Page 23 - Biblical Backgrounds

Egypt had many local gods in the form of a bull,
typified by this relief sculpture from the Cairo
Museum. The sacred apis bull of Memphis was
known to the Hebrews, and Moses’ destruction of
the golden calf was an attempt to rid Israel of this
type of idolatrous worship.

The social and economic culture of Egypt:
Egypt was an economic might of the patriarchal world. Its location on the Mediterranean Sea and the
Nile was instrumental in Egypt’s rise to prominence. Egyptian families had many children. Those in more
affluent families would hire a wet nurse to care for them. Those in less affluent families would nurse
their own children. This is consistent with the daughter of Pharaoh hiring the mother of Moses to nurse
the baby. Voss makes an interesting note that circumcision was a regular practice of the Egyptians that
partially marked the transfer from being a boy to a man.
42

Marriage was often arranged among families. Usually, when the children were young. Voss does explain
that in Egypt, the practice of a barren woman giving her slave to a husband as a concubine was normal.
The couple would then adopt a son born to the concubine as their own. This again gives a background
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that explains why Sarah gave her slave to Abraham.

Egypt offered one of the greatest
educations available at the time. They
were known for the process of
mummification. Joseph was mummified
when he died in Egypt in Genesis 50:2-3.
This picture of an Egyptian mummy was
taken when they were on display at the
Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.
The Bible records Moses taking Joseph’s
bones with the people during the exodus
in Exodus 24:32.

Economically, the Egyptians were known for trade, agriculture, and cattle. The Nile provided the
method to ship cargo up and down Egypt and throughout the world. The Egyptians did business with
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many other lands, such as Phoenicia, Canaan, Crete, and many other regions.

42 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 68.
43 Ibid., 68-69.
44 Ibid., 76-77.

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