164 Exodus Abydos king list Rudolf Ochmann/ Wikimedia Commons Egyptian Pharaohs (Low variations) Egyptian Dynasties Egyptian Kingdoms Levant Ages 0310255732_02_Exodus.indd 164 Middle Bronze II C Egyptian Kings of the New Kingdom An Egyptian priest named Manetho, who lived during the 200s B.C., divided Egyptian history into sections or dynasties. He did this based on groups of kings who, in his view, shared important kinship, political, or geographical ties. He numbered each dynasty, and the New Kingdom includes the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties. A-1 Overlapping dates can be explained by coregencies (two rulers sharing power). Kamose 1555-1550 Akhenaten 1352-1336 Horemhab 1323-1295 Sety II 1200-1194 Ahmose 1550-1525 Smenkhkare 1338-1336 Ramesses I 1295-1294 Merenptah-Siptah 1194-1188 Amenhotpe I 1525-1504 Tutankhamun 1336-1327 Sety I 1294-1279 Twosret 1188-1186 Thutmose I 1504-1492 Ay 1327-1323 Sethnakhte 1186-1184 Thutmose II 1491-1479 Ramesses III 1184-1153 Ramesses IV 1153-1147 Ramesses V 1147-1143 1550 Hatshepsut 1479-1458 Thutmose III 1479-1425 Amenhotpe II 1427-1400 Thutmose IV 1400-1390 Amenhotpe III 1390-1352 18th Dynasty 19th Dynasty 20th Dynasty N EW K INGDOM Late Bronze I Late Bronze II A Late Bronze II B Iron I A Iron I B 1450 1350 Ramesses II 1279-1213 Ramesses VI 1143-1136 Merenptah 1213-1203 Ramesses VII 1136-1129 Amenmesse 1203-1200 Ramesses VIII 1129-1126 Ramesses IX 1126-1108 Ramesses X 1108-1099 Ramesses XI 1099-1069 Ancient Near Eastern Comparative dom in Egypt and the Late Bronze and Iron Material Ages in other parts of the ancient Near East. In view of the factors set forth above, the Helpful information comes not only from study of background material for Exodus Egypt and the land of modern Israel but also requires a wide-ranging look at ancient from the Hittite territories in modern Turkey, the Assyrian and Babylonian societies Near Eastern history, literature, religion, law, social customs, and material culture. of Mesopotamia, and ancient Israel’s closer It is worth considering a variety of periods, neighbors in western Syria and Transjordanian while maintaining a focus on the New King- Palestine. 0310218063_zibbc_v1_matt.qxd 10/25/12 3:33 PM Page 88 88 kingdom was divided among three of his Matthew sons, Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas (see comments on 2:19ff.; 16:13). Herod Antipas had a long rule (4 B.C.-A.D. 39) and was the most prominent of Herod’s CAPERNAUM AND sons in the four Gospels because he ruled NAZARETH the area of Galilee, the region of Jesus’ Galilean ministry (9:1), Nazareth was his primary ministry. His chief infamy comes “hometown” (patris), the land of his from his execution of John the Baptist father and family (13:54; cf. 2:23). Most and his interview of Jesus prior to his crucifixion (cf. Luke 23:6–12). scholars see this as a thematic abridgment of the same incident recorded Herod Antipas’s capital city, Tiberias, much more fully in Luke 4:14–30, was only eight miles down the coast of although it is possible that this is a later the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum.The return to Galilee for a second visit (cf. news of Jesus’ ministry has reached him Mark 6:1–6). The later may be implied possibly through Cuza, his steward, by the reference to wisdom and miracles, whose wife is part of the group of which are not a significant part of Jesus’ women who on occasion support and ministry until after the visit to Nazareth travel with the apostolic band (cf. Luke as recorded in Luke. 8:1–3). right EXCAVATIONS AT SEPPHORIS MODERN NAZARETH At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus (14:1). Herod Antipas was the Roman client-ruler over the region where Jesus ministered. He was only seventeen years old when his father, Herod the Great, died. Herod’s 1250 1150 1100 6/9/09 8:24:46 PM M e d i t e r r Memphis 0310255732_02_Exodus.indd 165 a Lower Egypt n e a Ramesses (Tell ed-Daba’) Pithom On (Heliopolis) Tell el-Amarna Upper Egypt n S e a Thebes Red Sea 0 40 km. 0 40 miles 0310218063_zibbc_v1_matt.qxd 10/25/12 3:33 PM Page 89 165 Moreover, since archaeological excavations have produced Exodus more data for some Egypt in the Late locations and time periods than for others, the Bronze Age information sought from a specific place and time may simply be unavailable, and one must look elsewhere. But ancient Near Eastern societies often operated with similar customs and traditions, which tended to change slowly, if at all, during the first three millennia B.C. Thus, in order to obtain an understanding of the ancient perspective regarding a particular issue, material from the first or third millennium may be just as enlightening as that from the late second millennium. Similarly, literature from Mesopotamia can prove just as helpful in understanding a biblical text as that of societies located closer to the land of Israel. This commentary will use, therefore, a diverse set of literary and archaeological sources in order to explain features and themes of the biblical text, to examine topics of ancient Near Eastern society and culture to which passages in Exodus allude, and to raise questions that are worth assessing in light of the ancient world of the Bible. The Israelites in Egypt (1:1 – 14) Egypt (1:1). Egypt lies in the northeast corner of Africa. Ancient Egypt Nile delta stretched from the Mediterranean Sea Courtesy of NASA south along the Nile River and was divided — conceptually and sometimes politically — between Upper Egypt in This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! (14:2). Herod Antipas was a Jew by religion, although he had an Idumean background. His reaction reveals a curious blend of emotion, theology, and superstition. His guilty fear for having executed John combines with a confused notion of resurrection, probably based in part on Pharisaic beliefs along with semi-pagan superstitious ideas of returning spirits. As a Roman clientruler, he has been well versed in Roman demned him for marrying his halfbrother’s wife, who was also his halfniece (14:3–4; Mark 6:18; Luke 3:19). mythology. The Herodian family had long been notorious for this syncretistic This would have been considered an mixture of beliefs. incestuous affront to God’s law (Lev. 18:16; 20:21). Now Herod had arrested John and . . . put him in prison because of Herodias, On Herod’s birthday the daughter of his brother Philip’s wife (14:3). Herod Herodias danced for them (14:6). Herod Antipas had married the daughter of the Great built a royal palace at the King Aretas IV of Nabataea, probably a fortress Machaerus, in part because he political marriage arranged by Emperor prized the hot springs at Calirrhoe not far Augustus to keep peace in the region. away. The remains of a majestic peristyle The marriage lasted for several years, court that rose to an ornate triclinium until Antipas fell in love with Herodias, (banquet room) have been excavated, an the wife of his brother Herod Philip I indication of the lavish entertaining that (not the better known half-brother, Herod Philip the tetrarch), another of Antipas’s half-brothers (by Mariamne II; Mark 6:17). Herod Philip was a private citizen who lived in Rome. On a trip to Rome, Antipas stayed at the home of his half-brother and fell in love with Herodias. They determined to marry, but Herodias demanded that Antipas divorce his wife of over fifteen years. 212 Some years later (A.D. 36), King Aretas IV attacked and conquered Antipas’s military forces, at least in part to seek revenge for repudiating his daughter. 213 John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her” (14:4). When Antipas married Herodias, the highly popular John the Baptist publicly con- 89 Matthew 6/9/09 8:24:47 PM COINS OF HEROD ANTIPAS MAP SHOWING MACHAERUS Biblical Commentaries biblical studies Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary john h. walton, general editor (OT) clinton e. arnold, general Editor (NT) The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary series invites you to enter the Old and New Testament with a company of guides, experts who will give new insights into these cherished writings. 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