An attempt to identify the biblical pharaoh of Abraham’s time based on the work “Preparation for the Gospel” by bishop Eusebius of Caesarea

This article analyzes the information contained in the work “Preparation for the Gospel” by Bishop Eusebius Pamphili, which describes the interaction between Patriarch Abraham and the Egyptian pharaoh of his time. To gain a more accurate understanding of these passages, the original text of the work as presented in the authoritative collection “Sources Chrétienne” is used. The aim of the article is to demonstrate, based on the information obtained, the hypothetical possibility of correlating the time of the life of Patriarch Abraham with that of the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Early Middle Kingdom III, the author of “Instructions of Merikare to His Son.” As arguments for these theses, biblical narratives are provided, and their chronology is interpreted in light of contemporary archaeological and historical data related to the ancient Egypt. As a result of the research, the hypothesis is put forward that Patriarch Abraham had a positive influence on the biblical pharaoh of his time, which is reflected in certain ideas found in the “Instructions of Merikare.”