THIS IS AMAZING... ARCHEOLOGY IS SO FASCINATING!
Egyptian
Ruler/god Imhotep = Biblical Joseph
Sources:
http://www.arkdiscovery.com/joseph.htm
http://www.s8int.com/joseph.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFajJF2WhA
1.
WHO?
a.
Imhotep = Im-Hotep = “The voice of IM”, IM = I
AM; in Exodus 3:14, God said His name is “I AM THAT I AM.” Li-em-hotep means “the one who comes in
peace, is with peace”. The pharaoh gave
Joseph a name: Zaphenath-paneah = “The God lives, the God speaks.”
2.
WHEN?
a.
He served pharaoh Djoser during Egypt’s 3rd
Dynasty as the chancellor to the Pharaoh and high priest of the sun god Ra at
Heliopolis.
i. Biblical
accounts: Genesis 41:40-44, “You will be over my house, and all my people will
obey your commands. Only with regard to
the throne will I be greater than you.
Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring.
Joseph rides in his (pharaoh) second chariot. I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no
one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the lands of Egypt. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah
and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On.” On is Heliopolis. Priest was more properly translated as
Prince.
b. Biblical
chronology dates the flood occurred about 2348 B.C. Abraham left Haran in about
1921 B.C., 427 years later. Soon after this (we don't know exactly how soon) he
and Sarah went to Egypt because of a famine in Canaan. Egypt at this time was
already a rich nation, for it was at this time that Abraham became rich in
cattle, gold and silver, given to him as payment for Sarah. (Gen. 13:1,2). And
there is good evidence that it was at this time that the regulation prohibiting
the Egyptians from eating, drinking or fraternizing with foreign shepherds was
instituted. (Gen. 46:34) Josephus
relates that Abraham was responsible for bringing the knowledge during the
early part of the First Dynasty, about 1915 BC.
It would be about 200 years later when Joseph would be elevated to his
high position in Egypt, second only to the pharaoh. During this same time of
the 3rd Dynasty, there appears on the scene a most incredible individual in the
ancient records- a man called Imhotep.
3.
EVIDENCE OF IMHOTEP’S EXISTENCE AS A REAL PERSON
AND CONNECTION TO JOSEPH:
a.
The first evidence connecting Imhotep to Joseph,
date him to the time of the 7 year famine, during the reign of pharaoh Djoser. This rock was found by Charles Wilbour, in
1890, on the Island of Sihiel, at the first cataract of the Nile river, by the
rapids of Aswan. These were inscriptions
made 1000 years after the reign of Djoser, claimed to be a copy of a document
made by pharaoh Djoser during the 18th year of his reign, of how
Imhotep saved his country from the 7 year famine. Imhotep helped with 7 years of famine and 7
year of plenty. It said that Imhotep “wanted
to consult his God, because the answer is not within him.” The document called Imhotep “son of Ptah”,
Ptah is the ‘creator’ who created everything, including other gods. The same inscription spoke about pharaoh’s
dream that were later interpreted by Imhotep as 7 years of plenty and 7 years
of famine. It also talked about the
taxes levied by Egypt on its citizens, except priests, to help with the
preparation. These accounts mirror Genesis
47:26 account of Joseph.
b.
In 1926, fragments of a statue of
Pharaoh Djoser were excavated at the step-pyramid of Saqqara. At the base was
an inscription of Djoser and "Imhotep, Chancellor of the King of Lower
Egypt, Chief under the King, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary
Lord, High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep the Builder, the Sculptor, the Maker
of Stone Vases..." Here is the
inscription and the box is the name “Imhotep.”
4.
ATTRIBUTIONS:
a.
Manetho, Egyptian historian lived in 3rd
century BC, credited Imhotep for inventing stone dressing during Djoser’s
reign. “…during his (Djoser) reign lived
Imouthes (Imhotep), who, because of his medical skills have the reputation of
Asclepius (the god of medicine) among the Egyptians and who was inventor of the
art of hewn stone.” Imhotep became the
God of healing. Was considered as the
first architect, engineer, and physician in Egypt
b.
Inscriptions at the pyramid of King’s tomb said
Imhotep was filled with wisdom and lived 110 years. Genesis 56:26 “Joseph died at 110 years
old.”
c.
There was no mention of Imhotep in Djoser’s
earlier reign. The tomb of Djoser at
Bief Khallaf, which was started short after the start of his reign, was not
designed by Imhotep, and had no mention of Imhotep. Here were inscriptions on clay jars of list
of Djoser’s family and officials under his reign, but Imhotep’s name was not on
there. So, that means he had not been
appointed. Other documents mentioned
that Imhotep was a self made man, not part of the royal family.
d.
Imhotep was the “Priest of Heliopolis” the
Biblical temple of ‘On.’ Genesis 41:45
says that the Pharaoh gave Joseph Asenath, the daughter of the priest of
On. The original text said “Prince of
On” not priest of On.
5.
IMHOTEP’S ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS:
a.
Joseph’s canal: El Fayoum, the Venice of Egypt,
in the Fayoum Oasis, still named “Bar Yousef.”
It made this valley fertile for the 7 years of plenty to prepared grain
stored.
b.
Imhotep first used stone to make pyramids
instead of mud brick. And he constructed
the step-pyramids and dressed it in smooth lime stones.
c.
It was in the reign of Djoser, Egypt because
truly a great nation, by management of the grains during the famine. There are remnants of huge grain pits.
d.
The Saqqara complex. A wall surrounds it. 13 false doors and one real. 40 pillars shaped in as corn cobs supported
this wall. Each column connected to the
main wall and form smaller chambers.
There are series of very large and deep pits, very much larger than
burial chambers. All centers assessable
by tunnels. These were not hidden, thus
not tombs. These massive pits are most
likely grain storage pits for the years of famine. Also pits were found in pyramids that were
filled with grains. This was probably a
place the world comes to Egypt to buy grain.
By the wall, there were 40 cubicles that were just big enough for a
person to stand in to receive their grain and make payments. All the large pits were connected together by
tunnels. Grains were found at the floors
of these pits. These circumstantial
evidence fits Joseph’s story.
6.
WHERE IS IMHOTEP’S TOMB?
a.
Genesis 50:26 mentioned that Joseph was embalmed
in a coffin in Egypt. Exodus 13:19
mentioned that Joseph’s body was taken by Moses to be buried in the land of
Canaan when Israelites left the land of Egypt.
There was a tomb at Memphis (Saqqara) where people came to Imhotep to
get healed, discovered by a French archeologist in 1850. Hidden under a huge network of tunnels under
this temple, filled with lots of mummified Ibis birds, was a very large burial
chamber called Mastaba. In this chamber,
which faced ‘North’ rather than ‘East’ in all other Mastabas was an empty solid
granite sarcophagus. Also found in this
tomb, there were broken stone jars with the impression of the pharaoh Djoser. Which means that this tomb is likely belong
to someone close to the pharaoh, like Imhotep the Prime Minister of Egypt.
7.
WHAT HAPPENED TO EGYPT?
a.
Jeremiah 46:19, “Noph (Memphis) will be a waste
and desolate place without inhabitants.”
Memphis was a glorious capital of lower Egypt. Today it’s just rubbish. Ezekiel 30J:13, “God will destroy the idols
of Noph (Memphis).” Memphis was known as
the place of the great temple city of Egypt.
In other areas of Egypt, the idols and temples of that time period still
exist, but not Memphis. Now, as the
archeologist noticed that all the discovered things, there are no more idols or
images. Ezek 30:16, Thebes will be
broken apart. Multiple empires destroyed
Thebes, few times. True to prophecy,
Thebes still exist, but broken.
b.
Ezek 30:13 Egypt shall have no more princes. Since 400 BC, the period of silence after the
prophet Malachi, none of Egypt’s kings have been Egyptian. Even King Pheru is Albanian and none of the
modern presidents are Egyptian. Ezek
30:12, “I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hands of
strangers: I the LORD has spoken.”
Today, Egypt, the most populated country in the Middle East, is
populated mostly by Arabs, not Egyptians.
The Copts are the direct descendents of ancient Egyptians. Ezek 29:15 “I will diminish Egypt.” True Egyptians are 1:23 to foreigners. Prophecies said that Egypt will remain in
decline and become a lowly nation. These
prophecies were made around 600BC, when Egypt was still very prosperous.
c.
In the 7th century, Arabs took 14
months and 23,000 lives to capture Alexandria and destroyed the Alexandrian
Library (a treasure) and burn the books.
The continuous burning of books in the public bath houses kept the warm
waters running for 6 months. All ancient
empires are destroyed, but not Egypt. It
survived, but as a lowly nation.
d.
These pyramids are alters and witness in
Egypt. Pyramids in Saqqara constructed
under Imhotep were in a step-like fashion on the inside and dressed on the
outside with beautiful limestone to give it a smooth shinny appearance. The step pyramid of Saqqara constructed by
Imhotep. The Bedouins stripped the
beautiful limestone and sold it to build mosques. And, now it had remained the shape of step
pyramids. These pyramids are actually a
witness to God.
e.
Isaiah 19:19.
Pillars to the Lord at the border of the land of Egypt. King Solomon inscribed pillars at the Red Sea
crossing and at the foot of Mt Sinai.
1978, the pillars was found on the Egyptian side.
