contrary to every natural view of the situation. We may therefore be prepared to find traces of the dual narrative in these vv.—10. On the land of Goshen, see the footnote.—be near to me] The clause is not inconsistent with the preceding; for, as compared with Canaan, Goshen was certainly 'near' to where Joseph dwelt. Nevertheless it is best regarded as a variant from E, continued in 11a. It is only in J that the Israelites are represented as dwelling in Goshen.—12-15. The close of Joseph's speech, followed by his affectionate embrace, and the free converse of the brethren.—13 and 14 (J) are respectively parallel to 9 and 15 (E). 16-20. Pharaoh's invitation.—This, as already explained, is peculiar to E. It is just possible (though hardly probable) that in this source Joseph's invitation (9-11) extended only to his father, while the idea of transplanting the whole family emanated from the king.—16a. Cf. v.2.—18. the best
10. (
Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters) (as 4634). The name is peculiar to J (4628.
29. 34 471. 4. 6. 27 508, Ex. 818 926† ); P has 'land of Ramses' (4711), cf. Ex. 111
1237, Nu. 335); while E uses no geographical designation. That P and
J mean the same locality is intrinsically probable (though Naville considers
that the land of Ramses was a larger area than Goshen), and is
confirmed by recent excavations. The city of Pithom (see on 4628) has
been identified by Naville with the modern Tell el-Maskhuṭa, 12 m. W
of Ismailia, in Wādī Ṭumīlāt, a long and narrow valley leading "straight
from the heart of the Delta to a break in the chain of the Bitter Lakes,"
and therefore marking a weak spot in the natural defences of Egypt
(Erman, LAE, 525 f.). In the same region, though not quite so far E,
excavations at the village of Ṣafṭ el-Ḥenneh have established its identity
with Pa-soft (also called on local inscrs. Kes), which is stated to have
been the capital of the 20th Nome of Lower Egypt. A rare name of
this nome is Kesem; and it is at least a plausible conjecture that this is
the same as the biblical (Hebrew characters) G ((Greek characters)); and if so the situation of Goshen is
fixed as a part of W. Ṭumīlāt surrounding Saft el-Ḥenneh. A confirmation
of this may be found in the (Greek characters) of G, for this in Græco-Roman
times (Ptol. iv. 5, 53) was the name of one of the 23 nomes of the Delta,
whose capital (Greek characters) (cf. Strabo, XVII. i. 26) has long been conjectured
to be the ancient Kes, preceded by the art. pa.—See Naville, Land of
Goshen, etc. (Fifth Memoir of EEF, 1887), 15 ff., 20; Store City of Pithom,
etc. (4 1903), 4 ff.; Spiegelberg, Aufenth. etc. 52; Müller in EB, 1758 ff.;
and Griffith in BD, ii. 232 f.—11. (Hebrew characters)] cf. 5021 (E).—(Hebrew characters)] 'lest thou
come to want' (lit. 'be dispossessed'); cf. Ju. 1415, Pr. 2013 2321 309.
17. (Hebrew characters)] (Greek characters) (Aram.); ct. [Aramaic: **], 4413 (J).—(Hebrew characters) Ex. 224, Nu. 204. 8.
11 (E), Ps. 7848† .—18. (Hebrew characters)] = 'best things,' as vv.20. 23 2410, 2 Ki. 89; G
