Pharaohs of the Bible

Dion Astwood, 2004

Traditional synchronisms of Egypt and Israel are likely to be incorrect as they do not correspond to the descriptions as given in Scripture. They tend to be made on date matching, that is a date in Scripture as defined by the Bible is matched with a date defined by Egyptian records and archeology. This does not take into account the circumstances surrounding the situations described in the Bible and subsequently Egyptian records do not appear to correspond to Scripture. The Scriptural chronology is relatively robust, but the same can not be said of the Egyptian. What follows is a description of the Pharaohs and Egypt as given in Scripture with the Scriptural time periods. If the Egyptian records can be identified which give the identity of the Pharaohs mentioned in the Bible, then the Egyptian chronology can be adjusted (and others that are based on Egypt).

Though BC dates are often used, AM dates are more useful when working from the Bible and are used here.

There are potentially 20 royal Egyptians mentioned in the Bible, though some are likely identical, for example the Pharaoh Potiphar was offical to when Joseph came to Egypt was possibly the Pharaoh that Joseph served 13 years later. They are as follows:

Following is information concerning these royal Egyptians as given by Scripture.

Information concerning the Pharaohs as given by Scripture

Pharaoh A

Abram departed to Canaan in 2083 at age 75. He went to Egypt sometime between then and 2093 when Hagar conceives Ishmael; probably earlier in this decade. Pharaoh A took Sarai into his harem and gave Abraham gifts. Pharaoh’s household was inflicted with severe plagues, probably diseases.

Pharaoh B

Joseph was taken to Egypt in 2276 age 17, nearly 200 years after Abram’s visit. He was sold to Pharaoh B’s official named Potiphar.

Pharaoh C

Potiphar had Joseph put in jail. In 2287 Pharaoh’s butler and baker were also put in jail. This was 11 years after Joseph had arrived in Egypt and this Pharaoh may be the same as Pharaoh B. Pharaoh made Joseph the primeminister in 2289, Joseph was 2nd to the Pharaoh. Joseph was called:

Adviser to Pharaoh

Lord over Pharaoh’s household

Ruler over all the land of Egypt

Following this there was 7 years of agricultural prosperity than had been predicted beforehand because of a dream the Pharoah had interpreted by Joseph, and Egypt collected 1/5 of the grain to store. 7 years of famine followed that again had been prophesied and Egypt had made prior preparations for this famine. The years of plenty were 2290-2296 and the years of famine were 2297-2303. Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, except that of the priests. A law is passed by Joseph that states that 1/5 of the crop belongs to Pharaoh.

Joseph was named Zaphenath-Paneah by the Pharaoh and Joseph’s wife’s name was Asenath. She was the daughter of a priest of On called Potiphera.

The Hebrews came to live in Goshen in Egypt in 2298 and stayed 215 years until 2513. The land of Goshen (or part of it) was also called Rameses. The Egyptians and Hebrews were segregated and the Egyptians did not eat with the Hebrews. In 2298 Jacob blesses the Pharaoh.

The minimum time Pharaoh C ruled was from jailing the butler in 2287 to the end of the famine in 2303, or 17 years.

Pharaoh D

Joseph returned to Canaan to bury Jacob in 2315. Although this Pharaoh may be the same as Pharaoh C, the request Joseph makes to bury his father Jacob by way of the royal court leaves the possibility that this was a subsequent Pharaoh.

If B, C and D are all the same person, this Pharaoh ruled at least from 2276 to 2315, or 40 years.

Pharaoh E

The Pharaoh of the oppression did not know Joseph, and Joseph’s generation had died. Joseph died in 2361 and Levi died c. 2392. He forced the Hebrews into hard labour and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities. The building material was of bricks and mortar. The bricks contained straw initially but subsequently may not have.

The Pharaoh decreed the murder of Hebrew boys first by the midwives then by drowning. Moses was born at this time in 2433, however Aaron was born in 2430, possibly before the decree of drowning. This Pharaoh had a least 1 daughter who adopted Moses making Moses the grandson of the Pharaoh.

Princess F

Daughter of Pharaoh E, adoptive mother of Moses. Possibly unable to have children.

Pharaoh G

Moses, presumably a prince in Pharaoh’s court, murdered a man then flees to Midian in the year 2473. Pharaoh had tried to kill Moses. Moses may have been a relative of this Pharaoh, perhaps a grandson or nephew.

If this Pharaoh is the same as E, then his rule was greater than 40 years.

Pharaoh H

Pharaoh G died but Pharaoh H (whether the next Pharaoh or one later in succession) continued to oppress the Hebrews. Moses returned to Egypt c. 2513. Moses appeared before Pharoah with a sign of a staff turning into a snake. Pharaoh had 2 magicians named Jannes and Jambres.

Egypt suffered under several plagues during the following months:

Nile turned to blood and fish in the Nile died.

Plague of frogs 7 days following the plague of blood.

Gnats on the people and animals

Swarms of flies; region of Goshen excluded.

Pestilence on the animals; livestock of Hebrews excluded.

Boils on people and animals.

Thunder, severe hail, and fire against fields, people and animals. Barley had formed ears, and the flax was in bud. Before the spelt and wheat. Goshen excluded.

Locusts against the fields.

Darkness for 3 days.

Death of firstborn people and animals. Hebrews excluded.

Pharaoh’s son died. The death of the firstborn was the same night as the Hebrews Passover on 14th of Nisan in the year 2514¹. The Hebrews left Egypt that night. 600,000 men, possibly 2,000,000 people. And some Egyptians went with them, “a mixed multitude.”

The Hebrews “plundered” the Egyptians of silver, gold and clothing.

The Hebrews left Rameses and Sukkoth. Their journy was by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea and they camped in Etham, on the edge of the desert. They then turned and camped before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; opposite Baal Zephon.

Pharaoh and his army chased them catching them up beside Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-Zephon. The Hebrews crossed the midst of the sea on dry ground after God had sent a wind. The Egyptian army including Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea. The Hebrews went out into the desert of Shur, then they came to Marah. They then came to Elim, then the desert of Sin, then Rephidim where they fought the Amalekites, then mount Sinai.

Pharaoh I

Pharaoh had a daughter named Bithiah who married Mered, a Hebrew, the son of Ezrah of the tribe of Judah. The timeframe is uncertain, possibly in the earlier period of the judges.

Pharaoh J

Pharoah was married to Tahpenes. Hadad was an Edomite and married to Tahpenes sister. Hadad’s son Genubath was raised in Pharaoh’s palace by Tahpenes. Hadad went to Egypt during the reign of David 2948-2989 and returned to Edom during the reign of Solomon 2990-3029.

Pharaoh K

Solomon married a daugher of Pharaoh. This Pharaoh attacked and captured Gezer and gave the city to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. Solomon had an alliance with Pharaoh and married his daughter before the completion of the temple in 3000. He may be the same as Pharaoh M (see 1 Kings 11) but was probably his predecessor.

Queen L

The queen of Sheba (or Queen Sheba) was also known as the Queen of the South. She visited Solomon during his reign after the completion of the palace in 3013.

Pharaoh M

Shishak became Pharaoh before the end of Solomon’s reign in 3029. He took Jeroboam into his court before Jeroboam returned to Israel in 3030 (or possibly 3029 after Solomon’s death). Shishak attacked Jerusalem in the 5th year of Rehoboam’s reign, 3034. Shishak had 1200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and innumerable soldiers; including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace. Specifically mentioned are the gold shields.

Shishak reigned a minimum of 5 years but duration unknown.

King N

Zerah the Ethiopian (he may not have been a pharaoh) attacked Jerusalem during the reign of Asa, 3050-3090. Probably in 3059, Asa’s 10th year. His army had 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots and he was defeated by God. The Judean army plundered them.

Pharaoh O

Hoshea was subject to Shalmaneser of Assyria. He appealled to Pharaoh So sometime prior to his 7th year, 3289.

Pharaoh P

In the 14th year of Hezekiah, 3299, Sennacherib of Assyria captured Judah. King Tirhakah of Cush marched against the Assyrian army at that time.

Pharaoh Q

Isaiah’s ministry was from the reign on Uzziah (at least the last year) to Hezekiah, possibly the end of his reign. He prophesies against Pharoah in both chapter 19 and 30 but the context is probably futuristic which makes the identity difficult. It refers to the king of Egypt at the time the prophecy comes true. The first prophecy was in the year king Ahaz died, that is 3287.

Pharaoh R

King Neco of Egypt killed king Josiah at Megiddo in the year 3402. He was on his way to help the Assyrians in war at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Neco had archers in his army. He took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and imprisoned him in Riblah in the land of Hamath the same year that Josiah died then took him to Egypt. He put Eliakim as king over Judah and Jerusalem, changing his name to Jehoiakim. Neco fought again at Carchemish in the 4th year of Jehoiakim, 3406 when he was defeated by king Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would come against Egypt. Neco also attacked Gaza.

Pharaoh S

1 Kings states that the king of Egypt did not march out from his land again, for the king of Babylon conquered all the territory that the king of Egypt had formerly controlled between the Stream of Egypt and the Euphrates River. This comment was made in the year of Jehoiakim’s death and the first year of Jehoiachin, that is 3413, and is probably referring to Neco.

Pharaoh T

Pharaoh Hophra’s palace was in Tahpanhes. He set out from Egypt when Jerusalem was under siege by the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans withdrew from Jerusalem but then returned. The the Judeans went to Egypt and settled in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph and the land of Pathros. In 3423, the 10th year of Jehoiachin’s exile, Ezekiel prophesies against Hophra and again in 3424 saying that Pharaoh’s power has been removed, and again in 3425 concerning his destruction.

Footnotes

1. The year prior to this possibly started in Tishri. It was year 2513. Nisan was month 7 in that year, but the year is redefined by God to start in Abib (Nisan). So year 2513 could last 18 months and finish the following year; or it could last 6 months and Nisan 1 defines the start of year 2514 as followed here.

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