Many people will assert that the Stories in the Bible are not true. They are but myth and fable. But one author who has published a book available through Amazon, and maintains a website, has spent many years comparing Ancient Egyptian tales against Biblical Stories, and has found striking similarities.
The Book is Moses in the Twelfth Dynasty Egyptian Literature By Aris Hobeth
In that book, twelve Egyptian tales are discussed.
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One: 'The Story of Sinuhe'
Two: 'Three Tales of Wonder.'
Three: 'Prophecy of Neferti'
Four: 'Instructions of Amenemhet I to his son, Sesostris I'
Five: '80 years contending of Horus and Seth'
Six: 'The Eloquent Peasant'
Seven: 'Destruction of Mankind by Ra' (taken from the longer 'Cow of Heaven.')
Eight: 'Ipuwer'
Nine: 'Exploits of Sesostris'
Ten: 'Lamentaions of Khakheperreseneb'
Eleven:'The Man who was tired of Life.'
Twelve: 'The Shipwrecked Sailor'
If ancient tales are something you are into, then during this Christmas season, perhaps you might like to check out this site. I for one found it interesting. Below are some selected passages from Tale One: The Story of Sinuhe
Characters:
Sinuhe is the authobiographical royal hero. Amenemhet I is the assassinated king. Sesostris I is the co-regent son of the slain king. The Midianite leader, Ammuneschi welcomes the fugitive hero exile, Sinuhe, gives him a home, commission and wife, his daughter. Amalek is a tribe Sinuhe conquered for the Midianites. Hathor is and Egyptian goddess who caused pestilence in Egypt.
Summary:
Sinuhe, a royal family member of some stature, also a representative of the crown among the Asiatics, accompanies the co-regent Sesostris I on a military expedition in Libya. There "shaking in his boots and hiding in the bushes" he overhears the co-regent get the secret message that his father, King Amenemhet I, had been assassinated.
Sesostris I quickly and secretly left to get back to the palace to prevent a coup, which he did.
Sinuhe in fear, flees to Asiatic lands
Sinuhe details his successes, his military victories for his new Midian family.
After a long time, Sinuhe longs for Egypt and his family there.
Sinuhe returned about forty years later during the reign of Amenemhet II. Sinuhe returned to Egypt welcomed by his remaining royal family. They shrieked with delight and cleaned him up, removing his desert dirt. They restored his Egyptian appearance. They showered him with his former trappings of wealth, including the best architect to plan for his burial structure.
Many parallels between Sinuhe and Moses appear.
Both heroes come from royalty, each famous among the Egyptians.
Both heroes fled to Midian.
Both heroes return to Egypt in controversy after a long notable exile.
A short Egyptian "Tale of the Herdsman" may be a version of Moses getting his mission from God at the "burning bush."
This vision similar to the one given to Moses, gives the hero the "understanding," the "mission" from God to go back to Egypt to rescue/evacuate/exodus those in the endangered area, the target of the comet/goddess.
The Sinuhe tale ignores most of the plagues and Passover destructions, except for a mention of a rampage of the goddess Hathor/Sekhmet in a year of pestilence.
And finally, both heroes die and have secret burials.
Wishing all readers at Magic City Morning Star News a Bright and Happy Christmas, and a Prosperous New Year. And if you aren't into Christmas, then have a Happy Channukah.
R.P.BenDedek
Email: rpbendedek@kingscalendar.com
R.P.BenDedek is the pseudonym of the Author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' ( http://www.kingscalendar.com/ ), and is a guest columnist at Magic City Morning Star News. An Australian, he currently teaches Conversational English in China.
BenDedek Stories From China at Magic City 2008
BenDedek Academic articles at Magic City
"The King's Calendar" is a chronological study of the historical books of the Bible (Kings and Chronicles), Josephus, Seder Olam Rabbah, and the (Essene) Damascus Document of The Dead Sea Scrolls.
