Joseph and the Land of Egypt

NEW MISSION PRESIDENTS. 253 labored as a traveling elder ence for about eight months, when he was called to preside over the South Melbourne branch of the Victoria conference. A few months later he was called to preside over the Victoria conference. In these positions he won the confidence and love of both elders and Saints, as well as the president of the mission. When President Hyde received his release, he was authorized by the First Presidency to leave some good elder in charge of the mission till his successor should arrive, and Elder Taylor was chosen. Elder Taylor has been a most energetic and faithful worker in the mission, and will undoubtedly wield a good influence among the people of that land. in the New South Wales confer- WILLIAM W. TAYLOR. Joseph and the Land of Egypt BY JOSEPH F. SMITH JR., OF THE QUORUM OF TWELVE APOSTLES This is a little work of 115 pages, including" the index, published in the form of the school classics. It is one of a series of studies of Bible characters intended to be faith-promoting. While there are a few things in the work that partake of sectarianism, these are so mild and harmless as barely to be noticed- They do not hurt the work. The book is written in a pleasing style that will attract the reader. The author, however, has taken for granted that those who read it are informed in a general way in the history of the nations occupying Egypt and Western Asia during the period of the story. It will, perhaps, require some further study in this direction by many of the members of our associations that they may fully grasp many of the *By Prof. A. H. Sayce, D. D., LL. D.; J. M. Dent & Co., London; J. B. Eippincott Co., Philadelphia.

254 IMPROVEMENT ERA details. Much is presented outside of the Bible narrative, that should be understood by our readers. Throughout the work attention is paid to all evidence bearing on the authenticity of the Bible account of Joseph and his brethren. There are eight chapters ; they deal with the history of Joseph as recorded in Genesis, and the religious, educational and commercial activity of the inhabitants of Western Asia and Egypt, at that time. These chapters are as follows :

1. The Boyhood. 2- Western Asia in the Patriarchal Age.
2. Slavery. 4. The Egypt and Canaan of Joseph. 5. The Vizier. 6. The Famine. 7. Israel in Egypt. 8. The Last Days of Joseph. It is shown in the work that Joseph was reared in the midst of a civilization that had existed many years. To quote from the author: "Centuries before the age of the Hebrew Patriarchs, advanced civilization and high, sound culture had grown up on the banks of the Euphrates and the Nile. Never did the art of the sculptor attain a higher level of development than in the Egypt of the Old Empire * * * And the civilizations were essentially literary. There were public libraries in the cities of Babylon stored with thousands of books on clay, and neweditions were constantly appearing in Egypt of poems and novels, of moral treaties and religoius literature. Education was widespread *

• • and there were writers and readers innumerable. Such was the civilization into which Joseph was borne." The author states that under these conditions the sons of Jacob had acquired the rudiments of learning, and the belief in the illiteracy of the ancient East is erroneous. Canaan, in the day of Abraham, was Babylonian in thought and customs, and this civilization was predominantly literary. Babylonia was a great commercial community, and all classes engaged in trade with all parts of the known world. There was a highway from Mesopotamia into Canaan and Egypt over which the merchants traveled with their wares. This development of trade brought with it three results. First, a general diffusion of education ; second, an accurate registration of dates, or an official chronology ; and third, a system of commercial law which was Continually growing, and like the law of England, was based upon precedents- This system of commercial law lay at the foundation of all the law. of Babylon, the codification of which was one of the foremost achievements of Khammu-rabi, first king of all Babylonia, who is identified as Amraph-el, king of Shinar, of whom we read in the 14th chapter of Genesis. Long before the birth of Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a race of Semites known as Hyksos, who for upwards of five hundred years held sway in the valley of the Nile. They went

JOSEPH AND THE LAND OF EGYPT 255 from Canaan, and their capital was Zoan on the Eastern side of the delta, where they were in touch with the land of thenfathers. They remained Semites and Canaanites in spite of their Egyptain garb in which they clothed themselves. It was at the court of a Hyksos Pharaoh at Zoan that Abraham made his way, and it was a Hyksos king that befriended Joseph. The relations between Canaan and Egypt during the reign of these kings was close. The account of Joseph's dreams and the treatment he received from his brethren, is very vividly presented in the narrative. Joseph's character is pointed out : He is amiable, affectionate, straightforward and God-fearing, but, nevertheless, somewhat conceited because of the indulgence and position accorded him by his father. This naturally created a feeling of resentment and envy in the hearts of his brothers, a feeling augmented by the dreams of their younger brother, for they were fearful lest they come true. The rough handling he received by his brothers, and his treatment as a slave in Egypt, eliminated from his character that which was bad, and the training he received purified and strengthened him for the mission that awaited him. When elevated to the throne, he was given for a wife, Asenath, daughter of Poti-Phera, priest of On. The author points out that this priest was not an Egyptian by birth, but of the Semitic race, and therefore Joseph married a woman who was Semitic. The story of the famine, and the treatment accorded the sons of Jacob by their brother whom they had so thoroughly hated and ill-treated, is very tonchingly recorded. Joseph, through his harsh treatment of them and apparent suspicion, was trying to discover if they were still the wicked and treacherous men who had so foullv sold him a slave for money. By punishing them and causing them to feel some of the anguish that he had partaken of while in their hands — which was a partial retribution — he discovered that even the most pronounced among them in condemning him were now willing to lav down their lives or become his slaves that they might protect 'their youngest brother and return him to their father that his gray hairs might not go down in sorrow to the grave. Learning of the change in their character, he was willing to forgive them and received them with open arms and tears of joy and brotherly love, and he made intercession for them and his father before Pharaoh. The book is most worthv of consideration, it is highly instructive, and should be carefully read.