Devotional Short Notes to Genesis 41

 

Indeed we pick up the fingerprints of Joseph in data from archaeology. The Word of God is indeed a navigation for scholars who did not know what to do with papyri and inscriptions discovered in Egypt and who refused to pay attention to data from the biblical text at the most prestigious universities of the world. Adventists do not suffer from that syndrome or handicap.

 

Joseph like a father to Pharaoh

Genesis 41:37 “And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.” He then asked them whether there is anyone better than Joseph for his choice is Joseph of course but he had to get their approval. It shows that he was young when his father died 4 years before in 1962 BCE.

Seetep-ab-rā was the name of Amenemhat I the father of Sesostris I who had dealings with Joseph in 1959/1958 when Joseph explained his dream for him.

 

The Kahun Papyri and Joseph

The Kahun Papyri is a treasure of evidence related to Joseph and his pharaoh Sesostris I. They were studied and published by F. Ll. Griffith in 1898 (F. Ll Griffith, (1898). The Petrie Papyri: Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob. London: Bernard Quaritch. One Volume is the Texts and another is the Plates).

The memory of the death of Amenemhat I was still fresh in the mind of people when they wrote to Sesostris I shortly afterward around 1951/1850 in a letter to ask for some seed. Two letters were  published by Griffith 1898: 68 and they read:

 

Letter 2 and the movement of grain

Letter 2 Lines 3-6 “The servant of the waf, Za-she, said to Ren-senb, Life Power and Health! (4) in the favor of Sokaris in Tep-sedemu, as the servant their desires. (5) It is a communication to the Master, Life Power and Health! About causing to be brought to me seed of (6) …… for (?) the servant there.” (Letter 2: Griffith 1898: 68). The movement of grain is from the king’s storehouses to the servant in this Letter 2.

 

Letter 4 and the grain of the famine

In Letter 4 with the same formula as this Letter 2 in the day of the famine, plenty was to be brought to storehouses of Joseph for this letter talks about the death of Amenhotep I which just happened:

“(13) The servant of the waf, Aufer-ankh, said to Aufer-sep, Life Power and Health! (14)) in the favor of, Seetep-[ab]-rā [Amenhotep died in his 30th year when young Sesostris was 10 years co-ruler with him in 1962 BCE] deceased, as the servant their desires. It is a communication to the Master, Life Power and Health! About causing to be brought to me (15) . . . loaded with. .  .” (Letter 4: Griffith 1898: 68).

 

Rolls of fat on the stomach in Joseph’s days

The people in Sesostris I time had a happy life and one can see rolls of fat on the stomach of an owner of the stela BM 581 which is a memorial stela to Intef in the reign of Sesostris (Bright wrote a doctoral Thesis on Stelae of the 12th dynasty, see page 83-84 in the Table: D. Bright, (2005, published 2008, January 2). Dating Funerary Stelae of the Twelfth Dynasty: A Statistical Study. (Condensed version) Downloaded from internet in June 2018). All stelae were made in workshops at Thebes, Elephantine and Abydos in a short period of time of the 12th dynasty.

 

Possible Hebrew influence in workshops of Stelae

Bright found that dividing the surface of a stela into registers (two) was very popular in the time of Sesostris I (Bright 2005/2008: 7). They fixed the registers in the workshops of this time. With the successor of Sesostris they slowly brought in the winged sundisc on these stelae and in days of the pharaoh who did not know Joseph, Sesostris III, the sundisc was majorly used (Bright 2005/2008: 8 on CG20702). 

The Hebrew influence of text rather than image importance can be seen in the fashionable designs of the stelae in the days of Sesotris I with the two-field format and the text in the upper part of the stela for text is priority over image as one can see in Met 12.184 (see Bright 2005/2008: 8). But after his days, they degenerated.

In the days of Amenemhat II the contents were strongly symmetrical and balanced on the stelae. Then in the days of Sesostris III who did not know Joseph, the fashion was to bring in images of gods (Bright 2005/2008: 8 mentioning the sample of Florence 2506).

 

From human to god and from Joseph to after Joseph

A certain Bennett in 1941 also studied the inscriptions on stelae and mentioned that in the time of Sesostris I (Senusret I) the recipient of the funerary gifts were mentioned with a picture of ka [soul] followed by the owners name. Then in the successors like Amenemhat II the recipient was not the owner but the ka [soul] of the venerated owner. By the time the pharaoh that did not know Joseph, Sesostris III came to the throne around 1850 BCE, the owner was no longer venerated, just ka [soul] was used. There is a progress from human to superstition which may indicate the role of Hebrews in the royal court of Egypt in Joseph’s time?

 

The role of the family in Joseph’s days

The role of the family on these stelae indicated that the family was important until the days of Sesostris III when they were no longer on the stelae (Bright 2005/2008: 11 mentioning the results of Plüger 1947).

 

Obese figures in the days of Joseph

The figures became skinnier after the days of Sesostris I on these stelae. The figures are more obese in the days of Amenemhat I and Sesostris I e.g. Louvre C2 and LeidenV2 (Bright 2005/2008: 16). The dog under the table was common but slowly less and less are shown after Sesostris I.

 

Women more natural role in the days of Joseph in society

Flowers are smelled in the days of Sesostris I and in the days of Amenemhat II men and women were smelling flowers but after this, this event disappeared on the stelae (Bright 2005/2008: 11). There were no place for flowers or women and families on the stelae of Sesostris III who started the oppression of the nations or the 400 years period of oppression.

 

Other figures and family on Stelae from Joseph’s time but not afterwards

Stelae from the time of Sesostris I like Alnwick 1932, BM586, CG20026, CG20561, Leiden V3 and Met 12.184, “are the well-organised groups of offerings and the variety of goods carried by the offering bearer” thus active figures are also on the stelae. They were discontinued later.

Stelae BM576, BM828, CG20531 and Guimet 11324, “the owner is seated, his wife standing behind him with her hand on his shoulder. There are usually six or more family members and other figures”. This family pose was discontinued afterwards but existed during Joseph’s role in the palace of Egypt (Bright 2005/2008: 16 citing Freed 1996). Intimate family relationships [like Joseph caring for his brothers and father] were discontinued after Joseph’s time on the funerary stelae.

 

Comparing the Pharaohs and their stelae

Time of Sesostris I who made Joseph president

Figures: Wife and children appear often. (Pflüger)

Mother frequently present. (Pflüger)

Rolls of fat apparent on figures. (Pflüger), (Freed)

Attenuated figures. Continues later. (Freed)

Single large male. (Freed)

Elongated skull on men. Continues later. (Freed)

Tableau: Dogs appear under seat and table. Disappear after this reign. (Pflüger)

Women smelling lotus flowers. (Pflüger)

Women carrying lotus flowers on short stems. (Freed)S

Amenemhat II

Tableau: Men and women smelling lotus flowers. Fades out after this reign. (Pflüger)

Elongated skull on men. (Freed)

Attenuated figures. (Freed)

Time of Pharaoh Sesostris III who did not know Joseph

Pattern: Winged disk on private stelae. Fades out by Amenemhat III. (Evers)

Figures in middle; text at sides. (Evers)

Lunette with central vertical cartouche and flanking gods. Continues into later

reigns. (Müller)

Figures: Wife and children often present. Importance wanes after this reign. (Pflüger)

Tableau: Oil jars reappear. (Pflüger) (Bright 2005/2008: 19-20).

There is definitely a paradigm shift with the disappearance of Joseph from the scene. One cannot miss it.

 

Joseph Tax principle of 20% and the Kahun papyri

Then there is the evidence from the Kahun papyri again as given by F. Ll. Griffith in the text mentioned above::

 

Page 2.

Stock-keepers had to give a fixed annual amount or fixed proportion of one fifth of their produce from the animals committed to their care to the palace.

“Account of the produce [of fowls]”

“You make the excess of 100 (line 52) over 45: the result thereof is 55. You make (line 53) a repetition of the 11 to find 55: (line 54) the result thereof is 5 times.”

Genesis 47:24 “And it shall come to pass in the increase, that you shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own”.

Comment: the principle is that if the farmer makes an excess of 100 above the 45 that he has, minus 100 will be 55 and if the Joseph principle of 20% is calculated, it will be 11 that has to be given to the pharaoh because that is the fifth part.

 

Griffith 1898: 18 TEXT

Here is also the Joseph calculation of 5. If a person has an income of 40 increased 3 times the result is 120 increase. One tenth of 120 increase will be 12. If he wants to find the three quarter it will be one and a third times. Multiply then the one and a third times with the 12 and the answer is 16. To make the corner of 16 is to minus one from 16, to get 15 and the result of 1 and one third of four is then 3. Three times five will be 15 which is one subtracted from 16. One tenth of 15 is 1.5 and two tenths of 15 will be 3 and that is what Joseph expected from them.

Page 2.

Stock-keepers had to give a fixed annual amount or fixed proportion of one fifth of their produce from the animals committed to their care to the palace.

“Account of the produce [of fowls]”

“You make the excess of 100 (line 52) over 45: the result thereof is 55. You make (line 53) a repetition of the 11 to find 55: (line 54) the result thereof is 5 times.”

Genesis 47:24 “And it shall come to pass in the increase, that you shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own”.

Comment: the principle is that if the farmer makes an excess of 100 above the 45 that he has, minus 100 will be 55 and if the Joseph principle of 20% is calculated, it will be 11 that has to be given to the pharaoh because that is the fifth part.

Griffith 1898: 17-18 Text (Kahun, LV. 3; Plate VIII, lines 23-29. The papyrus was found at Kahun in November of 1889).

The Joseph Mathematics is also here. If three quarters are subtracted and 5 remains for the king, then how can the control accountant know what the full income was? Get the remainder of three quarters and that is one quarter and the result is 4 times, if one then multiply it with the 5 for the king, four times, the result is 20. Thus the full income is 20.

Griffith 1898: 17-18 Text

The Joseph Mathematics is also here. If three quarters are subtracted and 5 remains for the king, then how can the control accountant know what the full income was? Get the remainder of three quarters and that is one quarter and the result is 4 times, if one then multiply it with the 5 for the king, four times, the result is 20. Thus the full income is 20.

Griffith 1898: 46 TEXT Plate XVII is from the time of Joseph since the pharaoh Amenemhat I is already deceased (line 7) “cattle of the king Sehetep-ab-ra, deceased, under the management of this city” which is a text in year 20 of Sesostris I which is 1952/1951 BCE, the seventh year of the prosperity years in the pharaoh Sesostris I’ dream and Joseph’s interpretation. Unfortunately one cannot see the 20% tax Joseph principle here in this tax for the text is not preserved completely.

 

Storehouses kept the items brought in

Griffith 1898: Plate XVII, lines 26-27 or the Kahun VI. 20 text Verso is an example of a papyrus that provides evidence of storegoods kept and brought by superintendants in charge of the enclosures or storebuildings. One storekeeper had almost a similar name as the one Pharaoh gave Joseph, namely, Per-Benbent in Line 26.

 

Evidence of slavery from Sesostris III and onwards

Griffith 1898: 52  Amenemhet III and Userserten III highest date is 26

Sesostris III did not know Joseph and the 400 years of slavery started and this is evidence of it.

 

Tithe and payments in the last year of the period of prosperity of Pharaoh’s dream

This papyrus from Kahun published by Griffith in 1898 Plate XVII is a remarkable one. The reason is that it is dating to the son of the deceased pharaoh Sebetep-ab-ra which is Amenemhat I so that the son is Sesostris I, the pharaoh that placed Joseph in charge of the 20% tax system that Joseph suggested to this pharaoh to prepare for the skinny years of famine. This particular papyrus dates to the first year of the famine in the 21th year of Sesostris I in 1951/1950 and is a serious collection of arrears owed until the 20th year or the 7th year of the prosperity years of the Pharaoh’s dream. These are taxes that should have been paid the previous year or years but now is asked for in full since the famine will be starting this year. [This page of the papyrus does not say it dates to the 21st year but page 1, or the previous page mentioned it]. He had to pay 615 prime bulls in the second month which is the Winter of 1951/1950 BCE and a further 625 for arrears [which may be for years before?]. The total of the two are 1240 prime bulls which is only 20% of his total increase of 6200 prime bulls. It is not necessarily an account of a farmer but a collector of taxes appointed by Joseph for a region and that over seven years taxes accumulated and were now due since the famine is at hand. The text says it is a city so it will be a conglomerate of farmers cows collected here.

Notice the tithe (10%) paid as offerings for the gross income: 1240 divided by 10 = 12 prime cows as offerings.

 

Amenemhat the good overseer of a city and famine preparation

A Beni-Hasan text reads about the character of Amenemhat and his conduct as ruler of the Oryx nome (Beni Hasan Vol. 1 page 25 lines 15-17 he said: “(Line 15) I was possessor of favor, abounding in love, a ruler who loved his city. Moreover, I passed years (line 16) as ruler in the Oryx nome. All the works of the house of the King came into my hand. Behold, gave to me the superintendent of the gangers of the domains of the herdsmen of the Oryx nome, bulls 3000 of their famine stock. I was praised (line 17) for it in the house of the King at each annual occasion (or year) of stock-taking. I rendered all their works (produce) to the King’s house: there were no arrears to me in any of his offices.” I worked the Oryx nome to (line 18) its boundary, in numerous visits(?). Not the daughter of a poor did I wrong. Not a widow did I oppress. Not a farmer did I oppose myself(?) to him. Not a herdsman did I prevent. (Line 19). There was not a foreman of five from whom I took his men for the works. There was no a poor around me. There was not a hungry man of my time. (When) there became years of famine, (line 20) I arose, I ploughed all the fields of the Oryx nome, to its southern (and its) northern boundary. I made to live its inhabitants, making its provision, not became hungry man in it. I gave to the widow as to her that possessed a husband. (Line 21) Not did I favor the elder above the younger in all that i gave. (When) thereafter great rises of the Nile took place, producing (literally possessing) wheat and barley, producing all things (abundantly), not did I exact the arrears of the farm." The original text can be seen here:  http://edoc3.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/lepsius/tafelwa2.html

In line 19 he mentioned the coming of the years of famine: “iw pr-n rnpt ḥḳrw = when was to come years of famine”. He happens to have the same name as the father of Sesostris I. In line 17 he talks about “at each annual occasion of stocktaking” = r nw rnpt nt ìrw. The taxes were given to the king or pharaoh. He prepared when he was aware the famine was to come.

 

Joseph Name Change by the Pharaoh

Joseph’s name:  The name that pharaoh gave Joseph was p3-ankh = “And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah” = וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה שֵׁם-יוֹסֵף צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ (Genesis 41:45).

Genesis 41:1 started of with Sesostris I as follows: “And it came to pass at the end of two full years [in 1959/9158 BCE in Sesostris I 14th year of reign or 4th year of sole reign after his father died], that [young] Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river” = וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל-הַיְאֹר.

 

Father mentioning to Pharaoh by Joseph (Genesis 41:37)

In 2007 R. Landgráfová, completed a dissertation with a focus on the articulation in biographical inscriptions of the times of Joseph and Sesostris I and other pharaohs. Connection to Genesis 41 can be mentioned.

“41. jw jr.n=j jt n Xrd, “I was a father to the child.” (Sarenput I, 18-19) In this case, “father” also denotes rather a function (caring and nourishing) than a real family relationship, and as such, this sentence is well in line with those introduced above. The jw focuses the function Sarenput I fulfilled in the society.” (See Landgráfová, R. (2007). Topic-focus articulation in biographical inscriptions and letters of the Middle Kingdom (dynasties 11-12). (Dissertation thesis in the faculty of Philosophy at the University of Karlova v Praze), page 65.)

 

Artisan mentions his job during the time of Sesostris I

“35. jw jr.n(=j) kst.\ m jmn-m-HA.t-jTj-tA.wy dj(.w) anx D.t “I was a sculptor in Amenemhat-ItjTawy, given life for ever …” (LA County A.5141.50-876, 15) This sentence is one of the very few in Shen’s text that actually say something about his career, and while his presence at Itj-tawy can be derived from his having served a 12th dynasty king (Senwosret I.), the informationally most loaded part of this sentence is the fact that at that court, he served as sculptor, and to focalize that part, jrj kst.y, the jw is used.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 64.

 

Joseph made to live with the king

“73. jw dj.n Tw Hm=j r smr=j jw=k m Hwnw n rnpt 26, “My Majesty made you my friend when you were (still) a youngster of 26 years.” (Berlin 1204, 22) Here the jw clearly stresses the dj r smr, despite the fact that at first sight, the jw=k m Hwnw n rnpt 26 could be seen as a more likely focus. However, the text continues as follows: jr.n Hm(=j) nw mAa.n=j Tw m jqr sxr spd ns pr(j) m X.t sjA, “My Majesty did this (because) I saw that you were excellent of plans and sharp of tongue one who issued from the body as a wise one” (Berlin 1204, 23–24). Clearly, the context points out the dj r smr as the informative part of the first sentence. The childhood that the text owner spent in the presence of the king is moreover already treated in the preceding text (Berlin 1204, 21 – 22).” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 73.

 

Joseph fed his brothers

“75. jw sanx.n(=j) sn.w(j) sn.wt(=j), “I fed my brothers and sisters.” (Cracow MNK-XI-999, 8) This sentence appears in the section of Merer’s text where he lists the positive activities he performed during his life in a series of jw-sentences. The function of the focaliser jw appears to be that of stressing the veracity of the statements, as in the case of the type of sentences discussed above under VI.iii.iv.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 73.

 

Joseph furnished his father house with riches

“74. jw grg.n=j pr jt(=j) mH.n(=j) sw m [Spss], “I furnished the house of my father and filled it with riches.” (Djemi, 8) This sentence begins a new paragraph in Djemi’s text. After his successes in the military, he describes his virtuous life at home. The jw thus focuses the VP grg pr jt(=j) and marks the transition to a new major theme of the text.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 73.

 

Famine evidence

“76. jw qrs.n(=j) nt.j mwt sanx.n(=j) nt.j anx m xn.t nb.t jm m Ts.w pn xpr(.w), “I buried the dead one and nourished the living one, whenever I alighted in this famine that happened.” (Cracow MNK-XI-999, 9) This sentence belongs to the series mentioned in the previous example, and the focalizer jw is again used to stress the veracity of the statement.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 74.

 

“82. jw grt sanx.n=j s nb n hA.wt(=j) m Hqr.w n rdj(=j) mw.t, “I, moreover, nourished every man in my vicinity during famine, causing that no one died (lit. I didn’t cause that one died).” (BM 1628, 7-8) This sentence appears within a paragraph on food and nourishment,74 and again elaborates an already treated theme.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 76

. 74 jnk nb bdt jt dj.n=j bdt jt n hqr.w „I possessed barley and emmer. I gave barley and emmer to the hungry.”

 

Land reform against the severity of the famine before the famine

“77. jw xtm.n(=j) AH.wt=sn jA.wt=sn nb.(w).t m njw.t m sx.t, “I closed all their fields and hills in the city and in the countryside.” (Cracow MNK-XI-999, 10) The last example in this section uses the jw to focus the verb against the adverbial complement. The informational content of the phrase xtm AH.wt=sn jA.wt=sn nb.(w).t is much higher than the general phrase m njw.t m sx.t; Merer is describing the measures he took against the famine that endangered his district.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 74.

 

Because of Joseph the admin was better (moreover)

“78. jw gr.t Hn.n(=j) s(t) smA sSm=s m nfr.t r tp.t-a, “Moreover, I organised it completely so that its administration was better than before.” (Cairo 20543, 13) The preceding context already speaks about Rediukhnum’s acquisition of a position in Dendera,71 and this sentence elaborates more specifically on what was already expressed before. The translation of gr.t as “moreover” thus appears appropriate.” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 74.

71 aHa.n djn.n=s w(=j) m jwn.t m wA.t wr.t n km.tjw swD.t drf xnt.t m xr.w ar.t wr.t ... jw jr.n(=j) Aw.w jm=s aHa.w aA rnp.wt {r=s} n sp jj x.t nb.t jm n aA.t n rx(=j) x.t, “Then she placed me in Dendera … foremost inside the great royal palace. I spent a long time there, a long period of years {…} There never came a (bad) thing therein, for I was a knower of things.” (Cairo 20543, 11–13).

 

The use of “as for”

Landgráfová, R. (2007): 77.

 

Seal bearing and overseer example

“88. jr.y-pat HAt.y-a, xtm.ty bjty jm.y-rA gs-pr jdn.w n jm.y-rA xtm sHtp-jb-ra mAa-xrw Dd=f ..., “The hereditary noble and local prince, seal-bearer of the king of Lower Egypt, the Overseer of the Work-centre and Deputy Chief Treasurer, Sehetepibre, justified, he says: ...” (Cairo 20538, vs. 1)” Landgráfová, R. (2007): 80.

 

Second in command to the king and seal bearer

sn-nw n nswt m wsx.t aA.t

second to the king in the great broad hall,

jmj-rA xtm.t mnTw-Htp Dd=f

overseer of the seal Mentuhotep, he says: (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 181)

 

Seal bearer

xtm.w-bjty smr-wa.ty

seal-bearer of the King of Lower Egypt, unique friend, (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 183)

 

One trusted by the Pharaoh Sesostris I

mH-jb n nswt xnt.y tA.wy

one trusted of the king, who is at the fore of the Two lands, (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 179)

 

Invent new ideas when famine creates gap

gm x.wt gAA.w wr=s

who finds things when there is great lack of them  (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 180)

 

Promoted because of ability

sr wHA Tss.t

A magistrate who can unravel what is knotted,

Tnn nb.f xnt HHw

one whom his lord promoted before millions (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 180)

 

Calms the bedouin or nomads

sgrH n=f Hr.jw-Sa

who calms for him the bedouin, (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 180)

 

Control of the lands of Egypt upper and lower (successor to Joseph?)

sxm-jrj=f m jdb.wy

A potentate on the Two banks,

Hr.y-tp n km.t dSr.t

leader of the Black Land and of the Red Land.

DD wD.w n Sma.w jp rA jd n tA-mH.y

who gives orders to Upper Egypt and controls the terrace of Lower Egypt (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 181)

 

Provision master and priest

Hm nTr Hr.y-wDb mnTw-Htp

priest and provision master Mentuhotep (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 181)

 

Great ones come to bow before him

j.y n=f wr.w m ksw

to whom the great ones come in bowing. (Landgráfová, R. (2007): 182)

 

Dear Lord               

Your Spirit has indeed led Moses to pin down exactly as the reality of history happened in his past. Continue to guide us. We pray, in Jesus Name. Amen.