Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 1.djvu/584

 480 APPENDIX m. TnoTHMES II., reigned a short time jointly with his sister, Queen Hatasu. B. 1600. Hatasu (Hastop, Makara, AifENNXJiTET), 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. TuoTMES 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 foimded the stupendous temple of Kamak 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 IY. B. 1533. Amenhotep III. 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 monimients of a sumptuous character, conspicuous amongst which are those of Luxor and Kamak, besides the famous colossi of Memnon, which bear his name. B. 1500. Amexhotep IV. (or Khuenaten ?) who under the influence of his mother, a foreigner o.f 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 Khuaten, founded 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 HoKEMHEB (HoRUs), 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 Egypt, played any part in these religious troubles, and especially in the attempt made by Amenhotep IV. to introduce a mono- theistic systom. 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 circixmstances 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 Ramses II., successor of Sethi I. According to this view the persecution of the Hebrews i§ 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 tlie land of Egypt.