(Exodus 13:17 - 14:31)
When the Israelites were at last freed by the Pharaoh, Jehovah did not guide them through the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shortest way to Canaan, for, he reasoned, they might encounter hostilities there, regret their decision, and return to Egypt. Instead, he led them by an indirect route through the desert toward the Red Sea. Even so, the Israelites marched out of Egypt like an army ready for battle.
Moses carried with him the mummified corpse of Joseph, who, before he died, had solemnly charged his people, "Jehovah will visit you in the future and come to your aid. At that time you must carry my remains with you when you leave Egypt.”
The Israelites journeyed from Succoth to Etham, where they camped on the edge of the desert. Jehovah guided them in an pillar-shaped aerial vehicle that appeared like a cloud during the day and glowed like a fire at night, lighting the way. By this means they could travel by both day and night, (for the ship was always in the sky, visible to the people).
Jehovah spoke to Moses, "Tell the Israelites that they should turn around and go back to camp beneath Pi-Hahiroth, which is between Magdal and the sea, opposite Baalzephon. They should make their camp by the sea. The Pharaoh will then assume that the Israelites, wandering about aimlessly, are trapped there, hemmed in by the desert. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn and he will come after them. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh and his army so that the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah." And the Israelites did as they were ordered.
When the Pharaoh was informed that the Israelites had absconded, he and his court rued their decision to free them. The men at court discussed it among themselves and groused, "What possessed us to let the Israelites escape from our service?”
And so the Pharaoh harnessed his war chariot and called out his attendants. He assembled his elite corps of chariots, 600 of them, as well as all the other chariots of Egypt and the officers who commanded them. (Jehovah made the Pharaoh stubborn so he would continue to pursue the Israelites.) The Israelites had left victoriously, but now the Egyptians were chasing after them. The chariots of the Pharaoh, the horses and the charioteers, followed the track of the Israelites. And they caught up with them where they were encamped by the sea at Pi-Hahiroth, opposite Baalzephon.
When the forces of the Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel espied them advancing toward them and were greatly alarmed. They appealed to Jehovah -- and complained to Moses, "Are there no graves in Egypt that you have led us into the desert to die? Why did you lead us out of Egypt anyway? Didn't we tell you back in Egypt, 'Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians, for it's better to be their slaves than to die in the desert.'"
Moses proclaimed to the people, "Have no fear! Stand your ground and witness how Jehovah will save you this day, for the Egyptians that you now see, you will never see again. Jehovah will do battle for you while you hold your peace."
Jehovah said to Moses, "Why do you speak to me? Speak to the children of Israel. Tell them to advance. Raise your staff and reach it out over the sea to divide it so the people of Israel may pass through the sea on dry land. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn so he will pursue you. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and his charioteers, and when I have done so, the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah!”
The agent of Jehovah who had been guiding the people from the front now moved to the rear of their force. Jehovah's vehicle, which had been in front of the Israelite encampment, also moved and took a position behind it, in between the camp of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. It was but dark cloud to the Egyptians, but it left the Israelites in light, such that all night neither camp came near the other.
Moses stretched his arm over the sea and Jehovah caused a strong, hot east wind to part the waters of the sea. It blew all through the night and created a path of dry land on the seabed between parted waters. The Israelites, traveling out into the middle of the sea, tread upon the dry ground with the waters a wall beside them on the left and on the right.
The Egyptians, in hot pursuit, followed them onto the seabed, all the Pharaoh's chariots and their drivers. Dawn had broken and Jehovah was observing the Egyptians from his glowing, cloud-like vehicle in the sky. He threw the Egyptian army into disarray by clogging the wheels of their chariots so they had difficulty driving them. The Egyptians declared, "Let us retreat from the Israelites, for Jehovah is fighting on their side against us!"
Jehovah then told Moses, "Stretch out your arm over the sea that the waters may return and come down upon the Egyptians, their chariots and charioteers.”
Moses stretched out his arm toward the sea, and at dawn it resumed its accustomed depth. The Egyptians fled from it, but Jehovah brought the waters down upon them. When the waters returned, it inundated the chariots and their drivers; the entire army that came into the sea in pursuit were swept away and killed to the last man. But the Israelites continued to march across the dry land in the middle of the sea with the wall of water to the right of them and to the left of them.
Thus Jehovah saved the Israelites from the might of the Egyptians on that day. Observing the dead bodies of Egyptians washing upon the shore, the Israelites appreciated the miraculous power that Jehovah had employed against the Egyptians. And so they feared Jehovah and believed in him -- and in his servant Moses.
Notes
1. The route the departing Israelites has been a matter of much speculation, even though the biblical text mentions specific place names. Their direct route to Canaan was to the east, but they would have immediately run into the war-like Philistines, so, at Jehovah's behest, their course was directed southeast probably along what is now the Suez Canal. Succoth is on the easternmost part of the delta region while Etham, to the southeast, is on the edge of a desert that stretches east into the Sinai. The location of Pi-Hahiroth, Baalzephon and Magdal (which means "tower" or "raised land") have not been definitely determined but is most likely near salt-water lakes that connect to the western arm of the Red Sea. The crossing of the Red Sea, or Sea of Reeds as the text refers to it, is most likely here, in waters deep enough to drown chariots, but not so wide as to make crossing infeasible. Other scenarios and other locations have, however, been suggested.
2. Most translations describe Moses carrying with him the "bones" of Joseph with him to take back to Canaan to fulfill a promise his people made to the dying Joseph. "Bones" probably mean "remains." Joseph had been mummified so his corpse would have been wrapped and probably in a good state of preservation.
3. Jehovah appeared to the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, accompanying and guiding his people. It is not clear what to make of this description, but it surely refers to some kind of airship in which Jehovah was riding. For the ancients the only objects that could appear in the sky except for the heavenly bodies would be birds and clouds. If the ship was described as a cloud it only means that it resembled a cloud more than anything else. As for the pillar of fire, fire seems less likely than light. Flames can only result from something burning; a burning object hovering in the sky is not plausible. Illumination is always associated with fire, since, at that time, fire was the sole source of light save for the heavenly bodies, and it was probably generally assumed that the sun burned -- as indeed it does. (It was not yet realized that the light of the moon was merely the reflected light of the sun.) Thus, we have an airship that turned on its lights at night and, at one point, directed those lights to the Israelite encampment. The pillar description must refer to the shape of the object, cylindrical and elongated, rather like the large, cigar-shaped UFOs that have been sighted in modern times. A pillar, though, is thought of as upright and not on its side. It's strange to think of an airship vertical instead of horizontal, except when taking off, but that might have been its normal attitude when hovering, as the ship must have been doing. And it should not be overlooked that missiles and rockets might easily be described by ancients as pillars or columns.
4. True to character, the Pharaoh, incorrigibly stubborn, reneges on his pledge to free the Israelites and decides to go after his slaves and bring them back. Also, true to form, the Israelites are weak, vacillating, ungrateful, and skeptical; they want to go back to Egypt and return to slavery at the first sign of adversity.
5. The Pharaoh is able to muster 600 chariots and more, as well as a huge army. Where did all these men come from? Plague survivors? What did they have to eat in an Egypt whose food supply was destroyed by the just-described series of disastrous plagues? Where did the horses come from? Weren't they all killed off?
6. Not only was Jehovah leading the people from his airship, but there is a reference to one of his agents that was apparently on the ground acting as a guide, probably taking orders from Jehovah himself in the ship above. This is quite interesting, because he was not mentioned previously in the story.
7. Jehovah has Moses stretch out his arm and his staff to summon an east wind to blow all night in order to separate the waters to make a path for the Israelites to walk dry shod through the middle of the sea. This is preposterous on so many levels. First of all, a wind, if it was capable of blowing all the water in the sea, would blow it to the opposite bank (and drown the Israelites); it could hardly form a passage in the midst of the water. Some have suggested a reef might have been uncovered by a wind, but still, the water washed away from it would have come down upon the Israelites. It simply isn't possible that enough water could have been displaced to later inundate the Pharaoh's chariots when sea levels returned to normal. One might imagine a mammoth leaf blower could do the job described, but still, it would have to generate a super gale that would probably blow the Israelites back to Egypt. A tsunami might have caused a receding of the sea before its inundation of the shore. One feels that a memory of this sort of event might have inspired the story here. However, the mechanism by which a path through the sea could be formed with the water held back like walls on each side is not really possible. The parting of the sea, as it is told, is only feasible through some sort of miracle performed by mechanisms we cannot conceive.
8. If the sea bed had been exposed and dried up by the wind, it seems unlikely that it would have been very passable, especially while it was still dark (unless Jehovah's pillar of fire was furnishing enough light for the Israelites). Also, one has to consider how long it would take for the supposed two million people to make the passage. Could this be completed in the wee hours of the morning?
9. Before the sea returned to inundate the Egyptians, Jehovah clogged the wheels of the chariots so they would not make much progress. Most translations describe Jehovah removing the wheels from the chariots, but this seems less likely. Removing the chariot wheels would have been a difficult and senseless task. (What could Jehovah have done, send down an invisible army of angels to unfasten the wheels from their axles, or shoot them all off with a laser gun?) One supposes he impeded the progress of the chariots by simply reversing the drying up of the seabed and reconverting it to mud. Thus, clogged wheels.
10. At last the Israelites are impressed by Jehovah. We will see how long this will last!
Showing posts with label Pharaoh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pharaoh. Show all posts
Monday, September 23, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Plagues of Egypt, Part Three
(Exodus 9:13 - 10:29)
Jehovah said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront the Pharaoh. Tell him that Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews, tells you, 'Allow my people to make a sacrifice to me, or else I will bring to bear all my power against you, your servants and your subjects in order to convince you that there none like me on earth. I could have used the power at my disposal to inflict such disasters upon you that you would all be wiped off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for this purpose: to impress you with my power and to spread my fame throughout the world. --- You still lord over my people and refuse to let them go? Beware! Tomorrow at this time I will bring a devastating hailstorm, such has not been seen in Egypt from its establishment as a nation until now. Therefore, send word at once that all your livestock and everything belonging to you in the fields must be taken inside, for men and animals, everything remaining outside and not under cover, will be killed when the hail falls.’”
Those among the Pharaoh's subjects who believed and heeded Jehovah's warning sought shelter for their workers and farm animals inside. Those who disbelieved and ignored it, left their workers and animals outside in the fields.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Stretch out your arm toward the sky and bring down hail upon man and beast, upon every plant and tree in the land of Egypt." Moses reached his staff up into the sky and, lo, Jehovah sent a storm of hail with thunder and lightning strikes upon the ground. Jehovah made it hail all across the land of Egypt, and the the hail fell amidst flashes of lightning. It was very severe -- nothing like it in all of Egypt from the time it had been founded. Throughout the country the hail struck all that was left outside, killing both men and animals, beating down the grain in the fields and stripping of leaves every tree in the land. Only in Goshen, where the Israelites lived, did the hail not fall.
The Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and confessed to them, "I was in error concerning this matter. Jehovah is in the right. I and my people are in the wrong. All I ask is that you pray to Jehovah that he may put a stop to all this thunder and hail. I will let your people go and you need not stay in this country any longer."
Moses responded, "As soon as I have left the city, I will reach my hands up to Jehovah, the thunder will cease and the hail will fall no more, so that you will know that earthly events are controlled by Jehovah. --- But as for you and your court, I know that you still do not respect the god Jehovah.”
(The flax and the barley crops were destroyed, for the flax was in the bud and barley was in the ear, but the winter wheat and the emmer wheat were not damaged, for they had not yet come up.)
Moses departed from the Pharaoh's capital and raised his hands up to Jehovah, thereupon the hail and the thunder ceased and no more rain fell. But once he saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, the Pharaoh lapsed back into his evil ways, and he and his court became more obdurate than ever, fully determined to prevent the Israelites from going -- just as Jehovah had told Moses he would.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Go, see the Pharaoh. I have made him and his court obstinate so that I could manifest my divine power before them and so that you will be able to recount to your children and grandchildren how I have humbled the Egyptians and miraculously inflicted upon them these plagues, and you will thus remember the reason that I am your god."
When Moses and Aaron went to see the Pharaoh, they said to him, "Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews says to you, 'How long will you refuse to yield to me? Let my people go so they can sacrifice to me. If you refuse and won't let them go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. They will completely cover the surface of the earth and will devour all that was left by the hail. They will eat every green thing that grows up in the fields. They will invade your palaces, the residencies of your officials, and the homes of your subjects, and in numbers such as men have not seen since your ancestors began living in Egypt.’” Moses then turned away from the Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
The officials of Pharaoh's court said to him, "How long must this man continue to be our undoing? Let his people go so they can worship their god. Can't you see that the country has already been destroyed?" And so the Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron back to his court and told them, "Go and worship Jehovah, your god. But who is it among you that must go?"
Moses explained, "We will take along the old and the young, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds as well, for we must hold a feast honoring Jehovah."
The Pharaoh answered, “Jehovah will be with you indeed, if I let you take your children with you. Who can doubt that you have some ulterior motive, some evil intent? No, just the men may go and sacrifice to Jehovah -- that's what you wanted all along, wasn't it?" Immediately after, Aaron and Moses were forcible ejected from the palace.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Extend your arm over the land of Egypt so that the locust will appear, sweep over the country, and devour all that remains of the crops after the hailstorm." Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. Jehovah stirred up a hot east wind that blew across the land all day and night, and in the morning, the wind brought hordes of locusts. They spread over the entire land of Egypt, from one border to another, and their numbers were greater than had ever been or will ever be. They covered the entire surface of the land so that the earth was darkened with them. They consumed every bit of vegetation, the grain and whatever fruits that were spared by the hailstorm. Indeed, nothing green, either the leaves on the trees or the plants on the ground, was left in the entire country of Egypt.
The Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses and Aaron back to his palace and apologized to them, "I have done wrong to your god Jehovah and to you. Just this once forgive me and pray to your god Jehovah that he may spare me this deadly catastrophe."
After leaving the Pharaoh, Moses called upon Jehovah, who evoked a mighty wind from the west that blew all the locusts to drown in the Red Sea -- there remained not a single locust from one end of Egypt to the other.
But Jehovah made the Pharaoh hard headed and unbending, and he still refused to let the Israelites go.
Jehovah told Moses, "Extend your arm to the sky and there will settle over the land of Egypt a darkness so thick that men will grope their way in blindness.” And Moses did stretch his arm to the sky and there came a terrifying darkness throughout the land for Egypt for three days. No man could see his fellow, no one ventured abroad for three days. However, wherever the Israelites lived, there was light.
The Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "You may go and sacrifice to your god. Your children may go with you, but you must leave behind your herds and flocks."
Moses replied, "But you must allow us to make animal sacrifices to our god Jehovah. All our livestock must go with us with nary a hoof left behind. For they are necessary for our religious ceremonies, and we don't know exactly what will be needed for the sacrifice until we get there."
But again Jehovah made the Pharaoh obstinate, and he refused to let them go. Moreover, Pharaoh warned Moses, "Be gone from my sight and make sure you don't show your face here again, for if you do, you will be put to death."
Moses responded, "So be it, you will not see my face anymore!"
Notes
1. Jehovah's primary concern does not seem to be the welfare of the Israelites, except as it impinges upon their ability to make sacrifices to him. He lets the Israelites suffer for generations under Egyptian bondage, but his primary beef is that he is not allowed to receive the devotion he is due. The Pharaoh's obstinacy, which Jehovah continually nurtures, seems an excuse for Jehovah to flaunt his god-like powers, to assert his dominance over the Egyptian gods (who after the first couple of plagues are absent from the field of contest), and to wreak as much havoc as he can, which seems to be his way of getting kicks. The Jehovah of Moses, even more than the Jehovah of Abraham, uses his power almost exclusively in a destructive way. He doesn't build or teach and do anything to improve the character or living conditions of his people. He may protect his people from the disasters and pestilences he creates, but when he gives something to his people it always something he has taken from someone else. And he certainly doesn't mind if he kills and punishes thousands and thousands of innocent people, just because he can't get his own way. The land and people of Egypt are all but destroyed because of the stubbornness of the Pharaoh. Why doesn't he just punish the Pharaoh, give him a migraine or a case of the shingles? And why does he make him so pig-headed, why not, if has the ability, make the Pharaoh compliant so that he will let the Israelites go? It is his stated goal to make the liberation of the Israelites something spectacular and unforgettable, so that his people will always remember him and be obligated to him.
2. Hail, needless to say, is exceedingly uncommon in Egypt, but not entirely unknown. A hailstorm so severe that it kills anyone caught out in it is, however, a bit of a stretch. Some translations interpret lightning as being fire, in which case it sounds more like volcanic activity -- perhaps a memory of the Thera eruption. It seems more likely, though, that lightning is meant here and not fire.
3. When Moses is summoned by the Pharaoh, who falsely promises to let the Israelites go if Moses will bring the hailstorm to an end, the storm is still going on, the hail is still falling. How does Moses protect himself from the lethal hail?
4. The wheat, unlike the flax and the barley, are not destroyed by the hail since they have not yet come up. Since winter wheat and emmer wheat (a variety cultivated at that time in the Middle East -- some translations incorrectly refer to spelt or rye) would have matured in March or April, this would place the hailstorm during the harvest time for flax and barley, in February.
5. The locust invasion is the archetypal Biblical plague, but such infestations are far from rare and have occurred in modern times. Beating the insects into the sea was a technique used by settlers in early Massachusetts, and luring them into Lake Michigan with high-pitched calls was effectively employed against giant grasshoppers in the 50's sci-fi film Beginning of the End.
6. The threat of locusts is the last straw for members of the Pharaoh's court, who finally protest and urge the Pharaoh to give in to Moses. The Pharaoh thus recalls Moses and seems willing to concede to his demands, but they bicker about terms. Moses has never asked for freedom for his people, only the right for them to take a little time off so they can go into the desert and hold some religious ceremonies, with the assumption that they will then return to the former conditions of their servitude. That Moses wants to bring along the children and all the livestock seems suspicious to the Pharaoh, who, believing they will not return, will allow only the men to go. This is unacceptable to Moses, so the deal falls through and the Eighth Plague, that of locusts, goes into effect. Then, after the Ninth Plague, that of darkness, the Pharaoh is willing to let all the people go, as long as they leave behind their livestock, which, Moses insists, are necessary. Why the Israelites, who will have to slaughter some of their animals to feed Jehovah's bloodlust, need all of their livestock with them does not seem reasonable. The Pharaoh, for once, does have a point. Fed up, he gets mad at Moses and boots him out of the palace and tells him he will be killed if he ever returns. (Extraordinary this took so long to happen: one would think that any ruthless despot worth his salt would have had Moses impaled after the first plague -- but then that would have ruined the story.)
7. The plague of darkness, lasting three days, might have been due to a sandstorm, even a result of that stiff west wind that blew the locusts into the Red Sea.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront the Pharaoh. Tell him that Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews, tells you, 'Allow my people to make a sacrifice to me, or else I will bring to bear all my power against you, your servants and your subjects in order to convince you that there none like me on earth. I could have used the power at my disposal to inflict such disasters upon you that you would all be wiped off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for this purpose: to impress you with my power and to spread my fame throughout the world. --- You still lord over my people and refuse to let them go? Beware! Tomorrow at this time I will bring a devastating hailstorm, such has not been seen in Egypt from its establishment as a nation until now. Therefore, send word at once that all your livestock and everything belonging to you in the fields must be taken inside, for men and animals, everything remaining outside and not under cover, will be killed when the hail falls.’”
Those among the Pharaoh's subjects who believed and heeded Jehovah's warning sought shelter for their workers and farm animals inside. Those who disbelieved and ignored it, left their workers and animals outside in the fields.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Stretch out your arm toward the sky and bring down hail upon man and beast, upon every plant and tree in the land of Egypt." Moses reached his staff up into the sky and, lo, Jehovah sent a storm of hail with thunder and lightning strikes upon the ground. Jehovah made it hail all across the land of Egypt, and the the hail fell amidst flashes of lightning. It was very severe -- nothing like it in all of Egypt from the time it had been founded. Throughout the country the hail struck all that was left outside, killing both men and animals, beating down the grain in the fields and stripping of leaves every tree in the land. Only in Goshen, where the Israelites lived, did the hail not fall.
The Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and confessed to them, "I was in error concerning this matter. Jehovah is in the right. I and my people are in the wrong. All I ask is that you pray to Jehovah that he may put a stop to all this thunder and hail. I will let your people go and you need not stay in this country any longer."
Moses responded, "As soon as I have left the city, I will reach my hands up to Jehovah, the thunder will cease and the hail will fall no more, so that you will know that earthly events are controlled by Jehovah. --- But as for you and your court, I know that you still do not respect the god Jehovah.”
(The flax and the barley crops were destroyed, for the flax was in the bud and barley was in the ear, but the winter wheat and the emmer wheat were not damaged, for they had not yet come up.)
Moses departed from the Pharaoh's capital and raised his hands up to Jehovah, thereupon the hail and the thunder ceased and no more rain fell. But once he saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, the Pharaoh lapsed back into his evil ways, and he and his court became more obdurate than ever, fully determined to prevent the Israelites from going -- just as Jehovah had told Moses he would.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Go, see the Pharaoh. I have made him and his court obstinate so that I could manifest my divine power before them and so that you will be able to recount to your children and grandchildren how I have humbled the Egyptians and miraculously inflicted upon them these plagues, and you will thus remember the reason that I am your god."
When Moses and Aaron went to see the Pharaoh, they said to him, "Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews says to you, 'How long will you refuse to yield to me? Let my people go so they can sacrifice to me. If you refuse and won't let them go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. They will completely cover the surface of the earth and will devour all that was left by the hail. They will eat every green thing that grows up in the fields. They will invade your palaces, the residencies of your officials, and the homes of your subjects, and in numbers such as men have not seen since your ancestors began living in Egypt.’” Moses then turned away from the Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
The officials of Pharaoh's court said to him, "How long must this man continue to be our undoing? Let his people go so they can worship their god. Can't you see that the country has already been destroyed?" And so the Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron back to his court and told them, "Go and worship Jehovah, your god. But who is it among you that must go?"
Moses explained, "We will take along the old and the young, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds as well, for we must hold a feast honoring Jehovah."
The Pharaoh answered, “Jehovah will be with you indeed, if I let you take your children with you. Who can doubt that you have some ulterior motive, some evil intent? No, just the men may go and sacrifice to Jehovah -- that's what you wanted all along, wasn't it?" Immediately after, Aaron and Moses were forcible ejected from the palace.
Jehovah said to Moses, "Extend your arm over the land of Egypt so that the locust will appear, sweep over the country, and devour all that remains of the crops after the hailstorm." Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. Jehovah stirred up a hot east wind that blew across the land all day and night, and in the morning, the wind brought hordes of locusts. They spread over the entire land of Egypt, from one border to another, and their numbers were greater than had ever been or will ever be. They covered the entire surface of the land so that the earth was darkened with them. They consumed every bit of vegetation, the grain and whatever fruits that were spared by the hailstorm. Indeed, nothing green, either the leaves on the trees or the plants on the ground, was left in the entire country of Egypt.
The Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses and Aaron back to his palace and apologized to them, "I have done wrong to your god Jehovah and to you. Just this once forgive me and pray to your god Jehovah that he may spare me this deadly catastrophe."
After leaving the Pharaoh, Moses called upon Jehovah, who evoked a mighty wind from the west that blew all the locusts to drown in the Red Sea -- there remained not a single locust from one end of Egypt to the other.
But Jehovah made the Pharaoh hard headed and unbending, and he still refused to let the Israelites go.
Jehovah told Moses, "Extend your arm to the sky and there will settle over the land of Egypt a darkness so thick that men will grope their way in blindness.” And Moses did stretch his arm to the sky and there came a terrifying darkness throughout the land for Egypt for three days. No man could see his fellow, no one ventured abroad for three days. However, wherever the Israelites lived, there was light.
The Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "You may go and sacrifice to your god. Your children may go with you, but you must leave behind your herds and flocks."
Moses replied, "But you must allow us to make animal sacrifices to our god Jehovah. All our livestock must go with us with nary a hoof left behind. For they are necessary for our religious ceremonies, and we don't know exactly what will be needed for the sacrifice until we get there."
But again Jehovah made the Pharaoh obstinate, and he refused to let them go. Moreover, Pharaoh warned Moses, "Be gone from my sight and make sure you don't show your face here again, for if you do, you will be put to death."
Moses responded, "So be it, you will not see my face anymore!"
Notes
1. Jehovah's primary concern does not seem to be the welfare of the Israelites, except as it impinges upon their ability to make sacrifices to him. He lets the Israelites suffer for generations under Egyptian bondage, but his primary beef is that he is not allowed to receive the devotion he is due. The Pharaoh's obstinacy, which Jehovah continually nurtures, seems an excuse for Jehovah to flaunt his god-like powers, to assert his dominance over the Egyptian gods (who after the first couple of plagues are absent from the field of contest), and to wreak as much havoc as he can, which seems to be his way of getting kicks. The Jehovah of Moses, even more than the Jehovah of Abraham, uses his power almost exclusively in a destructive way. He doesn't build or teach and do anything to improve the character or living conditions of his people. He may protect his people from the disasters and pestilences he creates, but when he gives something to his people it always something he has taken from someone else. And he certainly doesn't mind if he kills and punishes thousands and thousands of innocent people, just because he can't get his own way. The land and people of Egypt are all but destroyed because of the stubbornness of the Pharaoh. Why doesn't he just punish the Pharaoh, give him a migraine or a case of the shingles? And why does he make him so pig-headed, why not, if has the ability, make the Pharaoh compliant so that he will let the Israelites go? It is his stated goal to make the liberation of the Israelites something spectacular and unforgettable, so that his people will always remember him and be obligated to him.
2. Hail, needless to say, is exceedingly uncommon in Egypt, but not entirely unknown. A hailstorm so severe that it kills anyone caught out in it is, however, a bit of a stretch. Some translations interpret lightning as being fire, in which case it sounds more like volcanic activity -- perhaps a memory of the Thera eruption. It seems more likely, though, that lightning is meant here and not fire.
3. When Moses is summoned by the Pharaoh, who falsely promises to let the Israelites go if Moses will bring the hailstorm to an end, the storm is still going on, the hail is still falling. How does Moses protect himself from the lethal hail?
4. The wheat, unlike the flax and the barley, are not destroyed by the hail since they have not yet come up. Since winter wheat and emmer wheat (a variety cultivated at that time in the Middle East -- some translations incorrectly refer to spelt or rye) would have matured in March or April, this would place the hailstorm during the harvest time for flax and barley, in February.
5. The locust invasion is the archetypal Biblical plague, but such infestations are far from rare and have occurred in modern times. Beating the insects into the sea was a technique used by settlers in early Massachusetts, and luring them into Lake Michigan with high-pitched calls was effectively employed against giant grasshoppers in the 50's sci-fi film Beginning of the End.
6. The threat of locusts is the last straw for members of the Pharaoh's court, who finally protest and urge the Pharaoh to give in to Moses. The Pharaoh thus recalls Moses and seems willing to concede to his demands, but they bicker about terms. Moses has never asked for freedom for his people, only the right for them to take a little time off so they can go into the desert and hold some religious ceremonies, with the assumption that they will then return to the former conditions of their servitude. That Moses wants to bring along the children and all the livestock seems suspicious to the Pharaoh, who, believing they will not return, will allow only the men to go. This is unacceptable to Moses, so the deal falls through and the Eighth Plague, that of locusts, goes into effect. Then, after the Ninth Plague, that of darkness, the Pharaoh is willing to let all the people go, as long as they leave behind their livestock, which, Moses insists, are necessary. Why the Israelites, who will have to slaughter some of their animals to feed Jehovah's bloodlust, need all of their livestock with them does not seem reasonable. The Pharaoh, for once, does have a point. Fed up, he gets mad at Moses and boots him out of the palace and tells him he will be killed if he ever returns. (Extraordinary this took so long to happen: one would think that any ruthless despot worth his salt would have had Moses impaled after the first plague -- but then that would have ruined the story.)
7. The plague of darkness, lasting three days, might have been due to a sandstorm, even a result of that stiff west wind that blew the locusts into the Red Sea.
Monday, August 26, 2013
The Plagues of Egypt, Part Two
(Exodus 8:16 - 9:12)
Jehovah instructed Moses to tell Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the ground that the dust may turn into midges that will infest the land of Egypt."
They did as they were told: Aaron stretched out his hand and with his staff struck the ground so that throughout Egypt the dust spawned midges to afflict both man and beast. The Pharaoh's magicians attempted with their sorcery to summon forth midges as Aaron had done, but they could not successfully do so. And so the midges remained a scourge to man and beast.
The magicians advised the Pharaoh, "This has indeed been wrought by the power of God," but the Pharaoh was unpersuaded and wouldn't listen to them -- just as Jehovah had foretold.
Jehovah told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and approach the Pharaoh when he goes down to the river to wash. Say this to him: 'Jehovah tells you to let my people go so that they may make a sacrifice to me. If you do not free them, I will send against you, against your servants and your subjects, swarms of flies. Your palace and the homes of your people will be infested with swarms of flies; even the ground on which you stand will teem with them. But the land of Goshen, where my people live, shall be set apart and no flies will appear there. You will realize then that I am the master of earthly events, and what will happen tomorrow will be proof that am determined to preserve this division between my people and your people."
And Jehovah did as he promised: an horrendous swarm of flies invaded the Pharaoh's palace and the homes of his servants, spreading over Egypt so that the whole country was paralyzed by the flies. The Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and told then, "You may make a sacrifice to your god, but do so here in this country."
Moses replied, "It would not be proper to do so, for if we did, we would be sacrificing animals that are worshiped as idols by the Egyptians, and if we sacrifice their idols in front of them, will not the Egyptians stone us to death? We will go three-days journey into the desert and sacrifice to Jehovah our god as he has commanded us."
The Pharaoh answered, "I will let your people go so they can make their sacrifice to your god Jehovah in the desert, but you must not go quite so far away -- and you must make entreaties to your god for me."
Moses said, "Look, I will go out tomorrow and pray to Jehovah so that he will drive away the flies from the Pharaoh, his servants, and his subjects, but the Pharaoh must cease his deceitful dealing and allow my people to sacrifice to their god."
After Moses departed from the Pharaoh, he prayed to Jehovah, who answered Moses's entreaty and removed the swarms of flies from the Pharaoh, his servants, and his subjects so that not one insect remained.
But again, the Pharaoh was obstinate, reneged on his promise, and did not let the people go.
Jehovah then told Moses, "Go see the Pharaoh and tell him, Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews demands, 'Let my people go that they may worship me, for, if you refuse to let them go and hold them still, my fury will fall upon the animals of the field. The horses, the donkeys, the camels, the cattle, the goats, and the sheep will all succumb to a virulent outbreak of murrain.' I will isolate the livestock of the Egyptians from that of the Israelites, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die."
The time was thus ordained: "Tomorrow, Jehovah will inflict this upon the land!” And, on the next day, he accomplished what he had promised. All the livestock belonging to the Egyptians perished and of the livestock belonging to the Israelites, not one did. Although the Pharaoh had been informed by scouts that none of the Israelite livestock had died, still he was uncompromising and did not let the people go.
Jehovah instructed Moses and Aaron, "Take some handfuls of soot from a kiln and, in the presence of the Pharaoh, disperse it into the air. It will spread like dust throughout the land of Egypt and will produce in men and animals swelling boils that will blister."
And they took some soot and, in front of the Pharaoh, Moses dispersed it into the air, and, as a result, there broke out upon men and animals swelling boils that blistered. Even the Pharaoh's magicians could not stand up in front of Moses because of the sores from which they suffered, (like all did in the land of Egypt).
But Jehovah still made the Pharaoh obstinate of mind so that he wouldn't listen to them -- just as Jehovah said.
Notes
1. The insect instrumental in the Third Plague is not clearly defined in the Hebrew text. Most often translations name lice or gnats. There is, however, no species of lice that attacks both men and animals and they would not suddenly increase in numbers. Gnats are not common in Egypt. Neither is thus likely to be the culprit. Midges, however, tiny, swarming insects, do seem to materialize from the dust and would fit the description. Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are a common nuisance in Egypt, and their numbers can burgeon suddenly under certain climatic conditions.
2. Again, with the Fourth Plague nothing specific is named, only "swarms." Early translators thought this might mean "wild animals," but that really doesn't fit. Generally it is thought that flies are what the swarms must have consisted of and that seems very reasonable. House and horse flies, though, don't usually swarm and bite. However, the stable fly does so and would fill the bill as the Fourth Plague. They are, incidentally, more prolific than any other kind of fly and are a vector for many diseases.
3. The swarms of flies suddenly appear at Jehovah's behest, while the midges had to be summoned by Aaron with some magical passes. Why the change in technique? The Fifth Plague, the murrain, also comes without human agency, but to create the boils of Plague Six, Moses has to throw some soot or ashes into the air.
4. The dying out of all the frogs -- and presumably toads -- would have caused the the fast-breeding insect populations on which they regularly fed to increase astronomically.
5. The Israelites suffered under the first three plagues, but were not affected by the later plagues, perhaps because of Goshen's geographic location and the fact that it is removed from the main course of the Nile and closer to the sea.
6. Moses realized that his people's custom of animal sacrifice was offensive to the Egyptians, who, despite their seeming love of animals, did practice animal sacrifice on a large scale, but with different methods and traditions. There was less emphasis on the burnt offerings of meat favored by the Hebrews and more on the mummification of sacrificial victims. The practice of Egyptian sacrifice of male (but not female) cattle is described by the Greek historian Herodotus (writing many centuries after the events of Exodus). It might be noted that most meat sacrifices ended up as meals for the Egyptian priests!
7. Moses, responding to the false promise of the forked-tongued Pharaoh, banishes the flies from Egypt, but, interestingly, there is no record of his getting rid of those pesky midges.
8. Murrain, the Fifth Plague, is not a specific disease, but a catch-all term for any serious ailment affecting livestock. It is not possible to identify the specific disease here. It was, for various reasons, probably not anthrax, hoof-and-mouth disease, or rinderpest. It might, though, have been a combination of African horse sickness and the related blue-tongue virus, which could have been easily spread by the Culicoides midges. (These diseases have high mortality rates.) Since this plague supposedly wiped out all the livestock in Egypt, one wonders how the Egyptians were ever able to replenish their stocks.
9. The Sixth Plague, a disease causing boils and blisters on both men and beasts, is also a mystery. The best candidate is a bacterial infection called glanders, which could have been spread by the stable flies. Glanders mostly affects animals, but will spread to humans. It was used by the Axis powers in World War I in an attempt to destroy enemy livestock. The Japanese used it to sicken Chinese populations during World War II, and there were subsequent efforts (happily unsuccessful) to weaponize it as a biological warfare agent.
10. Since all the livestock in Egypt was dead as a result of the Fifth Plague, one might well ask what animals remained to be affected by the Sixth Plague -- wild animals, pets?
11. There are several points on which the credibility of the story is strained. Why would the Pharaoh allow his whole country to be destroyed just because he was too proud and too stubborn to allow a group of slaves to go into the desert to make a sacrifice to their god? --- They didn't ask to be free from bondage, only to be able to observe a religious holiday. Was the Pharaoh a megalomaniac or merely a moron? He wouldn't listen to his magicians who advised him that Jehovah was more powerful than their gods, but wasn't he also getting some input from his vizier, his political advisors, his officers, his military, his family? Why weren't his people in revolt? There is a suspension of belief necessary in accepting the fairy tale aspects of a story which is composed of both fantasy and probable fact.
Jehovah instructed Moses to tell Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the ground that the dust may turn into midges that will infest the land of Egypt."
They did as they were told: Aaron stretched out his hand and with his staff struck the ground so that throughout Egypt the dust spawned midges to afflict both man and beast. The Pharaoh's magicians attempted with their sorcery to summon forth midges as Aaron had done, but they could not successfully do so. And so the midges remained a scourge to man and beast.
The magicians advised the Pharaoh, "This has indeed been wrought by the power of God," but the Pharaoh was unpersuaded and wouldn't listen to them -- just as Jehovah had foretold.
Jehovah told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and approach the Pharaoh when he goes down to the river to wash. Say this to him: 'Jehovah tells you to let my people go so that they may make a sacrifice to me. If you do not free them, I will send against you, against your servants and your subjects, swarms of flies. Your palace and the homes of your people will be infested with swarms of flies; even the ground on which you stand will teem with them. But the land of Goshen, where my people live, shall be set apart and no flies will appear there. You will realize then that I am the master of earthly events, and what will happen tomorrow will be proof that am determined to preserve this division between my people and your people."
And Jehovah did as he promised: an horrendous swarm of flies invaded the Pharaoh's palace and the homes of his servants, spreading over Egypt so that the whole country was paralyzed by the flies. The Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and told then, "You may make a sacrifice to your god, but do so here in this country."
Moses replied, "It would not be proper to do so, for if we did, we would be sacrificing animals that are worshiped as idols by the Egyptians, and if we sacrifice their idols in front of them, will not the Egyptians stone us to death? We will go three-days journey into the desert and sacrifice to Jehovah our god as he has commanded us."
The Pharaoh answered, "I will let your people go so they can make their sacrifice to your god Jehovah in the desert, but you must not go quite so far away -- and you must make entreaties to your god for me."
Moses said, "Look, I will go out tomorrow and pray to Jehovah so that he will drive away the flies from the Pharaoh, his servants, and his subjects, but the Pharaoh must cease his deceitful dealing and allow my people to sacrifice to their god."
After Moses departed from the Pharaoh, he prayed to Jehovah, who answered Moses's entreaty and removed the swarms of flies from the Pharaoh, his servants, and his subjects so that not one insect remained.
But again, the Pharaoh was obstinate, reneged on his promise, and did not let the people go.
Jehovah then told Moses, "Go see the Pharaoh and tell him, Jehovah, the god of the Hebrews demands, 'Let my people go that they may worship me, for, if you refuse to let them go and hold them still, my fury will fall upon the animals of the field. The horses, the donkeys, the camels, the cattle, the goats, and the sheep will all succumb to a virulent outbreak of murrain.' I will isolate the livestock of the Egyptians from that of the Israelites, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die."
The time was thus ordained: "Tomorrow, Jehovah will inflict this upon the land!” And, on the next day, he accomplished what he had promised. All the livestock belonging to the Egyptians perished and of the livestock belonging to the Israelites, not one did. Although the Pharaoh had been informed by scouts that none of the Israelite livestock had died, still he was uncompromising and did not let the people go.
Jehovah instructed Moses and Aaron, "Take some handfuls of soot from a kiln and, in the presence of the Pharaoh, disperse it into the air. It will spread like dust throughout the land of Egypt and will produce in men and animals swelling boils that will blister."
And they took some soot and, in front of the Pharaoh, Moses dispersed it into the air, and, as a result, there broke out upon men and animals swelling boils that blistered. Even the Pharaoh's magicians could not stand up in front of Moses because of the sores from which they suffered, (like all did in the land of Egypt).
But Jehovah still made the Pharaoh obstinate of mind so that he wouldn't listen to them -- just as Jehovah said.
Notes
1. The insect instrumental in the Third Plague is not clearly defined in the Hebrew text. Most often translations name lice or gnats. There is, however, no species of lice that attacks both men and animals and they would not suddenly increase in numbers. Gnats are not common in Egypt. Neither is thus likely to be the culprit. Midges, however, tiny, swarming insects, do seem to materialize from the dust and would fit the description. Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are a common nuisance in Egypt, and their numbers can burgeon suddenly under certain climatic conditions.
2. Again, with the Fourth Plague nothing specific is named, only "swarms." Early translators thought this might mean "wild animals," but that really doesn't fit. Generally it is thought that flies are what the swarms must have consisted of and that seems very reasonable. House and horse flies, though, don't usually swarm and bite. However, the stable fly does so and would fill the bill as the Fourth Plague. They are, incidentally, more prolific than any other kind of fly and are a vector for many diseases.
3. The swarms of flies suddenly appear at Jehovah's behest, while the midges had to be summoned by Aaron with some magical passes. Why the change in technique? The Fifth Plague, the murrain, also comes without human agency, but to create the boils of Plague Six, Moses has to throw some soot or ashes into the air.
4. The dying out of all the frogs -- and presumably toads -- would have caused the the fast-breeding insect populations on which they regularly fed to increase astronomically.
5. The Israelites suffered under the first three plagues, but were not affected by the later plagues, perhaps because of Goshen's geographic location and the fact that it is removed from the main course of the Nile and closer to the sea.
6. Moses realized that his people's custom of animal sacrifice was offensive to the Egyptians, who, despite their seeming love of animals, did practice animal sacrifice on a large scale, but with different methods and traditions. There was less emphasis on the burnt offerings of meat favored by the Hebrews and more on the mummification of sacrificial victims. The practice of Egyptian sacrifice of male (but not female) cattle is described by the Greek historian Herodotus (writing many centuries after the events of Exodus). It might be noted that most meat sacrifices ended up as meals for the Egyptian priests!
7. Moses, responding to the false promise of the forked-tongued Pharaoh, banishes the flies from Egypt, but, interestingly, there is no record of his getting rid of those pesky midges.
8. Murrain, the Fifth Plague, is not a specific disease, but a catch-all term for any serious ailment affecting livestock. It is not possible to identify the specific disease here. It was, for various reasons, probably not anthrax, hoof-and-mouth disease, or rinderpest. It might, though, have been a combination of African horse sickness and the related blue-tongue virus, which could have been easily spread by the Culicoides midges. (These diseases have high mortality rates.) Since this plague supposedly wiped out all the livestock in Egypt, one wonders how the Egyptians were ever able to replenish their stocks.
9. The Sixth Plague, a disease causing boils and blisters on both men and beasts, is also a mystery. The best candidate is a bacterial infection called glanders, which could have been spread by the stable flies. Glanders mostly affects animals, but will spread to humans. It was used by the Axis powers in World War I in an attempt to destroy enemy livestock. The Japanese used it to sicken Chinese populations during World War II, and there were subsequent efforts (happily unsuccessful) to weaponize it as a biological warfare agent.
10. Since all the livestock in Egypt was dead as a result of the Fifth Plague, one might well ask what animals remained to be affected by the Sixth Plague -- wild animals, pets?
11. There are several points on which the credibility of the story is strained. Why would the Pharaoh allow his whole country to be destroyed just because he was too proud and too stubborn to allow a group of slaves to go into the desert to make a sacrifice to their god? --- They didn't ask to be free from bondage, only to be able to observe a religious holiday. Was the Pharaoh a megalomaniac or merely a moron? He wouldn't listen to his magicians who advised him that Jehovah was more powerful than their gods, but wasn't he also getting some input from his vizier, his political advisors, his officers, his military, his family? Why weren't his people in revolt? There is a suspension of belief necessary in accepting the fairy tale aspects of a story which is composed of both fantasy and probable fact.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
The Plagues of Egypt, Part One
(Exodus 7:9 - 8:15)
Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron, "When the Pharaoh will challenge you, ‘Convince us by performing a miracle,' you will tell Aaron to take your staff and cast it down before the Pharaoh; it will turn into a snake."
And so Moses and Aaron appeared before the Pharaoh and did what Jehovah had bid them, casting before the Pharaoh and his court the staff, which did indeed become a snake. The Pharaoh, though, summoned all the wizards and sorcerers of Egypt, and with their expertise in magic they were able to do likewise: they each cast down their staffs and the staffs all turned into snakes just like Aaron's. Aaron's staff, however, devoured all the others!
But just as Jehovah had predicted, the Pharaoh was stubborn and did not relent and did not free the people.
Jehovah spoke again to Moses, "Since the Pharaoh has not changed his mind and will not let the people go, see him again in the morning when he comes out to wash in the Nile. Stand by the river bank and confront him carrying the same staff that was turned into a snake. You will say to him that the god of the Hebrews has sent you and demands, 'Let my people go so that they can worship me in the desert -- a request that you have thus far refused to grant.' And to prove to him that I am a god, you will dip into the waters of the Nile the staff you hold in your hand, and I will turn the river water into blood. The fish in the river will die. The river itself will stink and will sicken the Egyptians that drink from it.”
And Jehovah continued, "Tell Aaron to take the staff and stretch it out over all the waters of Egypt, the rivers, streams, pools, and ponds that they may all be turned into blood. Let there be nothing but blood in the land of Egypt, even in water containers of both wood and stone."
Moses and Aaron did as they were instructed by Jehovah. In the presence of the Pharaoh and his court, Aaron stretched the staff over the river, and the waters of the Nile were turned into blood. The fish died, the river stank, and the people could no longer drink its waters: there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
But the magicians of Egypt possessed the occult power to perform the same trick, so the Pharaoh was still adamant and refused to accede to Moses' demands, (as Jehovah had foretold). He turned away from Moses and Aaron and returned to his palace, remaining unconvinced.
All the Egyptians, who could no longer drink the waters of the Nile, dug around the river bank for water. This continued for seven days from the time that Jehovah had cursed the waters.
Jehovah then told Moses, "Go to the Pharaoh and tell him, 'Let my people go so that they may make a sacrifice to me. If you do not free them, I will afflict your entire country with a plague of frogs. The Nile will spew forth a swarming plethora of frogs. They will enter your palace and your bedchamber. They will even hop into your bed. They will invade the homes of your servants and subjects. They will get into your ovens and cooking bowls. And they will leap up, climb, and crawl all over you, your servants, and your subjects!’”
"Tell Aaron to stretch out his staff over the rivers, the streams, and the marshes and with it summon forth the frogs."
And Aaron did stretch out his staff over the waters of Egypt. The frogs appeared and they soon covered the entire land. But the wizards of the Pharaoh were able by their magic to similarly summon forth frogs onto the land of Egypt.
The Pharaoh, though, saw Moses and Aaron and asked them, "Please tell your god to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let your people go so they can sacrifice to their god."
Moses replied to the Pharaoh, "Tell me the time when I may pray for you, your servants, and your people that the frogs may be taken away from your house and from the houses of your servants and subjects and be thenceforth confined only to the rivers."
"Tomorrow," was the Pharaoh's reply.
"Let it be as you say -- but you will see there is none like the god Jehovah. The frogs will be banished from you and from your houses, from your servants and subjects and will remain only in the river." After he and Aaron departed from the Pharaoh, Moses prayed to Jehovah concerning the frogs that had been brought against the Pharaoh. Jehovah did what Moses had asked of him: the frogs that had infested the houses and courtyards and fields all perished. The frog carcasses were piled in huge heaps and because of them, the whole country reeked.
But when the Pharaoh saw that there had been a deliverance, he resumed his stubborn attitude and refused to honor his promise -- just as Jehovah had predicted.
Notes
1. At this point in the narrative we seem to be lapsing into the realm of a fairy tale, with competing exhibitions of magical feats. To impress the Pharaoh with Jehovah's power Moses has Aaron toss down his staff and make it turn into a snake. One would think that an omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe would manage something a little more impressive, if not a little more dignified. What is remarkable is that the Pharaoh's magicians are able to perform the same trick. (How did they do it?) There is an implied competition of Jehovah with the gods of Egypt. The latter, while unfit subjects for Hebrew worship, are nowhere discounted as being nonexistent or impotent. A modern interpretation might assert that the power of the Egyptian magicians came from Satan or the Devil, while that of Moses and Aaron, from God. However, there was, at this time, no concept of a Devil, a god of evil, an antagonist against which Jehovah and the forces of good were arrayed. This dualism would creep into religious thought at a later date, mostly as a result of Persian/Zoroastrian influence.
2. It is amazing that the Pharaoh is so accessible to the spokesmen of his slaves: Moses is able to confront him when he takes his morning wash up in the Nile. (Where is security!) All through Egyptian history Pharaohs, even those foreigners who assumed the title, were aloof, godlike personages, hardly approachable to ordinary men. Also, it is interesting there is no mention by the Pharaoh -- or by the storyteller -- that Moses is the adopted son of a Pharaoh's sister. One would think that might have given Moses some clout at court, but it’s never spoken of.
3. By stretching Moses' magic staff over the waters, Aaron is able to turn the water in to blood. As the First Plague of Egypt, water all over Egypt is turned into blood. Apparently Aaron traveled all over the country stopping at every pond and pool to make a pass with his staff and was somehow able as well to turn the water of every bowl and bottle, cup and urn in Egypt into blood. This, and much of what ensues has the flavor of a fanciful folk tale, too absurd to be taken literally.
4. The people of Egypt are without water for seven days. One would think everyone would be pretty thirsty, if not dead by week's end. There is a reference, though, to people digging along the river to find drinkable water. Perhaps enough was found to keep the population hydrated.
5. Suggestions have been made that a certain algae may have been responsible for making the Nile water turn red, or some mineral contamination at the river's source may have accounted for the change in the color of the water. This may certainly have given rise to a memory of waters turning to “blood,” but it of course does not explain waters in containers turning to blood.
6. The second plague, that of frogs, is able to be replicated as well by the Egyptian magicians, but apparently they are unable to get rid of the frogs they have summoned and so the Pharaoh, fed up with the amphibious infestation, cries "uncle." He gives in to Moses' demands (and then reneges). Moses avails upon his god to get rid of the frogs; Jehovah makes them all die, but why doesn't he do it one better and make their stinking carcasses disappear?
7. Nearly all the plagues can be ascribed to either a change in climatic conditions or a natural calamity, the most likely culprit being the cataclysmic eruption of a volcano on the Aegean island of Thera, probably in the early 17th Century B.C. (although many place the events of Exodus at a much later date.) The plagues could have all occurred sequentially as the story says, or they may have happened at different times. The Ipuwer papyrus, an Egyptian text, describes similar events taking place at the end of the Old Kingdom. The plagues, however, do not seem to be an original part of the Moses saga. In Deuteronomy Moses inexplicably makes no mention of them when recounting the highlights of his time in Egypt. Chroniclers compiling the Books of Moses during and shortly after the Babylonian Captivity may have added the story of the Plagues to dramatize their narrative of the liberation of the Israelites. There is also a strong possibility that the Plagues, if they occurred during the time of Moses, may have precipitated Israelite emigration from Egypt back to Canaan. (Remember that the Hebrews left Canaan and settled in Egypt because of famine.) Later, the Plagues would become an instrument by which Jehovah freed the Israelites.
8. It must be mentioned that undermining the credibility of the story is the passive conduct of the Pharaoh. Why does he continue to allow Moses to afflict his country with plagues? Why doesn't he imprison or execute Moses and Aaron or at least take that darn staff away from them! It makes no sense.
Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron, "When the Pharaoh will challenge you, ‘Convince us by performing a miracle,' you will tell Aaron to take your staff and cast it down before the Pharaoh; it will turn into a snake."
And so Moses and Aaron appeared before the Pharaoh and did what Jehovah had bid them, casting before the Pharaoh and his court the staff, which did indeed become a snake. The Pharaoh, though, summoned all the wizards and sorcerers of Egypt, and with their expertise in magic they were able to do likewise: they each cast down their staffs and the staffs all turned into snakes just like Aaron's. Aaron's staff, however, devoured all the others!
But just as Jehovah had predicted, the Pharaoh was stubborn and did not relent and did not free the people.
Jehovah spoke again to Moses, "Since the Pharaoh has not changed his mind and will not let the people go, see him again in the morning when he comes out to wash in the Nile. Stand by the river bank and confront him carrying the same staff that was turned into a snake. You will say to him that the god of the Hebrews has sent you and demands, 'Let my people go so that they can worship me in the desert -- a request that you have thus far refused to grant.' And to prove to him that I am a god, you will dip into the waters of the Nile the staff you hold in your hand, and I will turn the river water into blood. The fish in the river will die. The river itself will stink and will sicken the Egyptians that drink from it.”
And Jehovah continued, "Tell Aaron to take the staff and stretch it out over all the waters of Egypt, the rivers, streams, pools, and ponds that they may all be turned into blood. Let there be nothing but blood in the land of Egypt, even in water containers of both wood and stone."
Moses and Aaron did as they were instructed by Jehovah. In the presence of the Pharaoh and his court, Aaron stretched the staff over the river, and the waters of the Nile were turned into blood. The fish died, the river stank, and the people could no longer drink its waters: there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
But the magicians of Egypt possessed the occult power to perform the same trick, so the Pharaoh was still adamant and refused to accede to Moses' demands, (as Jehovah had foretold). He turned away from Moses and Aaron and returned to his palace, remaining unconvinced.
All the Egyptians, who could no longer drink the waters of the Nile, dug around the river bank for water. This continued for seven days from the time that Jehovah had cursed the waters.
Jehovah then told Moses, "Go to the Pharaoh and tell him, 'Let my people go so that they may make a sacrifice to me. If you do not free them, I will afflict your entire country with a plague of frogs. The Nile will spew forth a swarming plethora of frogs. They will enter your palace and your bedchamber. They will even hop into your bed. They will invade the homes of your servants and subjects. They will get into your ovens and cooking bowls. And they will leap up, climb, and crawl all over you, your servants, and your subjects!’”
"Tell Aaron to stretch out his staff over the rivers, the streams, and the marshes and with it summon forth the frogs."
And Aaron did stretch out his staff over the waters of Egypt. The frogs appeared and they soon covered the entire land. But the wizards of the Pharaoh were able by their magic to similarly summon forth frogs onto the land of Egypt.
The Pharaoh, though, saw Moses and Aaron and asked them, "Please tell your god to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let your people go so they can sacrifice to their god."
Moses replied to the Pharaoh, "Tell me the time when I may pray for you, your servants, and your people that the frogs may be taken away from your house and from the houses of your servants and subjects and be thenceforth confined only to the rivers."
"Tomorrow," was the Pharaoh's reply.
"Let it be as you say -- but you will see there is none like the god Jehovah. The frogs will be banished from you and from your houses, from your servants and subjects and will remain only in the river." After he and Aaron departed from the Pharaoh, Moses prayed to Jehovah concerning the frogs that had been brought against the Pharaoh. Jehovah did what Moses had asked of him: the frogs that had infested the houses and courtyards and fields all perished. The frog carcasses were piled in huge heaps and because of them, the whole country reeked.
But when the Pharaoh saw that there had been a deliverance, he resumed his stubborn attitude and refused to honor his promise -- just as Jehovah had predicted.
Notes
1. At this point in the narrative we seem to be lapsing into the realm of a fairy tale, with competing exhibitions of magical feats. To impress the Pharaoh with Jehovah's power Moses has Aaron toss down his staff and make it turn into a snake. One would think that an omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe would manage something a little more impressive, if not a little more dignified. What is remarkable is that the Pharaoh's magicians are able to perform the same trick. (How did they do it?) There is an implied competition of Jehovah with the gods of Egypt. The latter, while unfit subjects for Hebrew worship, are nowhere discounted as being nonexistent or impotent. A modern interpretation might assert that the power of the Egyptian magicians came from Satan or the Devil, while that of Moses and Aaron, from God. However, there was, at this time, no concept of a Devil, a god of evil, an antagonist against which Jehovah and the forces of good were arrayed. This dualism would creep into religious thought at a later date, mostly as a result of Persian/Zoroastrian influence.
2. It is amazing that the Pharaoh is so accessible to the spokesmen of his slaves: Moses is able to confront him when he takes his morning wash up in the Nile. (Where is security!) All through Egyptian history Pharaohs, even those foreigners who assumed the title, were aloof, godlike personages, hardly approachable to ordinary men. Also, it is interesting there is no mention by the Pharaoh -- or by the storyteller -- that Moses is the adopted son of a Pharaoh's sister. One would think that might have given Moses some clout at court, but it’s never spoken of.
3. By stretching Moses' magic staff over the waters, Aaron is able to turn the water in to blood. As the First Plague of Egypt, water all over Egypt is turned into blood. Apparently Aaron traveled all over the country stopping at every pond and pool to make a pass with his staff and was somehow able as well to turn the water of every bowl and bottle, cup and urn in Egypt into blood. This, and much of what ensues has the flavor of a fanciful folk tale, too absurd to be taken literally.
4. The people of Egypt are without water for seven days. One would think everyone would be pretty thirsty, if not dead by week's end. There is a reference, though, to people digging along the river to find drinkable water. Perhaps enough was found to keep the population hydrated.
5. Suggestions have been made that a certain algae may have been responsible for making the Nile water turn red, or some mineral contamination at the river's source may have accounted for the change in the color of the water. This may certainly have given rise to a memory of waters turning to “blood,” but it of course does not explain waters in containers turning to blood.
6. The second plague, that of frogs, is able to be replicated as well by the Egyptian magicians, but apparently they are unable to get rid of the frogs they have summoned and so the Pharaoh, fed up with the amphibious infestation, cries "uncle." He gives in to Moses' demands (and then reneges). Moses avails upon his god to get rid of the frogs; Jehovah makes them all die, but why doesn't he do it one better and make their stinking carcasses disappear?
7. Nearly all the plagues can be ascribed to either a change in climatic conditions or a natural calamity, the most likely culprit being the cataclysmic eruption of a volcano on the Aegean island of Thera, probably in the early 17th Century B.C. (although many place the events of Exodus at a much later date.) The plagues could have all occurred sequentially as the story says, or they may have happened at different times. The Ipuwer papyrus, an Egyptian text, describes similar events taking place at the end of the Old Kingdom. The plagues, however, do not seem to be an original part of the Moses saga. In Deuteronomy Moses inexplicably makes no mention of them when recounting the highlights of his time in Egypt. Chroniclers compiling the Books of Moses during and shortly after the Babylonian Captivity may have added the story of the Plagues to dramatize their narrative of the liberation of the Israelites. There is also a strong possibility that the Plagues, if they occurred during the time of Moses, may have precipitated Israelite emigration from Egypt back to Canaan. (Remember that the Hebrews left Canaan and settled in Egypt because of famine.) Later, the Plagues would become an instrument by which Jehovah freed the Israelites.
8. It must be mentioned that undermining the credibility of the story is the passive conduct of the Pharaoh. Why does he continue to allow Moses to afflict his country with plagues? Why doesn't he imprison or execute Moses and Aaron or at least take that darn staff away from them! It makes no sense.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Moses Confers with Jehovah
(Exodus 5:22 - 7:7)
Moses went back to confer with Jehovah and to vent his displeasure, "Master, why have you brought nothing but misery to this people? Why did you send me anyway? --- Since I went to see the Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has only done evil to this people and has certainly not freed them."
Jehovah replied to Moses, "You will see now the strong pressure I will put upon the Pharaoh: he will not only be willing to let the Israelites go, he will literally drive them out of the country." He continued to speak to Moses, "I am Jehovah! When I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I called myself the All-Powerful God, but my true name, Jehovah, was not known to them. I made an agreement with them that I would give them possession of the land of Canaan, where they had settled to dwell as foreigners. I have heard the complaints and the cries for help of the Israelites whom the Egyptians hold in bondage, and I remember the contract I have with them."
"Tell the Israelites, 'I am Jehovah and I will deliver you from the oppressions of the Egyptians and free you from your bondage. I will use my power to exact harsh punishments upon your persecutors, and I will rescue you from them. I will embrace you as my own people and I will serve you as your god. And you will know that I am your god when I free you from your bondage to the Egyptians and bring you to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and make it your heritage. I am Jehovah!’”
Moses told all this to the Israelites, but they scorned his words, depressed and dispirited as they were by the harshness of their servitude.
Jehovah spoke to Moses, "Go see the Pharaoh of Egypt and speak to him that he will allow the Israelites to leave his country."
Moses replied, "Look, even the Israelites won't listen to me, how will the Pharaoh heed my words, especially since I’m a poor speaker."
But Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them instructions concerning the Israelites and the Egyptian Pharaoh. (He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.)
These are the family heads of the tribes of Israel:
The sons of Reuben, Israel's oldest son:
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The sons of Simeon and the heads of his tribe's families:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul (whose mother was a Canaanite).
The names of Levi's sons (by the genealogical records):
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(Levi lived 137 years.)
The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. (Kohath lived 133 years.)
The sons of Merari: Mahali and Mushi
These are the families of Levi (by the genealogical records).
Amram married his father's sister Jochebed and she gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri
Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Naashon, and she gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, Abiasaph. These are the forefathers of the Korhite clans.
Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she bore him Phinehas.
Above are the forefathers of the various clans of the Levite tribe.
It was this very Moses and Aaron who were commanded by Jehovah to, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in an orderly exodus. “ It was this very Moses and Aaron who beseeched the Pharaoh to let them leave Egypt.
At the time when Jehovah appeared to Moses in the land of Egypt, he told him, "I am Jehovah, tell the Pharaoh everything I will say to you.” But Moses responded, "Look, I’m a poor speaker. How will the Pharaoh pay any attention to my words?"
Jehovah assured him, "I have made you like a god over the Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be like your prophet. You will tell Aaron everything I say to you. He will tell the Pharaoh -- tell him to send the Israelites out of Egypt. I will make the Pharaoh obstinate, but I will perform more and more miracles and feats of magic. Yet the Pharaoh will not relent until I punish his country severely. Then I will marshal my people, the Israelites, and bring them out of Egypt like a marching army. When I exert my power over Egypt and liberate the Israelites, it will dawn upon the Egyptians that I am indeed a god."
Moses and Aaron did as Jehovah had commanded them. (When they confronted the Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83.)
Notes
1. Moses has thus far been a failure as a liberator and as a spokesman for his people. He has not only made the Pharaoh more determined not to let the Israelites go, but has goaded him into more severely oppressing them. Moreover, he has lost the confidence of his own people. Moses, therefore, goes to Jehovah who has put him up to it and blames him. Jehovah reassures him with, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
2. Jehovah makes the case to Moses that he is the same god who communed with his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He claims that he never told them his real name, “Jehovah,” (YHVH), but that he only called himself, rather grandly, "the All-Powerful God." This is a curious passage. Jehovah's insistence that he is the Hebrew national god strikes, at least this reader, as a case of protesting too much. One can't help getting the feeling, based on the tone of this Jehovah's remarks and the unusual way in which he contacted Moses, that this is a different person from the god of Abraham. The repeated insistence that he is, only strengthen the doubt.
3. Moses speaks several times to Jehovah, but we are not told how and where these contacts occurred. Did Moses keep going back to the Holy Mountain and converse again and again with the burning bush? Was there telepathic contact? Did Jehovah appear in human or some other physical form?
4. One gains the impression that Jehovah, in his quest to have the Pharaoh release his people, doesn't really know what he's doing. Rather than using the most effective means at his disposal he seems to be winging it. But he is determined to show Egypt his power and create phenomena they will regard as miraculous and divine, so that they will know for sure that he is a god. It seems that Jehovah is constantly aspiring to be a god, receiving the worship due a god, making demands in exchange for unfulfilled promises. And again it must be mentioned that Jehovah presents himself as the god of the Israelites, not the god of any other people, not the universal God. He occasionally does claim to be the Creator, but this is inconsistent with what he is actually able to do.
5. At this point, the story is becoming repetitious, as if the author has temporarily lost the thread of the narrative. Interrupting the story is a catalog of the family heads of the Israelites, including the descendants of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (with no mention of Israel's other tribes). The genealogy shows us that Moses is the great-grandson of Levi and that his mother Jochebed was also his great aunt. (So far we find no hint of any prohibition of incest.) It also gives one an idea of the actual number of Israelites in bondage, several hundred, a few thousand? -- at any rate a far, far lower number than is otherwise suggested by the text wherein the Egyptians are fearful the Israelites will outnumber them. The text seems to want to inflate the number of the Israelite population (to enlarge their importance?), but normal propagation for the number of generations cited simply cannot support anything above the level of a small tribe.
6. Again we have abnormal longevity for Hebrew patriarchs. Jehovah's decision after the Flood to shorten the life span of men to what we now know as normal has apparently not been put into full effect. One feels that the long life spans are included not only to enhance the stature of important figures, but also to expand the time between generations and make it seem as if a longer period of time has elapsed between certain events than is really the case. Moses' age at the time when he appeared before the Pharaoh is here given as 80 years. This seems preposterous, but is necessary for the story since a certain number of known years will pass from his return to Egypt to his death. Decades of extra years can only be inserted during his Midian period. (Moses must have a number of years in accordance with his importance.) The 80 years, though, hardly seems credible since Moses left Egypt a young man and married Sephora almost as soon as he arrived to live among the Midianites. Two children were born. When Moses returned to Egypt, one of them was a young child of circumsizable age. Did he and Sephora wait fifty or sixty years to have children? Not likely. And an exile of 60 years or so doesn't seem very reasonable, nor does Jehovah choosing such an aged man to represent him make much sense.
Moses went back to confer with Jehovah and to vent his displeasure, "Master, why have you brought nothing but misery to this people? Why did you send me anyway? --- Since I went to see the Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has only done evil to this people and has certainly not freed them."
Jehovah replied to Moses, "You will see now the strong pressure I will put upon the Pharaoh: he will not only be willing to let the Israelites go, he will literally drive them out of the country." He continued to speak to Moses, "I am Jehovah! When I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I called myself the All-Powerful God, but my true name, Jehovah, was not known to them. I made an agreement with them that I would give them possession of the land of Canaan, where they had settled to dwell as foreigners. I have heard the complaints and the cries for help of the Israelites whom the Egyptians hold in bondage, and I remember the contract I have with them."
"Tell the Israelites, 'I am Jehovah and I will deliver you from the oppressions of the Egyptians and free you from your bondage. I will use my power to exact harsh punishments upon your persecutors, and I will rescue you from them. I will embrace you as my own people and I will serve you as your god. And you will know that I am your god when I free you from your bondage to the Egyptians and bring you to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and make it your heritage. I am Jehovah!’”
Moses told all this to the Israelites, but they scorned his words, depressed and dispirited as they were by the harshness of their servitude.
Jehovah spoke to Moses, "Go see the Pharaoh of Egypt and speak to him that he will allow the Israelites to leave his country."
Moses replied, "Look, even the Israelites won't listen to me, how will the Pharaoh heed my words, especially since I’m a poor speaker."
But Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them instructions concerning the Israelites and the Egyptian Pharaoh. (He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.)
These are the family heads of the tribes of Israel:
The sons of Reuben, Israel's oldest son:
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The sons of Simeon and the heads of his tribe's families:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul (whose mother was a Canaanite).
The names of Levi's sons (by the genealogical records):
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(Levi lived 137 years.)
The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. (Kohath lived 133 years.)
The sons of Merari: Mahali and Mushi
These are the families of Levi (by the genealogical records).
Amram married his father's sister Jochebed and she gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri
Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Naashon, and she gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, Abiasaph. These are the forefathers of the Korhite clans.
Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she bore him Phinehas.
Above are the forefathers of the various clans of the Levite tribe.
It was this very Moses and Aaron who were commanded by Jehovah to, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in an orderly exodus. “ It was this very Moses and Aaron who beseeched the Pharaoh to let them leave Egypt.
At the time when Jehovah appeared to Moses in the land of Egypt, he told him, "I am Jehovah, tell the Pharaoh everything I will say to you.” But Moses responded, "Look, I’m a poor speaker. How will the Pharaoh pay any attention to my words?"
Jehovah assured him, "I have made you like a god over the Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be like your prophet. You will tell Aaron everything I say to you. He will tell the Pharaoh -- tell him to send the Israelites out of Egypt. I will make the Pharaoh obstinate, but I will perform more and more miracles and feats of magic. Yet the Pharaoh will not relent until I punish his country severely. Then I will marshal my people, the Israelites, and bring them out of Egypt like a marching army. When I exert my power over Egypt and liberate the Israelites, it will dawn upon the Egyptians that I am indeed a god."
Moses and Aaron did as Jehovah had commanded them. (When they confronted the Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83.)
Notes
1. Moses has thus far been a failure as a liberator and as a spokesman for his people. He has not only made the Pharaoh more determined not to let the Israelites go, but has goaded him into more severely oppressing them. Moreover, he has lost the confidence of his own people. Moses, therefore, goes to Jehovah who has put him up to it and blames him. Jehovah reassures him with, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
2. Jehovah makes the case to Moses that he is the same god who communed with his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He claims that he never told them his real name, “Jehovah,” (YHVH), but that he only called himself, rather grandly, "the All-Powerful God." This is a curious passage. Jehovah's insistence that he is the Hebrew national god strikes, at least this reader, as a case of protesting too much. One can't help getting the feeling, based on the tone of this Jehovah's remarks and the unusual way in which he contacted Moses, that this is a different person from the god of Abraham. The repeated insistence that he is, only strengthen the doubt.
3. Moses speaks several times to Jehovah, but we are not told how and where these contacts occurred. Did Moses keep going back to the Holy Mountain and converse again and again with the burning bush? Was there telepathic contact? Did Jehovah appear in human or some other physical form?
4. One gains the impression that Jehovah, in his quest to have the Pharaoh release his people, doesn't really know what he's doing. Rather than using the most effective means at his disposal he seems to be winging it. But he is determined to show Egypt his power and create phenomena they will regard as miraculous and divine, so that they will know for sure that he is a god. It seems that Jehovah is constantly aspiring to be a god, receiving the worship due a god, making demands in exchange for unfulfilled promises. And again it must be mentioned that Jehovah presents himself as the god of the Israelites, not the god of any other people, not the universal God. He occasionally does claim to be the Creator, but this is inconsistent with what he is actually able to do.
5. At this point, the story is becoming repetitious, as if the author has temporarily lost the thread of the narrative. Interrupting the story is a catalog of the family heads of the Israelites, including the descendants of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (with no mention of Israel's other tribes). The genealogy shows us that Moses is the great-grandson of Levi and that his mother Jochebed was also his great aunt. (So far we find no hint of any prohibition of incest.) It also gives one an idea of the actual number of Israelites in bondage, several hundred, a few thousand? -- at any rate a far, far lower number than is otherwise suggested by the text wherein the Egyptians are fearful the Israelites will outnumber them. The text seems to want to inflate the number of the Israelite population (to enlarge their importance?), but normal propagation for the number of generations cited simply cannot support anything above the level of a small tribe.
6. Again we have abnormal longevity for Hebrew patriarchs. Jehovah's decision after the Flood to shorten the life span of men to what we now know as normal has apparently not been put into full effect. One feels that the long life spans are included not only to enhance the stature of important figures, but also to expand the time between generations and make it seem as if a longer period of time has elapsed between certain events than is really the case. Moses' age at the time when he appeared before the Pharaoh is here given as 80 years. This seems preposterous, but is necessary for the story since a certain number of known years will pass from his return to Egypt to his death. Decades of extra years can only be inserted during his Midian period. (Moses must have a number of years in accordance with his importance.) The 80 years, though, hardly seems credible since Moses left Egypt a young man and married Sephora almost as soon as he arrived to live among the Midianites. Two children were born. When Moses returned to Egypt, one of them was a young child of circumsizable age. Did he and Sephora wait fifty or sixty years to have children? Not likely. And an exile of 60 years or so doesn't seem very reasonable, nor does Jehovah choosing such an aged man to represent him make much sense.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Moses Returns to Egypt
(Exodus 4:20 - 5:21)
Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and they began their journey back to Egypt. And as he was told, Moses carried with him the divine staff. Jehovah reminded him, “When you arrive in Egypt, make sure that you work your wonders and perform before the Pharaoh all the feats of magic I have taught you. Even so, I will make the Pharaoh stubborn so that he will still refuse to let your people go. You should then tell him the demands of Jehovah, 'Israel is my son, my favored son. I tell you to let my son go so he can worship me. If you fail to do so, I will kill your favored son.’”
During the journey, when Moses was camping for the night, an extraterrestrial confronted him. He was at the point of killing Moses when Sephora quickly seized a sharpened flint and, with it, circumcised their son. Flinging the bloody, excised foreskin at Moses' crotch, she declared, “You are now wedded to me in blood," after which the extraterrestrial released Moses and departed. (She used the term “wedded to me in blood" because of the circumcision).
Jehovah communicated to Aaron. "Go out into the desert to meet Moses." And he journeyed to the holy mountain and, when he found Moses, he greeted him with a kiss. Moses told Aaron all the things that Jehovah, who had sent him, had revealed and showed him the feats of magic in which he had instructed him.
Moses and Aaron appeared before a meeting of the elders of Israel. There Aaron conveyed to them the words Jehovah had spoken to Moses and demonstrated the magical feats before the people. The people were duly convinced. And when they learned that Jehovah had visited their people and had observed their hardships, they bowed down in worship.
Moses and Aaron appeared before the Pharaoh and told him, "Jehovah, the god of Israel, says, 'Free my people, so that they may hold a sacrificial ceremony to me in the desert." But he replied, "Who is Jehovah that I should listen to him and free the Israelites? I've never heard of this Jehovah, and I won't free the Israelites."
Moses and Aaron replied, "The god of the Hebrews has called to us and instructed us to journey three days into the desert and there to make sacrifices to him. If we don't, he may afflict us with wars or plagues.”
The Pharaoh of Egypt said, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, entice the people away from their appointed tasks. Get back to work!" He further complained, "The Israelites are numerous now and already overflowing their territory. How much more will they increase in numbers if we give them leisure from their labor?”
On the same day the Pharaoh commanded the overseers and taskmasters, "You will no longer furnish the Israelites with straw to make brick as you’ve been doing. Let them go out and glean straw for themselves. You will not decrease the quota of bricks they are required to make or reduce their labor in any way. They’re a lazy lot. They whine, 'We want to go and make a sacrifice to our god.' Keep them busy with more and more work. Make sure they do it and not listen to foolish talk."
The overseers and taskmasters went out and told the Israelites, "The Pharaoh has said you will have no more straw. You must go out and gather it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work load will not be reduced."
And so the Israelites dispersed over the land to collect stubble instead of straw. The taskmasters drove them hard, telling them, "Make your daily quota just as you did when you were given straw."
The Israelite foremen, those chosen by the taskmasters, were beaten. "Why haven't you filled your quota of bricks the past few days, as you did in the past?" they were asked. But the Israelite foreman brought their grievances to the Pharaoh. "Why do you treat your servants like this?” they asked him. “Your servants are given no straw, yet are ordered to make bricks as before. When we can’t, we’re whipped. The fault is not with us, but with your people.”
The Pharaoh responded, “Lazy! That’s what you are, you don’t want to work. That’s why you keep grousing, 'We want to go and sacrifice to our god.' Get back to work! You will not be given straw and the quota of bricks you must deliver will remain the same."
The Israelite foremen knew they were in deep trouble when they heard, "Your daily quota of bricks will not be lessened." As they left their audience with the Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron were waiting for them. The foremen stood up to them and chewed them out, “May God judge you harshly because you have made our people loathsome in the eyes of the Pharaoh and his men. You've only given them an excuse to exterminate us."
Notes
1. Jehovah commands Moses to perform his magic feats before the Pharaoh and, then by way of encouraging him (not), tells him that the Pharaoh will be unconvinced, not because of the Pharaoh's own stubborn nature, but because Jehovah has made him that way. Logically, Jehovah is working at cross purposes. He wants the Pharaoh to act a certain way and then compels him to act in the opposite manner. It makes no sense, except to reinforce the belief that nothing happens unless it is divinely ordained.
2. An unusual and disturbing incident on the trip back to Egypt occurs at an inn. An extraterrestrial shows up with the presumed intent of killing Moses because his second(?) son had not been circumcised. (The text is somewhat muddled.) Moses has been shockingly remiss in not performing this procedure, but it must be remembered he was brought up as an Egyptian and not as a Hebrew, and his wife, though Hebrew, was not an Israelite. Some have suggested he did not do so because his second son Eliezer had been recently born and Moses did not want him to travel weakened by the operation. This, of course, is mere conjecture. At any rate, it is somewhat shocking that a Jehovan would come down to earth to murder Moses simply because his son hadn't been circumcised, especially when Moses had just been selected as Jehovah’s spokesman and emissary. Were Jehovans constantly on the rampage, killing the fathers of uncircumcised Hebrew babies wherever they found them? It is possible that Jehovah himself sent this particular extraterrestrial assassin? If so, why? Or was this extraterrestrial acting on his own, unaware of Jehovah's plans for Moses?
3. The Pharaoh rebuffs Moses and scorns Jehovah, of whom he has no knowledge. The Egyptians worshiped a large number of gods and goddesses, most of them depicted with human bodies with the heads of animals. The Pharaoh himself was generally regarded either as a living god or as a god to-be. It is understandable that he would not kowtow to some no-name god worshiped by his slaves.
5. On one level, the conflict between the Pharaoh and the Israelites is the familiar one of management and labor. Management thinks the workers are lazy and uppity, labor thinks management is arrogant and abusive. Here, the Pharaoh rejects the demands of labor (time off for religious worship) and, for their presumption, he makes their working conditions more onerous. The labor leader, Moses, is rebuked by representatives of the rank and file for making their lot worse instead of better.
Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and they began their journey back to Egypt. And as he was told, Moses carried with him the divine staff. Jehovah reminded him, “When you arrive in Egypt, make sure that you work your wonders and perform before the Pharaoh all the feats of magic I have taught you. Even so, I will make the Pharaoh stubborn so that he will still refuse to let your people go. You should then tell him the demands of Jehovah, 'Israel is my son, my favored son. I tell you to let my son go so he can worship me. If you fail to do so, I will kill your favored son.’”
During the journey, when Moses was camping for the night, an extraterrestrial confronted him. He was at the point of killing Moses when Sephora quickly seized a sharpened flint and, with it, circumcised their son. Flinging the bloody, excised foreskin at Moses' crotch, she declared, “You are now wedded to me in blood," after which the extraterrestrial released Moses and departed. (She used the term “wedded to me in blood" because of the circumcision).
Jehovah communicated to Aaron. "Go out into the desert to meet Moses." And he journeyed to the holy mountain and, when he found Moses, he greeted him with a kiss. Moses told Aaron all the things that Jehovah, who had sent him, had revealed and showed him the feats of magic in which he had instructed him.
Moses and Aaron appeared before a meeting of the elders of Israel. There Aaron conveyed to them the words Jehovah had spoken to Moses and demonstrated the magical feats before the people. The people were duly convinced. And when they learned that Jehovah had visited their people and had observed their hardships, they bowed down in worship.
Moses and Aaron appeared before the Pharaoh and told him, "Jehovah, the god of Israel, says, 'Free my people, so that they may hold a sacrificial ceremony to me in the desert." But he replied, "Who is Jehovah that I should listen to him and free the Israelites? I've never heard of this Jehovah, and I won't free the Israelites."
Moses and Aaron replied, "The god of the Hebrews has called to us and instructed us to journey three days into the desert and there to make sacrifices to him. If we don't, he may afflict us with wars or plagues.”
The Pharaoh of Egypt said, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, entice the people away from their appointed tasks. Get back to work!" He further complained, "The Israelites are numerous now and already overflowing their territory. How much more will they increase in numbers if we give them leisure from their labor?”
On the same day the Pharaoh commanded the overseers and taskmasters, "You will no longer furnish the Israelites with straw to make brick as you’ve been doing. Let them go out and glean straw for themselves. You will not decrease the quota of bricks they are required to make or reduce their labor in any way. They’re a lazy lot. They whine, 'We want to go and make a sacrifice to our god.' Keep them busy with more and more work. Make sure they do it and not listen to foolish talk."
The overseers and taskmasters went out and told the Israelites, "The Pharaoh has said you will have no more straw. You must go out and gather it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work load will not be reduced."
And so the Israelites dispersed over the land to collect stubble instead of straw. The taskmasters drove them hard, telling them, "Make your daily quota just as you did when you were given straw."
The Israelite foremen, those chosen by the taskmasters, were beaten. "Why haven't you filled your quota of bricks the past few days, as you did in the past?" they were asked. But the Israelite foreman brought their grievances to the Pharaoh. "Why do you treat your servants like this?” they asked him. “Your servants are given no straw, yet are ordered to make bricks as before. When we can’t, we’re whipped. The fault is not with us, but with your people.”
The Pharaoh responded, “Lazy! That’s what you are, you don’t want to work. That’s why you keep grousing, 'We want to go and sacrifice to our god.' Get back to work! You will not be given straw and the quota of bricks you must deliver will remain the same."
The Israelite foremen knew they were in deep trouble when they heard, "Your daily quota of bricks will not be lessened." As they left their audience with the Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron were waiting for them. The foremen stood up to them and chewed them out, “May God judge you harshly because you have made our people loathsome in the eyes of the Pharaoh and his men. You've only given them an excuse to exterminate us."
Notes
1. Jehovah commands Moses to perform his magic feats before the Pharaoh and, then by way of encouraging him (not), tells him that the Pharaoh will be unconvinced, not because of the Pharaoh's own stubborn nature, but because Jehovah has made him that way. Logically, Jehovah is working at cross purposes. He wants the Pharaoh to act a certain way and then compels him to act in the opposite manner. It makes no sense, except to reinforce the belief that nothing happens unless it is divinely ordained.
2. An unusual and disturbing incident on the trip back to Egypt occurs at an inn. An extraterrestrial shows up with the presumed intent of killing Moses because his second(?) son had not been circumcised. (The text is somewhat muddled.) Moses has been shockingly remiss in not performing this procedure, but it must be remembered he was brought up as an Egyptian and not as a Hebrew, and his wife, though Hebrew, was not an Israelite. Some have suggested he did not do so because his second son Eliezer had been recently born and Moses did not want him to travel weakened by the operation. This, of course, is mere conjecture. At any rate, it is somewhat shocking that a Jehovan would come down to earth to murder Moses simply because his son hadn't been circumcised, especially when Moses had just been selected as Jehovah’s spokesman and emissary. Were Jehovans constantly on the rampage, killing the fathers of uncircumcised Hebrew babies wherever they found them? It is possible that Jehovah himself sent this particular extraterrestrial assassin? If so, why? Or was this extraterrestrial acting on his own, unaware of Jehovah's plans for Moses?
3. The Pharaoh rebuffs Moses and scorns Jehovah, of whom he has no knowledge. The Egyptians worshiped a large number of gods and goddesses, most of them depicted with human bodies with the heads of animals. The Pharaoh himself was generally regarded either as a living god or as a god to-be. It is understandable that he would not kowtow to some no-name god worshiped by his slaves.
5. On one level, the conflict between the Pharaoh and the Israelites is the familiar one of management and labor. Management thinks the workers are lazy and uppity, labor thinks management is arrogant and abusive. Here, the Pharaoh rejects the demands of labor (time off for religious worship) and, for their presumption, he makes their working conditions more onerous. The labor leader, Moses, is rebuked by representatives of the rank and file for making their lot worse instead of better.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Moses, His Birth, Adoption, and Exile
(Exodus 2:1 - 2:22)
There was a certain Levite man who married a woman of his own tribe. She conceived and bore him a son, and seeing that he was a fine, healthy boy, she hid him for three months. When it became no longer possible to keep his existence a secret, she constructed for him a basket of papyrus reeds, caulked and sealed water-tight with tar and pitch. She placed the child inside the basket and set it adrift amid the rushes along the river bank. The baby's sister watched from afar to see where the basket would be borne by the river’s current.
It happened that one of the daughters of the Pharaoh had come down to the river to bathe, accompanied by handmaidens who strolled along the bank. She noticed the basket among the sedge grass and ordered one of her handmaidens to fetch it. When it was brought to her, the Pharaoh's daughter opened it and found it contained a baby. The baby cried and the heart of the Pharaoh's daughter was touched; she took pity on the child, observing, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children."
The baby's sister approached the Pharaoh's daughter and asked her, "Shall I go and find you a Hebrew woman to be a wet nurse for the child?"
"Yes, do so," she replied and the sister went and got her mother. "Take the child with you," the Pharaoh's daughter instructed her. "Nurse him for me and I will pay you."
And so the Levite woman took her own son and nursed him. After he had been weaned, she presented the boy to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. She called him "Moses," because, she said, "I drew him out of the water."
When Moses had grown to manhood, he went out among own people to witness the harsh terms of their bondage and the hardships they were forced to endure. On one occasion, he happened to catch sight of an Egyptian giving a beating to a Hebrew, one of his own people. After looking around to see that no one was there, Moses killed the Egyptian and then concealed his body in the sand.
On the following day, Moses came upon two Hebrews brawling. He demanded of the one who seemed to have started the scuffle, "Why are you fighting with one of your own people?”
He answered back, "Who made you master and judge over us? Are you going to kill me like you did that Egyptian yesterday?"
Moses was alarmed. “Doubtless the deed has been found out!” it dawned on him.
When the Pharaoh learned what Moses had done, he set out to have him killed. Moses, therefore, fled Egypt and went into exile in the land of Midian.
There, he happened to sit down by a well. It was here that the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water to fill the troughs and water their father's flocks. A group of shepherds arrived at the well and drove the sisters away. Moses sprang to his feet and defended the women from the shepherds. He gave water to their flocks as well.
When the sisters returned to their father Jethro (the son of Reuel), he questioned them, "Why have you come back earlier than usual?"
"An Egyptian man rescued us from a gang of shepherds. He drew water for us and watered our flocks," they explained.
He berated his daughters, "Well, where is this man? Why did you let him get away? Call him so he can share a meal with us!"
Content, Moses agreed to remain and reside with Jethro, who gave to him as a wife his daughter Sephora. She bore Moses a son he named Gershom, for, Moses said "I have been an stranger in a foreign land." He was given another son, Eliezer, saying "The god of my fathers has saved me from the power of the Pharaoh."
Notes
1. Moses sounds like the Hebrew word for “pull out,” however it is more likely an Egyptian name. Some have suggested it is from words meaning “water” and “saved”. Another explanation is very possible: “mose” in Egyptian meant “child”, such as in Ramose, son of Ra, or Tutmose, son of Thoth.
2. Many translations have Moses’ birth mother returning him to the Pharaoh’s daughter after he had “grown up”. Since the Pharaoh’s daughter obviously had had her maternal instincts awakened by the child in the basket, it is absurdly unlikely she would wait fifteen or twenty years to satisfy them. An adopted child would regularly be given to a wet nurse to be breast fed and returned after it had been weaned.
3. It is not known whether Midian was an ethnic or a geographic term. If the latter, most scholars believe it refers to the eastern, Arabian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba or, as some have suggested, Sudan. This, however, is impossible in the context of Moses’ story: Moses was herding Jethro’s sheep in the vicinity of Mount Horeb, usually located in the Sinai, so at least some Midianites must have dwelled in the Sinai. The Midianites, at any rate, were supposedly descendants of Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah. They were nomads much like the Ishmaelites, with whom they are often identified.
4. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, is originally called Reuel or Raguel, but therefore referred to as Jethro. He may have had two names or may have been Jethro, the son of Reuel. Those of the Druze religion (who live mostly in Syria and Lebanon) regard Jethro as a prophet and ancestor
5. Unlike the Vulgate, the Hebrew Bible does not mention the birth of Moses' second son Eliezer, yet, later it refers to Moses having "sons."
There was a certain Levite man who married a woman of his own tribe. She conceived and bore him a son, and seeing that he was a fine, healthy boy, she hid him for three months. When it became no longer possible to keep his existence a secret, she constructed for him a basket of papyrus reeds, caulked and sealed water-tight with tar and pitch. She placed the child inside the basket and set it adrift amid the rushes along the river bank. The baby's sister watched from afar to see where the basket would be borne by the river’s current.
It happened that one of the daughters of the Pharaoh had come down to the river to bathe, accompanied by handmaidens who strolled along the bank. She noticed the basket among the sedge grass and ordered one of her handmaidens to fetch it. When it was brought to her, the Pharaoh's daughter opened it and found it contained a baby. The baby cried and the heart of the Pharaoh's daughter was touched; she took pity on the child, observing, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children."
The baby's sister approached the Pharaoh's daughter and asked her, "Shall I go and find you a Hebrew woman to be a wet nurse for the child?"
"Yes, do so," she replied and the sister went and got her mother. "Take the child with you," the Pharaoh's daughter instructed her. "Nurse him for me and I will pay you."
And so the Levite woman took her own son and nursed him. After he had been weaned, she presented the boy to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. She called him "Moses," because, she said, "I drew him out of the water."
When Moses had grown to manhood, he went out among own people to witness the harsh terms of their bondage and the hardships they were forced to endure. On one occasion, he happened to catch sight of an Egyptian giving a beating to a Hebrew, one of his own people. After looking around to see that no one was there, Moses killed the Egyptian and then concealed his body in the sand.
On the following day, Moses came upon two Hebrews brawling. He demanded of the one who seemed to have started the scuffle, "Why are you fighting with one of your own people?”
He answered back, "Who made you master and judge over us? Are you going to kill me like you did that Egyptian yesterday?"
Moses was alarmed. “Doubtless the deed has been found out!” it dawned on him.
When the Pharaoh learned what Moses had done, he set out to have him killed. Moses, therefore, fled Egypt and went into exile in the land of Midian.
There, he happened to sit down by a well. It was here that the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water to fill the troughs and water their father's flocks. A group of shepherds arrived at the well and drove the sisters away. Moses sprang to his feet and defended the women from the shepherds. He gave water to their flocks as well.
When the sisters returned to their father Jethro (the son of Reuel), he questioned them, "Why have you come back earlier than usual?"
"An Egyptian man rescued us from a gang of shepherds. He drew water for us and watered our flocks," they explained.
He berated his daughters, "Well, where is this man? Why did you let him get away? Call him so he can share a meal with us!"
Content, Moses agreed to remain and reside with Jethro, who gave to him as a wife his daughter Sephora. She bore Moses a son he named Gershom, for, Moses said "I have been an stranger in a foreign land." He was given another son, Eliezer, saying "The god of my fathers has saved me from the power of the Pharaoh."
Notes
1. Moses sounds like the Hebrew word for “pull out,” however it is more likely an Egyptian name. Some have suggested it is from words meaning “water” and “saved”. Another explanation is very possible: “mose” in Egyptian meant “child”, such as in Ramose, son of Ra, or Tutmose, son of Thoth.
2. Many translations have Moses’ birth mother returning him to the Pharaoh’s daughter after he had “grown up”. Since the Pharaoh’s daughter obviously had had her maternal instincts awakened by the child in the basket, it is absurdly unlikely she would wait fifteen or twenty years to satisfy them. An adopted child would regularly be given to a wet nurse to be breast fed and returned after it had been weaned.
3. It is not known whether Midian was an ethnic or a geographic term. If the latter, most scholars believe it refers to the eastern, Arabian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba or, as some have suggested, Sudan. This, however, is impossible in the context of Moses’ story: Moses was herding Jethro’s sheep in the vicinity of Mount Horeb, usually located in the Sinai, so at least some Midianites must have dwelled in the Sinai. The Midianites, at any rate, were supposedly descendants of Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah. They were nomads much like the Ishmaelites, with whom they are often identified.
4. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, is originally called Reuel or Raguel, but therefore referred to as Jethro. He may have had two names or may have been Jethro, the son of Reuel. Those of the Druze religion (who live mostly in Syria and Lebanon) regard Jethro as a prophet and ancestor
5. Unlike the Vulgate, the Hebrew Bible does not mention the birth of Moses' second son Eliezer, yet, later it refers to Moses having "sons."
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.
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.)
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