In my two-part article about the Amalekites I put the case for the Amalekites being the Hyksos who ruled Egypt for a time.1 As such they would have been dominant in the Middle East for three to four centuries. During this time of Amalekite supremacy the Israelites seem to have been the only people in the region who incessantly struggled for their independence. By their resistance they frustrated Amaleks’ ambitions to dominate the Levant, which may have facilitated the eventual downfall of their régime in Egypt.
Not long after, King Saul’s military campaigns completed the collapse of their empire throughout the region, and removed any threat of immediate recovery. No wonder, then, that relations were so good between Solomon and Pharaoh. The Egyptians must have been very positive toward Israel for a generation or two, although they quickly took advantage of the political turmoil after Solomon’s death. Just five years into the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak invaded Jerusalem and plundered the king’s house and the temple (1 Kings 14:25-26).
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Author: Deborah Hurn
Keywords: Amalek, Amalekites, Egyptians, Solomon's reign, King Solomon
Bible reference(s): Num 13:29, Num 14:25, Num 14:43, Num 14:45, 1 Kgs. 14:25-26, 1 Sam 14:48, 1 Sam 15:6-8, 1 Sam. 15:15, 1 Sam. 15:18, 1 Sam. 15:20, 1 Sam 15:32, 1 Sam 27:8, 1 Sam 30:1, 1 Sam 30:16, 1 Sam 30:18, 2 Sam 2:1, 1 Kings 5:4, 1 Chron 4:43
Source: “Solomon’s Peaceful Reign and the Removal of the Amalekites,” The Testimony, Vol. 74, No. 878, February 2004, pp. 65-6.
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