manded Jacob to depart, and to take up his abode at Bethel, where he had made a vow to build an altar when he began his flight from Esau. Without delay, Jacob prepared to obey the Divine command; and, in order that he might enter upon his new residence with all due care, and consecrate the altar with the utmost solemnity and devotion, he called upon all the members of his household to put away from them every fragment of idolatry or superstition; and they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak [terebinth] which was by Shechem.' (Gen. xxxv. 4.) Under the protection of the Almighty, the patriarch effected a safe journey to Bethel, where he built the promised altar, and was again cheered with a Divine revelation, including a repetition of the covenant promise. Jacob's stay at Bethel was rendered memorable in the annals of his family by the death of Deborah (a bee), Rebekah's nurse, who was buried under an oak or terebinth, hence called Allonbachuth (the oak of weeping). And, soon after he had quitted Bethel on his way southwards, Rachel, after having given birth to Benjamin, 'died, and was buried, in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.' After having once more halted beyond the tower of Edar,' 'Jacob came unto Isaac his father, unto [the grove of] Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.' The death of Isaac followed some years afterwards (B. c. 1716), as related in the previous chapter. ELEMENTARY AND GENERAL QUESTIONS. 132. Relate the circumstances of Jacob's journey from Canaan to Padan-Aram. 133. How did he encounter Rachel ? 134. Give an account of his marriages in Laban's family. 135. State the names of his twelve sons, commonly called the twelve patriarchs. 136. Relate the circumstances of Jacob's return to Canaan, including his meeting with Esau. 137. At what place did Jacob encamp on his arrival in Canaan? 138. How did he signalise this spot? 139. To what place did he remove from Shechem, and why? 140. What did he at Bethel-and what occurred to him there? 141. Where did Jacob find his father Isaac ? 142. What was the name of Rebekah's nurse? Where was she buried? 143. What were the circumstances, and the place, of the death of Rachel ? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. 144. What is the marginal reading instead of an hundred pieces of money' ? 145. How was Mahanaim distinguished in later times? 146. Give the meanings of the names of the twelve patriarchs; and of Bethel Galeed-Mizpah-Mahanaim-Israel-Peniel-Succoth--El-elohe-Israel -Deborah-Allon-bachuth. CHAPTER X. THE LATER HISTORY OF JACOB.-HISTORY OF JOSEPH. (Gen. xxxvii.-1.) Nor long after his settlement at Mamre (near Hebron), Jacob was plunged into distress by an event which to his apprehension wore the appearance of a family bereavement by death, but which eventually displayed itself under a different character, and became remarkable, as overruled by Divine Providence for the future preservation of the family, and as an introduction to that course of discipline with which it pleased God to visit the tribe of Abraham during several of the earlier centuries of its existence. Joseph, one of the two sons of Rachel, was treated by his father with that favouritism which must perhaps be regarded as another indication of the weakness of this patriarch's character a favouritism which induced him to lend an ear to an evil report concerning some of his brethren of which Joseph was the bearer while he was yet only seventeen years old, and manifested itself also by the present of a coat of many colours. Circumstances such as these aroused the jealousy of Joseph's elder brethren and this unhappy feeling was carried to its height when Joseph related to them two remarkable dreams; in one of which it appeared to him that while he and his brethren were binding sheaves in the field, his sheaf stood upright, and theirs did obeisance to it; and in the other it seemed that the sun, moon, and eleven stars did obeisance to himself. When he narrated the latter of these two dreams, his father rebuked him; but his brethren hated him on account of both. Some time afterwards, Joseph's brethren having gone to feed their father's flocks in the neighbourhood of Shechem, Jacob resolved to despatch Joseph to inquire concerning their welfare and the state of the flocks. After some search, he found them in Dothan, a place about twelve miles north of the more modern Samaria. Here the majority of his brethren formed the horrid design of taking away his life; but from this direct act of murder they were dissuaded by Reuben, who prevailed upon them to cast their victim into a pit, whence he intended afterwards to extricate him. This advice was followed, but soon afterwards there came in sight a caravan of Ishmaelite merchants, who were travelling, with drugs and spices, to Egypt, and to them, by the advice of Judah, the brethren sold Joseph as a slave, for twenty pieces of silver, i. e. probably twenty shekels, equal to nearly three pounds of our money. They then dipped Joseph's many-coloured coat in the blood of a kid; and, on their return home, exhibited the garment in this condition to their father, pretending that they had found it in the field, and effectually urging it as a proof that Joseph had been destroyed by a wild beast. Under this sad conviction Jacob mourned for his son many days (B. c. 1728). The design of a watchful Providence concerning Joseph immediately began to take effect. Having been carried down to Egypt, he was sold, probably in the public slave-market, to Potiphar, commander of Pharaoh's royal guard, whose confidence and favour he was enabled to secure to such an extent that he was made overseer of the whole house; thus becoming probably a deputy-governor of the prisoners, who were detained under Potiphar during the king's pleasure. After the lapse of some time, signalised by the great prosperity of Potiphar's affairs under Joseph's management, through the special blessing of Joseph's God, the servant of the Most High was tempted to the commission of a deep crime. In ancient Egypt, the females of the family were not kept in that state of seclusion which is now common in Oriental countries; and it was by Potiphar's wife, who had frequent opportunities of conversing with her husband's favourite slave,. that an attack was made upon his integrity and virtue. Joseph, however, resisted this temptation—as all inducements to sin ought to be met and overcome-by the pious and seasonable reflection, 'How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' And now came a still further trial-a trial of his faith in God. At first, it seemed that Joseph's innocence was left without protection: the good man and faithful servant was falsely accused of that very criminality which he had indignantly rejected, and under the weight of this accusation was thrown into prison. It appears, by reference to Egyptian laws and customs, that Potiphar did not possess the power of inflicting capital punishment in such a case as this, even on his own slave. Perhaps, indeed, he may have intended to visit him with some further tokens of his displeasure; but, be this as it may, there was One more mighty than Potiphar, who meant to do him good. God was secretly working in Joseph's favour. The prison in which he was incarcerated was one in which the king's prisoners were detained; and here Joseph, having gained the confidence of the keeper of the prison (that is, probably, the porter or jailer in immediate charge of the prisoners, who were under the superior charge of Potiphar himself *), soon * [Or, perhaps, of Potiphar's successor. See Smith's Dict. i. 1135.] found an opportunity of rendering important service to two of Pharaoh's high officers who had been committed to this place of custody. So great is the influence of a truly good man; so powerful the magnetic force of a heart filled with Divine life; and so wonderful the ways by which God makes good use of His faithful people! The two officers now brought within the sphere of Joseph's operation were Pharaoh's chief butler, or cup-bearer, and his chief baker, or cook, to whom their fellowprisoner, under the guidance of Divine inspiration, rightly expounded certain dreams-one portending to the chief cup-bearer his speedy restoration to office, the other announcing to the chief cook his death by the hands of the public executioner. The dream of the chief cup-bearer represented him as gathering grapes (a process which, as it appears from ancient monuments, was at that time common in Egypt *), and pressing the juice, as formerly, into the king's cup. The chief baker (or cook) dreamt that while (according to the now well-known custom of the country) he was carrying on his head three wicker baskets, the uppermost of which contained baked meats for the royal table, some birds came and devoured the food. The events corresponded to the interpretation of Joseph; and eventually-but not until after the lapse of two years-the chief cup-bearer was led to employ his influence at court in favour of the Hebrew prisoner. Pharaoh himself had two remarkable dreams, which all the magicians and wise men of Egypt failed to interpret; the one representing seven fat kine devoured by seven lean kine which appeared after them among the reedgrass on the banks of the Nile; and the other exhibiting seven full ears of corn on one stalk, devoured or exhausted by seven lean, or empty and withered, ears which sprang up after them. Under these circumstances the chief cup-bearer called Pharaoh's attention to the wonderful power of interpretationin fact, the special gift of God-possessed by Joseph who was in prison. The king immediately called for his attendance; and Joseph, having shaved himself (according to the Egyptian custom, not observed by more Oriental people), and having changed his raiment, repaired without delay to the presence of Pharaoh. And now the Egyptian monarch received from the falsely-accused Hebrew slave an interpretation of his dreams, delivered with an air of truthfulness and Divine authority suffi *On the authority of Herodotus and others it was long denied that the vine grew in Egypt; and if so, the imagery of the butler's dream would hardly have been appropriate. Wilkinson, however, has shown, beyond a question, that vines did grow in Egypt, and has thus not only removed a doubt, but given a positive confirmation of the sacred record (Manners of the Ancient Egyptians, ii. 152).'— KITTO's Biblical Cyclopædia, Art. JOSEPH. cient to commend it to his mind as being unquestionably correct. Joseph explained the two dreams as foreshowing a single course of events—namely, seven years of abundance in Egypt, to be followed by seven years of extreme scarcity; and at the same time he advised the king, in order to prevent the extreme miseries of famine, to lay up a store of corn in the cities during the coming years of plenty, under the care of some discreet and able minister. Pharaoh not only adopted this suggestion, but intrusted the management of the business to Joseph himself— now thirty years old-whom he appointed vizier, or governor over all Egypt (B. c. 1715), investing him with his own signet ring, a dress of fine linen, and a gold chain or necklace; causing him to occupy the second state chariot, in token that he was second in authority only to the crown; giving him the Egyptian name Zaphnath-paaneah (i. e. revealer of secrets, or as some say saviour of the world), and assigning to him in marriage Asenath, daughter of Poti-pherah, priest or prince of On (Heliopolis). Armed with this authority, Joseph laid up in store, during the seven years of abundance, so large a quantity of grain that, when the time of scarcity arrived, he was in a position to sell even to the inhabitants of neighbouring countries. as well as to the Egyptians, who now (except the priests) alienated to the sovereign their property in land, which they afterwards cultivated as tenants of the crown, while provision was made, so far as needful, under authority of government, for their settlement in cities. God, by the recent working of His providence, and in the use of strange and unpromising means, had thus raised Joseph to a post of eminence and of extensive usefulness. And now the time had arrived for the fulfilment of the Divine predictions contained in the dreams of Joseph himself, concerning his position with regard to all the other members of his family. On this occasion, Joseph, great in faith and great in statesmanship, will appear great also in his domestic sympathies, while yet retaining unshaken presence of mind and firm self-command. Canaan, in common with other countries, felt the pressure of scarcity; and Joseph's brethren, with the exception of Benjamin, were sent by their father into Egypt, to buy corn. this purpose, they appeared before the governor, and made obeisance, according to the Oriental custom, by prostrating themselves with their faces to the earth-thus remarkably fulfilling the dreams of Joseph's youth. Joseph at once knew his brethren, but they did not recognise him; and, feeling assured that the suffering of adversity would be the best means of bringing them to a right state of mind, or, perhaps, thinking it right to take some security for the eventual settlement of the For |