The coming into Egypt
was paved by the story of Joseph. He was the son of Jacob and Rachel. Because
he was the first born of Jacob's most treasured wife, he accorded him with
gifts and privilages...among these was the "coat of many colors".
His brothers were jealous of this and one day plotted to kill him. Not
being able to come right out and kill him, they grabbed him and tossed him into a
well until they could decide what to do with him. Luckily at this time a
Midian merchant caravan was making its way through
the area. They sold him
and made his father, Jacob, think that he was killed by a wild animal.
Joseph then was sold into the service of an Egyptian noble named Potiphar.
His wife tried contiuously to seduce Joseph but to no avail, and in her
anger accussed him of assaulting her. He then was tossed into prison for
a time. Through his skills and trustworthiness, Joseph gain rank among
the prisoners to the point of being the trustee of all the prisoners.
While in prison he met up with the head butler and head baker of Pharaoh.
These men had dreams that Joseph answered through the revelation of God.
When the butler was released he promised to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's innocence
but neglected to do so for two years when the ruler had a strange dream.
Joseph was called before him and asked him to tell him his dream and the
meaning, which his magicians and wisemen could not do. Joseph told him
that his dream was of an upcoming famine in the land and that he should
heed the warning and save up grain. This pleased Pharaoh and so he appointed
Joseph second to only him and made him responsible for collecting the grain.
When the famine came, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food and through
some slight revenge tactics, Josephh revealed himself. When Pharaoh learned
that Joseph found his family, he offrered Jacob the choicest land of Goshien
in the notheast Delta region. Then Jacob died and was mummified in
the Egyptian custom and transported to Canaan for burial. Then a while
after, as the Israelites flourished, Joseph died and was buried in the
Egyptian manner in Egypt.
Now for the evidence of the Israelite time in Egypt.
