Dating the Emergence of Historical Israel in Light of Recent Developments in Egyptian Chronology

Abstract

Recent evidence strongly supports a reduction in the duration of the pharaoh Horemheb’s reign from 28 to 14 years. Further evidence strongly favours raising the accession year of Ramesses II from the previously conventional 1279 BCE to 1290 BCE to reflect the Horemheb reduction together with other minor adjustments. The first recorded appearance of the term ‘Israel’ from the Victory Stele of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah should accordingly be placed at ca. 1220 BCE, about a decade earlier than previously believed. The date of the devastation of Ugarit which marks the arrival of the Philistines moves to ca. 1201–1200 BCE and the date of Ramesses III’s Year 8 campaign against the Philistines ‘hidden in their towns’ changes from 1176 BCE to 1185–1183 BCE.

Keywords:

• Chronology of Egypt
• ancient Israel
• Horemheb
• Merneptah
• Philistines
• Ramesses III