The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
In Ebers’s article to which reference has already been made, the writer is
of opinion that Joseph met the king of Egypt on the occasion of the
interpretation of the latter’s dream, either at Tanis, the Zoan of the
English translation (better Ṣo’an), the Arab. Ṣân, borrowed to all
appearance from the Coptic Dzhane (Dzhani, Dzhaane, Dzhaani), from the
Egyptian Dzha’an, or at Bubastis, the Egyptian Pi-Bast, the Pi-Beseth of
Ezekiel xxx. 17, or at Memphis, the Egyptian Men-nofr, the Biblical Moph
or Noph. Of these three sites the first (Tanis) is considered the most
probable. It is situated at the north-east of the Delta, and was founded,
according to Numbers xiii. 22, seven years after Hebron. From this
statement, one would think that there must be some connection between
these two places, or else some historical fact is to be associated with
it. One thing is certain, and that is, that Tanis was the residence of the
Hyksos kings, who held court there for a considerable period, as did also
many who preceded and followed them. The ruins are extensive, and the
place is noted for its Hyksos sphinxes, in whose faces “the coarse Hyksos
type” is strongly marked. The officers under the Pharaoh of the Exodus
speak, in their letters, of the life there as being sweet, and praise the
neighbourhood for its fertility and the abundance of the food it produced
(Ebers).
Nevertheless, Bubastis (the modern Tel-Basta) may have been the place
where Joseph saw Pharaoh for the first time, as it was a place of great
importance, and had a celebrated temple dedicated to the goddess Bast.
Memphis, too, may be regarded as having claims, on account of its being
situated so near to On, the abode of Joseph’s father-in-law.
On, where Potiphera (“dedicated to the Sun”) was priest, was the
celebrated city of the Sun-god in Egypt, whose foundation went back to an
exceedingly remote antiquity. Besides Râ, Tum or Tmu (the evening sun),
Râ-Harmachis (the morning sun), his companion Thoth, Sehu and Tefnut,
children of Tum, and Osiris, who was venerated there as the soul of Râ,
were among the deities of the place. To these must be added Horus, son of
Osiris and Isis, god of the upper world or region of light. His mother
Isis was worshipped at On under the name of Isis-Hathor, corresponding
with Venus Urania. Besides these deities, various animals were held in
honour, among them being two lions, perhaps representing Sehu and Tefnut,
who were worshipped under the form of these animals; the bull Mnevis,
sacred to Râ or Rê; and the Phœnix, called by the Egyptians _Bennu_, the
bird of Râ, which was supposed to bring the ashes of its father to On once
every 500 years, after the latter had been consumed by fire. Other sacred
animals in this city were cats and a white sow. No wonder the Israelites
of old winced at the thought that their hero Joseph, so perfect in
character, wedded the daughter of a priest of this idolatrous city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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