The motif of this scarab dating to the Hyksos period is flanked by six interlocking spirals, three on each side, thus creating a stylized cartouche, which either contained the name of a pharaoh or of a high court official. The Hyksos dynasty was a period of foreign Semitic rule over Egypt during the 15th dynasty. However, archaeological evidence at various sites in Egypt suggests that Semites settled in Egypt as early as the end of the 12th dynasty, ca. 1800-1700 B.C. This has been connected to the story of Joseph from Genesis 37-50.