480 APPENDIX HI. 



Thothmes II., reigned a short time jointly with his sister, Queen Hatasu. B. 1600. 



Hatasu (Hastop, Makaea, Ameknuhet), continued to reign alone after the death of her 

 brother, Thothmes II. She sent a famous expedition to the land of Punt, 

 as commemorated in the sculptures on the walls of Dair-el-Bahri, at 

 Thebes. 



Thotmes III., another brother of Hatasu, who reigned some time jointly with her, and 

 for many years alone after her death. He was one of the most renowned 

 of the Egyptian monarchs, who extended his conquests far into Western 

 Asia, and founded the stiipendous temple of Karnak at Thebes, covering 

 its walls with inscriptions commemorating his mighty deeds, and giving 

 long lists of the lands and peoples overcome by him. No other name 

 occurs so frequently on monuments and remains of every kind throughout 

 Egypt. B. 1600. 



Amenhotep II. B. 1566. 



Thothmes IV. B. 1533. 



Amenhotep IIJ. Another great conqueror, who appears to have advanced the frontiers 

 of the empire far into Ethiopia towards the equatorial regions. His 

 glory is perpetuated by many monuments of a sumptuous character, 

 conspicuous amongst which are those of Luxor and Karnak, besides the 

 famous colossi of Memnon, which bear his name. B. 1500. 



Amenhotep IY. (or Khuexaten ?) who under the influence of his mother, a foreigner 

 of Semitic race, attempted to effect a religious revolution, substituting the 

 Semitic divinity Aten (Hormakhu, or the Sun's Orb) for the Theban god 

 Amen. He also removed the seat of government from Thebes to the city 

 of Kiuaten, foimded by him, and now known by the name of Tell-el- 

 Amarna. His religious system was continued by a few of his successors, 

 but finally abolished by 



Horemhec (Horijs), who restored the old national worship, and brought back the seat 

 of government to Thebes, effacing as far as possible all traces of his 

 innovating predecessors. 



The question has been asked whether the Hebrews, whose numbers 

 had enormously increased during the nine or ten generations since their 

 first arrival in Eg}-pt, played any part in these religious troubles, and 

 especially in the attempt made by Amenhotep IV. to introduce a mono- 

 theistic systf^m. It is noteworthy that the beginning of the persecution 

 of the Israelites, as related in the book of Exodus, coincides almost exactly 

 with the restoration of the royal authority and the overthrow of the 

 usurpers. Several incidental circumstances make it highly probable that 

 the Pharaoh " who knew not Joseph" was the undermentioned Sethi I. 

 of the nineteenth dynasty. The cities of Pithom and Ramses, mentioned 

 in the Bible as having been constructed by the children of Israel con- 

 demned to forced labour, are also frequently alluded to in the Egyptian 

 records, and by them referred to the time of Eamses II., successor of 

 Sethi I. According to this view the persecution of the Hebrews is easily 

 explained as the natural reaction of the native priesthood when restored 

 to power against the foreign innovators. As might be expected, the theo- 

 logical dissensions ended in the Exodus, that is, in the expulsion of the 

 weaker faction from the land of Egypt. 



