THE HEBREWS IN EGYPT.
In the Talmud it is recorded that after Joseph’s marriage with Asenath,
daughter of Potipherah the priest of On, “he built for himself a
palace, elegant and complete in its details and surroundings, so
elaborate that three years’ time was required for its completion.” A
man so wise and so powerful as to be looked upon by the Egyptians as
their king was certainly able to make a suitable provision for the
anticipated advent of his beloved father, as well as for all his
brothers, who came with their entire households, and possessions in
flocks and herds, &c., for the famine was over the whole earth.
The large palace called the Labyrinth by Herodotus, would correspond
with such a provision for their accommodation and comfort. Herodotus
saw this palace himself in the year 448 B.C., and he describes it
thus:—“The Egyptians having become free, after the reign of the priest
of Vulcan, for they were at no time able to live without a king,
established twelve kings, having divided all Egypt into twelve parts.
These having contracted intermarriages, reigned, adopting the following
regulations: that they would not attempt the subversion of one another,
nor one seek to acquire more than another, and that they should
maintain the strictest friendship. They made these regulations and
strictly upheld them, for the following reason: it had been foretold
them by an oracle, when they first assumed the government, ‘that
whoever among them should offer a libation in the temple of Vulcan from
a brazen bowl should be king of all Egypt,’ for they used to assemble
in all the temples. Now, they determined to leave in common a memorial
of themselves; and having so determined, they built a Labyrinth, a
little above the lake of Mœris, situated near that called the city of
crocodiles. This I have myself seen, and found it greater than can be
described. For if anyone should reckon up the buildings and public
works of the Grecians, they would be found to have cost less labour and
expense than this Labyrinth; though the temple in Ephesus is deserving
of mention, and also that in Samos. The Pyramids likewise were beyond
description, and each of them comparable to many of the great Grecian
structures. Yet the Labyrinth surpasses even the Pyramids. For it has
_twelve_ courts enclosed with walls, with doors opposite each other,
six facing the north, and six the south, contiguous to one another; and
the same exterior wall encloses them. It contains two kinds of rooms,
some under ground and some above ground over them, to the number of
three thousand, fifteen hundred of each. The rooms above ground I
myself went through and saw, and relate from personal inspection. But
the underground rooms I only know from report, for the Egyptians who
have charge of the building would on no account show me them, saying
that there were the sepulchres of the kings who originally built this
Labyrinth, and of the sacred crocodiles. I can therefore only relate
what I have learned by hearsay concerning the lower rooms; but the
upper ones, which surpass all human works, I myself saw; for the
passages through the corridors, and the windings through the courts,
from their great variety, presented a thousand occasions of wonder as I
passed from a court to the rooms, and from the rooms to halls, and to
other corridors from the halls, and to other courts from the rooms. The
roofs of all these are of stone, as also are the walls; but the walls
are full of sculptured figures. Each court is surrounded with a
colonnade of white stone, closely fitted. And adjoining the extremity
of the Labyrinth is a Pyramid forty orgyæ in height,[27] on which large
figures are carved, and a way to it has been made under ground.”[28]
This curious record of these twelve kings can be easily explained by
referring to the book of Genesis, chapter xlvii. This chapter
corroborates it, for the Israelites, the twelve sons of Jacob, had
absolute power given them by Pharaoh, and had the whole land of Egypt
under their control; for “Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, ‘Thy
father and thy brethren are come unto thee. The land of Egypt is before
thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren dwell: in
the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any men of
activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.’”
Owing to the severity of the famine every Egyptian had to part with his
cattle, and “Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the
flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed
them with bread for all their cattle for that year.”
But as the famine still continued, the poor Egyptians, when they had
exchanged all they possessed for bread, sold even their own persons.
When the whole country was in this desperate condition, the Hebrews
governed the nation for Pharaoh, who placed implicit faith in their
wisdom and probity. These were the men styled by Egyptologists
“Shepherd Kings,” and this period or epoch is mentioned by Manetho, the
Egyptian historian, in the record written in the Greek language, of
which he was a master; it is as follows:—
“There was a king of ours, whose name was Timaus.[29] Under him it came
to pass, I know not how, that God was averse to us, and there came,
after a surprising manner, men of ignoble birth out of the eastern
parts, and had boldness enough to make an expedition into our country,
and with ease subdued it by force, yet without our hazarding a battle
with them.[30] So when they had gotten those that governed us under
their power, they afterwards burnt down our cities and demolished the
temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most
barbarous manner; nay, some they slew, and led their children and their
wives into slavery.[31] At length they made one of themselves king,
whose name was Salatis.[32] He also lived at Memphis, and made both the
upper and lower regions pay tribute, and left garrisons in places that
were most proper for them.[33]
“He chiefly aimed to secure the eastern part, as foreseeing that the
Assyrians, who had then the greatest power, would be desirous of that
kingdom and invade them; and as he found in the Saite Nomos
(Seth-roite) a city very proper for his purpose, and which lay upon the
Bubastic Channel, but, with regard to a certain theologic notion, was
called Avaris, this he rebuilt, and made very strong by the walls he
built about it, and by a most numerous garrison of 240,000 armed men
whom he put into it to keep it. Thither Salatis came in summer-time,
partly _to gather his corn_ and pay his soldiers their wages, and
partly to exercise his armed men, and thereby to terrify foreigners.
“When this man had reigned thirteen years, after him reigned another,
whose name was Beon, for forty-four years; after him reigned another,
called Apachnas, thirty-six years and seven months; after him Apophis
reigned sixteen years; and then Jonias, fifty years and one month;
after all these, Assis,[34] forty-nine years and two months. And these
six were the first rulers among them, who were all along making war
with the Egyptians, and were very desirous gradually to destroy them to
the very roots. This whole nation was styled Hycsos, that is, Shepherd
Kings; for the first syllable _Hyc_, according to the sacred dialect,
denotes a king, as is _sos_ a shepherd, but this according to the
ordinary dialect, and of these is compounded Hycsos; but some say that
these people were Arabians. It is also said that this word does not
denote kings, but, on the contrary, denotes captive shepherds, and this
on account of the particle _Hyc_; for that _Hyc_, with the aspiration,
in the Egyptian tongue again denotes shepherds, and expressly also; and
this seems the more probable opinion and more agreeable to ancient
history.
“These people, whom we have before named kings, and called shepherds
also, and their descendants, kept possession of Egypt 511 years. After
these, the kings of Thebais and of the other parts of Egypt made an
insurrection against the shepherds, and that then a terrible and long
war was made between them. That under a king whose name was
Alisphragmuthosis,[35] the shepherds were subdued by him, and were,
indeed, driven out of other parts of Egypt, but were shut up in a place
that contained 10,000 acres; this place was named Avaris. The shepherds
built a wall round all this place, which was a large and strong wall,
and this in order to keep all their possessions and their prey within a
place of strength, but that Thummosis,[36] the son of Alisphragmuthosis
made an attempt to take them by force and by siege with 480,000 men to
lie round about them; but that, upon his despair of taking the place by
that siege, they came to a composition with them, that they should
leave Egypt, and go without any harm to be done to them, whithersoever
they would; and that, after this composition was made, they went away
with their whole families and effects, not fewer in number than
240,000, and took their journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, for
Syria;[37] but that, as they were in fear of the Assyrians, who had
then dominion over Asia, they built a city in that country which is now
called Judea, and that large enough to contain this great number of
men, and called it Jerusalem.”[38]
Manetho is altogether in a mist, for he seems unwilling to state the
truth, and still he is compelled, as a historian, to write something,
though against his will. His malice against the Hebrews is manifest
throughout. To give an account of the overthrow of the Egyptians at the
Red Sea, he invents this story:—
“After those that were sent to work in the quarries had continued in
that miserable state for a long while, the King was desired that he
would set apart the city Avaris,[39] which was then left desolate of
the shepherds, for their habitation and protection, which desire he
granted them.
“Now this city, according to the ancient theology, was Trypho’s city.
But when the men were gotten into it, and found the place fit for a
revolt, they appointed themselves a ruler out of the priests of
Heliopolis, whose name was Osarsiph, and they took their oaths that
they would be obedient to him in all things. He then, in the first
place, made this law for them: that they should neither worship the
Egyptian gods, nor should abstain from any one of those sacred animals
which they have in the highest esteem, but kill and destroy them all;
that they should join themselves to nobody but to those that were of
this confederacy.
“When he had made such laws as these, and many more such as were mainly
opposite to the customs of the Egyptians, he gave order that they
should use the multitude of the hands they had in building walls about
their city,[40] and make themselves ready for a war with King
Amenophis[41], while he did himself take into his friendship the other
priests, and those that were polluted with them, and sent ambassadors
to those shepherds who had been driven out of the land by Tethmosis to
the city called Jerusalem, whereby he informed them of his own affairs,
and of the state of those others that had been treated after such an
ignominious manner, and desired that they would come with one consent
to his assistance in this war against Egypt. He also promised that he
would, in the first place, bring them back to their ancient city and
country Avaris, and provide a plentiful maintenance for their
multitude; that he would protect them and fight for them as occasion
should require, and would easily reduce the country under their
dominion.
“These shepherds were all very glad of this message, and came away with
alacrity altogether, being in number 200,000 men, and in a little time
they came to Avaris. And now Amenophis, the King of Egypt, upon his
being informed of their invasion, was in great confusion, as calling to
mind what Amenophis, the son of Papis, had foretold him; and, in the
first place, he assembled the multitude of the Egyptians, and took
counsel with their leaders, and sent for their sacred animals to him,
especially for those that were principally worshipped in their temples,
and gave a particular charge to the priests distinctly, that they
should hide the images of their gods with the utmost care.
“He also sent his son Sethos, who was also named Ramesses from his
father Rhampses, being but five years old, to a friend of his. He then
passed on with the rest of the Egyptians, being 300,000 of the most
warlike of them, against the enemy, who met them. Yet did he not join
battle with them; but, thinking that would be to fight against the
gods, he returned back and came to Memphis, where he took Apis and the
other sacred animals which he had sent for to him, and presently
marched into Ethiopia, together with his whole army and multitude of
Egyptians;[42] for the King of Ethiopia was under an obligation to him,
on which account he received him, and took care of all the multitude
that was with him, while the country supplied all that was necessary
for the food of the men.
“He also allotted cities and villages for this exile, that was to be
from its beginning during those fatally-determined thirteen years.
Moreover, he pitched a camp for his Ethiopian army, as a guard to King
Amenophis, upon the borders of Egypt. And this was the state of things
in Ethiopia. But for the people of Jerusalem, when they came down
together with the polluted Egyptians, they treated the men in such a
barbarous manner, that those who saw how they subdued the
fore-mentioned country, and the horrid wickedness they were guilty of,
thought it a most dreadful thing, for they did not only set the cities
and villages on fire, but were not satisfied till they had been guilty
of sacrilege, and destroyed the images of the gods, and used them in
roasting those sacred animals that used to be worshipped, and forced
the priests and prophets to be the executioners and murderers of those
animals, and then ejected them naked out of the country.
“It was also reported that the priest who ordained their polity and
their laws was by birth of Heliopolis, and his name Osarsiph, from
Osiris, who was the god of Heliopolis; but that when he was gone over
to these people his name was changed, and he was called Moses.”[43]
At this period the land of Egypt was in a most desolate condition. The
hand of God was upon it, for evil plagues were sent, and nothing that
did harm to the land and its people was withheld during the time that
Moses and Aaron were negotiating with the King to let the Hebrews go a
short journey into the wilderness to hold a festival to the Lord.
Pharaoh refusing them leave to do so, the last and direst plague was
sent, the death of the first-born in the land of Egypt, “from the
first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the
captive that was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle.”
Then “Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all
the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a
house wherein there was not one dead.” In his hour of affliction the
King desired these Hebrews to depart, with everything they possessed.
When the permission was obtained, the Israelites borrowed from the
Egyptians jewels of gold and jewels of silver, and raiment, and the
Egyptians lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled
the Egyptians. After this they took their departure towards the Red Sea.
Pharaoh, when he recovered from his paroxysm of grief, wished to revoke
the permission and get the Hebrews back to work for him again. So he
called his people together, and, making ready his chariot, he took them
with him. “And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the
chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them, and he pursued
after the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with
an high hand.” And Pharaoh with all his forces “overtook them encamping
by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.”
Now at this place there was no retreat for the Israelites by land. They
were compelled to effect their escape from their pursuers by crossing
the sea to the opposite shore. Seeing the dangerous position they were
in, Moses, the man gifted with supernatural resources, contrived to
make a passage through the sea, and, a strong east wind assisting him
throughout the night, he accomplished the construction of a road for
himself and his followers, which should also serve as a trap to engulph
their enemies after they had effected their own escape.
He, the builder of the monuments now extant in Ethiopia and Upper
Egypt, and in other parts of the habitable earth (of which mention will
be made in the course of this narrative)—he it was who contrived and
made this passage during the night, while the Egyptians rested after
their weary march. It was the sublimest effort of mechanical skill!
When day dawned the passage was ready, and Moses stood by and saw all
his people walk down from the Egyptian shore into the dry road in the
sea prepared for them. The waters were divided; “and the waters were a
wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians
pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all
Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
When the Israelites gained the Arabian shore, and the Egyptians were in
the middle between the two shores, Moses threw back the waters that
were driven aside, and the waters returned and covered all the host of
Pharaoh that came into the sea; there escaped not so much as one of
them! And the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore;
“and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and His servant
Moses.”
At this crisis there were only women and children left in Egypt, and
these in the deepest grief for the death of their first-born sons. No
one came back from the camp to relate the terrible catastrophe to these
unfortunate widows and orphans; and there was neither priest nor
grown-up man to record the events of this period in the sacred books of
the nation. Consequently, when Manetho compiled his history from the
sacred records, he was unable to relate the events of this period
clearly and without contradiction.
He accounts for the non-appearance of the King Amenophis and his forces
in Egypt, after his pursuit of the Hebrews, by saying that he retired
into Ethiopia, and remained there thirteen years as the guest of the
king and people of Ethiopia. The son of this Pharaoh, whom Manetho
calls Sethos, was at this time, when his father was drowned, five years
old; so that at the end of these thirteen years he attained his
majority, and the children that were his contemporaries were old enough
to help themselves. These thirteen years form a gap in the history of
Egypt.
After the departure of the Israelites, Egypt became a complete
wilderness, and the Egyptians were so crushed and desolate that they
seemed to have become almost extinct. They mourned and grieved so long
that they appear to have quite forgotten even the names of their kings
and the history of their nation. No wonder the Nile was termed the
Lethe by classic writers.
The present Egyptians, the real descendants of Mizraim, are the Copts
and the Fellaheen,—poor wretched specimens of humanity—and if these
represent their ancestors, it conclusively proves to every traveller,
when he stands in mute admiration on the stupendous monuments of past
grandeur, that they never were the founders of such works of art and
magnificence; they never were the players on the harp and other
musical instruments depicted on the walls of palaces, nor the refined
occupants of those noble apartments, representing the highest culture
and intelligence—apartments furnished with chairs, sofas, and
tables, and embellished with pictures of battles and banquets,
marriage-processions, funerals, and other subjects of the greatest
interest. The real Egyptians were not the founders or builders of any
of those monumental remains which make Egypt the land of wonders and
the favourite resort of the learned.
The descendants of Abraham the Hebrew were the guiding intellects that
ruled Egypt for her Pharaohs, who possessed discernment enough to
appoint them to rule their kingdom on account of their wisdom and
activity.
About the year 1900 B.C. Abraham went down to Egypt from Canaan because
of the famine. And when he had seen and spoken to Pharaoh, that monarch
“gave him leave to enter into conversation with the most learned among
the Egyptians, from which conversation his virtue and his reputation
became more conspicuous than they had been before. For whereas the
Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs, and despised one
another’s sacred and accustomed rites, and were very angry one with
another on that account, Abram conferred with each of them, and,
confuting the reasonings they made use of every one for their own
practices, demonstrated that such reasonings were vain and void of
truth; whereupon he was admired by them in those conferences as a very
wise man, and one of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject
he undertook; and this not only in understanding it, but in persuading
other men also to assent to him. He communicated to them arithmetic,
and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for, before Abram came
into Egypt, they were unacquainted with those parts of learning, for
that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence into
Greece and elsewhere.”[44]
This visit has been mentioned by the Greek and Roman writers, who state
these visitors to be Shepherd Kings, the Hycsos. Abraham was immensely
wealthy, for the Bible says that “Abram went up out of Egypt, he and
his wife Sarai, and all that he had, and Lot, his nephew, with him,
into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in
gold.”
The ruins that are now existing in the Vostani, or Middle
Egypt—comprising the provinces of Fayoum, Beni-Souef, and Minieh—and
in the Bahari, or Lower Egypt—comprising the provinces of Bahireh,
Rosetta, Damietta, Gharbiyeh, Menouf, Mansoura, and Sharkeyeh—were the
constructions and erections of Joseph, otherwise called
Zaphnath-paaneah, and his eleven brothers; while those found in the
Saïd, or Upper Egypt—comprising the provinces of Thebes, Djergeh, and
Siout—as well as those in Nubia and Ethiopia, sometimes called
Abyssinia, owe their erection to Moses, the descendant of Levi, one of
the brothers of Joseph.
Being the adopted son of Princess Thurmuthis, daughter of Pharaoh,
Moses ruled Egypt as his ancestors had done before his time. His return
after the siege and re-conquest of Meroë, and the entrance in state of
his bride, the Princes Tharbis, daughter of the King of Ethiopia, are
commemorated on the walls of the palace in Upper Egypt. He became very
hateful to the Egyptians on account of his great acts and the power he
displayed, so that they conspired against him.
To save his life Moses left Egypt, and meeting Kikanus, the King of
Ethiopia, returning home from an incursion into Assyria, Moses went
with him and his army. After a residence of nine years with the King,
the Ethiopians elected Moses to the throne of Ethiopia on the death of
Kikanus. This event took place in the hundred and fifty-seventh year
after Israel went down into Egypt.[45]
On the son of the King coming of age, Moses abdicated and left
Ethiopia. The Ethiopians made him many rich presents, and sent him away
with great honours.
In Abyssinia there is a colony of people quite distinct from the
Ethiopians. They differ totally from them in personal appearance, being
fair and handsome, and decidedly of the Jewish type. In religion and
customs and language they resemble the Jews; the characters of their
writing are similar to the Hebrew. This people must have entered
Ethiopia with Moses, and stayed behind when he went away and entered
Midian. The place they occupy is called Amhara, situate on a hill, and
their language Amharic.