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 contrary to every natural view of the situation. We may therefore be prepared to find traces of the dual narrative in these vv.—10. On the land of Goshen, see the footnote.—be near to me] The clause is not inconsistent with the preceding; for, as compared with Canaan, Goshen was certainly 'near' to where Joseph dwelt. Nevertheless it is best regarded as a variant from E, continued in $11a$. It is only in J that the Israelites are represented as dwelling in Goshen.—12-15. The close of Joseph's speech, followed by his affectionate embrace, and the free converse of the brethren.—13 and 14 (J) are respectively parallel to 9 and 15 (E). 16-20. Pharaoh's invitation.—This, as already explained, is peculiar to E. It is just possible (though hardly probable) that in this source Joseph's invitation ($9-11$) extended only to his father, while the idea of transplanting the whole family emanated from the king.—16a. Cf. v.$2$.—18. the best

10. ] G (as 46$34$). The name is peculiar to J (46$28. 29. 34$ 47$1. 4. 6. 27$ 50$8$, Ex. 8$18$ 9$26$† ); P has 'land of Ramses' (47$11$), cf. Ex. 1$11$ 12$37$, Nu. 33$5$); while E uses no geographical designation. That P and J mean the same locality is intrinsically probable (though Naville considers that the land of Ramses was a larger area than Goshen), and is confirmed by recent excavations. The city of Pithom (see on 46$28$) has been identified by Naville with the modern Tell el-Maskhuṭa, 12 m. W of Ismailia, in Wādī Ṭumīlāt, a long and narrow valley leading "straight from the heart of the Delta to a break in the chain of the Bitter Lakes," and therefore marking a weak spot in the natural defences of Egypt (Erman, LAE, 525 f.). In the same region, though not quite so far E, excavations at the village of Ṣafṭ el-Ḥenneh have established its identity with Pa-soft (also called on local inscrs. Kes), which is stated to have been the capital of the 20th Nome of Lower Egypt. A rare name of this nome is Kesem; and it is at least a plausible conjecture that this is the same as the biblical G ; and if so the situation of Goshen is fixed as a part of W. Ṭumīlāt surrounding Saft el-Ḥenneh. A confirmation of this may be found in the  of G, for this in Græco-Roman times (Ptol. iv. 5, 53) was the name of one of the 23 nomes of the Delta, whose capital (cf. Strabo, XVII. i. 26) has long been conjectured to be the ancient Kes, preceded by the art. pa.—See Naville, Land of Goshen, etc. (Fifth Memoir of EEF, 1887), 15 ff., 20; Store City of Pithom, etc. ($4$ 1903), 4 ff.; Spiegelberg, Aufenth. etc. 52; Müller in EB, 1758 ff.; and Griffith in BD, ii. 232 f.—11. ] cf. 50$21$ (E).—] 'lest thou come to want' (lit. 'be dispossessed'); cf. Ju. 14$15$, Pr. 20$13$ 23$21$ 30$9$.

17. ] (Aram.); ct. [Aramaic:  **], 44$13$ (J).— Ex. 22$4$, Nu. 20$4. 8. 11$ (E), Ps. 78$48$† .—18. ] = 'best things,' as vv.$20. 23$ 24$10$, 2 Ki. 8$9$; G