Featured Article - Is there evidence of Proto-Israelites at Qadesh?

Issue 8

Author: Petros Koutoupis

A depiction of Ramesses II at the Battle of Qadesh at the Temple of Luxor.

It would be a battle forever immortalized in the annals of the ancient Egyptians. The year was 1274 BCE and the location, Qadesh (Kadesh), an ancient Levantine city in what is now part of Western Syria. A young 19th Dynasty Pharaoh, Ramesses II (reigned ca. 1279 – 1213 BCE), campaigned northeast of his kingdom as he believed it was his obligation to reclaim the land his forefathers once ruled (Healy, 19). The land in question was overtaken by the Hittite forces under the direction of Mursilis II (reigned ca. 1321 – 1295 BCE). Ramesses led the Egyptian forces against the Hittite Muwatalli II (reigned ca. 1295 – 1272 BCE) (Healy, 21).

The two giant world powers of the Late Bronze Age (LBA) would clash and the battle would persist with no end in sight as each side was aided by their allies. Depicted in the reliefs and inscriptions recounting this infamous battle, there is mention of a curious group from the land of Amurru; that is, the Levant. [ … ]

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