Last week we described the story told by Eldad the Danite, about the Tribe of Dan invading Egypt. A most unlikely story on its face. Further it supposedly took place at the time of Jeroboam which under conventional chronology was at the end of the 21st Dynasty of Egypt. There are no records in Egypt to confirm Eldad's account.

If we survey the history of Egypt, we can find a record of an invasion by a people with a name very similar to the Tribe of Dan. They were called by the Egyptians the Denyen, Denen or Danu. Can it only be a coincidence that this invasion took place during the 8th year of the reign of Ramesses III, EXACTLY at the time it would be expected under the revised chronology?

The description of the invasion can be found inscribed on the walls of the mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, on the outer wall of the second Pylon.

Medinet Habu is located across the Nile from Luxor.

We quote from the inscription.

" As for the foreign countries, they made a (conspiracy) in their isles (rww). (Removed) and scattered in the fray were the lands at one time. No land could stand before their arms, from Hatti, Kode, Carcamesh, Yereth and Yeres on, (but they were) cut off at one time. A camp (was set up) in one place in Amor. They desolated its people and its land was like that which had never come into being. They were coming, while the flame was prepared before them, forward towards Egypt. Their confederation was the PELESET, TJEKKER, DENYE(n) and the WESHESH, lands united............"

On the face of it this inscription causes a problem in that the Peleset are identified as the Philistines, but who were the Tjekker and the Weshesh. What was the Tribe of Dan doing teaming up with the Philistines?

We need to go back in time to how the land of Canaan was divided up amongst the tribes of the Children of Israel. Four tribes were allotted land by the Sea, the half tribe of Manasseh, Judah, Asher and Dan. The latter two were well known for their sea-faring ways as evidenced in the Book of Judges in the "Song of Deborah".

"And Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea Settling down by his landings" (Judges 5:17)

It would therefore be interesting to look at the coast of Israel shown in the map last week and compare it to the inscriptions of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians have the land invaded by the Peleset, Danu, Tjekker and the Weshesh.

The Coast has the Philistines, The half Tribe of Manasseh, Asher and Dan.

Two out of four so far....can we identify Asher and Manasseh with Weshesh and Tjekker?

Stay Tuned.

Any Questions?

Michael S. Sanders

Irvine

Wednesday, June 17, 1998