dynasty to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty,
bringing forward conventional dating by up to 350 years.

It directly affects the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt. Rohl argues that this
would allow scholars to identify some of the most important events
in the Old Testament with events in the archaeological record.
It makes it possible to identify some of the well-known biblical characters
with historical figures appearing in contemporary ancient texts. 
Rohl's view is that the biblical text (like all other ancient documents) should be treated as a potentially reliable historical source until it can be shown otherwise.

The main reason for Rohl's re-dating is as follows: He claims that the identification
of "Shishaq King of Egypt" (1 Kings 14:25–26, 2 Chronicles 12:2–9)
as Shoshenq I is based on faulty inference. Rohl instead argues that Shishaq 
should be identified in the Bible as Ramesses II, which moves forward
the date of Ramesses II's reign by up to 350 years.

Rohl disputes that the military activities of Shoshenq I match the biblical account of Shishaq on the grounds that the campaigns of the two kings
are completely different and that Jerusalem doesn't appear
in the inscription of Shoshenq I as a subjected town.

The New Chronology (Rohl) therefore rejects the identification of Shoshenq I 
as the biblical Shishaq, and instead offers Ramesses II as the real historical figure behind the biblical Shishaq. Ramesses II, who campaigned against Israel, 
was also nicknamed Shysha. Due to a change of a letter character in the meantime, the name Shysha became Shishaq in the Bible,
which means that they are the same person. Pottery is used for dating.

This means that Rohl moves the Israelite sojourn, Exodus, and conquest
from the end of the Late Bronze Age to the latter part of the Middle Bronze Age
(from the Nineteenth Dynasty to the Thirteenth Dynasti/Hyksos period).
Rohl argues that this solves many of the problems associated
with the historicity question of the biblical narratives. 

He uses the archaeological reports from Avaris in the eastern Nile Delta,
which show that a large Semitic-speaking population lived there
during the Thirteenth Dynasti. These people were culturally similar
to the population of Middle Bronze Age (MB IIA) Canaan. 
Rohl identifies these Semites as the people on whom
the biblical tradition of the Israelite sojourn in Egypt was based.

Towards the end of the Middle Bronze Age (late MB IIB) archaeologists
have uncovered a series of city destructions, which John Bimson and Rohl 
have argued correspond closely to the cities attacked by the Israelite tribes
in the Joshua narrative. Most importantly, the heavily fortified city of Jericho
was destroyed and abandoned at this time.

Rohl shows this and provides evidence that the Exodus isn't a myth but a historical fact, see in The Biblical Exodus. Fairytale or Historical Fact? (by David Rohl):

  • Time      0:40–   15:15: Why Shoshenq I can't be the biblical Shishaq.
  • Time    15:16–   19:04: Why this dating is so important.
  • Time    19:05–   31:13: Why Ramesses II is the biblical Shishaq.
  • Time    38:30–   54:55: Ramesses II defeats the Israelites.
  • Time    57:33–1:12:07: Why academical archaeologists dismiss Exodus.
  • Time 1:12:08–1:14:22: Made assumptions for New Chronology (Rohl).
  • Time 1:14:23–1:30:25: The Israelite stay in Avaris (the land of Goshen).
  • Time 1:30:26–1:47:37: Joseph.
  • Time 1:49:40–1:54:10: The Proto-Sinaitic script alphabet.
  • Time 1:54:11–1:59:57: Moses.
  • Time 1:59:58–2:02:52: The Egyptian collapse and the Hyksos invasion.
  • Time 2:02:53–2:14:57: The new timeline, Jericho, Hazor, and Shechem.
  • Time      2:26–   5:06: The city of Avaris.
  • Time      5:07– 15:48: Joseph.
  • Time    15:49– 18:20: Rapid growth of Semitic people in Avaris.
  • Time    18:21– 20:26: The time of slavery in Avaris.
  • Time    20:27– 24:00: The killing of the newborn boys and Moses.
  • Time    24:01– 25:30: The so-called wrong time period.
  • Time    25:31– 37:30: Moses and the judgment of Egypt.
  • Time    37:31– 41:34: Problem having Ramesses II at the Exodus.
  • Time    41:35– 43:33: Excavations supporting the Exodus.
  • Time    43:34→        : The Egyptian collapse and the invasion of Hyksos.

  • Time      1:11–    2:28: Background information about Dr. Rohl.
  • Time      2:46–    4:50: Questioning the conventional chronology.
  • Time      5:37–    6:40: Implications for Egyptian dynasties.
  • Time      7:03–  11:47: Problem having Ramesses II at the Exodus.
  • Time    12:12–  13:07: Why the Bible is a reliable historical source.
  • Time    13:39–  16:05: Circular arguments in conventional chronology.
  • Time    16:33–  18:52: How to reconstruct the chronology.
  • Time    19:38–  21:58: Carbon dating versus archaeology.
  • Time    22:35–  28:26: The Amarna letters.
  • Time    28:51–  34:15: The Greek dark age.
Rohl identifies, among other things:

Dates proposed by Rohl for these Egyptian monarchs (all dates BC,
NC=New Chronology (Rohl), CC=Conventional Egyptian Chronology):


Criticism of the New Egyptian Chronology


The Christian Egyptologist Gavin Cox provides an alternative explanation
of Egyptian chronology based on the Bible. It differs from Rohl's chronology.

  • Time 1:07:58–1:14:13: The Ramesses II problem.
  • Time 1:14:14–1:16:05: The Israelite stay in Avaris (the land of Goshen).
  • Time 1:16:06–1:19:01: At the time of the Hyksos.
  • Time 1:19:01–1:19:58: The time of the Exodus.
  • Time 1:20:00–1:21:39: Chronological synchronism (Shishaq).
  • Time 1:23:11–1:27:03: Problems with C-14 dating, part 1.
  • Time 1:34:02–1:35:07: Incorrect assumptions.
  • Time 1:35:08–1:39:52: Problems with C-14 dating, part 2.
  • Time 1:40:09–1:41:41: The Bible is trustworthy.
  • Time 1:42:09–1:44:04: Why the Bible is neglected.
  • Time 1:44:05–1:47:34: At the time of the Hyksos.
  • Time 1:47:52–1:49:05: Thutmose III was the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
  • Time 1:49:37–1:51:43: The change of a paradigm.
  • Time 1:52:25–1:57:17: Scientific evidence for a chronology.
  • Time 1:57:37–1:59:36: Using pottery for dating.
  • Time 1:59:51–2:01:50: Chronological synchronism.
  • Time 2:02:30–2:10:13: Problems with C-14 dating, part 3.
  • Time 2:16:22–2:19:16: Thutmose III, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten.
  • Time 2:19:53–2:20:30:The lack of evidence for the Exodus.
  • Time 2:21:08–2:21:38: Joseph in Egypt.
  • Time 2:22:08–2:23:47: The Hittites.
  • Time 2:24:04–2:24:53: How it affects other nations chronology.
  • Time 2:25:28–2:26:52: The Biblical chronology is reliable.
Then also see the times 38:47–41:39, 43:09–44:00, 48:28–48:55 for C-14 dating

Cox's differs in the following way with Rohl. Cox believes that:
  1. The identification of "Shishaq King of Egypt"
    (1 Kings 14:25    –26, 2 Chronicles 12:2–9) as Shoshenq I is correct. 
  2. The Hyksos ruled Egypt when the Israelites arrived and allowed them
    to stay there because the Hyksos were a Semitic people,
    like the Israelites. Rohl, on the other hand, believes that the Hyksos
    conquered Egypt later when Egypt had no army to defend them.
  3. Thutmose III was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. 
    Rohl believes Dedumose II     was the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
  4. Hatshepsut was probably Moses' stepmother.

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