Ancient Egyptian king's unique sphinx found

[Timmeh]

From my understanding which is still in development, the political situation in the region before Israel was founded is that Canaanite kings were sometimes vassals of Egypt

[questionmark]

From my understanding which is still in development, the political situation in the region before Israel was founded is that Canaanite kings were sometimes vassals of Egypt

Quite so, the question in debate is:When was Israel founded?

And the answer is: much later than most think.

[Timmeh]

Quite so, the question in debate is:When was Israel founded?

And the answer is: much later than most think.

One of the Amarna letters written to the Pharaoh by Abdi-Heba of Jerusalem refers to the 'Hapiru' which could be stretched to Hebrew.

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/a-abdu-heba1.htm

[questionmark]

One of the Amarna letters written to the Pharaoh by Abdi-Heba of Jerusalem refers to the 'Hapiru' which could be stretched to Hebrew.

http://www.reshafim....-abdu-heba1.htm

One of the Amarna letters written to the Pharaoh by Abdi-Heba of Jerusalem refers to the 'Hapiru' which could be stretched to Hebrew.

http://www.reshafim....-abdu-heba1.htm

Well, then it looks like the first Hebrews would be chicken thiefs, not goat herders, would it not? The Hapiru were nomadic robbers, most probably outcasts from civilization.

[kmt_sesh]

I'm not sure what the above religious soliloquies are about, but how about we stay on topic?

The fragment of the sphinx is indeed an exciting find, but I fear the article overplays its importance (if just a bit). While fragments of royal Egyptian statues are not common in the Levant, all sorts of other Egyptian artifacts have been found there through the decades. Many of these artifacts bear the names of many different Egyptian kings. However, I do agree with the article that the sphinx ended up in the Levant a lot later on. The premise of Hyksos raiders bringing it back to Canaan is very plausible.

To Timmeh: while the esteemed questionmark and I probably disagree on the timeframe of the founding of the Hebrew state in antiquity, we are certainly in agreement about the Habiru. These were a disassociated collection of bandits who had been cast off from society, and no doubt represented a myriad of different ethnicities. It might be possible that the occasional Hebrew joined with a band of Habiru, but the Habiru were not the Hebrews.

[Harte]

More about the new sphinx.

I guess they found more. There's a new artist's rendering of what this sphinx may have looked like:

Click Here.

Harte

[+Hammerclaw]

Considering that forging ancient artifacts was and still is a thriving business in the Levant, for several hundred years, I certainly hope this disjunct specimen is examined, thoroughly.

Edited July 14, 2013 by hammerclaw

[docyabut2]

I would go by when the city of Hazor was destroyed ,apparently there was more to that Sphinx of Menkaure that was busted up, that was found in the front of the city.

http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2011/01/06/The-Dating-of-Hazors-Destruction-in-Joshua-11-Via-Biblical-Archaeological-and-Epigraphical-Evidence.aspx

[kmt_sesh]

I would go by when the city of Hazor was destroyed ,apparently there was more to that Sphinx of Menkaure that was busted up, that was found in the front of the city.

http://www.biblearch...l-Evidence.aspx

Hazor was one of the largest cities of ancient Canaan (and then Israel), and has undergone excavations for many years. Consequently, it's well understood that the city was destroyed by the Assyrians around 732 BCE. I'm working from memory so I might be off by a couple of years. I do not believe Hazor was resettled after the Assyrian conquest, in the same manner as numerous other ancient Hebrew settlements. Those Assyrians were rather thorough.

In another matter, I was reading EEF posts and one of the writers brought up a good point that I had missed. These articles should stress that the fragment of Menkaure's sphinx is unusual given its Old Kingdom date. Beyond that it's not unique. Royal monuments have been found in the Holy Land from the Middle Kingdom and other periods.

That the destruction level from which the sphinx was dug dates to the 13th century BCE means the Hyksos had nothing to do with it, I might add. This level at Hazor dates to the Late Bronze Age, when all sorts of upheavals were occurring around the Eastern Mediterranean (including those busy, nasty Sea Peoples), so the sphinx may have left Egypt and entered Canaan in any number of ways.

[questionmark]

Hazor was one of the largest cities of ancient Canaan (and then Israel), and has undergone excavations for many years. Consequently, it's well understood that the city was destroyed by the Assyrians around 732 BCE. I'm working from memory so I might be off by a couple of years. I do not believe Hazor was resettled after the Assyrian conquest, in the same manner as numerous other ancient Hebrew settlements. Those Assyrians were rather thorough.

In another matter, I was reading EEF posts and one of the writers brought up a good point that I had missed. These articles should stress that the fragment of Menkaure's sphinx is unusual given its Old Kingdom date. Beyond that it's not unique. Royal monuments have been found in the Holy Land from the Middle Kingdom and other periods.

That the destruction level from which the sphinx was dug dates to the 13th century BCE means the Hyksos had nothing to do with it, I might add. This level at Hazor dates to the Late Bronze Age, when all sorts of upheavals were occurring around the Eastern Mediterranean (including those busy, nasty Sea Peoples), so the sphinx may have left Egypt and entered Canaan in any number of ways.

The main difference between Hazor and (just as an example) J'lem is that there are very few vestiges of the Assyrian cults in Hazor prior to the Assyrian invasion. Those places where the Assyrian cults played a major role were not as thoroughly devastated.

[Dr. Zodiac]

The funny thing. Yes Israel was founded much later, but Palestine has never been observed as a nation.