The dates below of the various rulers of Ancient Egypt are open to dispute because of uncertainty regarding the recording of the heliacal rise of the star Sothis in the reign of Amenhotep I. A papyrus from Amenhotep I's reign records this astronomical observation which, in principle, could be used to accurately correlate their chronology with our modern calendar, but to do this the latitude where the observation took place must be known. Unfortunately, this papyrus does not record the place of observation, although it may be assumed to have been taken in either Memphis or Heliopolis (near the delta), or in Thebes (near Luxor). These two latitudes give dates twenty years different, known as the High and Low chronologies, respectively.

THUTMOSE I dies. His full-royal daughter HATSHEPSUT and her half-brother husband (his half-royal son) AAKHEPERENRE THUTMOSE (II), reign together.

THUTMOSE II dies and Queen HATSHEPSUT rules all Egypt while her quarter-royal stepson MEN-KHEPER-RE THUTMOSE (III) is under age. (See note above).

24 April 1479 – 1473 HATSHEPSUT as Regent for THUTMOSE III;
1473 – 1458/7 as Pharaoh and co-ruler with THUTMOSE III (See note above).

The final identification of the probable mummy of HATSHEPSUT by early 2007 AD gives us a view of her as a caring and politically astute ruler, overturning a long held older view of exploitive rule over a resentful stepson. It now appears that he only began to deface her monuments 20-years after her death, most probably to ensure popular acceptance of his less-royal son (AMENHOTEP II) as ruler. HATSHEPSUT referred affectionately to the common people as "my rekhyt [lapwings]" (a colloquial term for the common people from the common lapwings of the Nile marshes). Unlike many other rulers she appears to have valued the approval of the common people.

This strong-willed caring woman fits the Bible picture of the royal princess who dared to adopt an apparently abandoned Hebrew baby.

MOSES flees pharaoh THUTMOSE III (Ex.2:15) and goes into exile in Midian, rather than repudiate his Hebrew identity (with its religious implications) in exchange for amnesty for his crime.

THUTMOSE III achieves equal status with HATSHEPSUT's death and 20-years later defaces her monuments and has her name removed from anywhere in Egypt.

THUTMOSIS III undertakes seventeen campaigns in Palestine and Syria to impose Egyptian rule.
(In September 2014 and large number of Egyptian artifacts are discovered in a cave near Tel Halif, an ancient city roughly 10 miles northeast of Beersheba, affirming the high level of Egptian political and cultural influence in Canaan. The collection of artifacts shows that during the Late Bronze Age along with the local Canaanite culture, there were many elements of Egyptian culture adopted by the locals).

HATSHEPSUT (foster mother of Moses) dies.

In Midian – MOSES aged between 70 and 80 (Ps.90:10), writes Psalm 90 as a heartfelt prayer, out of his discouragement concerning lack of achievement and the futility of his life after such an advantageous Egyptian education and training (Ac.7:22). So, he cries out to God –

Megiddo is defeated by a powerful Egyptian army led by Pharaoh THUTMOSE III himself ("Megiddo is worth a thousand cities"), on the '15th day of the first day of summer', so establishing the greatest empire in history up to this time.

Pharaoh THUTMOSE III dies

AAKHEPERURE AMENHOTEP II reigns over all Egypt.

1450 to 1200 BC, the city-state of Ugarit (near modern Ras Shamra, Syria) is at its zenith and represents Canaanite High Culture, many aspects of which Israel later encountered in Canaan/Palestine. Some of the family vaults built under the stone houses show strong Mycenaean influence. Mycenaean and Cypriot pottery in great amounts has also been found. Their chief deity is El, corresponding to the Bible's אל / ʾĒl and 'Êl ‛Elyôn of Melchizedek (Gen.14:19), but very little attention is paid to Him in their texts; His son Ba'al effectively functioning as their chief deity. Their writing script is known today as alphabetic cuneiform (left-to-right, without vowels). Its grammar is very similar to that of Classical Arabic and Akkadian (the lingua franca of trade throughout the Near East during this time). Soon after 1200 BC Ugarit came to an end. Its fall coincided with the invasion of the Northern and Sea Peoples and certainly with earthquakes and famines. The city itself was destroyed in 1180/70 BC apparently by marauding 'Sea Peoples'.

MOSES returns from Midian en route he is saved from death by the (long delayed/neglected) circumcision of his son by his Midianite wife ZIPPORAH (Ex.4:24-26) using the Egyptian flint-knife method.

Nine Plagues on Egypt after each refusal by Pharaoh to let Israel go to worship God in the desert. Moses confronts Pharaoh AMENHOTEP II and after the Tenth Plague of the killing of all firstborn (as Israel eats Passover) gains his permission for them to leave Egypt.

The Minoan holy island 'Thera' north of Crete explodes, causing a huge tsunami/tidal-wave and helping the complete collapse of Minoan civilization. (Caphtor=Crete, origin of the Philistines, Amos 9:7, after whom Palestine is later named).

First Month (Abib/Nisan)
The people of Israel ask their neighbouring Egyptians for gold and silver jewellery, and clothing, as instructed by God through MOSES, and receive abundantly from them (Ex.11:2-3).

Day 15, under a full moon: As the Egyptians are burying their dead, Israel moves out from the Rameses assembly point (probably modern Tell el-Dab'a/Qantir, about 17 miles SW of Tanis/Djanet (modern صان الحجر Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar), orderly in their tribal groups under tribal standards/banners, following the leadership of MOSES and AARON to Succoth (See Moses' record 'Journal of the Journey').

Israel under MOSES migrates from Succoth southward in apparent error (from the common route out of Egypt to Palestine) to become hemmed in between the mountains and the Red sea, so Pharaoh sends his elite chariot group to force them back to subjugation. This sets the scene for Israel to experience the power of God's deliverance through the Red Sea and destruction of the military force that could have threatened them in their future journey.

now exactly 430-years after Jacob/Israel arrived in Egypt and 480 years before the Jerusalem Temple is built. (See 1 Kg.6:1; Ex.12:40-41; Ac.7:6; Gal.3:17).

Israel celebrates the destruction of the elite Egyptian chariotry in the sea behind them, and now marches southward from their sea-crossing through the Sinai Peninsula.

attacks migrating Israel.
JOSHUA organises and leads its defence as MOSES prays.
Amalek is defeated, and God promises that they will be annihilated as a nation.
MOSES builds an altar of worship to God in celebration and calls it 'The LORD is My Banner' (Ex.17:8-16).

father-in-law (JETHRO priest of Midian) comes to meet them at Rephidim and brings MOSES' wife ZIPPORAH and his two sons back to him, and Midianite JETHRO leads the nation of Israel in worship (Ex.18:1-12).

Month
First Day: The nation Israel camps before Mount Sinai after 2½ months journey (Ex.19:1) and MOSES climbs the Mount to meet with God, who then instructs MOSES to tell the nation –

tells these words of God to the Elders of Israel and they, on behalf of the nation, commit Israel to fully obey.

ascends the mountain again and is instructed by God to segregate the mountain, have the people wash their clothes and sexually withdraw from their wives, stand ready on the third day and only approach the mountain when they hear the trumpet sound.

God descends in a cloud upon Mount Sinai and audibly speaks the Ten-Commandments-summary of His Covenant with them directly to the people (Ex.19:10-20:17).

The people retreat in fear from before the mountain and ask MOSES to rather hear God's words on their behalf. (Ex.20:18-19).

On the mountain therefore, God gives to MOSES the rules of the Book of the Covenant of Sinai for regulating the behaviour of the people of Israel.

writes these rules down (Ex.21, 22, 23), sets up an altar to God and twelve pillars at the foot of the mountain to represent israel's twelve tribes (Ex.24:4), instructs young men of Israel to offer a sacrifice of oxen on the altar to God, and then MOSES takes the blood of the oxen and throws half of it against the altar.

this Book of the Covenant to the people, who agree to obey all its rules, and so he throws the blood of the sacrifice upon the people of Israel to seal their commitment to this Covenant of God (Ex.24:5-8).

MOSES, AARON, his two older sons NADAB and ABIHU, and seventy of the Elders of Israel ascend Mount Sinai half way and see the Lord God and eat and drink before Him in a fellowship meal.

with JOSHUA his assistant, leave the Elders under AARON and HUR, and ascend to the top of the mountain to receive the two God-engraved stone tablets of the Ten Commandments as the Testimony of the Covenant. The Cloud, in which the presence of God appears as an all-consuming fire visible from the camp of Israel, covers the mountain top for six days as MOSES awaits God's invitation to enter (Ex.24:12-17).

the seventh day God calls MOSES alone into the Cloud and he is with God for forty days (Ex.24:18), in which he is given detailed instruction concerning the Tent of the Testimony and its sacred furniture, to be made from the voluntary donations of the people, according to the vision of a model MOSES is shown (Ex.25:40), and AARON and his four sons are to serve as its priests. A census of military strength is to be taken of all males 20-years and older in which each must pay a half shekel to the Sanctuary in support of its service. BEZALEL of the tribe of Judah, with OHOLIAB of the tribe of Dan as his assistant, are appointed by God to oversee the construction of the Sanctuary, its furnishings and materials. (Ex.25:1-31:11).
The seventh day for rest (sabbath) from labour is set on pain of death as the public sign of Israel's obedience to God's Covenant with their nation at Sinai (Ex.31:13-17).

First Month
Tent of the 'Testimony' (the 'testimony' is the tablets of the 10 Commandments) of God's Covenant with Israel is completed at Sinai on 1st Abib/Nisan, (Exodus 40:1).
AARON (MOSES' older brother), is appointed it's first high priest of a future hereditary priesthood.
Israel is organized as a four-battalion military force centred around the Tent of Testimony, the Sanctuary of God.
The Sanctuary also keeps the national financial standard as well as the master copy of God's written Word as it is given.

Four Marching Battalions with their Families and Livestock

3.1 Judah's (Issachar, Zebulun),
followed by Gershom and Merari (the two Levite Clans with the disassembled Tent of God on wagons);

3.2 Reuben's (Simeon, Gad),
followed by Kohath (the Levite Clan carrying the covered sacred furniture);

See See: Military Commanders

Descent of the Cloud over the Ark.

And Moses cries out –

"Return, Lord, to the thousands of families of Israel" (Num.10:36)

And Moses cries out –

"Arise, Lord: scatter Your enemies, and put to flight those who hate You!" (Num.9:15-23;10:35).

MOSES sends twelve spies from Kadesh-barnea (Num.13) to reconnoitre the Promised Land as far north as Lebo-hamath (entrance of Hamath) inland of the port city of Byblos (Num.34:8).

Relative strength of Israel's Battalions before invading the Land

Year Forty
First month: MIRIAM dies (prophetess and older sister of Moses).

is seduced to worship Baal by the women of Midian, which brings a plague from the Lord among the people. God instructs that all those initiated into Baal-worship are to be executed (Num.25:1-9).

promises the priesthood to the descendants of PHINEHAS (son of ELEAZAR) for his zeal in stopping the plague (Num. 25:11-13).
Moses is instructed to exterminate Midian, but the girl-children and virgins are added to Israel. Balaam the prophet who took the bribe is killed (Num.31).

distributes conquered transjordan land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, although it is outside the land promised to Abraham.

Eleventh month,
Day 1: MOSES' great final address to Israel and his prophecy, ending with –

prays the blessing of God upon the people, tribe by tribe – the Levites are to be Israel's guide as keepers of the Urim and Thummim to ascertain God's direction, and as teachers of the Law of the Lord for Israel –

MOSES dies alone on Mount Pisgah, for Israel is not to be trusted with the knowledge of his tomb. The archangel Michael disposes of his body (Jude 1:9).

Sabbath:

Seventh-day mandatory rest for all, including foreigners and draught animals.

Sabbath:

New moon celebration to initiate each new month.

  Three annual festivals are to be observed –

Sabbath and Festival:

Cancellation of all debt at the Festival of Booths/Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 31; Leviticus 25).
The Laws of the Covenant are to be publicly read to the assembled people (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).

Festival and Sabbath:

Freeing of slaves and return of lands and dwellings to previous owners
(except for urban and Levitical lands) on Atonement Day (Leviticus 25).

"These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings,
burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day..." (Lev.23:37 ESV).

this Sinai Covenant, dietary regulation simply refined and systematized the dietary practice that had been followed from the earliest times (from before Noah), just as with the beginning of the weekly-Sabbath tradition. This was reflected in the numerical distinction between 'clean' and 'unclean' animals in Noah's ark (Genesis 7:2).

Rabbinic traditions have so added to God's instruction as to develop a complex system under the rationale of creating "a fence around the Torah" or more truthfully 'around the Jewish people'. Although Jesus showed no tolerance for Rabbinic misapplication and additions to God's commands, in the centuries after Jesus these traditions were consolidated into the Jewish Talmud and made normative for Jewish life. This has seriously obscured the valuable health protection of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Kosher tradition of the complete separation of meat and dairy products seeks its authenticity from God's prohibition on boiling a kid in its mother's milk (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). However, the context of this command is not dietary regulation, but religious observance of Israel's Sabbaths and Holy Festivals inside the promised land. The Ugaritic Poems, found on clay tablets at Ras Shamra in Lebanon, show that this reference was to Canaanite magical practice to produce rain and not in any way a dietary regulation. (W Chomsky 1969, p.59).

Modern Jewish religious tradition has often given a philosophic explanation of the Bible's health regulations as expressions of the principle of 'separation', and cite God's prohibition of mixing fibres in a garment and seeds in a field as supporting evidence. However, separation (from all non-Jews) is more the result than the cause of the dietary regulations, as a result of exaggeration and twisting of these regulations in the hands of Israel's ancient rabbis who invented explanations when they did not know.

The rabbis have ignored the historical and literary context of these commands. These commands are simply God's preparation of Israel to occupy Canaan (Palestine), a land already occupied by a well established culture with entrenched magical practices based on their fertility religion.

These practices included, apart from infant sacrifice, belief in the power of mystical/magical union to increase prosperity. The idea was that, as sexual union of male and female in marriage produced offspring, so also the bringing together of two different kinds of seed in sowing (wheat and barley), or two different kinds of fibre in weaving (linen and wool), would result in greater wealth.

God's prohibition of this 'mixing' is therefore simply a ban on Canaanite religious practices and is not support for racial/social segregation ('apartheid').

Bible's dietary regulations are just that – dietary regulations for the physical health of the people, because God cares!

These inspired words of Balaam to the princes of Moab during Israel's migration are to be understood in their Semitic parallelism that the 'LORD their God' is their king in the midst of them (as represented in their Covenant Ark). It is not a prophecy to justify a human monarchy being established.

sets up a central Judicial System for the Nation in its Priesthood –

reluctantly permits a central Executive Government –

God's instruction, which prevented tribal areas from eventually merging into one through marriage inheritance, also helps prevent the development of a central nationalist identity/ideology. The nation's identity was therefore be derived directly from its relationship to God through the exclusivity of His Sinai Covenant with them and not from either their racial origins or their geographic location as is so common today.

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