Egypt Egypt was already a great and ancient civilization when Joseph rose to power (Gen 39–41) and Jacob’s family traveled there for food (chs 42–46; cp. 12:10-20). Its unique location and geography gave it security from invaders (with the harborless Mediterranean Sea to the north, the rugged Sinai peninsula to the east, and a great desert to the west) and made it an attractive refuge for foreigners during times of drought. Egypt has been called “the gift of the Nile,” and no other river has been so vital to the history of the nation through which it flows. To the Egyptians it was simply “the River.” The Nile is more than just the longest river in the world. Without its water, civilization would have been impossible in Egypt—the Nile is Egypt’s lifeblood, and the Egyptians worshiped it for the life and fertility that it provided. The river’s annual floods constantly brought new and fertile soil for crops, and its waters provided food from its abundance of fish and waterfowl as well as fresh water for drinking and cleaning. It also functioned as the main means of travel, trade, and communication. During times of drought, when the surrounding nations were in danger of famine, t...

Joseph Joseph is known for his dreams and for the beautiful coat his father, Jacob, gave him. He is an example of faith, prudence, and administrative ability. Despite overwhelming difficulties, Joseph saved Canaan, Egypt, and his own family from starvation during seven years of drought. Joseph was Jacob’s eleventh son, the first child of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph’s name means “may he add,” expressing Rachel’s desire that God give her another son (Gen 30:24). Rachel later died at the birth of Benjamin, Joseph’s only full brother. Joseph’s brothers resented him because of his dreams. They sold him to a passing caravan and led Jacob to believe an animal had killed him. In Egypt, Joseph quickly rose in prominence, until he was jailed when his master’s wife falsely accused him. In prison he correctly interpreted dreams for fellow inmates and was later summoned when Pharaoh couldn’t understand his own dreams. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams—which were about an upcoming famine—with insight and wisdom, so Pharaoh released him (thirteen years after he had been brought to Egypt as a slave) and appointed him to lead the nation in preparation for the famine. When Josep...