(Genesis 45:16 - 46:27)
Word that Joseph's brothers had arrived in Egypt spread throughout the court; the Pharaoh and his household rejoiced at the news. He advised Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Pack your beasts of burden and make haste to return to the land of Canaan. Then, take your father and all his chattels and come to me. I will give you the best of everything in Egypt, and you will live off the fat of the land. You may take out of Egypt any wagons you might need to convey your wives and children. But bring your father here with all speed. Don't worry about taking all your household possessions, for the riches of Egypt will be at your disposal.’”
The sons of Israel did as they were bid. Joseph gave them wagons (according to the Pharaoh's instructions) and provisions for the journey. He also presented each of his brothers with new raiment, but to Benjamin he gave a number of very fancy robes and three hundred silver shekels. To his father he sent ten jackasses laden with sumptuous gifts from the land of Egypt and ten jennies bearing grain and bread and meat for the trip. He sent his brothers off on their journey, and as they departed he bid them, "Don't get lost on the way back!”
And so the brothers departed from Egypt and arrived at Canaan at the house of their father Jacob. They told him, "Joseph, your son, is alive and he is the governor of the country of Egypt!" When Jacob heard this, he was stunned and couldn’t believe them. But when they told him the whole story of what had happened and when he saw the wagons filled with goods sent by Joseph, Jacob’s heart leapt.
“I’m convinced now! My son Joseph lives. I must go to see him before I die," Jacob declared.
Israel made the journey to Egypt with all he possessed and stopped along the way at Beersheba, where he made sacrifices to the god of his father Isaac. In a dream Jehovah called to Israel, "Jacob! Jacob!" He answered, "Here I am."
Jehovah spoke to him, "I am the great god of your father. Don't be fearful of going to Egypt. I intend that your descendants will become a great nation there. I will be with you in Egypt and when the time comes to return, it will be with my guidance and protection. When death comes, Joseph will be at your side to close your eyes.”
When Jacob left Beersheba, his sons carried him, along with the women and children, in the wagons sent by the Pharaoh. All that he had acquired in Canaan, his chattels and livestock, he transported into Egypt, as well as his entire family, his children, grandchildren, and all their wives.
These are the names of the members of Israel's tribe that dwelled in Egypt:
Jacob
His sons:
Reuben, his eldest, and his sons: Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi
Simeon and his sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman
Levi and his sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari
Judah and his sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, and Zarah. (Judah's sons Er and Onan died in Canaan.) The sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Issachar and his sons: Tola, Phuvah, Job, and Shimron
Zebulun and his sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel
The above were the sons of Leah, which were born to Jacob in Aram, along with a daughter Dinah. The descendants of Jacob by Leah were 33 in number.
Gad and his sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli
Asher and his sons: Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and a daughter Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel
The above were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. The descendants of Jacob by Zilpah were 16 in number.
Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Jacob's wife Rachel.
Sons born to Joseph in Egypt by Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, the priest from On: Manasseh and Ephraim.
The sons of Benjamin: Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
The above were the sons of Jacob by Rachel. Their descendants were 14 in number.
Dan and his son: Hushim
Naphtali and his sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem
The above were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. The descendants of Jacob by Bilhah were 7 in number.
The number Jacob's descendants that entered Egypt (not including his son's wives) were 66 in number. The sons of Joseph born in Egypt were two and all the descendants of Jacob in Egypt were accounted to be 70.
Notes
1. Joseph has made good and, as is traditional with all peoples in all times, even our own, he shares his wealth with his family. It is the ultimate revenge upon the brothers who treated him so ill.
2. Jehovah is no longer appearing before the family of Abraham in the flesh, but appears to Jacob in a dream to tell it's OK that he go to Egypt, for eventually his descendants will be brought back to the Promised Land to claim the inheritance he has given them. One wonders, however, whether Jehovah actually communicated to Jacob via a dream, or if Jacob merely had a wish fulfillment dream about Jehovah that was interpreted as communion with the divine.
3. The immigration into Egypt of the tribe of Abraham reflects historical Semitic migration into Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period (1650-1550 BC). It is now believed that the so-called Hyksos, a loose confederation of Semitic peoples perhaps including the Hebrews, entered Egypt not as an invading army, but in waves of immigration that the weak or non-existent central government of Egypt was powerless to control. Eventually Egypt, or at least Lower Egypt, the northern part, fell under their domination. The 17th Egyptian Dynasty consisted of Hyksos Pharaohs, who would have invited in other Semitic tribes to settle in Egypt.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
The History of Joseph, Part Six
(Genesis 44:01 - 45:15)
Joseph ordered the steward of his household, "Fill their sacks to the brim and put the purchase money inside each of the sacks. In the sack of the youngest one I want you to slip in my silver drinking cup, as well as the money paid for the grain." And it was done.
When morning came, the sons of Israel mounted their donkeys and were sent on their way. After they had departed the city and had traveled some distance, Joseph told his steward, "Pursue the men and overtake them and when you do, say this to them, 'Why do you return evil for good? Why have you stolen my master's chalice that he uses for drinking and for divination. That was a wicked thing to do." The steward did overtake them and spoke the words to them he was commanded to say.
They answered him, "Why does your master say these things? Your servants would never commit such a vile deed. Look, the money we found inside our sacks we brought back -- all the way from the land of Canaan. Why on earth would we then steal your master's gold or silver? With whomever of us you find anything, let him be put to death, while the rest of us will consent to be your master's slaves."
"Let it be as you say," said the steward. "Whoever is found with the cup will become my master's slave. But the others will not be punished."
Quickly they all took down their sacks and each man opened his for inspection. The steward searched in all of them, the eldest first. In the last sack, that of the youngest, Benjamin, he discovered the silver chalice.
Tearing their clothes in despair, the brothers repacked their donkeys and traveled back to the city. Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers returned. They bowed and made obeisance before him.
“How did you think you could get away with this?” Joseph asked of them. "Didn't you know that I am a skilled diviner and clairvoyant?"
Judah said to him, "What can we say to you? How can we answer the charge? How can we clear ourselves? You have proved the guilt of your servant. We are your slaves, all of us, as well as the one with whom the cup was found."
"God forbid that I should do so," replied Joseph. "Only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father."
Judah drew near and boldly addressed the governor, "Pardon, sir, but may I have a private word with you. Please don't take offense against your servant, for you are as the Pharaoh. Master, the first time we were here, you asked us if we had a father or brother. We told you, 'Master, we have a father who's an old man and a young brother who was born when he was old. His full brother is dead so he is the only child of his mother; he is dearly loved by his father.' And you told your servants, 'Bring him here so I can take a look at him.' We suggested to my master, 'It would kill his father if his son left him.' And you told us, 'Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will be allowed to see me no more.' When we returned to our father, we told him all that my master had said. Our father told us, 'Go back and buy us a little more grain.' And we told him, 'We can't go, unless our youngest brother accompanies us and we go together. Without him we dare not face the governor.' He replied to us, 'You know that my wife bore my only two children. One left me. You told me he was killed by a wild animal, and he was never seen again.' If you take away his brother and something happens to him, you will break his heart and drive the old man to his grave. You see, I can't return to your servant, my father, without the boy, for his life is so caught up with that of the boy, that when he sees he's not with us, we, your servants, will be responsible for breaking the old man's heart and driving him to his grave. I, your servant, gave my word to my father that I would bring him back and if I do not I will be forever shamed in the eyes of my father. Therefore, please, let me serve you instead, and let the boy go back home with his brothers. For how can I face my father without the boy with me? How can I see calamity overtake my father?"
Joseph could no longer control his emotions in the presence of those before him. He ordered, "Clear the room!" and when he was alone with his brothers, he revealed himself to them, weeping so loudly that his Egyptian servants and all in the Pharaoh's household could hear him.
"I am Joseph!" he announced to his brothers. "Is my father still alive?"
Thunderstruck at the revelation, the brothers could barely speak.
"Please, come near me," he told them. They did so and he spoke kindly to them, "I am indeed your brother Joseph whom you sold as a slave into Egypt. Don't be afraid or reproach yourself that you sold me here, for it is according to God's plan that I came here ahead you and am in a position to save your lives. Famine has been upon the land for two years and there are five more years remaining when there will be no ploughing and no harvesting. God sent me that I might preserve your lives and give you food to eat. So it was not by your doing that I came here, but by that of God, and it was He who made me like a father to the Pharaoh, the overseer of his household and the governor of Egypt."
"Now don't delay. Go back to my father and tell him that his son Joseph says, 'God has made me the master of all Egypt. Come down at once to see me. You may settle in the land of Goshen so that you can be near me. Bring your children, your grandchildren, all your flocks and herds, all that you possess. I will see to it that you are taken care of, for there are still five more years of want. Otherwise you, your household, and your livestock will perish in the famine.'"
"You have seen with your own eyes and so has your brother Benjamin that it is I who tells you this in our own native tongue. Tell my father of my success and good fortune and of all that you have witnessed in Egypt. And waste no time in bringing my father here!"
Joseph and Benjamin embraced each other and they both wept. He embraced and kissed his other brothers as well, after which they felt enough at ease to converse with him.
Notes
1. Instead of being honest and above board, Joseph resorts to trickery to bring his brother Benjamin back to Egypt. Apparently, he initially intended to be rid of other, half brothers, who, after all, had treated him ill. As long as he has the company of Benjamin, Joseph is happy to send them back to Canaan in ignorance. His ruse frames Benjamin and makes him seem a thief and an ingrate. It makes his concern for the young brother seem very selfish -- make Benjamin a slave and destroy his reputation as an honest man, just so he can be with him? In the end, Joseph reveals himself and there is a happy family reunion with everything forgiven, a classic happy ending. Joseph is exalted above the brothers who despised him and sold him into slavery, although the brothers are hardly punished for their act, which, in fact, makes it possible for them to survive the famine.
2. At this point Jehovah no longer seems an active presence and there no account of his personally communicating with or appearing before any of Abraham's tribe. He is remembered and worshiped as the manifest God, no longer a personal patron. Of course, in the account, all that happens, happens according to his will, as is expected of a legendary history interpreted in a religious context. The books of Homer, though hardly religious in nature, attribute much of what transpires to the machinations of the gods.
3. The silver chalice that is planted in Benjamin's pack was used by Joseph not only as a drinking vessel, but as a tool for divination. (Perhaps he used it for scrying, that is, staring into the water and while in a trance-like state, seeing visions upon the surface of the water.) Joseph has already shown his ability as a psychic and interpreter of dreams. He is a seer as well. He brags about this to his brothers, as if to threaten them with his powers as a wizard.
4. After Joseph reveals himself, it is odd that he asks his brothers whether his father is still alive. He had just been informed by them a short time before (hours?) that Jacob was alive and in good health.
5. Joseph seems to forgive his brothers, but this arguably not too difficult because it was their ill will that was responsible for his grand success. They sold him into slavery, but it turned out they had done him a great favor. Why shouldn’t he be magnanimous at this point?
Joseph ordered the steward of his household, "Fill their sacks to the brim and put the purchase money inside each of the sacks. In the sack of the youngest one I want you to slip in my silver drinking cup, as well as the money paid for the grain." And it was done.
When morning came, the sons of Israel mounted their donkeys and were sent on their way. After they had departed the city and had traveled some distance, Joseph told his steward, "Pursue the men and overtake them and when you do, say this to them, 'Why do you return evil for good? Why have you stolen my master's chalice that he uses for drinking and for divination. That was a wicked thing to do." The steward did overtake them and spoke the words to them he was commanded to say.
They answered him, "Why does your master say these things? Your servants would never commit such a vile deed. Look, the money we found inside our sacks we brought back -- all the way from the land of Canaan. Why on earth would we then steal your master's gold or silver? With whomever of us you find anything, let him be put to death, while the rest of us will consent to be your master's slaves."
"Let it be as you say," said the steward. "Whoever is found with the cup will become my master's slave. But the others will not be punished."
Quickly they all took down their sacks and each man opened his for inspection. The steward searched in all of them, the eldest first. In the last sack, that of the youngest, Benjamin, he discovered the silver chalice.
Tearing their clothes in despair, the brothers repacked their donkeys and traveled back to the city. Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers returned. They bowed and made obeisance before him.
“How did you think you could get away with this?” Joseph asked of them. "Didn't you know that I am a skilled diviner and clairvoyant?"
Judah said to him, "What can we say to you? How can we answer the charge? How can we clear ourselves? You have proved the guilt of your servant. We are your slaves, all of us, as well as the one with whom the cup was found."
"God forbid that I should do so," replied Joseph. "Only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father."
Judah drew near and boldly addressed the governor, "Pardon, sir, but may I have a private word with you. Please don't take offense against your servant, for you are as the Pharaoh. Master, the first time we were here, you asked us if we had a father or brother. We told you, 'Master, we have a father who's an old man and a young brother who was born when he was old. His full brother is dead so he is the only child of his mother; he is dearly loved by his father.' And you told your servants, 'Bring him here so I can take a look at him.' We suggested to my master, 'It would kill his father if his son left him.' And you told us, 'Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will be allowed to see me no more.' When we returned to our father, we told him all that my master had said. Our father told us, 'Go back and buy us a little more grain.' And we told him, 'We can't go, unless our youngest brother accompanies us and we go together. Without him we dare not face the governor.' He replied to us, 'You know that my wife bore my only two children. One left me. You told me he was killed by a wild animal, and he was never seen again.' If you take away his brother and something happens to him, you will break his heart and drive the old man to his grave. You see, I can't return to your servant, my father, without the boy, for his life is so caught up with that of the boy, that when he sees he's not with us, we, your servants, will be responsible for breaking the old man's heart and driving him to his grave. I, your servant, gave my word to my father that I would bring him back and if I do not I will be forever shamed in the eyes of my father. Therefore, please, let me serve you instead, and let the boy go back home with his brothers. For how can I face my father without the boy with me? How can I see calamity overtake my father?"
Joseph could no longer control his emotions in the presence of those before him. He ordered, "Clear the room!" and when he was alone with his brothers, he revealed himself to them, weeping so loudly that his Egyptian servants and all in the Pharaoh's household could hear him.
"I am Joseph!" he announced to his brothers. "Is my father still alive?"
Thunderstruck at the revelation, the brothers could barely speak.
"Please, come near me," he told them. They did so and he spoke kindly to them, "I am indeed your brother Joseph whom you sold as a slave into Egypt. Don't be afraid or reproach yourself that you sold me here, for it is according to God's plan that I came here ahead you and am in a position to save your lives. Famine has been upon the land for two years and there are five more years remaining when there will be no ploughing and no harvesting. God sent me that I might preserve your lives and give you food to eat. So it was not by your doing that I came here, but by that of God, and it was He who made me like a father to the Pharaoh, the overseer of his household and the governor of Egypt."
"Now don't delay. Go back to my father and tell him that his son Joseph says, 'God has made me the master of all Egypt. Come down at once to see me. You may settle in the land of Goshen so that you can be near me. Bring your children, your grandchildren, all your flocks and herds, all that you possess. I will see to it that you are taken care of, for there are still five more years of want. Otherwise you, your household, and your livestock will perish in the famine.'"
"You have seen with your own eyes and so has your brother Benjamin that it is I who tells you this in our own native tongue. Tell my father of my success and good fortune and of all that you have witnessed in Egypt. And waste no time in bringing my father here!"
Joseph and Benjamin embraced each other and they both wept. He embraced and kissed his other brothers as well, after which they felt enough at ease to converse with him.
Notes
1. Instead of being honest and above board, Joseph resorts to trickery to bring his brother Benjamin back to Egypt. Apparently, he initially intended to be rid of other, half brothers, who, after all, had treated him ill. As long as he has the company of Benjamin, Joseph is happy to send them back to Canaan in ignorance. His ruse frames Benjamin and makes him seem a thief and an ingrate. It makes his concern for the young brother seem very selfish -- make Benjamin a slave and destroy his reputation as an honest man, just so he can be with him? In the end, Joseph reveals himself and there is a happy family reunion with everything forgiven, a classic happy ending. Joseph is exalted above the brothers who despised him and sold him into slavery, although the brothers are hardly punished for their act, which, in fact, makes it possible for them to survive the famine.
2. At this point Jehovah no longer seems an active presence and there no account of his personally communicating with or appearing before any of Abraham's tribe. He is remembered and worshiped as the manifest God, no longer a personal patron. Of course, in the account, all that happens, happens according to his will, as is expected of a legendary history interpreted in a religious context. The books of Homer, though hardly religious in nature, attribute much of what transpires to the machinations of the gods.
3. The silver chalice that is planted in Benjamin's pack was used by Joseph not only as a drinking vessel, but as a tool for divination. (Perhaps he used it for scrying, that is, staring into the water and while in a trance-like state, seeing visions upon the surface of the water.) Joseph has already shown his ability as a psychic and interpreter of dreams. He is a seer as well. He brags about this to his brothers, as if to threaten them with his powers as a wizard.
4. After Joseph reveals himself, it is odd that he asks his brothers whether his father is still alive. He had just been informed by them a short time before (hours?) that Jacob was alive and in good health.
5. Joseph seems to forgive his brothers, but this arguably not too difficult because it was their ill will that was responsible for his grand success. They sold him into slavery, but it turned out they had done him a great favor. Why shouldn’t he be magnanimous at this point?
The History of Joseph, Part Five
(Genesis 43:01 - 43:34)
The famine worsened and ravaged the land of Canaan. When the food they had brought from Egypt was consumed, Jacob told his sons, "Go back and buy us a little more grain."
Judah spoke to him, "The governor of Egypt vowed, 'You will not be granted another audience with me, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.' If you'll let us take Benjamin with us, then we can go down there together and buy what we need to survive. But if you don't agree, we won't go, because, as I said before, he warned us, 'You will not be permitted to see me again, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.'"
Israel replied, "Why did you see fit to tell him about your youngest brother and give me such grief? "
They answered, "He specifically inquired about our family. 'Is your father still alive? Do you have any other brothers?' We simply answered what he asked us. How could we know he would demand, 'You must bring your youngest brother here'?"
Judah said to his father Israel, "Give me custody of the boy. We will make the trip so that our families will be able to survive and not starve to death. I'll assume responsibility for Benjamin's safety and if I don’t bring him safely back to you, I will be forever to blame. ... If not for this delay, we could have been down there and back by this time."
Israel assented, “If it must be, have it your way! But carry with you as gifts for the governor some of the choicest products of our land, balm and honey, storax, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. And take double the money, returning the money found inside your sacks, in case it being there was an error. Take Benjamin with you, be off, and return to the governor. May the all-powerful God help you find favor with this man, that he may release your brother Simeon whom he holds as a hostage and send back Benjamin as well. If I must be separated from my children, so be it.”
And the sons of Israel took the double money, the gifts, and Benjamin and journeyed again to Egypt, where they were presented to Joseph. When Joseph saw them and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, "Welcome them into the house and make them feel at home. Butcher some livestock and prepare a feast, for these men will dine with me at noon."
The steward did what he was ordered and escorted the men into the house, but the brothers were very apprehensive and said to one other, "Because of the money we took back in our sacks when we returned from our first visit, he is going to make a false accusation against us. He will arrest us, confiscate our donkeys, and make us slaves." Therefore, at the threshold of the house, they took aside the steward and appealed to him, "Please, sir, listen to us. Once before we came here to buy food. We paid for the food we bought, but when we opened our grain sacks at a halting place on the trail, we found our money inside. We've brought that money back, as well as additional silver of an equal weight to buy more of what we need. --- We have no idea who put the money in our sacks."
The steward replied, “Set your mind at ease. Have no fear. It is your god, the god the serves your father who must have left the treasure you found in your sacks. The money you paid me has been accounted for.” And he brought out Simeon to them. Ushering them into the house, he gave them water to wash their feet and feed for their donkeys.
Hearing that they were to dine there at noon, they brought out the presents they had brought for the governor. When Joseph arrived, they bowed before him and proffered the gifts. Joseph responded graciously and inquired after their health. "Is your father well -- the old man you spoke of? Is he still alive?"
"Yes, sir, he is alive and in good health," they answered, bowing again and making obeisance.
Joseph then noticed the presence of Benjamin, his full brother, the only other son of his mother. "Is this the younger brother you told me about?" He spoke to him, "May God bless you, my son." Joseph, though, was so overcome by brotherly affection that he had to excuse himself and retire quickly to a private room where he could succumb to tears. After washing his face, he reappeared and succeeded in controlling his emotions.
"Let dinner be served!" he declared, and the meal was served. However, Joseph and his Egyptian guests sat separately and ate apart from the brothers (for the Egyptians deem it improper to take a meal in the company of Hebrews and indeed, regard it as an abomination to do so.) To their amazement, the brothers were seated in order of their age and seniority. The dishes from Joseph’s table were sent in to them, but Benjamin was given servings that were far larger than those given his older brothers. They celebrated with Joseph, drank their fill, and made merry.
Notes
1. It is interesting that Judah seems to be assuming a leadership position among the brothers. It is he who offers to take charge of young Benjamin on the trip to Egypt. Jacob (Israel) accepts his offer when he had earlier refused a similar one from Reuben. The role of Judah is probably expanded in the narrative because of his later importance. Also it should be noted that his elder brothers had more or less discredited themselves. Reuben was an adulterer, and Simeon and Levi, mass murderers.
2. The brothers are suspicious of Joseph's generosity and must wonder at the cause of it and of his unusual curiosity in their family affairs. It is amazing that they fail to recognize Joseph. Even though two decades had passed, he would have been clean shaven and could not have looked so different from when he did as a youth. Yet, we find this non-recognition a familiar theme in many stories, from the Bible to Homer to Shakespeare.
3. When Joseph sees his brother Benjamin, it is likely that this is first time he had ever seen him. It is not entirely clear from the text, but the chronology suggests that Benjamin was born after Joseph was sold into slavery and, therefore, was at least seventeen years younger. If this is the case, Benjamin could be, at this point, as old as twenty, but probably some years younger, since he is always referred to as “boy”. However, this scenario does not explain why Joseph never asks about his mother Rachel, whose death he could not be aware of.
4. The brothers are not allowed to eat with Joseph, since, according to the narrative, the Egyptians maintained a segregation between themselves and foreigners. This is a statement by Joseph that he no longer considers himself a Hebrew, but an Egyptian, even if by adoption.
The famine worsened and ravaged the land of Canaan. When the food they had brought from Egypt was consumed, Jacob told his sons, "Go back and buy us a little more grain."
Judah spoke to him, "The governor of Egypt vowed, 'You will not be granted another audience with me, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.' If you'll let us take Benjamin with us, then we can go down there together and buy what we need to survive. But if you don't agree, we won't go, because, as I said before, he warned us, 'You will not be permitted to see me again, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.'"
Israel replied, "Why did you see fit to tell him about your youngest brother and give me such grief? "
They answered, "He specifically inquired about our family. 'Is your father still alive? Do you have any other brothers?' We simply answered what he asked us. How could we know he would demand, 'You must bring your youngest brother here'?"
Judah said to his father Israel, "Give me custody of the boy. We will make the trip so that our families will be able to survive and not starve to death. I'll assume responsibility for Benjamin's safety and if I don’t bring him safely back to you, I will be forever to blame. ... If not for this delay, we could have been down there and back by this time."
Israel assented, “If it must be, have it your way! But carry with you as gifts for the governor some of the choicest products of our land, balm and honey, storax, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. And take double the money, returning the money found inside your sacks, in case it being there was an error. Take Benjamin with you, be off, and return to the governor. May the all-powerful God help you find favor with this man, that he may release your brother Simeon whom he holds as a hostage and send back Benjamin as well. If I must be separated from my children, so be it.”
And the sons of Israel took the double money, the gifts, and Benjamin and journeyed again to Egypt, where they were presented to Joseph. When Joseph saw them and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, "Welcome them into the house and make them feel at home. Butcher some livestock and prepare a feast, for these men will dine with me at noon."
The steward did what he was ordered and escorted the men into the house, but the brothers were very apprehensive and said to one other, "Because of the money we took back in our sacks when we returned from our first visit, he is going to make a false accusation against us. He will arrest us, confiscate our donkeys, and make us slaves." Therefore, at the threshold of the house, they took aside the steward and appealed to him, "Please, sir, listen to us. Once before we came here to buy food. We paid for the food we bought, but when we opened our grain sacks at a halting place on the trail, we found our money inside. We've brought that money back, as well as additional silver of an equal weight to buy more of what we need. --- We have no idea who put the money in our sacks."
The steward replied, “Set your mind at ease. Have no fear. It is your god, the god the serves your father who must have left the treasure you found in your sacks. The money you paid me has been accounted for.” And he brought out Simeon to them. Ushering them into the house, he gave them water to wash their feet and feed for their donkeys.
Hearing that they were to dine there at noon, they brought out the presents they had brought for the governor. When Joseph arrived, they bowed before him and proffered the gifts. Joseph responded graciously and inquired after their health. "Is your father well -- the old man you spoke of? Is he still alive?"
"Yes, sir, he is alive and in good health," they answered, bowing again and making obeisance.
Joseph then noticed the presence of Benjamin, his full brother, the only other son of his mother. "Is this the younger brother you told me about?" He spoke to him, "May God bless you, my son." Joseph, though, was so overcome by brotherly affection that he had to excuse himself and retire quickly to a private room where he could succumb to tears. After washing his face, he reappeared and succeeded in controlling his emotions.
"Let dinner be served!" he declared, and the meal was served. However, Joseph and his Egyptian guests sat separately and ate apart from the brothers (for the Egyptians deem it improper to take a meal in the company of Hebrews and indeed, regard it as an abomination to do so.) To their amazement, the brothers were seated in order of their age and seniority. The dishes from Joseph’s table were sent in to them, but Benjamin was given servings that were far larger than those given his older brothers. They celebrated with Joseph, drank their fill, and made merry.
Notes
1. It is interesting that Judah seems to be assuming a leadership position among the brothers. It is he who offers to take charge of young Benjamin on the trip to Egypt. Jacob (Israel) accepts his offer when he had earlier refused a similar one from Reuben. The role of Judah is probably expanded in the narrative because of his later importance. Also it should be noted that his elder brothers had more or less discredited themselves. Reuben was an adulterer, and Simeon and Levi, mass murderers.
2. The brothers are suspicious of Joseph's generosity and must wonder at the cause of it and of his unusual curiosity in their family affairs. It is amazing that they fail to recognize Joseph. Even though two decades had passed, he would have been clean shaven and could not have looked so different from when he did as a youth. Yet, we find this non-recognition a familiar theme in many stories, from the Bible to Homer to Shakespeare.
3. When Joseph sees his brother Benjamin, it is likely that this is first time he had ever seen him. It is not entirely clear from the text, but the chronology suggests that Benjamin was born after Joseph was sold into slavery and, therefore, was at least seventeen years younger. If this is the case, Benjamin could be, at this point, as old as twenty, but probably some years younger, since he is always referred to as “boy”. However, this scenario does not explain why Joseph never asks about his mother Rachel, whose death he could not be aware of.
4. The brothers are not allowed to eat with Joseph, since, according to the narrative, the Egyptians maintained a segregation between themselves and foreigners. This is a statement by Joseph that he no longer considers himself a Hebrew, but an Egyptian, even if by adoption.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The History of Joseph, Part Four
(Genesis 41:46 - 42:38)
In the service of the Pharaoh, Joseph (who was but 30 years old) departed from the court and set out on an inspection tour to every part of the country.
During the seven years of plenty, harvests were bountiful. Under Joseph's supervision, the surplus wheat was gathered and stored in granaries located in nearby cities. The quantity of grain was so great -- as numerous as the sands on the beach -- that Joseph gave up measuring it.
Before the famine came, Joseph was given two sons by his wife Asenath, the daughter of the priest Potipherah of On. The first was Manasseh [which sounds "made me forget" in Hebrew], for Jehovah had made him forget his travails and his former home. The second was called Ephraim [related to the word "fruitful" in Hebrew], for Jehovah had made him fruitful in this land of his troubles.
The seven years of plenty ended, and the seven years of want began. They came as Joseph had predicted. For a time, as the famine spread over the neighboring countries, there was still food in Egypt. But when the famine struck Egypt, the populace appealed to the Pharaoh to feed them. He told them, "Go see Joseph and do whatever he tells you."
When the severity of the famine increased across the region, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to Egyptians who were suffering from extreme want. Those from other countries came to Egypt to purchase its food, too, since the famine was widespread.
Thus Jacob, learning that there was grain in Egypt, rebuked his sons, "What are you doing standing around staring at each other? I hear that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Get down there and buy some, so we can stay alive and not starve to death!" And so ten of Joseph's brothers set out to Egypt to purchase grain. (Benjamin, Joseph's full brother, was kept at home, because, in his father's words, "something terrible might happen to him on the journey.")
The sons of Israel were among many from those parts that sought to buy grain in Egypt, since the famine was severe in Canaan. Joseph, who governed Egypt, was in charge of selling the grain to those who came for it. When his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him. Joseph recognized his brothers, but, pretending not to know them, he addressed them curtly, as if they were strangers.
"Where do you come from? he demanded. They replied, "We come from the land of Canaan to buy food."
While Joseph knew his brothers, they failed to recognize him. Recalling the dream he had of his brothers bowing before him, he accused them, "You are spies! You've come here to scout out the weaknesses in our defenses caused by the famine."
"No, master," his brothers replied, "your servants are here only to buy food. We are all the sons of the same father. We're honest men, not spies!"
"No, I think you have come instead to scout out the weaknesses in our defenses."
'Your servants are ten of twelve brothers, the sons of a man living in Canaan," they claimed. "The youngest is still with his father and another is no longer living."
But Joseph insisted, "It is as I said before: you are spies! ... I will put your honesty to the test. As the Pharaoh lives, you will not be allowed to leave the country, unless your youngest brother comes here. One of you must go back and bring him here. As the Pharaoh lives, the others will be held in custody until such time as it is proved whether what you claim is true or whether you are, in fact, spies."
Joseph put them into a prison cell together for three days. On the third day he relented and released them. "Do as I say," he told them, "and you shall live -- for I fear God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain in the jail house while the others take home the grain you purchased for the famine. But bring your youngest brother back here. If you do this, that'll confirm you're telling the truth, and your lives will be spared."
The brothers assented. They said to one another, "We are being punished for what we did to our brother Joseph. We saw his despair when he pleaded with us for his life, but we refused to hear him. That's why we're in all this predicament now."
Reuben added, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy! But you wouldn't listen to me. Now we're getting our comeuppance."
(They didn't know that Joseph could understand what they were saying, because he had spoken to them only through an interpreter.)
Joseph absented himself for a time to shed some tears, but then returned to converse further with his brothers. He selected as a hostage, Simeon, and, in their presence, had him shackled and taken away. Joseph ordered his men to fill his brothers' sacks with the grain they had purchased and then to put back the money they had used to pay for it. He also told them to furnish his brothers with provisions for their journey home, which they did.
The brothers loaded the sacks of grain onto their donkeys and went on their way. At a halting place on the trail, one of them opened a grain sack in order to feed his donkey and noticed the money inside. He told his brothers, "My money has been returned to me. Look, it's inside the sack!" Dumbstruck, puzzled, and perturbed, they asked one another, "What has God done to us?"
When they returned home to the land of Canaan, they recounted to Jacob all that had happened to them.
"The governor of the country spoke to us harshly and accused us of being spies. But we told him, ‘We're honest men, we aren't spies. We are of twelve brothers, the son of our father. One is no longer living, the youngest remains with his father in Canaan.’ And this man, the governor of the country, told us, 'I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take the food to feed your hungry families, and be gone. But bring your youngest brother here so that I may know you are not spies, but honest men. The brother left behind as a hostage I will release, and you can thereafter trade freely in the country.'"
When they all emptied their grain sacks, each man found his money inside the sack. When Jacob and his sons saw all the purses filled with silver, they were quite alarmed.
Jacob complained to them, "You are taking all my sons away from me. Joseph's gone. Simeon's gone. Now you want to take away Benjamin. You'll leave me with no one!"
Reuben pleaded with his father, "If I can't bring Benjamin back to you, you can put my two sons to death. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back to you."
Jacob refused. "No, my son won't go there with you! I've already lost his brother Joseph and now, he's the only son of Rachel left. If something happens to him on the journey, it'll drive this sad, old gray-head to his grave."
Notes
1. Joseph, by far the most admirable character (including Jehovah) so far presented in the Old Testament, does not, however, yet aspire to the Christian ideal of charitable forgiveness. Pretending not to know his own brothers, he shows he is obviously a member of a family noted for deviousness. But his subterfuge is somewhat understandable, and his trickery, unlike that of his father, does not seem despicable. Indeed, one would not blame him too much if he choose to put his half brothers to death for the treachery they had committed against him -- even though it all turned out pretty well for Joseph.
2. The young Benjamin becomes a pivotal character in this story without doing anything. He is Joseph's only full brother, they both being the children of Rachel. Joseph apparently has feelings for his much younger brother and devises any scheme he can to coerce his half brothers to bring him down to Egypt, apparently so he can be with him. Benjamin, Jacob's youngest, is still his father's favorite, though, and Jacob, overly protective, seems unwilling to part with him or even to allow him to experience any kind of hazard.
3. Reuben, who is Jacob's eldest son, tries to take a leadership role. Years before, he had failed to persuade his brothers from selling Joseph into slavery, and now he tells them, "I told you so." He takes the initiative in offering to escort Benjamin to Egypt, but his father (maybe still mad at him for having an affair with one of his wives) doesn't trust him enough to allow it.
4. At this point Jacob gives the impression of being a crotchety, self-centered old man who is disgruntled with his seemingly worthless grown sons. He clings to the cherished memory of his great love, Rachel, and showers all his affection upon what he believes to be their remaining son, Benjamin.
In the service of the Pharaoh, Joseph (who was but 30 years old) departed from the court and set out on an inspection tour to every part of the country.
During the seven years of plenty, harvests were bountiful. Under Joseph's supervision, the surplus wheat was gathered and stored in granaries located in nearby cities. The quantity of grain was so great -- as numerous as the sands on the beach -- that Joseph gave up measuring it.
Before the famine came, Joseph was given two sons by his wife Asenath, the daughter of the priest Potipherah of On. The first was Manasseh [which sounds "made me forget" in Hebrew], for Jehovah had made him forget his travails and his former home. The second was called Ephraim [related to the word "fruitful" in Hebrew], for Jehovah had made him fruitful in this land of his troubles.
The seven years of plenty ended, and the seven years of want began. They came as Joseph had predicted. For a time, as the famine spread over the neighboring countries, there was still food in Egypt. But when the famine struck Egypt, the populace appealed to the Pharaoh to feed them. He told them, "Go see Joseph and do whatever he tells you."
When the severity of the famine increased across the region, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to Egyptians who were suffering from extreme want. Those from other countries came to Egypt to purchase its food, too, since the famine was widespread.
Thus Jacob, learning that there was grain in Egypt, rebuked his sons, "What are you doing standing around staring at each other? I hear that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Get down there and buy some, so we can stay alive and not starve to death!" And so ten of Joseph's brothers set out to Egypt to purchase grain. (Benjamin, Joseph's full brother, was kept at home, because, in his father's words, "something terrible might happen to him on the journey.")
The sons of Israel were among many from those parts that sought to buy grain in Egypt, since the famine was severe in Canaan. Joseph, who governed Egypt, was in charge of selling the grain to those who came for it. When his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him. Joseph recognized his brothers, but, pretending not to know them, he addressed them curtly, as if they were strangers.
"Where do you come from? he demanded. They replied, "We come from the land of Canaan to buy food."
While Joseph knew his brothers, they failed to recognize him. Recalling the dream he had of his brothers bowing before him, he accused them, "You are spies! You've come here to scout out the weaknesses in our defenses caused by the famine."
"No, master," his brothers replied, "your servants are here only to buy food. We are all the sons of the same father. We're honest men, not spies!"
"No, I think you have come instead to scout out the weaknesses in our defenses."
'Your servants are ten of twelve brothers, the sons of a man living in Canaan," they claimed. "The youngest is still with his father and another is no longer living."
But Joseph insisted, "It is as I said before: you are spies! ... I will put your honesty to the test. As the Pharaoh lives, you will not be allowed to leave the country, unless your youngest brother comes here. One of you must go back and bring him here. As the Pharaoh lives, the others will be held in custody until such time as it is proved whether what you claim is true or whether you are, in fact, spies."
Joseph put them into a prison cell together for three days. On the third day he relented and released them. "Do as I say," he told them, "and you shall live -- for I fear God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain in the jail house while the others take home the grain you purchased for the famine. But bring your youngest brother back here. If you do this, that'll confirm you're telling the truth, and your lives will be spared."
The brothers assented. They said to one another, "We are being punished for what we did to our brother Joseph. We saw his despair when he pleaded with us for his life, but we refused to hear him. That's why we're in all this predicament now."
Reuben added, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy! But you wouldn't listen to me. Now we're getting our comeuppance."
(They didn't know that Joseph could understand what they were saying, because he had spoken to them only through an interpreter.)
Joseph absented himself for a time to shed some tears, but then returned to converse further with his brothers. He selected as a hostage, Simeon, and, in their presence, had him shackled and taken away. Joseph ordered his men to fill his brothers' sacks with the grain they had purchased and then to put back the money they had used to pay for it. He also told them to furnish his brothers with provisions for their journey home, which they did.
The brothers loaded the sacks of grain onto their donkeys and went on their way. At a halting place on the trail, one of them opened a grain sack in order to feed his donkey and noticed the money inside. He told his brothers, "My money has been returned to me. Look, it's inside the sack!" Dumbstruck, puzzled, and perturbed, they asked one another, "What has God done to us?"
When they returned home to the land of Canaan, they recounted to Jacob all that had happened to them.
"The governor of the country spoke to us harshly and accused us of being spies. But we told him, ‘We're honest men, we aren't spies. We are of twelve brothers, the son of our father. One is no longer living, the youngest remains with his father in Canaan.’ And this man, the governor of the country, told us, 'I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take the food to feed your hungry families, and be gone. But bring your youngest brother here so that I may know you are not spies, but honest men. The brother left behind as a hostage I will release, and you can thereafter trade freely in the country.'"
When they all emptied their grain sacks, each man found his money inside the sack. When Jacob and his sons saw all the purses filled with silver, they were quite alarmed.
Jacob complained to them, "You are taking all my sons away from me. Joseph's gone. Simeon's gone. Now you want to take away Benjamin. You'll leave me with no one!"
Reuben pleaded with his father, "If I can't bring Benjamin back to you, you can put my two sons to death. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back to you."
Jacob refused. "No, my son won't go there with you! I've already lost his brother Joseph and now, he's the only son of Rachel left. If something happens to him on the journey, it'll drive this sad, old gray-head to his grave."
Notes
1. Joseph, by far the most admirable character (including Jehovah) so far presented in the Old Testament, does not, however, yet aspire to the Christian ideal of charitable forgiveness. Pretending not to know his own brothers, he shows he is obviously a member of a family noted for deviousness. But his subterfuge is somewhat understandable, and his trickery, unlike that of his father, does not seem despicable. Indeed, one would not blame him too much if he choose to put his half brothers to death for the treachery they had committed against him -- even though it all turned out pretty well for Joseph.
2. The young Benjamin becomes a pivotal character in this story without doing anything. He is Joseph's only full brother, they both being the children of Rachel. Joseph apparently has feelings for his much younger brother and devises any scheme he can to coerce his half brothers to bring him down to Egypt, apparently so he can be with him. Benjamin, Jacob's youngest, is still his father's favorite, though, and Jacob, overly protective, seems unwilling to part with him or even to allow him to experience any kind of hazard.
3. Reuben, who is Jacob's eldest son, tries to take a leadership role. Years before, he had failed to persuade his brothers from selling Joseph into slavery, and now he tells them, "I told you so." He takes the initiative in offering to escort Benjamin to Egypt, but his father (maybe still mad at him for having an affair with one of his wives) doesn't trust him enough to allow it.
4. At this point Jacob gives the impression of being a crotchety, self-centered old man who is disgruntled with his seemingly worthless grown sons. He clings to the cherished memory of his great love, Rachel, and showers all his affection upon what he believes to be their remaining son, Benjamin.
Monday, June 3, 2013
The History of Joseph, Part Three
(Genesis 41:01 - 41:45)
After the end of two years it happened that the Pharaoh had a dream. In it, he stood by a river. From the river there emerged seven plump, handsome cows who grazed in the reed grass. Seven more cows, these lean and poorly, came out of the river and stood by the river bank. The lean and poorly cows then devoured the plump, handsome ones. The Pharaoh awoke.
The Pharaoh went back to sleep and had a second dream. In this one, he saw seven ears of grain sprouting on a single stalk. They were full and well formed. Seven other ears appeared, these being blighted and blasted by the searing wind. The blighted ears then displaced the full ones. The Pharaoh awoke and realized it was only a dream.
In the morning, the Pharaoh, disturbed by his dreams, summoned all the sages and soothsayers of Egypt. When they came before him, he recounted his dreams to them, but there was none who could give him an interpretation of them.
After a time, the Pharaoh's cup-bearer spoke up and addressed the Pharaoh. "This makes me remember a time when I offended you. Pharaoh was then angry with his servants and ordered his chief baker and me put into the royal prison. One night there each of us had a dream, each with its own meaning. There was a young man there, a Hebrew, who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he gave each of us an interpretation. What he claimed they foretold of our futures turned out to be correct -- I was restored to my position and the baker was executed."
The Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly removed from prison, shaven, given some new clothes, and presented to the Pharaoh.
The Pharaoh told him, "I have a dream that no one is able to understand. I am told that you have a talent for interpreting dreams."
“It is not I, but God who will furnish you with an answer," was Joseph's response.
And so the Pharaoh related what he had dreamed: "I found myself on the bank of a river. There came up out of the water seven plump, handsome cows who grazed in the reed grass. Then, after them seven more cows appeared. These were lean and poorly, nothing but skin and bones --the ugliest cows I've ever seen in Egypt. The lean cows ate the plump ones that had appeared first, but even after doing so they remained as lean and poorly as they were before. And so I woke up, but fell asleep and dreamed again. In the second dream, I saw seven ears of grain sprouting on a single stalk. They were full and well formed. Seven other ears appeared, these being blighted, withered, and blasted by the searing wind. The blighted ears then displaced the full ones. ... I told this to my soothsayers, but none of them could find out what it meant."
Joseph answered, "The two dreams of the Pharaoh are a single dream. Through it, God is revealing to the Pharaoh what will soon come to pass. In both dreams, the seven plump cows and the seven full ears represent seven years of plenty. The seven lean and poorly cows that come after, as well as the seven thin ears blasted by the searing wind symbolize seven years of famine that will follow."
"I have told Pharaoh what God has revealed to him and what will come to pass. Beware! Throughout the land of Egypt there will be seven years of plenty, after which there will be seven years of scarcity. During that time, the bounty of the former seven years will be depleted, and Egypt will experience a famine so severe that want and hunger will exhaust the entire land. The dream was sent to Pharaoh twice and in two forms to emphasize that the events, which will soon take place, are divinely ordained."
"Therefore, the Pharaoh should choose a man of wisdom and understanding to administer the affairs of Egypt. He should appoint officers in every region of the country and have them supervise the requisition of one-fifth of all the produce harvested during the seven years of plenty. During these good years, grain should be set aside and stored in city granaries under guard. The stockpiled foodstuffs may then be used by the people during the seven years of want, so that the country will not be devastated by the famine."
Joseph's counsel was well received by the Pharaoh and his advisors. The Pharaoh appealed to his court, "Can't we find someone like this, who understands the divine will?" He turned to address Joseph. "In so much as God has revealed to you all you have told us, can I find any man of greater wisdom and understanding than you? --- You will be my vizier and it will be by your orders that my people will be ruled. No one will be above you except the throne itself."
The Pharaoh continued, "I hereby appoint you governor of the whole country of Egypt!" And he removed a signet ring from his finger and slipped it onto Joseph's finger. He then had him arrayed in robes of finest linen and placed a gold chain around his neck. He presented him the kingdom’s second-best chariot, and when Joseph rode in it, a crier went ahead of him and proclaimed, "On your knees before the governor of all Egypt!"
The Pharaoh said to him, "I am the Pharaoh and I command that no man in Egypt may raise his hand or lift his foot without your say so." He renamed Joseph, Zaphnathpaaneah [meaning "savior of the world" in Egyptian] and gave him as his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, chief priest from the city of On.
And so Joseph assumed the governorship of Egypt.
Notes
1. It is unclear whether the cup-bearer remembers the offense that caused him to be thrown into prison, or his offense in forgetting to speak for Joseph. The former seems the more likely.
2. There is some confirmation from ancient Egyptian sources of a seven year famine occurring when Joseph would have been in Egypt.
3. The Pharaoh at this time was likely a member of the 16th Dynasty of Hyksos kings. The Hyksos were a Semitic people from Asia, perhaps an ethnic mix of peoples, who began settling in Lower (northern) Egypt around 1800 BC. With the collapse of the Middle Kingdom in 1650, they assumed power and founded a Pharaonic dynasty in Lower Egypt, where they ruled until expelled in 1560 when Pharaoh Ahmose, from Thebes, founded the 18th Dynasty and the so-called New Kingdom. If the Pharaoh were a Hyksos and not a native Egyptian, it makes sense that he might appoint as governor (or vizier) a fellow Semite like Joseph. Few scholars find any historical basis for the story of Joseph, but since records of the Hyksos Pharaonic administrations were, for the most part, destroyed by their successors, confirmation of Joseph's existence must remain problematic. (With any legendary history, like that of King Arthur or the Iliad, it is always a challenge to determine where it intersects with literal history, what is only dramatic embellishment, what characters may be fictitious or composites. Identification is often an elusive, sometimes impossible quest.)
3. When Joseph is released from prison and before he is brought to see the Pharaoh, he is given new clothes and a shave. While on the surface, it seems obvious that a prisoner would be made presentable before being introduced at court, some commentators have made more of the reference to his being shaved. Egyptians, even, one presumes, the Hyksos, who adopted most Egyptian customs, would be clean shaven, while Asians were generally bearded. Perhaps Joseph was shaven to seem less foreign, or as a courtesy to the court. The Egyptian nobility, even the women, usually shaved their heads and wore wigs and headdresses, even false beards. Priests, to remain pure, shaved all hair from their bodies. It is possible Joseph was shaven as a priest would be, since he was to perform a priestly function -- soothsaying.
4. The Pharaoh's dream is said to have come as a warning from God, but was it expected that the Pharaoh would understand it, or was it a device to get Joseph out of jail? This is the first time Jehovah, if he was the sender of the dream, showed concern for a people other than Abraham's tribe.
5. Joseph is fitted out not only with a high position, but a wife suited to his rank, a daughter of a priest from On. On is probably Heliopolis, where Potipherah would likely be the chief priest of the sun god Ra, and, therefore, a signally important political, as well as religious figure in the kingdom. Interesting that Joseph's father-in-law is called Potipherah and his former master, Potiphar. The ring given to Joseph by the Pharaoh was a seal by which royal orders would be authorized. Chariots, not known in the Middle East during Abraham’s day, were introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos. Later Pharaohs would love being depicted driving their chariots. (They were drawn by horses that were generally too small to be ridden.)
After the end of two years it happened that the Pharaoh had a dream. In it, he stood by a river. From the river there emerged seven plump, handsome cows who grazed in the reed grass. Seven more cows, these lean and poorly, came out of the river and stood by the river bank. The lean and poorly cows then devoured the plump, handsome ones. The Pharaoh awoke.
The Pharaoh went back to sleep and had a second dream. In this one, he saw seven ears of grain sprouting on a single stalk. They were full and well formed. Seven other ears appeared, these being blighted and blasted by the searing wind. The blighted ears then displaced the full ones. The Pharaoh awoke and realized it was only a dream.
In the morning, the Pharaoh, disturbed by his dreams, summoned all the sages and soothsayers of Egypt. When they came before him, he recounted his dreams to them, but there was none who could give him an interpretation of them.
After a time, the Pharaoh's cup-bearer spoke up and addressed the Pharaoh. "This makes me remember a time when I offended you. Pharaoh was then angry with his servants and ordered his chief baker and me put into the royal prison. One night there each of us had a dream, each with its own meaning. There was a young man there, a Hebrew, who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he gave each of us an interpretation. What he claimed they foretold of our futures turned out to be correct -- I was restored to my position and the baker was executed."
The Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly removed from prison, shaven, given some new clothes, and presented to the Pharaoh.
The Pharaoh told him, "I have a dream that no one is able to understand. I am told that you have a talent for interpreting dreams."
“It is not I, but God who will furnish you with an answer," was Joseph's response.
And so the Pharaoh related what he had dreamed: "I found myself on the bank of a river. There came up out of the water seven plump, handsome cows who grazed in the reed grass. Then, after them seven more cows appeared. These were lean and poorly, nothing but skin and bones --the ugliest cows I've ever seen in Egypt. The lean cows ate the plump ones that had appeared first, but even after doing so they remained as lean and poorly as they were before. And so I woke up, but fell asleep and dreamed again. In the second dream, I saw seven ears of grain sprouting on a single stalk. They were full and well formed. Seven other ears appeared, these being blighted, withered, and blasted by the searing wind. The blighted ears then displaced the full ones. ... I told this to my soothsayers, but none of them could find out what it meant."
Joseph answered, "The two dreams of the Pharaoh are a single dream. Through it, God is revealing to the Pharaoh what will soon come to pass. In both dreams, the seven plump cows and the seven full ears represent seven years of plenty. The seven lean and poorly cows that come after, as well as the seven thin ears blasted by the searing wind symbolize seven years of famine that will follow."
"I have told Pharaoh what God has revealed to him and what will come to pass. Beware! Throughout the land of Egypt there will be seven years of plenty, after which there will be seven years of scarcity. During that time, the bounty of the former seven years will be depleted, and Egypt will experience a famine so severe that want and hunger will exhaust the entire land. The dream was sent to Pharaoh twice and in two forms to emphasize that the events, which will soon take place, are divinely ordained."
"Therefore, the Pharaoh should choose a man of wisdom and understanding to administer the affairs of Egypt. He should appoint officers in every region of the country and have them supervise the requisition of one-fifth of all the produce harvested during the seven years of plenty. During these good years, grain should be set aside and stored in city granaries under guard. The stockpiled foodstuffs may then be used by the people during the seven years of want, so that the country will not be devastated by the famine."
Joseph's counsel was well received by the Pharaoh and his advisors. The Pharaoh appealed to his court, "Can't we find someone like this, who understands the divine will?" He turned to address Joseph. "In so much as God has revealed to you all you have told us, can I find any man of greater wisdom and understanding than you? --- You will be my vizier and it will be by your orders that my people will be ruled. No one will be above you except the throne itself."
The Pharaoh continued, "I hereby appoint you governor of the whole country of Egypt!" And he removed a signet ring from his finger and slipped it onto Joseph's finger. He then had him arrayed in robes of finest linen and placed a gold chain around his neck. He presented him the kingdom’s second-best chariot, and when Joseph rode in it, a crier went ahead of him and proclaimed, "On your knees before the governor of all Egypt!"
The Pharaoh said to him, "I am the Pharaoh and I command that no man in Egypt may raise his hand or lift his foot without your say so." He renamed Joseph, Zaphnathpaaneah [meaning "savior of the world" in Egyptian] and gave him as his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, chief priest from the city of On.
And so Joseph assumed the governorship of Egypt.
Notes
1. It is unclear whether the cup-bearer remembers the offense that caused him to be thrown into prison, or his offense in forgetting to speak for Joseph. The former seems the more likely.
2. There is some confirmation from ancient Egyptian sources of a seven year famine occurring when Joseph would have been in Egypt.
3. The Pharaoh at this time was likely a member of the 16th Dynasty of Hyksos kings. The Hyksos were a Semitic people from Asia, perhaps an ethnic mix of peoples, who began settling in Lower (northern) Egypt around 1800 BC. With the collapse of the Middle Kingdom in 1650, they assumed power and founded a Pharaonic dynasty in Lower Egypt, where they ruled until expelled in 1560 when Pharaoh Ahmose, from Thebes, founded the 18th Dynasty and the so-called New Kingdom. If the Pharaoh were a Hyksos and not a native Egyptian, it makes sense that he might appoint as governor (or vizier) a fellow Semite like Joseph. Few scholars find any historical basis for the story of Joseph, but since records of the Hyksos Pharaonic administrations were, for the most part, destroyed by their successors, confirmation of Joseph's existence must remain problematic. (With any legendary history, like that of King Arthur or the Iliad, it is always a challenge to determine where it intersects with literal history, what is only dramatic embellishment, what characters may be fictitious or composites. Identification is often an elusive, sometimes impossible quest.)
3. When Joseph is released from prison and before he is brought to see the Pharaoh, he is given new clothes and a shave. While on the surface, it seems obvious that a prisoner would be made presentable before being introduced at court, some commentators have made more of the reference to his being shaved. Egyptians, even, one presumes, the Hyksos, who adopted most Egyptian customs, would be clean shaven, while Asians were generally bearded. Perhaps Joseph was shaven to seem less foreign, or as a courtesy to the court. The Egyptian nobility, even the women, usually shaved their heads and wore wigs and headdresses, even false beards. Priests, to remain pure, shaved all hair from their bodies. It is possible Joseph was shaven as a priest would be, since he was to perform a priestly function -- soothsaying.
4. The Pharaoh's dream is said to have come as a warning from God, but was it expected that the Pharaoh would understand it, or was it a device to get Joseph out of jail? This is the first time Jehovah, if he was the sender of the dream, showed concern for a people other than Abraham's tribe.
5. Joseph is fitted out not only with a high position, but a wife suited to his rank, a daughter of a priest from On. On is probably Heliopolis, where Potipherah would likely be the chief priest of the sun god Ra, and, therefore, a signally important political, as well as religious figure in the kingdom. Interesting that Joseph's father-in-law is called Potipherah and his former master, Potiphar. The ring given to Joseph by the Pharaoh was a seal by which royal orders would be authorized. Chariots, not known in the Middle East during Abraham’s day, were introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos. Later Pharaohs would love being depicted driving their chariots. (They were drawn by horses that were generally too small to be ridden.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)