Monday, April 2, 2018

The Hyksos were Kushites not Asians II


Most researchers accept the contemporary meaning of Gardiner's N25 symbol as "Rulers of foreign lands" not Kush”. In reality, Heqa ḫ3st probably means “Ruler of the Kushites”.

Researchers have made it clear that the Hyksos included many different nationalities. The Hyksos according to John Bright (2000, p.60 ); and Robert Drews (1997, p.254 ) included Hurrians and Hattians, in addition to Canaanites. This means that the name Aamw, was a generic name for ‘Asians’, and did not denote a specific Asian tribe.
The Hyksos were called heqa ḫ3st (khasut), not Habiru or Shepherd Kings. The Hyksos did not only speak Semitic languages.
The Hyksos ruled from 1650-1550. The New Kingdom lasted from 1549-1292. During the New Kingdom Egyptians used the name Aamw, as a generic name for the Asian, the term : Habiru, was ethnonym for one of the Asian tribes. It is clear that if the Habiru and Heqa Khasut were the same people, they would have had the same name given the fact the New Kingdom, began at the end of the Heqa Khasut Dynasty.

During the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (2563-2423), namely during the reign of Sahure there is mention of the Tehenu people. Sahure referred to the Tehenu leader “Hati Tehenu” . These Hatiu, correspond to the Hatti speaking people of Anatolia. The Hatti/Hurrian people often referred to themselves as Kashkas or Kaskas.
This means that During the Old Kingdom the term heqa khasut, did not mean "ruler(s) of the foreign countries", as assumed by most Egyptologist. The term meaning of heqa khasut, was really "ruler(s) of the Kushites". If heqa khasut, meant "ruler(s) of the foreign countries", it would have been applied to every foreign country, but foreign kings were usually referred to as wr ‘King’, instead of heqa which was reserved for Egyptian rulers as noted by Camille DiBiase Dyson (2013). The Hyksos were rulers of Egypt during the 12th -15th Dynasties The title of these kings was Heqa Khasut . According to Fraser (1900) and Petrie Heqa Khasut was an exclusive title for the Hyksos Kings.

It does not matter if Kamose called the Hyksos Aamw, the Hyksos rulers referred to themselves as Heqa "ruler", i.e. Heqa Khasut, "Ruler of the Khasut/Kushites. In the Egyptian text from Avaris Kings like Apophis, made it clear that they were , "Rulers of Kushites.
Egyptian Khas corresponds to Kashkas or Kaska, the name for the Hattians. The Egyptian term ḫ3st (Khasut} has three different elements the ethononym Khas: Kas(ka)/Kush. Plus, the /-u/ which and the Egyptian plural marker, while the Egyptian /-t/ was a suffix that signified 'land, people'.

There are Egyptian text where the Hyksos called themselves ḫ3st = Kushite. The Egyptian textual evidence the Hyksos called themselves Heqa ḫ3st . In the Turin Royal Canon where the Hyksos were styled : heqa khasut. During the New Kingdom, the Kushites were called Kash, the same name the Hattians (Hyksos) called themselves: i.e., Kashka.
The first four rulers of the Hyksos called themselves heqa khasut on their seals and scarabs, the stela of Ka and a monumental doorjamb from Avaris. This is primary contemporaneous AEL literature epigraphic documentation evidence indicating that they called themselves Khas.

Fraser (1900) and Newberry (1906) have published many of the Hyksos scarabs. Thes scarabs often begin with the title Heqa ḫ3st.
Kim Ryholt (1997) believes that the title Heqa Khasut was used by Egyptian Pharoahs up to the 15th Dynasty. Ryholt believes that Pharoah Semqen, who used the title Heqa Khasut on one of his scarabs belonged to the 15th Dynasty

Hyksos Kings were proud of their Kushite origin. in the Hyksos seals, the Kings wrote their names followed by the "Heqa Khasut", i.e. “King of the Kushites”. These sealings are primary contemporaneous AEL literature documentation ,indicating that the Hyksos used this name to illustrate their Kushite ancestry and relationship to the Nubian Kushites. See; A History of Ancient Egypt by Marc Van De Mieroop.

Hyksos Kings were proud of their Kushite origin. in the Hyksos seals, the Kings wrote their names followed by the "Heqa Khasut", i.e. “King of the Kushites”. These sealings are primary
contemporaneous AEL literature documentation, indicating that the Hyksos used this name to illustrate their Kushite ancestry and relationship to the Nubian Kushites. See; A History of Ancient Egypt by Marc Van De Mieroop.
The meaning of ḫ3st, has to be Kush, because why would Hyksos kings refer to themselves as ‘foreign kings’, when they were native to the land they ruled.

In summary meaning of ḫ3st (Khas) is Kushite). My interpretation of N25 ḫ3st, is supported by the use of the term ḫ3st, on the Hyksos sealings and inscriptions generally.
References
Bright, John, A History of Israel. Westminster John Knox Press , 2000.
Drews, Robert , The Coming of the Greeks: Indo-European Conquests in the Aegean and the Near East, Princeton University Press , 1994.
Dyson, Camille DiBiase Foreigners and Egyptians in the Late Egyptian Stories, Boston,2013.
Fraser, G.W. , A catalogue of scarabs belonging to George Fraser (cat. no. 179). London, Bernard Quaritch, 1900.
Newberry, Percy E. , Scarabs : An Introduction to the Study of Egyptian Seals and Signet Rings (1906) Retrieved 4/2/2018 athttp://www.unz.com/print/NewberryPercy-1906/ .
Petrie, Sir William Matthew Flinders , Egypt and Israel, London : Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1911,
Ryholt, K.S.B. : The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c.1800–1550 BC, Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications, vol. 20. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1997

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