Joseph in Egypt, Jacopo Pontormo, c. 1517, Italy

The story of Joseph and his rise to power in Egypt is often questioned by critics.  The idea of a foreigner sold into Egypt as a slave that eventually becomes Pharaoh’s second-in-command and saves the future nation of Israel sounds unbelievable.  Combined with the fact that some historians claim there is no evidence of Israelites ever living in ancient Egypt, one has to question if the Bible is simply reporting myths.

Israelites in Egypt

Fortunately, there is quite a lot of evidence showing Semitic peoples (which could include easily Israelites) in Egypt around the time of Joseph (~19^th century BC).  The tomb of Khnumhotep II in Ben Hassan, Egypt has a 19^th century BC wall painting that shows a nomadic, pastoral, Semite caravan entering Egypt from Canaan.  One of the people in the painting is even wearing a multi-colored coat, similar to the one Joseph is described as having in Genesis.¹  The Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 dates to the early 18^th century BC and includes the names of 95 household servants of a noblewoman named Senebtisi.  Forty of the names are Semitic or Hebrew in nature, supporting both the presence of Israelites and their eventual enslavement around the time described in Genesis.²  Excavations of the ~17^th century BC Egyptian city of Avaris show it was populated by Semitic peoples for hundreds of years.³

Joseph and His Rise to Power

Archaeology can show compelling evidence for the likely presence of Israelites in Egypt.  But is there anything to support the unbelievable story of Jospeh’s rise to power?  Again, there is quite a lot.

First, Joseph’s rise to prominence as a non-Egyptian is not without precedent.⁴  We have records of the Canaanites Meri-Ra becoming armor-bearer and Ben-Mat-Ana becoming interpreter for their respective Pharoahs.  There is also the example of a Semite named Yanhamu that became a deputy to Pharoah Amenhotep III and was described as the “musallil” of the king, which appears to be an honorary title connoting closeness.  In addition, Yanhamu had charge of various granaries of Egypt, in a capacity very similar to Joseph’s, though he appears to be too late historically to be him.

In ~1,850 BC (the timeframe of Joseph) some interesting things happened in Egypt.  During the reign of king Amenemhat III there appear to have been consecutive years of extreme Nile flooding that would have contributed to long-term famine, similar to what the Bible describes.⁵  Also at this time, the Egyptian government established a Department of the People’s Giving which stored excess crops grown by the populace and distributed them back out during times of need.⁶  This program very closely mirrors the one created by Joseph to address the ongoing famine in the book of Genesis.

Perhaps most interesting, back in Avaris, archaeologist Manfred Bietak found a unique Egyptian palace.  Based on its size, architecture, and opulence, it appears to have belonged to a high official of significant importance.  Located on the property is a pyramid tomb, which was typically reserved for pharaohs and queens.⁷  Located inside this tomb is a statue of a ruler with Asiatic/Semitic features including red hair and yellow skin, consistent with how Egyptians depicted them.⁸  In addition, the person in the statue is apparently wearing a multi-colored robe!⁹  Beyond this pyramid, there are eleven other main tombs with memorial chapels on top of them for a total of twelve, consistent with the total number of brothers in Joseph’s family.¹⁰  In summary, Avaris provides clear evidence of an Asiatic/Semitic high official in Egypt, wearing a multi-colored robe, honored by the Egyptians, in a timeframe consistent with the story of Joseph.

Notes:

• Kennedy, Titus. Unearthing the Bible.  Harvest House Publishers 2020.  36-37.
• Pgs. 48-49
• Mahoney, Timothy and Law, Steve. Patters of Evidence – Exodus.  Thinking Man Media 2015.  114-119
• McDowell, Josh. The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Thomas Nelson 1999.  Pg 109.
• Mahoney, Timothy and Law, Steve. Cit.  Pgs. 129-130.
• Pgs. 135-136.
• Pgs. 120-122
• Pg. 122
• Pg. 124
• Pg. 121