Egyptian Chronology

The 26th dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Saite period, runs in parallel to the Neo-Babylonian era. If we can first establish the Egyptian chronology then there are a number of synchronisation points we can use to verify our chronology for Babylonia.

Synchronisation Points

Battle at Megiddo

2 Kings 23:29:

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.

BM 21901 Lines 66-67:

<The seventeenth year>: In the month Tammuz Ashur-uballit (II), king of Assyria, the large army of Egypt [...] crossed the river (Euphrates) and marched against Harran to conquer (it). [...] they [capture]d (it).

Pharoah Necho was at the battle of Megiddo during the 17th year of Nabopolassar.

Battle of Carchemish

Jeremiah 46:2:

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

BM 21946 Obv. Lines 1-5:

[The twenty-first year]: The king of Akkad stayed home (while) Nebuchadnezzar (II), his eldest son (and) the crown prince, mustered [the army of Akkad]. He took his army's lead and marched to Carchemish which is on the bank of the Euphrates. He crossed the river [to encounter the army of Egypt] which was encamped at Carchemish. [...] They did battle together. The army of Egypt retreated before him. He inflicted a [defeat] upon them (and) finished them off completely.

Pharoah Necho was at the battle of Carchemish, during the 21st year of Nabopolassar.

Pharaoh Hophra

Jeremiah 44:30:

‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

Following the destruction of Jerusalem (in Nebuchadnezzar’s 19th year) Hophra (=Apries) is king of Egypt.

BM 33041

BM 33041 shows that Nebuchadnezzar marched against Amasis, king of Egypt, during his 37th year.

Chronology

Based on the Egyptian Stelae and the Ancient Historians we can construct the following table [1, p. 212]:

References