Pharaoh Shishak in the Bible
By C. Donald Chrysler B.S., M.A. - January 2019
Shishak (Shoshenq I) is the first Egyptian king to be mentioned by name in the Bible (I Kings 11:40; 14:25; II Chronicles 12:2-9). To understand his place in history we must revert back to the time when Solomon took over the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah from his father David.
Solomon collaborated with Pharaoh Siamun (986-967 BC) and arranged to marry his daughter. Siamun had conquered the city of Gezer and gave it to his daughter as a dowry to Solomon (I Kings 9:16). Solomon then reinforced Gezer with strong casemate (double) walls and his characteristic six-chambered gate as he also did in Megiddo, Hazor and Jerusalem (I Kings 9:15). He also built Pharaoh’s daughter a house of “costly stones” and a “great court round about with a row of cedar beams…” (I Kings 7:8-12).
In Solomon’s 4th year as king he began to build the Temple in Jerusalem – 480 years after the Exodus (I Kings 6:1; II Chronicles 3:1-2). The Temple was dedicated 7 years later in 959 BC (I Kings chapter 8; II Chronicles chapters 5-7).
Solomon had a favorite supervisor named Jeroboam (II Kings 11:28). One day the Prophet Ahijah apprehended Jeroboam in a field where he tore Jeroboam’s new cape into twelve pieces. He then gave Jeroboam ten pieces indicating that he would rule over the ten northern tribes of Israel during the time of a Divided Kingdom (I Kings 11:26-40). Solomon heard about the prophecy and tried to kill Jeroboam who fled to Pharaoh Shishak in Egypt (I Kings 11:40). Shishak welcomed Jeroboam and gave him Ano, his wife’s sister, to marry.
When Solomon died in 930 BC, Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his stead. Upon hearing of the death of Solomon, Jeroboam returned to Shechem the same year and became king of the ten northern tribes of Israel.
Five years after the ascension of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, in 925 BC, the Pharaoh of Egypt (Shishak) invaded Canaan and “took away the treasures” of Jerusalem including “all the shields of gold which Solomon had made” (I Kings 14:25-26).
Solomon collaborated with Pharaoh Siamun (986-967 BC) and arranged to marry his daughter. Siamun had conquered the city of Gezer and gave it to his daughter as a dowry to Solomon (I Kings 9:16). Solomon then reinforced Gezer with strong casemate (double) walls and his characteristic six-chambered gate as he also did in Megiddo, Hazor and Jerusalem (I Kings 9:15). He also built Pharaoh’s daughter a house of “costly stones” and a “great court round about with a row of cedar beams…” (I Kings 7:8-12).
In Solomon’s 4th year as king he began to build the Temple in Jerusalem – 480 years after the Exodus (I Kings 6:1; II Chronicles 3:1-2). The Temple was dedicated 7 years later in 959 BC (I Kings chapter 8; II Chronicles chapters 5-7).
Solomon had a favorite supervisor named Jeroboam (II Kings 11:28). One day the Prophet Ahijah apprehended Jeroboam in a field where he tore Jeroboam’s new cape into twelve pieces. He then gave Jeroboam ten pieces indicating that he would rule over the ten northern tribes of Israel during the time of a Divided Kingdom (I Kings 11:26-40). Solomon heard about the prophecy and tried to kill Jeroboam who fled to Pharaoh Shishak in Egypt (I Kings 11:40). Shishak welcomed Jeroboam and gave him Ano, his wife’s sister, to marry.
When Solomon died in 930 BC, Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his stead. Upon hearing of the death of Solomon, Jeroboam returned to Shechem the same year and became king of the ten northern tribes of Israel.
Five years after the ascension of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, in 925 BC, the Pharaoh of Egypt (Shishak) invaded Canaan and “took away the treasures” of Jerusalem including “all the shields of gold which Solomon had made” (I Kings 14:25-26).
The Bubastite Portal includes a large weathered relief in which the pharaoh lists more than 150 towns and peoples he conquered during his military campaign into Israel and Judah in c. 925 B.C. Rehoboam fortified 15 cities (II Chronicles 11:5-17), four of which were conquered by Shishak and have a corresponding name ring: Gath, Hebron, Adoraim, Aijalon.
Rehoboam had an evil reign of seventeen years over the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin from 930 BC until he died in 913 BC at age 58 (I Kings 14:3; II Chronicles 12:13-16). Jeroboam reigned over the ten tribes of northern Israel. He died in 908 BC after an evil reign of 22 years (I Kings 14:19-20; II Chronicles 13:20). Shishak (Shoshenq I) was the first Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty and ruled Egypt from 945-924 BC.
The declaration in I Kings 6:1 that “in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign… he began to build the house of the Lord” gives rise to the following chart.
The declaration in I Kings 6:1 that “in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign… he began to build the house of the Lord” gives rise to the following chart.
Chronology Chart (all dates BC)
Date Event
1446 Exodus
480 Years interval
966 Solomon's fourth year as king
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1010 David's reign begins
970 David's death - Solomon's reign begins
966 Solomon's fourth year - Temple begun
959 Temple dedicated
945 Shishak reigns
930 Solomon's death, Rehoboam and Jeroboam reign
925 Shishak raids Jerusalem and Canaan
924 Shishak's death
913 Rehoboam's death
908 Jeroboam's death
1446 Exodus
480 Years interval
966 Solomon's fourth year as king
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1010 David's reign begins
970 David's death - Solomon's reign begins
966 Solomon's fourth year - Temple begun
959 Temple dedicated
945 Shishak reigns
930 Solomon's death, Rehoboam and Jeroboam reign
925 Shishak raids Jerusalem and Canaan
924 Shishak's death
913 Rehoboam's death
908 Jeroboam's death
Illustration of the cartouches of Shishak.
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Rendering of Sheshonq fragment found in Megiddo. One name ring on the Bubastite Portal includes the city of Megiddo and the discovery of this fragment there backs up Shishak's claim to have conquered it.
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Pharaoh Shishak (Shoshenq I) holds the key to the date of the Exodus and Abraham's Sojourn in Egypt
by Bud Chrysler
“Today the vast majority of scholars believe that the Bubastite Portal records a real Egyptian campaign by Pharaoh Shoshenq in the mid-to-late tenth century B.C. As concluded by Israel’s leading Biblical geographer Anson Rainey: “This inscription can only be based on intelligence information gathered during a real campaign by Pharaoh Shoshenq.”
Kenneth Kitchen has called the reality of Shoshenq’s campaign during the reign of Rehoboam “beyond reasonable doubt.” If this campaign occurred in 925 B.C. and, as the Bible says, this was the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule in Judah, Rehoboam would have become king, and Solomon’s reign would have ended in 930 B.C. (925 + 5)” (Yigal Levin, Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2012, pp. 48-49).
If 925 was the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule, then he would have replaced Solomon as king in 930 (925 + 5). According to I Kings 11:42, Solomon reigned for 40 years, which means he became king in 970 (930 + 40). The fourth year of Solomon’s reign would have been 966 (970 - 4). This is a significant date because it is from this point in time that the Bible reveals to us when the Exodus occurred: And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord (I Kings 6:1).
The date of the Exodus would be 1446 B.C. (966 + 480).
Kenneth Kitchen has called the reality of Shoshenq’s campaign during the reign of Rehoboam “beyond reasonable doubt.” If this campaign occurred in 925 B.C. and, as the Bible says, this was the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule in Judah, Rehoboam would have become king, and Solomon’s reign would have ended in 930 B.C. (925 + 5)” (Yigal Levin, Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2012, pp. 48-49).
If 925 was the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule, then he would have replaced Solomon as king in 930 (925 + 5). According to I Kings 11:42, Solomon reigned for 40 years, which means he became king in 970 (930 + 40). The fourth year of Solomon’s reign would have been 966 (970 - 4). This is a significant date because it is from this point in time that the Bible reveals to us when the Exodus occurred: And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord (I Kings 6:1).
The date of the Exodus would be 1446 B.C. (966 + 480).
To discover the date of Abraham's sojourn in Egypt, simply read your Bible and do the math: Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:40-41)
According to Genesis 12:10, the sojourning began with Abraham, the same year as the Covenant (1446 +430 = 1876 B.C.).
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect (Galatians 3:17).
According to Genesis 12:10, the sojourning began with Abraham, the same year as the Covenant (1446 +430 = 1876 B.C.).
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect (Galatians 3:17).
Biblical links from Abraham to Jacob
•Genesis 12:4 - 12:10 - …and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. …and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there… [1876 B.C.].
•Genesis 21:5 - And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him [1851].
• Genesis 25:26 - … and Isaac was threescore years old when she (Rebekah) bare them (Esau and Jacob) [1791 B.C.].
•Genesis 47:9 - And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years [1661 B.C.].
•1876 - 1661 = 215 years
•Jacob (Israel) entered Egypt in 1661 B.C. and the Children of Israel left Egypt in 1446 B.C. (exactly 215 years later)!
•Genesis 12:4 - 12:10 - …and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. …and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there… [1876 B.C.].
•Genesis 21:5 - And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him [1851].
• Genesis 25:26 - … and Isaac was threescore years old when she (Rebekah) bare them (Esau and Jacob) [1791 B.C.].
•Genesis 47:9 - And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years [1661 B.C.].
•1876 - 1661 = 215 years
•Jacob (Israel) entered Egypt in 1661 B.C. and the Children of Israel left Egypt in 1446 B.C. (exactly 215 years later)!