ners of the ancient Egyptians as represented on their monuments. On the authority of Herodotus and oth- ers, it was long denied that the vine grew in I.gypt; and if so, the imagery of the butler's dream would hard- ly have been ajiiiropriate. Wilkinson, however, has sho^vn beyond a question that vines did grow in Egypt, and thus not only removed a doubt, but given a positive confirmation of the sacred record (Manners of the Anc. Egypt, ii, 152).
The butler, whose fate was auspicious, promised the young Hebre^v to employ his influence to procure his restoration to the free air of day ; but when again in the enjoyment of his " butlership," " he forgat" Joseph (xl). B.C. 1885. Pharaoh himself, however, had two dreams, which found in Joseph a successful expounder ; for the butler remembered the skiU of his prison-com- panion, and advised his royal master to put it to the test in his own case. Pharaoh's dream, as interpreted by Joseph, foreboded the approach of a seven years' famine ; to abate the evils of which Joseph recommend- ed that some " discreet and wise man" should be chosen and set in fidl power over the land of Egypt. The mon- arch was alarmed, and called a coimcil of his advisers. The wisdom of Joseph was recognised as of divine ori- gin and supereminent value ; and the king and his min- isters (whence it appears that the Egyptian monarchy — at Memphis — was not despotic, but constitutional) re- solved that Joseph should be made (to borrow a term from Rome) dictator in the approaching time of need. "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled- only in the throne wiU I be greater than thou. See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took oif his ring and put it upon Joseph's hand, and ar- rayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck ; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had ; and they cried before him. Bow the knee. [See Abrech. ] And Pharaoh said unto Jo- seph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pha- raoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah [saviour of the world ; comp. Jablonsky, Opusc. i, 207 sq.] ; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti- pherah, priest of On. And Joseph went out over aU the land of Egypt" (xli, 39 sq.). The monuments show that on the investiture of a high oflicial in Egypt, one of the chief ceremonies was the putting on him a collar of gold (see A ncient Egyjitians. pi. 80) ; the other par- ticulars, the vestures of fine linen and the riding in the second chariot, are equally in accordance with the man- ners of the country. It has been supposed that Joseph was taken into the priestly order, and thus ennobled. The Biblical narrative does not support this opinion, though it leaves it without a doubt that in reality, if not in form as well, the highest trust and the proudest honors of the state were conferred on one so recently a Hebrew slave. The age of Joseph is stated to have been thirty years at the time of this promotion (xli, 46). B.C."l883.
3. Seven years of abundance afforded Joseph opportu- nity to carry into efi'ect such plans as secured an ample provision against the seven years of need. The famine came, but it found a prepared people. The representa- tions of the monuments, which show that the contents of the granaries were accurately noted by the scribes when they were filled, well illustrate this part of the history. See GuAXAnv. The visitation was not mere- ly local, for " the famine was over all the face of the earth;" "and all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn" (ver. 56, 57). The expressions here used, however, do not require us to suppose that the famine extended beyond the countries around Egj-pt, such as Palestine, Syria, and Arabia, as well as some" part of Af- rica, although of course it may have been more widely experienced. It may be observed, that although fam-
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ines ill Egypt depend immediately upon the failure of the inundation, and in other countries upon the failure of laiii, yet that, as the rise of the Nile is caused hy heavy rains in Ethiopia, an extremely dry season there antl in I'alestine would produce the result described in the sacred narrative. It must also be recollected that Egypt was anciently the granary of neighboring coun- tries, and that a famine there would cause first scarcity, and then famine, around. Famines are not very unfrc- quent in the history of Egypt; but the famous seven years' famine in the reign of the Fatimite Caliph El- Jlustansir-billah is the only known parallel to that of Joseph. See Fajiine. Early in the time of famine, Joseph's brethren came to buy corn, a part of the his- tory which we mention here only as indicating the lib- eral policy of the governor of Egypt, by which the store- houses were opened to all buyers, of whatever nation they were.