Pharaoh as a National Hero in the History of the Egyptian Kingdom, Yet Considered a “Villain” in the Holy Scriptures
In the Qur’an, Pharaoh is depicted as a symbol of tyranny. He is known for enslaving the Children of Israel, oppressing them with forced labor, and rejecting the call of Prophet Moses even after being shown numerous signs of God’s greatness. His story is immortalized as an example of an arrogant ruler who claimed to be divine, defied the truth, and was ultimately drowned along with his army in the Red Sea. From the perspective of scripture, Pharaoh is a figure bullied by theological history as the embodiment of tyranny.
However, records of ancient Egyptian history reveal another ironic side. Before the golden age of the New Kingdom, Egypt was conquered by the Hyksos, foreign rulers who controlled the Nile Delta for nearly a century. At that time, native Egyptians themselves became second-class citizens in their own land, subject to domination by outsiders. This situation gave rise to both historical resentment and the spirit of resistance.
Read more: