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ness of the land," namely, its weakest and most indefensible places, for Egypt was most liable to hostile incursions on the side towards Canaan, all its other frontiers being well defended by immense deserts, mountains, and seas. It will be immediately seen that Joseph had apparently sufficient cause to justify this affected suspicion before the Egyptians that his brethren were spies, not only on account of the hatred they entertained towards foreigners in general, but also from the remembrance of the Shepherd Kings. And here it may be remarked, in illustration of those peculiar customs of ancient times, that the suspicion of being spies is one which strangers and travellers in the East invariably encounter. As the Orientals have little conception of Europeans travelling for curiosity, pleasure, or the advancement of knowledge, and as they have no idea that persons will undertake any distant journey unless from urgent necessity or for gainful speculations, those who do not travel in a mercantile character, or on public business, are invariably considered as spies; and the impression is confirmed if travellers go out of their way, or stop to examine any remarkable objects, or are discovered writing or making observations of any kind. The brethren of Joseph denied the imputation-they declared that they were "true men and no spies"-that they were "twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the Land of Canaan," and it was not probable that a father would send all his family on such an enterprise-and that, were such a scheme in agitation, the princes of Canaan would likely be engaged in it instead of one family. They farther said that their youngest brother was with their father, and "one was not," namely, Joseph himself; they meant that he was dead, as they thought, having heard nothing of him for twenty years.

All these facts Joseph well knew, yet he affected still to consider them as spies, and as his object was not only to make himself known to them at a proper time, but to see his father Jacob, and his uterine brother Benjamin, whom Jacob's

tenderness had prevented from accompanying the caravan, "lest peradventure mischief might befall him," he resolved to put their integrity, not the truth of what they told him, for of that he had no reason to doubt, to the proof. He informed them that they would all be put in prison except one, who was to proceed to the country of Canaan, and return with their youngest brother, when the others would be released; and he swore by the life of Pharaoh that he would not allow them to depart unless they acceded to this proposition. This custom of swearing by the life of a superior or of a respected person is still common in different countries in Asia; and in Persia, though the expression is precisely the same, the form is varied by swearing by the head, particularly the king's head, or by his death, or by his soul. Even the king himself sometimes uses such abjurations, generally mentioning himself in the third person. The Persians have also a custom of swearing by their own heads, or the heads of those to whom they may be speaking. But Joseph relented from his first resolution. After his brethren had been three days in the royal prison, he told them to provide themselves with corn for the sustenance of their families, to proceed to their own country, and to return with their youngest brother, detaining Simeon only in the meantime as an hostage for their re-appearance. The Hebrews, who now thought themselves overtaken by a grievous misfortune, began to be consciencestricken for their treatment of their lost brother Joseph twenty years before; and they ascribed the whole of this calamity as a just retribution, which Reuben did not fail to improve by reminding them. of their obstinacy in refusing to listen to his advice. Joseph, who had hitherto conversed with them by an interpreter, was peculiarly affected by this scene of recrimination, of which he himself was the principal object; "he turned himself about and wept," says the inspired historian, but mastering his feelings, he "returned to them, and took from them

Simeon, and bound him before their supplied with corn, unless their youngest eves."

The other incidents connected with this prelude of the entry of the family of Jacob into Egypt-such as the return of the nine brothers to Canaan, the finding of their money in their sacks' mouths, which seriously grieved them-and the recital of their adventures to their father Jacob, are so familiar to every reader of the Scriptures, that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. Jacob was in deep distress when he heard of the detention of Simeon, and the demand that Benjamin should be sent into Egypt. In the language he uttered we perceive the feelings of the parent and of the man; he reproached his sons for bereaving him of his children: "Joseph is not," exclaimed the afflicted Patriarch, "and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; all these things are against me." This position of the ancestors of the Jewish nation, then a small family living with Jacob, pressed by famine on the one hand, and by natural affection on the other, is scarcely surpassed in any history; it is a picture which requires no fine colouring, or imaginative embellishment, to make it impressive. The Patriarch at first positively refused to allow Benjamin to go with them to Egypt, declaring that if any thing befel him, his "grey hairs would be brought with sorrow to the grave;" and the singular offer of Reuben to his father, telling him to slay his two sons if he did not bring Benjamin back, afforded no consolation or security to the Patriarch, but only increased his suspicions. The famine, however, was still "sore in the land;" the corn which the Hebrew brothers had procured in Egypt was at length consumed; the wants of nature must again be supplied, and the destruction of themselves and their families was certain unless they procured more food. Jacob again exhorted them to proceed to Egypt, but his sons told him it was of no use unless he sent Benjamin with them, as the governor had solemnly declared that they "would not see his face," in other words, they would not be again

brother accompanied them. The reluctant Patriarch yielded at last. After reproaching them for their imprudence in telling the governor that they had a brother at all, which they declared it was impossible for them to avoid on account of the minute questions he put to them, the nine Hebrews, with their brother Benjamin, who was committed to the care of Judah, were dispatched by the Patriarch with an affecting blessing, in which his faith and confidence are eminently conspicuous. It appears that Jacob was at this time possessed of great riches; he had no lack of money, a double supply of which, along with the money unaccountably returned, was sent with them, and a present was also made up for Joseph, consisting of the produce of Hebron in Canaan, "the best fruits of the land, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds."

This is one of the first direct accounts of the fertility and productions of Canaan, and it is remarkable that even yet, notwithstanding the sloth and bigotry of the modern possessors of the Holy Land, and besides the great quantities of grapes and raisins which are brought from it daily to the markets of Jerusalem and the neighbouring villages, Hebron alone, the ancient residence of Jacob, sends every year to Egypt upwards of three hundred camelloads of what is called dabash, which is simply rendered honey in the Sacred Scriptures, for honey, properly so called, could not be a rarity in Egypt. The country about Hebron was famous for its honey, of which the Israelites appear to have had several kinds, Lev. ii. 11, the honey of grapes, of bees, of the palm, and the honey of the reed or of sugar, all known in very early times. The authors of the "Universal History", contend that ripe dates, also called dabash, are here meant, which yield a sort of honey little inferior to that of bees; but if we go on the supposition that the present of Jacob to the prime minister of Egypt consisted of articles which that country did not afford, it was not likely that dates would

be sent instead of honey, Egypt being celebrated for its dates, the tax on the growing of which is one of its most considerable sources of revenue at the present time. One writer thinks that syrup of grapes is here meant, which is still exported from the neighbourhood of Hebron to Egypt; but we may safely conclude that it was actually the honey of Palestine, which was far superior to that of Egypt. Recent travellers inform us that at present the Egyptians keep a great number of bees, which they transport up and down the Nile, to give them the advantage of different climates and productions that the hives are kept in boats-and that the bees disperse themselves along the banks of the river in quest of food, returning regularly in the evening to their floating hives. The botnim, or nuts, mentioned as a part of the present, were those of the pistachio kind, peculiar to Syria, and esteemed the finest in the world. They were subsequently introduced into Europe by Lucius Vitellius, governor of Syria, and were so successfully cultivated that they spread over the shores of the Mediter

ranean.

The shekedim, or almonds, are the fruit of a handsome spreading tree, having lance-shaped leaves with a delicate toothed edge, which is still found wild in some parts of Northern Africa. The necoth, or spicery (Septuagint duiapaTw, and Syriac, gnton, or resin), was perhaps a production of that species of pine called the terebinth tree, for which the Holy Land was remarkable. There is of course a diversity among resins in respect of quality, depending on the nature, health, and situation of the trees which respectively afford them; but the reader will form an idea of what their spicery was, by noting that it was similar to what is called frankincense, and used for fumigation or incense in the Roman Catholic service, which is obtained from a species of fir. The tseri, or balm, is obtained from the celebrated Balm of Gilead tree (Balsamodendron Gileadense), which was a native of and almost peculiar to Judea, of great price over the

world, and the smallest quantity of which was thought a costly present. It is related to the terebinth, and an ancient writer informs us that a small piece of this resin is so odoriferous that it will fill a large space with its perfume. The lot, or myrth, is, properly speaking, a native of Arabia, where it forms stunted groves mingled with species of acacia and other trees. Such was the present which Jacob sent to the governor of Egypt, one of considerable curiosity and interest.

We cannot follow the history of Joseph and his brethren in all its minute details. The arrival of the Hebrew brothers at Memphis with their youngest brother Benjamin-their reception by Joseph, of whose identity they were yet in utter ignorance-their explanation of the money found in their sacks when they returned from their former journey—the release of Simeon-their invitation to an entertainment in Joseph's palace, are all finely narrated, without any attempt at embellishment, by the sacred historian. Nothing can be more interesting than their interview with Joseph, and the questions he put. He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? Is this your younger brother of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son." The feast which followed affords us some curious illustrations of Egyptian manners. We are told that Joseph had three tables, one for himself, one for his brethren, and one for the Egyptians who were present at the entertainment-that the Hebrew brothers were each stationed, according to their seniority of birthright, in the same manner as at their father's house, at which they "marvelled one at another," astonished that the governor of Egypt should so exactly know their respective ages, particularly as some of them were nearly of the same age-and that the Egyptians were kept separate. because it was "an abomination unto the Egyptians to eat bread with the Hebrews.” This aversion or abomination will be best

understood by some curious circumstances related by Herodotus. He tells us that they scrupulously "adhered to the customs of their ancestors, and were averse to foreign manners," which is not a little singular when we consider that, above all other nations mentioned in the Old Testament, great numbers of them anciently lived as servants in other countries that they esteemed all as barbarians who spoke a different language from themselves—that they had a peculiar aversion to the Greeks, and would not eat with strangers. In this description of an Egyptian feast, the only one recorded in the Scriptures, we may suppose that Joseph placed himself at the upper end of the room, while the Egyptians were stationed along the sides, and the Hebrews at the bottom. We are told that Joseph "sent messes unto them (his brothers) from before him, but Benjamin's mess was five times as much as any of theirs." In those countries the dishes were not brought in successively, but were placed upon the table, or rather floor, at once. A variety of dishes was placed between every two, or at most three guests, from which they helped themselves, without attending to their neighbours, who formed a similar party; but sometimes the whole of the dishes, or a particular one, was set before the master of the feast, who sent to every one a portion according to his rank. It was esteemed an honour for a guest to be helped from the dish dressed for the host, and when it was repeatedly done, as in Benjamin's case, it denoted very high favour and condescension. It will also be recollected that the inhabitants of the East do not use plates, but transfer the food immediately from the dishes or bowls to their mouths, unless they find it convenient occasionally to rest the morsel they have detached upon the cake of bread which is placed before them. This

separation of the guests was distinctly marked in Joseph's feast, Joseph having a tray wholly to himself, while, in the distribution of the groupes, care was taken that no Egyptian would be ex

posed to eat from the same tray with a Hebrew.

Into the subsequent events of this interesting history we cannot enter. Joseph discovered himself to his astonished brethren, and the effect was what might have been anticipated; his brethren could not answer his questions, they "were troubled at his presence." They doubtless expected some severe upbraidings for their former conduct; but their anticipations were unfounded, when they heard their long-lost and now exalted brother address them in these comforting words: "I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now, therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in the which there shall neither be earing (ploughing) nor harvest: and God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So, now, it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and he hath made me a father unto Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt." Here the grateful Joseph distinctly avows the doctrine of a particular providence, mysterious in all its operations and arrangements, bringing good out of seeming evil, and making the "latter end" of some men more prosperous than their "beginning;" while he informs his brethren of the elevated situation that he filled, and that he had the authority of a father with Pharaoh, who honoured him, and did nothing without his advice and counsel. He concluded his address by telling them to inform his father of his fortunes, and to remove into Egypt, where he would occupy the district called the Land of Goshen, and there he and his household would be nourished during the years of famine which were yet to come.

Pharaoh was also informed of all the circumstances, and munificently sanctioned the invitation of Joseph. The Hebrews were then dismissed withi

splendid presents, and asses laden with the "good things of Egypt," for their father, while Benjamin was peculiarly honoured. The venerable Patriarch could hardly believe the extraordinary narrative which his sons told him at their return; and it was not until he saw the waggons-a sort of covered wheel carriages anciently used in Egypt, which Joseph sent to convey him and his family-that he actually gave credit to their story, when he exclaimed, with feelings which can be better understood than described, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die." It was not the advancement of Joseph which excited the fervent aspirations of the Patriarch so much as the fact that his son, his first-born by his beloved and favourite wife Rachel, was still alivethat son whose supposed death had cost him many bitter days of sorrow; and hence he makes no allusion to the exaltation of Joseph; it is merely, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive."

The Patriarch immediately commenced his emigration from Hebron to Egypt. He halted at Beersheba, and it appears that he there entertained doubts as to the propriety of trusting himself and his family among the Egyptians. His grandfather Abraham had been in jeopardy there during the first domination of the Shepherd Kings, his father Isaac had been specially warned not to go into Egypt, the Egyptians were a people different from the Hebrews in usages, manners, and religion, and it had been foretold that his posterity would be afflicted in that country. But a divine communication quieted his fears; he was told that in Egypt his descendants would become a great nation-that heavenly protection would be awarded to them -that his posterity would be brought back at the appointed time to the land of their inheritance-and that his favourite son Joseph would close his eyes in peace, and take care of his funeral when he was dead.

There is a considerable discrepancy in the sacred writings as to the exact

number of Jacob's family when they went into Egypt. In the Acts of the Apostles, in the reply which St Stephen made to the accusation of blasphemy, immediately before his martyrdom, it is stated that the family of Jacob amounted to "threescore and fifteen souls," whereas the Hebrew text, in Gen. xlvi. 27, and Deut. x. 22, mentions the number to be seventy, some writers including and others excluding Jacob, while the Greek translation, which St Stephen quotes, gives the number in both passages as seventy-five, which is probably made up by including Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph born in Egypt, and those wives of the Patriarchs who accompanied them. There are, indeed, only sixty-six expressly mentioned as going into Egypt, and the exact number of Jacob's children and grandchildren are thus given: by Leah, 32; by Zilpah, her handmaid, 16; by Rachel, 11; and by Bilhah, 7; exclusive of Joseph and his two sons, and of Jacob himself, who at least made up the seventy.

Judah, who appears to have been, next to Joseph, the most eminent of all the Patriarch's sons, was sent to give notice to Joseph of his father's approach, and to ascertain the part of the Land of Goshen he was to occupy. This was a country remarkably fine and fruitful—and hence it is called the "best of the land"—which was at this time uninhabited. Many conjectures have been made respecting the precise situation of the Land of Goshen, which was certainly the best pasture ground of Lower Egypt, and well adapted for pastoral pursuits. That it lay along the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, which is the most easterly branch of that river, is evident from the circumstance that the Israelites at their departure from Egypt did not pass the Nile, and it therefore must have included the nome or district of Heliopolis, which lay on the eastern border of the Delta. To the east of the river, Goshen apparently stretched into the desert, and in some places might extend to the Gulf of Suez. This country,

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