the antiquities of the jews-1-第20章

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to　eating　and　consuming　those　that　were　fit　for　reaping；　and　put
me　into　great　astonishment。〃

6。　To　which　Joseph　replied：　…　〃This　dream；〃　said　he；　〃O　king；
although　seen　under　two　forms；　signifies　one　and　the　same　event
of　things；　for　when　thou　sawest　the　fat　kine；　which　is　an　animal
made　for　the　plough　and　for　labor；　devoured　by　the　worser　kine；
and　the　ears　of　corn　eaten　up　by　the　smaller　ears；　they　foretell
a　famine；　and　want　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　for　the　same　number
of　years；　and　equal　with　those　when　Egypt　was　in　a　happy　state；
and　this　so　far；　that　the　plenty　of　these　years　will　be　spent　in
the　same　number　of　years　of　scarcity；　and　that　scarcity　of
necessary　provisions　will　be　very　difficult　to　be　corrected；　as　a
sign　whereof；　the　ill…favored　kine；　when　they　had　devoured　the
better　sort；　could　not　be　satisfied。　But　still　God　foreshows　what
is　to　come　upon　men；　not　to　grieve　them；　but　that；　when　they　know
it　beforehand；　they　may　by　prudence　make　the　actual　experience　of
what　is　foretold　the　more　tolerable。　If　thou；　therefore；
carefully　dispose　of　the　plentiful　crops　which　will　come　in　the
former　years；　thou　wilt　procure　that　the　future　calamity　will　not
be　felt　by　the　Egyptians。〃

7。　Hereupon　the　king　wondered　at　the　discretion　and　wisdom　of
Joseph；　and　asked　him　by　what　means　he　might　so　dispense　the
foregoing　plentiful　crops　in　the　happy　years；　as　to　make　the
miserable　crops　more　tolerable。　Joseph　then　added　this　his
advice：　To　spare　the　good　crops；　and　not　permit　the　Egyptians　to
spend　them　luxuriously；　but　to　reserve　what　they　would　have　spent
in　luxury　beyond　their　necessity　against　the　time　of　want。　He
also　exhorted　him　to　take　the　corn　of　the　husbandmen；　and　give
them　only　so　much　as　will　be　sufficient　for　their　food。
Accordingly　Pharaoh　being　surprised　at　Joseph；　not　only　for　his
interpretation　of　the　dream；　but　for　the　counsel　he　had　given
him；　intrusted　him　with　dispensing　the　corn；　with　power　to　do
what　he　thought　would　be　for　the　benefit　of　the　people　of　Egypt；
and　for　the　benefit　of　the　king；　as　believing　that　he　who　first
discovered　this　method　of　acting；　would　prove　the　best　overseer
of　it。　But　Joseph　having　this　power　given　him　by　the　king；　with
leave　to　make　use　of　his　seal；　and　to　wear　purple；　drove　in　his
chariot　through　all　the　land　of　Egypt；　and　took　the　corn　of　the
husbandmen；　（3）　allotting　as　much　to　every　one　as　would　be
sufficient　for　seed；　and　for　food；　but　without　discovering　to　any
one　the　reason　why　he　did　so。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Joseph　When　He　Was　Become　Famous　In　Egypt；　Had　His　Brethren
In　Subjection。

1。　Joseph　was　now　grown　up　to　thirty　years　of　age；　and　enjoyed
great　honors　from　the　king；　who　called　him　Psothom　Phanech；　out
of　regard　to　his　prodigious　degree　of　wisdom；　for　that　name
denotes　the　revealer　of　secrets。　He　also　married　a　wife　of　very
high　quality；　for　he　married　the　daughter　of　Petephres；　（4）　one
of　the　priests　of　Heliopolis；　she　was　a　virgin；　and　her　name　was
Asenath。　By　her　he　had　children　before　the　scarcity　came　on；
Manasseh；　the　elder；　which　signifies　forgetful；　because　his
present　happiness　made　him　forget　his　former　misfortunes；　and
Ephraim；　the　younger；　which　signifies　restored；　because　he　was
restored　to　the　freedom　of　his　forefathers。　Now　after　Egypt　had
happily　passed　over　seven　years；　according　to　Joseph's
interpretation　of　the　dreams；　the　famine　came　upon　them　in　the
eighth　year；　and　because　this　misfortune　fell　upon　them　when　they
had　no　sense　of　it　beforehand；　（5）　they　were　all　sorely　afflicted
by　it；　and　came　running　to　the　king's　gates；　and　he　called　upon
Joseph；　who　sold　the　corn　to　them；　being　become　confessedly　a
savior　to　the　whole　multitude　of　the　Egyptians。　Nor　did　he　open
this　market　of　corn　for　the　people　of　that　country　only；　but
strangers　had　liberty　to　buy　also；　Joseph　being　willing　that　all
men；　who　are　naturally　akin　to　one　another；　should　have
assistance　from　those　that　lived　in　happiness。

2。　Now　Jacob　also；　when　he　understood　that　foreigners　might　come；
sent　all　his　sons　into　Egypt　to　buy　corn；　for　the　land　of　Canaan
was　grievously　afflicted　with　the　famine；　and　this　great　misery
touched　the　whole　continent。　He　only　retained　Benjamin；　who　was
born　to　him　by　Rachel；　and　was　of　the　same　mother　with　Joseph。
These　sons　of　Jacob　then　came　into　Egypt；　and　applied　themselves
to　Joseph；　wanting　to　buy　corn；　for　nothing　of　this　kind　was　done
without　his　approbation；　since　even　then　only　was　the　honor　that
was　paid　the　king　himself　advantageous　to　the　persons　that　paid
it；　when　they　took　care　to　honor　Joseph　also。　Now　when　he　well
knew　his　brethren；　they　thought　nothing　of　him；　for　he　was　but　a
youth　when　he　left　them；　and　was　now　come　to　an　age　so　much
greater；　that　the　lineaments　of　his　face　were　changed；　and　he　was
not　known　by　them：　besides　this；　the　greatness　of　the　dignity
wherein　he　appeared；　suffered　them　not　so　much　as　to　suspect　it
was　he。　He　now　made　trial　what　sentiments　they　had　about　affairs
of　the　greatest　consequence；　for　he　refused　to　sell　them　corn；
and　said　they　were　come　as　spies　of　the　king's　affairs；　and　that
they　came　from　several　countries；　and　joined　themselves　together；
and　pretended　that　they　were　of　kin；　it　not　being　possible　that　a
private　man　should　breed　up　so　many　sons；　and　those　of　so　great
beauty　of　countenance　as　they　were；　such　an　education　of　so　many
children　being　not　easily　obtained　by　kings　themselves。　Now　this
he　did　in　order　to　discover　what　concerned　his　father；　and　what
happened　to　him　after　his　own　departure　from　him；　and　as　desiring
to　know　what　was　become　of　Benjamin　his　brother；　for　he　was
afraid　that　they　had　ventured　on　the　like　wicked　enterprise
against　him　that　they　had　done　to　himself；　and　had　taken　him　off
also。

3。　Now　these　brethren　of　his　were　under　distraction　and　terror；
and　thought　that　very　great　danger　hung　over　them；　yet　not　at　all
reflecting　upon　their　brother　Joseph；　and　standing　firm　under　the
accusations　laid　against　them；　they　made　their　defense　by　Reubel；
the　eldest　of　them；　who　now　became　their　spokesman：　〃We　come　not
hither；〃　said　he；　〃with　any　unjust　design；　nor　in　order　to　bring
any　harm　to　the　king's　affairs；　we　only　want　to　be　preserved；　as
supposing　your　humanity　might　be　a　refuge　for　us　from　the
miseries　which　our　country　labors　under；　we　having　heard　that　you
proposed　to　sell　corn；　not　only　to　your　own　countrymen；　but　to
strangers　also；　and　that　you　determined　to　allow　that　corn；　in
order　to　preserve　all　that　want　it；　but　that　we　are　brethren；　and
of　the　same　common　blood；　the　peculiar　lineaments　of　our　faces；
and　those　not　so　much　different　from　one　another；　plainly　show。
Our　father's　name　is　Jacob；　an　Hebrew　man；　who　had　twelve　of　us
for　his　sons　by　four　wives；　which　twelve　of　us；　while　we　were　all
alive；　were　a　happy　family；　but　when　one　of　our　brethren；　whose
name　was　Joseph；　died；　our　affairs　changed　for　the　worse；　for　our
father　could　not　forbear　to　make　a　long　lamentation　for　him；　and
we　are　in　affliction；　both　by　the　calamity　of　the　death　of　our
brother；　and　the　miserable　state　of　our　aged　father。　We　are　now；
therefore；　come　to　buy　corn；　having　intrusted　the　care　of　our
father；　and　the　provision　for　our　family；　to　Benjamin；　our
youngest　brother；　and　if　thou　sendest　to　our　house；　thou　mayst
learn　whether　we　are　guilty　of　the　least　falsehood　in　what　we
say。〃

4。　And　thus　did　Reubel　endeavor　to　persuade　Joseph　to　have　a
better　opinion　of　them。　But　when　he　had　learned　from　them　that
Jacob　was　alive；　and　that　his　brother　was　not　destroyed　by　them；
he　for　the　present　put　them　in　prison；　as　intending　to　examine
more　into　their　affairs　when　he　should　be　at　leisure。　But　on　the
third　day　he　brought　them　out；　and　said　to　them；　〃Since　you
constantly　affirm　that　you　are　not　come　to　do　any　harm　to　the
king's　affairs；　that　you　are　brethren；　and　the　sons　of　the　father
whom　you　named；　you　will　satisfy　me　of　the　truth　of　what　you　say；
if　you　leave　one　of　your　company　with　me；　who　shall　suffer　no
injury　here；　and　if；　when　ye　have　carried　corn　to　your　father；
you　will　come　to　me　again；　and　bring　your　brother；　whom　you　say
you　left　there；　along　with　you；　fo