The Hyksos History

1860 - 1430 BCE

1. When the Egyptians invaded the Palestine region (ca2300BCE) they called the people who came from the Tigris-Euphrates valley to sell their flocks in the region "the shepherd people", "Hyksos" in Greek, and their rulers "the shepherd kings". Whether they were already known by these names in the region or whether the name was bestowed on them by the Egyptians is uncertain.

2. The Hyksos migrated into Egypt during the late Middle Kingdom (ca1800-1650BCE) and that "process was gradual and peaceful"¹
   The biblical evidence points to the first wave of Israeli immigrants entering Egypt ca1860 and that it was a peaceful process (see Israelite History).

3. In Josephus' treatise "Against Apion" he cites evidence from the writing (since lost) of an Egyptian historian Manetho (c300BCE) to prove the Israelites were an ancient people and not relative new comers as Apion claims.
   Manetho's first mention of the Hyksos is that they "were men of ignoble birth who came out of the east and had boldness enough to make an expedition into our country "and with ease subdued it by force yet without our hazarding a battle with them."
   "The assumption of power (by the Hyksos) reveals itself as a peaceful takeover from within by a racial element in the country"¹
   This takeover of the country would appear to refer to the arrival of Joseph and his brothers who made the Egyptians "slaves of the Pharaohs" as described in the Bible (see Israelite History).

4. Manetho also describes an invasion by the Hyksos who "burnt our cities and demolished our temples and used all the inhabitants in the most barbarous way" and "made one of themselves ruler". He identifies the first such ruler as Salitis who seized power ca1650¹
   According to Josephus, the Greek word Hyksos can be translated as either shepherds or shepherds' king. In the above context Manetho is using the word in the latter sense and is referring to the Babylonians king and his army from the Tigris-Euphrates valley that invaded Egypt ca1684, according to the Babylonian records

5. Josephus quotes Manetho's account of what happened to the Hyksos when the Egyptians successfully revolted.
   According to Manetho the 240,000 men, women and children, besieged in Avartis, were eventually allowed to leave the country unmolested.
   According to Babylonian record this occurred ca1536BCE.
   According to historians¹ the last Hyksos Pharaoh was deposed and an Egyptian installed ca1550. "The new king over Egypt did not know Joseph" and "set taskmasters over them (those Israelites not residents of Avaris). Manetho made no mention, apparently, of this enslavement of the remaining Hyksos or of Moses leading them to freedom ca 1430.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Manetho says "They (the Hyksos refugees from Avartis) built a city in that country which is now called Judea and that large enough to contain a great number of men and called it Jerusalem".
   Josephus states that "these shepherds, as they are called here, who were no other than our forefathers who were delivered out of Egypt and came thence to inhabit this country (Judea)".
   I would agree as the evidence we have clearly points to the Hyksos being the forefathers of the Israeli people.

2. I would argue that the evidence points to the Akkadian-Sumerians, the inhabitants of the Tigris-Euphrates valley, being the forefathers of the Hyksos.

FOOTNOTES:

1. "The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt" by Shaw and Nicholson, British Museum Press, 1995

HYKSOS CHRONOLOGY

CA 1860-1430 BCE

ca1860	First wave of Hyksos (Israelites) enter country
ca1765	Joseph is made Grand Vizier Second wave of Hyksos (Israelites) Title to all land acquired by Pharaoh People become slaves 20% tax on all produce imposed Best land allotted to Hyksos (Israelites)
ca1684	Hyksos (Babylonians) invasion Set up headquarters at Avaris Retain Hyksos (Israelites) administration
ca1536	Egyptians revolt Hyksos (Babylonian) army driven out Hyksos (Israelites) made slaves
ca1430	Hyksos (Israelites) flee the country

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