A New Pharaoh: The Hyksos Kings of Egypt

The Torah tells us: "A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph."

The question arises: What is there to know? It's not as if the new king came from Antarctica. Usually, a new king grows up in the palace, aware of who the former vizier was.

Today, we know that Egypt was ruled by dynasties that changed periodically. Some dynasties reigned for centuries, while others were shorter-lived.

But one dynasty stands out in Egyptian history, known as the "Hyksos." They took control of Egypt from the outside, arriving from Asia, conquering, and ruling for a long period.

Some believe these Hyksos were the pharaohs of the dynasty during which Joseph rose to power, as it seems likely that Semitic-origin kings would be more inclined to recognize and respect a Semitic family.

However, the Egyptians were not fond of the Hyksos and eventually managed to expel them, reestablishing a pure Egyptian bloodline.

This undoubtedly explains the "new king," as the Sages say: His reign was renewed. A revolution ensued, with the former rulers despised, and thus the descendants of Joseph were seen as part of them, becoming a hated people in Egypt.

The term "Hyksos" means "shepherd kings," and some interpret the verse "He sent upon them His fierce anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, a band of destroying angels" as possibly hinting at these shepherd kings who seized Egypt.

Well, the Hyksos didn't ride horses. They were merely shepherd kings. But during the Greek (Hellenistic) era, Egypt held bitter memories of the Hyksos who dominated and shamed them. Thus, when asked about the Israelites who lived in and left Egypt, some mixed the tales: "Certainly, there was once a group of villains who ruled us. How could one forget? They called them... Hyksos, right? But in the end, we overcame and expelled them..."

In this manner, the Exile from Egypt is referenced in Egyptian literature from the Greek period and in the works of the Jewish historian Josephus, who was influenced by them. Some scholars even thought that the Egyptian memory of the Hyksos corresponded with the Exodus.

However, it's more plausible that the Hyksos dynasty raised Joseph and Jacob. They were indeed expelled from Egypt, while the Exodus occurred over two hundred years later, and the Egyptians themselves conflated the two stories.