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The Antiquities of the Jews

F >> Flavius Josephus >> The Antiquities of the Jews




10. But Joseph, as overcome now with his affections, and no
longer able to personate an angry man, commanded all that were
present to depart, that he might make himself known to his
brethren when they were alone; and when the rest were gone out,
he made himself known to his brethren; and said, "I commend you
for your virtue, and your kindness to our brother: I find you
better men than I could have expected from what you contrived
about me. Indeed, I did all this to try your love to your
brother; so I believe you were not wicked by nature in what you
did in my case, but that all has happened according to God's
will, who has hereby procured our enjoyment of what good things
we have; and, if he continue in a favorable disposition, of what
we hope for hereafter. Since, therefore, I know that our father
is safe and well, beyond expectation, and I see you so well
disposed to your brother, I will no longer remember what guilt
you seem to have had about me, but will leave off to hate you for
that your wickedness; and do rather return you my thanks, that
you have concurred with the intentions of God to bring things to
their present state. I would have you also rather to forget the
same, since that imprudence of yours is come to such a happy
conclusion, than to be uneasy and blush at those your offenses.
Do not, therefore, let your evil intentions, when you condemned
me, and that bitter remorse which might follow, be a grief to you
now, because those intentions were frustrated. Go, therefore,
your way, rejoicing in what has happened by the Divine
Providence, and inform your father of it, lest he should be spent
with cares for you, and deprive me of the most agreeable part of
my felicity; I mean, lest he should die before he comes into my
sight, and enjoys the good things that we now have. Bring,
therefore, with you our father, and your wives and children, and
all your kindred, and remove your habitations hither; for it is
not proper that the persons dearest to me should live remote from
me, now my affairs are so prosperous, especially when they must
endure five more years of famine." When Joseph had said this, he
embraced his brethren, who were in tears and sorrow; but the
generous kindness of their brother seemed to leave among them no
room for fear, lest they should be punished on account of what
they had consulted and acted against him; and they were then
feasting. Now the king, as soon as he heard that Joseph's
brethren were come to him, was exceeding glad of it, as if it had
been a part of his own good fortune; and gave them wagons full of
corn and gold and silver, to be conveyed to his father. Now when
they had received more of their brother part to be carried to
their father, and part as free gifts to every one of themselves,
Benjamin having still more than the rest, they departed.

CHAPTER 7.

The Removal Of Joseph's Father With All His Family,
To Him, On Account Of The Famine.

1. As soon as Jacob came to know, by his sons returning home, in
what state Joseph was, that he had not only escaped death, for
which yet he lived all along in mourning, but that he lived in
splendor and happiness, and ruled over Egypt, jointly with the
king, and had intrusted to his care almost all his affairs, he
did not think any thing he was told to be incredible, considering
the greatness of the works of God, and his kindness to him,
although that kindness had, for some late times, been
intermitted; so he immediately and zealously set out upon his
journey to him.

2. When he came to the Well of the Oath, (Beersheba,) he offered
sacrifice to God; and being afraid that the happiness there was
in Egypt might tempt his posterity to fall in love with it, and
settle in it, and no more think of removing into the land of
Canaan, and possessing it, as God had promised them; as also
being afraid, lest, if this descent into Egypt were made without
the will of God, his family might be destroyed there; out of
fear, withal, lest he should depart this life before he came to
the sight of Joseph; he fell asleep, revolving these doubts in
his mind.

3. But God stood by him, and called him twice by his name; and
when he asked who he was, God said, "No, sure; it is not just
that thou, Jacob, shouldst be unacquainted with that God who has
been ever a protector and a helper to thy forefathers, and after
them to thyself: for when thy father would have deprived thee of
the dominion, I gave it thee; and by my kindness it was that,
when thou wast sent into Mesopotamia all alone, thou obtainedst
good wives, and returnedst with many children, and much wealth.
Thy whole family also has been preserved by my providence; and it
was I who conducted Joseph, thy son, whom thou gavest up for
lost, to the enjoyment of great prosperity. I also made him lord
of Egypt, so that he differs but little from a king. Accordingly,
I come now as a guide to thee in this journey; and foretell to
thee, that thou shalt die in the arms of Joseph: and I inform
thee, that thy posterity shall be many ages in authority and
glory, and that I will settle them in the land which I have
promised them."

4. Jacob, encouraged by this dream, went on more cheerfully for
Egypt with his sons, and all belonging to them. Now they were in
all seventy. I once, indeed, thought it best not to set down the
names of this family, especially because of their difficult
pronunciation [by the Greeks]; but, upon the whole, I think it
necessary to mention those names, that I may disprove such as
believe that we came not originally from Mesopotamia, but are
Egyptians. Now Jacob had twelve sons; of these Joseph was come
thither before. We will therefore set down the names of Jacob's
children and grandchildren. Reuben had four sons - Anoch, Phallu,
Assaron, Charmi. Simeon had six - Jamuel, Jamin, Avod, Jachin,
Soar, Saul. Levi had three sons - Gersom, Caath, Merari. Judas
had three sons - Sala, Phares, Zerah; and by Phares two
grandchildren, Esrom and Amar. Issachar had four sons - Thola,
Phua, Jasob, Samaron. Zabulon had with him three sons - Sarad,
Helon, Jalel. So far is the posterity of Lea; with whom went her
daughter Dinah. These are thirty-three. Rachel had two sons, the
one of whom, Joseph, had two sons also, Manasses and Ephraim. The
other, Benjamin, had ten sons - Bolau, Bacchar, Asabel, Geras,
Naaman, Jes, Ros, Momphis, Opphis, Arad. These fourteen added to
the thirty-three before enumerated, amount to the number
forty-seven. And this was the legitimate posterity of Jacob. He
had besides by Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, Dan and
Nephtliali; which last had four sons that followed him - Jesel,
Guni, Issari, and Sellim. Dan had an only begotten son, Usi. If
these be added to those before mentioned, they complete the
number fifty-four. Gad and Aser were the sons of Zilpha, who was
the handmaid of Lea. These had with them, Gad seven - Saphoniah,
Augis, Sunis, Azabon, Aerin, Erocd, Ariel. Aser had a daughter,
Sarah, and six male children, whose names were Jomne, Isus,
Isoui, Baris, Abar and Melchiel. If we add these, which are
sixteen, to the fifty-four, the forementioned number [70] is
completed (11) Jacob not being himself included in that number.

5. When Joseph understood that his father was coming, for Judas
his brother was come before him, and informed him of his
approach, he went out to meet him; and they met together at
Heroopolis. But Jacob almost fainted away at this unexpected and
great joy; however, Joseph revived him, being yet not himself
able to contain from being affected in the same manner, at the
pleasure he now had; yet was he not wholly overcome with his
passion, as his father was. After this, he desired Jacob to
travel on slowly; but he himself took five of his brethren with
him, and made haste to the king, to tell him that Jacob and his
family were come; which was a joyful hearing to him. He also bid
Joseph tell him what sort of life his brethren loved to lead,
that he might give them leave to follow the same, who told him
they were good shepherds, and had been used to follow no other
employment but this alone. Whereby he provided for them, that
they should not be separated, but live in the same place, and
take care of their father; as also hereby he provided, that they
might be acceptable to the Egyptians, by doing nothing that would
be common to them with the Egyptians; for the Egyptians are
prohibited to meddle with feeding of sheep. (12)

6. When Jacob was come to the king, and saluted him, and wished
all prosperity to his government, Pharaoh asked him how old he
now was; upon whose answer, that he was a hundred and thirty
years old, he admired Jacob on account of the length of his life.
And when he had added, that still he had not lived so long as his
forefathers, he gave him leave to live with his children in
Heliopolis; for in that city the king's shepherds had their
pasturage.

7. However, the famine increased among the Egyptians, and this
heavy judgment grew more oppressive to them, because neither did
the river overflow the ground, for it did not rise to its former
height, nor did God send rain upon it; (13) nor did they indeed
make the least provision for themselves, so ignorant were they
what was to be done; but Joseph sold them corn for their money.
But when their money failed them, they bought corn with their
cattle and their slaves; and if any of them had a small piece of
land, they gave up that to purchase them food, by which means the
king became the owner of all their substance; and they were
removed, some to one place, and some to another, that so the
possession of their country might be firmly assured to the king,
excepting the lands of the priests, for their country continued
still in their own possession. And indeed this sore famine made
their minds, as well as their bodies, slaves; and at length
compelled them to procure a sufficiency of food by such
dishonorable means. But when this misery ceased, and the river
overflowed the ground, and the ground brought forth its fruits
plentifully, Joseph came to every city, and gathered the people
thereto belonging together, and gave them back entirely the land
which, by their own consent, the king might have possessed alone,
and alone enjoyed the fruits of it. He also exhorted them to look
on it as every one's own possession, and to fall to their
husbandry with cheerfulness, and to pay as a tribute to the king,
the fifth part (14) of the fruits for the land which the king,
when it was his own, restored to them. These men rejoiced upon
their becoming unexpectedly owners of their lands, and diligently
observed what was enjoined them; and by this means Joseph
procured to himself a greater authority among the Egyptians, and
greater love to the king from them. Now this law, that they
should pay the fifth part of their fruits as tribute, continued
until their later kings.

CHAPTER 8.

Of The Death Of Jacob And Joseph.

1. Now when Jacob had lived seventeen years in Egypt, he fell
into a disease, and died in the presence of his sons; but not
till he made his prayers for their enjoying prosperity, and till
he had foretold to them prophetically how every one of them was
to dwell in the land of Canaan. But this happened many years
afterward. He also enlarged upon the praises of Joseph (15) how
he had not remembered the evil doings of his brethren to their
disadvantage; nay, on the contrary, was kind to them, bestowing
upon them so many benefits, as seldom are bestowed on men's own
benefactors. He then commanded his own sons that they should
admit Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasses, into their number, and
divide the land of Canaan in common with them; concerning whom we
shall treat hereafter. However, he made it his request that he
might be buried at Hebron. So he died, when he had lived full a
hundred and fifty years, three only abated, having not been
behind any of his ancestors in piety towards God, and having such
a recompense for it, as it was fit those should have who were so
good as these were. But Joseph, by the king's permission, carried
his father's dead body to Hebron, and there buried it, at a great
expense. Now his brethren were at first unwilling to return back
with him, because they were afraid lest, now their father was
dead, he should punish them for their secret practices against
him; since he was now gone, for whose sake he had been so
gracious to them. But he persuaded them to fear no harm, and to
entertain no suspicions of him: so he brought them along with
him, and gave them great possessions, and never left off his
particular concern for them.

2. Joseph also died when he had lived a hundred and ten years;
having been a man of admirable virtue, and conducting all his
affairs by the rules of reason; and used his authority with
moderation, which was the cause of his so great felicity among
the Egyptians, even when he came from another country, and that
in such ill circumstances also, as we have already described. At
length his brethren died, after they had lived happily in Egypt.
Now the posterity and sons of these men, after some time, carried
their bodies, and buried them at Hebron: but as to the bones of
Joseph, they carried them into the land of Canaan afterward, when
the Hebrews went out of Egypt, for so had Joseph made them
promise him upon oath. But what became of every one of these men,
and by what toils they got the possession of the land of Canaan,
shall be shown hereafter, when I have first explained upon what
account it was that they left Egypt.

CHAPTER 9.

Concerning The Afflictions That Befell The Hebrews In Egypt,
During Four Hundred Years. (16)

1. Now it happened that the Egyptians grew delicate and lazy, as
to pains-taking, and gave themselves up to other pleasures, and
in particular to the love of gain. They also became very
ill-affected towards the Hebrews, as touched with envy at their
prosperity; for when they saw how the nation of the Israelites
flourished, and were become eminent already in plenty of wealth,
which they had acquired by their virtue and natural love of
labor, they thought their increase was to their own detriment.
And having, in length of time, forgotten the benefits they had
received from Joseph, particularly the crown being now come into
another family, they became very abusive to the Israelites, and
contrived many ways of afflicting them; for they enjoined them to
cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls
for their cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the
river, and hinder its waters from stagnating, upon its running
over its own banks: they set them also to build pyramids, (17)
and by all this wore them out; and forced them to learn all sorts
of mechanical arts, and to accustom themselves to hard labor. And
four hundred years did they spend under these afflictions; for
they strove one against the other which should get the mastery,
the Egyptians desiring to destroy the Israelites by these labors,
and the Israelites desiring to hold out to the end under them.

2. While the affairs of the Hebrews were in this condition, there
was this occasion offered itself to the Egyptians, which made
them more solicitous for the extinction of our nation. One of
those sacred scribes, (18) who are very sagacious in foretelling
future events truly, told the king, that about this time there
would a child be born to the Israelites, who, if he were reared,
would bring the Egyptian dominion low, and would raise the
Israelites; that he would excel all men in virtue, and obtain a
glory that would be remembered through all ages. Which thing was
so feared by the king, that, according to this man's opinion, he
commanded that they should cast every male child, which was born
to the Israelites, into the river, and destroy it; that besides
this, the Egyptian midwives (19) should watch the labors of the
Hebrew women, and observe what is born, for those were the women
who were enjoined to do the office of midwives to them; and by
reason of their relation to the king, would not transgress his
commands. He enjoined also, that if any parents should disobey
him, and venture to save their male children alive, (20) they and
their families should be destroyed. This was a severe affliction
indeed to those that suffered it, not only as they were deprived
of their sons, and while they were the parents themselves, they
were obliged to be subservient to the destruction of their own
children, but as it was to be supposed to tend to the extirpation
of their nation, while upon the destruction of their children,
and their own gradual dissolution, the calamity would become very
hard and inconsolable to them. And this was the ill state they
were in. But no one can be too hard for the purpose of God,
though he contrive ten thousand subtle devices for that end; for
this child, whom the sacred scribe foretold, was brought up and
concealed from the observers appointed by the king; and he that
foretold him did not mistake in the consequences of his
preservation, which were brought to pass after the manner
following: -

3. A man whose name was Amram, one of the nobler sort of the
Hebrews, was afraid for his whole nation, lest it should fail, by
the want of young men to be brought up hereafter, and was very
uneasy at it, his wife being then with child, and he knew not
what to do. Hereupon he betook himself to prayer to God; and
entreated him to have compassion on those men who had nowise
transgressed the laws of his worship, and to afford them
deliverance from the miseries they at that time endured, and to
render abortive their enemies' hopes of the destruction of their
nation. Accordingly God had mercy on him, and was moved by his
supplication. He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not
to despair of his future favors. He said further, that he did not
forget their piety towards him, and would always reward them for
it, as he had formerly granted his favor to their forefathers,
and made them increase from a few to so great a multitude. He put
him in mind, that when Abraham was come alone out of Mesopotamia
into Canaan, he had been made happy, not only in other respects,
but that when his wife was at first barren, she was afterwards by
him enabled to conceive seed, and bare him sons. That he left to
Ismael and to his posterity the country of Arabia; as also to his
sons by Ketura, Troglodytis; and to Isaac, Canaan. That by my
assistance, said he, he did great exploits in war, which, unless
you be yourselves impious, you must still remember. As for Jacob,
he became well known to strangers also, by the greatness of that
prosperity in which he lived, and left to his sons, who came into
Egypt with no more than seventy souls, while you are now become
above six hundred thousand. Know therefore that I shall provide
for you all in common what is for your good, and particularly for
thyself what shall make thee famous; for that child, out of dread
of whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite
children to destruction, shall be this child of thine, and shall
be concealed from those who watch to destroy him: and when he is
brought up in a surprising way, he shall deliver the Hebrew
nation from the distress they are under from the Egyptians. His
memory shall be famous while the world lasts; and this not only
among the Hebrews, but foreigners also: - all which shall be the
effect of my favor to thee, and to thy posterity. He shall also
have such a brother, that he shall himself obtain my priesthood,
and his posterity shall have it after him to the end of the
world.

4. When the vision had informed him of these things, Amram awaked
and told it to Jochebed who was his wife. And now the fear
increased upon them on account of the prediction in Amram's
dream; for they were under concern, not only for the child, but
on account of the great happiness that was to come to him also.
However, the mother's labor was such as afforded a confirmation
to what was foretold by God; for it was not known to those that
watched her, by the easiness of her pains, and because the throes
of her delivery did not fall upon her with violence. And now they
nourished the child at home privately for three months; but after
that time Amram, fearing he should be discovered, and, by falling
under the king's displeasure, both he and his child should
perish, and so he should make the promise of God of none effect,
he determined rather to trust the safety and care of the child to
God, than to depend on his own concealment of him, which he
looked upon as a thing uncertain, and whereby both the child, so
privately to be nourished, and himself should be in imminent
danger; but he believed that God would some way for certain
procure the safety of the child, in order to secure the truth of
his own predictions. When they had thus determined, they made an
ark of bulrushes, after the manner of a cradle, and of a bigness
sufficient for an infant to be laid in, without being too
straitened: they then daubed it over with slime, which would
naturally keep out the water from entering between the bulrushes,
and put the infant into it, and setting it afloat upon the river,
they left its preservation to God; so the river received the
child, and carried him along. But Miriam, the child's sister,
passed along upon the bank over against him, as her mother had
bid her, to see whither the ark would be carried, where God
demonstrated that human wisdom was nothing, but that the Supreme
Being is able to do whatsoever he pleases: that those who, in
order to their own security, condemn others to destruction, and
use great endeavors about it, fail of their purpose; but that
others are in a surprising manner preserved, and obtain a
prosperous condition almost from the very midst of their
calamities; those, I mean, whose dangers arise by the appointment
of God. And, indeed, such a providence was exercised in the case
of this child, as showed the power of God.

5. Thermuthis was the king's daughter. She was now diverting
herself by the banks of the river; and seeing a cradle borne
along by the current, she sent some that could swim, and bid them
bring the cradle to her. When those that were sent on this errand
came to her with the cradle, and she saw the little child, she
was greatly in love with it, on account of its largeness and
beauty; for God had taken such great care in the formation of
Moses, that he caused him to be thought worthy of bringing up,
and providing for, by all those that had taken the most fatal
resolutions, on account of the dread of his nativity, for the
destruction of the rest of the Hebrew nation. Thermuthis bid them
bring her a woman that might afford her breast to the child; yet
would not the child admit of her breast, but turned away from it,
and did the like to many other women. Now Miriam was by when this
happened, not to appear to be there on purpose, but only as
staying to see the child; and she said, "It is in vain that thou,
O queen, callest for these women for the nourishing of the child,
who are no way of kin to it; but still, if thou wilt order one of
the Hebrew women to be brought, perhaps it may admit the breast
of one of its own nation." Now since she seemed to speak well,
Thermuthis bid her procure such a one, and to bring one of those
Hebrew women that gave suck. So when she had such authority given
her, she came back and brought the mother, who was known to
nobody there. And now the child gladly admitted the breast, and
seemed to stick close to it; and so it was, that, at the queen's
desire, the nursing of the child was entirely intrusted to the
mother.

6. Hereupon it was that Thermuthis imposed this name Mouses upon
him, from what had happened when he was put into the river; for
the Egyptians call water by the name of Mo, and such as are saved
out of it, by the name of Uses: so by putting these two words
together, they imposed this name upon him. And he was, by the
confession of all, according to God's prediction, as well for his
greatness of mind as for his contempt of difficulties, the best
of all the Hebrews, for Abraham was his ancestor of the seventh
generation. For Moses was the son of Amram, who was the son of
Caath, whose father Levi was the son of Jacob, who was the son of
Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Now Moses's understanding
became superior to his age, nay, far beyond that standard; and
when he was taught, he discovered greater quickness of
apprehension than was usual at his age, and his actions at that
time promised greater, when he should come to the age of a man.
God did also give him that tallness, when he was but three years
old, as was wonderful. And as for his beauty, there was nobody so
unpolite as, when they saw Moses, they were not greatly surprised
at the beauty of his countenance; nay, it happened frequently,
that those that met him as he was carried along the road, were
obliged to turn again upon seeing the child; that they left what
they were about, and stood still a great while to look on him;
for the beauty of the child was so remarkable and natural to him
on many accounts, that it detained the spectators, and made them
stay longer to look upon him.

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