Fesseha 10

Ethiopia's 5000 Year History, from Noah until the EPRDF, Fesseha Yaze Kassa, AD 2011

translated and annotated by Ras Feqade, AD 2021

### Chapter 10. Egypt's rule in Ethiopia.

Beginning from 2000 BC, both quarrels and love have been hosted between Ethiopians and Egyptians. But from 1580 onward, the Egyptians lodged in them a desire to extend rule, by means of their civilization that came famously.

[Archaeologically, the earliest known mention of 'Kush' is from 2084 BC when pharaoh Mentuhotep II (Osiris Apis) campaigned there. But Michael the Syrian and Bar Hebraeus say the third pharaoh after the deluge was Sanos, called by the cognomen Ethiopis because he had campaigned there; the years in his position (2323-2263 BC) are probably the second reign in Egypt of Misraim himself, under the name Meryibtawi, following the intervening reign of his father Ham or Kheti, who had already been first ruler of Kush / Ethiopia. The name Kush does not seem to appear in the antediluvian Old Kingdom, which had known the region as Punt.]

In the time of Thutmose III and the Pharaohs who were before him, when the power and fame that the Ethiopian kings at that time had, who were set at 17th and 18th on the table list, such as Amenemhat and Tsawe, is seen in relation with Egypt, it was weak. And they could not boast.

[When I recalculated the reigns of Amenemhat and Tsawe, they came to 1298-1258 BC and 1258-1243 BC, which fit perfectly with Amenemopet and Setau, two 'viceroys of Kush' under Pharaohs Horemheb, Ramesses I, Seti, and Ramesses II. Two earlier kings on the Ethiopian list with Egyptian names, Tutemhab and Herhator (#7, 8) would be dated to 1473-1453 BC and 1453-1433 BC, making them contemporary with Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC) and Thutmose III (1458-1425 BC), and the earlier period of Egyptian activity in Ethiopia indicated here.]

Therefore the Pharaoh who was before Thutmose III, he called /Ahmose/ in the time between 1580 and 1557 BC began to fight and plunder while passing the limits of Ethiopia. And his successor Pharaoh thus seized the country while pushing more. It means that the Pharaoh called Thutmose III who reigned next moreover reigned from 1500-1480 BC; he had Ethiopia /Nubia/ seized while he sent wars more than they.

[The whole text of this chapter is essentially an abridged paraphrase of Tekletsadek Mekuria's earlier work, whose language is closely followed. However Fesseha's abridgement omits any mention of the other pharaohs between Ahmose (1550-1526 BC by my calculation) and Thutmose III, namely Amenhotep I, Thutmose I and Thutmose II.]

It having taxed many countries through the east, it famed Egypt. The items found by plunder and tribute, silver and gold, honored the kingdom of Egypt. The kings of Babylon began to beg it while saying "As gold is like unto sand alongside thee, please send for us."

And until the French scholar called Champollion revealed the mystery of solving the script of Ancient Egypt, plenty of history that these kings of Egypt worked inside their country and outside their country, would remain hidden. However, after the mystery of the script was solved, while German, English, French and American scholars, being in teams, went to her ancient cities, to Memphis, Thebes, Luxor, Karnak, from the writing found drawn like a picture on each statue and on the walls of every temple and every palace hall, both inside and outside on the wood and stone covering whereby the Pharaoh's skeleton is covered, being transcribed and translated, the history of many pharaohs, of war, kingdoms, kings, gods and priests, was found including its order. And within this, the history has been found together where Pharaohs including Ramesses and Thutmose III taxed Nubia.

Thutmose III was one within the main pharaohs who reigned in Egypt within the 18th Dynasty. And the translated history found on the wall of the Karnak temple, it was known that she called Hatasu who was his sister, being his partner in authority, brought the taxing of the Assyrians and Phoenicians in eastern countries, the land of Nubia southward, and likewise preparing war by herself, different honored items fighting the land called Punt.

[Hatasu is the famous Egyptian queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC), called Hathepsuit by Tekletsadek who goes into deeper detail about her activities in Punt.]

The land called Punt moreover as we saw it earlier, is what encompasses from our northern Ethiopia as far as El-mandeb, and what includes the territory of Yemen. And in this writing that was found, when it is revealing that it was idols who bestowed on them the counsel of invasion, it reveals Thutmose III's attacking Nubian Ethiopia with weapons of war and plenty of armies.

[The name Punt is from antediluvian Old Kingdom Egyptian, being mentioned in the reigns of Khufu (c. 2950 BC) and Sahure (c. 2900 BC). This name was revived with the rest of Ancient Egyptian, by the Misraimites. I do not suspect Punt was a native name in use on the Horn after the deluge.]

The Ethiopians who would answer the Pharaohs' power in the previous times, saying 'we won't be ruled for Egypt', were wholly defeated and subjected in Thutmose III's time. And those who remained, it failing them to resist the battle and the plunder, fled to the Atbara and the Tekkeze rivers. The next time, the war of Egypt permeating to the country where they came fleeing here, it came and fought and captured landholders and returned, yet it didn't set its war in our northern Ethiopia.

On the inner wall of the temple of Amon in Karnak, the city of Thebes, the names of 15 countries are found written in a list as "the countries that Thutmose III Ra-men-keper /the benevolent god/ king of the two lands /south and north, Egypt and Kush/, who lives forever, subjected in war." Within these, that found on the first line is our land of Kush. Because there are words within the listed regions that say Utelit, Takaru, Hamasu, Tana, it has been reached on a conclusion that it wont remain without meaning Adulis, Tigre, Amasien, Thana.

Beside the list moreover, a picture is seen where the people of the land of Punt submitted tribute. Hence after the Egyptians seized the Sudan of today called the former Ethiopia, they subjected while sending wars from the Atbara here, to the north and west of today's Ethiopia, yet it means they didn't rule it placing a standing war. But fully combining the territory of Nubia to their own territory, they have been able to continue their rulership while making a reshuffle.

And the supreme administrator for this territory became the Pharaoh's firstborn son, the Crown Prince. And the name of his title was called "Royal Ruler of Kush". And beneath him, while one considered loyal was chosen from within Ethiopia's former monarchs, he began to rule being subordinate. These kings and peoples of Nubian Ethiopia, at the time convenient for them, expelled the rulers of Egypt and pushed on with bustling about to establish their own kingdom. However because the pharaohs who arose after Thutmose III became more illustrious, their hope of freedom became withered.

Amidst the powerful pharaohs who arose after Thutmose III moreover, while the most illustrious and renowned is Ramesses II, he also has continued ruling Nubia. It has been known that he ruled in his 18th year and that the Nubians rebelling against him, he defeated them again.

While Ramesses II the Great's era of rule was 1292-1225 BC, and ruling and taxing Egyptians, Ethiopians of Nubia, Libya, the lands of Mesopotamia 67 years in this era of rule, he has died in his 85th year. And until this time the Ethiopians of Nubia were in subjection. After Ramesses the Great, when his son called Merneptah reigned, exactly in that period is the era when the Israelites led by Moses and Aaron left Egypt and journeyed to their land.

[Ramesses II is dated to 1279-1213 BC. (The Ethiopian dates are left as-is in the text here, and would correspond to 1284-1217 BC). His son Merenptah ruled 1213-1203 BC. However, the Exodus of Hebrews led by Moses occurred in 1653 BC, the Pharaoh of the Exodus being Merneferre Ay.]

In the era when Moses was, by this study of Champollion it has been made official, that the nickname of the king /pharaoh/ of Egypt was Ramesses, and that Merneptah replaced him. The meaning of Ramesses moreover has an interpretation that says "son of the Sun". This king, at the time he worried the multiplication of Israelites, is who passed a command saying "let the firstborn males be killed". It has been said that this king had more wives and concubines than king Solomon, moreover that within his wives, three were his own children, and overall he had 111 sons and 51 daughters. It has been guaranteed that the name of the other king moreover was Merneptah, who said 'I won't release the Israelites', and whom the Holy Bible calls Pharaoh, saying later when he released and sent them, he drowned in the Eritrea Sea; and that it has a translation saying /friend of Ptah/.

[The identification of Ramesses II and Merenptah as the Bible's Pharaohs of the Oppression and the Exodus perhaps remains the most popular. This was my own favorite theory, before I put everything under a year-by-year microscope. The chief evidence for that theory is: 1) The fact that the Bible identifies one of the cities built by Hebrews as "Pi-Ramesses", and 2) The contemptuous boast in an inscription of Merenptah that he had obliterated Israel. However, the length of years in the Book of Judges means it must have been much earlier, considering David was around 1000 BC, and 1215 BC for the Exodus does not leave nearly enough time for all the events in Judges. Pi-Ramesses was actually just a renaming of the older city of Avaris; the name Pi-Ramesses was probably substituted for Avaris at some point in the transmission of Genesis, leading to the confusion. There is far stronger evidence that the Hebrews entered Egypt in 1891 BC in the reign of Senusret II, they acted as merchants in Goshen with their own 14th dynasty from 1813 BC, the 14th dynasty was canceled and the oppression and slavery began in 1733 BC with Sobekhotep III, the same year Moses was born, and the Exodus happened in 1653 BC, ending the reign of Merneferre Ay. The oft-mentioned Hyksos (15th dynasty) were some Canaanites who invaded Egypt soon after the Egyptian army was destroyed in the sea, while the Hebrews were in the south Sinai.]

And it has been known that the era when he ruled was 1225-1215 BC. We have said that the era of rule of Thutmose III, who we said completely ruled the Ethiopians of Nubia for the first time, is included in the 18th dynasty. While the family branch of monarchy /dynasty/ of Ramesses II and Merneptah is the 19th, after the 20th dynasty moreover like it ruled, that was of the race of Thebes, the 21st dynasty established also is from a family branch that was mixed of Tanit and Thebes.

[Tekletsadek makes brief mention of kings #43 and #45 from this era, Herhor (1098-1083 BC) and Piyanki I (1083-1074 BC), who are known from Egyptian history, as follows:

*The king called Her Hor whom we regard as 43rd on the list is born from the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramsesses IV, and from the priest of Amon called Amen Hoteb. And by his being born from the King of Egypt and the priest of Ethiopia in this way, it is narrated that he ruled doubly in both countries. While his name is Her Hor in some books, he is moreover called Amensi Her Hor, or Mey Amun Her Hor. The interpretation is meaning the Priest King, or friend of Amon. And as we noted above, when the parties of Ramesses et al felt fatigue and downfall from lower Egypt, because the head priesthood and the spiritual leadership was persuaded in one party of his descent from Ramesses, he was able to rule lower and upper Egypt doubly. It is mentioned in some books that the era he ruled that was 16 years from 1100 BC* [=1092 BC].*Her Hor's successor called Piyankiya I and his near successors were in Napata, yet their ruling in lower Egypt is not found in writing.*Ramesses IV had been Pharaoh 1155-1149 BC; Amenhotep (possibly #42 Amen Hestet) had been High Priest under Ramesses IX, X, and XI, the period from 1128-1098 BC, when Pinehesy ousted him. Herihor threw out Pinehesy as High Priest and proclaimed the 'Era of Renaissance' in 1089 BC, taking over Upper Egypt, though it seems Ramesses XI continued in Lower Egypt to 1077 BC. Since Pinehesy is not mentioned on the Ethiopian kinglist, it is probable that Herihor directly ruled Ethiopia after Amenhotep / Amen Hestet from 1098 BC, giving him 19 years to 1083 BC when Pianki I followed him in both Upper Egypt and Ethiopia.]

After the 22nd moreover ruled in its turn, called the tribe of Libya and Bubasti who were of royal lineage, the 23rd has been listed called the race of Tanit, the 24th the race of Sais.

But after this it is guaranteed that Ethiopians founded the 25th dynasty of Egypt. And this will be what we see next.

In the time of era of rule of these listed pharaohs, the Ethiopians of Nubia living while subject for Egypt, is guaranteed by plenty of proof. (National Geography [sic] Feb. 2008) And this being so, while the kings in Nubia strengthened their religion with them, while they worshiped what they worship, while they spoke their language and overall, above their living similarly with them in all their things, and arising from a very deep bond being created, they have been able to be appointed in loyalty as far as being servant priests of the idols including Amon, and on various spiritual and corporeal administrations. There is in this a matter that is proper for readers to realize again. And this is, when all this transpired in Nubian Ethiopia, that the founders of the present Ethiopia, the Aksumites, settled there in the northern part of our Ethiopia, and being administered by their own kings, likewise when the Egyptians taxed them, who ruled and taxed Nubia permeating the boundary and entering, yet they didn't infiltrate their language coming and settling in their full power; their culture and customs were not tainted. And there is no proof saying they were ruled by Egypt's power that settled there. However, as Nubian Ethiopia and Aksumite Ethiopia were one country, what we can say is that the Egyptians partly ruled Ethiopia, moreover they partly taxed them being at a distance.

In those eras, the Ethiopian in Nubia have endured when they made a covert freedom movement, and when they tried to uproot and cast off the rule of Egypt using the authority of the spiritual and corporeal administrations they found. And after a long time, it succeeded for them and they have been able to obliterate and eject the army of Egypt, and achieve their independence. It has been known that overall, it was 1500-1200 BC that the rule of Egypt endured in Ethiopia. And this means it was around 300 years. As it is known that it was an era when Ethiopia's wealth was plundered in a lofty situation, no wonder Napata cooled off for the time.

* Next: Fesseha 11