(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.
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