IX. GRANARIES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD 162 X. DEATH OF MOSES 189 XI. RECORD OF FAMINES 198 XII. APOTHEOSIS OF MOSES 237 APPENDICES— I. THE GREAT FAMINE IN EGYPT 247 II. THE TRANSLATION OF THE SEPTUAGINT 273 III. HERODOTUS ON THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT 296 IV. ON THE HEBREW AND GRECIAN FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS 298 V. PREDICTIONS CONCERNING EGYPT 308 THE STOREHOUSES OF THE KING. CHAPTER I. JOSEPH—THE BUILDER. Joseph was the son of Jacob’s old age, and consequently he loved him more than any of his other sons, by which Joseph incurred the envy and hatred of his brothers, and they, knowing that the lad carried evil reports of their conduct to their father, determined to do him some harm. Besides, Joseph was always having strange dreams, which he related to his father in the presence of his brothers, which dreams were interpreted to mean some great advancement in the life of the dreamer. The brothers watched for an opportunity to get rid of this favourite child. The opportunity presented itself, and they availed themselves of it. Jacob sent Joseph to see the state of affairs in the field where the flocks were fed, and to bring him word; so Joseph, in obedience to his father’s command, went, and when the brothers who were guarding the flocks saw him approaching, they agreed to kill him. But one of the elder ones said that it would be a great sin to shed the blood of their relative, and that it would be better to throw him into a pit and leave him there to die; to which suggestion the rest consented. When Joseph came up to them, they insulted him, and stripped him of the coat which his father, in his fondness for him, had made for him, and, unheeding the lad’s cries and remonstrances, they threw him into a pit. After this cruel deed, the men went to their meal; and whilst eating it they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites, and to them they sold Joseph, who was taken out of the pit and given to them. The Ishmaelites, fearing that Joseph was not a slave, judging from his handsome face and noble carriage, sold him to a company of Midianites, merchants going down to Egypt. When these merchants arrived in Egypt, they sold him as a slave to an Egyptian nobleman. Here he was kindly treated by his master, who had confidence in his integrity, and was made an overseer of his master’s property. Joseph was seventeen years old when he was taken away from his home and country, and his father mourned for him as dead. This took place in the year 1728 B.C.