Bonus 13 - Beni Hasan Tomb Painting

Associate for Biblical Research

www.sas.upenn.edu

A mural in a tomb of Beni Hasan in Egypt, depicts a group of “Asiatic” nomads from Canaan traveling to Egypt. The wall painting depicts what the semi-nomadic Hebrew patriarchs from Genesis looked like as they traveled to Egypt. The identification of the Asiatics is confirmed by the dress and hieroglyphic inscription identifying the people from this region as “Asiatics”.

“Portion of the Beni Hasan tomb painting that depicts people from Palestine entering Egypt.  The men are wearing kilts or long garments that cover the chest and one shoulder.  Their clothes are multicolored and fringed on the bottom and they wear sandals on their feet.  Each man is shown with a full head of hear, a short beard, but no mustache.  The women also wear multicolored garments, but theirs are longer. Their footwear appears to be a type of slipper sock, and headbands decorate their long hair.  The painting also depicts some weaponry: spear, bow and arrow, ax, and sword.  Two of the men carry water skins(?) on their backs, and another plays the lyre.  The donkeys transport two objects, perhaps bellows, which would mean that these people worked with metal.” Hoerth, Archaeology and the OT, 94.

For Further Study

Kenneth A. Kitchen, “The Joseph Narrative (Genesis 37, 39–50),” Bible and Spade 15, no. 3 (2003): 4–10.

Gary Byers “The Beni Hasan Asiatics and the Biblical Patriarchs.” Associate for Biblical Research Sep 09, 2009.