Archaeoastronomy: Egyptian King Lists

Of Africanus and Eusebius, it is considered by scholars that Africanus' version of Manetho's King Lists were more accurate because it agreed with the best monuments and it was clear that he had a copy of Manetho's list before him. Champollion-Figaec gave a date of 5867 BC for Menes, Lepsius 3892 BC, Mariette 5004BC and Brugsch 4455BC. Budge, himself considered Brugsch to be the most likely dating. Why then have the most modern Egyptologists chosen to ignore these records? Why did they choose to slash 1700 years out of Manetho's king lists? Whilst current Egyptological thought decimated Manetho's King Lists, these king lists can not only be shown to be connected to astronomical knowledge and cycles in a similar fashion to the Genesis data, but can be taken literally to date the various dynasties. For instance, if one totalled the years listed in the "Old Chronicle", the total number of years precisely equals one astronomical age of 2140 years, this being one twelfth of the precessional cycle of 25,725 years. The Book of Sothis describes rulerships which spanned 2160 years producing a total of 25,920 years, which is the other value of the precessional cycle touted in modern times. The Old Chronicle also contains information about the precise value of the synodic month and the relationship between the synodic and draconic months. Thus, whilst Budge states that these two records are quite useless for chronological purposes, they are important in that they demonstrate an ancient Egyptian knowledge of the precessional cycle and its value; and that, furthermore, the astronomical knowledge of the priests was secretly preserved in a similar manner to others of their time, as I demonstrated in the Book of Genesis. George the Syncellus' version of Manetho's King List gives the legendary period of the gods as 36,525 years. This is too long for one precessional cycle, but it represents astronomical data, one-the-less. It corresponds both to the number of days in the tropical and sidereal years (365.25 days) and to the value of twenty-five Sothic periods. This trend for recording astronomical data in King Lists is also evident during the 18th and 19th Dynasties. The Tablet of Abydos indicates that there were seventy-six kings preceding Ramses II. This figure equates to exactly four Metonic cycles, linking five solar eclipses in the same Saros series. It may also be related to information provided by Manetho that recorded Ramses as the fourth pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty. This is a rather interesting representation considering the time frame in which it occurred, following immediately after the Akhenaton heresy embodied in the solar disk, Aton. The eclipse cycle reflected in the Tablet of Abydos may thus have represented the eclipse of the heresy by Pharaohs subsequent to Akhenaton, wherein traces of Aton were erased in a similar manner Akhenaton employed to enforce his monotheistic religion. It was during this Ramesside period that the Hebrews made their Exodus from Egypt. In view of their monotheistic religion, they may have been involved in the "heretical" developments during Akhenaton's reign and subsequently suffered a backlash, ultimately necessitating the Exodus. The developments of the day obviously made an impact on them, for the importance of seventy-six descendants was ultimately a tradition carried down into the New Testament where the lineage of Jesus is stated as being seventy-six deep to Adam. The Tablet of Karnak indicates that there were sixty-one kings prior to Thothmes III. This figure is particularly interesting as it represents sixty-one months in five years, a figure by which Ramses' contemporaries, the Hindu people, adjusted their luni-solar calendar. This figure is also represents 1/6 of a year, corresponding to the six seasons per year used by the Hindus or half an Egyptian season. The Tablet of Sakkara dating from the time of Ramses II is a curiosity, listing forty-seven Kings. Some consider it may be a scribal or sculptural blunder , however, from an astronomical viewpoint forty-seven is exactly divisible into the Metonic cycle when measured in months. Other than the factors (1, 235) the only other factors of the lunar figure of 235 are (5, 47). The Draconic month multiplied by forty-seven gives a very close approximation to the length of the Saros series as well, within nine days of a 1260 year cycle. The Draconic month is important in this calculation because it is measured from one passage of the Moon northwards over the ecliptic to the next such passage over the ecliptic; and it is at the nodal or Draconic points that eclipses occur. There has already been an emphasis on the division of five years by the Tablet of Karnak, so this number represents an important figure which works in well with the Tablet of Sakkara despite giving a superficial impression of a contradiction. Over five tropical/sidereal years, there is a residual of five days from the seventy-five Draconic months during that period. The number forty-seven is also important from another perspective, for it is the number of degrees separating the solar positions at the solstices. It thus also reflects the maximum separation between the two extremes of the north celestial pole during the precessional cycle. With both the Tablets of Abydos and Sakkara referring to information of the Metonic cycle, the former to a solar measurement and the latter to a lunar measurement, these tablets are linked by more than Ramses II, himself. Quite clearly, from all the King Lists, there is evidence of the extensive astronomical knowledge which was held by the ancient Egyptians. With such knowledge, one can take a fresh approach to Manetho's King Lists to provide an accurate dating of the various Egyptian dynasties. These findings are the original work of Alison Moroney and were first published on the internet on 8th November 2001, co-incident with the launch of Road Runner. Astronomical drawing generated by Skychart III. Copyright © Alison Moroney, 1999

Of Africanus and Eusebius, it is considered by scholars that Africanus' version of Manetho's King Lists were more accurate because it agreed with the best monuments and it was clear that he had a copy of Manetho's list before him. Champollion-Figaec gave a date of 5867 BC for Menes, Lepsius 3892 BC, Mariette 5004BC and Brugsch 4455BC. Budge, himself considered Brugsch to be the most likely dating. Why then have the most modern Egyptologists chosen to ignore these records? Why did they choose to slash 1700 years out of Manetho's king lists?

Whilst current Egyptological thought decimated Manetho's King Lists, these king lists can not only be shown to be connected to astronomical knowledge and cycles in a similar fashion to the Genesis data, but can be taken literally to date the various dynasties. For instance, if one totalled the years listed in the "Old Chronicle", the total number of years precisely equals one astronomical age of 2140 years, this being one twelfth of the precessional cycle of 25,725 years.

The Book of Sothis describes rulerships which spanned 2160 years producing a total of 25,920 years, which is the other value of the precessional cycle touted in modern times. The Old Chronicle also contains information about the precise value of the synodic month and the relationship between the synodic and draconic months. Thus, whilst Budge states that these two records are quite useless for chronological purposes, they are important in that they demonstrate an ancient Egyptian knowledge of the precessional cycle and its value; and that, furthermore, the astronomical knowledge of the priests was secretly preserved in a similar manner to others of their time, as I demonstrated in the Book of Genesis.

George the Syncellus' version of Manetho's King List gives the legendary period of the gods as 36,525 years. This is too long for one precessional cycle, but it represents astronomical data, one-the-less. It corresponds both to the number of days in the tropical and sidereal years (365.25 days) and to the value of twenty-five Sothic periods.

This trend for recording astronomical data in King Lists is also evident during the 18th and 19th Dynasties. The Tablet of Abydos indicates that there were seventy-six kings preceding Ramses II. This figure equates to exactly four Metonic cycles, linking five solar eclipses in the same Saros series. It may also be related to information provided by Manetho that recorded Ramses as the fourth pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty.

This is a rather interesting representation considering the time frame in which it occurred, following immediately after the Akhenaton heresy embodied in the solar disk, Aton. The eclipse cycle reflected in the Tablet of Abydos may thus have represented the eclipse of the heresy by Pharaohs subsequent to Akhenaton, wherein traces of Aton were erased in a similar manner Akhenaton employed to enforce his monotheistic religion. It was during this Ramesside period that the Hebrews made their Exodus from Egypt. In view of their monotheistic religion, they may have been involved in the "heretical" developments during Akhenaton's reign and subsequently suffered a backlash, ultimately necessitating the Exodus. The developments of the day obviously made an impact on them, for the importance of seventy-six descendants was ultimately a tradition carried down into the New Testament where the lineage of Jesus is stated as being seventy-six deep to Adam.

The Tablet of Karnak indicates that there were sixty-one kings prior to Thothmes III. This figure is particularly interesting as it represents sixty-one months in five years, a figure by which Ramses' contemporaries, the Hindu people, adjusted their luni-solar calendar. This figure is also represents 1/6 of a year, corresponding to the six seasons per year used by the Hindus or half an Egyptian season.

The Tablet of Sakkara dating from the time of Ramses II is a curiosity, listing forty-seven Kings. Some consider it may be a scribal or sculptural blunder , however, from an astronomical viewpoint forty-seven is exactly divisible into the Metonic cycle when measured in months. Other than the factors (1, 235) the only other factors of the lunar figure of 235 are (5, 47). The Draconic month multiplied by forty-seven gives a very close approximation to the length of the Saros series as well, within nine days of a 1260 year cycle. The Draconic month is important in this calculation because it is measured from one passage of the Moon northwards over the ecliptic to the next such passage over the ecliptic; and it is at the nodal or Draconic points that eclipses occur. There has already been an emphasis on the division of five years by the Tablet of Karnak, so this number represents an important figure which works in well with the Tablet of Sakkara despite giving a superficial impression of a contradiction. Over five tropical/sidereal years, there is a residual of five days from the seventy-five Draconic months during that period. The number forty-seven is also important from another perspective, for it is the number of degrees separating the solar positions at the solstices. It thus also reflects the maximum separation between the two extremes of the north celestial pole during the precessional cycle.

With both the Tablets of Abydos and Sakkara referring to information of the Metonic cycle, the former to a solar measurement and the latter to a lunar measurement, these tablets are linked by more than Ramses II, himself. Quite clearly, from all the King Lists, there is evidence of the extensive astronomical knowledge which was held by the ancient Egyptians. With such knowledge, one can take a fresh approach to Manetho's King Lists to provide an accurate dating of the various Egyptian dynasties.

These findings are the original work of Alison Moroney and were first published on the internet on 8th November 2001, co-incident with the launch of Road Runner. Astronomical drawing generated by Skychart III.