Historians, Egyptologists, scholars all have debated who Moses was or even did he really exist? We have had theories, translations all debated. We have had religious and political views; we have had bible chronology and Ancient Egypt chronology all debated. No one agrees on anything, everyone sticks to their own point view, which leaves us common folk with no understanding, who Moses really was?
As one of the common folk, I decided to use my own brain and by using a wee bit of logic work the answer out.
First if I could identify only one of the characters connected to Moses we could get an answer.
Well first I looked for an Ancient Historian, who was a lot closer to the events than today’s scholars. This is where I found ARTAPANUS OF ALEXANDRIA (3rd-2nd centuries B.C.)
Artapanus wrote that Pharaoh Palmanothes was ruling when Moses was born.
His daughter Merris (meaning 'Beloved') adopted a Hebrew child whom she called Moses
Artapanus states that Merris married Pharaoh Khenephres, and Moses led a military campaign against the Ethiopians to extend the frontiers of the Egyptian Empire into Upper Nubia.
I found out that Palmenothes is a Hellenized rendering of the Hieroglyphics for "pn ImnHtp", king Amenhotep and khenephres is a Hellenized rendering of the Hieroglyphics for 'Nefer- kheperure', Akhnaten's throne name.
Artapanus wrote that Pharaoh Palmanothes was ruling when Moses was born.
His daughter Merris (meaning 'Beloved') adopted a Hebrew child whom she called Moses
Artapanus states that Merris married Pharaoh Khenephres, and Moses led a military campaign against the Ethiopians to extend the frontiers of the Egyptian Empire into Upper Nubia.
I found out that Palmenothes is a Hellenized rendering of the Hieroglyphics for "pn ImnHtp", king Amenhotep and khenephres is a Hellenized rendering of the Hieroglyphics for 'Nefer- kheperure', Akhnaten's throne name.
That was easy wasn’t it? Khenephres was the Pharaoh of the Oppression and that means it was Pharaoh Akhnaten.
But hold on one moment, Historians, Egyptologists, scholars would all debate that the translation of the king’s name is wrong or Artapanus was wrong. Or of course they would find something else.
So is there something else, bingo, yes there is. Artapanus also states that before the Exodus, Pharaoh Khenephres died from elephantiasis [comp. Ex. R. i. and Targ. Yer. to Ex. ii. 23]—a disease with which he was the first to be afflicted.
I thought about this statement, why Artapanus would even mention that Pharaoh Khenephres died from elephantiasis. Was it written down somewhere? Or were there statues of this Pharaoh that Artapanus viewed. Well using common sense Artapanus knew which Pharaoh he was talking about, so did his Pharaoh Khenephres look like he had elephantiasis by his statues, let’s have a look will we?
I thought about this statement, why Artapanus would even mention that Pharaoh Khenephres died from elephantiasis. Was it written down somewhere? Or were there statues of this Pharaoh that Artapanus viewed. Well using common sense Artapanus knew which Pharaoh he was talking about, so did his Pharaoh Khenephres look like he had elephantiasis by his statues, let’s have a look will we?
Portrait of a woman with elephantiasis Akhenaten
Using common sense there is no doubt Artapanus Pharaoh Khenephres is Akhenaten and therefore is the Pharaoh of the Oppression.
What evidence is there historically through modern Egyptology
This rebel Pharaoh in Year 9 of his reign declared that Aten was not merely the supreme god, but the only god, and that he, Akhenaten, was the only intermediary between Aten and his people. He ordered the defacing of Amun's temples throughout Egypt and, in a number of instances; inscriptions of the plural 'gods' were also removed.
The fact is that modern Egyptology confirms that Akhenaten was the Pharaoh of the Oppression.
Let’s now look at what are the common factors that modern Egyptology can confirm between the bible story of Moses and the Ancient Historians such as Artapanus.
Artapanus states along with other Ancient Historians that Moses led a military campaign against the Ethiopians in the reign of the Pharaoh of the Oppression.
Modern Egyptology confirms this also, in year 12 of Akhenaten, the Pharaoh orders his viceroy of Kush to put down an uprising in Kush/Ethiopia.
The bible tells us there was a Plague before the exodus
Was there a plague at Akhenaten city? Well yes, Modern Egyptology confirms this also.
(Plague and pandemic)
This Amarna Period is also associated with a serious outbreak of a pandemic, possibly the plague, or polio, or perhaps the world's first recorded outbreak of influenza, which came from Egypt and spread throughout the Middle East, killing Suppiluliuma I, the Hittite King. Influenza is a disease associated with the close proximity of water fowl, pigs and humans, and its origin as a pandemic disease may be due to the development of agricultural systems that allow the mixing of these animals and their wastes. Some of the first archaeological evidence for this agricultural system is during the Amarna period of Ancient Egypt, and the pandemic that followed this period throughout the Ancient Near East may have been the earliest recorded outbreak of influenza. However, the precise nature of this Egyptian plague remains unknown and Asia has also been suggested as a possible site of origin of pandemic influenza in humans. The prevalence of disease may help explain the rapidity with which the site of Akhetaten was subsequently abandoned. It may also explain why later generations considered the gods to have turned against the Amarna monarchs. Arielle Kozloff discusses the evidence, arguing that the epidemic was caused by Bubonic plague over polio. However, her argument that "polio is only fractionally as virulent as some other diseases" ignores the evidence that diseases become less virulent the longer they are present in the human population, as demonstrated with syphilis and tuberculosis.
Artapanus states along with other Ancient Historians after the death of the Pharaoh of the Oppression. The new Pharaoh, the Pharaoh of the exodus was named Akhencheres
Manetho's Epitome specifically records that a 'king's daughter', Akhencheres , had succeeded her father in the late eighteenth dynasty.
Tacitus has a different version, according to which the Jews were natives of Egypt, and had emigrated during the reign of Isis ("Hist." v. 2-5).
Theses Ancient Historians all state that the Pharaoh of the exodus was a female Pharaoh.
Modern Egyptology confirms this also,
Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten was a woman who reigned as Pharaoh after the death of Akhenaten toward the end of the Amarna era.
Neferneferuaten's has a feminine prenomen Ankh(et)kheperure, and also has a rare epithet, "Effective for her husband", which was used to refer to her in Egyptian records. This epithet was also used for the goddess Isis.
Akhencheres is therefore a Hellenized rendering of the Hieroglyphics for Ankh(et)kheperure.
Now to the exodus itself, In history, Egypt has had many names in many different languages. Egyptians themselves refer to Egypt as Misr, though this can also be a name for Cairo.
It is common for Egyptians to refer to Egypt as Misr, if they are resident in Cairo, but if outside of Cairo, then they will refer to Cairo as Misr.
In a certain respect, this is a custom that dates to the earliest times of ancient Egypt.
We can examine three groups of names, which have applied to Egypt. In the early period of Egypt, during the Old Kingdom, Egypt was referred to as Kemet (Kermit), or simply Kmt, which means the Black land. They called themselves "remetch en Kermet", which means the "People of the Black Land". The term refers to the rich soil found in the Nile Valley and Delta. But it was also sometimes referred to as Deshret, or dshrt, which refers to the "Red Land", or deserts of which Egypt is mostly comprised.
Later, Egyptians referred to their country as "Hwt-ka-Ptah" (Ht-ka-Ptah, or Hout-ak Ptah), which means"House of the Ka of Ptah" Ptah was one of Egypt's earliest Gods. As in modern Egypt, this was both a name for the administrative center of Egypt, what we call Memphis today, as well as the name of the country as a whole.
Today, the word Egyptians often use for their country is Misr. This is probably derived from an ancient term, Mizraim that may have itself been derived from an ancient Egyptian word, md-r, which people in the region called Egypt. Misr is an Arabic name simply meaning "country", and part of the tradition of this term in as a name for Egypt comes from the Islamic Quran. The term can also mean "fortress", or "castellated.
In the bible accounts when Egypt or Egyptians are mentioned they could be taking about Egypt as a whole country and the people within it, but that’s very unlikely as they themselves or part of their group would be Egyptians. Also they could be taking about Egypt Empire but they as a group never left the Egypt Empire. This then can only mean one thing, the bible accounts when Egypt or Egyptians are mentioned they could only be taking about the administrative centre or capital where the pharaoh is. Generally speaking were the great house of pharaoh is. The Egyptians they talk about, as their enemy are the people and the army that are loyal to the Pharaoh. So knowing this the Egypt of the bible can only be Memphis, Thebes or Akhen-aten.
But as we know the Pharaoh of the exodus, the Egypt of the bible can only Akhen-aten city.
Modern Egyptology also can confirm this, that there was a mass exodus and subsequently abandoned of Akhen-aten city.
I almost forgot the question, who Moses really was?
All the Ancient Historians state that Moses led a military campaign against the Ethiopians to extend the frontiers of the Egyptian Empire into Upper Nubia / Kush
So was there a military campaign against the Ethiopians in the reign of Pharaoh Akhnaten? Well Modern Egyptology confirms there was such a military campaign, and guest who led this military campaign against the Ethiopians, it was a man called Tuthmoses.
Tuthmoses was the Viceroy of Kush during the reign of Akhenaten. Tuthmoses was given the titles King’s Son of Kush, overseer of the Gold Lands of Amun, Overseer of masons, overseer of the borderlands of His Majesty, and fan-bearer on the King's right. In year 12 of Akhenaten, Tuthmose was ordered to put down a rebellion by some of the Nubians.
There we have it,
The Viceroy of Kush Tuthmoses was the biblical Moses
Pharaoh Akhnaten was the biblical Pharaoh of the Oppression
Pharaoh Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten was the the biblical Pharaoh of the exodus
Plague and pandemic at Amarna was the biblical Plague
The Exodus from Amarna was the biblical Exodus
My final note is, if all the Historians, Egyptologists, scholars take this as a starting point and of course leaving there religious and political views behind, we all could find an understanding behind these fabulous stories.