Here's some very interesting news about Egypt:
Nefertiti mummy found?
The whole Nefertiti thing has been an interesting mystery for some time, and even still, this article still shows there's a way to go before there's any conclusive proof as to whether it really is Nefertiti's mummy or not.
For those who don;t know who Nefertiti was - she just happened to be the primary wife of Amenotep IV - more famously known as Akenaten (US = Akhenaton). This was a pharoah who dismissed the polytheism of thousands of years of Egytian mythology and try to instill Monotheism - the worship of a single divnity, upon the Egyptians.
Of course it was only partly successful - temporarily as well. As soon as he died - through whatever means - his record was chipped out from the momuments of Egypt to deny him any existence. But his capital city - El Amarna - which was abandoned not long after his death - has provided a massive background to this enigmatic Egyptian Pharaoh.
In theological terms it's expected that Akhenaten's policies would have had an important effect on the peripheral states, and it has long been conjectured that the Jews were very influenced by this Egyptian teaching.
Unfortunately, we're not quite sure in what Biblical period this may have been. It could have been during the reign of Moses, or even in the reign of Solomon. It entirely depends upon the path of Biblical Arhcaeology being followed.
I actually sympathise greatly with David Rohl's chronology, not least because he does illustraet some silly errors in the traditional Egyptian chronology, which apparently has changed very little over the past couple of years.
There's a tentative connection through one of the Psalms - you can get more information here:
Akhenaten and the Hymn to the Aten
Oh - and one last thing - as a superb historical twist, the memory of Ancient History's greatest Heretic was especially preserved through the finding of the tomb of his first son - which happens to have been the most famously complete Pharonic tomb ever excavated. Yup, you guessed it - Akhenaten was the dad of Tutankamun.
Nefertiti mummy found?
The whole Nefertiti thing has been an interesting mystery for some time, and even still, this article still shows there's a way to go before there's any conclusive proof as to whether it really is Nefertiti's mummy or not.
For those who don;t know who Nefertiti was - she just happened to be the primary wife of Amenotep IV - more famously known as Akenaten (US = Akhenaton). This was a pharoah who dismissed the polytheism of thousands of years of Egytian mythology and try to instill Monotheism - the worship of a single divnity, upon the Egyptians.
Of course it was only partly successful - temporarily as well. As soon as he died - through whatever means - his record was chipped out from the momuments of Egypt to deny him any existence. But his capital city - El Amarna - which was abandoned not long after his death - has provided a massive background to this enigmatic Egyptian Pharaoh.
In theological terms it's expected that Akhenaten's policies would have had an important effect on the peripheral states, and it has long been conjectured that the Jews were very influenced by this Egyptian teaching.
Unfortunately, we're not quite sure in what Biblical period this may have been. It could have been during the reign of Moses, or even in the reign of Solomon. It entirely depends upon the path of Biblical Arhcaeology being followed.
I actually sympathise greatly with David Rohl's chronology, not least because he does illustraet some silly errors in the traditional Egyptian chronology, which apparently has changed very little over the past couple of years.
There's a tentative connection through one of the Psalms - you can get more information here:
Akhenaten and the Hymn to the Aten
Oh - and one last thing - as a superb historical twist, the memory of Ancient History's greatest Heretic was especially preserved through the finding of the tomb of his first son - which happens to have been the most famously complete Pharonic tomb ever excavated. Yup, you guessed it - Akhenaten was the dad of Tutankamun.