Kenneth Kitchen

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Kenneth Kitchen

Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932) is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology

Egyptology

Egyptology is a major field of archaeology, the study of ancient Egyptian History of Egypt, Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian literature, Ancient Egyptian religion, and Art of ancient Egypt from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century....
and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
, Classics and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool

University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool is a university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group, and founded in 1881 it is also one of the six original "red brick university" civic universities....
, England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. He is one of the leading experts on Biblical History and the Egyptian Third Intermediate Period

History of Ancient Egypt

The History of ancient Egypt spans the period from the early Predynastic Egypt settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the History of Roman Egypt in 30 BC....
, having written over 250 books and journal articles on these and other subjects since the mid-1950s.

He was invited to the personal professorship due to his practical work in archaeology.

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Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932) is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology

Egyptology

Archaeology

University of Liverpool

England

History of Ancient Egypt

Third Intermediate Period

His book, The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC), is regarded by historians as the standard and most comprehensive treatment on this era. It noted a hitherto unknown period of coregency between Psusennes I

Psusennes I

Psusennes I, or [Greek language ???s?????], Psibkhanno or Hor-Pasebakhaenniut I [Egyptian language ?r-p3-sb3-?ˁ?--n?wt] was the third Pharaoh of the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt who ruled between 1047 – 1001 BC....
with Amenemope

Amenemope

Amenemope the son of Kanacht is the reputed author of the Instructions of Amenemopet, an Egyptian wisdom text written ca. 1200 BCE. He is portrayed as a scribe and sage who lived in Egypt during the late Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt of the New Kingdom and resided in Akhmim , the capital of the ninth nome of Upper Egypt....
and Osorkon III

Osorkon III

Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon III Si-Ese was Pharaoh of Egypt in the 8th Century BC. He was the famous Crown Prince and High Priests of Amun at Thebes Osorkon B, son of Takelot II by his Great Royal Wife Kamama-Merytmut II....
with Takelot III

Takelot III

Usimare Setepenamun Takelot III Si-Ese was Osorkon III's eldest son and successor. Takelot III ruled the first five years of his reign in a coregency with his father and served previously as the High Priest of Amun at Thebes, Egypt....
, and established that Shebitku

Shebitku

Shebitku was the third king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled from according to Dan'el Kahn's most recent academic research. He was the nephew and successor of Shabaka....
of the 25th Dynasty

Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt

The Twenty-Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Ethiopian or Nubian dynasty, was a line of rulers originating in the Kingdom of Kush. They reigned in part or all of Ancient Egypt from 760 BC to 656 BC.....
was already king of Egypt by 702 BC, among other revelations.

Some of its points are now slightly dated. It stated that Takelot II

Takelot II

Hedjkheperre Setepenre Takelot II Si-Ese was a pharaoh of the Twenty-third dynasty of Egypt of Ancient Egypt in Middle Egypt and Upper Egypt . He has been identified as the High Priest of Amun Takelot F, son of the High Priest of Amun Nimlot C at Thebes, Egypt and, thus, the son of Nimlot C and grandson of king Osorkon II according to t...
succeeded Osorkon II

Osorkon II

Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt of Ancient Egypt and the son of Takelot I and Queen Kapes....
at Tanis

Tanis, Egypt

Tanis , the Greek language name of ancient Djanet , is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of ancient Egypt. It lies on the Tanitic branch of the Nile ....
, whereas most Egyptologists today accept it was Shoshenq III

Shoshenq III

King Usermaatre Setepenre or Usimare Setepenamun Shoshenq III ruled Ancient Egypt Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt for 39 years according to contemporary historical records....
. Secondly, the book presented King Shoshenq II

Shoshenq II

Heqakheperre Shoshenq II was an Ancient Egypt king of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt of Egypt. He was the only ruler of this Dynasty whose tomb was not plundered by Grave robbing....
as the High Priest of Amun Shoshenq C

Shoshenq C

Shoshenq C was the eldest son of Osorkon I by Queen Maatkare, the daughter of Psusennes II, and served as the High Priests of Amun at Thebes at Thebes, Egypt during his father's reign....
, a son of Osorkon I

Osorkon I

The son of Shoshenq I and his chief consort, Karomat A, Osorkon I was the second king of Egypt's Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt and ruled around 922 BC-887 BC....
who predeceased his father. However, this interpretation is weakened by the fact that no objects from Shoshenq II's intact burial at Tanis bears Osorkon I's name. Finally, contra Kitchen, most Egyptologists today such as Rolf Krauss, Aidan Dodson and Jürgen von Beckerath

Jürgen von Beckerath

J?rgen von Beckerath is a prominent Germany egyptology. He is a prolific writer who has published countless articles in journals such as Orientalia, G?ttinger Miszellen , Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt , Archiv f?r Orientforschung and Studien zur Alt?gyptischen Kultur among others....
accept David Aston's argument that the Crown Prince Osorkon B, Takelot II's son, assumed power as Osorkon III

Osorkon III

Twenty-third dynasty of Egypt

The Twenty-third Dynasty of ancient Egypt was a separate regime of Meshwesh Berber people Pharaoh, who ruled ancient Egypt. This dynasty is often considered part of the Third Intermediate Period....
' in Upper Egypt

Upper Egypt

File:Ancient Egypt map-en.svgUpper Egypt is a narrow strip of land that extends from the Cataracts of the Nile section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Asyut is sometimes known as Middle Egypt....
.

Ramesside Period

Kenneth Kitchen is also regarded as one of the foremost scholars on the Ramesside Period

Ramesside Period

The Ramesside Period encompasses the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt and Twentieth dynasty of Egypt of Ancient Egypt. It is named after "Ramesses", the name taken by the majority of the rulers of Egypt dating to this period of time....
of the New Kingdom

New Kingdom

The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian History of Ancient Egypt between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt, and Twentieth dynasty of Egypt....
; he published a well-respected book on Ramesses II

Ramesses II

Ramesses II was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt. He is often regarded as Ancient Egypt's greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh....
in 1982 titled Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. Kitchen is a scholar who advocates a high view of the Old Testament and its inherent historicity. See his most recent 2003 book: On the Reliability of the Old Testament which documents several clear or indirect allusions to King David's status as the founder of Ancient Israel based on passages in the Tel Dan ('House of David') and Mesha stelas as well as in Shoshenq I's Karnak

Karnak

The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings....
list. The book counters the efforts of biblical minimalists who claim that the Bible is unhistorical.

Kitchen has strongly opposed the New Chronology views of David Rohl

David Rohl

David M. Rohl is a United Kingdom Egyptology and historian who has put forth several controversial theories concerning the chronology of Ancient Egypt and History of ancient Israel and Judah....
who posits that the Biblical Shishak who invaded Israel in 925 BC was actually Ramesses II rather than Shoshenq I

Shoshenq I

Hedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I , also known as Shishak, Sheshonk or Sheshonq I , was a Meshwesh Pharaoh of History of Ancient Egypt--of Ancient Libya ancestry--and the founder of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt....
and argues that the 21st

Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt

The Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Third, Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Third Intermediate Period....
and 22nd Dynasties

Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt

The Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Third, Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Third Intermediate Period....
of Egypt were contemporary with one another due to the absence of Dynasty 21 Apis Bull

Apis (Egyptian mythology)

In Egyptian mythology, Apis or Hapis , was a bull-deity worshipped in the Memphis, Egypt region.According to Manetho, his worship was instituted by Kaiechos of the Second dynasty of Egypt....
stele

Stele

A stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living ? inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab....
in the Serapeum

Serapeum

A Serapeum is a temple or other religious institution dedicated to the syncretism Hellenistic civilization-Ancient Egypt god Serapis, who combined aspects of Osiris and Apis in a humanized form that was palatable to the Ptolemaic dynasty of Alexandria....
. Kitchen observes that the word Shishak is closer philologically to Shoshenq I and that this Pharaoh records in his monuments at Thebes that he campaigned actively against Ancient Israel and Judah. Kitchen also notes that there are various contemporary non-Serapeum sources such as the Karnak Priestly Annals, the Nile Quay Texts, and various stelas which mention these Dynasty 21 and Dynasty 22 kings.

Christianity

Professor Kitchen is an Evangelical Christian with regard to his religious beliefs. He is frequently cited by conservative Christians in relation to writings rejecting the Documentary Hypothesis

Documentary hypothesis

The documentary hypothesis is the proposal that the first five books of the Old Testament represent a combination of documents from originally independent sources....
, which claims that the Pentateuch is a composite work of sources labeled J, E, D, and P rather than by Moses as author. Kenneth Kitchen has raised various objections to the documentary hypothesis . For example, Kitchen points to Egyptian

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
tablets giving a biographical account in four different writing styles, yet this text (he claims) is widely accepted as having had one author.

Kitchen himself, however, is not strictly traditionalist in terms of authorship of the Pentateuch, pointing out numerous places where the text demand post-Mosaic editing in the Pentateuch. He also takes a late date of the exodus of Israel from Egypt during the time of Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, whereas most conservative evangelical Bible scholars date this event to the 15th century BC.

Quotation

A phrase often used by Kitchen is "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" meaning that the lack of higher dated monuments or inscriptions for a certain Pharaoh's reign does not exclude the possibility that this ruler enjoyed a longer reign than is generally assumed. The increasing number of higher dated archaeological finds in Egypt for certain Third Intermediate Period era kings such as a Year 13 stela for Takelot III

Takelot III

Pami

Usermaatre Setepenre Pami was an Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled Egypt for 7 years. He was a member of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt of Meshwesh Ancient Libya who had been living in the country since the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt when their ancestors infiltrated into the Egyptian Delta from Libya....
, and the discovery of a burial inscription from Vizier Padiamonet's Deir El-Bahari tomb in early 2006--which is dated to Year 27 of the Nubian king Piye

Piye

Piye, was a Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt who ruled Egypt from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, Sudan....
--strongly validates Kitchen's contention here.

Significant Works by Kenneth A. Kitchen

2003. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids and Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8028-4960-1
1999. Poetry of Ancient Egypt. Jonsered: P. Aströms förlag.
1996. The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC). 3rd ed. Warminster: Aris & Phillips Limited
1994. Documentation for Ancient Arabia. Part 1: Chronological Framework and Historical Sources. The World of Ancient Arabia 1. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press
1982. Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. Monumenta Hannah Sheen Dedicata 2. Mississauga: Benben Publications.
1977. The Bible In Its World . Exeter: Paternoster. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press 1978.
1969–1990. Ramesside Inscriptions: Historical and Biographical. 8 Vols. Oxford: B. H. Blackwell Ltd.
1966. Ancient Orient and Old Testament . London: Tyndale Press. Chicago: InterVarsity Press.
1962. Suppiluliuma and the Amarna Pharaohs; a study in relative chronology, Liverpool University Press

BAR and other Articles:

Kenneth A. Kitchen, , in "Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane," University of Memphis, forthcoming
Kenneth A. Kitchen, Ancient Egyptian Chronology for Aegeanists, MAA 2, Dec 2002
Kenneth A. Kitchen, How We Know When Solomon Ruled, BAR 27:05, Sept/Oct. 2001
Kenneth A. Kitchen, The Desert Tabernacle, BAR 16:06, Dec 2000
Kenneth A. Kitchen, 'Genesis 12-50 In The Near Eastern World' in "He Swore an Oath: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12-50," (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), ed: R. Hess, P. Satterthwaite and G. Wenham
Kenneth A. Kitchen, Where Did Solomon’s Gold Go?, BAR 15:03, May/Jun 1989
Kenneth A. Kitchen, Shishak’s Military Campaign in Israel Confirmed, BAR 15:03, May/June 1989
Kenneth A. Kitchen, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book Of Daniel, London: The Tyndale Press, 1965. paperback, pp.31-79.

External links

by the Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary (extensive summary)
by the Director of Jewish Studies, Louisiana State University (more critical)
A Review of K.A. Kitchen's The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt c.1100–650 BC, ISBN 0-85668-298-5