APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.

A Narrative of the Great Famine in the Land of Egypt, as recorded in the Talmud.*

PHARAOH the King issued a proclamation throughout the whole land of Egypt to the wise men thereof. And he called upon all the wise men to seek his presence and listen to the dreams which troubled him.

"He who can properly interpret to me the meaning of these visions shall have his dearest wishes granted as they issue from his lips; but he who is able to read dreams and neglects my bidding shall surely be put to death."

Then the wise men, and the soothsayers, and the magicians of the land of Egypt, came and stood before the King.

112.

From The Talmud: Selections, &c., by H. Polano, pp. 85

And the King related to them his dream, and though many interpreted, no two agreed as to its meaning. They contradicted one another, and they served but to confuse the King. Many were the interpretations.

"The seven fat cows," said one, "are seven kings who will arise over Egypt from royal families, and the seven lean cows are seven princes who will arise from them, and in the end of days destroy the seven kings. The seven rank ears are seven great princes of this land who shall in a coming time of war fall into the power of seven princes, now weak and in no wise to be feared."

"The seven fat cows," said another, "are seven queens whom thou shalt marry, in the coming days, and the seven lean cows declare that these queens shall die during thy life, O King! The seven rank ears and the seven lean ears are fourteen children whom thou shalt beget, and they will fight among themselves, and the seven weaker ones shall conquer their stronger brethren."

But the King was not satisfied with these interpretations. His mind was still unquiet, for the Lord had ordained that Joseph was to be released from his prison and elevated to a princely position; therefore did Pharaoh remain unsatisfied with the words of his wise men.

And the King was wroth, and he dismissed the wise men from his presence; and all the wise men and the soothsayers and magicians of Egypt went out from the presence of their King in shame and confusion. And the King commanded in his wrath that all these men should be put to death.

When the chief butler heard this he sought the presence of the King, and in deep obeisance before him spoke as follows:

"O King, live for ever! May thy greatness, O King, increase for ever through the land. Lo, thou wast wroth with thy servant, and thou didst place him in confinement. For a year was I imprisoned, I and the chief baker. And with us in our dungeon was a Hebrew servant who belonged to the captain of the guard. His name was Joseph, and his master growing wroth with him, had placed him in prison, where he served the captain of the guard, and he served us also.

"And it came to pass when we had been in the prison for a year we dreamed, each, a dream, and the Hebrew slave interpreted for each of us his dream. And lo, as he interpreted our dreams so was the reality. As he spoke so did it come to pass.

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Therefore, my lord King, I pray thee, do not kill the wise men of Egypt for naught. Behold, this slave is still in the prison. If it be pleasing in the eyes of the King let him be sent for. Let him listen to the dreams which trouble the mind of the King, and he will be able to solve them correctly."

The King listened to the words of the chief butler, and he ordered that Joseph should be brought before him. But he commanded his officers to be careful not to frighten the lad, lest through fear he should be unable to interpret correctly.

And the servants of the King brought Joseph forth from his dungeon, and shaved him and clothed him in new garments, and carried him before the King. The King was seated upon his throne, and

the glare and glitter of the jewels which ornamented the throne dazzled and astonished the eyes of Joseph.

Now the throne of the King was reached by seven steps, and it was the custom of Egypt for a prince or noble who held audience with the King, to ascend to the sixth step; but when an inferior or a private citizen of the land was called into his presence, the King descended to the third step and from there spoke with him. So when Joseph came into the presence of the King he bowed to the ground at the foot of the throne, and the King descended to the third step and spoke to him.

And he said:

"Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and among all the wise men and magicians of the land there is not one able to read for me its meaning. I have heard that thou art far-sighted and blest with the gift of divination, and I have sent for thee to solve my dream."

And Joseph answered:

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"O King, the power is not with me ; but God will answer and give Pharaoh peace."

And Joseph found favour in the eyes of the King, and he told to him his dream. And the spirit of God was upon Joseph, and the King inclined his ears and heart to the words of Joseph.

And Joseph said to Pharaoh:

"Let not the King think that his dreams are two and distinct; they have but a single portent, and what the Lord intends doing upon the earth He has shown to Pharaoh in a vision. Let me advise thee, O King, how thou mayest preserve thy life and the

lives of all the inhabitants of thy land from the grievous evils of the famine which is soon to drain and dry up its fruitfulness and its plenty. Let the King appoint a man wise and discreet, a man well versed in the laws of the country, and let him appoint other officers under him to go out through all the length and breadth of the land to gather food during the years of plenty and store it carefully away for future use, that the land may not die in the years of famine which will follow. And let the King command the people of the land, that they shall each and every one gather and store up in the years of plenty of the produce of the fields, to provide for their wants when the ground shall be barren and the fields unproductive."

And the King answered, "How knowest thou that thou hast read the dream aright?"

And Joseph said, "Lo, this shall be a sign that my words are true. A son shall be born to the King, and upon the day of his birth, thy first-born son, who is now two years old, shall die.”

And when Joseph finished speaking these words, he bowed low before the King and departed from his presence.

The occurrence which Joseph predicted came to pass. The queen bore a son, and upon the day when it was told to the King he rejoiced greatly. But as the messenger of glad tidings retired, the servants of the King found his first-born son dead, and there was a great crying and wailing in the palace of the King.

And when Pharaoh inquired as to the cause of this great cry he was informed of his loss, and remember