Tanakh and the Ancient Near East Index – Parashat Miketz/0

Tanakh & the Ancient Near East Index – Parashat Miketz

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Dream Narratives and Interpretation

• For an extensive treatment of dream narratives and interpretation in the Ancient Near East, see The Interpretation of Dreams in the Ancient Near East by A. Leo Oppenheim.
• See A Fresh Look at the Dreams of the Officials and of Pharaoh in the Story of Joseph (Genesis 40-41) in Light of Egyptian Dreams, by Nili Shupak, for analysis of the distinctively Egyptian elements of the dreams of Pharaoh and his officials with regard to their structure, use of symbols, methods of interpretation, and content.

Reuven's Proposal to Yaakov

• Dr. Yoshi Fargeon, in his lecture סיפורי בני יעקב בהשוואה לחוקי המזרח הקדום, attempts to demonstrate that the Patriarchs and Matriarchs might have often acted in accordance with the norms of their time rather than the later laws of Torah. As an example, he notes that though Reuven's proposal that if he does not bring Binyamin home, he will give Yaakov his two children to kill, sounds absurd and antithetical to Torah law, it actually aligns very well with several laws in the Code of Hammurabi where the concept of vicarious punishment is very accepted.

Egyptian Words in the Yosef Narrative

• See Egyptian Background to the Yosef Narratives, which explores Egyptian loanwords that appear in the Biblical narrative of Yosef.
• See Cognates and Loanwords for more extensive discussion of the etymology and
  meaning of these words.
• See Egyptian Loanwords as Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus and Wilderness Traditions by Benjamin J. Noonan, which argues that the appearance of Egyptian words in the Biblical text indicates the authenticity of its narratives relating to Egypt.

Yosef’s Economic Plan

• See The Development of Taxation in the Bible: Improvements in Counting, Measurement, and Computation in the Ancient Middle East, by Manuel L. Jose and Charles K. Moore, for an analysis of taxing systems in Tanakh, beginning with Yosef’s policies in Egypt.¹

Governmental Hierarchy in Ancient Egypt

• For an overview of the governmental and social hierarchy of Ancient Egypt and an understanding of Yosef’s position, see The Social Structure of Ancient Egypt.

Theft of Sacred Objects in Egypt

• When searching for Yosef's "stolen" goblet, his servant tells the brothers, "He with whom it is found will be for me a slave and you shall be blameless”. See Crime and Punishment in Pharaonic Egypt for an overview of the system of punishments meted out in Egypt.  Among other things, this article demonstrates that the punishment for theft of a sacred object would be treated more severely than regular theft. 

Visual Aids

• Olam Hamikra includes images of goblets from Ancient Egypt. Robert Alter and other scholars have explained that the method of divination in a goblet would most likely be the interpretation of patterns on the surface of the liquid in the goblet and in drops on the side of the goblet.
• Yosef is shaved before appearing in front of Pharaoh, an Egyptian practice.  See Olam Hamikra for images relating to Egyptian practices of haircutting, shaving, and wearing wigs
• See Olam Hamikra for images of the process of storing food in storehouses in ancient Egypt. 

¹ See also Yosef's Economic Policies for analysis of the significance and fairness of Yosef’s plan.