(Exodus 1:01 - 1:22)
These are the names of the children of Israel who accompanied him, with their households, when he emigrated to Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob amounted to 70 persons, not including Joseph who was already resident in Egypt.
Joseph passed away, as did his brothers and all of his generation. The offspring of Israel were prolific, though, and their numbers increased dramatically; they grew in power and influence and the land teemed with their population.
But there came to power in Egypt a dynasty of Pharaohs who had no acquaintance with Joseph's people. The new Pharaoh warned his countrymen, “Look, the Israelites are becoming as numerous and as powerful as we are. In the event that they continue to multiply, it may happen that in time of war, they will side with our enemies and thus defeat us and take over the country. Therefore, it would be wise on our part to deal severely with them."
Therefore, the Pharaoh charged task masters to compel the Israelites to work as slaves for the Pharaoh, building the fortified cities of Pithom and Rameses. However, the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more their numbers increased and the more the Egyptians detested and persecuted them. The Egyptians demanded hard labor from the Israelites and made their lives miserable with hardships. Toiling as agricultural laborers and construction workers, the Israelites were always driven ruthlessly and rigorously.
The Pharaoh spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah, and the other Puah, "When you are called in to minister to Hebrew women and a baby is about to be delivered, put the baby to death if it be a boy, if a girl, keep it alive."
The midwives, though, had a greater fear of God and so they defied the Pharaoh, allowing the male babies to live. The Pharaoh summoned them again and demanded, "Why is it that you are sparing the male babies?"
They replied, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women: they're very hardy. They give birth to their babies before we can arrive to tend them."
God was pleased with what the midwives had done, allowing the Hebrew people to continue to propagate and multiply. Because they had served him well, God rewarded the midwives by giving them families of their own.
The Pharaoh then ordered all the Hebrew people, "Every son born to you must be cast into the river; the life of every daughter may be spared."
Notes
1. It seems likely that the new Pharaoh, who was not acquainted with Joseph's people, was probably that of a new dynasty since a son or other family member of Joseph's Pharaoh would have known him and his people well. Several scenarios have been proposed to fit the Biblical narrative into Egyptian history, none very satisfactory. If the Pharaoh of Joseph's time had been a Hyksos, then the new Pharaoh would be of the native New Kingdom dynasty, to wit, Ahmose who reigned from 1550-1525 B.C. according to accepted Egyptian chronology (which is very likely to be wrong!) The existence of a large population of Semitic settlers inhabiting the Nile Delta after the expulsion of the Semitic Hyksos, however, is simply not credible historically, militating against this hypothesis. Or, the new Pharaoh was a Hyksos and the old Pharaoh belonged to the Middle Kingdom. A Hyksos Pharaoh might be worried that the Hebrews were more numerous than his own people, however, it seems unlikely that the Semitic Hyksos would be so inhospitable to fellow Semites, allies, one would think, against the native Egyptians. On the other hand, if the new Pharaoh were of the New Kingdom, there would be little reason to fear that the Hebrews would overwhelm them with their numbers. (Egypt was a relatively populous country in ancient times.) --- The inability to fit this story convincingly into well-established Egyptian history is best explained by accepting the likelihood that parts of the story, if not most or all of it, are fictional. Exalting the figure of Joseph into a national hero served propaganda purposes. Creating an earlier period of Hebrew bondage was in the interest of those who were writing during the Babylonian Captivity when the Old Testament was compiled. (The message of hope to their people would have been, "Although we are in bondage, exiled from our native land, do not despair. This happened once before in our past. We were in bondage in Egypt hundreds of years ago. We suffered and were persecuted there as we are here now. But, we were delivered and returned to our native land, as Jehovah had promised us." Much of the Old Testament promulgates that agenda.)
2. The ordered killing of all male Hebrew children, this time by the Pharaoh, is a recurring Old and even New Testament theme. Although one could imagine an Assyrian or a Chaldean monarch ordering something of that sort, it hardly rings true in regard to the rulers of Pharaonic Egypt, which had relatively enlightened views on human relations.
3. The emphasis on the Israelites being very prolific and their population increasing to a very great extent is important to the credibility of the story, which requires a considerable number of Jacob's tribe be living in Egypt to make them seem a threat to the Egyptians and to provide a justification for their bondage. While a single man may in five generations time have a couple hundred thousand descendants, if each and every one produces a dozen children, in reality this never happens. There is in the text thus far no indication of the amount of time passing from Joseph' death to the beginning of the Israelite's bondage, but the impression given is that it could not possibly be sufficient to yield a large enough population for the story that unfolds.
4. It makes little sense for the Egyptians to exterminate the Israelites once they had made them slaves. One would think they would want more and more of them as workers. Ancient Athens had far more slaves than citizens and Rome supported a huge slave population that only occasionally became restive (eg. Spartacus). More recently, the Antebellum South tried to increase its slave population as much as it could, with slave owners often aiding the propagation personally.
5. Pithom and Rameses, cities of the eastern Nile Delta, date to the later New Kingdom (13th Century B.C.), which is why popular opinion connects the events of Exodus to the New Kingdom and, particularly, to its most famous Pharaoh, Ramses the Great. However, it is likely the references are merely anachronistic. Details, such as the name of a town, enhance the credibility of a legendary story and are often added for that very purpose without any regard for literal accuracy. If the chronicler really knew when the events of the Exodus took place in the context of Egyptian history, it is likely he would have specifically named the Pharaoh. (It is interesting the chronicler recounts the names of midwives who lived a thousand years in his past, yet is unable to furnish even a clue as to the identity of the reigning Pharaoh of Egypt.)
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The History of Joseph, Part Nine
(Genesis 50:01 - 50:26)
Seeing that his father had died, Joseph knelt at his side, kissing his face and weeping. He saw to it that the physicians who served him mummified Israel's body. This task regularly required forty days, and, at Joseph’s command, the customary period of mourning, seventy days, was observed throughout Egypt.
When the period of mourning had elapsed, Joseph spoke to members of the Pharaoh’s court, "If you would do this favor for me, please speak to the Pharaoh and tell him that my father made me swear, 'When I die, bury me in the tomb prepared for me in the land of Canaan.' Ask the Pharaoh to give me leave to bury my father there, and afterwards I will return to Egypt."
The Pharaoh replied, “Go then and bury your father as you promised.”
When Joseph departed to bury his father, with him went all the Pharaoh’s officers, dignitaries not only from his court but from all Egypt, as well as members of the households of Joseph, his father, and his brothers. Only children and livestock were left behind in Goshen. In this company was also a great number of chariots and charioteers. --- It was a very grand procession!
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad (beyond the Jordan River) they paused to mourn with a ceremony of vocal and bitter lamentations that lasted for a period of seven days. When the inhabitants of Canaan witnessed such grieving, they declared, "The Egyptians are engaged in deep mourning here, so we will rename this place “Abelmizraim" [meaning “the mourning of Egypt”].
The sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them: they conveyed his body to the land of Canaan and interred it in the double cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, purchased for a burial place by Abraham from Ephron the Hethite.
Joseph, his retinue, and all his brothers, who had accompanied him to Canaan to bury their father, returned to Egypt after the funeral. Now that their father was no longer alive, the brothers became worried and said to each other, “Maybe Joseph will now recall in anger the wrong we did him and feel free to exact his vengeance upon us." Therefore, they sent a message to Joseph which said, “Before he died, our father Jacob instructed us to tell you, 'Please ask Joseph to forget the wrongs done to him by his brothers and to pardon the malice they showed to him.’ We therefore humbly beseech you to forgive the sin done to you by those who worship your father’s god."
When Joseph read the message, he was moved to tears. And when his brothers came to him, they bowed down and fell prostate on the ground before him. "We are your slaves," they professed.
Joseph responded, "Don't distress yourselves. Am I God that I should punish you? You thought to do me evil, but God turned that evil to good. It was he who put me in a position where I am now able to save the lives of so many people. Fear not! I will always take care of you and your children." With kind words of forgiveness, he reassured them.
Joseph and his father's family continued to reside in Egypt, Joseph reaching the age of 110. He witnessed the coming of the third generation, that of Ephraim's children, and he dangled from his knee the offspring of Machir, Manasseh's son.
Joseph counseled his family members, "After my death, I assure you that God will appear to you and lead you out of this country and back to the land he solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He made them take an oath: “When God appears to you, make sure that you carry my bones out of this land with you.”
Joseph passed away at the age of 110; his body was mummified, and he was entombed in a sarcophagus in the land of Egypt.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS
Notes:
1. It seems strange that Joseph, the Pharaoh's right-hand man and more, needs to ask others to intercede for him when he wants to ask the Pharaoh's permission to go to Canaan to bury his father.
2. Fear of reprisals from Joseph induce the brothers to resort to more trickery and subterfuge, the hallmark of the family. They tell Joseph (a lie) that on his death bed his father Jacob had asked Joseph to forgive his brothers. It works; Joseph is moved to tears, forgives them, and there is a fine family reconciliation to bring the Book of Genesis to a climax.
3. It is interesting that Joseph, like Jacob is mummified as befitting a royal personage of Egypt. For some reason, no Bible translation employs the word “mummify,” but rather embalm. Since the process of treating Jacob’s body took 40 days to complete, there can be no doubt that mummification, and not merely embalming was involved.
4. The story of Joseph comprises a consistent and dramatically satisfying narrative, much like a work of fiction. Indeed, there is much expert opinion that regards it as such, fictional, rather than historical, or even legendary. Dating the story and placing it within the context of Egyptian chronology has always been problematic. Some place Joseph in the Middle Kingdom, some during the Hyksos period, and others during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom -- a huge range in time. While speculation is rife, efforts to identify Joseph as a particular Egyptian vizier have not been crowned with any kind of success, or at least any broad acceptance. Even the presence of Hebrews in Egypt is not confirmed by any Egyptian annals. While one wishes the story to be absolutely factual, the objective reader cannot escape the nagging feeling that the heroic stature of Joseph and his presentation as a kind of founding father icon and savior is too good to be true, merely the nostalgic, nationalistic propaganda of a people who, in exile and captivity, yearn to return to their native land.
Seeing that his father had died, Joseph knelt at his side, kissing his face and weeping. He saw to it that the physicians who served him mummified Israel's body. This task regularly required forty days, and, at Joseph’s command, the customary period of mourning, seventy days, was observed throughout Egypt.
When the period of mourning had elapsed, Joseph spoke to members of the Pharaoh’s court, "If you would do this favor for me, please speak to the Pharaoh and tell him that my father made me swear, 'When I die, bury me in the tomb prepared for me in the land of Canaan.' Ask the Pharaoh to give me leave to bury my father there, and afterwards I will return to Egypt."
The Pharaoh replied, “Go then and bury your father as you promised.”
When Joseph departed to bury his father, with him went all the Pharaoh’s officers, dignitaries not only from his court but from all Egypt, as well as members of the households of Joseph, his father, and his brothers. Only children and livestock were left behind in Goshen. In this company was also a great number of chariots and charioteers. --- It was a very grand procession!
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad (beyond the Jordan River) they paused to mourn with a ceremony of vocal and bitter lamentations that lasted for a period of seven days. When the inhabitants of Canaan witnessed such grieving, they declared, "The Egyptians are engaged in deep mourning here, so we will rename this place “Abelmizraim" [meaning “the mourning of Egypt”].
The sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them: they conveyed his body to the land of Canaan and interred it in the double cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, purchased for a burial place by Abraham from Ephron the Hethite.
Joseph, his retinue, and all his brothers, who had accompanied him to Canaan to bury their father, returned to Egypt after the funeral. Now that their father was no longer alive, the brothers became worried and said to each other, “Maybe Joseph will now recall in anger the wrong we did him and feel free to exact his vengeance upon us." Therefore, they sent a message to Joseph which said, “Before he died, our father Jacob instructed us to tell you, 'Please ask Joseph to forget the wrongs done to him by his brothers and to pardon the malice they showed to him.’ We therefore humbly beseech you to forgive the sin done to you by those who worship your father’s god."
When Joseph read the message, he was moved to tears. And when his brothers came to him, they bowed down and fell prostate on the ground before him. "We are your slaves," they professed.
Joseph responded, "Don't distress yourselves. Am I God that I should punish you? You thought to do me evil, but God turned that evil to good. It was he who put me in a position where I am now able to save the lives of so many people. Fear not! I will always take care of you and your children." With kind words of forgiveness, he reassured them.
Joseph and his father's family continued to reside in Egypt, Joseph reaching the age of 110. He witnessed the coming of the third generation, that of Ephraim's children, and he dangled from his knee the offspring of Machir, Manasseh's son.
Joseph counseled his family members, "After my death, I assure you that God will appear to you and lead you out of this country and back to the land he solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He made them take an oath: “When God appears to you, make sure that you carry my bones out of this land with you.”
Joseph passed away at the age of 110; his body was mummified, and he was entombed in a sarcophagus in the land of Egypt.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS
Notes:
1. It seems strange that Joseph, the Pharaoh's right-hand man and more, needs to ask others to intercede for him when he wants to ask the Pharaoh's permission to go to Canaan to bury his father.
2. Fear of reprisals from Joseph induce the brothers to resort to more trickery and subterfuge, the hallmark of the family. They tell Joseph (a lie) that on his death bed his father Jacob had asked Joseph to forgive his brothers. It works; Joseph is moved to tears, forgives them, and there is a fine family reconciliation to bring the Book of Genesis to a climax.
3. It is interesting that Joseph, like Jacob is mummified as befitting a royal personage of Egypt. For some reason, no Bible translation employs the word “mummify,” but rather embalm. Since the process of treating Jacob’s body took 40 days to complete, there can be no doubt that mummification, and not merely embalming was involved.
4. The story of Joseph comprises a consistent and dramatically satisfying narrative, much like a work of fiction. Indeed, there is much expert opinion that regards it as such, fictional, rather than historical, or even legendary. Dating the story and placing it within the context of Egyptian chronology has always been problematic. Some place Joseph in the Middle Kingdom, some during the Hyksos period, and others during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom -- a huge range in time. While speculation is rife, efforts to identify Joseph as a particular Egyptian vizier have not been crowned with any kind of success, or at least any broad acceptance. Even the presence of Hebrews in Egypt is not confirmed by any Egyptian annals. While one wishes the story to be absolutely factual, the objective reader cannot escape the nagging feeling that the heroic stature of Joseph and his presentation as a kind of founding father icon and savior is too good to be true, merely the nostalgic, nationalistic propaganda of a people who, in exile and captivity, yearn to return to their native land.
The History of Jacob, Part Nine
(Genesis 47:27 - 49:32)
Israel settled in Egypt in the land of Goshen with all his possessions. He prospered greatly and lived there for 17 years. After he had reached the age of 147, he recognized that death was near and summoned to his side his son Joseph, saying to him, "If I remain in your favor, please place your hand against my genitals and swear to honor my last request: don't bury me in Egypt but allow me to lie at rest with my forefathers. Take my body out of this land and let it be interred in the ancestral burial place of our family."
"I will do what you wish," replied Joseph.
"Swear then to me."
As Joseph swore, Israel reverently kissed the handle of Joseph's staff.
A short time later, Joseph heard word that his father was ill and so when visiting him, he took along his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob was told his son Joseph was coming to see him, he mustered all his strength and sat up in bed. Jacob reminisced with Joseph, "The all-powerful god appeared before me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. He promised me, ‘I will make you prosperous and prolific. Many peoples will be descended from you and I will give you this land for your posterity as an everlasting possession.’ ... Your sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in Egypt before I came here, will be my heirs, just like Reuben and Simeon. But any other children you may have will only be your heirs and will not share in their brothers' inheritance from me. ... I remember when I had left Aram, Rachel died in Canaan during the journey. There was but a short distance until we would have reached Ephrath. I buried her along the road to Ephrath at a place called Bethlehem."
When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?" and Joseph told him, "These are the sons God has given me in this land." Jacob said, "Bring them closer that I may bless them."
Owing to his age, Israel's vision was failing, and he could not see clearly, so Joseph brought them close to him. He kissed and embraced them tenderly, and told Joseph, "I once thought I would never see you again. Now, God has allowed me to see your children."
Joseph took his sons from Jacob's lap and then bowed in obeisance to him. He placed Ephraim on his right (that is, towards Israel's left hand) and Manasseh on his left (towards Israel's right hand) and steered them to his father. Jacob, however, stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son, and crossed his left hand over to place it on the head of the elder son, Manasseh.
He blessed Joseph, and then proclaimed, "The god worshipped by my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, the god who has sustained me my whole life up until this time, the divine agent that has spared me from evil, put your blessing upon these boys. May my legacy and the legacy of Abraham and Isaac be theirs and may their progeny spread across the face of the earth."
Joseph, noticing that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim, was perturbed and attempted to lift it off of Ephraim's head and put it on that of Manasseh. He rebuked Jacob, "This is not quite right, my father. This is my older son, put your right hand on his head."
Jacob, however, refused, saying, “Yes, I realize that, my son, but I know what I’m doing. --- Your older son will give birth to a great people and go far. But his younger brother will surpass him: his progeny will grow into a multitude of nations." He blessed them that day and said, “When, in the future, the people of Israel give a blessing, they will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” He thus made it a settled matter, placing Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Israel told his son Joseph, "Even after I die, Jehovah will remain with you and will bring you back to the land of your ancestors. I am bequeathing you a plot of land upon which your brothers will have no claim, land which I wrested from the Amorites by force of arms."
Jacob summoned his sons. "Gather together so I may tell you what will become of you in the future. Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob, and take heed of what your father Israel has to say to you!"
"Reuben, you are my first son, born in the full vigor of my manhood; your arrival was the beginning of my cares. As the eldest, you ought to receive the greatest respect and the greatest authority. But, you will not be foremost among your brothers, your descendants will not thrive, for you, as unruly as water, committed adultery with my wife and defiled my marriage bed. --- He had sex on my very couch!”
"Simeon and Levi are brothers indeed, kindred spirits, warriors wielding swords of violence and cruelty. I want no part of their conspiracies! I want nothing to do with their plots! In their rage they killed a man and in their recklessness tore down the walls of a city. Cursed is their anger, because it is unbridled, and their wrath, because it is merciless. Their descendants will be divided and live scattered among the other tribes of Israel."
"Judah, you are the one your brothers look up to. You will have your hands on your enemies’ throats, for which your brothers will bow down to you. Judah is like a lion who will stalk the hills for prey, returning with his kill to couch in his den, and no one will dare rouse him. No, the royal scepter will not be seized from the hands of Judah’s tribe, nor the ruler’s staff from between the feet of his people until a true king descended from him comes to win the people’s respect and obedience. --- To what tree will he tie his mount, the young donkey he rides? It will be to the best vine in the vineyard. He will wash his robes in the juice of the grape, and they will be stained with wine. His eyes will be red from drinking wine and his teeth white from drinking milk!"
"Zebulun will settle on the sea coast and his descendants will inhabit the ship harbors as far north as Sidon."
"Issachar is but a sturdy donkey kneeling down between his loaded saddlebags. He sees that his resting place is comfortable and the land pleasant, so he will take up his load and resign himself to a life of manual labor.”
"Dan will be a judge among his people and his tribe will be the judges of the tribes of Israel. He will be like a snake on the road biting at the horses' heels so that they throw their riders, who will cry, 'God save me!'"
"Gad will be attacked by marauders, but, when they retreat, he will rout them in return.”
"Asher’s land will produce fine grain and he will make breads and pastries fit for a royal table.”
"Naphtali is a wild and free-running doe who produces beautiful fawns.”
"Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring or a colt grazing on the hillside. His enemies attack him fiercely and archers relentlessly shoot their arrows at him. But his bow is pulled tautly, for his arms and his hands are given strength and suppleness by the god of Jacob. From him will be descended the shepherd and the pillar of Israel's people. The god of your ancestors will aid you; the all-powerful god will bless you with rain from the heavens and bubbling springs from the ground, many children to your wives and young to your animals. The blessings of your father are stronger than the blessings of your forefathers and they will endure like the eternal mountains. They fall upon the shoulders of Joseph, the one who was exiled from his family, but who is now a prince.”
"Benjamin will be like a ravaging wolf who takes down his prey in the morning and in evening divides the kill."
"These, then, are the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Their father has spoken to them and has blessed them, each with their own individual blessing."
He also appealed to them, saying, "Soon, I will be going to join my ancestors. Bury me with my forbears in the double cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hethite, the field of Machpelah near Mambre in the land of Canaan, which was purchased by Abraham from Ephron the Hethite for the purpose of serving as a burial chamber. It was there that they buried Abraham, along with his wife Sarah. Isaac is buried there, too, with his wife Rebecca. It is there that I interred Leah. The cave and the field wherein it lies was purchased from the tribe of Heth."
After Jacob had concluded his pronouncements, he instructed his sons to set him back down in bed. It was then he died and joined his ancestors.
Notes
1. The text affirms that Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years and that Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were born before his arrival. The son's therefore, would have been adults by the time of Jacob's death, yet, in the scene where Joseph presents his sons to his father, they are clearly portrayed as children small enough to sit on their grandfather's knee. At any rate, tradition is followed, the worthy younger son displaces the less worthy elder son who should be his father’s primary heir.
2. Jacob, in his old age, becomes something of a prophet, although the reader gets the feeling his pronouncements on the futures of his descendants is literary embellishment. It is the nature of the narrative, a history of events resulting primarily from divine will, that nothing can occur that has not been either preordained by Providence or attested to by prophecy. Jacob's fortune telling benefits from the 20/20 hindsight of the narrators.
3. Jacob’s blessings refer to past conduct of some of the sons (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, for instance), but also to destinies either of the sons as individuals or of their tribes. Judah is mentioned as the ancestor of the greatest leader of the Hebrew people, who would be King David. This allusion, although clearly intended to refer to David, has been thought by many Christians to presage the coming of Jesus Christ.
Israel settled in Egypt in the land of Goshen with all his possessions. He prospered greatly and lived there for 17 years. After he had reached the age of 147, he recognized that death was near and summoned to his side his son Joseph, saying to him, "If I remain in your favor, please place your hand against my genitals and swear to honor my last request: don't bury me in Egypt but allow me to lie at rest with my forefathers. Take my body out of this land and let it be interred in the ancestral burial place of our family."
"I will do what you wish," replied Joseph.
"Swear then to me."
As Joseph swore, Israel reverently kissed the handle of Joseph's staff.
A short time later, Joseph heard word that his father was ill and so when visiting him, he took along his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob was told his son Joseph was coming to see him, he mustered all his strength and sat up in bed. Jacob reminisced with Joseph, "The all-powerful god appeared before me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. He promised me, ‘I will make you prosperous and prolific. Many peoples will be descended from you and I will give you this land for your posterity as an everlasting possession.’ ... Your sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in Egypt before I came here, will be my heirs, just like Reuben and Simeon. But any other children you may have will only be your heirs and will not share in their brothers' inheritance from me. ... I remember when I had left Aram, Rachel died in Canaan during the journey. There was but a short distance until we would have reached Ephrath. I buried her along the road to Ephrath at a place called Bethlehem."
When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?" and Joseph told him, "These are the sons God has given me in this land." Jacob said, "Bring them closer that I may bless them."
Owing to his age, Israel's vision was failing, and he could not see clearly, so Joseph brought them close to him. He kissed and embraced them tenderly, and told Joseph, "I once thought I would never see you again. Now, God has allowed me to see your children."
Joseph took his sons from Jacob's lap and then bowed in obeisance to him. He placed Ephraim on his right (that is, towards Israel's left hand) and Manasseh on his left (towards Israel's right hand) and steered them to his father. Jacob, however, stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son, and crossed his left hand over to place it on the head of the elder son, Manasseh.
He blessed Joseph, and then proclaimed, "The god worshipped by my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, the god who has sustained me my whole life up until this time, the divine agent that has spared me from evil, put your blessing upon these boys. May my legacy and the legacy of Abraham and Isaac be theirs and may their progeny spread across the face of the earth."
Joseph, noticing that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim, was perturbed and attempted to lift it off of Ephraim's head and put it on that of Manasseh. He rebuked Jacob, "This is not quite right, my father. This is my older son, put your right hand on his head."
Jacob, however, refused, saying, “Yes, I realize that, my son, but I know what I’m doing. --- Your older son will give birth to a great people and go far. But his younger brother will surpass him: his progeny will grow into a multitude of nations." He blessed them that day and said, “When, in the future, the people of Israel give a blessing, they will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” He thus made it a settled matter, placing Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Israel told his son Joseph, "Even after I die, Jehovah will remain with you and will bring you back to the land of your ancestors. I am bequeathing you a plot of land upon which your brothers will have no claim, land which I wrested from the Amorites by force of arms."
Jacob summoned his sons. "Gather together so I may tell you what will become of you in the future. Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob, and take heed of what your father Israel has to say to you!"
"Reuben, you are my first son, born in the full vigor of my manhood; your arrival was the beginning of my cares. As the eldest, you ought to receive the greatest respect and the greatest authority. But, you will not be foremost among your brothers, your descendants will not thrive, for you, as unruly as water, committed adultery with my wife and defiled my marriage bed. --- He had sex on my very couch!”
"Simeon and Levi are brothers indeed, kindred spirits, warriors wielding swords of violence and cruelty. I want no part of their conspiracies! I want nothing to do with their plots! In their rage they killed a man and in their recklessness tore down the walls of a city. Cursed is their anger, because it is unbridled, and their wrath, because it is merciless. Their descendants will be divided and live scattered among the other tribes of Israel."
"Judah, you are the one your brothers look up to. You will have your hands on your enemies’ throats, for which your brothers will bow down to you. Judah is like a lion who will stalk the hills for prey, returning with his kill to couch in his den, and no one will dare rouse him. No, the royal scepter will not be seized from the hands of Judah’s tribe, nor the ruler’s staff from between the feet of his people until a true king descended from him comes to win the people’s respect and obedience. --- To what tree will he tie his mount, the young donkey he rides? It will be to the best vine in the vineyard. He will wash his robes in the juice of the grape, and they will be stained with wine. His eyes will be red from drinking wine and his teeth white from drinking milk!"
"Zebulun will settle on the sea coast and his descendants will inhabit the ship harbors as far north as Sidon."
"Issachar is but a sturdy donkey kneeling down between his loaded saddlebags. He sees that his resting place is comfortable and the land pleasant, so he will take up his load and resign himself to a life of manual labor.”
"Dan will be a judge among his people and his tribe will be the judges of the tribes of Israel. He will be like a snake on the road biting at the horses' heels so that they throw their riders, who will cry, 'God save me!'"
"Gad will be attacked by marauders, but, when they retreat, he will rout them in return.”
"Asher’s land will produce fine grain and he will make breads and pastries fit for a royal table.”
"Naphtali is a wild and free-running doe who produces beautiful fawns.”
"Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring or a colt grazing on the hillside. His enemies attack him fiercely and archers relentlessly shoot their arrows at him. But his bow is pulled tautly, for his arms and his hands are given strength and suppleness by the god of Jacob. From him will be descended the shepherd and the pillar of Israel's people. The god of your ancestors will aid you; the all-powerful god will bless you with rain from the heavens and bubbling springs from the ground, many children to your wives and young to your animals. The blessings of your father are stronger than the blessings of your forefathers and they will endure like the eternal mountains. They fall upon the shoulders of Joseph, the one who was exiled from his family, but who is now a prince.”
"Benjamin will be like a ravaging wolf who takes down his prey in the morning and in evening divides the kill."
"These, then, are the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Their father has spoken to them and has blessed them, each with their own individual blessing."
He also appealed to them, saying, "Soon, I will be going to join my ancestors. Bury me with my forbears in the double cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hethite, the field of Machpelah near Mambre in the land of Canaan, which was purchased by Abraham from Ephron the Hethite for the purpose of serving as a burial chamber. It was there that they buried Abraham, along with his wife Sarah. Isaac is buried there, too, with his wife Rebecca. It is there that I interred Leah. The cave and the field wherein it lies was purchased from the tribe of Heth."
After Jacob had concluded his pronouncements, he instructed his sons to set him back down in bed. It was then he died and joined his ancestors.
Notes
1. The text affirms that Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years and that Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were born before his arrival. The son's therefore, would have been adults by the time of Jacob's death, yet, in the scene where Joseph presents his sons to his father, they are clearly portrayed as children small enough to sit on their grandfather's knee. At any rate, tradition is followed, the worthy younger son displaces the less worthy elder son who should be his father’s primary heir.
2. Jacob, in his old age, becomes something of a prophet, although the reader gets the feeling his pronouncements on the futures of his descendants is literary embellishment. It is the nature of the narrative, a history of events resulting primarily from divine will, that nothing can occur that has not been either preordained by Providence or attested to by prophecy. Jacob's fortune telling benefits from the 20/20 hindsight of the narrators.
3. Jacob’s blessings refer to past conduct of some of the sons (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, for instance), but also to destinies either of the sons as individuals or of their tribes. Judah is mentioned as the ancestor of the greatest leader of the Hebrew people, who would be King David. This allusion, although clearly intended to refer to David, has been thought by many Christians to presage the coming of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The History of Joseph, Part Eight
(Genesis 46:28 - 47:26)
Jacob decided to send Judah on ahead to Joseph in order to learn from him the way to the land of Goshen. When they reached Goshen, Joseph harnessed his horses to his chariot and rode there to meet his father. As soon as he saw him, he hugged him and wept on his shoulder for some time. Israel said to Joseph, "I can now die in peace, for I have seen you with my own eyes and know that you are still alive."
Joseph told his brothers and the people of his father's household, "I will return to the Pharaoh and inform him, 'My brothers and my father's household that formerly resided in Canaan have now arrived. The men herd sheep and tend cattle and they have brought their flocks and herds with them.' When he asks you, "What is your occupation?' you will reply, 'We, your servants, are shepherds: we were born shepherds, we have always been shepherds, our fathers were shepherds.' Even though Egyptians hold shepherds in contempt, you should be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, apart from the Egyptians."
Joseph did return to the Pharaoh and informed him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and all their possessions have arrived from Canaan and are presently in the region of Goshen."
He introduced some of his brothers, the five youngest, to the Pharaoh, who inquired of them, "What is your occupation?" They answered, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our ancestors." They added, "We've come to settle here, for your servants have no pastures for their flocks in Canaan, where the drought is severe. Therefore, we now humbly beseech you to let your servants pitch their tents in the land of Goshen."
The Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “So your father and brothers have now joined you here. Egypt welcomes them. The best land will be at their disposal. Let them settle then in the land of Goshen -- and if you know any of them who are expert herdsmen, let them take charge of my cattle."
Later, Joseph presented his father Jacob to the Pharaoh. Jacob blessed the Pharaoh, who asked of him, "How old are you?"
“I’ve spent my life wandering from place to place, living hand to mouth, for 130 years now -- hard years, but few compared to those of my ancestors who roamed the world before me.” Jacob blessed the Pharaoh and retired from his court.
In accordance with the Pharaoh's wishes, Joseph gave his father and brothers possession of the choicest plots of land in the vicinity of Ramesses in Goshen. He also provisioned his father's and brothers’ families, supplying each with an allowance of food proportionate to the number of children in each household.
The famine was so severe throughout the land that there was no food to be had, and the people of Egypt and Canaan were starving. Joseph collected all the money from the sale of grain and deposited it in the Pharaoh's treasury. Those who wanted to buy food, but had no money, came to Joseph and pleaded with him, “We have no money left. Please give us food or we will die before your very eyes.” He answered them, "Bring me your livestock and trade it for food, if you have no money.”
Joseph dispensed food to those who came to him trading in their horses, sheep, oxen, and donkeys; he supported them with food for a year in exchange for their livestock. By the second year, however, they came to him complaining, "We won't hide from you the fact that our money is gone and now, our livestock is gone as well. You can see for yourself that all we have left are our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your very eyes, and our lands become barren? Buy us, and buy our lands! We’ll gladly sell ourselves into bondage to the Pharaoh in order to survive and work the fields for him for food. Give us seed to plant so the farms will not turn into an untilled wasteland."
And so Joseph purchased all the privately held land in Egypt for the Pharaoh and, because of the famine, every man was forced to sell off his possessions. Pharaoh thus came to own all the land in the country and from one end of Egypt to the other, the people were removed to the cities. Only the land belonging to the priestly caste remained in private hands (for the priests were given a food allowance from the public stores and, therefore, there was no need for them to sell off their land.)
Joseph addressed the population," Both you and your land now belong to the Pharaoh. Seed will be given to you. Plant it and when the crops flourish, set aside 20% of your harvest for the Pharaoh. Keep 80% for yourselves, both for seed and food for your households and your children."
They responded, "You have saved our lives! If you, our master, continues to treat us fairly, we are content to serve the Pharaoh."
Joseph enacted a law in Egypt (which persists to this day) that a harvest tax of 20% shall be remitted to the Pharaoh -- save that land owned by the priestly caste be exempt from taxation.
Notes
1. The chronicle attests how early was the rivalry between herdsmen and farmers, those who moved from place to place seeking fresh pastures for their flocks and those who tilled the earth and, therefore, remained in one place. It reminds one of the conflicts -- and the mutual contempt -- exhibited in the old West between the stockmen and the sod busters.
2. The famine in Joseph's Egypt, like the Great Depression in our country, furnishes the rationale for the expansion of state power and the creation of government welfare programs. The emergency also instigates the imposition of an income tax (or a harvest tax, to be precise), which, once put in place, was never revoked. As in our own society, there are tax breaks for certain classes of individuals. In Egypt, the priests held tax-exempt status.
3. Goshen has always been identified as land in the eastern Nile delta. An inaccurate impression is here given that it was not part of Egypt proper, which it would have been. The city of Ramesses, or Pi-Ramesses did not exist at that time. It could not have been founded before the 13th Century B.C.
Jacob decided to send Judah on ahead to Joseph in order to learn from him the way to the land of Goshen. When they reached Goshen, Joseph harnessed his horses to his chariot and rode there to meet his father. As soon as he saw him, he hugged him and wept on his shoulder for some time. Israel said to Joseph, "I can now die in peace, for I have seen you with my own eyes and know that you are still alive."
Joseph told his brothers and the people of his father's household, "I will return to the Pharaoh and inform him, 'My brothers and my father's household that formerly resided in Canaan have now arrived. The men herd sheep and tend cattle and they have brought their flocks and herds with them.' When he asks you, "What is your occupation?' you will reply, 'We, your servants, are shepherds: we were born shepherds, we have always been shepherds, our fathers were shepherds.' Even though Egyptians hold shepherds in contempt, you should be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, apart from the Egyptians."
Joseph did return to the Pharaoh and informed him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and all their possessions have arrived from Canaan and are presently in the region of Goshen."
He introduced some of his brothers, the five youngest, to the Pharaoh, who inquired of them, "What is your occupation?" They answered, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our ancestors." They added, "We've come to settle here, for your servants have no pastures for their flocks in Canaan, where the drought is severe. Therefore, we now humbly beseech you to let your servants pitch their tents in the land of Goshen."
The Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “So your father and brothers have now joined you here. Egypt welcomes them. The best land will be at their disposal. Let them settle then in the land of Goshen -- and if you know any of them who are expert herdsmen, let them take charge of my cattle."
Later, Joseph presented his father Jacob to the Pharaoh. Jacob blessed the Pharaoh, who asked of him, "How old are you?"
“I’ve spent my life wandering from place to place, living hand to mouth, for 130 years now -- hard years, but few compared to those of my ancestors who roamed the world before me.” Jacob blessed the Pharaoh and retired from his court.
In accordance with the Pharaoh's wishes, Joseph gave his father and brothers possession of the choicest plots of land in the vicinity of Ramesses in Goshen. He also provisioned his father's and brothers’ families, supplying each with an allowance of food proportionate to the number of children in each household.
The famine was so severe throughout the land that there was no food to be had, and the people of Egypt and Canaan were starving. Joseph collected all the money from the sale of grain and deposited it in the Pharaoh's treasury. Those who wanted to buy food, but had no money, came to Joseph and pleaded with him, “We have no money left. Please give us food or we will die before your very eyes.” He answered them, "Bring me your livestock and trade it for food, if you have no money.”
Joseph dispensed food to those who came to him trading in their horses, sheep, oxen, and donkeys; he supported them with food for a year in exchange for their livestock. By the second year, however, they came to him complaining, "We won't hide from you the fact that our money is gone and now, our livestock is gone as well. You can see for yourself that all we have left are our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your very eyes, and our lands become barren? Buy us, and buy our lands! We’ll gladly sell ourselves into bondage to the Pharaoh in order to survive and work the fields for him for food. Give us seed to plant so the farms will not turn into an untilled wasteland."
And so Joseph purchased all the privately held land in Egypt for the Pharaoh and, because of the famine, every man was forced to sell off his possessions. Pharaoh thus came to own all the land in the country and from one end of Egypt to the other, the people were removed to the cities. Only the land belonging to the priestly caste remained in private hands (for the priests were given a food allowance from the public stores and, therefore, there was no need for them to sell off their land.)
Joseph addressed the population," Both you and your land now belong to the Pharaoh. Seed will be given to you. Plant it and when the crops flourish, set aside 20% of your harvest for the Pharaoh. Keep 80% for yourselves, both for seed and food for your households and your children."
They responded, "You have saved our lives! If you, our master, continues to treat us fairly, we are content to serve the Pharaoh."
Joseph enacted a law in Egypt (which persists to this day) that a harvest tax of 20% shall be remitted to the Pharaoh -- save that land owned by the priestly caste be exempt from taxation.
Notes
1. The chronicle attests how early was the rivalry between herdsmen and farmers, those who moved from place to place seeking fresh pastures for their flocks and those who tilled the earth and, therefore, remained in one place. It reminds one of the conflicts -- and the mutual contempt -- exhibited in the old West between the stockmen and the sod busters.
2. The famine in Joseph's Egypt, like the Great Depression in our country, furnishes the rationale for the expansion of state power and the creation of government welfare programs. The emergency also instigates the imposition of an income tax (or a harvest tax, to be precise), which, once put in place, was never revoked. As in our own society, there are tax breaks for certain classes of individuals. In Egypt, the priests held tax-exempt status.
3. Goshen has always been identified as land in the eastern Nile delta. An inaccurate impression is here given that it was not part of Egypt proper, which it would have been. The city of Ramesses, or Pi-Ramesses did not exist at that time. It could not have been founded before the 13th Century B.C.
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