Famine Ankhtifi as Antef (Intef)

by Damien F. Mackey Now, given the likeness of the name Antef, to Ankhtifi, my Joseph … and the likeness of Antef’s variants, Intef/Inyotef, to Imhotep (Joseph), plus the fact that a great Famine occurred during the time of Intef, I may have been somewhat remiss to date for not including Antef/Intef in my list … of potential candidates for the biblical Joseph. Ankhtifi is the name closest to Joseph’s given Egyptian name, Zaphenath paneah (Genesis 41:45) amongst the names of all of my many proposed historical identifications for the biblical Joseph in ancient Egypt - for instance all of these names (below) as listed in my article: Was this the original ‘Famine Stela’? (7) Was this the original 'Famine Stela'? The multi-named Joseph From what we have just read, Joseph’s names may include Imhotep; Khasekhemwy-Imhotep; Hetep-Khasekhemwy; Khasekhem; Sekhemkhet; Den (Dewen, Udimu); Khasti; Uenephes; Usaphais (Yusef); Zaphenath paneah; Ankhtifi; Bebi and perhaps also: Hemaka; Kheti From stark obscurity, the historical Joseph now abounds! And I suspect that this will not exhaust the potential list of Egyptian (also including some Greek) names for the biblical Joseph. …. By now I could potentially add to this list the names Semerkhet, “… in his reign a very great calamity befell Egypt" (Eusebius following Manetho), Henuka and Peribsen. Now, given the likeness of the name Antef, to Ankhtifi, my Joseph (see above), and the likeness of Antef’s variants, Intef/Inyotef, to Imhotep (Joseph), plus the fact that a great Famine occurred during the time of Intef, I may have been somewhat remiss to date for not including Antef/Intef in my list above of potential candidates for the biblical Joseph. It was in my article: Ankhtifi a Joseph type saving Egypt in an extensive Famine (8) Ankhtifi a Joseph type saving Egypt in an extensive Famine that I provided the following explanation of: Joseph’s new name Genesis 44:45: “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt”. Can the name Ankhtifi be found in Joseph’s given Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah? This is a difficult matter since no two commentators seem to be able to reach a consensus on the meaning of Joseph’s new name. Here I turn to professor A. S. Yahuda who has proven in the past to be a trustworthy guide in matters pertaining to Egyptian linguistics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaphnath-Paaneah “Abraham Yahuda suggested for Zapheath-paneah, ḏfꜣ n tꜣ pꜣ ꜥnḫ, "the living one is the sustenance of (the) land", or ḏfꜣ n tꜣ pw ꜥnḫ "the sustenance of the land is he, the living one." (Yahuda, A. S. (1930). Eine Erwiderung auf Wilhelm Spiegelbergs "Ägyptologische Bemerkungen" zu meinem Buche "Die Sprache des Pentateuch". Leipzig. p. 7., cited by Vergote, p. 144)”. In professor Yahuda’s explanation of this Egyptian name I think that we can basically find, in hypocoristicon form, the three elements that constitute the name, Ankhtifi: viz., Ankh (ꜥnḫ); ti (tꜣ); fi (fꜣ). …. Egyptology currently proposes about eight (I-VIII) Antefs/Intefs. I suspect that a large degree of duplication may have occurred here, as with the similar amount (I-IX) of Sobekhoteps. On this last, see e.g. my articles: Abydos and Saqqara lists exclude Sobekhotep I-IX (9) Abydos and Saqqara lists exclude Sobekhotep I-IX and: Too many pharaohs named Sobekhotep (9) Too many pharaohs named Sobekhotep Sobekhotep Khaneferre was, in fact, the traditional “Chenephres” who married “Merris”, Egyptian Meresankh, the Egyptian foster-mother of Moses, and who gave Moses a hard time while the latter was officiating in Egypt during Israel’s Oppression: King “Chenephres” of Egypt - an ancient type of King Saul https://www.academia.edu/87167524/King_Chenephres_of_Egypt_an_ancient_type_of_King_Saul King “Chenephres” recurs in various dynasties, as e.g. Khafre/Chephren (Fourth); Pepi Neferkare (Sixth); Sesostris Neferkare (Twelfth); and Sobekhotep Khaneferre (Thirteenth). Like “Chenephres”, his wife, “Merris”, Meresankh/Ankhenesmerire, is like a golden thread weaving together parts of ancient Egyptian history that have become separated. In “Was this the original ‘Famine Stela’?” article (above), I wrote regarding the Famine at the time of Intef (perhaps duplicated here as, now Wahankh, now Nakht-Nebtepnefer): Arkadiy Demidchik, member of Saint-Petersburg State University, Oriental Faculty, has picked up what he calls “a fairly similar story” between the famous Ptolemaïc Famine Stela on Sehel Island and a far more ancient document of Wahankh Intef and Nakht-Nebtepnefer Intef of Egypt’s so-called Eleventh Dynasty (wrongly dated here): A ‘Famine Stela’ Episode under the Early XIth Dynasty https://www.academia.edu/36620751/A_Famine_Stela_Episode_under_the_Early_XIth_Dynasty This is what Arkadiy Demidchik has written about it: On the orders of the early XIth dynasty kings Wahankh Intef and Nakht-Nebtepnefer Intef, the chapels for the gods Satet and Khnum on Elep[h]antine were constructed with stone doorjambs, lintels, columns, etc. This is the oldest example of pharaohs’ monumental stone building for gods in provincial temples. What was the incentive for this grand and labor-intensive innovation in the troubled times when the young Theban monarchy controlled only a smaller part of Egypt? Careful scrutiny of the inscriptions from the chapels shows that Khnum was invoked there first and foremost as the lord of the sources of the Upper Egyptian inundation, believed to be situated at the First Cataract. Together with a good number of other texts examined in the paper, this indicates that the Intefs’ stone building project on Elephantine was undertaken in order to deliver their Theban kingdom from too low or unseasonable Nile floods which resulted in poor harvests. Almost two millennia later, a fairly similar story would be told on the famous “Famine Stela” about the pharaoh Djoser’s making lavish donations to the temple of Khnum on Elephantine in order to terminate the seven years’ famine. The idea of K[h]num’s revelation to a king in a dream, which is said to have happened to Djoser, is also attested as early as in the XXth century BC. [End of quote] But this is not all. The same Arkadiy Demidchik has also been able to point to what he has called: A Northern Version of the “Famine Stela” Narrative? https://www.academia.edu/36620738/A_Northern_Version_of_the_Famine_Stela_Narrative Here he writes: According to the “historical” introduction to the royal decree to the “Famine Stela” on the island of Sehel, the king Djoser managed to cease the seven years’ famine only due to the discovery of the source of the Upper Egyptian inundation and its gods by the sage Imhotep. However, since the Egyptians usually distinguished also Lower Egyptian inundation, with its own source near Heliopolis, there must have existed a kind of “northern” version of the “Famine Stela” story with Imhotep’s discovering the Heliopolitan source, regulated by Atum with his entourage. As early as 1999 this was pointed out by O.D. Berlev. There are mentions of “7 years” when the inundation-Hapi did not come, of the “temple of Atum of Heliopolis” and its high priest Imhotep on British Museum hieratic papyrus fragment 1065, first read by J. Quack. Could this not be scraps of that “northern” version of the “Famine Stela” narrative? [End of quote] Clearly, we are in the time of the highly famed Imhotep (Third Dynasty) - replicated in the so-called Eleventh Dynasty – the biblical Joseph, son of Jacob, when there occurred a seven-year Famine (Genesis 41-47).

The Famine Pharaoh, Joseph and his wife, in Archaïc Egypt

by Damien F. Mackey “Traces of other such enclosures have also been found: one to the immediate west of Netjerikhet’s complex and one apparently between Sekhemkhet’s pyramid and the ‘Great Enclosure’. It has been suggested that these enclosures bear a striking resemblance to similar structures found near Umm el-Qa’ab. The largest of these enclosures, named Shunet ez-Zebib, has been identified as having belonged to Khasekhemwi. It is believed that this structure was intended as a simulacrum of the royal palace, a copy that the king would take with him to the hereafter”. ancient-egypt.org 2025 Introduction The Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom has proven to be something of a rich goldmine for discovering historical proof of the reality of Joseph and the Famine, as recorded late in the Book of Genesis (esp. Chapters 41-43). Joseph as the celebrated vizier, Imhotep, the pious sage serving Horus Netjerikhet, had saved Egypt from a seven-year Famine. This is famously recorded in a late (Ptolemaïc) document, the Sehel Famine Stela. But there may now have been identified much earlier, apparent originals, of this Ptolemaïc inscription. On this, see my article: Was this the original ‘Famine Stela’? (6) Was this the original 'Famine Stela'? Imhotep was the quasi-pharaonic Khasekhemwy-Hetep-Imef (= Im-hotep), who built huge enclosures (storage facilities) at Nekhen, at Abydos (known as Shunet ez Zebib), and the massive Gisr el-Mudir at Saqqara. He was also the like-named (to Khasekhemwy) Sekhemkhet-Djoser-ti (see below). Thus Imhotep was Djoser (Zoser), and Netjerikhet, thought to have been him, was not. https://www.ancient-egypt.org/history/early-dynastic-period/2nd-dynasty/horus-seth-khasekhemwi/great-enclosure-at-saqqara.html Great Enclosure at Saqqara To the west of the unfinished pyramid of Sekhemkhet, a large rectangular structure was discovered composed mainly of a gigantic enclosure wall. With its 600 by 300 metres, this enclosure encompasses an area that is even considerably larger than Netjerikhet’s neighbouring complex. It as long been assumed -without any substantial examination of this structure- that this wall, known as the ‘Great Enclosure‘ or by its Arab name ‘Gisr el-Mudir‘ (wall of the director), was part of an unfinished mortuary complex of an unidentified 3rd Dynasty king. There is, however, no trace of a step pyramid inside this wall. Furthermore, this wall seems to have been completed, which would make the building of a pyramid within its compounds quite impossible. Recent research by the EES has shown that Gisr el-Mudir may at least be one generation older than the Horus Netjerikhet, thus dating to the 2nd Dynasty. Traces of other such enclosures have also been found: one to the immediate west of Netjerikhet’s complex and one apparently between Sekhemkhet’s pyramid and the ‘Great Enclosure’. It has been suggested that these enclosures bear a striking resemblance to similar structures found near Umm el-Qa’ab. The largest of these enclosures, named Shunet ez-Zebib, has been identified as having belonged to Khasekhemwi. It is believed that this structure was intended as a simulacrum of the royal palace, a copy that the king would take with him to the hereafter. If indeed these palace-copies are similar to the Saqqara enclosures, then it is likely that the Saqqara enclosures were related to the 2nd Dynasty tombs which were located in the vicinity. If the enclosures at Saqqara are indeed of 2nd Dynasty date and not, as was assumed in the past, of the 3rd Dynasty, then the ‘Great Enclosure’ is to be considered the oldest known building constructed, at least partially, in stone! These were ‘gigantic enclosures’ built for storing vast quantities of grain. They were not, as wrongly thought, mortuary complexes, or copies of palaces. This was all Joseph-Imhotep’s divinely inspired work. Absolutely amazing to think that all of this infrastructure was built in anticipation of a great and protracted Famine, as foretold to Pharaoh by the prescient Joseph. Whenever, before, or even after, has the like of this been done! “No one like Joseph has ever been born …”. (Sirach 49:15) Waterways and canals were also constructed by Joseph the water bringer, along with large dams. One immediately thinks of the Bahr Yusef canal, named after Joseph. Much of this was erected hastily, without the usual Egyptian decoration, purpose-built to serve for only a specified period of time. Then it fell into disuse – or was appropriated and enhanced by the mighty Pyramid building oppressor-pharaohs of the subsequent Fourth Dynasty: the era of Moses. With a necessary folding of Egypt’s Old Kingdom into its so-called ‘Middle’ Kingdom, which simply duplicates the Old Kingdom, we encounter all over again the Famine era, including, among other things, mention of “seven empty years” (Heqanakht papyri). For Horus Netjerikhet of Egypt’s Third Dynasty was the same king as the powerful Netjerihedjet (Mentuhotep II) of the Eleventh Dynasty – the Famine Pharaoh. Having come to these twin conclusions some time ago now, that the biblical Famine belonged historically to the Old Kingdom, but is duplicated with the ‘Middle’ Kingdom, I never expected to find a ‘third’ manifestation of it all, back in Egypt’s Archaïc Period. Archaic Period: Dynasties 1-2; Old Kingdom: Dynasties 3-6; First Intermediate Period: Dynasties 7-11 (part of); Middle Kingdom: Dynasties 11-12. First Dynasty biblical scenario Although Egypt’s First Dynasty is conventionally set out like this: http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn01/dyn01.html Menes Djer Merneith Djet Den Anedjib Semerkhet Qa'a Sneferka the listing, I would strongly suggest, is in need of a major overhaul. While the famous Menes, the first mentioned king in this list, traditionally belongs to the time of Abram (Abraham), with which syncretism I would agree (see my article): Dr. W.F. Albright’s game-changing chronological shift (7) Dr. W.F. Albright's game-changing chronological shift the next four listed personages, Djer, Merneith, Djet and Den, all belong to - as we are going to find out - the era of Joseph (c. 1700 BC), which era is, roughly speaking, two centuries later than that of Abram (Abraham) (c. 1900 BC). Perhaps that yawning gap in the First Dynasty list is filled out by the Second Dynasty: http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn02/dyn02.html Hetepsekhemwy Reneb (Nebre) Weneg Ninetjer Sened Nubnefer Neferkare Neferkaseker Hudjefa I Peribsen-Sekhemib Khasekhemwy But, then again, perhaps not! There immediately appear to be some obstacles to such a suggestion, with the first listed ruler, Hetepsekhemwy, being, yet once again, I would suggest, Joseph-Imhotep himself, as Hotep-Im (= Hetep-Imef) Khasekhemwy, who, it needs to be noted, emerges again at the end of this Second Dynasty list. And, while I do not want to become bogged down here with the Second Dynasty, which, to date, I have not studied at great length, I think that a case could be mounted also for Ninetjer (Nynetjer) in this list to be the same ruler as Djer (Nine-tjer) in the First Dynasty list, a contemporary of Joseph as I shall be arguing – for Ninetjer, too, may have experienced a great famine (see 1. below). And, intriguingly, Peribsen in the list was once thought (the idea is not popular today) to have introduced monotheism to Egypt (as could perhaps be expected from Joseph) along the lines of Akhnaton at a much later date. On this last, see e.g. my article: Akhnaton’s Theophany (11) Akhnaton's Theophany Whilst, in the lengthy Phouka king list above, a full five regal names separate Ninetjer (potential Famine Pharaoh) from Seth-Peribsen (tentatively, Joseph), Peribsen immediately follows Ninetjer in the (roughly) half as long list here at Higher Intellect: https://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/other/crystalinks/dynasty2.html Hotepsekhemwy - 'Pleasing in Powers' Reneb - Re is the Lord Ninetjer - Godlike Peribsen - Sekhemib - 'Powerful in Heart' Khasekhemwy - "The Two Powerful Ones Appear" Could it be that more than half (8 out of 14) of the names listed for these supposedly two distinct dynasties – {here following the shortened version of the Second Dynasty} - pertain to the era of the biblical Joseph? There could well be much more to be said about all of this! 1. Famine Pharaoh: Archaïc Period Returning to the First Dynasty list, to Djer, Merneith, Djet and Den, about all of whom I wrote above that they belonged to the era of the biblical Joseph, we can put aside Merneith, a female, who obviously could not have been Joseph’s Pharaoh. Den (Udimu) was, I have already concluded most emphatically, Joseph himself: Joseph also as Den, ‘he who brings water’ (6) Joseph also as Den, 'he who brings water' Djer and Djet I would consider to be two manifestations of just the one Pharaoh - paralleling the already discussed Third Dynasty and Eleventh Dynasty syncretism - respectively, Horus Netjerikhet as Djer, and Mentuhotep Netjerihedjet as Djet. Above, I tentatively included the long-reigning Second Dynasty ruler, Ninetjer (-djer). Djet and Ninetjer had in common long reigns and celebration of the Heb Sed festival, which (supposedly occurring every 30 years) was probably far less common in those early times as may be thought, but which may have become duplicated (or more) due to an inaccurate, repetitive Egyptology. Not only did Djet and Ninetjer, in common, enjoy a Heb Sed festival, however, but Djet, certainly, and Ninetjer, potentially, experienced a severe Famine. Regarding pharaoh Djet and the Famine, see e.g. my article (revised, with Imhotep now intended as Djoser): Taking a Djet to Djoser’s Famine (6) Taking a Djet to Djoser's Famine And, regarding a possible lengthy famine at the time of Ninetjer, we read as follows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nynetjer “Egyptologists such as Barbara Bell believe that an economic catastrophe such as a famine or a long lasting drought affected Egypt around this time. Therefore, to address the problem of feeding the Egyptian population, Nynetjer split the realm into two and his successors ruled two independent states until the famine came to an end. Bell points to the inscriptions of the Palermo stone, where, in her opinion, the records of the annual Nile floods show constantly low levels during this period”. Likewise, Miroslav Bárta has written in his article: Journey to the West The world of the Old Kingdom tombs in Ancient Egypt. Prague 2012 https://www.academia.edu/23316703/Journey_to_the_West_The_world_of_the_Old_Kingdom_tombs_in_Ancient_Egypt_Prague_2012 that: “… probably at the end of the First and start of the Second Dynasty, a time marked by internal conflicts connected with low levels of flooding and failed harvests …”: “… low levels of flooding and failed harvests …” the perfect mix of ingredients for Famine in ancient Egypt. 2. Joseph and Asenath: Archaïc Period No need to repeat here what I have already written (in my “Joseph also as Den …” article above) about Den (Udimu) as Joseph-Imhotep. While the name Den, “he who brings water”, so fitting of Joseph, may have been posthumously assigned, it, and his other names, especially Usafais (Manetho) - clearly Joseph (Usaf-) - and Khasti, “the one of the desert”, or “foreigner”, mark him as: JOSEPH; FOREIGNER FROM THE DESERT; THE ONE WHO BRINGS WATER. I have further identified Joseph with the famous Chancellor of this time: Joseph as Chancellor of Egypt, Hemaka https://www.academia.edu/121954546/Joseph_as_Chancellor_of_Egypt_Hemaka Most recently of all, I believe that I may have found evidence for Joseph’s wife, Asenath: A possible identification of Asenath, the wife of Joseph (4) A possible identification of Asenath, the wife of Joseph The name is obviously an Egyptian one, whose later element, - nath, pertains to the goddess Neith. The woman in question is the highly important, Ahaneith (wikipedia.org): “Ahaneith was an ancient Egyptian woman, who lived during the First Dynasty of Egypt. She was named after the goddess Neith”. The name Ahaneith is essentially the same name as Asenath, bar one consonantal variation. And she lived at the right Archaïc period for my revised Asenath. Whether or not Merneith of the First Dynasty was also Joseph’s wife, Asenath, under a variant name form I am not able to determine at this stage. What is apparent is that scholars cannot decide between whether she was the wife of Djet or the mother of Den (impossible if Den was Joseph as I am claiming him to have been): https://www.livius.org/articles/person/merneith/ “Queen Merneith lived during Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period and was presumably the great wife of King Djet and mother of King Den. She is named in one of Egypt’s earliest known King Lists, which has led scholars to believe that Merneith may have been a pharaoh in her own right”.

A possible identification of Asenath, the wife of Joseph

by Damien F. Mackey “Ahaneith was an ancient Egyptian woman, who lived during the First Dynasty of Egypt. She was named after the goddess Neith”. wikipedia.org By an enlargement of the Famine Era of the biblical Joseph - as having occurred in the popularly considered (in part due to the Famine Stela) Third Dynasty (Old Kingdom) reign of Horus Netjerikhet, assisted by his sage, Imhotep (Joseph himself) - I have also included Netjerihedjet (known as Mentuhotep II) of the so-called ‘Middle’ Kingdom’s Eleventh Dynasty, he being favoured by some scholars as being Joseph’s Pharaoh. But the Horus name, Netjerihedjet, with its -djet ending, would lead me further to conclude, in my rather fancifully named article: Taking a Djet to Djoser’s Famine (4) Taking a Djet to Djoser's Famine that my composite pharaoh was also king Djet of the Archaïc period’s First Dynasty, apparently, too, a time of “great famine”: “Manetho states that during the reign of [King Djet], there was a great famine but the Palermo Stone, which reports the flood levels of the Nile … is broken precisely in correspondence with the reign of Djet”. Cairo Top Tours Now, during the reign of this pharaoh, Djet (c. 2980 BC, conventional dating), there existed an important woman, Ahaneith, thought to have been either the king’s wife, or the wife of one of his high officials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahaneith “Ahaneith was an ancient Egyptian woman, who lived during the First Dynasty of Egypt. She was named after the goddess Neith. The First Dynasty pharaoh Djet was buried in tomb Z in Umm el-Qa'ab and there is a stele bearing Ahaneith's name in that tomb.[1] The stele is named UC 14268.[2] Whether Ahaneith was the wife of the king, a royal official or a relative of the king, is not known”. I tentatively suggest that Ahaneith was the same woman as Asenath, the wife of Joseph (Genesis 41:45): “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On [Heliopolis], to be his wife”. There may be much more to know about all of this. What would be fitting, though, is the Jewish tradition that Asenath, of Egyptian name, was the daughter of Dinah, the raped daughter of Jacob – for one would expect that the pious Hebrew, Joseph, would have followed his ancestors in marrying a woman of his own race. Here follows the Jewish account of the most intriguing Asenath: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/asenath-midrash-and-aggadah Asenath: Midrash and Aggadah by Tamar Kadari …. In Brief There are two approaches to the issue of Asenath’s descent in the Rabbinic texts. One view presents her as an ethnic Egyptian who converted in order to be married to Joseph, joining a series of positive examples of women converts in the Bible. The second approach argues that Asenath was not an Egyptian by descent, but was from the family of Jacob, directed by God to end up in Egypt so that Joseph would find a suitable wife from among the members of his own family. In either case, Asenath is accepted as part of the family and her sons are accepted as worthy descendants by Jacob. …. Asenath as Part of the Family Asenath is mentioned in the Torah as “the daughter of Poti-phera” (Gen. 41:45), who was married to Joseph in Egypt. The Rabbis found it difficult to accept that Joseph, who withstood the wiles of Potiphar’s wife and proclaimed his loyalty to the Lord in the palace of Pharaoh, would marry a non-Israelite woman. The question of Asenath’s origins has significant consequences for the standing within the Israelite tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the two sons born to Asenath and Joseph. There are two Rabbinic approaches to the issue of Asenath’s descent. One view presents her as an ethnic Egyptian who converted in order to be married to Joseph. She accepted the belief in the Lord before she was married and raised her children in accordance with the tenets of Judaism. The second approach argues that Asenath was not an Egyptian by descent, but was from the family of Jacob. God directed matters so that she would end up in Egypt, so that Joseph would find a suitable wife from among the members of his own family. Accordingly, Ephraim and Manasseh are worthy descendents, who continue the way of Jacob. Asenath the Convert The traditions that maintain that Asenath was a convert present her as a positive example of conversion, and include her among the devout women converts: Hagar, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the Daughter Of Pharaoh, Rahab, Ruth and Jael (Midrash Tadshe, Ozar ha-Midrashim [ed. Eisenstein], p. 474). Mackey’s comment: But see my article: Bible critics can overstate idea of ‘enlightened pagan’ (4) Bible critics can overstate idea of 'enlightened pagan' The Rabbis learn from Joseph’s marriage to Asenath that a favorable attitude is to be exhibited to converts, who are to be drawn closer. Thus, Joseph married Asenath daughter of Poti-phera, and Joshua son of Nun, who was a chieftain of the tribe of Ephraim (Num. 13:8), would be descended from this union. The midrash adds that Joseph’s behavior served as an example for both Joshua and David, when they acted charitably with the Gibeonites and drew them closer to Israel (Midrash Samuel [ed. Buber], 28:5, based on Josh. 9 and II Sam. 21:1–9). An additional midrashic dictum notes a number of converts who became members of the families of the righteous leaders of Israel. Thus, Joseph married Asenath, Joshua wed Rahab, Boaz took Ruth for a wife, and Moses married the daughter of Hobab (= Jethro) (Eccl. Rabbah 8:10:1). Asenath the Daughter of Dinah The traditions that trace Asenath to the family of Jacob relate that she was the daughter born to Dinah following her rape by Shechem son of Hamor. Jacob’s sons wanted to kill the infant, lest it be said that there was harlotry in the tents of Jacob. Jacob brought a gold plate and wrote God’s name on it; according to another tradition, he wrote on it the episode with Shechem. Jacob hung the plate around Asenath’s neck and sent her away. God dispatched the angel Michael to bring her to the house of Poti-phera in Egypt; according to yet another tradition, Dinah left Asenath on the wall of Egypt. That day Poti-phera went out for a walk near the wall with his young men, and he heard the infant’s crying. When they brought the baby to him, he saw the plate and the record of the episode. Poti-phera told his servants, “This girl is the daughter of great ones.” He brought her to his home and gave her a wet nurse. Poti-phera’s wife was barren, and she raised Asenath as her own daughter. Consequently, she was called “Asenath daughter of Poti-phera,” for she was raised in the home of Poti-phera and his wife, as if she were their own daughter. This narrative teaches that all is foreseen by God. Each of Jacob’s sons was born together with his future spouse, except for Joseph, who was not born together with his mate, since Asenath daughter of Dinah was fit to be his wife. God directed matters so that Joseph would find a wife when he went down to Egypt, and Asenath was suitable for him (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer [ed. Higger], chaps. 35, 37; Midrash Aggadah [ed. Buber], Gen. 41:45). ….

Joseph and Moses regarded quite differently by respective Pharaohs

by Damien F. Mackey This is absolutely extraordinary, unlike anything else in history, that a ruler would allow a seer to follow through on his dream interpretations to the extent that it would completely transform the appearance of his country. Moses, almost Joseph in reverse Joseph and Moses were quite different characters, the one from the other, and so were their circumstances in Egypt, and so were the Pharaohs whom they served. No sooner did I finish typing this than I read the following by Avraham Ben Yehuda: https://avrahambenyehuda.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/moses-as-the-opposite-of-joseph/ Moses as the Opposite of Joseph, Part 1 This entry was posted on December 29, 2013 …. * Genesis closes with Joseph foretelling the redemption; Exodus opens with Moses heralding the redemption. * Joseph, identified as a Hebrew, is known throughout as Joseph, the name given to him by his Hebrew mother, and despite the fact that the Egyptians gave him a new name; Moses, identified as an Egyptian, is known throughout as Moses, the name given him by his adopted Egyptian mother, despite the fact that his Hebrew parents gave him a different name. * Joseph went from being a “youth, Hebrew, slave” to being viceroy of Egypt; Moses went from being Pharaoh’s adopted son to the leader of the Hebrew slaves. * Joseph never had chance to become an experienced shepherd like his fathers and brothers; Moses left the Egyptian upperclass and became a shepherd, just like the patriarchs. * When Moses first received prophecy, his older brother was happy for him; when Joseph first started on the path to prophecy, his older brothers were enraged at him. * Moses was reluctant to spread the message he first received, but Joseph was all too eager to tell others of his portentous dreams. * Joseph enriched Egypt and acquired millions of slaves for Pharaoh; Moses crushed Egypt, taking away all of its wealth and slaves. * Joseph was eventually forgotten by the Egyptians; Moses was ultimately held in high esteem by the Egyptians. * Joseph urged his entire family to settle in Egypt; Moses sought to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. * Joseph told his people to make haste to settle in Egypt, and even sent wagons to ferry them; Moses took the Israelites out of Egypt by foot, and purposely took the long way to Canaan. * Joseph took his father’s remains for burial in Canaan accompanied by Egyptian chariots; Moses took Joseph’s bones for burial in Canaan and was pursued by the Egyptian chariots. * Joseph foresaw a famine and prepared by saving food; Moses had the people live day to day in the desert. * Joseph gathered “as much grain as there was sand at the sea,” and stored “the food of the surrounding fields in the cities,” and then moved the entire population of Egypt into the cities; Moses went out to see his brethren compelled to build similar cities for the Egyptians. (Compare Exodus 1:11 and 2:11.) * Joseph married the daughter of “Kohen On,” had two sons before the onset of the famine that made him famous, and invoked how he had been helped by God to forget his homeland when he named his firstborn; Moses married the daughter of “Kohen Midian,” had two sons before he returned to Egypt and became famous, and invoked how he felt that he was a stranger in his new land when he named his firstborn. * Joseph, the Hebrew, wanted to return home, and barring that, insisted that he be buried in Canaan; Moses, who wanted to enter the land only to observe the commandments, did not settle for or even ask to be buried in Canaan. * Joseph’s experience would symbolize the long and dark exile of the Jewish people, with trial followed by tribulation, but all along, his faith in God sustained him, and at each step of the way, we are told that God was with him, such that ultimately Joseph could declare that “God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Joseph’s ordeal was the paradigm of what our sages termed “a time of hester panim, divine concealment,” when God does not perform open miracles, nor does He communicate His will to a prophet, but Moses’s experience was replete with the … greatest display of direct and obvious divine intervention and awesome revelation in all of history. Moses was told from the outset that his mission would be accompanied by many miracles, and God spoke to him at every stage of the process. During the Exodus, the Israelites could see “the Lord’s Hand” and rightfully declare “this is my God!” The story of Moses would become the paradigm for the Redemption, when God makes His presence known to all by saving His people. …. [End of quote] The differing Pharaohs The Pharaoh of interest in the case of the patriarch Joseph was Horus Netjerikhet of Egypt’s Third Dynasty (Old Kingdom), who was the same ruler as Horus Netjerihedjet of Egypt’s Eleventh Dynasty (so-called ‘Middle’ Kingdom). I suspect that he was even younger than Joseph, at 30 (Genesis 41:46), and was completely overawed by this brilliant Hebrew who was able to interpret dreams, including his own worrying ones that presaged seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. This Pharaoh allowed Joseph virtual carte blanche to do whatever was necessary to save the nation. This resulted in the massive infrastructural work that we find undertaken during the Third/ Eleventh dynasties, much of which was directly connected with water and grain storage. I am talking about dams, massive grain storage facilities, and canals, including the one that even today bears Joseph’s very name, the Bahr Yusef. Much of this building activity was for short-term purpose only, lacking elaborate decoration, and was soon abandoned, having served the required purpose. This is absolutely extraordinary, unlike anything else in history, that a ruler would allow a seer to follow through on his dream interpretations to the extent that it would completely transformed the appearance of his country. As we read above (Avraham Ben Yehuda): * Joseph foresaw a famine and prepared by saving food; Moses had the people live day to day in the desert. * Joseph gathered “as much grain as there was sand at the sea,” and stored “the food of the surrounding fields in the cities,” and then moved the entire population of Egypt into the cities; Moses went out to see his brethren compelled to build similar cities for the Egyptians. (Compare Exodus 1:11 and 2:11.) Joseph, as Imhotep, known to have foretold a Seven Year famine during the reign of Horus Netjerikhet (the Sehel Famine Stela), also raised Egypt’s first pyramid, the mighty Step Pyramid of Saqqara, which I suspect may have been a material icon of his father Jacob’s vision of a Stairway to Heaven. Indeed, Egyptologist Joyce A. Tyldelsley calls the pyramids, “staircases to heaven”. In the case of Moses, there are initially (before the Exodus) two Pharaohs to take into account. And these, like the primary Pharaoh of Joseph, can be found both in Egypt’s Old and so-called ‘Middle’ kingdoms. The first one is the “new king” of Exodus 1:8, the Oppressor King who ordered infanticide, to curtail the growth of the Hebrews. Although this new dynastic king had no connections with Joseph, he must have been much inspired at least by his building works and canals which he could augment to promote his own magnificence. Thus began, amongst other major works, the Giza pyramid building project. Magnificent as they were, the Giza pyramids were not stepped, thus being stripped of their original meaning. Obviously, then, the first Oppressor Pharaoh belonged to the Giza pyramid building Fourth Dynasty, and he, as a “new king” was the dynastic founder, Khufu (Cheops). Khufu’s daughter, Meresankh, was the traditional “Merris” who drew baby Moses out of the water. As we read above (Avraham Ben Yehuda): * Joseph went from being a “youth, Hebrew, slave” to being viceroy of Egypt; Moses went from being Pharaoh’s adopted son to the leader of the Hebrew slaves. Though Moses was actually born amongst Hebrew slaves and adopted into the royal family. Thus Moses, like Joseph, came into favour under Pharaoh. Moses, who would certainly have been involved in the huge building projects of the time, was actually made Crown Prince, and later, for a brief time, became Pharaoh. Moses was both pharaoh Djedefre/Djedefhor (Fourth Dynasty) and pharaoh Userkare (Sixth Dynasty). But, despising the office, he soon abdicated. Moses would now go on to serve Egypt as Vizier and Chief Judge, as Weni (Uni) of the Sixth Dynasty, and as Mentuhotep (also the semi-legendary Sinuhe/Sanehat) of the Twelfth Dynasty. While Joseph was never officially elected as Pharaoh - and his ruler made clear that his position was second (Genesis 41:44) - he, in his greatness, seems eventually to have blanketted out the Pharaoh, not even bothering to mention him in various inscriptions. Joseph, Pharaoh-like, even bore the cartouche. He was also the First Dynasty potentate, Den, no doubt serving the Famine Pharaoh of that dynasty, Djet (= Netjerihedjet?) – for during the reign of King Djet, there was a great famine (Manetho). Den had a set of names that, collectively, scream Joseph: Den (he brings water) was Khasti (foreigner) and Usaph-ais (Yusef = Joseph) “The Foreigner, Joseph, who brings water”. As Imhotep, Joseph was also the mighty Khasekhemui Hetep-Imef (= Imhotep), and Sekhemet, whose other name was Zoser (Djoser-ti). Thus the famed, but enigmatic, Zoser, was Joseph, not Horus Netjerikhet as is generally thought. All this brings us to a radical difference in personalities between Joseph and Moses. It was already noted above (Avraham Ben Yehuda): * Moses was reluctant to spread the message he first received, but Joseph was all too eager to tell others of his portentous dreams. Joseph was boastful of his dreams and, consequently, greatly irritated his family. He was greater than the Sun, the Moon and the stars (Genesis 37:9). And he appears to have carried this sentiment through in his career, completely eclipsing Horus Netjerikhet and whatever ruling dynasty. In fact, if he was the powerful Ankhtifi, as I have previously suggested, he completely ignored Pharaoh in his inscriptions and boasted that he was a man like no other, ever! “I am a man without equal …. I am the front of people and the back of people because (my) like will not exist; he will not exist. (My) like could not have been born; he was not born”. Autobiography of Ankhtifi Which, to give him his due, he virtually was. The wise Sirach, at a much later time, may have picked up Ankhtifi’s boast when he wrote almost identically (Sirach 49:15): “Nor was anyone ever born like Joseph …”. Moses, on the other hand, who may have been formally Crown Prince, which Joseph never was, and, for a time, even a Pharaoh, which Joseph never formally was, despised the office and abdicated. Far from being boastful, “Moses was the mildest man, over all men that dwelled in earth” (Numbers 12:3). And, whereas Joseph may have shrewdly set himself up to high status when he said to the (young?) Pharaoh (Genesis 41:33): ‘And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt’, Moses, full of dread, resisted the Lord when told that he had to lead his people out of Egypt, trying to excuse himself with his lack of eloquence (Exodus 4:10): “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue’.” By the time that the dynastic founding Pharaoh had died, apparently assassinated, and was succeeded by his son, the traditional “Chenephres”, husband of “Merris”, Moses had slipped back into his favourite role as servant. “Chenephres”, obviously now Khafra (Chephren) builder of the second Giza pyramid, had indeed married Khufu’s daughter, Meresankh. The Greek name “Chenephres” is taken from the Egyptian name, Kaneferre, which can also be presented, inverted, as Neferkare, a name belonging to both Pepi (Sixth Dynasty) and Sesostris so-called I (Twelfth Dynasty). It is all one and the same second Oppressor Pharaoh of the Hebrews. Appropriately the career of Sinuhe, the literary Moses, will occur during the succession, Amenemhet and Sesostris. As far as we know, Joseph never experienced any major opposition from any Pharaoh. But Moses, who had been well regarded by the first Oppressor Pharaoh, will come to be treated most shabbily by “Chenephres”. Moses had immersed himself in scholarship, and had become a writer of wise Maxims (as Kagemni/ Ptahhotep/Djedefhor). He was highly regarded, and his advice was sought after. Later he, like Imhotep, would be deified and virtually canonised. But “Chenephres” - who, like King Saul with regard to the highly popular and successful David - grew to hate him out of jealousy and wanted Moses dead. He sent him on dangerous missions with inferior troops. But Moses, just like David would, turned these situations into victories through sheer genius. Finally “Chenephres”, as Pepi Neferkare (a garbled version of this occurs in Sinuhe, in the reign of Sesostris Neferkare) found the excuse he needed to hunt down Moses after the latter had killed an Egyptian. Pharaoh Pepi then established damnatio memoriae upon Moses (as Userkare) and relegated his kingship to the “desert”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Userkare

Moses, not Joseph, pertains to Egyptian Fifth-Twelfth dynasty

by Damien F. Mackey As, I think, Noah and the Genesis Flood enable for a radical revision of the Geological (Ice) and Stone Ages, so will the long life of Moses, who carefully presents himself as “a new Noah” (see I. Kikawada and A. Quinn’s Before Abraham Was. The Unity of Genesis 1-11, 1985), enable for a stringent tightening up of what are thought to have been some very powerful Egyptian dynasties, stretched out, in Procrustean fashion, over the ‘bed’ of supposedly two separate Egyptian kingdoms. Introduction “Merris” - the Egyptian foster-mother of Moses, and wife of “Chenephres” (Eusebius/ Artapanus) - the “Pharaoh’s daughter” (Hebrews 11:24), can be as a golden thread for us, tying together Egypt’s dynasties, as Meresankh (Merris + ankh), Fourth Dynasty and Fifth Dynasty, and as Ankhesenmerire, Sixth Dynasty. “Chenephres” (Kanefer[r]e), in turn, ties up, all at once, Khafra/Khafre (Chephren), Fourth Dynasty, Pepi Neferkare, Sixth Dynasty, Sesostris Neferkare, Twelfth Dynasty, and, perhaps, Sobekhotep (IV) Khanefer[r]e, Thirteenth Dynasty. The Thirteenth Dynasty pairing of Amenemhet (so-called VII) and Sobekhotep (Khanefer[r]e?) recalls Moses’s two pharaohs in the Twelfth Dynasty, Amenemhet and Sesostris Neferkare, adding a Sobek (Crocodile) name to the latter to accord with his female successor’s Crocodile name of Sobek-neferure. The woman, Sobekneferure (Twelfth Dynasty), may provide us with another thread, as this very rare moment of having a briefly-reigning female is to be found again at the end of the Fourth and Fifth dynasties, in Khentkaus. (“Khentkaus I, also known as Khentkawes, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the ninth [sic] and final ruler of the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period”): https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/Khentkaus_I_(Pharaonic_Survival), and at the end of the Sixth Dynasty, in so-called “Nitocris”. Moses, biblically a ‘ruler and judge’ (Exodus 2:14), can well connect with Kagemni, “Chief Justice and Vizier” of the Fourth/Sixth dynasties, with Ptahhotep-Akhethotep, “Chief Justice and Vizier” of the Fifth Dynasty, with Weni, Vizier and Chief Judge of the Sixth Dynasty, and with Mentuhotep, likewise Vizier and Chief Judge, of the Twelfth Dynasty. These multiple golden threads may serve to disqualify, as historical candidates for the biblical Joseph, Ptahhotep (Fifth Dynasty) - Dr. Ernest L. Martin - or, alternatively, Mentuhotep (Twelfth Dynasty), as favoured by Dr. Donovan Courville. According to my view, Moses was Ptahhotep (Akhethotep) - Mentuhotep. Can the Fifth and Twelfth dynasties be fused? Some of the following may need to be reconsidered, as Fifth Dynasty in Twelfth. (Taken entirely from Nicolas Grimal’s A History of Ancient Egypt, Blackwell 1994): P. 79: “The attribution of the Maxims to Ptahhotep does not necessarily mean that he was the actual author: the oldest versions date to the Middle Kingdom, and there is no proof that they were originally composed in the Old Kingdom, or, more specifically, at the end of the Fifth Dynasty. The question, moreover, is of no great importance”. P. 159: [Ammenemes I]. Like his predecessors [sic] in the Fifth Dynasty, the new ruler used literature to publicize the proofs of his legitimacy. He turned to the genre of prophecy: a premonitory recital placed in the mouth of Neferti, a Heliopolitan sage who bears certain similarities to the magician Djedi in Papyrus Westcar. Like Djedi, Neferti is summoned to the court of King Snofru, in whose reign the story is supposed to have taken place”. P. 164: “[Sesostris I]. Having revived the Heliopolitan tradition of taking Neferkare as his coronation name …”. P. 171: “Ammenemes IV reigned for a little less than ten years and by the time he died the country was once more moving into a decline. The reasons were similar to those that conspired to end the Old Kingdom”. Pp. 178-179: “The tradition of the Old Kingdom continued to influence Middle Kingdom royal statuary …”. P. 180: “The diversity of styles was accompanied by a general return to the royal tradition, which was expressed in the form of a variety of statues representing kings from past times, such as those of Sahure, Neuserre [Fifth Dynasty], Inyotef and Djoser created during the reign of Sesostris II”. P. 181: “A comparable set of statures represents Ammenemes III (Cairo, Egyptian Museum CG 385 from Hawara) … showing the king kneeling to present wine vessels, a type previously encountered at the end of the Old Kingdom (Cairo, Egyptian Museum CG 42013 …) …". The following description of the Fifth Dynasty expansion by Nicolas Grimal could just as well have been written of the Sixth, the Twelfth, Egyptian dynasties. It is apparently all one and the same. P. 76 During the fifth Dynasty Egypt seems to have been opened up to the outside world, both northwards and southwards. The reliefs in the mortuary temple built by …. Sahure, include the usual … conquered countries …. To which Grimal adds: “… (belonging more to rhetoric than to historical evidence)”. This is another observation that we frequently encounter in ancient history, a failure to believe a straightforward record only because the limited knowledge of historians prevents them from grasping the bigger picture. However, as Grimal then goes on to tell: … but they also show the return [sic] of a maritime trading expedition probably from Byblos, as well as forays into the Syrian hinterland; if the references to bears in these region are to be believed. A campaign against the Libyans has also been dated to Sahure’s reign …. Grimal then becomes negative again, adding: “… although there is some doubt surrounding this “. Re trade to Byblos, we find M. Bernal (Black Athena, p. 149) mentioning three Old Kingdom names in connection with it, all of whom are “new king” alter egos of mine: “… the names of Menkauḥōr and Izozi [= Isesi … as well as that of Sahureˁ …”. Sahure’s trade and exploits read like Snofru again, as well as others: … primarily economic: the exploitation of mines in the Sinai, diorite quarrying to the west of Aswan and an expedition to Punt, which is mentioned in the Palermo Stone and perhaps also depicted on the reliefs in Sahure’s mortuary temple. In one of Sahure’s names, Sephris (Manetho), I think that we might come close to Cheops’ name of Suphis (Manetho): http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn04/02khufu.html Just as in the case of the mighty and long-reigning Khufu (Cheops), one may find it very hard to imagine that a ruler of the significance of Djedkare Isesi (Assa), whose reign may have been as long as forty years - a figure that we have already found connected with the reign of Snofru - has only one image of which to boast: https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/djedkare/ “The only image of the king is from a temple to Osiris …”. N. Grimal tells: P. 79 [Djedkare’s] reign was long: Manetho suggests that it lasted about forty years, but this figure is not confirmed by the Turin Canon, which suggests a reign of only twenty-eight years. I am now of the view that Djedkare, too, is an alter ego of the (now most substantial) “new king” of Exodus 1:8. Fittingly (with Djedkare as an alter ego, I think, of 4th dynasty names), we find Djedkare Isesi adhering to “the Heliopolitan dogma”. P. 78 [Isesi] … without … moving away from the Heliopolitan dogma. He chose the name Djedkare – ‘The Ka of Ra is Stable’ – as his nsw-bity (king of Upper and Lower Egypt) title, thus placing himself under the protection of Ra …. Grimal proceeds to add here, “… but he did not build a sun temple …”. Neuserre, though, upon whom I have only briefly touched, and who “is remembered mainly for his sun temple at Abu Ghurob”, may be an alter ego of Djedkare. At: https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/djedkare/ a connection is made between Neuserre (Niuserre) and Menkauhor (a previous alter ego): “[Djedkare] may have been the son of his predecessor Menkauhor, but there is no positive evidence of this and it is also proposed by some that he was the son of Niuserre”. More likely, I think, Djedkare was Menkauhor, was Neuserre. The Turin Canon’s estimation of Djedkare’s reign length, “twenty-eight years”, comes close to Neuserre’s estimated (p. 77), “about twenty-five years”. Djedkare can remind one also of the previously discussed Sahure – the latter’s Horus and Nebty names, respectively, Neb-khau and Neb-khau-nebty, are replaced by just the one element (Djed) in Djedkare’s corresponding names, Djed-khau and Djed-khau-nebty. Grimal makes this comparison between Sahure and Djedkare Isesi: P. 79 Like Sahure, [Isesi] pursued a vigorous foreign policy that led him in similar directions [also, again, like Snofru]: to the Sinai, where two expeditions at ten-year intervals are recorded at Wadi Maghara; to the diorite quarries west of Abu Simbel; and further afield to Byblos and the land of Punt. …. P. 79 The acquisition of greater powers by officials continued during Isesi’s reign, leading to the development of a virtual feudal system. Likewise, with suggested alter ego Menkauhor: P. 78 It was during this period that the provincial governors and court officials gained greater power and independence, creating an unstoppable movement which essentially threatened the central authority. Likewise, with suggested alter ego Teti: P. 80 Thus ensconced in the legitimate royal line, [Teti] pursued a policy of co-operation with the nobles …. P. 81: “Clearly, Teti’s policy of pacifying the nobles bore fruit”. Likewise, with suggested alter ego Amenemes I: P. 160 … he allowed those nomarchs who had supported his cause … to retain their power … he reinforced their authority by reviving [?] ancient rites. Nor is one now surprised to read (p. 80): “… there were a good number of officials who served under Djedkare and Wenis as well as Teti …”, because this historical period in my revision … encompasses only two successive reigns. Correspondingly, we find in Auguste Mariette’s (https://pharaoh.se/library-vol-9) Note on a fragment of the Royal Papyrus and the Sixth Dynasty of Manetho the sequence … Tet [Teti], Unas [Wenis] …. They read: 1. Menkeher 2. Tet 3. Unas.

Are Joseph and Moses amongst sages named in Papyrus Chester Beatty IV?

by Damien F. Mackey Is there any here like Hordedef? Is there another like Imhotep? There have been none among our family like Neferti and Khety, their leader. Let me remind you the names of Ptahemdjedhuty and Khakheperreseneb. Is there another like Ptahhotep or Kaires? Papyrus Chester Beatty IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Immortality_of_Writers “The Immortality of Writers is an Ancient Egyptian wisdom text likely to have been used as an instructional work in schools. It is recorded on the verso side of the Chester Beatty IV papyrus (BM 10684) held in the British Museum. It is notable for its rationalist skeptical outlook, even more emphatic than in the Harper's Songs, regarding an afterlife. …. The scribe advises that writings of authors provide a more sure immortality than fine tombs. …. The text is dated to the transition period between the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty. …”. My comment: Egypt’s Nineteenth Dynasty must be fused with its Twentieth Dynasty inasmuch as Ramses II ‘the Great’ was the same as Ramses so-called III. See my article: Ramses II, Ramses III (5) Ramses II, Ramses III https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/authorspchb.html The immortality of the writer A Ramesside view (1200 BC) [sic] One of a group of Ramesside manuscripts from Deir el-Medina bears the longest surviving ancient Egyptian passage in praise of writing and writers as the safest means of ensuring immortality. It occurs within a longer composition urging an apprentice to persevere with writing, in the tradition of the Satire of Trades. According to this passage, whereas offering-chapels and families may not survive a thousand years, a writer is kept alive by his writings. This is not exactly the same as bodyless immortality of the name, where immortal existence consists of the memory of a person among others. The ancient Egyptian belief in immortality included the belief that the dead needed food and drink, and this was provided by the recital of the 'offering formula': the passage below reveals the concern that monuments might be destroyed, and families and friends might not be present in future generations, and that therefore individuals required a wider audience to pronounce the offering formula for their names. In Egyptology the passage is celebrated in particular for its list of famous names from the past, associated with writings (Paragraph 7 below). Of eight names, five are known from surviving compositions (Teachings of Hordedef and Ptahhotep; Khety possibly identified from the Satire of Trades; Khakheperraseneb from excerpts on one source; Prophecy of Neferty). Papyrus Chester Beatty IV (British Museum ESA 10684), verso, column 2, line 5 to column 3, line 11 Is there any here like Hordedef? Is there another like Imhotep? There have been none among our family like Neferti and Khety, their leader. Let me remind you the names of Ptahemdjedhuty and Khakheperreseneb. Is there another like Ptahhotep or Kaires? Based on what I have written recently, I can find at least one reference to Joseph here, as the celebrated sage, Imhotep: Enigmatic Imhotep – did he really exist? (6) Enigmatic Imhotep - did he really exist? And, given that another of Joseph’s alter egos was Sekhemkhet, an identification for Joseph with the wise Khety (Sekhem-khet?) might also be considered. Moses is definitely (my opinion) duplicated here, both as Hordedef (Hordjedef): Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt – albeit briefly? Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt - albeit briefly? and (see same article) as Ptahhotep.