[gamyhan]

Dr. J,

Thanks so much for providing these lectures; I am really learning a lot from you.

In lecture 3 you briefly mention the Hyksos in your discussion of the Second Intermediate Period of Egyptian history. I have always been interested in the Hyksos, especially in their relevance to Old Testament Biblical studies, but there seems to be very little known about them. I have read that the Hyksos invasion and/or departure has been associated with the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, specifically in the rise of “a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8).

What is the current scholarly thinking about who the Hyksos were, where they came from, and how/if they were significant in the exodus story?

Thanks,
Garret

[Jason Jewell]

Garret, it’s great to see you on here. I’m glad you’re finding the lectures worthwhile.

I’m not exactly up to the minute on Hyksos scholarship, but the last I looked there didn’t seem to be a firm consensus on their origins or their role in the exodus. A lot depends on the timeline construction; I’ve seen several authors argue that the “pharaoh who knew not Joseph” was either part of the new Hyksos dynasty near the beginning of the Second Intermediate Period or part of a newly restored New Kingdom dynasty that had replaced the Hyksos. You may be aware that Josephus claimed the Hyksos _were_ Hebrews, but I don’t know of any modern scholar who believes that.

Alan Gardiner’s book (cited in the lecture notes) devotes a few pages to the question of Hyksos identity, and it would probably be a good place to start further investigation.

[Author]

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