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The '''New Chronology''' is a theory first proposed in 1978 at the Glasgow Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Studies by a group of scholars and historians, principally those involved with the study of ancient Egypt.  One of them, David Rohl, went on to refine the New Chronology, publishing a re-definition of Egyptian chronology as related to the Bible in his work ''A Test of Time''.

The '''New Chronology''' is a theory first proposed in 1978 at the Glasgow Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Studies by a group of scholars and historians, principally those involved with the study of ancient [[Egypt]].  One of them, David Rohl, went on to refine the New Chronology, publishing a re-definition of Egyptian chronology as related to the [[Bible]] in his work ''A Test of Time''.

==Pillars of Egyptian Dating==

==Pillars of Egyptian Dating==

The foundations of Egyptian chronology as currently accepted by a majority of scholars is based upon the following four arguments:

The foundations of Egyptian chronology as currently accepted by a majority of scholars is based upon the following four arguments:

*The sacking of Thebes in 664 B.C. by Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, in response to a revolt led by Pharaoh Taharka.  Written records left behind by Babylonian, Assyrian, and Egyptian sources make this date absolute.

*The sacking of [[Thebes]] in 664 B.C. by [[Ashurbanipal]], king of [[Assyria]], in response to a revolt led by [[Pharaoh Taharka]].  Written records left behind by [[Babylonian]], Assyrian, and Egyptian sources make this date absolute.

*The claim of the Eber Payrus of a fixed date of either 1542 B.C. or 1517 B.C. for the rising of the star Sirius in the ninth year of Amenhotep I.

*The claim of the Eber Payrus of a fixed date of either 1542 B.C. or 1517 B.C. for the rising of the star [[Sirius]] in the ninth year of [[Amenhotep I]].

*The identification of Shoshenq I of the 22nd Dynasty as the Biblical [[Shishak]], recorded in 1 Kings 14:25,26 and 2 Chronicles 12:2-9 as the conqueror of Jerusalem when Rehoboam was king of Judah.

*The identification of Shoshenq I of the 22nd Dynasty as the Biblical [[Shishak]], recorded in 1 Kings 14:25,26 and 2 Chronicles 12:2-9 as the conqueror of [[Jerusalem]] when [[Rehoboam]] was king of Judah.

*And the identification of 19th Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II as the either the pharaoh of the oppression, or as the pharaoh of the Exodus.

*And the identification of 19th Dynasty pharaoh [[Ramesses II]] as the either the pharaoh of the oppression, or as the pharaoh of [[the Exodus]].

Of these, the one date beyond dispute is the 664 B.C. sacking of Thebes by Ashurbanipal.  As to the remainder, the identity of Shoshenq I as Shishak was based solely on a reading of the text of the Bubasite Portal at the Temple of Karnak near Thebes by [[Jean-François Champollion]] on his only trip to Egypt in the mid-1800’s after he successfully deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphic language.  On the Portal is a list of cities Shoshenq I had conquered in his campaign, and the 29th city Champollion read it as ''y-w-d-h-m-r-k,'' surmising that it meant “Judah Kingdom” (Hebrew ''Yhuda Malkhut'': יְהוּדָה מַלְכוּת).  But it is not the word “Jerusalem,” which is not only not where it should be on the portal, it in fact it is not there at all. A highly important city such as Jerusalem, the capitol of a nation, should have merited mention in Shoshenq’s campaign.  Shishak, Rohl contends, should be identified with Ramesses II, making another pharaoh, Dudimose I, the pharaoh of the Exodus instead.   

Of these, the one date beyond dispute is the 664 B.C. sacking of Thebes by Ashurbanipal.  As to the remainder, the identity of Shoshenq I as Shishak was based solely on a reading of the text of the Bubasite Portal at the Temple of Karnak near Thebes by [[Jean-François Champollion]] on his only trip to Egypt in the mid-1800’s after he successfully deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphic language.  On the Portal is a list of cities Shoshenq I had conquered in his campaign, and the 29th city Champollion read it as ''y-w-d-h-m-r-k,'' surmising that it meant “Judah Kingdom” (Hebrew ''Yhuda Malkhut'': יְהוּדָה מַלְכוּת).  But it is not the word “Jerusalem,” which is not only not where it should be on the portal, it in fact it is not there at all. A highly important city such as Jerusalem, the capitol of a nation, should have merited mention in Shoshenq’s campaign.  Shishak, Rohl contends, should be identified with Ramesses II, making another pharaoh, Dudimose I, the pharaoh of the Exodus instead.   

Rohl also contends the the Ebers Papyrus is mis-read, insisting that it be understood as evidence for a reformation of the Egyptian calender.

Rohl also contends the the Ebers [[Papyrus]] is mis-read, insisting that it be understood as evidence for a reformation of the Egyptian calender.

Working with the 664 B.C. date the early scholars counted back regnal years to set remaining dates, sometimes stretching pharaonic rules to fill in gaps.  The problem in the setting of the conventional chronology arose when researchers searched for evidence they expected to find regarding the Biblical accounts; searching in what appeared to be the logical sites in the time periods in question (Late Bronze Age to Iron Age IIC) they found little to nothing, thus relegating a large part of the Biblical story, from the Creation of Genesis to major portion of the books of Kings and Chronicles to mythology.  The age of the early kings of Israel was determined to have taken place, not in splendor, but in relative poverty, with no evidence of the major building works built by Solomon.  The restructuring of Egyptian chronology according to the New Chronology indicates that the early Victorian archaeologists merely made a series of wrong assumptions and mistakes in their eagerness to document Egypt.

Working with the 664 B.C. date the early scholars counted back regnal years to set remaining dates, sometimes stretching pharaonic rules to fill in gaps.  The problem in the setting of the conventional chronology arose when researchers searched for evidence they expected to find regarding the Biblical accounts; searching in what appeared to be the logical sites in the time periods in question (Late [[Bronze Age]] to [[Iron Age]] IIC) they found little to nothing, thus relegating a large part of the Biblical story, from the Creation of [[Genesis]] to major portion of the books of Kings and Chronicles to mythology.  The age of the early kings of [[Israel]] was determined to have taken place, not in splendor, but in relative poverty, with no evidence of the major building works built by [[Solomon]].  The restructuring of Egyptian chronology according to the New Chronology indicates that the early Victorian [[archaeologist]]s merely made a series of wrong assumptions and mistakes in their eagerness to document Egypt.

===Dating Ramesses II===

===Dating Ramesses II===

Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty was known for his extensive building projects, including the site in the southern Nile delta region called the city of Raamses (Exodus 1:8-11), as well as being called the pharaoh of the Exodus, based on the text of Exodus 1:8-11 which tells of a new pharaoh "who knew not Joseph" forcing the Hebrews to build the store cities of Pithom and Raamses. In order for this identification to stand, the time frame of the Judges must be reduced by 200 years.  Overlooked by scholars are:

Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty was known for his extensive building projects, including the site in the southern [[Nile]] delta region called the city of Raamses ([[Book of Exodues|Exodus]] 1:8-11), as well as being called the pharaoh of the Exodus, based on the text of Exodus 1:8-11 which tells of a new pharaoh "who knew not Joseph" forcing the Hebrews to build the store cities of Pithom and Raamses. In order for this identification to stand, the time frame of the Judges must be reduced by 200 years.  Overlooked by scholars are:

*Judges 11:26, which has Jephthah stating that the timespan from the first settlement in the Levant during the conquest of the Promised Land to his own time is 300 years.

*Judges 11:26, which has Jephthah stating that the timespan from the first settlement in the Levant during the conquest of the Promised Land to his own time is 300 years.

*I Kings 6:1, which is an explicit statement that the time from the Exodus to the commencement of the building of Temple under Solomon in 966 BC is 480 years, agreeing with the date in Judges.

*I Kings 6:1, which is an explicit statement that the time from the Exodus to the commencement of the building of Temple under Solomon in 966 BC is 480 years, agreeing with the date in Judges.

[[category:History]]

[[category:History]]

[[Category:Egypt]]

[[Category:Egypt]]

[[Category:Bible chronology]]

[[Category:Bible Chronology]]