David Rohl’s book “A Test of Time”.

According to Rohl, a simple readjustment of the chronology brings two dynasties concurrent instead of serial and with a few co-regencies sheds light on archeological fact.

As a British Egyptologist studying the anachronisms of the Third Intermediary Period of Egyptian history, it became clear to him that there were some fundamental problems with the accepted, orthodox chronology. He developed a new chronology from the ground up that shortens the Third Intermediary Period by 450 or so years. He goes on in theory to try and prove it in his book.

Egyptological research has been seeking any connection between the rock record and the history of the Bible. The absence of connections or historical supports for Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David and Solomon, he says lead to the general attitude of the Bible as being a nice collection of non-historical legend.

He says what if all along we were looking in the right where, but the wrong when, because of the traditional chronology? He says what if the reason we find little trace of Solomon’s palaces or other expansive works in the early Iron Age is because they belong in the Late Bronze age? Moving it from a period of poverty in Palestine to a period of great expansion in Jerusalem. That is the shift that his new chronology creates.

His book identifies the works of Joseph, in central Egypt west of the Nile (Faiyum) is a large lake created by diverted waters or the Nile during the flood season, down a 200 or so kilometer canal. One of the most noteworthy physical features of Egypt, and to this day is called Bahr Yussef (Joseph’s Waterway)

Joseph’s pharaoh is Amenemhat III is the new chronology, one of the most powerful pharaohs of his dynasty. In Genesis 41:45 , Rohl says a better translation from the Hebrew is “Zaphenath-Pa'aneah” as according to Dr Kenneth Kitchen and David Rohl reconstructing the likely Egyptian of the Hebrew translation to be "Ishpi djed(u)-en-ef Ishpiankhu" (pronounced "Yish-pe zatenaf Yish-pe'ankhe" where the "kh" sounds like in "Khomeni") which means "Joseph, he who is called Joseph-Lives!". Is it possible that this Vizier Ankhu whose store house we have a reference to is a nick name form of the name pharaoh gave Joseph? (Ankhu = "He Lives!"), Rohl continues to say that there is textural reference to Vizier Ankhu’s store house in Amenemhat III’s reign.

The burial pyramid of Amenemhat III sets next to the Bahr Yussef and according to Rohl, it’s obvious it was constructed after the canal. In this pyramid’s ruins lies a labyrinth, a large complex (storage facility?) and considered even more impressive than the pyramids by Herodotus. Its also located in a place called Hawara (Egyptian Ha(t) Ware(t) meaning “House of the Department”) It sounds perfect for Joseph’s handiwork, but before Rohl’s new chronology the dating was wrong, with his new chronology it fits right in.

Rohl continues saying the Greek form of the name is Auaris or Avaris, the name shows up in records in reference to an unknown location in Thebes and again in the north of the land in the eastern delta of the Nile under the ruins of Pi-Ramasse the treasure city of Ramesses II. Avaris was also originally a “House of the Department”

This coincides with the recorded rock wall records of the canyon that the Nile runs through in the southern Nubia along the second cataract. Here the floodwaters were marked along with the current pharaoh’s name and year of his reign. This is a 60-year period out of 2,500 to 3,00 years of Egyptian history that just happens to correspond with Vizier Joseph’s moment of time in his new chronology.


After remaining unoccupied we have a large compound in the Syrian style just about the right size to house a settlement the size of Jacob and his family. It was over built possibly after Jacob’s death by a large palace featuring two identical suites maybe for Ephraim and Manassas, in a separate building from a large personal suite possibly for Joseph An increasingly large city of Semitics builds up around the palace.

According to Rohl, in the same general area we have the remains of a burial pyramid that had been leveled sometime after being completely vacated, carefully and completely vacated, not smashed or looted. The only things left in the pyramid and adjoining chapel was a fragmentary remains of a colossal cult statue, the head and shoulders with a throwing stick across one, (the written symbol for a foreigner is the throwing stick)
and part of a broken arm, the head is severely damaged, the hair is strangely mushroom shaped and is flame red, the skin is painted pale ochre, the color used in Egyptian art to depict Levantine and Canaanite skin.

Rohl says “To my knowledge, there only exists two other seated colossal cult statues that
do not depict a pharaoh or a queen, and they both clearly represent Egyptians.
This one is unique in its representation of a foreigner. Could this be the
statue that adorned the burial chapel in front of the burial pyramid of Joseph?
That it was built at all is remarkable. That it was so badly abused speaks of a
serious fall from grace. What other foreigner from the Levant would have been
so honored, followed by having his memory so desecrated?”