Amarna Letter EA 27 talks about two gold cast statutes that were observed
by
messengers that were then replaced by plated gold statues. What happened
to the gold cast statutes? Akhenaten was the pharaoh who ruled
immediately
after the Ten Plagues. The Bible confirms that the Jews "stripped the
Egyptians" of their gold, thus it is likely that these two gold cast
statues
were given the Israelites; or at least that would explain where they went!
After the Exodus, gold became somewhat scarce and apparently was rationed.
Here's the quote from the letter:
"Every one of my messengers that were staying in Egypt saw the gold for
the
statues with their own eyes. Your father himself recas the statues in the
presence of my messengers, and he made them entirely of pure gold. My
messengers saw with their own eyes that they were recast, and they saw
with
their own eyes that they were entirely of pure gold." "But my brother
has
not sent the solid gold statues that your father was going to send. You
have sent plated ones of wood."
The letter was sent by the king of Mittani to the new king, Akhenaten,
after
the death of Amenhotep III who had died in the Red Sea and had the habit
of
sending out lots of gold to this king. Gold was "like dust" in Egypt and
likely Akhenaten would have gladly sent the golden statutes; however, they
were likely given to the Jews in the heat of the moment of their leaving,
and so Akhenaten had wooden statues plated with gold sent instead.
Thus knowing the precise chronology helps to fill in these gaps.
Lars Wilson
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