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Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline
Dive into the ancient history of Egypt. Explore the extraordinary pyramids and artifacts of this ancient civilization from a biblical worldview with archaeologists Dr. John Ashton and David Down. Ashton and Down do not disappoint as they dare to reveal the remarkable corroboration between the Old Testament Bible records and Egypt's historical documents and archaeological finds.
Using historically confirmed dates in later Egyptian history and the years between events recorded in the Bible, Ashton and Down construct a timeline of the kings of Egypt which dates back to just two centuries before the biblical dating of Noah's flood. Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Jesus each spent part of their lives in Egypt. In recent years, however, liberal teachers and professors have used the traditional Egyptian chronology to undermine the truth of the biblical record found in the Old Testament book of Exodus.
Unwrapping the Pharaohs takes you back in time to study famous Egyptians, their dynasties and structures such as:
• Tutankhamen, the boy-king
• Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh
• Cleopatra
• Seneferu, the world's greatest pyramid builder
• Pharaohs of the Bible
• The Great Sphinx of Giza
• The Lost Pyramid on the Saqqara Plateau
• And many more intriguing people and places
Both Christian believers and skeptics will find this well documented and beautifully illustrated research fascinating.
Bonus Content:
Packaged with this excellent educational resource for those enthralled by history, archaeology and the Bible, is a 90-minute DVD offering a breathtaking journey through the pyramids and temples of Egypt with author and archaeologist David Down.
Using historically confirmed dates in later Egyptian history and the years between events recorded in the Bible, Ashton and Down construct a timeline of the kings of Egypt which dates back to just two centuries before the biblical dating of Noah's flood. Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Jesus each spent part of their lives in Egypt. In recent years, however, liberal teachers and professors have used the traditional Egyptian chronology to undermine the truth of the biblical record found in the Old Testament book of Exodus.
Unwrapping the Pharaohs takes you back in time to study famous Egyptians, their dynasties and structures such as:
• Tutankhamen, the boy-king
• Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh
• Cleopatra
• Seneferu, the world's greatest pyramid builder
• Pharaohs of the Bible
• The Great Sphinx of Giza
• The Lost Pyramid on the Saqqara Plateau
• And many more intriguing people and places
Both Christian believers and skeptics will find this well documented and beautifully illustrated research fascinating.
Bonus Content:
Packaged with this excellent educational resource for those enthralled by history, archaeology and the Bible, is a 90-minute DVD offering a breathtaking journey through the pyramids and temples of Egypt with author and archaeologist David Down.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2006
20 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
John F. Ashton
16 books8 followersDr. John F. Ashton PhD CChem FRACI is an Australian scientist. He writes, edits and co-authors books which provide evidence for creation and the historical accuracy of the Bible. He also co-authors books on health and nutrition.
He holds research degrees in both chemistry and philosophy and is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Applied Sciences at RMIT University, Melbourne and as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Victoria University.
He holds research degrees in both chemistry and philosophy and is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Applied Sciences at RMIT University, Melbourne and as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Victoria University.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 11, 2025
Excellent overview of the Dynasties of Egypt, what we know, and what we don't. I couldn't go more than a few pages without scribbling notes! Many times, I had to pause to write notes on the same page.
The author said one thing, just a paragraph in this whole book, that weakened the potency of his stance to me. Or, I'm worried it would weaken his words for others.
That one paragraph aside, it was a phenomenal, fascinating book I'll be referencing in the future. Glossy pictures. Jaw-dropping stories. Intriguing conjecture. I'm glad I read it.
The author said one thing, just a paragraph in this whole book, that weakened the potency of his stance to me. Or, I'm worried it would weaken his words for others.
That one paragraph aside, it was a phenomenal, fascinating book I'll be referencing in the future. Glossy pictures. Jaw-dropping stories. Intriguing conjecture. I'm glad I read it.
May 21, 2024
Lots of pictures 😍
July 14, 2012
Egyptian history can be very confusing when one first undertakes the study of it. In fact, the more one studies it, the more of a riddle it becomes. The biggest problem in the history is not so much what happened as when it happened. The issue becomes even more compound if one tries to synchronize the Bible with Egypt's chronology. David Down and John Ashton do a great job of setting a realistic and greatly reduced time frame for the land of the sands.
When I first begin to gather info on biblical chronology I looked to Ussher. Although, Ussher does alright with later history there is so much that Ussher does not explain. Furthermore, most of the names given by Ussher are not even known to us to have ever been pharoahs. I became discouraged until I saw this book. Once I picked it up I was hooked. Here were all things that my history prof taught me but with an altered time frame. The evidence for a new chronology is quite convincing and Downs is not the only one to adopt it.
Downs who has been an archaeologist for some 50 years lets his audience know that in fact, the chronological order of Egyptian history is far from settled amongst those in his field. A greater number of archaeologists are realizing that history needs to be rewritten because a great amount of empirical thinking has beefed up the time frame of Egyptian dynasties by about 500 years. Downs believes that by reducing the time frame we are better able to understand what happened and answer many questions.
Downs also believes that the only way to gain an accurate account of Egyptian history is to compare it with the history of the Hittites and the Israelites. He believes that by a revised chronology the 12th dynasty becomes the catalyst of semitic sojourning and offers evidence for an exodus. His case is well supported by solid facts coming from all different archaelogical studies. He believes that there is evidence to suggest that Hapshetsut may be the queen of Sheba and that the 18th dynasty is much later than first thought. His belief about the Hyksos is a radical departure from classical history but if his time frame is correct it seems to make perfect sense. He also seems to place Rameses in the eighth century. I thought that was a little crazy, but the evidence he offered for that proposal is quite outstanding.
I have to admit that Downs ideas are very progressive but seem to be very tight at the same time. I do not know what Ashton's role in all of this was since it is obvious that Downs is the one who has done the bulk of the homework. Dr.Downs is also very appealing because of the way he presents himself. He seems like a pleasant man who is neither arrogant or brash. He presents his thoughts and ideas in a clear non-agressive format that has an allure to it. It is well substantiated, and when all the evidence is brought together it is clear that Downs knows his game. My only complaint is that I wish the work was much larger because it is obvious that Downs knows much more than he is telling you. I been so fascinated by Dr. Downs work that when I transfer to the University for my Bachelors in History I think I want to minor in Classical Archaeology. The book is groundbreaking to say the least. It is a must have for any student of the Bible or the land of Egypt.
When I first begin to gather info on biblical chronology I looked to Ussher. Although, Ussher does alright with later history there is so much that Ussher does not explain. Furthermore, most of the names given by Ussher are not even known to us to have ever been pharoahs. I became discouraged until I saw this book. Once I picked it up I was hooked. Here were all things that my history prof taught me but with an altered time frame. The evidence for a new chronology is quite convincing and Downs is not the only one to adopt it.
Downs who has been an archaeologist for some 50 years lets his audience know that in fact, the chronological order of Egyptian history is far from settled amongst those in his field. A greater number of archaeologists are realizing that history needs to be rewritten because a great amount of empirical thinking has beefed up the time frame of Egyptian dynasties by about 500 years. Downs believes that by reducing the time frame we are better able to understand what happened and answer many questions.
Downs also believes that the only way to gain an accurate account of Egyptian history is to compare it with the history of the Hittites and the Israelites. He believes that by a revised chronology the 12th dynasty becomes the catalyst of semitic sojourning and offers evidence for an exodus. His case is well supported by solid facts coming from all different archaelogical studies. He believes that there is evidence to suggest that Hapshetsut may be the queen of Sheba and that the 18th dynasty is much later than first thought. His belief about the Hyksos is a radical departure from classical history but if his time frame is correct it seems to make perfect sense. He also seems to place Rameses in the eighth century. I thought that was a little crazy, but the evidence he offered for that proposal is quite outstanding.
I have to admit that Downs ideas are very progressive but seem to be very tight at the same time. I do not know what Ashton's role in all of this was since it is obvious that Downs is the one who has done the bulk of the homework. Dr.Downs is also very appealing because of the way he presents himself. He seems like a pleasant man who is neither arrogant or brash. He presents his thoughts and ideas in a clear non-agressive format that has an allure to it. It is well substantiated, and when all the evidence is brought together it is clear that Downs knows his game. My only complaint is that I wish the work was much larger because it is obvious that Downs knows much more than he is telling you. I been so fascinated by Dr. Downs work that when I transfer to the University for my Bachelors in History I think I want to minor in Classical Archaeology. The book is groundbreaking to say the least. It is a must have for any student of the Bible or the land of Egypt.
February 6, 2016
Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
The last few years I have been trying to slowly buy or get books for review that I know we will need in our schooling. This year I was so excited to acquire Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline and I was mistaken at first to not realize there is a second book to add to our wishlist entitled Unveiling the Kings of Israel: Revealing the Bible's Archaeological History . Can you guess what I hope to buy next?! It has already come up on our history cards as a reference!!
My book-in-hand is a heafty, durable hardcover. It is about the same size as The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky or the Berean Builders science textbooks from Dr. Jay Wile in his Science in the Beginning series. On the same shelf, I also have my copies of The World of Animals, The World of Science, and MWF version of History of the World. The pages are glossy and full-color and I believe this reference book is built to last. I am quite certain we will be using it again and again through our history cycle with multiple students in our homeschool studies.
In addition to Unwrapping the Pharaohs and Unveiling the Kings of Israel, Master Books also publishes The Archaeology Book as part of the Wonders of Creation series. For those so inclined, they also provide a set of Lesson Plans using these three resources for the subject of Biblical Archaeology.
This year we are enjoying a gracious amount of material learning about the Old Testament and Ancient Egyptian times. Some of it is very mystical and full of guess work. Other pieces are full of historical background, evidence, and support. This book, Unwrapping the Pharaohs is in the later group full of details and brings a glance to Egyptian history to life. The chronology in this book confirms the Old Testament accounts of Moses, the Exodus, and Joseph as well as including fascinating facts about Ancient Egyptian civilization and life. Every page is filled with engaging text and more than 300 beautiful full-color photographs!
Purchase excellent resources from the Answers in Genesis Bookstore
This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
February 4, 2020
School, am I right? Some of it was interesting though.
May 18, 2015
Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline [With DVD]
About the Book:
INCLUDES FREE 90 MINUTE DVD Enjoy a breathtaking journey through the pyramids and temples of Egypt with author and archaeologist David Down. Go deep into ancient tombs, discover the fascinating architecture and history of the pyramids, and experience Egyptian history in a way you never have before. From the ancient to the sacred, you cannot miss the opportunity to delve within the secret rooms of the pharaohs and find an astonishing connection to the biblical timeline Adults and children alike have been fascinated with the Egyptian civilization for decades, but most modern archaeologists have lately tried to use Egyptian chronology to dispute the biblical record of Joseph, Moses, and the Exodus. Those who wish to defend their faith in the accuracy of the Bible now have hope ??? this book provides an accurate and compelling new chronology that confirms the biblical account. Master Books is always evolution-free.
My Review:
Upon researching my son's journey into high school, I came up against a great idea, Biblical archaeology. Of course it is actually the Master Books publishers that came up with the idea, and it's brilliant. I get to add another elective to my son's transcript and he gets a deeper learning on something that tends to confuse a lot of people, me included. It's sometimes an arduous task to put in perspective the events of the Bible and actually realize that these things did in fact take place and include them in our world history lesson.
Unwrapping the Pharaohs, is a get place to start on this exciting adventure. This book is a wealth of information on how the Pharaohs line up with the Bible. I'm so delighted as a homeschool mom to have this resource available to me. As we all know many of the Egyptians artifacts and such are not exactly that clear but with some very well thought out research and your Bible you will soon be on your way of lining everything up so that you understand it a lot more and the more clear it will become.
Along with breathtaking photographs each chapter is dedicated to several pyramids from Ancient Egyptians well as explaining the connection that each of the beautiful artifacts contained therein that they have to the Bible and many of the individuals from the Bible such as Noah and his descendants. Many times after the annual flooding of the Nile, there would be many ruins because of the destruction it caused. As a result, subsequent Pharaohs would help themselves and remove stones from them. This, as the book states may be why so little is left of these ancient ruins.
So if you and your children are doing a study on Egypt this book is full of great information to add to your studies, it contains 29 chapters. It also comes with a 90 minute DVD which we used as a virtual field trip with the book as our guide. There is even a section in the back that shows the correlation between Biblical reference and Egyptian dynasties. Our most favorite chapter was the one on Pharaohs of the Bible. We absolutely loved studying this correlation, it really will give you a broader view on the Bible and its history. This beauty retails on the Master Books website for $30.79. It is also available as a download at a cheaper rate, of course.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Master Books.
About the Book:
INCLUDES FREE 90 MINUTE DVD Enjoy a breathtaking journey through the pyramids and temples of Egypt with author and archaeologist David Down. Go deep into ancient tombs, discover the fascinating architecture and history of the pyramids, and experience Egyptian history in a way you never have before. From the ancient to the sacred, you cannot miss the opportunity to delve within the secret rooms of the pharaohs and find an astonishing connection to the biblical timeline Adults and children alike have been fascinated with the Egyptian civilization for decades, but most modern archaeologists have lately tried to use Egyptian chronology to dispute the biblical record of Joseph, Moses, and the Exodus. Those who wish to defend their faith in the accuracy of the Bible now have hope ??? this book provides an accurate and compelling new chronology that confirms the biblical account. Master Books is always evolution-free.
My Review:
Upon researching my son's journey into high school, I came up against a great idea, Biblical archaeology. Of course it is actually the Master Books publishers that came up with the idea, and it's brilliant. I get to add another elective to my son's transcript and he gets a deeper learning on something that tends to confuse a lot of people, me included. It's sometimes an arduous task to put in perspective the events of the Bible and actually realize that these things did in fact take place and include them in our world history lesson.
Unwrapping the Pharaohs, is a get place to start on this exciting adventure. This book is a wealth of information on how the Pharaohs line up with the Bible. I'm so delighted as a homeschool mom to have this resource available to me. As we all know many of the Egyptians artifacts and such are not exactly that clear but with some very well thought out research and your Bible you will soon be on your way of lining everything up so that you understand it a lot more and the more clear it will become.
Along with breathtaking photographs each chapter is dedicated to several pyramids from Ancient Egyptians well as explaining the connection that each of the beautiful artifacts contained therein that they have to the Bible and many of the individuals from the Bible such as Noah and his descendants. Many times after the annual flooding of the Nile, there would be many ruins because of the destruction it caused. As a result, subsequent Pharaohs would help themselves and remove stones from them. This, as the book states may be why so little is left of these ancient ruins.
So if you and your children are doing a study on Egypt this book is full of great information to add to your studies, it contains 29 chapters. It also comes with a 90 minute DVD which we used as a virtual field trip with the book as our guide. There is even a section in the back that shows the correlation between Biblical reference and Egyptian dynasties. Our most favorite chapter was the one on Pharaohs of the Bible. We absolutely loved studying this correlation, it really will give you a broader view on the Bible and its history. This beauty retails on the Master Books website for $30.79. It is also available as a download at a cheaper rate, of course.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Master Books.
January 21, 2017
Wow! What a book. Excellent stuff here. Took quite a while to get through it, but it's well worth a read or two.
June 23, 2018
I have always been fascinated with archaeology and with Egyptian archaeological discoveries in particular. This book really opened my eyes to just how much there is to learn; we have to be careful never to make assumptions about history. New discoveries are happening all the time, and old theories are often disproved. That is one of the things that the authors of this book lay an emphasis on. It's possible, and even probable, that the commonly held chronology of Egyptian history should be drastically reduced. This book is well thought out and researched, and I think it holds out a very scientific and viable viewpoint on how Egyptian archaeology lines up with the Biblical chronology.
September 16, 2018
My daughter has always been fascinated by all things Egyptian, and so have I. We enjoyed the historical content of this book, its photographs, and most importantly, the biblical worldview this book promotes. We loved seeing the historical evidence to support the Biblical truths we have always known to be true.
December 2, 2020
An excellent book that is written with the amateur in mind. it is easy to read and lays out the facts quite well. it has been awhile since I have read it but I have gone through it several times as it does contain important information every believer should know about.
June 8, 2022
Beautifully illustrated book written by John Ashton and British archaeologist David Down, who propose a new Egyptian timeline based on research, that would support Young Earth Creation Theory.
I used this for our Rhetoric studies in homeschool. My son enjoyed the book so much, he asked to keep it.
I used this for our Rhetoric studies in homeschool. My son enjoyed the book so much, he asked to keep it.
January 13, 2018
Was okay. Interesting, written in an intriguing way.
January 24, 2019
This was one of my favorite school books. It was very clear and helped you understand how much the Bible and ancient history weave together.
December 13, 2024
This is a very good textbook that helped me, personally, connect the Old Testament and Egyptian history. Totally recommend.
April 21, 2025
Interesting read that set forth a good argument for the reduced chronology of Egypt
May 23, 2014
"Unwrapping the Pharaohs" by David Down is one archaeologist's valiant effort to reconcile biblical history with Ancient Egyptian history. He calls for the Egyptian dynasties to be condensed, a dramatic reduction of up to 600 years! Down's book is well-written and sumptuously illustrated. I'm not fully convinced about everything he shares herein, but he certainly argues his case well, as he should having been in the business for over 40 years. The book is informative but the writing is a little dry and long-winded in places. I recommend this book to readers who love Egyptology and biblical history.
8/10
8/10
April 23, 2011
A very cool and interesting book going into great detail for newcomer to the study of Egypt. Dates, images, artifacts and more are given in beautiful display on this large coffee table style book. Showing the fallacies in typical "orthodox" dating of Egyptian chronology, and how when a reduced history is adopted as many modern scholars have suggested, it makes the Bible's chronology connect and align with the Egyptian timeline, providing cool insights into biblical texts. I really enjoyed this book, and now would love to go visit this land and see these sites up close and personal.
August 13, 2016
Could have been an amazing book but didn't flow well and got desperate about proving the Bible as an historical text towards the end - kind of the last nail in the coffin (although assuming someone is attractive because they're royal should have been the point where I put this one aside). Hoped for something a bit more scientific as the basic premise of the book - revision of Egyptian chronology - is valid.
April 16, 2016
There is so much information to take in, but it's AWESOME. This is my personal favorite book of the three in this curriculum. Learning about mummies, pharaohs, and Egypt, AND connecting it all BIBIBLICALY as to who was Pharaoh when Joseph was in Egypt, or who the Pharaoh was that Moses and Aaron went to, etc. makes this book even better. I highly recommend this curriculum.
May 14, 2008
Completely transformed ancient history for me in the way it lined up the pharaohs of Egypt with the Biblical timeline.
March 26, 2010
Very interesting book!
September 2, 2025
Excellent information on how the Biblical timeline fits with Egyptian and other history.
May 16, 2013
So GOOD!
May 6, 2014
FINALLY done with this one. Yessss. Sometimes interesting, but not great. And loooong.
July 29, 2017
While this is intriguing to think about, frankly Egypt's history is just so fractured in some places, that it will remain almost impossible to confirm the text's theory.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews