With traditional powers of Egypt and Hatti diminishing at the end of the Late Bronze Age, the sitz im leben in Canaan shifted as well. The changes in the Late Bronze – Iron Age transition reflect a shifting power structure considerably different from those present in the days of Egyptian hegemony. The Pharaoh Merenptah’s attack on Canaan, as noted in his Victory Stele, signaled part of that shift. There is a reference in the biblical text that may frame this short period of time regarding Merneptah’s campaign. In Exodus 23:27-30, it notes: “And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land” (ESV). This promise addressed Israel where YHWH grants them the promised land. The people group of Israel, as one of the four referenced entities in the Merneptah Stele, can be dated in the land of Canaan, or more likely just outside it in the Transjordan, by 1207BCE. This reference to the “hornet” may likely be Merneptah’s campaign.
The historical and archaeological circumstances that may be noted here in the biblical text do reflect the LB/IA transition. YHWH says this hornet will accomplish four conditions, and these conditions fit into a Late Bronze IIB/Iron I transition (c. ~1200BCE) and create a framework in which to discuss Merneptah’s campaign in Canaan historically and textually. If the hornet is indeed Merneptah, he will need to fulfill these conditions. This paper will review and elaborate on these conditions to assess if they refer to Merneptah’s campaign.