AOne of the most intriguing questions about the Second Intermediate Period in Egypt is the origin of the Hyksos-the foreign people who ruled over northern Egypt during this time. eir Levantine origin was conclusively demonstrated by archaeological evidence om Tell el-Dab'a, yet the evidence establishing the particular region they came om (i.e., the northern or southern Levant) is inconclusive, and the question is still the subject of debate. In view of the scarcity of textual sources om this period and the inconclusive archaeological evidence, the significance of the large number of scarabs associated with this period om both Egypt and the Levant is generally recognized. is paper presents evidence based on recent studies of scarabs of this period om both regions, and argues for the southern Levant as the place of origin of the Second Intermediate Period foreign rulers in Egypt.Second Intermediate Period and the inconclusive archaeological evidence, which do not provide a coherent historical outline. 7 e great popularity and wide distribution of scarabs in both regions during the first half of the second millennium bce make them an invaluable body of contemporary source material. In addition, Second Intermediate Period royal-name scarabs constitute an exclusive source for many contemporary kings, in particular those bearing non-Egyptian names, which are identified with the Hyksos of the late sources.
8A noteworthy number of royal-name scarabs of this period were found in Middle Bronze Age sites in Palestine. 9 Moreover, the large-scale production of scarabs in Middle Bronze Age Palestine, unparalleled in this region at any other period, is undoubtedly related to the large-scale settlement of Canaanites in the eastern Delta and their subsequent domination of northern Egypt. In view of all of the above, scarabs have been used in many studies of this period; however, due to problems associated with establishing a reliable typology of scarabs, the historical conclusions presented in these studies are inconclusive and controversial.