Biblical eclipse sheds new light on pharaohs

A mysterious event mentioned in the Bible was actually the oldest solar eclipse ever recorded, a new Cambridge study has found. The revelation may help to rewrite the dates of Egyptian pharaohs, including the famous Ramesses II.

The celestial event described in the Old Testament Book of Joshua has been puzzling scholars for centuries. In the King James Bible, after Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan - a land which is now partly in modern Israel and Palestine - he prayed: "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."

"And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies," the passage continued. Now, Cambridge researchers say the phrase refers to an ancient solar eclipse that took place on October 30, 1207BC, when Pharaoh Merneptah was waging war against the people of Israel in Canaan.

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