Thursday, October 2, 2014

ARCHAEOLOGY: Shishak's Gold (Solomons?)


But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong,
he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.  
Because they were unfaithful to the Lord,
King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem
in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign.  
He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses,
and a countless army of foot soldiers,

including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.
Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 12:1-4 NIV

@ Pharaoh Shishak is also known as Sheshonq I
@ Shishak invaded Israel not long after the death of Solomon & sacked Jerusalem
@ Shishak took the wealth that Solomon had amassed
@ Shishak's tomb was discovered in 1939 filled with treasure
@ Shishak's son, Osorkon, succeeded his father as Pharaoh, he gave 383 tons of silver & gold to the temples
@ Osorkon buried his son in a coffin of pure silver
@ Shishak was a Lybian tribal chief of the Meshwesh. He became a general in Egypt & seized the throne setting up the "Lybian dynasty".
 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
1 Kings 14:25,26

The Bubastite Portal includes a large weathered relief 
in which the pharaoh lists more than 150 towns and peoples 
he conquered during his military campaign into Israel and Judah in c. 925 B.C.