Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/332

Rh The Book of

314

Gcfiesis

in the southern kingdom, of which Judah was the leadFor this reason it ascribed to the traditional ancestor of the trilie of Judah the role of the noble and self-sacrificing leader and spokesman among the brothers, which the other version, composed in the northern kingdom, assigned to Reuben the oldest

one current ing tribe.

brother.

shows how greatly the brothers were impressed by the and seemingly supernatural knowledge of tbeir private family affairs, of which, so they believed, they had themselves disclosed not a thing to him. It is a most effective and XLIIT,

Egyptian's

7

inexplicable

touch.

artistic

Ancient Egyptians V.

32.

Probabl}-,

as

is

usually

at

Dinner

explained, the Egyptians

eat with the Israelites because the animals

whose

did not

was eaten by Exodus VIII, 22.

flesh

were sacred among the Egyptians; cf. V. 33. The rabbis interpreted this verse to mean that Joseph appointed his seat at the table to each in the order of their ages. the latter,

The

and remembering also that Joseph had among them most responsible for the wrong done to Joseph, to be cast into prison, were astounded, and regarded this as further proof that Joseph must be possessed of occult powers and knowledge. Tliis impression was heightened 1>y the reference to the pitcher with which Joseph practiced divination brothers, noticing this,

unerringly selected Simeon, the one

(XLIV, story,

2,

and

authors.

5,

15).

All this adds greatly to the dramatic force of the

evidences

Divination

further

by

the

means

of

supreme artistic powers of the water poured into oil, or oil

poured into water, while the diviner, usually a

priest,

notices

the \n