In 1872 August Eisenlohr observed, ‘It has long been the object of Egyptologists to discover in the numerous Egyptian monuments still remaining in stone and papyrus, traces of the Israelites, which might show us the events related in the Old Testament from an Egyptian point of view.’ Much has changed since Eisenlohr uttered those words. Many scholars today maintain a less judicious approach, arguing that there was little contact between Egypt and the Bible.
This volume will argue vigorously against that prevailing minimalistic approach. The reality is that we do not give the biblical writers enough credit for their knowledge of the ancient Near East and of Egypt in particular. A primary aim of this book is to show many firm point of contact between Egypt and the Bible on a variety of levels.