Updated: 2013.09.18
Khat-shepꞋset; "Foremost of Noble-Overseers" (looks like a picture, and it is, but cartouche at left is the name, in ancient Egyptian hieroglyph: "Khat-shepset" – not Arabic (post-Islam "Egyptian"), Hebrew or English letters; see caption for details).
Maat-ka- (Red Chapel wall, Karnak). |
Dating the Chronology of the Tanakh, from the "Big ðÈèÈä" Live-LinkT of ancient Israel or Egypt is notoriously difficult. The reign of rulers during a period of peace, or longer than usual, might be described as having reigned "40 years," hyperbole for a generation that, in our modern perspective, may have been considerably less than 40 actual years. Rulers who disapproved of their predecessor might claim his predecessor's entire reign – resulting in double-counting of years now, a misleading stretching of the Chronology of the Tanakh, from the "Big ðÈèÈä" Live-LinkT .
For different reasons, archeologists aren't any more precise. A few shards thrown in a hole, or dug up from a hole, millennia ago can alter the strata in which shards "dated with (over-) confidence" based on the strata in which they are found. This kind of thing can throw off the dating of an entire site and cascade to other sites, etc.
Both the literature and archeology provide a general time frame. But Arts degree archeologists, swayed by an "Indiana Jones" syndrome or hunger for fame, routinely exaggerate their precision.
The occasional anchor occurs when the historical documents contain a reference to some physical phenomenon that can be dated with reasonable accuracy. Reference to conjunctions (e.g., an "ἄστρον" in the east; cf. The Nᵊtzârim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matitᵊyâhu (NHM, in English) notes 2.0.1 through 2.2.1) enables scientists to pinpoint things like the birth of RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa (B.C.E. 0007.05.29 – matching the other descriptions and nowhere near the birthday of the Persian Sungod: Dec. 25). Careful analysis of the text with a sufficient knowledge of the Judaic calendar enables scholars to pinpoint exact date of the death of RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa (again, see NHM notes 28.1.1 through 28.1.2).
Similarly, the eruption at Thera / Santorini, which occurred within a century or so of popular dates of the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ, is the anchor to which both Egyptian and Bible chronologies must be tethered, and implications must cascade from that to other chronologies. The consensus of scientists have dated this eruption to c BCE , which I've used for the date of the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ. Recent research is arguing for c BCE . The proper dating of the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ must be anchored to the current scientific consensus; and, if necessary, move to stay pinned to the scientific consensus. This no less includes (see below) relating (or dis-relating) the reigns of Khat-shepset and Tut-moses III to the same date.
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Mummy – Egyptian General and Chief of Staff, later Par•ohꞋ |
The greatest enigma in Egyptian history is 14C dated to c BCE , and revolves around the identification of the coeval Par•ohꞋ. The enigma emanating from the son of Par•ohꞋ Khat-shepset, Tut-moses III, which has baffled scholars, may be related. 20 years after she died (why the 20 year wait?), her son erased her from almost all of the historical record! Why did he do this? And why did he wait until 20 years after she died?
Only two events in Egyptian history rise to the level of world-changing, monumentally historical proportion—both happening "coincidentally" (what is the probability of that?!?) within a window of a century or so of Par•ohꞋ Khat-shepset:
the eruption of Thera / Santorini c BCE —clearly the most accurately and reliably dated, and
the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ (the Exodus)!
Only advances in 14C dating will tell us whether the humiliating Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ occurred 20 years after her death (Shᵊm•otꞋ 2.23), perhaps explaining the attempts by Tut-moses III to shift the blame for the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ from himself to his mother—who had been the intimate power behind Sen-en-mut moses. 14C dating will inform us whether, perhaps, she was complicit with Sen-en-mut moses in treating his people, the Hebrews, favorably (in extreme contrast to his own harsh suppression of the Hebrews)—and then expunge his mother from the Egyptian historical record!
Nothing even remotely similar is recorded in Egyptian history – ever!
Queen-Par•ohꞋ (c BCE -) Khat-shepset KᵊruvꞋ (ancient-egypt co uk Metropolitan Museum) |
Temple of Par•ohꞋ Khat-shepset – remarkably similar to the design of both the Beit ha-Mi•qᵊdâshꞋ hâ-Ri•shonꞋ and Shein•iꞋ designed & built by her lover, Sen-en-mut. |
Par•ohꞋ of the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ – |
Par•ohꞋ (c BCE -; Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ c BCE ) |
Par•ohꞋ (c BCE -; Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ: c BCE ) Middle: Men-kheper- Bottom: Nefer-Kheper |
The account of Par•ohꞋ of the Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ is found in Ta•na"khꞋ, beginning in Shᵊm•otꞋ
Egyptian historical records document that the firstborn son of Par•ohꞋ Tut-moses 3rd, Amun-em-khat, predeceased him, perhaps sacrificed by his father, Tut-moses III, to their god Amun, according to the ancient Middle East tradition (see Mᵊlâkh•imꞋ Beit 3.27, the precedent broken by Av•râ•hâmꞋ at the A•qeid•âhꞋ) as Tut-moses III's ultimate plea to his god, in his father's final attempt to suppress the Hebrews – the "Tenth Plague." The sacrifice of his firstborn son, and its failure to bring success, too, Tut-moses III blamed on his mother, Khat-shepset?
Details of the death of Khat-shepset, including photographs of her mummy, dental x-ray (used to estimate her age at death), and canopic jar are found in the 5760 section of Pâ•râsh•atꞋ wâ-Ei•râ.:
From the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ website NQ (i.e. Netzarim Quarter, home page) at www.netzarim.co.il, click the “Beit K’nesset” icon in the “Click ‘n Go” navigation panel on the left,
Next click the “Parashat Shavua” icon at the top right and
Finally, find the wâ-Ei•râ.“ link under the Shᵊm•ōtꞋ Heading