HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR JOSEPH IN THE BIBLE

Image of a Portrait head of pharaoh Sesostris-Senusret III

Is there evidence for the Biblical Joseph?

According to the Scriptures, Joseph rises to the position of second to the Pharaoh. The question is whether there is a time period in ancient Egypt that corresponds to the story of Joseph? Well there is an event in the life of Joseph that can help us to place Joseph in Egyptian history. Due to the famine Genesis chapter 47 describes how Joseph began to buy up all the property and wealth of the Egyptians and transfer it to the Pharaoh. In the following year with the continuation of the famine Joseph was able to purchase all the farmland and transfer it to Pharoah. As it is written in Genesis 47: 20–25

{{20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had enough food from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” 25 You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”}}

This would have been a major social revolution in ancient Egypt. Is there a period of time in Egyptian history that corresponds with this tremendous transfer of wealth and power?

The Egyptologist Charles Ailing has identified this time to the Middle Kingdom during the reign of Senusret III (1878–1843 BCE) (1). During his time the powerful nomarchs were broken up and lost their power. Up until Senusret III the nomarchs who were feudal overlords each ruled one of the 12 nomes of Egypt. However that all changed almost overnight when they seem to have ceased to exist and their power was transferred to the Pharaoh. Egyptologists really don’t know why? Nowhere is it mentioned the cause but this would have been a major socio-economic revolution in ancient Egypt. That is why Dr. Ailing places Joseph’s famine policy as the reason and cause for this break up and transfer of wealth and power.

This would place the early career of Joseph to the 12th dynasty Pharaoh Senusret III. Most likely Joseph continued being a vizier to his son and successor Amenemhat III (1842–1797 BCE). It was during this pharaoh when Egypt reached a zenith in wealth and power. This zenith however was directly the result of Joseph’s famine policy which brought about a socio-economic revolution in ancient Egypt. It also places Joseph toward the end of the middle kingdom of Egypt.