Did Joseph Do It To His Own People while in Egypt?

It Was Joseph’s Fault. The group of Jacob’s band of 70 to 80 people had moved to Egypt during the height of a 7 year famine that included surrounding lands. Archeological discoveries (re: Dr. Lennart Moeller in his book,The Exodus Case) record activities of a Imhotep, second ruler to the Pharaoh, that parallel in great detail the biblical records of Joseph.

It was during the “seven meager [inscription transliteration] years and seven rich years” as inscribed by order of Pharaoh Djsore, again in an inscription found in Sakara [Egypt] records [stone reliefs] of starving people and warehouses filled with grain we find these secular parallels to the biblical record of Joseph.

AHA MOMENT

A side note and probable ahamoment in scripture and secular history: It is in Sakarra we find the “step pyramids” with the first one built as a tomb for none other than Pharaoh Djsore; Joseph’s Pharaoh. Make note of this as we unravel secular historical facts with biblical accounts of early Israelites and Egypt. Begin by recalling the biblical account of the famine, Joseph, his family moving, and why they were located and settled in Goshen, Egypt.

[Genesis 47] With Pharaoh Djsore’s blessing [Genesis 47:6-7] Joseph settles his family in Goshen, a land owned by the royalty. Pharaoh tells Joseph to “put those with special abilities to tend to his flocks.” It is also critical that we read verse 12: Joseph also “provided his father and his brothers and all of his father’s household with food.” Joseph’s family became employees of the Pharaoh and were given the same considerations as were the “priests of Egypt;” all but ownership of the land in Goshen where they settled [Genesis 47:22].

AHA MOMENT

Genesis 47:13 begins some additional aha insight. The people’s food ran out, but not for the Israelites. They were employees of the Pharaoh, “watching over his livestock.” Verse 14 tells us that Joseph collected all the money [gold and silver of value] of Egypt and Canaan in exchange for food kept in the warehouses. When the money was all in Pharaoh’s coffers, “all Egypt”, which includes lands/peoples they had conquered, sold their *livestock to Joseph in exchange for food.

The Rest of the Story
It Was Joseph’s Fault. The group of Jacob’s band of 70 to 80 people had moved to Egypt during the height of a 7 year famine that included surrounding lands. Archeological discoveries (re: Dr. Lennart Moeller in his book,The Exodus Case) record activities of a Imhotep, second ruler to the Pharaoh, that parallel in great detail the biblical records of Joseph.

Did Joseph Do It To His Own People while in Egypt?*Q: Who were now keepers of the Pharaoh’s livestock? [ans: the Israelites living in Goshen]

After another year goes by [Genesis 47:17] and people once again run out of food, they sell their lands to Joseph in exchange for grain and food supplies. Verse 47:20 tells us that “Joseph [then] bought all the land in Egypt for the Pharaoh”. This reduced the people to servitude to the Pharaoh; something similar to sharecroppers in American history. [NOTE: Up to this time the peoples of Egypt were NOT IN SERVITUDE to the pharaoh, pharaohs were not yet deities over the people but simply kings/rulers].

Verse 47:23 tells us “Joseph bought their lands.” Ultimately the people themselves voluntarily and gratefully [Genesis 47:25] sold themselves into slavery to the Pharaoh… Joseph put Egyptians into this position by his administration of the 7 years of plenty then the 7 years of famine.

The Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre, Cairo, Egypt How did the pharaohs find the people to build the pyramids? Egyptians had sold themselves into servitude and slavery to Pharaoh; he had all the laborers he needed. It is during this dynasty of Egypt, the step-pyramids” were first built. Secular accounts of Egyptians as well as Israelites helped build the pyramids are correct, but now we know how and why.

• Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams [Genesis 41]

• Joseph became second in power only to Pharaoh; Genesis 41:40. [Did you ever wonder how Potifer must have felt about this time? He was the one who had imprisoned Joseph without a trial]

• Joseph came up with the plan for Egypt [41:33-36]

• It was during this time of plenty that Joseph married and had two sons [Genesis 41:50].

• It was during the time of the famine that Joseph’s family moved to Egypt and become employees of the Pharaoh with the benefit of food allotments.

• Joseph exchanges food stored in Pharaoh’s warehouses; first for money, then gold and silver articles, then livestock that were taken to Goshen for Joseph’s family to shepherd, then the private lands throughout Egypt, finally the very lives of the people of Egypt. [47:14-25]

• Joseph finally gives the people “seed to plant” as he knew the years of famine were about to end. But before others realized it, he exacted a “tithe/tribute” of 20% for Pharaoh.

What does all this mean? Up to this point in secular records, a pharaoh was not all-powerful or deemed a deity. Once Joseph reduced the people and land to servitude [Genesis 47:21] pharaohs began building temples and pyramids to themselves. Secular records give credit to Imhotep [Joseph’s Egyptian name] for designing the step-pyramid built for Djsore’s burial; AN OVERVIEW OF SAQQARA PROPER IN EGYPT by Alan Winston; the first of the great pyramids. Pharaoh’s beginning with Djsore had all the laborers they needed for such tasks as pyramid building.

Pharaoh Djsore and history records tell us that at this same time Egypt reached its zenith of wealth and power.

Is it any wonder why in Exodus 1:8 a pharaoh came to power who did not know (appreciate) the wonders performed by the Administrator Joseph. What he did realize, however, all but the Israelites were in servitude to the pharaoh? The people of Egypt were delighted to “help” subject these “intruders from Canaan” to slavery and begin to brutalize them.

So… did the eventual servitude of Israelites in Egypt result from Joseph’s actions? Did the actions of Joseph set the stage for Pharaohs to claim ownership of all therefore becoming deities? This is the Rest of the Bible Story; you decide.