In the U. S. we believe in equality before the law … we did not always believe that … ask a woman or a person with black, red, or yellow skin … ask a gay or a lesbian. We have not always been equal before the law but over our history we have moved hugely in that direction. Early in our history you had to be a white male of a certain age who owned property in order to vote or hold public office … no longer … but the expansion of the voting franchise and the widening of opportunities to hold public office are just small samples of the ways in which we have moved towards equality under the law. Good for us!
The ancient Egyptians did not believe in equality before the law. The Pharoah was the law and, well, he was the Pharoah. He had more rights and more power and more wealth than anyone else. Everyone else was VALUED only to the extent that they could assist the Pharoah or add to his power and wealth. They could be de-valued if they were seen as troublemakers or, as in the case of the descendants of Joseph and his brothers, potential troublemakers for the Pharoah.
And the new Pharoah saw the farmers and shepherds descended from Jacob living in the land of Goshen as aliens and potential rebels. The land of Goshen was in the eastern part of the Nile River delta, near the border with Canaan. Perhaps that was part of why the Pharoah was concerned. He must have been very concerned about threats to his rule because he took away the property rights promised them by an earlier Pharoah and made them work on his projects rather than theirs. Read more…