Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/334

Rh The Book of Genesis

316

Lesson XXIII

JOSEPH AND JACOB (Genesis

XLVI-XLVII,

12)

of the 3^ears of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my

The days

years



fathers in the days of their sojournings.

Not by might, nor by power, but by (Zechariah IV,

hosts.

Isaiah LVIII, 6-7.

The

story of Joseph

to tell only

My

spirit, saith

the

9.)

Lord of

6.)

Read

still

XLVII,

(Genesis

how

his

is

drawing

to

its

There came down

close.

father and brothers

is

to

Egypt, and how they were received by him and by his proud Egyptian associates. From a number of references upon Egyptian monuments,

from the

as well as

that

the

specific

statement of XLIII, 32,

we know

Egyptians were none too kindly disposed to the

Semitic shepherds of western Asia,

who from

sought shelter and sustenance in Egypt.

time to time

Sheep and

cattle

herding was regarded by the Egyptians as a menial occupation,

fit

only for people of the lowest class.

Nevertheless

Joseph had never concealed the fact that he w^as a Hebrew, whose people were shepherds, even though the duties and obligations of his office compelled him to live and dress as an Fvgyptian, and to conform to of Egyptian culture.

Even amid

all

of which he felt himself an integral

ment of the every

way

civilization

possible,

he

the forms and practices

his

Egyptian environment, jxirt,

and the develop-

of which he sought to promote in

knew how

to

remain loyal

to

the \n