Sinuhe, the Bible, and the patriarchs

The Story of Sinuhe, one of the most popular works of Ancient Egyptian literature, lies at heart of this study. A royal official under the first ruler of Egyptian dynasty XII, the pharaoh Amenemha ...

The Story of Sinuhe, one of the most popular works of Ancient Egyptian literature, lies at heart of this study. A royal official under the first ruler of Egyptian dynasty XII, the pharaoh Amenemhat, Sinuhe flees from Egypt after the murder of the king. He spends most of his life in the Syro-Palestine region, becoming a successful tribal chief and local ruler, but yearns to return to his native land - a wish eventually granted by the pharaoh Senuseret I. The various passages from the fictitious life of Sinuhe provide an introduction to numerous developments in Middle Kingdom Egypt, and form the backdrop to an in-depth study of the relations between Egypt and the Levant in the 2nd millennium BC. In this study, Barta pays particular attention to developments in the Canaanite region during the era of the Patriarchs. The background to the tale of Sinuhe is indeed none other than that to the story of Abraham.