Here are some more observations on the Joseph/Imhotep connection. Imhotep designed the first step pyramid as Djoser’s tomb, which was very similar to the temples made in Sumer. Imhotep was given credit in Egypt for building the first structures made entirely of stone. In paintings and statues Imhotep was also depicted as a young man with a scroll in his hand. Some believe that Imhotep invented Egyptian writing using a combination of hieroglyphics and the Sumerian syllabary form of writing.[25]
Is it possible that Abraham had in his possession a clay copy of the original pre-Flood and post-Flood records of Genesis given to him from Shem, who was still alive during Abraham’s lifetime? If there were some written clay copies Joseph could have learned to “read” before going to Egypt. Or perhaps Joseph, using the oral tradition, had memorized the Genesis record up until his time. Because of his learning and position in Egypt, he was able to record the Genesis record that Moses would later edit under God’s guidance. Another possibility is that Abraham could have learned “reading” during his time living with Noah and Shem in the area of Sumer and passed on this ability to his descendants Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
According to the Bible, Joseph was thirty years[26] of age when he was made Prime Minister of Egypt and lived until he was one hundred and ten.[27] That means, Joseph could have been acting as political and religious leader under four different Pharaohs.[28]
If Imhotep was Joseph then he would have been ruling from the time he was thirty until let’s say nearly eighty-five years old. We have modern day business magnets and religious leaders like the Pope who keep their position of power even until that age. So again, the correlation is possible. The fact that Imhotep’s tomb has never been found, although other architects’ tombs have been found, fits in nicely with the Biblical story.[29] If Imhotep was indeed Joseph, we would not expect to find his tomb, or at least not a big elaborate one in traditional Egyptian fashion. Why? Because when Joseph died, he asked his descendants when in the future they would leave Egypt to take his body back to Canaan and bury him with his parents. The Bible records that when the children of Israel some four hundred years later depart from Egypt, they take Joseph’s remains.
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he (Joseph) had straightly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.[30]
Why do we not hear about the Joseph-Imhotep connection or its possibility in modern history books? Some scholars believe that the powers that be within today’s American educational, historical and scientific community at large are not interested in this sort of information becoming public knowledge, as it gives credence to the Biblical narrative. Like I quoted earlier, they "cannot allow a divine foot in the door.”
As for the Famine Stela, scientists consider it a forgery from some three hundred years later after the famous famine. But forgeries usually are pretty close to the truth so that they pass as the real thing. It seems the priesthood, some three hundred years after Imhotep, did not want the Pharaohs to forget history. They wanted the Pharaohs to remember that it was Imhotep, a High Priest, who was responsible for the seven-year miracle that saved Egypt from famine.
Whether the Famine Stela is a forgery or not is really beside the question. The fact is that it is an ancient hieroglyphic inscription and should be given as equal consideration as any other ancient artifact and not dismissed off-hand because of its content gives historicity to the Biblical narrative. One thing we know for sure is that during the reign of Djoser, the Pharaoh suddenly had enough wealth and power to begin the building of gigantic public work projects to himself.
Another interesting point is that the name Djoser could be broken up into two parts, “De Joser” or “of José” as we would say in Spanish or Portuguese. The meaning would be “of Joseph.” Since Imhotep proved to be more important than Pharaoh, because he had saved the country, could that fact have caused the Pharaoh himself to be remembered as “of Joseph” or Djoser? Egyptian records show that during his reign he was called Netjerikhet. It was only some years after his death that he was given the name Djoser.[31] (google image above)
If Imhotep was indeed Joseph, it would account for his extraordinary abilities above and beyond those of the normal upper-class Egyptians. The Bible shows Lot, Abraham's nephew, as a magistrate in Sodom, and Abraham, Joseph's great-grandfather, as an important tribal and military leader. Moreover, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could have known Shem. The book of Jasher has Abraham living with Noah and Shem for 39 years.[32]
During those years Abraham could have learned much of the pre-Flood world including technology and medicine and astrology. He could have later passed his learning on to Isaac and Jacob, who eventually passed it on to Joseph. Besides the spiritual advantages from having learned from his forefathers the importance of maintaining the true God in his understanding and life, Joseph could also have acquired knowledge of Sumerian writing from his fore-fathers. They had dwelt in Sumer before migrating to Canaan and later into Egypt.
The fact that Egypt developed the first practical way of saving information and that all the wealth was in the hands of the Pharaoh may have been the reason for Egypt becoming the first “World Empire,” as we say today, “information is power.”
The reason Egypt was able to store information may have been because Egypt adopted a new system of writing that was very similar to the system used by the Sumerians. At the same time that they were adopting this imported writing method from Sumer, they were also adopting the Sumerian idea of step pyramids. All this was happening under the guidance of one man: Imhotep.
The ancient Sumerians had a history of experimental medicine; Imhotep was later deified for his contributions to medicine. It is left as an exercise for the reader to discover in what other ways this match might help explain Egypt's sudden and historic rise to power.[33]
The Joseph-Imhotep connection is quite an amazing possibility and leaves me wondering if the famous Imhotep of Egyptian history was in fact our very own Joseph.
As you remember, Joseph’s father Jacob or Israel finally went down into Egypt during the famous seven-year famine. Like other patriarchs before him, he prays a blessing over his children before his death. Amazingly, Jacob gives a remarkable prophecy about his son Judah. Remember, the Bible is no ordinary book because it is a book of accurate prophecy. Here’s what Jacob prophesied about Judah, from whose name we get the term “Jews,” as his tribe became the most dominant and the one from whom Israel’s most famous kings descend from.
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.[34]
As you may remember, King David of the tribe of Judah was the first really strong King of a united Israel some five hundred years after the above prophecy. Saul, the first King, was of the tribe of Benjamin. But because of his disobedience to the Lord the kingdom was given to David. David also was a mighty warrior who fought off the Philistines and other enemies and gave the kingdom its initial statehood.
The Kings of Judah were all descendants of David, as was Jesus of Nazareth. The reference to Shiloh in the verse above is referring to the Messiah. Jesus’ genealogy is traced back to David in both Matthew and Luke.
We have seen that Daniel was a good student while in Babylon. No doubt he was also a good student before going into captivity. As a worthy Bible student, he would have been familiar with Joseph’s history and how God used him to influence the Pharaoh for good and to save lives. Knowing Joseph’s history would have given Daniel and his mates the faith they needed to know that God was with them. They, too, could influence the King for good and to save lives, just like Joseph had done before them.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.[35]
In other words, Paul is telling us that the histories in the Bible are written to give us knowledge of the past so that we can learn from them and therefore have patience and find comfort through them. The histories in the Bible show us God’s care for those that love Him. They give us faith and faith in turn gives us hope for the present and hope for the future. Daniel and his friends received faith through the Biblical histories they had put to heart as Jewish youths. Those histories gave them faith which then translated in their time of trial and testing into hope for the present and hope for the future.
The Bible histories and truths can do the same for us today. That is one of the reason I am putting so much Bible in the text. Because reading and hearing God’s Word can help you to find faith. Faith can in turn give you hope for your present situation and hope for the future. Even if things are looking bleak at the moment and they may become worse in the future, remember,
Are you low in faith? Maybe you need to rekindle your faith by spending time reading the ‘Book of Books,’ the Bible. Many a great men of the past have spent time reading the Bible. Let us list some:
John Quincy Adams (google image at left), the 6th President of the United Sates, who lived from 1767-1848, said the following:
The first and almost only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. I speak as a man of the world. So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it, the confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year.[37]
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President who lived from 1858-1919, had similar thoughts.
A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. Almost every man who has by his lifework added to the sum of human achievement … has based his lifework largely upon the teachings of the Bible.[38]
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President and who lived from 1809-1865, said the following:
I can see how it is possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say, there is no God.[39]
In regards to this great book (the Bible), I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here, and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.[40]
In the next chapter we will read of another famous man who also was an avid Bible student.
Notes:
[25] http://www.dstoner.net/Genesis_Context/Context.html (03/2016)
[29] https://josephandisraelinegypt.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/the-tomb-of-imhotep-found-the-coffin-was-empty-and-orientated-to-the-north/ (03/2016)
[30] Exodus 13:19
[31] http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/djoser.html (accessed 03/2016)
[32] http://weareisrael.org/2012/05/08/noah-and-abraham/ and http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112063/jewish/Abrahams-Early-Life.htm (accessed 03/2016)
[33] http://www.dstoner.net/Genesis_Context/Context.html (03/2016)
[34] Genesis 49:8-10
[35] Romans 15:4
[36] Romans 10:17
[37] http://www.tonycooke.org/stories-and-illustrations/great_statements/ (accessed 03/2016)
[38] http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/125345-list-of-20th-century-us-presidential-quotes-about-the-bible-1901-20/ (accessed 03/2016)
[39] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/131220-i-can-see-how-it-might-be-possible-for-a. (accessed 03/2016)
[40] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/392563-in-regards-to-this-great-book-the-bible-i-have (accessed 03/2016)
[26] Genesis 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
[27] Genesis 50:22,26 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
[28] http://www.dstoner.net/Genesis_Context/Context.html (03/2016)[29] https://josephandisraelinegypt.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/the-tomb-of-imhotep-found-the-coffin-was-empty-and-orientated-to-the-north/ (03/2016)
[30] Exodus 13:19
[31] http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/djoser.html (accessed 03/2016)
[32] http://weareisrael.org/2012/05/08/noah-and-abraham/ and http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112063/jewish/Abrahams-Early-Life.htm (accessed 03/2016)
[33] http://www.dstoner.net/Genesis_Context/Context.html (03/2016)
[34] Genesis 49:8-10
[35] Romans 15:4
[36] Romans 10:17
[37] http://www.tonycooke.org/stories-and-illustrations/great_statements/ (accessed 03/2016)
[38] http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/125345-list-of-20th-century-us-presidential-quotes-about-the-bible-1901-20/ (accessed 03/2016)
[39] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/131220-i-can-see-how-it-might-be-possible-for-a. (accessed 03/2016)
[40] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/392563-in-regards-to-this-great-book-the-bible-i-have (accessed 03/2016)
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