thing, he sold it to persons of every class, the priesthood alone excepted. The price he put upon it was such, that long before the famine was over, the whole nation had parted, not only with their money, cattle, and movable property in the purchase of food, but with their lands also; so that the king was become the absolute owner of every thing in the entire kingdom. It is probable that, before this, the territorial system of the country was thoroughly bad, and needed a fundamental reform, and that Joseph seized the opportunity for ef fecting, by means of the famine, the changes necessary for the prosperity of the nation. Having thus acquired possession of the whole land of the kingdom, he let it out again to its former owners, on the condition that, from that time forward, they should pay a rent to the king for it, consisting of one-fifth part of the produce. This was far from an exorbitant demand, and probably placed the whole population in a better position than they had enjoyed before the famine commenced. CHAP. XVI. Joseph's Brethren come to Egypt. EARLY in the course of the famine, tidings came to Jacob's ears that corn was to be sold in Egypt. Of the advancement of Joseph to the government of the country, neither he nor his sons knew any thing; for Joseph had no doubt taken an Egyptian name on his elevation and marriage, and to foreigners was known as an Egyptian, and not as the son of a stranger in Chanaan. When Jacob, then, sent his ten eldest sons to Egypt to buy corn, they little imagined who it was to whom they were making petition, though they were admitted to his presence, and conversed with him. Joseph, however, knew them in a moment; and he adopted a device for gently punishing them for their sins against himself, and also for securing a visit from his youngest brother Benjamin, whom his heart yearned to see. He pretended to disbelieve the account they gave of them selves, and called them spies, whose real object it was to discover the present defenceless state of the country. And when they repeated their story, and told him that they had a father and a younger brother still left at home, he yet professed to believe that they were spies, and put them all in prison for three days. Then, bringing them out of prison, he said to them, that to try whether the story they told him was true, he should take one of them and keep him a captive, while they went home and told their father, and brought back their youngest brother, in order to shew that they were not uttering falsehoods. Then their hearts smote them for the sin they had committed long ago against Joseph; and they lamented over their wickedness, while Joseph stood by listening to their words, which, as they talked to one another in the Hebrew language, they little thought that he could understand. At Still Joseph would not yield, though his heart was moved, and he turned away from them and wept. Then returning, he took one of them, Simeon by name, and had him bound before their eyes; and he then sold them the corn they wanted, and dismissed them. the same time he gave his own servants orders to put each man's money secretly into his sack of corn; so that when at night on their journey they opened one of their sacks to feed their beasts, to their astonishment they found the money there in the sack's mouth. Still greater was their amazement and fear, when, on reaching home, they found that every sack had its owner's money tied up in it with the corn. And bitter was their father's grief when they told him that Simeon was left in bondage, and that unless Benjamin went with them on their next journey, they would have no more corn, and must perish. At length the corn they had brought was all consumed. Long did the heart of Jacob refuse to part with his beloved child Benjamin; but at last he yielded to the remonstrances of his sons, and gave him into Juda's hands, who pledged himself to bring him back in safety. And they returned to Joseph, taking double money, in order to restore the money they had found in their sacks, and likewise a present of spices for Joseph. On their arrival, Joseph's steward treated them kindly, and bade them not be afraid because of the money they had found in their sacks, and brought out Simeon to them. "And they made ready the presents against Joseph came at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there. Then Joseph came in to his house, and they offered him the presents, holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground. But he courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living? And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves, they made obeisance to him. And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son. And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out and going into his chamber he wept. And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table." Then they sat down apart from the Egyptians, because the Egyptians despised the Hebrews, and would not eat at the same table with them. To their astonishment also they were placed in the order of their birth, from the eldest to the youngest; and a portion of meat was sent to Benjamin five times as large as that which was sent to each of the rest. And they feasted and drank, and were merry. The next day they took their sacks full of corn, and all departed in peace. But Joseph had ordered his servants secretly to place the money in the sacks, as before, and to put his own silver drinking-cup into Benjamin's sack. Then scarcely had they left the city, when Joseph's steward overtook them, and charged them with stealing his master's cup. Frightened at the accusation, they bade him search their sacks, and declared that the owner of the sack in which the cup should be : found should become Joseph's bond-slave. When the sacks were opened, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack, rending their garments, and pierced with sorrow, they returned into the city to Joseph. And they threw themselves on the ground before him, and Juda entreated for mercy for his brother. But Joseph would not hear, and declared that he should keep Benjamin, and send the rest away. And when Juda vehemently, and with all the tenderness of a brother's heart, prayed to be permitted to remain himself in bondage, that Benjamin might return, and spoke of the misery which the loss of his youngest child would bring upon his aged father, Joseph could no longer forbear. He commanded that all should go out, and no stranger be present while he made himself known to his brethren. "And he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians and all the house of Pharao heard. And he said to his brethren: I am Joseph is my father yet living? His brethren could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear. And he said mildly to them, Come nearer to me. And when they were come near to him, he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries for God sent me before you into Egypt for your preservation. For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping. And God sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, and may have food to live. Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the will of God: who hath made me as it were a father to Pharao, and lord of his whole house, and governor in all the land of Egypt. Make haste, and go ye up to my father, and say to him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the whole land of Egypt: come down to me, linger And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep, and thy herds, and all things that thou hast. not. And there I will feed thee (for there are yet five years of famine remaining), lest both thou perish, and thy house, and all things that thou hast. Behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is mouth that speaketh to you. You shall tell my my father of all my glory, and all things that you have seen in Egypt: make haste and bring him to me. And falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he embraced him and wept and Benjamin in like manner wept also on his neck. And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept upon every one of them: after which they were emboldened to speak to him. And it was heard, and the fame was abroad in the king's court: The brethren of Joseph are come : and Pharao with all his family was glad." And Joseph sent them all away with corn and rich gifts to his father, and conveyances to bring him and all his property into Egypt. And when Jacob heard that Joseph was ruler over all Egypt, he cried, "It is enough, if Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him, before I die." And he, and all his sons and his daughters, and his grandchildren, and his servants, went down into Egypt. And Joseph met him in Gessen, and fell on his neck, and they wept together. And the whole family of Jacob, now called Israelites, were settled by Joseph in Gessen, a separate division of the kingdom of Egypt, because they were shepherds by occupation, and the prejudices and pride of the Egyptian people made them despise all whose calling it was to feed cattle. There they were supported by Joseph as long as the famine lasted. There also Jacob died, at a great age, having called together his twelve sons, and from his death-bed pronounced a blessing upon them, adding prophecies of future punishment and condemnations for past sins in the case of some of them, and specially foretelling that the sceptre of a national existence should not depart from the children of Juda until the promised Redeemer was born from among them. His sons carried his body into Chanaan, and buried him in the burying-place where Abraham and Sara were buried. Joseph himself died at the age of 110 years, first bind |