4 - Shishak, King of Egypt: The challenges of Egyptian calendrical chronology

Summary

Abstract

In reconstructing ancient historical chronologies, much use has been made of chronological pins between neighbouring states, linking their chronologies together. This chapter examines one such pin, the attack of Shishak, King of Egypt on the Levant in the early first millennium BCE. Due to the danger of circular arguments, it works entirely from Egyptian records, rather than combining these with biblical or Assyrian dates as is normal. It assesses the way the Egyptian chronology is put together and its strengths and weaknesses and goes on to examine in detail the Third Intermediate Period, specifically the 22nd and 25th Dynasties. In doing this it draws extensively on Kitchen (1986), a standard reference work for this period, but one that may not be totally accessible to those not specializing in Egyptian archaeology. The chapter concludes that the most likely minimum reconstruction of the date of the accession of Shishak/Sheshonq I is 941 BCE, with dates in the mid-940s BCE being the most likely overall. This supports biblical dates for the attack well, which would conventionally place the accession of Shishak/Sheshonq I in 945 BCE. It emphasizes that, while not perfect, the Egyptian chronology is very robust and internally consistent, even without reference to external events.

Introduction

The reconstruction of ancient chronologies is always a difficult issue, and often a contentious one.