FAIVIINE
480
FAIillNE
measure avert the calamity. The causes of dearth and famine in Egypt arc occasioned by defective in- undation, jireccded, and accompanied, and followed by prevalent castcrlj- and southerly winds. Both these winds dry up the earth, and the latter, keeping back the rain-clouds from the north, are perhaps the chief cause of the defective inundation, as they are also by their accelerating the current of the river — the north- erly winds producing the contrary effects. Famines in Egypt and Palestine seem to be affected by drought extcutling from northern Syria, through the meridian i of Egypt, as far as tiie highlands of Aln'ssinia.
" It may be said of the ancient world generally that it was subject to periodical returns of dearth, often amounting in particular districts to famine, greatly be- yond what is usually experienced in modern times. Various causes of a merely natural and economical kind contributed to this, apart from strictly moral con- siderations. Among these causes may more especially be mentioned the imperfect knowledge of agriculture ■which prevailed, in consequence of whicli men had few resources to stimulate, or in unfavorable seasons and localities to aid, the productive powers of nature ; the defective means of transit, rendering it often impossi- ble to relieve the wants of one region, even when plenty existed at no great distance in another ; the despotic governments, which to so great an extent checked the free development of human energy and skill ; and the frequent wars and desolations, in a great decree also the result of those despotic governments, ■which both interrupted the labors of the field and af- terwards wasted its fruits. Depending, as everj' re- turning harvest does, upon the meeting of many con- ditions in the soil and climate, ■which necessarily vary from season to season, it was inevital le that times of scarcity should be ever and anon occurring in partic- ■ular regions of the world ; and from the disadvantages now referred to, under which the \vorld in more remote times la'.orod, it was ecpially inevitable that such times should often result in all the horrors of famine" (Smith, s. v.).
The Scriptures record several famines in Palestine and the neighboring countries. The first occurs in Gen. xii, 10, -which is described as so grievous as to compel Abraham to quit Canaan for Egypt (Gen. xxvi, 1). Another occuiTed in the days of Isaac, which -was the cause of his removal from Canaan to Gerar (Gen. xxvi, 17). The most remarkable one was that of seven years in Egypt, while Joseph was governor. It was distinguished for its duration, extent, and sever- ity, particularlj' as Egypt is one of the countries least subject to such a calamity, bj' reason of its general fertility. Tlie ordinary cause of famine in Egypt is connected ■vn ith the annual overflow of the Nile. But it ■would appear that more than local causes -were in operation in tlie case noticed in Gen. xli, .SO, for it is said that "the famine was sore in all lands," that "the famine was over all the face of the earth." By the foresight and wisdom of .Joseph, however, provision had been made in Egypt during the seven preceding years of plenty, so that the people of other parts sought and received supplies in Egypt — "all countries came into Egypt to buy corn." Among other lands, Cana- an suffered from the famine, which was the immediate occasion of Jacob sending Iiis sons down into EgA'pt, and of the settlement in that land of the descendants of .\braham; an event of the liighest consequence in the sequel, and serving to illustrate the beuignit}^ and ■wis<lom'of divine Providence in liringing there a l)and of shejdierds to prepare and qualify them for becoming ultimately the founders of the Hebrew nation.
Tlip fruitfulness of Egj'pt depends upon the inunda- tions of the Nile ; but these fire occasioned by the trop- ical rains which fall upon the Al)3-ssinian ni(«mtains. These rains depend upon cliniatic laws of wide extent and great regularity. Yet there is scarcely a land on the earth in which famine has raged so often and so
terribly as in Egypt, or a land that so vcr\' much needs the measures whicli Joseph adopted for the preserva- tion of the people. The swelling of the Nile a few feet above or below what is necessarj' proves alike de- structive. Particular instances of famine which his- tory has handed down to us are truly horrible, and the accounts of them are worthy of notice also, inas- much as they present the services of Joseph in behalf of Egypt in their true light. Abdollatif relates thus : "In the year 596 (A.D. 1199), the height of the flood was small almost without example. The consequence was a terrible famine, accompanied by indescribable enormities. Parents consumed their cliildren ; human flesh was, in fact, a verj- common article of food ; they contrived various w;;ys of preparing it. 1 hey spoke of it and heard it spoken of as an indifferent affair. Men-catching became a regular business. The great- er part of the population were swept awav by death. In the following year, also, tlie inundation did not reach the proper height, and only the lowlands were overflowed. Also much of that which was inundated could not be sown for want of laborers and seed ; much was destroyed l)y worms which devoured the seed-corn ; also of the seed which escaped this destruction, a great part produced only meagre shoots which jierished." (See the account of this famine translated in the Am. Bihl. Repos. 1832, p. 659 sq.) Compare with this ac- count the "thin ears and blasted with the east wind" (Gen. xli, G). " Of the horrors in this second year's fiunine, the year of the Flight, 597 (A.D. 1200), Abdol- latif, who was an eye-witness, likewise gives a most interesting account, stating that the people throughout the country were driven to the last extremities, eating offal, and even their own dead, and mentions, as an in- stance of the dire straits to which they ■were driven, that persons who were burnt alive for eating human flesh were themselves, thus ready roasted, eaten by others. JIultitudes fled the country, only to perish in the desert-road to Palestine.