The shekelesh The Late Bronze Age collapse was a time of widespread societal collapse during the 12th century BC, between c. 1200 and 1150. The only real survivor of the collapse in the mediterranean was Egypt that lost half of their empire. Egypt maintained control over the nile river delta but lost all their territory that is present day israel lebanon and syria. Taking advantage of collapsing nations mauraders known as the sea peoples were raiding and looting Greek and Hittite cities, the mauraders originated somewhere in the western mediterranean and were moving east burning as they went (they didnt cause the collapse, they just decided to take advantage of it) After 1-3 large naval battles Egypt defeated the fleet of sea peoples which is what allowed them to keep part of their kingdom intact. The Egyptians recorded that many of the dead sea peoples who washed up on shore had missing foreskins. The defeated sea peoples settled across israel. In 1012 BC Saul unifies the 12 hebrew tribes into the kingdom of isreal.