Egyptian-Canaanite Relations In The Middle And Late Bronze Ages As Reflected By Scarabs

Abstract

Egyptian-Canaanite relations reflected political developments in both regions, and were therefore never static but an ongoing process. The second millennium BCE saw two crucial developments occurring respectively in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. The first is a gradual infiltration and settlement of Canaanites in the eastern Delta, which resulted in the presence of a highly Egyptianized Canaanite Middle Bronze culture in this region, and the rule of a dynasty of Canaanite origin in northern Egypt. The second is a long-lasting Egyptian empire in Canaan with military and administrative presence. This chapter attempts to show that scarabs provide key evidence for the understanding of Egyptian-Canaanite relations in the second millennium BCE, stressing the differences between Middle and Late Bronze Ages. The difference in the material culture between the eastern Delta and Palestine, and the complete absence of Egyptian inscriptions in this region, argue against Egyptian domination of the southern Levant. Keywords: Ages; eastern Delta; Egyptian-Canaanite relation; Late Bronze Age; Middle Bronze Age; Palestine; scarab