The Ramessides, Medes and Persians, Vol. 4, Ages in Alignment Series

The chronology of ancient Egypt and Babylonia is wrong to a dramatic degree, with some major historical events mis-dated almost 2000 years before they actually occurred, according to a controversial new book. Ages in Alignment argues for a complete reconstruction of ancient chronology. Part 4 brings the reconstruction to a close. The 19th Dynasty is shown to have ended in 525 BC with the Persian Conquest, and the last important 19th Dynasty ruler, Seti II, is shown to have never ruled an independent Egypt. The histories of the Near Eastern civilizations are generally believed to have commenced around 3300 BC, about 2,000 years before those of China and the New World. Yet Ages in Alignment demonstrates that the Near Eastern cultures had no 2,000-year head start. All the ancient civilizations arose simultaneously around 1,100 BC, in the wake of a terrible natural catastrophe recalled in legend as the Flood, or Deluge. The four volumes of Ages in Alignment reconstruct the histories of the Near Eastern cultures, from the rise of the first monarchies around 1,100 BC until the conquest of Alexander. Ages in Alignment is an originally-researched reconstruction which begins with the start of literate civilization (actually introduced to the Nile Valley from Mesopotamia by the Abraham tribe) and ends with the conquest of Alexander. Inspired by Velikovsky's 1952 series Ages in Chaos, this series seeks to complete the work which Velikovsky commenced, identifying the problems he could not solve and bringing forward a great body of evidence which supports his claims, including the identification of Hatshepsut with the Queen of Sheba. Velikovsky was rejected by the academic establishment because of a number of contradictions in the chronology he outlined. Sweeney shows that despite some gaps and incompletions, his books were brilliant works of scholarship with much to recommend them. For decades now scholars have attempted to solve the enigma. Yet the answer was stunningly simple, and in front of us all the time. Volume 4, The Ramessides, Medes and Persians, brings the reconstruction to a close. The 19th Dynasty is shown to have ended in 525 BC with the Persian Conquest, and the last important 19th Dynasty ruler, Seti II, is shown to have never ruled an independent Egypt. He was the same person as Inaros, the Egyptian rebel leader who battled against the Persians in the time of Xerxes and Artaxerxes I. Ramses III, of the 20th Dynasty, is revealed to be identical to Nectanebo I of the 30th Dynasty, who defeated the Persian Artaxerxes II. Ramessides, Medes and Persians also shows that the so-called Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian kings were actually Persians using Semitic names. So for example Sargon II was Darius I, Sennacherib was Xerxes, Esarhaddon was Artaxerxes I and Nebuchadrezzar was Artaxerxes III. Ages in Alignment argues for a complete reconstruction of ancient chronology. The histories of the Near Eastern civilizations are now believed to have commenced around 3300 BC, about 2,000 years before those of China and the New World. Yet Ages in Alignment demonstrates that the Near Eastern cultures had no 2,000-year head start. All the ancient civilizations arose simultaneously around 1100 BC, in the wake of a terrible natural catastrophe recalled in legend as the Flood, or Deluge. The four volumes of Ages in Alignment reconstruct the histories of the Near Eastern cultures, from the rise of the first monarchies, coincidentally around 1100 BC, until the conquest of Alexander.

Volume 1, The Genesis of Israel and Egypt, looks at the archaeological evidence for the Flood, evidence now misinterpreted and ignored. This volume examines the rise of the first literate cultures in the wake of the catastrophe, and goes on to trace the story of the great migration which led groups of early Mesopotamians westwards towards Egypt, where they helped to establish Egyptian civilization. This migration, recalled in the biblical story of Abraham, provides the first link between Egyptian and Hebrew histories. The next link comes a few generations later with Imhotep, the great seer who solved the crisis of a seven-year famine by interpreting pharaoh Djoser's dream. Imhotep is shown to be the same person as Joseph, son of Jacob.

Volume 2, The Pyramid Age, brings us to the catastrophic end of the Early Dynastic Age. This occurred around 840 BC, and corresponds with the Exodus of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. The Pyramid Age shows how the Egyptians, in the wake of this catastrophe, beganconstruction of the mighty pyramids of the 4th Dynasty. These were built to celebrate the rebirth of the sun-god Atum after the days of darkness during the recent catastrophe.

Volume 3, Empire of Thebes, looks at the rise of the mighty 18th Dynasty, which seized power after the expulsion of the Asiatic Hyksos invaders. The Hyksos are revealed to be identical to last pyramid-building dynasty, the 6th, whose kings Pepi I and II are the same as the Hyksos Apepi I and II. The 18th Dynasty pharaohs interacted with the early kings of Israel, and Thutmose III is shown to be the same person as Shishak, the pharaoh who plundered the Jerusalem temple after the death of Solomon. The great allies of the 18th Dynasty, the Mitanni, are revealed to be the same people as the Medes, and the enemies of the 19th Dynasty, the Hittites, are shown to be the same as the Lydians.

Volume 4, The Ramessides, Medes and Persians, brings the reconstruction to a close. The 19th Dynasty is shown to have ended in 525 BC with the Persian Conquest, and the last important 19th Dynasty ruler, Seti II, is shown to have never ruled an independent Egypt. He was the same person as Inaros, the Egyptian rebel leader who battled against the Persians in the time of Xerxes and Artaxerxes I. Ramses III, of the 20th Dynasty, is revealed to be identical to Nectanebo I of the 30th Dynasty, who defeated the Persian Artaxerxes II. Ramessides, Medes and Persians also shows that the so-called Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian kings were actually Persians using Semitic names. So for example Sargon II was Darius I, Sennacherib was Xerxes, Esarhaddon was Artaxerxes I and Nebuchadrezzar was Artaxerxes III. "Classical history can be reconciled with the hieroglyphic record and with biblical history, if we look at the physical record as well as ancient writers like Manetho and Herodotus: Linguistic evidence and changes in architecture, art and technology point up dramatic correspondences that demand we adjust our timelines to fit reality"-- Provided by publisher Egypt's New Kingdom In History -- The Fall Of Imperial Egypt -- Peoples Of The Sea Revisited -- Archaeology's Centuries Of Darkness -- Sargonids And Achaemenids -- The Babylonian Achaeminids -- Questions And Answers. Emmet Sweeney. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 199-203) And Index.