WHO WAS IMHOTEP? Theory on the Prophet Joseph

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Arnold Yasin Mol

WHO WAS IMHOTEP? Theory on the Prophet Joseph

Post by Arnold Yasin Mol »

WHO WAS IMHOTEP?

This article has been borrowed from the site of archaeologist Ron Wyatt (www.wyattmuseum.com). It has been slightly edited to shorten the article.

Imhotep In the 3rd Dynasty, there appears on the scene a most incredible individual in the ancient records- a man called "Imhotep". For many years, Egyptologists had doubted that Imhotep had been a real person- they found it rather difficult to believe the various accomplishments credited to him in the accounts written over a thousand years after he was supposed to have lived. At times, Imhotep has been termed the "Leonardo da Vinci" of ancient Egypt, but in fact he was more than that. Da Vinci gained the reputation of a genius- Imhotep was eventually elevated to the status of a god.

In Egypt's long list of "gods", very few were ever once living among them. Imhotep was. Manetho wrote that "during his [Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty] reign lived Imouthes [i.e. Imhotep], who, because of his medical skill has the reputation of Asclepius among the Egyptians and who was the inventor of the art of building with hewn stone." It was this statement that caused the specialists to doubt the existence of a real man named Imhotep. But in 1926, the question was settled once and for all- Imhotep was a real man. When excavations were carried out at the Step Pyramid at Sakkara, fragments of a statue of pharaoh Djoser were found. The base was inscribed with the names of Djoser and of "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...".

Inscription of the 7 Year Famine Joseph's main position was that of a prime minister and Imhotep appears to be the first who could boast of such a broad range of authority in ancient Egypt. There are records of many, many viziers throughout Egyptian history- but the first evidence which connects Imhotep with Joseph is an amazing inscription found carved on a large rock on the island of Sihiel just below the First Cataract of the Nile. This inscription claims to be a copy of a document written by Djoser in the 18th year of his reign,- this copy being written over 1,000 years after the events it claims to be relating. It goes on to tell of a 7 year famine and 7 years of plenty. Let's look at a few passages from this inscription, keeping in mind that this was written a millenium after the events it claims to be describing.
It begins with the great distress of the pharaoh: "I was in distress on the Great Throne..."

In the inscription, the pharaoh is troubled about a famine and asks Imhotep who the god of the Nile is, so he can approach him about the drought: "... I asked him who was the Chamberlain,...Imhotep, the son of Ptah... `What is the birthplace of the Nile? Who is the god there? Who is the god?'" Imhotep answers: "I need the guidance of Him who presides over the fowling net,..." In the Egyptian text, Imhotep is termed "the son of Ptah", who was the Egyptian god known as the "creator" of everything else, including the other gods.

In the inscription, Imhotep answers the pharaoh about the god of the Nile and tells him where he lives. But, the next thing in the inscription tells that when the king slept, the Nile god Khnum, revealed himself to him in a dream and promised the Nile would pour forth her waters and the land would yield abundantly for 7 years, after a 7 year drought.
The inscription then goes on to record Djoser's promise to the Nile god, Khnum, in which the people were to be taxed 1/10 of everything, except for the priests of the "house of the god", who would be exempted.
It is believed that this inscription was written during the 2nd century BC, by the priests of Khnum for the purpose of justifying their claim of some land privileges. Part of the inscription states the pharaoh dedicated some of the land and taxation to the god. But, this isn't the only inscription with this "tale"- there is a similar inscription on the Isle of Philae, only this one has the priests of Isis stating that Djoser made the same gift to their god for the same purpose.


"Imhotep, the Voice of the God, Im (I AM)"

The name, Imhotep, in ancient Egyptian is translated to mean "the voice (or mouth) of Im"; however, there is no record of a god in Egypt called "Im". But, we all know the God, "I AM": EXO 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. God told Moses to tell the pharaoh that "I AM" had sent him because "I AM" was the name by which the Egyptians had known Joseph's God. Could "Im" have been "I AM"? The name the Bible states that was given to Joseph by the pharaoh, "Zaphenath-paneah", has been translated by some to mean, "the God lives; the God speaks". Since we do not fully understand the meaning of the Egyptian "hotep", it is quite possible that the translation of Imhotep ("The voice of I AM) is identical to the Biblical name of Joseph ("the God lives; the God speaks).


Imhotep, the Physician

Imhotep is the earliest physician whose historical records survive, and although Joseph isn't mentioned as being a physician, the Bible gives one very important clue to this: GEN 50:2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. Here, the physicians are specificly stated to be under Joseph. But later, when Imhotep became established as the "god of healing", it is the manner in which he healed that ties him directly to Joseph. Ancient Greek writings mention a great sanctuary at Memphis where people came from everywhere to seek cures from Imhotep.
They would pray to him, make offerings and then spend the night in this sanctuary, which was a sort of Lourdes of ancient Egypt. While sleeping, the god, Imhotep, was said to come to people in their dreams and cure them. Is there a connection between Joseph and dreams?
The Wisdom of Imhotep Imhotep was also revered for his wisdom. In several inscriptions from much later times, reference is made to the "words of Imhotep". For example, in "Song from the Tomb of King Intef", we read: "I have heard the words of Imhotep and Hardedef...", and it goes on to explain that their "sayings" were recited in his day. To date, nothing has been found of Imhotep's works, however there are several works of "wise sayings" attributed to one "Ptahotep", who is only known as a vizier of a king from the 5th dynasty. However, there are 5 known "Ptahoteps", all viziers to pharaohs of the 5th dynasty, all priests of Heliopolis, or "On".

Evidence seems to indicate that after Imhotep, the trend among viziers became patterned after him, with these later viziers taking credit for Imhotep's actual deeds and his writings- a practice which the Egyptians, among others, were notorious for. Now, let's do some assuming for a moment- let's assume that Joseph wrote a collection of wise sayings, of course, inspired by God. Because of his great favor with the king, these came to be revered by the scribes and people. His fame as a sage spread throughout Egypt and became the standard of wisdom. We know that his wisdom came from the true God of Abraham. Would it not be expected that Joseph would pass on his wisdom from God to those around him?
After Joseph's death, others copied his wise sayings and took credit for them, perhaps adding a bit of their own and changing things to suit them. As these sayings were passed down through several generations, instead of being attributed to Imhotep, they were attributed to Ptahotep, "the voice of" the Egyptian creator, "Ptah". Thousands of years later, several papyruses are found which purport to be copies of "The Instruction of Ptahotep".

Could this scenario have happened? There are 2 particular statements in Ptahotep's writings which indicate that this is exactly what happened. At the end of these manuscripts, the writer states that he is near death, having lived 110 years and that he received honors from the king exceeding those of the ancestors,- in other words, he received the most honors ever given a man by a pharaoh. And, we know that Joseph died at the age of 110 years. Well, it gets even more familiar as we examine the text of these manuscripts.
They begin as Solomon's Proverbs begin, as instructions to his son, with the admonition they are "profitable to him who will hear" but "woe to him who would neglect them". Keep in mind that the Originator of Joseph's wisdom was also the Originator of Solomon's wisdom, and the parallels between the 2 are undeniable. We are told in the Bible that Solomon knew many, many proverbs: 1KI 4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser... and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
This statement indicates that the concept of a "proverb" was known to the ancient peoples. We aren't told if Solomon was the author of all of these proverbs or whether they were passed down to him from his ancestors. There are examples of proverbs in many ancient civilizations, but the only ones which Solomon recorded by inspiration and today appear in the Bible are very similar to the ancient Egyptian "wisdom literature" which can be traced back to Imhotep. This doesn't mean that Solomon copied from the ancient Egyptians- it means that the God of His Fathers gave the same wisdom to his ancestors, who included Joseph, that He gave to Solomon.

The Bible records the fact that Joseph even taught the pharaoh's "senators". And while this wisdom was revered by the Egyptians and carried down through the ages by their sages who copied some of his writings, (claiming it as their own), some of these same "wisdom sayings" were recorded by some of Joseph's descendants over 700 years later, and ultimately were preserved for us in the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Psalms. But Joseph's wisdom didn't originate with him- it was divinely inspired, as was Solomon's wisdom, David's wisdom and the wisdom of all of God's people.


Imhotep Appointed Later in Djoser's Reign

We know that the pharaoh of Joseph had been king for an unknown period of time when Joseph was finally brought to him to interpret his dream. And the evidence shows that Imhotep was not Djoser's vizier earlier in his reign- in fact, no mention is made at all of Imhotep on Djoser's earlier monuments. Imhotep was not the architect of Djoser's tomb built at Beit Khallaf, which was probably undertaken soon after he became king. In this earlier tomb, which is similar to the preceding dynasties as Sakkara, there are clay sealings of jars which record Djoser's name, his mother's name, and the names of numerous other officials from his reign- but not Imhotep's, which indicates that he hadn't been appointed to his position yet.
The standard practice was for the pharaoh always to appoint men to office as soon as he took the throne, with family members being the highest ranked.

All available information about Imhotep continues to point to his identification with Joseph. For example, in some inscriptions, his titles indicate that he was not a member of the royal family, but a "self-made man". This was unique because the son of the pharaoh was usually the vizier. Imhotep was also the "priest of Heliopolis", the Biblical "On". Now in the story of Joseph, we learn that his father-in-law was the "priest of On" at the time of Joseph's marriage: GEN 41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On.

And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Since Asenath was old enough to marry Joseph at this time, it follows that her father was probably at least in his forties. And in ancient Egypt, the people didn't live too much longer than about 50. At his death or disability, it follows that his son-in-law would be assigned his position, especially if that son-in-law were so highly regarded by the pharaoh as Joseph was. If Joseph became the "Priest of On", was he being unfaithful to the true God? Absolutely not- the pharaoh had recognized the power of the God of Joseph, and even though the Egyptians remained idolaters, Joseph made them aware of his God and was unswerving in his loyalty to Him. The "Priest of On" was not termed the priest of a particular god- but the title instead seems to indicate a position of high honor and political importance.


Imhotep, the Architect of the 1st Pyramid

It was Imhotep who is credited with having designed the first pyramid and began building with hewn stone instead of all mud brick.
If we look at ancient Egyptian history, we can see evidence which shows that it was during the time of Djoser that Egypt became a truly great nation- after all, it had gathered the wealth of all the surrounding nations by selling them grain during the famine. And during the 7 years of plenty, the people, under Joseph's wise guidance, began to organize a great administrative center which would handle the selling of the grain to all the surrounding nations. A large complex was built which contained the future burial site of the pharaoh but also included a walled in center which contained huge grain bins.
There was only one entrance into this center and there was an outside entrance into the system of storage bins.
The Step Pyramid complex at Sakkara is the complex which we will now discuss. At the grain storage bins surrounding the Step Pyramid, the first ever built, and its complex, is a very beautiful and elaborate wall. At the main entrance on the east wall at the southern end, one enters a long hall of 40 columns- 20 on each side.

Each column is connected to the main wall by a perpendicular wall, forming small "rooms" between each column. As you exit this colonade and walk straight ahead, you come to a series of very large pits which extend deep into the earth. These are extremely large in size- much larger than any burial chambers; they are all centrally accessible by a connecting tunnel, extend to well above ground level, and one has a staircase extending down to the bottom. For this reason, we know that they were not built as tombs- if they were, they would have been constructed underground and they certainly would not have been so incredibly large. These massive structures extend to well above ground level, which indicates that they were not hidden, as were tombs. Because the ancient Egyptians buried their dead with so much valuable material and provisions for their "afterlife", plundering of tombs was always their biggest fear.

Therefore, we know that these massive pits had another purpose. Also, in all the other ancient cities, whenever large bins such as these were uncovered, they were recognized as "storage bins", but in Egypt, the scholars tend to term everything they find a "tomb".
However, in the pharaoh's burial complex under the pyramid, we find matching bins for the king and his family's afterlife- and in these bins were found grain and other food stuffs. In the Biblical account, we learn that Joseph appointed men throughout the land of Egypt to oversee the gathering and storing of the grain in all the cities: GEN 41:34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
Joseph had given this plan to the pharaoh prior to his appointment as vizier or prime minister, and since it would be impossible for him to oversee the gathering and storing for the entire country, we know he implemented this plan. We also know that when the famine began and the Egyptians began to cry for food, they were told to go to Joseph and do whatever he said, which indicates that he gave the orders for the distribution of the grain: GEN 41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

But when the foreign peoples came to purchase grain, we learn that they went directly to Joseph: GEN 42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph's brothers came directly to Joseph in person. We believe it is Sakkara to which they came- where the remains of this fantastic complex are preserved. And it was here that Djoser had 11 extremely large pits constructed which can only be grain storage bins. Every city had stored grain from its region, but at this complex at Sakarra, we have these massive pits which would have stored an incredible amount of grain- more than a single city would have needed.

At the entrance to this complex, as we described earlier, there are 40 small cubicles, each just the right size to hold a single person who could administer the receipt of payment from people coming to purchase grain. There could have been several "cashiers" of each language group to handle the purchases of those who spoke the various languages. Of course, the Egyptologists think all these little cubicles were for statues, however, no pedestals were found in the remains, which is a very important point, because these statues were always erected on pedestals. Statues may vanish, but pedestals remain. The design of the 11 pits is impressive.

There are 11 of them, with only one containing a very elaborate stairway extending all the way to the bottom. All the pits are connected to each other by a subterranean tunnel- the pits were filled and the tops were sealed with wooden timbers and stone. And, all of the grain could be accessed from one entrance- and there is one entrance into the pits from outside the wall enclosure of the complex. Last of all, grain was found in the floor of these pits, which has been explained by Egyptologists as having been from foods buried with deceased who were buried there- however, no evidence of burials was ever found in these pits.

When Joseph's brothers came to him for grain, they talked to Joseph and paid for the grain. When they received the grain, it was already in sacks: GEN 42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth. The complex at Sakkara is unique- nothing like it has ever been found. It was described by William Hayes as being a "veritable city in itself, planned and executed as a single unit and built of fine white limestone from the near-by Mukattam Hills." (The Scepter of Egypt, Vol. 1, p. 60.) In fact, Egyptologists tend to term everything they find as a royal "tomb", which is what they have called this complex.

But it in fact exhibits every feature indicative of being a center of great activity, a feature which again fits with the story of Joseph. When Joseph's brothers came to get grain, they came face to face with Joseph who was overseeing the distribution. Where did they go to get the grain? They went to wherever the grain was stored, and this was where Joseph was. And the storage of such a massive amount of grain would have required a large storage area, such as the extremely large pits found in this complex. It is also reasonable to expect to find the storage pits within an enclosure such as this complex, with an area for the payment of the grain. This was a "business" and would have required a center of administration. A great deal has been written about this complex, and most mention the uniqueness of it- something they cannot explain. In fact, when you ask the Egyptians what the huge pits were for, they admit that they just don't know.

Some ancient historians have written of the fact that the pyramids were once believed to be "Joseph's storage bins" for the grain, and perhaps this story has its roots in the fact Joseph designed the first pyramid in the same complex in which the grain was stored. But regardless of what the "experts" want to believe about the Step Pyramid complex, the circumstantial evidence fits the story of Joseph perfectly. And, it is one of the best preserved site in Egypt- certainly of the very old structures- and this is consistent with God's preservation of important evidences.
The Search for Imhotep's Tomb We know from the Bible that Joseph died in Egypt and was embalmed and placed in a coffin.

GEN 50:26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. But, when the children of Israel left during the Exodus, his bones were taken with them: EXO 13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. This leads us to think that Joseph would have had a royal tomb in Egypt, but that it was possibly taken over and used by someone else, we just don't really know. But one of the big mysteries for Egyptologists has been the tomb of Imhotep- they simply can't find it although they know it should be somewhere in Sakkara. So important is Imhotep to Egyptology, that in the Guidebook to Sakkara by Jill Kamil, "The Tomb of Imhotep" is listed as a subject heading, only to explain that it has not been found.

In our discussion of "Imhotep, the Physician", we mentioned that ancient Greek texts speak of a place near Memphis where people came to worship "Imhotep" and be healed. When excavators continued to search for Imhotep's tomb very near the Step Pyramid, they found an incredible labyrinth of underground tunnels, full of mummified ibis (birds) and bulls (in separate galleries). Inscriptions and coins found here show that people came here to be healed! They had found this "sanctuary to Imhotep" written of by the Greeks.

After the deification of Imhotep as "god of medicine", he was given the title, "Chief One of the Ibis"- and this was the connection of this labyrinth with Imhotep. These hundreds of thousands of ibis were mummified and brought here as tribute to Imhotep, filling these tunnels. It was later discovered that these galleries connected to a pit that extends down to a funerary chamber which contains an empty coffin. They also discovered that this chamber belonged to a very large mastaba tomb which contained a second chamber full of broken stone vessels, and in the tomb's storerooms were jars whose clay-stoppers had the seal impression of Djoser!

Here is absolute proof that this was the tomb of a very important person of Djoser's reign. No inscriptions were found on the walls and the sarcophagus was empty. But even more importantly, this mastaba is oriented to the north instead of the east, as the other pyramids and mastabas are. This was an important tomb of someone from Djoser's time- but the sarcophagus was empty. There was even found an inscription by an anonymous Greek who came here, telling how he was cured- and it was through a dream!
Arnold Yasin Mol

WHO WAS IMHOTEP? Theory on the Prophet Joseph

Post by Arnold Yasin Mol »

Surah 12 – Yusuf – Joseph

[Author's Note] This is the 12th Surah of the Qur’an. It has 111 verses. In this Surah, the story of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) is narrated. As usual, the Qur’an validates certain Biblical accounts while correcting the errors that were intermingled with the passage of time. And the Sublime purpose of the Book, even in historical accounts, consistently remains enlightenment for the reader. Prophet Jacob titled Israel, was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Jacob (Yaqoob) had twelve sons from four wives. Joseph the second youngest and Benjamin (Binyamin), the youngest had the same mother (Rachel). Joseph was born about 1700 BC in Hebron, Palestine, and according to the Bible died at the age of 110. There are two mandatory qualities for being a good leader: Sincerity and Competence.

12:4 Thus spoke Joseph to his father, "O My father! I saw in a dream eleven stars, and the sun, and the moon, I saw them prone themselves unto me!"
12:5 Jacob replied, "O My dear son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers. They might, out of envy, devise a scheme against you. Verily, selfish ego is man’s open enemy."
12:6 "Your Lord will elect you and give you outstanding insight into the reality of things. He will perfect His Grace upon you, and upon the House of Jacob, as He perfected it upon your forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Verily, your Lord is Knower, Wise.”
12:7 Indeed, in the story of Joseph and his brothers there are messages for all with a seeking mind.
12:8 Now Joseph’s brothers spoke thus to one another, "Joseph and his brother, Benjamin, are dearer to our father even though we are so many. Indeed our father is in plain aberration.”
12:9 One of them proposed, "Let us slay Joseph or leave him in a distant land. Then your father’s favor will be all for you, and your affairs will be adjusted right for you."

12:10 Another of them suggested, "Do not slay Joseph. Rather, if you must do something, cast him into a deep well, and some caravan may pick him up."
12:11 They said, "O Our father! Why don't you trust us with Joseph when we are good friends to him?"
12:12 "Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play. We will take good care of him."
12:13 Jacob said, "I worry that you take him with you to the wild and some wolf devours him when you are distracted.”
12:14 They said, "If a wolf devours him in the strong presence (of the ten) of us, will our lives be worth living?"
12:15 Unanimous in their decision, they led Joseph to cast him into a deep well. When they were placing Joseph in the well, We revealed to him that he would remain secure, and one day he would tell his brothers about what they did. We also revealed to him that it would be a mystery to them as to how Joseph was saved!
12:16 After carrying out their plan they came to their father at night weeping.
12:17 Saying, "O Our father! We went racing among us, and left Joseph by our belongings. A wolf did eat him up. We fear that you will not believe us even if we are telling the truth."
12:18 And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said, "I don't believe this story; you have made it up. I will remain steadfast in the face of your conspiracy, and Allah it is Whose help is sought in the kind of misfortune you describe to me."
12:19 And, there came a caravan, and they sent their water drawer. He let down his rope and pail into the well. He called in excitement, "Oh, what a lucky find! It is a teenage boy!" People of the caravan took him along as treasure. And Allah was Aware of what they did.
12:20 They sold him in the market for a low price, a few silver coins. His value they knew not.
12:21 The one who bought him in Egypt said to his wife, "Receive him honorably. Take good care of him. May be he can help us or we can adopt him as a son." We, thus, established Joseph in Egypt and arranged for him proper education and training. He was gifted with a great insight into events. Allah’s Command always prevails although most people won't understand the stages of cause and effect.
12:22 When Joseph reached his prime, We gave him wisdom and knowledge, since he lived upright. This is Our Law that We bestow knowledge and wisdom on those who live a balanced life in youth.

12:23 The lady of the house, tried to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, "I am all yours." He said, "May Allah preserve me! My Sustainer has placed me in a station of balanced character. Those who displace moral values with temptation do not prosper."
12:24 She desired him, and he would have desired her if he had not seen the Argument of his Lord, ("Go not close to adultery” 17:32). Obeying Our Command saved him from evil and lewdness. He was among Our sincere servants.
12:25 And they raced to the door and in the process, she tore his shirt from behind. They found her husband at the door. She said, "What should be the punishment for one who wanted to molest your wife, prison or some chastisement of pain?"
12:26 Joseph said, "She is the one who tried to seduce me." Now a member of her family came and suggested, "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she is telling the truth, and he is the liar.
12:27 And if his shirt is torn from the back then she lied, and he is telling the truth.”
12:28 When her husband saw the shirt torn from the back, he said, "This is the typical scheme of you women. Your scheming is formidable." (His discriminatory comment shows his anger, and that women in that society were not viewed well).
12:29 He said, "O Joseph! Forget about what happened. And you O woman! Ask forgiveness. For, you have been greatly at fault."
12:30 Women in the city started gossiping, "The governor's wife is trying to seduce her servant. She is deeply in love with him. But we see that she adopted the wrong tactics.”
12:31 When she heard their gossip, she invited them, and prepared comfortable couches for them, and they schemed. She gave a knife to each of the women. Then, she called Joseph, “Come out unto them!” And when they saw him they flattered him and ‘cut their hands’. They exclaimed in their flattery, “Good Lord! This is no mortal man! This is but an angel!” (The governor's wife and her friends had planned to incriminate Joseph, and they were just buying time. They made marks on their hands to feign self-defense. There is absolutely no mention of the supposed “beauty’ of Joseph, a fabrication adopted by most commentators from the Bible! Secondly, the root word QAT’A in this verse is of very special significance. Did these women chop off their hands? Must the thieves get their hands chopped off? Please see 5:38-39).

12:32 The lady of the house said, "This is he about whom you blamed me. I tried to seduce him but he preserved himself. Since he thinks he is an angel, and remains adamant against my command, he shall be imprisoned and brought low. (And, now we have the evidence against him with marks on your hands. We will humiliate him).
12:33 Joseph said, "O My Lord! Prison is dearer to me than these women’s schemes. If you did not help me fend off their design, I am afraid of their intimidation, and of behaving like the unguided."
12:34 His Lord heard his prayer, and helped Joseph remain steadfast in fending off their schemes. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Knower of all intentions and actions.
12:35 (The women brought a suit against him.) The judges after seeing the marks on their hands put him in prison for a time.
12:36 Two young men went to prison with him (for unrelated crimes). One of them (a butler) told his dream, "I saw myself making wine." The other (a baker) said, "I saw myself carrying bread on my head from which birds were eating. Can you tell us what this means? We see that you are a doer of good."
12:37 He said, "I will tell you the meaning before today's meal is served. But, remember, that it is my Lord Who teaches me through Revelation. I am not one of those who reject Allah's Laws and disbelieve in the accountability of the life to come.”
12:38 “I follow the creed of such ancestors as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not conceivable that we ever ascribe partners to Allah. This belief in the Oneness of God is of the Bounty of Allah upon us and upon all mankind. (It frees them from bondage to superstition and to ‘men of religion’). But the majority of people fail to grasp this point, and thus remain thankless.”
12:39 “O My prison mates! Are several masters better, or Allah, the One, the Dominant?”
12:40 "Those whom you worship and obey besides Him, are but names that you have named, you and your forefathers. Allah has revealed no authority for them. All ruling belongs to Allah alone. And there is no Judge but He. He has commanded that you serve none but Him. That is the Right Religion. But most people are not aware of this fact or disregard it in practice."
12:41 "O My prison mates! The first of you will be (restored as) the chief wine butler for the King. The other one (the chief baker of the King) will be crucified and birds will eat off his head. Thus is the case decided about what you ask."
12:42 Joseph asked the one whom he thought would be released, “Mention me in the presence of your King.” But, his selfish ways made him ignore to mention it to the King, so Joseph stayed in prison for a few years.

12:43 And one day the King of Egypt said to his court, "I have dreamed seven fat cows being eaten up by seven lean cows and seven green spikes of wheat and (seven) dry. O My chiefs! Explain to me my vision, if you can interpret dreams.”
12:44 They answered, "Confused nightmares! We are not skilled in interpreting such dreams."
12:45 The one who was released (the chief butler) at long last remembered. He said, "I can bring you the meaning, so send me forth."
12:46 He said, "Joseph! O you truthful one! Explain for us the seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and the seven green spikes of wheat and others dry. I wish to go back with information that they may know” (the interpretation and your value).
12:47 Joseph (without blaming him for his forgetfulness) told him the meaning and the way to avert the oncoming famine, “Work hard on agriculture for seven seasons. When you harvest the crop, only reap the amount you need. Leave the rest of the grains in the spikes (or store for the ensuing famine).”
12:48 “Then after that will come seven dry seasons which will use up all that you have prepared for them, but a little that you have stored up.”
12:49 “After that, one year will come with good rains and the crops will be plenty. You will get abundant grain and fruit, and a lot of oil and juice to squeeze.”
12:50 And the King said, “Bring him before me!” When the courier came to Joseph, he said, "Return to your King and ask him to find out the case of the women who marked their hands. Verily, my Lord knows their plot." (Joseph asked for investigation before being released, to vindicate his character).
12:51 The King sent for those women, and asked them, "What happened when you tried to seduce Joseph?" They answered, "Good Lord! We found no evil in him." The wife of the governor (Zelicha) couldn't hold back, "Now the truth is out. I was the one at fault and he is surely truthful."
12:52 (When Joseph learned this) He said, "I hope that the governor will realize that I never betrayed him in his absence. And Allah never leads to success those who betray Him and betray the trust of people."
12:53 "I do not claim that I am angelic, with no ego or desire. The human “Self” is not invincible against temptation (unless we make it surrender to the Divine Commands). It is my Lord’s Mercy that mankind are in control of their behavior. Verily, my Lord is Absolver of imperfections, Merciful.”
12:54 The King said, "Bring him to me so that I may appoint him a close adviser to me." And when he had spoken with him, the King decreed, "From today on you have a high standing with us, invested with all trust."

12:55 Joseph replied, "Place in my charge the treasury of the State. I shall be a competent custodian." (Now that he could personally handle the oncoming drought).
12:56 Thus, We gave established power to Joseph in the land (of Egypt). He had full mastery over it, ruling as he saw fit. We bestow Our Grace according to Our Laws, and never waste the reward of the doers of good.
12:57 And the reward in the life to come is phenomenally better for all those who attain belief and walk aright.
12:58 (And after some years) Joseph’s brothers came and presented themselves before him. Joseph recognized them, but they did not. (They came from Canaan to buy grain as places around Egypt started suffering the drought).
12:59 And when he had given them suitable provisions, he said, “Next time bring to me that brother of yours from your father’s side. Now you have seen that I am just and hospitable.”
12:60 "And if you don't bring him to me, you will get no share from me; you will not even come close."
12:61 They said, “We shall try to persuade his father to let him go; that we will surely do.”
12:62 Joseph said to his servants, “Load their barter (the price of wheat) back in their saddlebags. So that they may find it when they come home, and hence be more eager to return.”
12:63 When they went back to their father, they said, “O Our father! All grain is to be withheld from us unless you send with us our brother (Benjamin). So send him that we may obtain the measure, surely, we shall guard him well.”
12:64 Jacob said, "Shall I trust you with him as I trusted you with his brother? Allah is better at Guarding and He is the most Merciful of the merciful."
12:65 When they opened their packs, they discovered that their barter had been returned to them. (The grand minister, the Prophet of God, had paid on their behalf). They said, “O Our father! What more can we ask? We shall bring food for our family and guard our brother. And we shall have the extra measure of a camel load. The first load we have brought is but scant.”
12:66 Jacob said, “I will not send him with you till you give me a solemn pledge in the name of Allah, that you will bring him back to me unless you get surrounded (by circumstances beyond control). And when they gave him their solemn pledge, he said, "Allah is the Warden over all we say."

12:67 And he said, “O My sons! Do not enter the town all by one gate, but enter by different gates. Yet, I cannot avail you against the Divine Laws. (So, handle all situations accordingly). Rule and Law-giving belongs to Allah alone. In Him I trust, and everyone must place trust in Him since the Divine Laws never change." (17:77, 33:38, 35:43). (It is a common misconception that Jacob told his eleven sons to enter by different gates to obviate ‘evil eye’. Historically the brothers had been accused of spying on a previous occasion. The Qur’an consistently rejects all superstition. Genesis 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come).
12:68 When they went, they entered the town as their father instructed. Jacob was quite right that even he (a Prophet of God) could not avail them against the Divine Laws. It was a duty that he did (giving the correct advice to his sons), although it could not prevent what was to happen (with Benjamin 12:75-81). He was, by Our teaching, full of knowledge. And most people are devoid of that level of insight.
12:69 When they met with Joseph, he brought his brother closer to him and said, "I am your brother, do not grieve about what they have been doing to us."
12:70 As the camels were loading, one of the brothers hid the drinking-cup in Benjamin's saddlebag (12:77, 83, 89). Then a caller cried, "O Camel-riders! You are thieves!" (The Qur’an here corrects the statement in Genesis that it was Joseph who placed the cup in their pack).
12:71 They said, coming towards them, "What is it that you have lost?"
12:72 They said, “We have lost the King's cup, and whoever produces it shall have an extra camel-load, and I (the chief royal servant) guarantee that.”
12:73 They explained, “By God! Well you know that we did not come here to create mischief in the land, and we are no thieves.”
12:74 The callers asked, "What shall be the penalty for it if you prove liars?"
12:75 The brothers replied, "The penalty for it! He in whose bag the cup is found he shall be the penalty for it. (The thief belongs to you). Thus we requite the doers of such wrong (in our land)."
12:76 They were brought before Joseph for the search. He began with the bags of his half-brothers before the bag of his brother (Benjamin). And finally extracted the cup out of his brother’s bag. We thus perfected the plan for Joseph. He could not have detained his brother under the King's law. But that was the Will of Allah. We raise people in ranks according to Our Laws. And above every person of knowledge there is One who knows all.
12:77 The brothers said, "If he stole, so did his brother in the past." Joseph
stayed quiet, revealing nothing. He only said in his heart, "You are in worse case, and Allah is the Best Knower of what you allege."

12:78 They said to Joseph, "O Noble one! He has an aged father, so take one of us instead of him. We see that you are a doer of good."
12:79 Joseph (stressing the circumstantial evidence) answered, “God preserve us from detaining other than him with whom we have found our property. For, then we would indeed be unjust.”
12:80 So, when they lost hope, they conferred in solitude. The eldest among them said, “Don’t you know that your father took a solemn pledge from you in Allah’s name, and how you failed in the case of Joseph before? I shall not go from this place until my father gives leave or Allah judges for me. He is the Best of deciders.”
12:81 He told the rest of the nine brothers, “Return to your father and say, ‘O Our father! Verily, your son has stolen. We know for sure, because we witnessed it. That was something beyond our knowledge and control.
12:82 Ask the township where we were, and the caravan we came with. We are indeed telling the truth.’"
12:83 Jacob said, "Nay, you have made up yet another story good enough only for you. But I resort to decent forbearance. May Allah bring them all to me. Verily, He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise."
12:84 Then Jacob turned away from them saying, “Alas, my grief for Joseph!” His eyes glistened with tears but he suppressed his grief.” (Jacob worried more about Joseph since he had no news of him yet. Many exponents at this point have ventured into strange guesswork. They report that Prophet Jacob became blind with grief and cried incessantly for eighty years grieving for Joseph! The Bible relates that Jacob lived to be 147 years old. Even so, it is not befitting of a Prophet of God, or even an ordinary person, to turn blind with grief and weep incessantly for 80 years. The whiteness of his eyes in this verse clearly refers to his eyes glistening with tears momentarily. And then he controlled his grief).
12:85 His sons said, "By God! You will never cease remembering Joseph until your health is ruined or you perish."
12:86. He said, "I present my distress and anguish only to Allah and I know from Allah what you know not."
12:87 “O My sons! Go and find Joseph and his brother and never despair of the soothing Mercy of Allah. None but the disbelievers (in His Attributes) despair of the soothing Mercy of Allah.”
12:88 When they came before Joseph, they said, “O Noble one! We have suffered a lot of hardship along with our family. We bring only inferior barter to pay. So give us the full measure, and be charitable to us. Allah rewards the charitable.”
12:89 As he granted the request, Joseph said, “Do you remember what you did to Joseph and his brother in your ignorance?”
12:90 They exclaimed, “Wow! Is it indeed you who are Joseph?” He answered, “I am Joseph and this is my brother. Allah has been Gracious to us. Verily, if one walks aright and is steadfast, Allah never loses the reward of such doers of good.”
12:91 They said, “By God! Certainly Allah has raised you above us, and we were indeed at fault.”
12:92 Joseph said, “There is no blame on you this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
12:93 Now, go and take this royal shirt of mine and show it to my father. He will see the reality of things. Then, bring all your family to me.
12:94 As soon as the caravan departed from Egypt, their father (Jacob) began telling his neighbors in Canaan about the Revelation that his son Joseph was in a position of high authority. “I do indeed scent the presence of Joseph even though you may call me senile.”
12:95 The skeptics said, “By God! You are still in your old confusion.”
12:96 The caravan arrived in Canaan and the good news was given to Jacob. When Joseph’s royal shirt was shown to Jacob, he was delighted and his eyes saw the reality. He said, “Didn’t I tell you that I know from Allah what you know not ?”
12:97 They said, “O Our father! Ask forgiveness for us, for we trailed behind in your obedience, indeed we were at fault.”
12:98 Jacob answered, “I shall ask forgiveness for you from my Sustainer. Verily, He is Forgiving, Merciful.”
12:99 And when they came in before Joseph, he respectfully greeted his parents, “Welcome to Egypt! God willing you will be in safety and peace here.”
12:100 He raised his parents upon the throne of honor. All those present bowed to him in respect (To let his parents see the honor Allah had given their son). Joseph said, “O My father! This is how my Lord has made my dream come true. He has been very kind to me, since He freed me from the prison, and He has brought you here from the village. Satan (selfishness of my brothers) had sown enmity between us brothers. Verily, my Lord is Sublime in helping the worthy. He is the Knower, the Wise.”

12:101 Then, Joseph prayed, “O My Lord! You have indeed bestowed upon me some kingship, and have imparted to me the insight into events. Originator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Protecting Friend in the world and the Hereafter. Help me remain committed to your Commands till the last breath, and be counted among those who help augment the human potential.”
12:102 (O Prophet Muhammad) These are the chapters of the Unseen (history) that We reveal to you. You were not there when the brothers of Joseph decided together and were making their schemes.
12:103 (Although you narrated the accurate account of Joseph as they demanded), most of these people will not believe even as you compassionately so desire.
12:104 Although you ask them no reward for it. It is but a Reminder for the Worlds.
Maurice Abdullah
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WHO WAS IMHOTEP? Theory on the Prophet Joseph

Post by Maurice Abdullah »

Sallam Dear Brother
I had the good fortune of having the lights turned on so I could see inside this Tomb in Sakkara when I worked in Egypt as a Tunneling Engineer 1986/9, my friend asked the caretaker and he duly obliged as it was closed. it is indeed a beautiful site the whole complex compared to the Urine smelling pyramid of cheops, giza pyramid complex although a breathtaking site in itself.
And always held a place in my heart rating above the rest of egypt that I saw. though I had no Idea it was the area were Prophet Yusuf had controlled the harvest until 2007. And as wonderous as it may be it is through dreams all praise to Allah that My family and i have ended up were we are today. A beautiful Chapter of the Quran that always causes tears to flow.

My Lord! Enable me to be grateful for your blessings upon me and my family. Enable me to work for the betterment of humanity and thus please You. Include me, by Your Grace, among your righteous servants.

My Lord! Grant me the company of the righteous, and children who will be righteous.

My Lord! Absolve my imperfections and Verily, You are the Giver of Gifts.

My Lord! I am in dire need of any good that You bestow upon me and any opportunity that You provide me for doing good

Our Lord! In You we place our trust, unto You we turn, and unto You is the Final Destination

god bless you my dear arnold
student of life maurice abdullah buddin
Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, free with both community & professional support, and I invite you to participate too! "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word that means "Humanity to others".
HASBUNA KITABULLAH
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