For the first time, two scholars have used radiocarbon analysis to pinpoint the era in which Pharaoh Nebpehtire Ahmose reigned over Egypt, determining that he must have ascended the throne in the second half of the 16th century BCE.

In so doing, they have also opened new avenues for investigating a long-rumored connection between the events described in the biblical Exodus and a devastating volcanic eruption in the Aegean Sea long considered contemporary to Ahmose, said Prof. Hendrik J. Bruins from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the lead author of a new study in which the scholars published their findings.

The study, published in the prominent journal PLOS ONE last month, has significant implications for understanding the history of Egypt, the land of Israel, and the wider region.

The Thera-Santorini volcano’s eruption has fascinated generations of archaeologists for its potential as a source of stories such as the Greek legend of Atlantis and the biblical narrative of the divine emancipation of the enslaved Israelites from their cruel Egyptian masters.

Located some 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Crete, the volcano likely generated days of darkness, tsunamis, and possibly even a pillar of fire visible in Egypt (pumice from the eruption has been found in both modern-day Israel and Egypt).

Previous assessments claimed that the eruption occurred around 1500 BCE.

Ahmose was the founder of the 18th Dynasty and of the New Kingdom, a period of renewed prosperity in ancient Egypt following several difficult centuries.

An important archaeological artifact from the time of Ahmose, the “Tempest Stela,” describes disastrous climate phenomena. In the past, many scholars suggested the inscription refers to the Thera eruption.

However, Bruins and his co-author Johannes van der Plicht from the University of Groningen used the same radiocarbon analysis method on samples associated with Ahmose and on seeds and branches charred by the eruption.

By comparing the results, the scholars determined that the pharaoh clearly ruled over Egypt several decades after the eruption.

“In the last decade, geologists have found ash from the Thera eruption in many places in the eastern Mediterranean,” Bruins told The Times of Israel over the phone. “Eruptions can be very useful as anchors in time, because they happened over the course of a couple of days, and then they are over. Ash from this eruption is a kind of stratigraphic marker.”

Scientific methods, such as radiocarbon analysis, provide independent dating to compare with the more traditional methods used by scholars, including historical sources, pottery typology, and archaeological artifacts. These traditional methods often fail to provide exact dating.

“In many parts of the Mediterranean, including ancient Israel, the local stratigraphies are floating in time and [scholars] try to connect them to Egyptian history for the simple reason that Egyptian history is more well established in time,” Bruins explained.

Yet, even........

© The Times of Israel