Drought in Egypt in Science and the
Bible This period
in the life of Isaac as Genesis 26 calls the drought, were dry climatic
circumstances (Genesis 26:1). F. A. Hassan (2007) online did a study on drought
in this period. Genesis 26:1 would date it between 2099-2081 BCE. The Spade and
Science confirm the biblical Text with absolute accuracy. Not maybe, probably,
likely, assumingly, suggestingly but definitely. Other
evidence can be listed. The following compelling evidence supports the biblical
text 100%. Egyptian
Texts Gardiner
the Egyptologist wrote that many texts around 2100 BCE complain of the absence
of grain. Biblical
Text in Genesis 26 The
Bible says that there was a drought in the days of Isaac between 2099-2081 BCE.
Delta
Sediment Drilling Modern
sediment drilling in the Delta indicating a thin layer of reddish-brown silt
dating to 2250-2050 BCE. “This layer indicates that the delta floodplain dried
up for a long period of time, allowing iron reddish-brown iron oxides to accumulate
at the surface (KROM ET AL. 2002)” wrote Hassan (2007) on page 360.. Memphis
Drilling “There
is also compelling evidence from the ongoing drilling program at Memphis of dry
conditions represented by the encroaching desert sand that began to engulf the
Old Kingdom settlement during the First Intermediate Period (GIDDY and JEFFREYS
1991: 2).” The first Intermediate Period was around 2100 BCE. Sand Storms
in the Desert “The
desert sand extended as a massive sheet of windblown sand over a distance of at
least half a kilometer from the edge of the escarpment. It remained a prominent
feature of the landscape until medieval times (GIDDY and JEFFREYS 1991: 2;
JEFFREYS 1997: 3-4).” Reduction of
Nile Discharge “The
reduction of Nile discharge coincided with low rainfall in the source areas of
the Nile, where a dry climatic phase is detected at the same time as the low
Nile floods in Egypt c. 2200-2100 BCE (JOLLY and BONNEFILLE 1992; TAYLOR 1993;
GASSE and VAN CAMPO 1994).” Lake
Kajemarum Oasis in Nigeria “lake
Kajemarum Oasis and dune deposits in northeastern Nigeria, at the border and
Sahel, sensitive to climatic osci1lations, revealed that a marked deterioration
of climate and vegetation commenced at c. 2150 BCE, leading to the formation of
the present day semiarid landscape due to a pronounced shift in atmospheric circulation
with significant degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (HOLMES ET AL.
1998).” Lake
Bosumtwi in Ghana “investigation~
at Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana reveal that the level of the lake fell at c. 2150 BCE
in response to arid conditions (TALBOT ET AL. 1984).” Soreq Cave
on east of the Mediterranean “eastern·
Mediterranean a massive reduction of 20-30% in rainfall at c. 2200 BCE is
indicated by a high-resolution study of deposits at Soreq Cave (BAR-MATHEWS ET
AL. 1999).” Lake Sumxi
in Tibet “dry
conditions were observed in a record from Lake Sumxi in Western Tibet at 2200
BCE (GASSE and VAN CAMPO 1994).” Chile and
the Marine Sediments “in
South America a definite transition to a variable late Holocene climate
occurred at c. 2100 BCE as revealed by marine sediments off the southern coast
of Chile (LAMY ET AL. 2000).” Drought in
Mid-continental North America “a
severe centennial scale drought in mid-continental North America 4200 years ago
with apparent global linkages (BOOTH ET AL. 2005).” Iceland Transition
from grassland to arctic conditions “a
transition from birch and grassland vegetation to arctic conditions in Iceland
at 2150 BCE (ROSE ET AL. 1997).” References: BOOTH, R.
K.. JACKSON, S. T., STEVEN, L, KlITZBACH, J. E., and E. A. BETTIS III, J. KREIG
and D. K. WRIGHT (EDS). 2005 A
Severe Centennial-Scale Drought in Mid-Continental North America 4200 Years Ago
and Apparent Global
Linkages. The Holocene 15: 321-328. LAMY, E,
HEBBELN, D., WEFER, G., and M. MARCHANT 2000 Reconstructing
Latitudinal Shifts of the Southern Westerlies from Marine Sediment Studies
along the Chilean Continental Margin. PAGES 8(2): 8-9. ROSE, J.,
WHITEMAN, C. A., LEE, J , BRANCH, N. P., HARKNESS, D. D., and J. WALDEN. 1997 Mid-
and Late-Holocene Vegetation, Surface Weathering and Glaciation, Fjalljokull
Southeast Iceland. The Holocene 7(4): 457-471. GASSE, F. and
VAN CAMPO, E. 1994 Abrupt
Post-Glacial Climate Events in West Asia and North Africa Monsoon Domains. Earth
and Planetary Science Letters 126: 435-456. BAR-MATIlEWS,
M., AYALON, A., KAUFMAN, A., and WASSERBURG, G. J. 1999 The
Eastern Mediterranean Paleoclimate as a Reflection of Regional Events: Soreq
Cave, Israel. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 166: 85-95. TALBOT, M.
R., LIVINGSTON, D. A., PALMER, P. G., MALEY, J., MELACK, J. M., DILIBRlAS, G.,
and S. GULLIKSEN 1984 Preliminary
Results from Sediment Cores from Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana. Palaeoecology of Africa
16:173-192. HOLMES, J.
A., P. FOTHERGILL, A, STREET-PERROTT, E A., and R. A. PERROTT 1998 A High-Resolution
Holocene Ostracod Record from the Sahel Zone of Northeastern Nigeria. Journalof
Palaeclimnology 20: 369-380. JOLLY, D.
and BONNEFILLE, R. 1992 Histoire
et dynamique du marecage tropical de Ndurumu (Burundi), donnees polliniques. Review
of Palaeobotany and Palynology 75: 133-151. TAYLOR, D.
M. 1993 Environmental
Change in Montane Southwest Uganda: a Pollen Record for the Holocene from Ahakagyezi
Swamp. The Holocene 3(4): 324-332. GASSE, F. and
VAN CAMPO, E. 1994 Abrupt
Post-Glacial Climate Events in West Asia and North Africa Monsoon Domains. Earth
andPlanetary Science Letters 126: 435-456. KROM, M.D.,
STANLEY, J. D., CUFF, R. A., and J. E. WOODWARD 2002 Nile
river sediment fluctuations over the past 7000 years and their key role in
sapropel development. Geology 30(1): 71-74. GIDDY, L. and
JEFFREYS, D. 1992 Memphis,
1991 JEA 78: 1-11.
F. A. Hassan
(2007). "Droughts, Famine and the Collapse of the Old Kingdom: Re-Reading
lpuwer." In The Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt. Essays in Honor
of David B. O'Connor. Edited by Zahi A. Hawass and Janet Richards ANNALES
DU SERVICE DES ANTIQUITES DE L'EGYPTE. CAHIER N° 36 Volume I, PUBLICATIONS DU
CONSEIL SUPREME DES ANTIQUITES DE L'EGYPTE. Online downloaded from http://www.gizapyramids.org/pdf_library/hassan_fs_oconnor.pdf),
page 360ff.