From Joseph to Moses

Abstract

From all the evidence that has now been gathered, we can follow the biblical narrative. From the evidence it is obvious that many pastoral tribes entered the Delta during the 18th and 19th Dynasties. We know also that the 19th Dynasty pharaohs, in re-invigorating the Egyptian military activities that Akhenaten had let lapse, captured many “Shasu” and many Canaanites. There are murals, as well as written records, depicting these captives. Further, the 19th Dynasty pharaohs did force these war-captives into bond-slavery—especially in the efforts to build fortress cities in the Nile Delta. We know that bond-slavery was not typical throughout Egypt’s history and that corveé labor teams of skilled Egyptian workers built the great monuments in Egypt. But, things changed after the Hyksos invasion, and bond-slavery of war-captives became commonplace during this period of Egyptian re-conquest and revenge.¹