, 1882-05-12
Egypt and the Bible.

When we look upon the records OF
this ancient kingdom, we find several
points of agreement, and in such way
as to show that the Bible did not copy
from the Egyptian records.
In Exodus we read OF king Pharaoh
and how he afflicted the children Of Is
rael. One verse which may seem to us
insignificant is Exodus i'll; "They
built for Pharaoh treasure cities. Pith-
ON and Raamses."
Pspyri, of the time OF Rameses III,
have been discovered, which give q
glowing description Of chain OF forti.
fed cities, which the hieroglyphics tell
us Pherao erected the two principal OF
which were Pachtum and Rhamases.
Besides this the very name Hebrews is
also there preserved, and officially re-
corded as the builders Of the city. This
papyrus is now preserved in Leyden,
Holland. In it one scribe reports to
his superior scribe, that in compliance
with his instructions, he has distributed
the rations among the soldiers, and also
among the Hebrews, who carry the
stones to the great city OF king Rame-
ses Miamun, lover of truth. Similar
distinct indications have also been
found on another Leyden papyrus, and
on a rock inscription. But the king OF
Egypt did not alone oppress the He
brews. These discoveries tell us that he
made expeditions to other nations, and
brought back captives, and even OPP
pressed the native Egyptians, so as to
compel them to aid in building these
cities. This is simply a commen-
tary on Ex. xii. 38; "And mixed
multitude also went up with them"
The Bible tells US q Chron. 12), that
after Rehoboam, SON OF Solomon, had
reigned awhile he forsook the Lord, and
80 the Lord sent Shishak, king OF Egypt,
with very great army composed not only
OF Egyptians, but also OF Lubim, (Lyb-
ians,) Sukkiim and Ethiopians, and he
took the fenced cities Of Judah and
came to Jerusalem. This Shishak is the
first king of Egypt, il l am not mistak-
en-, mentioned in the Bible by any other
name than Pharaoh. On his monu-
ments for the first time we read the
name of the Jewish kingdom. These
are found on one OF the columns at the
palace of Karnak, where he is repre-
sented as dragging at the feet OF his
gods, the chiefs OF thirty conquered ma
tions, and there is here mentioned the
kingdom OF Judah. We are also told
that some OF these conquered kingdoms
were TO the south where Ethiopia and
Lydia lay. There is also given long
list of the towns OF Palestine which
were conquered. Isaiah xx.1-5 prophe-
sizes in the year that Sargon, king OF
Assyria sent Tartan against Ashdod
that the king OF Assyria shall lead away
the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethio-
plans captives, young and old, naked
and barefoot, TO the shame OF Egypt,
and they shall be afraid and ashamed Of
Ethiopia their expectation, and OF Egypt
their glory. Nahum Gii.S-lO) seems to
refer to the same, or at least to some
great captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia,
with the city of No-AmmoD, or Thebes,
as its capital 1t might have been so.
For ages no one knew to the contrary.
There was no proof against it, and there
was nothing to prove that the prophe-
.cies had been fulfilled. 1t might have
been in two wars, and it might have
been in one. But modern discoveries
both in Assyria and Egypt show that all
of the statements we're fulfilled in one
war. Tirhakah, king OF Ethiopia had
conquered Egypt. There was continual
war between him and the king OF AS
syria After his death his son succeed
ed him, but the Egyptians attempted to
throw off his yoke. He marched against
them, but was met by the king OF AS
syria, who drove him back to Thebes,
and the newly discovered records say,
"'that they (the Assyrians) took pos.
session OF the whole city, and sacked 1t
to its foundations" They carried of
from this city, the gold, the silver and
many other things. Mention is also
made OF the captiyes, "male and female,
great and small" When we refer to the
religion OF the Egyptians, we find that
amidst their many gods, they recognlz-
ed one as Supreme,-who had no begin.
ming, and would have no end. And il
like Moses we inquire for his name we
shall fad it the same as revealed to him.
Nuk- -pu-nuk-I am that am. III is
name nowhere mentioned in the Bible,
except where the Israelites and Egypt
j ms were connected; strange to us, but
n name which was written with great SOL