PART 4: EXODUS, CONQUEST AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

In the books of "Exodus," "Numbers" and "Deuteronomy" we can find that Moses was absent in Kadesh Barneah between the Year 3 and 37 of the exodus. In Exodus 40:17 the last mentioned date is

May 31/April 1, 1227 BCE 

or 1st day of the 1st month of the 2nd year of exodus. Numbers 10:11 gives the last mentioned date as May 18-19, 1227 BCE and clue leads us to circa June 24 when Miriam and Aaron made a rebellion against Moses, and the sending of 12 scouts to spy Canaan before the season of pomegranate and figs in August (Num. 13:23). It was Joshua (8:31-32) who copied and expanded the book of what we called today "Deuteronomy" and he resumed the mentioning of the presence of Moses just before the Year 38 (1191/1190 BCE).

"And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was 38 years..." -Deuteronomy 2:14

 

If Moses was absent between Year 3 and 37, then where was he that time?

The last mention of Moses' name is when Hobab's children, particularly Heber's family, had separated from the Kenites in around 1227 BCE, 20 years before the 1208 BCE war led by Deborah (Judges 4:3-4). 

"And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of Thamarim [Palm Trees] with the descendants of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people." -Judges 1:16

Troops of Kenites, the family of Moses' father-in-law, dwelt in Tel Masos, where they got their title "Kenite" ("smiter"), and from there, Heber went to Yenoam or Rukkath in Galilee.

"Now Heber of the children of Hobab of Kenite, the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh." -Judges 4:11

After this, in circa 1225 BCE the name Kush-Meshusha (Yah-Moses) was found in Alashiya in Cyprus. King Rameses III (KVI 39.14-50) informs us that Alashiya together with Arsawa or Arvad, Hittite territory, Carchemish, and Kadesh were cut off from Egyptian trading connection and this was because of the confederation of Philistia, Tjekker (Dor), Shakarus (Issacharites), Denyen (Danites), and Weshesh (Asherites). The troops of this Yah-Moses (Yar-su) in Alashiya were having fleet to fight the Hittite field commander Suppilliuma II both on Mediterranean Sea and land. 

Furthermore, Egyptian priest Sonkhis reported that a mighty confederation centering in Atlas was plundering Egyptian sympathetic fighters around Mediterranean Ocean. This name "Atlas" was likely the way Solon rendered Sonkhis' reported "Talsa," another form of the name "Tursha," which is also associated by Solon to "Tarshish" (Sardinia), the center of the great confederation that, with Hebrews, fought the Egyptians and Hittites. Critias gives the possible date: around 1211 or 1210 BCE, the most disastrous year of famine.

 The tribes of Asher, Dan, and Issachar might have a chance to meet the Tursha's sailors by Philistines they freed from Caphtor (Enkomi), Cyprus. Tarshish's sailing fighters were known "Sherden" to king Rameses II. Sardinia was in constant contact with Cyprus since 1500 BCE and this continued even in 1200 or 1100 BCE as Sardinian pottery or metal in Cyprus could prove it to us, supported by prophet Isaiah (23:1). It was Moses who, in Genesis 10:4, first mentioned "Tarshish" next to "Elisha" (ancient Greek islands, Ezek.27:7) opposite to Chittim (Cyprus). Scribe of Tyre identified Sardana with Tarshish, and isotopic examination can corroborate it.

 People in Enkomi, Cyprus commemorated the heroism of a Syrian leader, likely Kush-Meshusha, by engraving his image on a game box. On this imagery, the Syrian leader is depicted targeting a pharaoh's messenger (in the form of a flying bird) by which he can secure the Peleset in Enkomi. The Peleset-headress-wearing Tjekkers are shown serving the Syrian leader. If this is a remembrance of freeing Philistines from Caphtor, then the Syrian leader was no other but Moses, who talked with them on behalf of YHWH. Prophet Amos confirmed that Philistines were freed from Caphtor under the command of YHWH during the time of exodus (1228-1189 BCE) of Israel.

"... Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor ... ?" -Amos 9:7

Caphtor, according to prophet Jeremiah, is an island of the Philistines near Tyre and Sidon, when he said:

"Because of the day that comes to plunder all the

פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים

(Pelistim)

 Philistines,

 and to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every 

שָׂרִ֣יד

(Sharid)

עֹזֵ֑ר

('ozer)

[Remains-Helper]: 

for YHWH will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the 

אִ֥י

(iy)

island

 

 of 

כַפְתּֽוֹר

(Kaptowr)

Caphtor." -Jeremiah 47:4

 

Caphtorim (Philistines of Caphtor) were related to Tyre and Sidon: through this navigation connection Asherites and Danites might have encountered them and became their Sharid-ozer or helpers after YHWH freed them from their bondage (Amos 9:7). Isaiah 2:6 describes them "נָכְרִ֖ים וּבְיַלְדֵ֥י " (u-be-yalde nakerim: "youths [sons] of foreigners"), the same depiction painted by king Rameses III. King Rameses II identified them as "khasut" or from "foreign land." Septuagint translators used the Greek ἀλλόφυλοι ("allophuloi" - "foreigners") to mean Philistines during the time of the judges. And these Philistines became buffer for Israel to the open sea and south of Canaan as Syrians to the north (cf. Isa. 9:12), which was their purpose after their liberation (Amos 9:7). Myriads of youth Philistines were employed to fight Egyptians during the latter year of Moses. They were called "Caphtorim" by Moses in 1189 BCE. A decade after, king Rameses III identified them "Peleset" (Philistines). 

These foreigners became mentors of Israel to war, hence Asherites, Issacharites and Danites were designated too by the Egyptians as foreigners.

"Now these are the nations which YHWH left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know,

 to teach them war, 

at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the 

Philistines,

 and all the Canaanites, and the

 Sidonians,

and the Hivites [Kweans] that dwelt in Mt. Lebanon, from Mt. Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers

 by the hand of Moses.

 

And the descendants of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods." -Judges 3:1-6

 Chushan-rishathaim in Syria (c. 1191-1184 BCE) was likely trying to penetrate Sidon and Tell Dan, when Danites and Asherites (known as Israel) started to adopt religious practices of the Philistines and Sidonians. This was also the time that Asherim-Philistim were scouting Amurru or Lebanon. King Rameses III has also reported in 1175 BCE that Issacharites, Danites, Tjekker, and Peleset were responsible for the desolation of the Amorite land (Amurru). On the other side of Egypt, he has also documented the cry of the Libyan fighters: 

"We will live in Egypt!" 

Thus, the Libyan leaders together with their women, men, and mercenaries had an intention to permanently reside in Nile Delta. Such a cry was first heard in 1182 or 1181 BCE

Sidon and Akko (which was the shore of Asherites) became friends of Queen Tausert when she became pharaoh (1190 BCE) and, according to king Rameses III (1186-1155), this pharaoh conspired with Yar-su (Yah-Moses). Deborah revealed that Israelites volunteered when the king of Egypt was a female.

MILITARY UNIT 

Moses started using a military unit, and counting people by big number of army and small number of frontliner scouts. For example, the 600, 5 Danites were the first Israelites to subdue Laish and named it after their tribe. 600 is a military unit based on 12x50. It was Moses who grouped the army into 50 fighters and the representatives into 12. The 5 men were the frontliner scouts who spy a prospect area and who knew Jonathan the son of Gershom (c.1280-1188? BCE), the son of Moses (1309-1189 BCE). 

The problem arose when the territory allotted to Dan was not enough for the Danites and the Philistines (Caphtorim) to be their habitation. Danites sent 5 men from their borders (Zorah and Eshtaol) to scout Ephraim, particularly in the area of Micah, a wealthy man who hired Jonathan the grandson of Moses to be a priest (Judges 18:2-6). These 5 scouts went to Laish and discovered that the people of Laish were doing the practice of Cyprus and islands of Great Green (around Santorini) of having no prominent leader or emperor.

"Then the 5 men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with any Aram [man or Aramean]. 

And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, 600 men appointed with weapons of war." - Judges 18:7,11

They conquered Laish and brought there Micah's teraphim, idols, and priest.

"And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. 

And the sons of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of 

הַדָּנִ֔י

(ha-Denyi)

the Danites

until the day of the captivity of the land [Laish/Dan]. 

And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh." -Judges 18:29-31 

It was Joshua who brought the tent of YHWH in Shiloh and since then until he defeated the land of Lebanon and nearby, Moses' grandsons were priests in Laish/Dan. Jonathan was the young Levite, the priest who was transfered from Micah's house to Laish. 

"Even from the Mt. Halak, that goes up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under Mt. Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. 

Joshua made war a 

long time

with all those kings. 

There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hiwwi [Hivites/Kweans] the inhabitants of Gibeon: 

all other they took in battle. 

So Joshua 

took the whole land,

according to all that YHWH said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war." -Joshua 11:17-19,23

When Joshua died in 1138 BCE, the land was under Israel and Philistines, and Egyptians had almost no control in it. In fact, the hatred of Cypriotes of Alashiya, Phoenicians of Byblos and Tjekkers of Dor remained against Egyptians decades after him. It was evident in the report of Wenamun in the Papyrus Pushkin (Moscow) 120. 

High priest Horihor (r.1080-1074 BCE) sent Wenamun to Byblos for a cedar wood, with his first stop in Dor where Beder was the Tjeker prince and where he was robbed. Zakar-baal asked for payment of the timber, and Wenamun sent letter to Smendes (1077-1051) of Tanis, but after a year, his ship brought him to Alashiya, where he was almost got killed by a mob but was rescued by Queen Hatbi. This is a clear indication that Egypt this time had lost its control in Alashiya, Byblos, Tyre, and Dor.

Such abhorrence was first noticed in history during the days of Kush-Meshusha (Yah-Moses) in Cyprus when secret fighters of Alashiya fought general Suppilliuma II in an open sea and on land in around 1208 BCE. In his official document, Suppilliuma II mentions certain  

"LÚ KÚRḪI.A ŠA 

KUR A-la-ši-ya" (“the enemies of the country of Alašiya”)

in KBo 12.38 (column III, line 12). The Hittite general had encountered the people he called  GIŠMÁ ḪI.A ŠA KUR A-la-ši-ya (III 5). These people he described as enemies of Alashiya were not new groups of people but living there and having ships that probably busy in business matter, and its "king" started to show resistance against Suppilliuma when Hittites tried to tax or control them. Suppilliuma II at his second expedition didn't consider its "king" as king probably because of being usurper of the title. 

According to Balaam (Num. 24:18,24), ships from Kition, Cyprus were the back up of fighting Israel to afflict Asshurites and Eber. Deborah named them: Asher and Dan, who in 1208 BCE were busy in maritime affairs (Judges 5:17). During that time, it seems that no one dared to cross the sea between Cyprus and Syria, as Suppilliuma II himself raised a rhetorical question: 

 " a-ru-]na-an ku-iš za-a-iš GIŠKÀ.GAL-x 

[the sea] who crossed (it)? ..." -KBo 12.39, line Vo-18

Even the 19th Dynasty scribe Ipuwer complained that Egyptians could no longer go to Byblos and Caphtor (Admonitions of Ipuwer, 3.1-5). This may indicate that Byblos and Caphtor were centers of the Egyptian enemies.

King Rameses III (1186-1155) revealed the reason: Alashiya, Arzawa, Carchemish, and Kadesh were cut off, as the Philistines, Asherites (Weshesh), and Danites (Denyen) were fighting against Egyptians. This is not a surprising thing, as king Rameses II (1279-1213) fought belligerent Caphtorim and Alashiya (reported in the pharaoh's temple at Abydos, List 25.5-6), giving us hint why Moses on contrary gave permission to Caphtorim (Philistines from Caphtor) to dwell in Gaza until the time of Joshua: that five seren (lords of Philistines) were allowed to inhabit the land of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, and Gath (Josh. 13:3). Even king Merneptah (1208 BCE) in his fight against the vagabond men and women of Israel, reported that he fought the resistance in Ashkelon (Merneptah Stele, lines 26-27). 

Judah led by Caleb (fl. 1228-1184 BCE) took Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron (Judges 1:17-18) after they subdued Hormah, and it was in Ekron that king Rameses III (1186-1155) encountered the Danites and ally Peleset.

FOUNDING OF TYRE IN 1209 BCE

It was Pompeius Trogus, according to Justin (18.3.5), who retold the history that a king of Ashkelon defeated Tyre and afterwards the Sidonians founded Tyre (1209 BCE), a year before the taking of Troy.  This newly founded "island" Tyre is also named by Joshua (1248-1138 BCE).

We know the historical date "1209 BCE" by two independent sources: 

(1) the Parian Chronicle states that from that time the Marmor Parium was inscribed and erected (263 BCE), there were 945 years after the taking of Troy on 10th June 1208 BC, and

 (2) the 241 years or in the 240th year before the temple in Jerusalem was erected by king Hirom in 969/968 BCE, most likely derived from court record of Tyre (Against Apion 1:18/126; Antiquities 8:3:1/62).

 It was the king of Ashkelon who defeated ancient Tyre. There were Philistines together with the inhabitants of Byblos and Tyre who consulted others to destroy Israel (Asherites and Danites), as some 600 of such Philistines were encountered by Shamgar Ben-Anath before 1208 BCE. When the king of Ashkelon fought them in Tyre, Ashkelonites, probably with the Danites, defeated these native Tyre's people (Ps. 83:7). On contrary, the Philistines that were an ally of Israel were the Caphtorim, who were liberated under the command of YHWH and allowed by Moses to dwell in Gaza (Amos 9:7). That is, not all in Cyprus were in favor of the Hittite tyrannic act, which resulted to exodus of Philistine slaves from Caphtor.

 

 Ashkelon was one of the 5 seren (lords) of the Philistines that was left untouched and allowed to dwell together with the Danites and who taught Israel how to be engaged in a war. Danites and likely Asherites intermarried Philistines in Phoenicia, Tyre, and the pentapolis (cf. Josh. 13:2-3, Judges 3:1-6, 14:19-20).

"... even unto great Sidon; And then the coast turns to Ramah, and to the 

strong city Tyre;

and the coast turns to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib: 

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of

 Asher

according to their families, these cities with their villages." -Joshua 19:28-29,31

 

Asherites did not drive out the people of Old Tyre (mainland Tyre); they dwelt with them, instead. Their descendants that became masters of the sea (cf. Judges 5:17) were later known Phoenicians, who trafficked with the ancestors of the Greeks and adopted the Hellenistic practices; and Herodotus relates that they stopped practicing circumcision when they became Hellenistic. These Phoenicians could have over populated Byblos and the area of Asher, dominating the native residents.

"Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Akko, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out." - Judges 1:31-32

Even in the history of Samson we can have a hint that both Danites and Philistines (particularly Ashkelonites) were living together in the same region. It was Samson who started the division or conflict between a certain clan of Dan and of Philistine. 

As early as 1208 BCE the biblical reference is telling us that the tribe of Dan was living in ships while Asher was busy on maritime affairs in many seas and was dwelling on seashores, which could also mean they're living on islands, and one of these islands was the newly founded Tyre. When they could not sent auxillary army to help Barak, Deborah (1208 BCE) said:

"... and why did Dan dwell in ships? Asher continued on the seas, and abode in his breaches." -Judges 5:17

The very term she used here is also what king Suppilliuma II (1207- c.1190 BCE) - in his document RS 34.129 - describes for Shikala (Issacharites): living in ships, sailing between Ugarit, and likely Cyprus and Dor, and interfering against Hittite and Ugarit matter. 

Suppilliuma II was suspecting about the activities of Shikalayo (Issacharites), and hence he demanded the little boy Ugarit king Ammurapi to extradite a prisoner, Ibnadushu, whose name may suggest a citizen of Hazor. This Hazorite citizenship is strengthened by the fact that Shikala (Issacharites) rescued Ibnadushu, a suggestive act that he was an important person for them - despite his escape would mean Suppilliuma's anger. 

Therefore, there were people in Alashiya and Issachar who could dare Suppilliuma II, the Hittite king who thought it was impossible to cross the Mediterranean Sea because of these secret fighters. That Sea was part of what the Egyptian called Wed-Wer (Great Green), the Mediterranean Ocean that turned greenish because of drying shores as likely the effect of the great drought that hit that part of the world.

Pellusic branch of Nile river started to dry up and cease, enabling some Hebrews to pass from Pi-Rameses to Succoth; and if this description is accurate, it may also mean that some islands surrounding Santorini and Sardinia were accessable to each other by a lowered water. Plato says it "was that time navigatable;.... and it was possible for the travelers of that time to cross from it to the other islands, and from the islands to the whole of the continent over against them which encompasses that veritable ocean" (Timaeus 24e-25a). Such this navigable ocean between Santorini (Tursha) or Sardinia (Talsa/Tarshish) and Syrian ports is also shown in the 1630/1530 BCE fresco found in the island of Santorini.

 Vizier Rekhmire (c. 1425 BCE) says that Great Green has "islands" together with the Keftiu (Caphtorites), led by chiefs of the foreign countries.

Tursha (Tarshish) had a business connection with Cyprus. In fact, in AD 2019 archaeologist found 5 Sardinian (Nuragic petrographic burnished gray ware) bowls in Hala Sultan Tekke's necropolis in Cyprus. This is one of a kind so far, although other Nuragic ceramics are known from Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus. 

This archaeological findings give credence to the former knowledge that Nuragic Sardinians were the Sherden who lived in Tarshish (Tursha) and had tight trading connection with Cyprus and became one of the leading tribes of the Sea Peoples.

 Solon (c.630-c.560 BCE) of Athens, after learning from Sonkhis, an Egyptian priest, the events between Sardinia and Santorini, had aliased the water surrounding it as "belonged to Atlas," named from its former leader, Atlas (c. 1420 BCE), who was likely the father-in-law of the Hittite king Hantili II (Tantalus, who was the father of Pelops of Lydia, the father of Atreus. Later, this Atreus/Attarsiya was claiming the lands in western Anatolia and Cyprus). 

Plato, quoting the priest via Solon says:

" For it is related in our records how once upon a time your State stayed the course of a mighty host, which, starting from a distant point in the ocean of Atlas, was insolently advancing 

to attack the

whole of Europe, and Asia 

to plunder.

 For the 

ocean there was at that time navigable; 

for in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say, 'the pillars of Heracles,' there lay an island which was [surrounded by] larger  than  Libya and Asia [Assuwa] together; and it was possible for the travelers of that time to cross from it to the other islands, and from the islands to the whole of the continent over against them which encompasses that veritable ocean. For all that we have here, lying within the mouth of which we speak, is evidently a haven having a narrow entrance; but that yonder is a real ocean, and the land surrounding it may most rightly be called, in the fullest and truest sense, a continent. Now in this 

island of Atlas

there existed a 

confederation of kings, 

of great and marvelous power, 

which held sway over all the island, and over many other islands also and parts of the continent." (Plato's Timaeus 24e - 25a)

According to Timaeus (fl. c. 700 BCE)

"the land surrounding it may most rightly be called, ... a continent" and that the Atlantis was surrounded by Libye [Hellenized as "Libya"] and Assuwa (Hellenized as "Asia"). The islands around Santorini were what known as Assuwa. 

 Assuwa this time (13th - 12th century BCE) was composed of 13 countries, referring to the islands of and around Santorini and nearby cities in the western Anatolia. And the island in Atlas (Sonkhis probably has "Talsa" for "Tursha" which the Hebrews called "Tarshish") had a confederation of great marvelous powerful kings, advancing to attack the whole of Europe and Anatolia, not primarily to found kingdom but to boot, a code that Moses promulgated to the confederation of Asiatics. 

This dominion was centering in Atlas (Talsa). The name Talsa or Tarshish was likely derived from Hebrew word for "man of Tursha" or extension of Tursha.

Tharros was probably called by the Cretans

 "Qerasija" ("Therasha")

 and by the Hittites 

"Truisha"

(in 14th century BCE tablets), and by the Egyptians 

"Tursha." 

Thus, the term "Tursha" could be understood as "Tarshish" (Sardinia) or Tharros. 

In the Bible, Tarshish is one of the distant destinations of the Hebrews, as if they were very welcome in that island. It was the Sherden from that country who started the plundering by their ships. They had good business relations to other lands around Mediterranean until king Amenhotep and later Rameses II and king Tudhaliya IV disturbed them, resulting to their resistance and soon formation of defenders, which turned into pirates. These defenders were known "Tursha" rebels by king Merneptah.

 

WAVES OF BATTLES

As the Achaean king revolted against Hittite king Tudhaliya IV in c. 1220 BCE, the drought in western Turkey, from Lydia to Hattusa, was increasing in severity. Tudhaliya had an urgent request for grain from Ugarit. The situation became worst because as the Hittite king was increasing the number of the military personnels, their foods were depleting. His try to take foods and goods from people around Turkey became hopeless after migrations took place almost everywhere, from Peloponnesia, Aegean islands, Lydia, and so forth to Cyprus.

NAVAL BATTLES

Suspicious ships were seen sailing toward Cyprus, and the Hittites were alerted and that time were wanting to extract money or tributes from Alashiya.

 On the western side of that world, Meryey son of Dedy of Libya had hired mercenaries from ancient Spain, Tursha (Tarshish), Lukka, and sailors of Israel in exchange of, probably, a promise that they could have land in the Nile Delta as their residential territory. Their culprits were waiting signal from Libya to simultaneously attack Egypt. And their back up ships were also waiting on the reactionary movement of the Hittites. 

Their land base fellows were citizens of Syria, Palestine, Kharu, and Hittite region, suggesting that the contingencies were both in lands and seas.

 It seems that many kingdoms on the eastern Mediterranean areas were not aware of an impending series of battles that may exhaust their economy and, as an effect, weaken and defeat them. The first attack was probably a series of destroying Hittite grains and food supplies in c. 1213 BCE, which caused them to have difficulty in collecting food supplies from southwestern part of Anatolia, and it may disrupt the extensive building projects that the Hittite king was now to be pursued. This probably necessitated the membership increase in the Hittite army into 30,000 to make series of counter and offensive attacks.  Since there would be the expected Egypt's aid (requested by Queen Pudehepa) and since Ugarit could provide ships, no need to worry about agricultural and naval supplies. Tudhaliya asked king Niqmaddu ( fl. c. 1220 - c. 1212) of Ugarit to furnish port of Ura  with a large ship and crew and to tarry them not to bring the 2,000 kor (450 tons) of grain from Mukish (Syria) into two shipments into Ura city. Merneptah, the successor pharaoh, also responded to send shipments to keep alive the Hittite Land. 

 Depending grain from foreign country would need huge amount of finances. The solution? The Hittite viceroy drastically increased the annual tribute paid of Emar from 700 to 2,000 shekel of gold, forcing the citizens to sell their property and abandon the city deity, Ninurta. This also probably the reason why Chushan-rishathaim try to subdue other people down to Sidon. People now were silently mad at the Hittite governance and easy to be persuaded to join into the camp of the rebels. This is evident in Alashiya when citizens themselves joined with the anti-Hittite group, which Suppilliuma II called "enemies of Alashiya." Another incident was the fight of Ugarit king's own people against Ugarit army. This latter battle has similarity with the attack of the group of Joshua: destroying grains and food supplies of the Canaanite or Hittite army.

Othniel, together with a multitude, destroyed Emar during his campaign against the king of Aram Naharim, Khushan-rishathaim. He could easily defeat him because of the famine that was ravaging the region (Aram Naharim) that year, besides of the fact that citizens would not take to defend their own king if that king would drain them and suck their foods, resources, and wealth (money). There was a high probability that the citizens joined with the multitude to destroy Emar; and messenger of king Rameses III might have thought that the fire was somewhat located from Carchemish's direction. The pharaoh officially reported that Carchemish was cut off and disconnected to Egypt. This incident took place in circa 1185 BCE when Othniel led Hebrews in southern Syrian region to push Chushan-rishathaim back to Naharim.

Coincidentally it was a fulfilment of what Moses had commanded Joshua to do.

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this 

Lebanon

 even unto the great river, the river Euphrates,

 all the land of the Hittites, 

and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee 

all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee,..." - Joshua 1:3-5

The pharaoh confirmed or quoted what Joshua has inculcated to the mind of the Asherites, Danites (Denyen), and Issacharites (Shakares):

"No land could stand before their arms, from 

Hittite land,

Kadesh [near Seir],

Carchemish [Emar, etc.],

Arzawa [Lydia],

and 

Alashiya [Cyprus] on, being cut down.  A camp was set up in one place in 

Amor [Lebanon],

they destroyed its people, and its land was like that which has never come into being." - Rameses III (1179 BCE)

King Rameses III has echoed what Joshua has told Israel that no land could stand before their arms.

From their members the pharaoh learned that:

"...their hearts are confident and trusting [saying]: 'Our plans will succeed!' "

And as for defense, he added: "... I organized my frontier in Djahi [Lachis/Ekron], prepared before them: princes, commanders of garrisons, and maryanu. I have the river-mouths prepared like a strong wall, with warships, galleys and coasters,... I have not let foreign countries see the frontier of Egypt, to boast thereof to the Nine Bows." (Great Inscription KVI 39.14-50)

The pharaoh sensed that the attack in Carchemish's direction would eventually go down to Egypt, and he anticipated that it would not only to Danite camp in Ekron but also to the mouth of the Nile river in Delta. Afraid that these foreigners (Peleset, Asherites, Danites, etc.) would take land in the Delta, he guarded the mouths of Nile river with warships, galleys and coasters. 

With this eventuality, king Rameses III was unaware that he is corroborating the biblical reports that Israel lived together with the Philistines and Canaanites.

CO-EXISTENCE

That Hebrews could live with ordinary Canaanites and Philistines in some instances is evident in some archaeological findings.

Some families of Israel may have dwelt in some villages in the highlands - in towns with no substantial fortification - together with the Shasu or Asiatics, as also may have been depicted by king Merneptah. No yet Philistine soldiers at Ashkelon in 1208 BCE; and Israelites could live together with the Canaanites, as the Israelite masons in nearby Beth Shemesh could live with Canaanite carpenters and later accommodate Peleset. This could be the reason why the tribe of Judah did not kill the inhabitants of Ashkelon and Ekron but claimed only those cities as their lot (cf. Judges 1:18). The Philistines that inhabited the lands were Caphtorim or Peleset immigrants, whose main reason was to find a best haven in the eastern coast as drought and perhaps pandemic forced them to migrate. They were not an enemy of Israel and, in fact, Moses (1228 BCE) had no intention to engage Israel in a fight against them. Another thing is that Danites were with Peleset (Philistine ancestors) to inhabit Ekron.

 Additional evidence to support the historical and biblical fact that tribes of Judah and Dan lived together with Philistines were the archeological findings that consumption of pigs or pork in areas of the Philistines have negligible quantity, suggestive that Peleset respected the law that Moses had promulgated against eating swine products.

If avoidance of eating porks can be used as an indicator of Israelite presence, then we can know it by the pig bones. There was a few pig bones in some Canaanite places, of

 

Ashkelon (4%), 

Rimmon (3%), 

Timnath (5%), 

Ekron (8%), and 

Lachis (1.8%). 

At the same time, ancestor Spanish, Italian, and Greek immigrants increased in those places, but they did not import pigs from Europe or Near Eastern lands. While there was an observance of the rule of avoidance of pigs in those Israelite inhabited areas, in contrary, there was an evident number of pig bones in Egypt proper, Iran, Syria, and Iraq and nearby places in the same timeline.

The rebellion of the king of Ahhiyawa (Achaean) in circa 1220 BCE versus western Anatolia resulted to the banning, by Tudhaliya, of traffic between Ahhiyawa and Assyria via the harbours of Amurru (Lebanon).  

 This in return may lead them 

to have their route to Libyan sea if they would go to Djahi (Palestine), particularly to Byblos, and the usual ships that sail in this route were of the Sardinians (who by their strong ships were pirates or mercenaries) or 

to ally the Tursha's sailors to any strong leader who must be an anti-Hittite, which that time was no other but Moses. These Tarshish's masters of the Mediterranean Ocean became an ally of the Asherites (ancestors of Phoenicians) and Peleset (ancestors of Philistines).

 According to Moses, Caphtorim from Caphtor went to Gaza and defeated the inhabitant Avims in Hazerim (villages); king Rameses II (1279-1213 BCE) corroborates for he captured those men of Caphtor and of Alashiya who entered the said region (Deut. 2:23; Topographic List 25.5-6 from the Abydos' temple of Rameses II). Moses was knowledgeable that Philistines now were moving toward the Highway of Horus and ready for a war versus Egyptians. And in 1228 BCE he was informed that he must not let Israel encounter Philistines that in return would push Israel go back to Egypt (Exo. 13:17). Although Moses had this in his heart, but a year later, Hebrews themselves were wanting to go back in Egypt.

" ... has YHWH brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us give head and return into Egypt. " -Numbers 14:3-4 

Moses solved this problem by permitting Philistines from Caphtor to inhabit Gaza, and by using them together with Asherites, Issacharites and Danites as "Hornet" division. According to Joshua they were part of the Hebrews but they were not Israelites. Their function during exodus period was to destroy Hittites and other Egyptian sympathetic armies.

"... the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the 

Hittites,

and the Girgashites, the Hivites [Gueans], and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. 

And I sent the 

hornet

before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with your sword, nor with your bow. And I have given you a land for which you did not labour, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them ..." -Joshua 24:11-13

 

"And I will send 

hornets

before you, which shall drive out the Hivite [Kweans], the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against you. 

By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you be increased, and inherit the land. And I will set your bounds from the yam suph [reeds' sea] even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert [Kadesh-barneah] unto the river [Euphrates]: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and you shall drive them out before you." -Exodus 23:28-31

The report of Joshua that the "hornet" destroyed Sihon and Og is corroborated by archaeological findings that Philistines have done the destruction in Deir 'Alla and nearby cities in Jordan. Moses headed these fights against Sihon and Og.

Who led this "hornet" division?

"Behold, I send a

מַלְאָךְ֙

[Malakh]

Messenger

ahead of you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for My 

name

 is in him. For mine 

Malakh [Messenger]

shall go before you, and bring you in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. 

You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but you shall utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 

And I will send

 hornets

before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you." -Exodus 23:20-21,23-24,28

The code name of the one that would lead the Hornet division is "Malakh" (Messenger) -likely later turned into "Malka" ("King") in Hebrew or "Melkart" ("King"), (𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕: Malqārt) that is, "Melk-Qarti" (King of the City") in Phoenician. The name of Yahweh is in him, and he would go ahead of the Israel in the Amorites, Hittites, Canaanites, Hivites, and so on. History might have revealed that it was "Kush-Meshusha" ("Yah-Moses"), who was considered God to pharaoh (Exodus 7:1) and went ahead after the 12 scouts had failed to encourage Israel to take Canaanite region. The conspicous evidence of his activity was the destruction they made in Athika (Timna Valley, Edom) when they defaced and desecrated the images of Hathor. It was Moses who led them in Edom. The Kenite Midianites in Edom under Moses did exactly what Moses had asked them to do.

"And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall cut down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place." -Deuteronomy 12:3

 

They erased the name of Hathor and any description about that idol, and they cut down the idol. 

Manetho reported in the official history of Egypt published in the 3rd century BCE that Osarsu (Moses) convinced the Foreign-Kings - the leaders of "khasut" - in Judah to go back to Avaris and fight Egyptians to have haven in Egypt.

Egyptian scribe might have marked 1209 BCE as the year of attack of the Sea Peoples, directly from the report of king Merneptah. And Manetho counted from that year the 13th year that, according to the prediction of Amenope son of Hapu, would result to the defeat of Egypt from the hands of the 

"polluted" Leprous people,

which materialized when king Amenmeses died in 1198 BCE, leaving all the power to his contemporary, king Seti II, the husband of Queen Tausert. Archaeological evidence of the power of invading Peleset in 1190s BCE was found in el-Arish, the border divided by a river between Shur's High Way of Horus and Philistine claimed land.

1209 BCE was also marked probably by Tyre's court record as the year when Tyre was founded.

DESTRUCTION OF GEZER 

 Around 1210 BCE, the year zero of Israelite Jubilee, Gezer was heavily destroyed, it was penetrated by vagabond Israel, which a year after was encountered by king Merneptah to pacify the trouble they made in Gezer.  

The tribe of Ephraim did not drive out the inhabitants of Gezer, rather they lived together with the Canaanites (Judges 1:29). Our corroborating evidence that Ephraimites, the tribe of Joshua, lived together with Gezerites was the Thutmose commemorative scarab (released by king Rameses the Great) found in the ruin of Gezer. Such a scarab was also found in the altar of Joshua in Mt. Ebal.  

Then the Syrians, Tjekker and Peleset of the confederation took over to the ships of Cyprus and fought the naval army first of Tudhaliya, and now of the Hittite king Suppililiuma; whereas in Egypt, Issacharites, Asherites, Rakkath (Lukka of Naphtali), Tursha, Libyan men and women, and Sardinians were ambushed by pharaoh Merneptah in 1209 BCE. 

A prisoner probably from Naphtali (Hazor), named Yabin-dush, captured in Ugarit (c. 1207 BCE) might have an information about the Issacharites and he was wanted by king Suppililiuma from little boy king Ammurapi (Hammurabi) of Ugarit to be extradited to Hatti, but Shikala (Issacharites) had managed to escape him from them and secured him, probably in Issachar. 

 Merneptah became stricter to Egyptian gates, and his frontier official Inena (1206 BCE) reported that what being permitted to enter the Wadi Tumilat in eastern side of Delta were Edomite tribes, who that time might have functioning as the pharaoh's messengers and its leadership was antagonist to the vagabond Israel. 

The other tribes, however, were not allowed.

 The Meshwesh tribe joined with the Libyans and attacked western side of Egypt, but the pharaoh (1205 BCE) defeated them. 

Another tribe that joined with Peleset was probably from Sicily, namely "Tjekru" (personified by latter Greeks as "Teucer"). 

The Peleset (Philistines) and Tjekker, sailing, probably by the Tiryns or Caphtorite ship, apparently landed with free duty on the port of Ugarit, Syria in c. 1203 BCE. Tiryns was in business trading with Canaanites as early as 1300 BCE. This could be probably their easiest way to migrate since Ugarit did not ask fee for the Caphtorite ship as early as around 1260 BCE. They could enter Syrian port by their market products and services.

Sherden living in Byblos could accommodate them, but they did not tarry in Lebanon, likely they have to meet the troops of "Su" (Mesu), probably to discuss about ancestral inheritance (for some of them could be the descendants of the Hyksos who lived in Avaris in Egypt and in Gerar in Judah). They moved southward via coastal areas.

 

TROUBLES IN ANATOLIA 

Hittites tried to expand its dominion. Refugees probably from Troy sailed to Therasha's dominion in 1197 BCE.  This was marked as the first year of a Trojan war. 

There was a report, half a century after the siege of Troy, that Theseus have carried away Helen from Sparta about 24 years before the event. This is where the discrepancy of calculation occur: that around 1187 BCE Troy was destroyed and Helen was taken to Troy in circa 1210 or 1209 BCE, the start of the war. This historical truth can give us idea that Helen was not the major reason of the war, but rather a part of some reasons. Abducting women was a usual practice that time, and it only came to happen that the tension between Ahhiyawa (Aegean) and Hittites - the suzerain of Troy or Troas - was intensified. There were several wars that took place in Troy. 

Hittites and Ahhiyawa apparently had series of clashes in Troas and Arzawa, because both of them were wanting to have control on Cyprus and western Anatolia, disturbing the residences in those places. As a result, and adding to the famine, there was an influx of migrating people to Syria-Palestine coasts; and almost every week there were immigrant arrivals. 

By around 1196 BCE Sea Peoples penetrated the border of Egypt, and reaching an Egyptian administrative house near el-Arish, they destroyed it.

It seems that Queen Tausert did not respond drastically to suppress such rebellious act; and this may push king Ammurapi to probably conspired with Chancellor Bay because the Egptian army, as the previous battles (of king Merneptah) could prove, was best in controlling these Sea Peoples, but now Egyptian infantry was silent. In 1193 BCE a clear evidence of Bay's treacherous act was discovered, and the teenager pharaoh, Siptah, ordered the execution of Chancellor Bay with the verdict  "great enemy." 

After this, in 1191 or early 1190 BCE Moses (Mesu) commanded Israel to advance from Kadesh-barnea to the brook Zered, 38 years after they had arrived at Kadeshbarnea in 1228 BCE, after their departure from Egypt proper (Deut. 2:14). There in Kadesh, "Miriam," the eldest sibling of Moses, died. She was called by that name after the name of king Rameses II "Miriamun" to mean "rebellious," because Moses considered Rameses as rebellious to YHWH (cf. Numbers 33:3-4).

Edom's king rejected the request of Israel to pass in the king's high way (Num. 20:17-22). 

Some of the Hebrew scouts troded the

 "way of Atharim,"

but king Arad captured them (Num.21:1). King Rameses III locates this "Athar" to the north of the Land of Yah (Yahweh) and it means that Moses' mentioned "Atharim" is contemporary of king Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE). Moses (Yar-su) died in 1189 BCE when king Rameses III was 27 years old.

THE ORACLE OF BALA'AM

It was a practice of Amorites to curse their enemy they rejected, like what king Bentesina (c.1280- c.1235 BCE) had done to Babylonia.

 Likewise, king Balak sent messengers to Pethor in Aram to ask Balaam ben Beor to curse Israel. If Bala'am is a brother of the Edom's king, then this might expedite his approval. 

But a malak (messenger) of YHWH warned Balaam not to utter a curse against Israel. Instead, he revealed that back up warships for Israel would come from Kittim (Kition) in Cyprus to destress Asshurites (Isser) or Eber.

 Bala'am said:

" wetzim (but ships [shall come])

miyad (from the direction) 

kittim (of Chittim, Cyprus)

we'inu (and [they shall] depress)

'assur (Assur), 

we'inu (and afflict)

'eber (Eber, Syrian land), 

wegam (and so shall)

hu 'ade (he until) 

'obed (destruction). " 

- Numbers 24:24

Some toponyms he mentioned are Kittim, Eber, and Assur.

Kittim is the "Kition" in Cyprus where some Tjekker and Peleset (Philistines) had sojourned, before sending troops in the land of Dan at Ekron. This only means that the back up of Israel that was  sent from the direction of  Kittim was mostly Tjekker and Peleset (ancestors of Philistines). The entire island or archipelago of Cyprus was also called Chittim.

 Eber could be either "Imir" (Emar) or an ancient place in Aram, Syrian.

These Asshurites held captive the Kenite, the father in law of Moses, and one of those who planned to destroy Israel (cf. Psalms 83:4,8).

King Rameses II (1279-1213) captured some of these Asshurites (Isru) during the time that Caphtorim and Alashiya men were also penetrating the territories of Egypt.

This information is important because Balaam is telling us about an "Asshur" that was contemporary to him in the 13th or 12th century BCE but was not known to us (as we usually acquainted about the "Ashur" of Assyria, thinking that there was no other "Ashur" in the entire timeline of history of the entire world). 

Ships from Cyprus that would help Israel for the Kenite cause to afflict these Asshurites were now heading toward Syria-Palestine. Their possible major naval ports in the east were in Arvad, Byblos, Tyre, Akko, Dor, and Ekron. In the west, their naval bases where in Tarshish (Sardinia), Sicily (Sikel), perhaps Santorini, and so on.

According to Solon (580 BCE), this confederation of saiolrs of islands was advancing to attack the whole Europe and Anatolia (Timaeus 24e-25a).

 It was better for the king of Egypt (Queen Tausert) to ally with Yar-su (Moses), whose Asherite army had a confederation with Tarshish (Sardinia) and probably Santorini.

THE NOTORIOUS RULERS 

  Hittite kings that era were notoriously known in toying chiefdoms, or they invade smaller states for a fun, as what Hattusili III (c. 1250's BCE) and Tudhaliya IV (c. 1220's BCE) advised to the king of Babylon and of Assyria, respectively.  

In Pylos, Cyprus, and other Mycenaean-influenced dominon, men and women were used as living sacrifices to gods, besides of gold offerings.

 All of these evil practices, together with the unjustified annual taxation, might have exhausted the patience of the ordinary people, that was possibly why the very citizens of almost every city around Mycenaean dominion and Hittite territories joined the Sea Peoples to commit mutinies against their own tyrannic kings and emperors. The evidence of these mutinies is the fact that some sailors of Ugarit were fighting their own king, and in 1179 BCE, the regnal Year 8 of Rameses III, some Hittite men were operating with the Sea Peoples.

Su (Mesu), according to Rameses III, disregarded gods as superior and disallowed offering to gods. And to convert their faith from those gods, Moses taught that gods were just like humans, and in fact, Moses was a God to pharaoh (Exodus 7:1) and for this probable reason why when he was aliased as "Melkart" ("king"), he was also considered as a god. King Rameses III was complaining about this way of new definition for a god (i.e. gods are as human, nothing more or superior about them).

And historically speaking, Therasha (island of Santorini) was also not concerned about gods. 

The presence of some Danites in Cyprus might have stopped the Mycenaean-introduced human sacrifice there, as Moses (using the story of Abraham and Isaac) prohibited human sacrifice.

1190 BCE marks the peak of the activities of the confederation as the binding between Queen Tausert and Yar-su (Yah-Moses) became conspicuous, and she followed "Su" (Mesu) as their 

"Wer"

 ("Great" - title that may mean emperor, like Great King of Egypt, emperor Rameses II or Great King of Hittites, emperor Suppilliuma II)

and, according to Deborah, Israelites volunteered when the king of Egypt was female; Moses in Edom led Kenite Midianites to destroy Egyptian temple in Atak; Bala'am reported the warships from Kittim (Cyprus) would come to afflict Assur; Hittite, Alashiya, and Ugarit kings were hopeless and helpless to defeat this confederation. 

The Ugarit Hittite force in Lydia was not enough to counter the confederation of Asherim-Philistim, and king Rameses III himself admitted that Arzawa (Lydia or Ephesus) was cut off.

And the name of Moses might have become known as "Mu-ka-sa" in Lydia among Luwian speaking people probably after sending a help for Argon to defeat the Hittites. Xanthus (FGH765F 17) recognized him as campaigning in Phoenecia (Asher/Asherim) with the Lydian name "Mu-ka-sa" ("Moxos" in Luwian hieroglyphics). In the 8th century BCE, the kings of Kue (Dananiyim) were tracing their origin from the "House/dynasty of Mopsos (mps)." The name Muksus was translated by the Phoenicians in Cilicia as "Mopso," Hellenized into "Mopsos."

Moses' grandson, Jonathan, became a priest in Laish (Tel Dan) in c. 1188 BCE. It was the habit of Danites to name their new territory or group after the name of their tribe. Later Greek writers personified their tribe with the name "Danaos," a fugitive from "Ai-gyp-tos," a city popularized during Rameses II & Merneptah's reign. The name "Hut-ka-Ptah" ("Hi-ko-ptos", Ai-gyp-tos) was used by Ugarit as an alias for the abode of Khotar in Kaptara (Caphtor), Cyprus. Danaos or Dan traversed Mediterranean Sea for Troy via Rhode. Pelesgians adopted the tribe's name and called themselves as "Danaan" as they confirmed to follow the rules or practices of Danaos. 

Around 10th century BCE some Luwian men in Kue (Cilicia Pedias) identified themselves as 

"d-n-n-y-m"

(Danunim), 

Luwian of Egyptian term

" d'-yn-yw-n "

 ("Denyen"),

and traced the founder of their dynasty as a certain seer (prophet) named

"Mu-ka-sa" 

("Muksus"),

probably a Luwian version of "Me-su-sa" (Moses). Their place is described by Pliny the Elder (in Natural History, 5.22) as

"free city of Mopsos." 

This may imply that Moxos (Moses) was the founder of making city free. And since Kush-Meshusha (Yah-Moses) was the only king named by the troops of Alashiya, a very rare practice to be done by the natives of Alashiya, Moses most likely became known by the title "King," which Asherim (ancestors of Phoenicians) called "Milk-Qarti" (Milqart), "King of the City" popularized in Tyre. Later, his practice of extracting tithe was practiced by Carthage, in giving annual 10th% income to Tyre.

 "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. 

And he was 

מֶ֑לֶךְ

[melekh]

king

 

בִישֻׁר֖וּן

[ḇî·šu·rūn]

to  Shurun (or Asher-Tyre),

when the heads of the people gathered the tribes of Israel to be united." -Deuteronomy 33:4-5

Later, king Rameses III (1179 BCE) made mentioned too this unification:

"Their confederation was Philistia, Tjekker (Dor), Shakarus (Issacharites), Denye (Dan), and Weshesh (Asher), lands united "

 - KVI 39.14-50, 2nd pylon Medinet Habu 

 

WEAKENING OF HITTITE EMPEROR

Tursha (Tarshish) sailors, together with the rebel Cretan Peleset, had now probably joined with Warsiya Lukka: and their quick movements and recruiting people created a big problem among the Hittite territories and other tyrannic kingdoms.

No less than king Suppililiuma was now in despair.

"The enemy is advancing against us," he said to Ammurapi, "and they are countless." 

He asked assistance from Ugarit:

 "Whatever is available, look for it and send it to me." 

(translated by Astour 1969. AJA 69, p. 256)

The battles were both in the Hittite land and the ports near Lukka, and the conclusion of Rameses III's report: Arzawa was cut off. And Suppilliuma II was in a losing side, particularly that no food supply was sent from Egypt (Queen Tausert) and the ships of Ugarit that would send grain were hacked, likely, by the Asherites and Danites. 

As a response, Ammurapi sent his infantry and chariotry in the land of Hatti. He also sent his naval force to Lukka to possibly block the influx of fleets of warships coming from Caphtor and fight the enemies that aiming Ephesus (Arzawa). King Argon was probably now on the side of the Sea Peoples, on the move against the Hittite power.

Libyans were recruiting additional mercenaries or allies, whereas Egypt (Queen Tausert) was at standby position, while Israel had checked the federation of Balakite Midianites in Moab.

Eshuwara, the senior governor of Alashiya (Cyprus), wrote to Ammuarpi that

 

"the 20 ships that the enemies earlier left in the mountainous areas, have not stayed behind. They left suddenly and we do not know where they are."

That means, the secret enemies (Asher, Dan, Philistines) were kept hidden by the citizens, that no one was betraying them to the then government.

It seems that Homer remembered that each ship could board 52 men, two of which were the pilots. This may mean that the 20 ships could have 1,000 fighters, a very huge number to surprise the Hittite, Cypriot, and Ugarit kingdoms.

The citizens absorbed or hid them, so that emperors could not know their whereabouts. Eshuwara revealed to king Ammurapi that the mutiners were actually no other but Ugaritans themselves or his own citizens.

 

" As for the matter concerning enemies, (it was) your own people, your own ships that did this! And that people from your own country who committed these mutinies." 

And after telling this, he said:

 "Thus, do not be angry with me."

It is now clear that the citizens themselves were making mutinies in their own countries to destroy the then political systems. They used the available ships from their relatives. And these were simultaneous events that happened almost every days (as king Merneptah has claimed) or every months, enough to exhaust every military forces in every opposing kingdom. King Suppililiuma alone had three naval battles against them in Cyprus' Sea. 

Hittite empire lost two or three important things for a kingdom to survive:

 

food supply in itself and from Egypt (since Queen Tausert was now an ally of Su/Moses),

ships from Ugarit (since the mutiners used the vessels against them), and

human resources (since the citizens themselves were secretly helping the Sea Peoples). This was the helpless situation of the Hittites. Moses had an ordered to utterly destroy the Hittites (Deut. 20:17), probably same with the aim of the Ahhiyawa and Truisha leaders. For only several decades they had circumnavigated the ocean around Mediterranean Sea, and some of them had even reached Cornwall (England), India and China.

"They laid their hands upon the land as far as the circuit of the earth," king Rameses III said:

" No land could stand before their arms..."

(Egyptian inscription: KRIT 5:34-35)

 King Ammurapi then sent a letter to the viceroy of Carchemish. 

Talmi-Teshub responded to him:

" With regards to your letter 

'Enemy's Ships are Spotted at Sea!' 

Be calm. For your own safety: where are your armies - your chariots - located? Are they far from you? Or are they now on the side of your enemy?

Have you commanded your armies and chariots to surround you with ramparts and have they hide in them to surprise your enemy?"

 

Meaning the Carchemish's viceroy could not help him but advised him to apply the strategy of late Merneptah. 

 Talmi-Teshub realized that an offensive move is very dangerous and a waste of soldiers.

Setnakhte could not hold in his conscience what Queen Tausert was doing with "Su" (Mesu), he revolted and since he had no huge military support he hid, probably under the protection of traditionalist priests, who were against Mesu (Moses), the leader of desecration of cultic images.

 Egyptian priest Manetho reported that Moses taught people to eat ram or lamb, an Egyptian god. It was a horrendous thing for Egyptians to see that their gods were being eaten, particularly that ram could be considered as an incarnation of god Amun. Nevertheless, the traditionalist Egyptian priests could not control Moses. 

 The king of Ugarit left the capital city and hid to a safe haven.

Became desperate what to do, he would ask a help from the king of Alashiya (Cyprus):

"My father, look! The enemy's ships came [in Syria]; my cities were burned, and they did evil things in my country. Does not [you, king of Cyprus] my father know that all my troops and [chariots] are in the Hittite Land, and all my ships are in the Land of Lukka? They have not reached me yet, this, the country [Ugarit] is abandoned to itself. May my father know it: the 7 ships of the enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us. If other enemy ships appear, send me a message so that I can know." - RS 20.238 = Ugaritica 5.24, from Southern Archive, Court V, Palace 

If the recipient was the senior "king" Kush-Meshusha (Yah-Moses), then Ammurapi was asking a wrong person for a help because this king was probably now using ships of Alashiya to fight Suppilliuma II.

Talmi-Teshub, the viceroy of Carchemish, tried to help Ugarit because its presence could serve as a buffer against naval enemies.

" When your messenger arrived," Ammuarpi told him," the army was humiliated and the city was sacked. Our food in the threshing floors was burnt and the vineyards were also destroyed. Our city is sacked. May you know it! May you know it!"

 

By around 1189 BCE, because of the series of battles, were burried to the ground both the Hittite and Ugarit kingdoms, and possibly the Alalakh kingdom. 

There were now three exoduses, namely of the Israelites from Egypt, Philistines from Caphtor, and of the Syrians from Kir.

 

A leader in Alashiya named himself as "Kush-Mesusha" ("Moses of Cush" or "Yah-Moses") despite that there was a "king" there who was sympathetic to Suppilliuma II. And these "enemies of Alashiya" might have called their leader as "king of Alashiya," the title known to Syrian correspondence. Nevertheless, when Suppilliuma II encountered his troops, the Hittite general did not recognize him as "king." 

THE JOY OF SETNAKHTE 

 February 25th, 1189 BCE Moses died, and more than three weeks later, Queen Tausert died, too.

  Masters of many countries in Egypt went to Setnakhte on 23rd March, and reported:

"Your heart is joyful, Lord of this country! That what god foretold happened! 

Your enemies, they are no longer on earth."

 (Elephantine stela, line 15)

The death of these two leaders, Yar-su (Yah-Moses) and "king" Tausert in 1189 BCE became a good news for the rebel leader Setnakhte.

With the death of these two leaders, Moses and pharaoh Tauser, the military force of Egypt had now turned to Setnakhte, as the political leaders said:

"There is no power of an army or chariots except that of your father Seth!"

The situation now is reversed, it was Setnakhte who held the government and the troops of Yar-su (Moses) were the rebels.

Although Setnakhte now had the strong armed forces, still he could not destroy the troops of "Su" (Mesu), except to push them away from Egypt. 

" ... leaving behind the gold, and silver in the Egyptian dominion," and he accused the troops of Su (Mesu/Moses) as having the plans to use those gold and silver to pay "the Asiatics of the leaders of Egypt to attract them as combatants" (Elephantine, line 9). It was Moses and company who plundered the silver and gold of the Egyptians (Exo. 3:22).

 

During the reign of Queen Tausert in 1190 BCE, Setnakhte describes that "rebels" (the auxillary troops of Moses) were in the land of Egypt, desecrating the throne, and making disorder (e.g. did not make offerings in temples), bringing

 "this country...in turmoil, Egypt had fallen into neglect of god" 

(Elephantine, line 4; Papyrus Harris I). 

And because of his outrageous feeling he called them

 

" nn nj sty.w "

 

("these dirty [people]"),

a pun of word, because

'apr

 

in Hebrew means "dusty" 

and in Egyptian it means "Apiru/Habiru" (Hebrews).

With this, it is now clear that the troops that he was accusing of planning to bribe Egypt's leaders with gold and silver were Hebrews and their Great chief, according to his son, was "Su" (Mesu), a Kharu (chief of Seir in Horite state) identified in Deuteronomy 33:2-5.

March 28th, 1189 BCE, after Salma (the great grandfather of David) returned from spying Canaanites in Jericho, Joshua resumed the circumcision rite which had formerly been stopped during the hunting days of Merneptah; It was this pharaoh who - in Athribis Inscription - identified "Akwesha (Ekwesh)" as circumcised men and living in sea, in 1209 BCE, referring to "Asher of the seas" being mentioned by Deborah (Judges 5:17). King Rameses III shortened the name "Akwesha" into "Weshesh." 

BATTLE OF GIBEAH

The concubine of Jonathan the grandson of Moses was raped by the sodomite Benjaminites. This resulted to the Battle of Gibeah probably before 20th June 1187 BCE between the tribe of Benjamin and the tribes of Israel. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, led this war against the Benjaminites which lasted just before circa September 20th (Judges 20:47 & 21:21,19).

"And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the descendants of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And YHWH said, Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand." -Judges 20:28

During this time, the movement of Sea Peoples was northward as king Setnakhte pushed them hard away. Fighters of Dan, Tursha, and Cretans sailed going to Cyprus, Troy, Thrace, and Greece; and they defeated Troy without much difficulty in 1187 BCE, 24 years after Helen was brought to Troy.

The other multitudes were combing many cities in Syria-Palestine, and Emar.

KING OG

Canaanite Ugaritic tablet names a powerful king Raphiu who was enthroned in Ashtarat (Ashtaroth) and reigned in Edrei in the 13th century BCE, depicted as a god served by the companions of Kothar.

"May Rapiu, King of Eternity, drink wine, yea, may he drink, the powerful and noble [one], the god enthroned in Ashtarat, the god who rules in Edrei, whom men hymn and honour with music on the lyre and the flute, on drum and cymbals, with castanets of ivory, among the goodly companions of Kothar. And may Anat the powerful drink, the mistress of kingship, the mistress of dominion, the mistress of the high heavens, the mistress of the earth." - KTU 1.108

It seems from this passage that Kaptara (Caphtor), the usual partner of Kothar as his abode (KTU1.1, cnt:VI:14), was not part of the companions of the king of Ashtarat. This omission may mean that by this time, YHWH -by Moses (1309-1189 BCE) -had already freed Caphtorim that's why Kaptara was no longer an ally of the king of Ashtarat. If this is correct, then the powerful king of Edrei was no other than Og. Seven centuries after it, the name of Og was used as a protector against those who disturb bones in a tomb, saying:

"the mighty Og will avenge me" 

(Phoenician inscription Byblos 13). In around 600 BCE Og was deified. His capital was Ashtaroth, known Aštartu to Egyptians (EA  197 & 256), Ashtarat to Ugaritic people, and Tell Ashtara in modern time.

Moses' troop killed him in the Battle of Edrei.

NEW GENERATION 

From around 1191 to 1185 BCE the younger generation of Asherites, Danites, Issacharites, and Kenites were trained by the Peleset (Philistine ancestors), Hivites [Kweans], and Sidonians, coincided with the expansion of Chushan-rishathaim toward southern west of Aram or Syria (Judges 3:1-8). They were with youths of the Philistines. In Ephraim, a woman was the leader, and not easy to be recognized as a threat to the Canaanite administration because she was a phophetess. 

On the east, the troops under Joshua had their own business: how to enter Canaan by the masses of Israel via Jericho. These masses were kept hidden as the former pharaoh (Merneptah) believed that the offsprings of Israel were already annihilated (Psalms 83:3-4, Victory Stele, line 27). They were hidden by being uncircumcised. When mass circumcision was done again (28th March, 1189 BCE), and this had reached the ears of the new pharaoh, king Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) resumed the targeting of the circumcised fighters. The pharaoh wanted to count carefully the severed hands of the circumcised enemies and he proudly etched that report on his mortuary temple wall.

"And this is the reason why Joshua did circumcise: ...

all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. 

For the descendants of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of YHWH ... 

And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. 

And YHWH said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the 

reproach of Egypt

from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day." -Joshua 5:4-7,9

This "reproach of Egypt" is officially documented by king Merneptah in his bullitens (Athribis Inscription, etc.) and in Victory Stele line 27. In 1208 BCE Merneptah located Israel near Kharu (Horite state in Seir) which Joshua 5:4 says "in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt," and these passages both in the Bible and Merneptah Stele give us confidence to say that the Merneptah Stele line 27 is an evidence of exodus of Israel.

JOSHUA ON THE MOVE

Joshua explicitly identified three cities being put to torch: Jericho, Ai, and Hazor (Josh. 6:21-24, 8:18-9, & 11:10-11,13). And not all walled areas were burned, but only those were destroyed by fire. There are parts or neighborhood of Hazor which were not put to torch (cf. Josh.11:13).

JERICHO UNTIL THE TIME OF RAMESES II

Jericho was still in existence during or after king Amenhotep III (1388-1350) as archaeological evidence can show us; even king Rameses II (1279-1213 BCE) made mentioned the city and from there had fought resistance. 

AI DESTROYED BY ISRAELITES

The troops of Joshua had put on fire the city of Ai. Against the 5-meter-wide wall of that Late Bronze Age (c.1400 BCE) city, squatters built houses (in Square Q10) during the Iron Age 1A or around 1177 BCE, likely just several years after Joshua made an attack. The pottery of these attackers were scattered in the said Late Bronze city. In Khirbet el-Maqatir (Ai) was discovered a small Israelite settlement during the 

Iron Age I (1200-1000 BCE).

 

Canaanites were living in the fortress from 1500 to 1400 BCE, as indicated by their LB IB pottery sherds that are scattered in it. The reddened, fragmented bedrock in its gate passageway, burned & calcined building stones and gate's area's calcined bedrock, and scattered ash deposits are indication of a severe conflagration. Pots of 1400 BCE were also burned. After that, Hebrews squatted the fortress. Most likely, the elite Israelites were with Joshua going to Mt. Ebal, leaving the technologically-poor Hebrews in Ai (Khirbet el-Maqatir).

Pots from Iron Age I (1200-1100 BCE) squatters were scattered throughout the area of the Late Bronze I fortress. In Square Q9 they built poorly rooms (with one-stone wide walls) into the Late Bronze I fortification wall. Connected to that fortress wall is a stone-lined pit (2.3x3.6 feet) in the Square R11. Sherds of Iron Age I cooking pots, broken mortar, & damaged limestone roof roller were also found in it.

All these findings suggest that after the destruction of the Late Bronze IB (1400 BCE) city, the Iron Age I (1200-1100 BCE) settlers dwelt in it. These inhabitants made the massive conflagration of that 1400 BCE city, and built their houses in the ruins.

Needless to say, Israelite settlers (1200-1100 BCE) replaced immediately the burned 1400 BCE Ai city. It was burned before the squatter settlers built their houses there.

 

The leader of these Iron Age I destroyers was Joshua (1248-1138 BCE). The Israelite Ai was started around 1179 or 1177 BCE archaeologically speaking.

Joshua, writing in around 1175 BCE, knew that the city of Ai was not rebuilt.

"And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a 

tel-olam

[heap of Long-Duration],

even a desolation unto this day." -Joshua 8:28

This may mean that Joshua ruined Ai around 1180s BCE.

By its destruction, Israelites enabled to penetrate Canaan, and find the spot to which Moses asked them build an altar in Mt. Ebal.

HAZOR UNTIL AFTER KING RAMESES THE GREAT

Hazor, both the upper and lower city, was violently destroyed around 13th century BCE in a fire so intense that it cracked the basalt architectural elements of a so-called palace. In the thirteen 500-liter jugs the seeds of grain were burned to ashes as the temperature of the conflagration in the palace's storerooms reached 1,300° C (2,372° F). The carbon-14 dating of this scorched wheat is dated to the Late Bronze Age (LBA) IIB or around 1200 BCE.

 The only difference is that Stratum XIII or upper city was resettled - after short interruption - by semi-nomadic people, building their silos, hearths, and foundations for tents and huts that were essentially identical to archaeological findings in the 12th century BCE Israelite settlements in Galilee. Needless to say, Israelites dwelt there in the 12th century BCE, around 1180s BCE.

In the destruction Stratum XIII, a worship table was found. The name of Rahotep (r. c.1223-1213 BCE), the priest of king Rameses II, is inscribed on that table, which suggests Hazor was destroyed likely after the reign of Rameses II (d.1213 BCE). Iron Age I (Early Israelite) pottery, like decorated vessel, from the excavation proved that the early Israelite settlement followed the destruction of Hazor.

Archaeologists, headed by Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor and Dr. Sharon Zuckerman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found in the excavation some extremely burned bricks, cedar wood beams, a collapsed ceiling and sooty walls. The administrative area was located at the edge of the city which covered 800 dunams (around 200 acres) and was home to around 19,000 people. 

Although, the smaller -scale domestic and cultic buildings in the lower city were not identically violently destroyed as the upper city, the people who destroyed them were hardly Egyptians, Canaanites or Hazorites for they did also what they had done in Athika (Timna Valley, Edom) or even much worst, they intentionally desecrated the basaltic statues of gods and kings by decapitating,  and seemingly they smashed the ritual vessels of the temples. It was Moses who ordered such actions (Deut.12:2-3).

Sharon Zuckerman attributes the destruction to internal tensions that were plaguing the town. It seems to her that the private house at the lower city was untouched by what put fire on the public buildings.

 The Bible gives clue why this is so. Kenites together with other tribes of Israel who dwelt in the jurisdiction of Hazor had a peace relationship with its king decades before Deborah's fight, and king Jabin was not defeated in an instant but gradual manner, until Joshua set fire on the public buildings: that is, king Jabin's dominion weakened after the lost of his general Sisera, and its inhabitants knowing the possible future second major battle had left peacefully and gradually their houses. During the battle, started by the troops of Joshua, king Jabin left Hazor and most likely other Hazorites abandoned their city probably hoping that they could return after the war. This is also how Dr. Zuckerman thought what might have happened in the city: "some of the public buildings had been abandoned before the destruction while others were partially uprooted and in the end there was no ruler here."

Most likely, king Jabin was not aware that the Kenites in his kingdom were inclining to the "troops of Deborah" ("Keshe Teborah"), hence the place of "Jabin" in the Topographic List 23.21 of king Rameses II is replaced by the Alliance of Deborah in the Topographic List 27.85 of Rameses III after the band of Deborah defeated Sisera. The "Jabin" that Joshua and Deborah are talking about was the one whose alliance was in "Kishon" and who existed between the reign of Rameses the Great (d.1213 BCE) and Rameses III (1186-1155). 

It is not a surprising thing why Jabin did not suspect Kenites because they were resembling the appearance of the ordinary Shasu (as if they were the usual Shasu in Galilee) and he had a peace relation with them. 

Egyptian army scribe Hori (fl. c.1207- c.1160 BCE) wrote that the appearance of Kenite was indistinguishable from Shasu of Debir. He locates them to the south of Debir.

"Come let me tell thee of other towns, which are above them. Thou hast not gone to the land of Tahath, Khemarim, Timnah, Kadesh, Deper, Adah, Horonem. Thou hast not beheld Kirjath-anab and Beth-Tophel. Thou dost not know Adoraim, nor yet Dizahab... Pray teach me concerning the appearance of

 Kenite;

acquaint me with Ruhayba; explain Bethezel. The stream of Jordan, how is it crossed?. Thou makest the name of every Maher, officers of the land of Egypt. Thy name becomes like that of Kazardi, the chief of 

Asshurites, 

when the hyena found him in the balsam-tree. The narrow defile is infested with

Shasu

concealed beneath the bushes, some of them are of 4 cubits or of around 9 feet, from their noses to feet, fierce of face, their heart is not mild, and they hearken not to coaxing."- Papyrus Anastasi l, 20-23 (Satirical Letter)

Besides, Myceanean sellers reached Hazor during LH IIIA2 (1370-1300 BCE) and their pottery products stopped after the LH IIIB1 (1300-1240 BCE). This may mean that during the sailing activities of Asher and Dan, Hazor was cut off from its easy access to Myceanean sellers. We don't have yet evidence that Heber the Kenite monopolized the pottery business trading in Hazor, however. What we are sure of, is that no Mycenaean pottery of LH IIIB1 (1240-1190 BCE) is found; rather early Israelite settlement followed after the ruin of Hazor (c.1180 BCE).

Some tribes of Israel might have reached Jabin's dominion by the Kenites who settled there in around 1227 BCE.

"And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of Thamarim [Palm Trees] with the descendants of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people." -Judges 1:16

"Now Heber, who was of the children of Hobab of the Kenite, the father in law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. 

Howbeit Sisera fled away on ... [Barak's] feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite." -Judges 4:11,17

Around 1227 BCE, Heber of the children of Hobab of Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, transferred from south of Arad to Yenoam or Rukkath in Galilee, and likely was paying tax in 20 years to king Jabin of Hazor until Deborah led a war and Heber's wife, Jael, killed Jabin's general (Sisera) in 1208 BCE, during their 20th year in the region (Judges 4:2-3). 

Why for 20 years there was oppression to those Israelites who dwelt in Jabin's dominion? 

“From what I’ve found it seems that the rulers, the elite, invested in large-scale construction and accumulating great wealth at the expense of the other residents. The ordinary people paid taxes and built the city; they paid the price for glorifying the rulers.”

As Zuckerman looks on the evidence, there was a rigorous building projects that required rigorous collection of taxes or tributes from constituents. This could be one of the reasons why Jael was too mad at general Sisera.

“The difference between a huge conflagration that focused on the public buildings," as Zuckerman continued, "and the orderly abandonment of the city by the simple folk indicates that we’re talking about something other than conquest.”

Jael, the wife of Heber of the children of Hobab the son of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, killed Sisera, the general of King Jabin of Hazor in Haroseth in 1208 BCE. Since then, the alliance of Jabin had weakened, until Joshua penetrated Canaan in 1180s or 1170s BCE. Jabin's title "king of Canaan" with a description

 

 "Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms" (Josh. 11:10)

was synonymous with the 13th century BCE Egyptian term

"Qishon Yabin"

("Alliance of Jabin")

and it was apparently reduced into "king of Hazor" after the defeat of his general (Judg.4:2, 23,24, 17, Josh. 11:1), and only three kings remained with him as allies. Unlike on 16th April, 1457 BCE when Thutmose III confiscated the 924 chariots of the alliance of the kings of Kadesh and Megiddo, king Jabin during Rameses II's time was protected by 900 chariots in the alliance in Haroseth. By this time, not Thutmose III, but it was Deborah's band who captured the 900 chariots. It was during the time of king Rameses III when the Band of Deborah replaced the Alliance of Jabin in the Egyptian "Hall of Fame" Topographic Asiatic List. This gives us high precision that Joshua (1248-1138) killed Alliance of Jabin during the reign of Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) after Deborah defeated general Sisera. The Bible is very explicit in identifying who was the Hazorite king Jabin it is talking about when it mentioned "Qishon" and "Haroseth" (Judges 4:2,4,7,13). 

NOTES:

* Kush-Meshusha in Ugaritic inscription RS 94-11774 housed at the Damascus National Museum in Syria. 

* Deuteronomy 12:14 

This passage is also telling us a possible eruption of fire from Sinai mountains (Makhtesh Ramon) that would melt and waste the host of Israel: king Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) reported too the removal of land on front of them. 

*www haaretz com Jul 23, 2012

* "1. [An. 1052.] Solomon began to build the temple in the fourth year of his reign, on the second month, which the Macedonians call Artemisius, and the Hebrews Jar. (9) Five hundred and ninety and two years after the Exodus out of Egypt: but after one thousand and twenty years from Abraham’s coming out of Mesopotamia into Canaan: and after the deluge one thousand four hundred and forty years, and from Adam the first man who was created, until Solomon built the temple, there had passed in all three thousand one hundred and two years. Now that year on which the temple began to be built, was already the 11th year of the reign of Hiram; but from the building of Tyre, to the building of the temple, there had passed 240 years." -Antiquities 8.3.1

* Trading between Tiryns and Canaanites

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology.premium-3-300-year-old-canaaníte-jars-found-in-tiryns-rewritehistory-of-trade1.9458856

Exodus part 1

https://biblicalhistoryandevidence.blogspot.com/2022/06/exodus-and-archaeological-evidence.html?m=1

Exodus Part 2

https://biblicalhistoryandevidence.blogspot.com/2022/08/part-2-exodus-and-archaeological.html?m=1

Exodus part 3 

https://biblicalhistoryandevidence.blogspot.com/2022/09/part-3-exodus-and-archaeological_1.html?m=1