The Expulsion of the Hyksos and Its Synchronism in the Bible

The Hyksos conquered and controlled the northern part of Egypt for a considerable period of time. The war to expel the Hyksos began with the last pharaoh of the 17th dynasty Kamose. However the Hyksos were finally expelled from Egypt by the first pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Ahmose I.

In the Speos Artemidos text of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, it is written:

“I have restored what was destroyed, I raised up what had formerly been, shattered, since Asiatics were in the midst of the Delta (at) Avaris……..”

It is clear from this inscription that the Asiatics, that is the Hyksos, are no longer at Avaris. So what happened to them, where did they go? Josephus quotes the 3rd century BCE Egyptian historian Manetho who gives more of the details:

“Thoumosis … invested the walls [of Avaris] with an army of 480,000 men, and endeavored to reduce [the Hyksos] to submission by siege. Despairing of achieving his objective, he concluded a treaty, under which [the Hyksos] were all to evacuate Egypt and go whether they would be unmolested. Upon these terms no fewer than two hundred and forty thousand, entire households with their possessions, left Egypt and traversed the desert to Syria. (Contra Apion I.88–89)”

After the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt they escaped to the Land of Israel, to the town of Sharuhen which is near today’s Gaza. Scholars locate Sharuhen either at Tel el Farah (south) or Tel el-ajjul. Both of these locations are near Gaza.

Ahmose I would eventually lay siege to Sharuhen for three years in order to deter the Hyksos from ever trying to control Egypt again. This was a large mass of people leaving Egypt for the Land of Israel. They would have wreaked havoc as they made their way back to the Land of Israel. Being that this would have been a major event in the history of the Land of Israel the question is: Do we find this event mentioned in the Bible? I believe the answer is yes and it is in the book of Judges regarding the story of Gideon. In Judges 6:1–6 we read

“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.”

We see from this passage that these invaders are a mixture of Amalekites, Midianites and people of the east. However if they are coming from the east meaning from Midian (or modern day Saudi Arabia) then why did they go by way of Gaza? That is on the western side and near the coast of Israel. It would make more sense that they would encamp on the south eastern side of Israel which is closer to Midian. Also if this is an invasion of soldiers why are they bringing their livestock? Soldiers or an invading army do not bring their livestock with them. In addition why are the Amalekites also singled out by name with the Midianites. Aren’t the Midianites the main foe?

However this description makes sense if it is describing the Hyksos leaving Egypt and settling the land of Israel. Then they would go up the coast and return to Sharuhen which is very close to Gaza. They would bring their livestock and tents with them because they were intending to settle there after they were expelled from Egypt by Ahmose. Also Amalek is also mentioned by name because Amalek already attacked Israel and was defeated by Moses and Joshua in the book of Numbers. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt the Amalekites were on their way to Egypt to invade a destroyed country from the aftermath of the plagues and decimation of its army in the Sea of Reeds. Other tribes would eventually join the Amalekites to conquer and control Egypt, like the Midianites and people of the east. This is what Manetho the 3rd century BCE Egyptian historian wrote

“Tutimaeus [0]. In his reign, for what cause I know not, a blast of God smote us; and unexpectedly, from the regions of the East, invaders of obscure race marched in confidence of victory against our land.”

Manetho writes “from the regions of the east” Midian is east of Egypt. Undoubtedly Amalek also lived near Midian. In the book of Numbers 24:20 the seer Bilaam attempts to curse Israel and instead ends up blessing them. Bilaam escorted by Balak the King of Moab are in Transjordan. Yet Bilaam is able to see Amalek. As it says “When [Bilaam} saw Amalek he proclaimed his oracle …… “ So Amalek who were nomads also lived near the Transjordan or “regions of the east” .

However, is there any connection to Midian and the Hyksos? Yes there is. In the book of Numbers 31:7–8 it is written

7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba — the five kings of Midian. They also killed Bilaam son of Beor with the sword.

One of the kings of Midian killed was Hur. The Egyptologist Donald Redford has identified a main Hyksos official of the 15th dynasty from inscriptions and his name was also Hur. (2) Whether this is the same individual or not, we do see the name Hur was a Midianite name as well as a Hyksos name.

Also Artapanus the 2nd century BCE Jewish Historians writes when Moses fled to Raguel who was one of the leaders of Midian Escaping into Arabia, he lived together with Raguel, the leader of the region, whose daughter he took. But Raguel wanted to march against the Egyptians, wishing to take Moses along and to build the rule for his daughter and his son-in-law, yet Moses objected, considering the members of his tribe. But Raguel, prevented from marching, ordered the Arabs to thieve Egypt.

So it could be that after the Israelites left Egypt the Midianites eventually continued to do what they were prevented to do and that was conquer Egypt. After all Jethro who is Raguel comes to meet Moses as described in the book of Exodus 18:1 “Jethro Priest of Midian, heard all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel when He brought Israel out of Egypt he heard of the great miracles done for them when He brought them out of Egypt.” If Jethro heard then many other Midianites were aware of it as well and would have given them the opportunity to conquer Egypt. Midianites being invaders “from the east” that Manetho writes about.

However in Judges 6:33 it seems to imply that that this invading force of Amalekites and Midianites are coming from east of the Jordan as it says

“Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Actually in the Hebrew is just written ויעברו ויחנו בעמק יזרעאל which translates literally “they passed over and they camped in the Jezreel valley”. It does not say they passed over the “Jordan River”. But it is assumed that. So it is possible it just means they passed over some other natural barrier like a mountain range.

However even if it means they passed over the Jordan River there is an explanation. This must be referring to other groups of Amalekites and Midianites. These are not the initial phase of those that “went up to Gaza” from Egypt. The first group of invaders had already been in the Land of Israel. From verse 6:33 it seems they just entered from beyond the Jordan River. However it is clear from Numbers 6:1–6 text these marauding hordes had already been in the land for seven years rampaging, pillaging and settling there. So how could they have just entered the land by crossing the Jordan River?

In my opinion, these are other marauding hordes who remained in Midian beyond the Jordan river. Now they are coming to aid their compatriots who are at Sharuhen and in the west near Gaza. That is why it says “all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces” They joined forces with the other Midianites in Israel at that time. Also it cannot be the same hordes who eventually return back to Midian after rampaging Israel. If that was the case then if they had already left the Land of Israel then why would Gideon engage in a war with them? They had left the Land of Israel. So these must be reinforcements from beyond the Transjordan where many of them still lived. Then the initial group of Midianites which invaded and reinforcements from Midian all camped in the Jezreel valley.

What about the timing of this invasion? Even though some modern scholars think the Hyksos ruled for a little over a hundred years, Manetho says they ruled for nearly 200 years. This would correspond with the Bible. There is about 200 years separating the Exodus and the initial invasion of the Amalekites and Midianites. This is because there is about a hundred years between Gideon and the Judge Jephthah. (1) There are about 300 years between Jephthah and the time of the Exodus. As it says in Judges 11:26

“26 For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time?”

Some may object and say this is too early for the Israelites to be in the Land of Israel. Merenptah stele mentions Israel in the Land but it is perhaps 300 years later. This is true but we do not know how many years Israel was already in the Land previously. Also it has been argued in a peer reviewed journal by three top scholars that the Berlin Pedestal has the earliest mention of Israel. They date it based on the orthography (spelling) of the inscription to at least the 18th dynasty. The authors are the epigrapher Peter van der Veen, Christopher Theis, and the Egyptologist Manfred Gorg. The authors write it is possible that Israel had arrived in the Land as early as the second intermediate period. (3) This could be well before the invasion of the Hyksos as they were fleeing from Egypt.

How does this correspond to the new chronology? Since according to the New Chronology Shishak is Ramses II and we can date him to the early part of his 930 BCE and Gideon is about 200 years after the Exodus and between the 5th year of Rehavam to the Exodus is 521years (480 years from 4th year of Solomon who reigned another 36 years plus 5 years),. So if we subtract 521–200 =321 years and then add 321 to 930 = then Ahmoses I should be roughly around 1251 BCE in the New Chronology. David Rohl writes in Test of Time pg. 241 that Ahmose I began his reign in 1194 BCE and ended in 1170 BCE. So it is very close to corresponding to those dates.

The expulsion of the Hyksos seems to be the historical context for the story of Gideon. Once the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt they eventually made their way to Sharuhen near the coast of the land of Israel. Arriving in the Land of Israel the Hyksos proceeded to oppress Israel and then Gideon rose up to subdue them. Then the story of Gideon and the expulsion of the Hyksos would be a historical synchronism. This should also dispel the idea that the expulsion of the Hyksos was the impetus for the story of the Exodus. As if Israel borrowed this event to create its own Exodus. From this synchronism it is clear that the expulsion of the Hyksos to the Land of Israel occurred much after the Exodus of Israel.

(1) John Rogerson, Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings (Thames and Hudson 1999) pg. 45

(2) Donald Redford, Textual Sources for the Hyksos Period pg. 21 in The Hyksos: New Historical and Archaeological Perspectives

(3) Israel in Canaan. (Long) Before Pharaoh Merenptah? A fresh look at Berlin statue pedestal relief 21687 pg. 20 in the Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconn