Page 22 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Student Textbook

The Government of Egypt:

The Hebrews came to Egypt in 1976 BC. At the
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time, Egypt was in her Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-
1775 BC). In this period, a feudal style regime
ruled, in contrast to the absolute power that the
pharaohs possessed during the Old Kingdom which
was some 200+ years earlier. Vos argues that the
kings tried to win over the people from their
allegiance to local leaders (“nomarchs”) by claiming
they alone could offer true justice. These claims
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were also backed up by spending on projects that
had public benefits such as canals and land
reclamation projects. While the pharaohs still
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built pyramids during the mid-kingdom period, these pyramids were smaller, less expensive structures
than those of the Old Kingdom. An example of the greater Old Kingdom pyramids is found at Giza in the
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Valley of the Kings. Even the artwork commissioned by the kings of this period emphasized the heavy
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burden of kingship or portray the king as a shepherd looking after the nation.

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Either Sesostris III and Sesostris II were the rulers during Joseph’s time in Egypt or simply Sesostris III.
Joseph appears to have occupied the position of vizier, a position that involved significant authority. His
family came during his service to escape the famine in Canaan. Over time their numbers grew. Joseph
died and a new Pharaoh enslaved the Jews as they were becoming so numerous, they were thought to
have posed a threat to the government of Egypt. This same threat led to the slaughter of the sons from
which God saved Moses.

The Religion of Ancient Egypt:

As we have already seen with Canaan, the Egyptians personalized the forces of nature and saw
themselves as living in relation to themselves. The scale of their worship however seems to have been
much more elaborate. Specifically, the Egyptians thought of the Nile, the sun, the moon, and earth and
other elements of nature as personal forces. If one could go back in time and visit Egypt, one would
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see that there were temples everywhere in Egypt to a wide variety of gods. There were daily rituals to
the gods which the priests performed as well as other religious festivals which involved the common
people. Vos suggests that each of the ten plagues in Scripture showed the superiority of Yahweh over
the Egyptian gods. Exodus 12:12 tells us that God was judging the gods of Egypt through the plagues.
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32 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 48.
33 Ibid., 46.
34 Ibid., 47.

35 John Holmes, Biblical Backgrounds course material. Giza Pyramids picture used with permission.
36 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 49.
37 Ibid., 49.
38 Ibid., 55.
39 Ibid., 55-57.

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