A prominent Egyptian archaeologist refuted claims published by the Israeli website "Walla," which claimed to have discovered deposits of an ancient settlement linked to the "Children of Israel."
Dr. Magdy Shaker, chief archaeologist at the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told RT in an exclusive statement that the archaeological discovery in the “Tel El-Kou” area of Ismailia belongs to the period of the Hyksos, who were a group of Bedouin tribes who lived in areas of Palestine, the Levant and western Iraq, and depended on sheep herding and constant movement.
He explained that the Hyksos presence in Egypt was not a sudden event as some believe, but rather they were present on the Egyptian borders tending their sheep during periods of state strength, while disciplinary campaigns were launched against unorganized movements to control the borders.
Shaker pointed out that the Hyksos groups exploited the state of administrative and political weakness that Egypt went through after the end of the Middle Kingdom era to infiltrate the interior, stressing that these tribes did not leave any tangible cultural heritage or product that could be attributed to them independently.
He added that finding some pottery that is scientifically classified as belonging to a style known as the "Jewish style," or building with mud bricks, does not give any historical or political significance to any party, nor does it give the owners of these claims any right to use the discovery in favor of doctrinal or political narratives.
The chief archaeologist explained that the Hyksos did not master stonemasonry or the arts of carving and writing on stones as the ancient Egyptians did, which explains the absence of any written records or texts attributed to them at the site. He described them as an uneducated people who relied entirely on the influence of Egyptian civilization. He emphasized that all the archaeological evidence at the site, including burial methods such as the "squatting position," are practices with purely Egyptian influences.
Dr. Magdi Shaker concluded his remarks by talking about the depth and solidity of Egyptian civilization and its absorptive capacity throughout the ages, pointing out that Egypt has received millions of newcomers throughout its long history without any temporary group being able to change Egypt’s identity or leave a trace that matches the depth of its established civilization, stressing that this archaeological discovery is nothing more than a historical document that deals with the presence of temporary groups that settled for a specific period of time without leaving any significant civilizational imprint.
