Shishak/Shoshenq's travels, again!

Abstract

“There is an elusive quality about 'Shishak'.” That is the first line of my original paper “Shishak/Shoshenq's Travels” (JSOT, 86, 1999: 3-23) and I had no idea at the time how elusive he really was. To put the most positive spin on the reception of my paper, it received a very lukewarm response. (One scholar claimed my arguments and interpretations were “bizarre”! Needless to say, he is not on my Christmas list) Nevertheless, I believe more than ever, my main arguments were valid. My main arguments were as follows: the general interpretation of the list makes unwarranted assumptions that Shoshenq went to the Transjordan across the highlands past Gibeon; it is not legitimate to pick and choose names from different rows in the inscription in order to “interpret” particular routes; Shoshenq did not conquer various cities creating layers of destruction, including more locations than can be listed on the list; and, Jerusalem probably is not on the list. Since 1999, more information is available about Shoshenq I, about his regnal term, his age, and when it may have been suitable for him to invade Asia. In addition, more information is available about various locations on the list which requires a very different route than the ones chosen by many scholars...