As both I and mvscal pointed out in the Abraham thread The Hyksos came into Egypt gradually and slowly became influential in Egypt during a decline of Egyptian society. For Egypt it had been a slow but great decline. Government had weakened and socially their society was breaking down. Foreigners from across the desert and from the Canaan consistently raided smaller Egyptian settlements across their controlled territory and settled looking for water during a time of extreme drought throughout the region; the relaxed open lifestyles of the typically tolerant Egyptian gave way to mistrust and a tendency to rely upon themselves for protection from raiding parties, committed by foreigners, rather than the Egyptian rulers and their military. One of these groups the Hyksos slowly began to settle amongst them along with various other Semitic groups, among which were the Apiru (also called Habiru). The Hyksos were wiser than their Semite brethren though and instead of segregating themselves from Egyptian society as most of the Semites they embraced it almost entirely (with the exception of the concept of Ma’at which would be best described by me as the positive form of an Egyptian Taoism or Buddhism and belief in a sort of Karma/Ying and Yang for lack of a better description its polar opposite was Isfat the negative). The Hyksos dedicated temples to the Egyptian’s Pantheon of Gods, especially Set (Seth) who bore striking similarities to Baal and was also represented as Crocodile which was a beast of significant worship in their own society as well. The Hyksos also conspired with the Priests of Set who had grown to resent their marginalization by the Pharaohs and Priests of Amen-Ra.
When the Hyksos came down, from the areas now Israel and Syria, and began to influence Egypt they were not the only Semitics doing so. Many groups of Semites did so as well. What set the Hyksos apart was their advancement beyond that of their Semitic brethren in the arts, military tactics, military weaponry, and architecture. When people think of Chariots today they think of Egyptians but the Egyptians learned of this advanced machine of warfare from the Hyksos who used to their advantage well before the Egyptians ever knew of the concept.
It also wasn’t a completely peaceful seizure of power either. In the end the Hyksos did take over in what amounts to a military coup. They imprisoned the Pharohinic Royalty at Thebes on what we call today as House arrest. They knew better than to be so bold that to kill these peoples Living God and understood they were much more valuable to them alive and under their thumb.
The Hyksos began to take Egyptian throne names, King Apepi I took the throne name A-user-re (meaning Fashioned of Re) and the title “King of Upper and Lower Egypt – Son of Re” and the Egyptians, especially Seqenere Tao II the true “Son of Re – The Horus” to the Egyptian people this must have been as though they were being spit upon. The Egyptian people began to call him by another name, Apophis, the evil serpent God of the Egyptians. Epithets to the effect of “he of evil appearance” and “he of evil character” were commonly used to describe both Apepi and the Serpent God Apophis. Apepi I must have truly resented this and blamed Seqenere Tao II for not endorsing his rightful claim to being the incarnation of Horus as the ruler Egypt from his perspective at least. His family had been kind enough to not put, the obviously inferior Egyptian rulers, under the sword and yet they had the audacity to deny him his rightful place amongst the Morning Star. In Avaris (one of the last holdouts not under the thumb of the Hyksos but not really being in any contact with the Pharaoh) had a book of liturgies describing itself as the The Book of Overthrowing Apophis in which it gave words, phrases, and acts (such as wax replicas of Apophis to be melted or shaved with a knife) to ward away the evil Hyksos.
This leads me to Joseph. I am of the personal opinion that at the end of this time period (which would have been under Apepi I) is the most likely timing for his time spent as a Vizer or Governor of Egypt. The Hyksos set many fellow Semites not of their particular tribe into places of power throughout the land of Egypt, it was common practice. They knew that their cause was best served by keeping the fellow Semites as happy as they were or they might face the same destiny as the Egyptians had with the slow degradation of power by tribal insurgencies. Joseph would have been a prime candidate for one of these positions. His father, uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather were all tribal/clan leaders and most likely based upon their descriptions in the bible with connections to some of the very few settlements in the Canaan’s hierarchy including Jerusalem ruled by the Jebusites. With such connections and such power a younger son would be exactly what they were looking for. Joseph with his advanced level of intelligence would probably have quickly moved up in status amongst the Hyksos ruler and eventually obtain a governorship or Vizer position.
I find it unlikely that Joseph was bought as a slave by Egyptians as slavery in Egypt, at the time, does not fit our traditional concept of slavery in the fact that their slaves were not really bought and sold from each other but were more like willing contractors who gave up their freedom for a better life, much like and indentured servant in early American Colonial history only just not for set amount of time it was until death. Joseph likely was sent down by his family willingly and the idea of his slavery a rationalization by the later scribes trying to rationalize Joseph for working and living with the people who would eventually enslave he and his brother’s descendants. There are other tell tale signs of this as well within the biblical account; references to camels as beast of burden and coins is a historical impossibility at this point in the human history of Egypt. If the description of a Horse drawn chariot within the bible is accurate (which it very well possibly might not be as I have shown that the descriptions of camels and coins to be an impossibility) it would squarely place Joseph’s time in Egypt during or after the Hyksos reign of Egypt. Being dated just about any closer in time would really throw a damper on the accepted historical stories of the biblical account in many fashions. His family likely followed him down to Egypt later, as many other Semites were doing, during a great drought. Their son was a high ranking member of the Hyksos Royal Court and knew that he would receive them and offer shelter.
Joseph coming in near the end would also explain the enigma of a passage in the OT that stated that a Pharaoh that knew not of Joseph coming to power. Genesis 8-9 states ”In the mean time there arose a new King over Egypt, that knew not Joseph. And said to his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.”
Apepi I and S. Tao II (sorry spelling that name over and over is getting tiresome and difficult :D ) differences came to a head when Apepi went directly to the Priesthood of Re with threats of death if they did not endorse him as the rightful and true God Horus and the Morning Star of Egypt. To this the Priesthood of Re scoffed at and basically told him that though he may rule Egypt in a physical sense he was neither the true Pharaoh nor the Horus. This outright defiance enraged Apepi I and though no one is sure if it was under his orders or not but shortly after this incident S. Tao II and the vast majority of his high priests were murdered at Thebes. The murder of S. Tao II was particularly gruesome as noted by Dr. Ian Wilson of Oxford University in detail:
(if any of you Christers have a problem with Ian Wilson you can kiss my red injun ass :P and then google his name)Ian Wilson wrote:”When in July of 1881, Emil Brugsch discovered the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses II, in the same casche was another royal corpse, some 300 years older than that of Rameses, and distinguished by its particularly putrid smell. According to the label this was the body of Seqenenre Tao II, one of the native Egyptian rulers forced to live far to the south in Thebes during the Hyksos period, and as was obvious even to the untutored eye, Seqenere had met a violent end. The middle of his forehead had been smashed in. Another blow had fractured his right eye socket, his right cheek bone, and his nose, A third had been delivered behind his left ear, shattering the mastoid bone and ending in the first vertebrae of the neck. Although in life he had clearly been a tall and handsome young man with black curly hair, the set expression on Seqenenre’s face showed that he had died in agony. After death he appears to have fared little better, as his body seems to have been left for some while before mummification; hence the putrid smell and signs of early decomposition
Egyptian records are silent on how on how Seqenerne met his end, but almost certainly it was at the hands of the Hyksos/Canaanites.”
Peter Clayton goes even further in his description:
Peter Clayton wrote:The terrible wounds on Seqenere’s skull were caused by at least two people attacking him with a dagger, an axe, a spear, and possibly a mace.
An interesting statement attributed to the Patriarch Jacob on his death bed in Egypt, that the Catholic Church has claimed as a prophecy of the messiah being killed by Jews, may (and this is a very large leap that I do not necessarily subscribe to but am open to the possibility) in the Old Testament which has no apparent meaning or context to anything previously stated in the bible:
Genesis 49:6
He we have reference to a killing that was important enough to mention, yet not explain. The statement was directed at Levi and Simeon (sons of the blind woman Leah whom he despised already according to the bible). These tribes were cursed because they killed a man but is it possible that that unnamed victim be S. Tao II? I find it doubtful but intriguing.Jacob/Israel wrote:"O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and their self will they dig down a wall”
I have another theory about Joseph I would like to present later but this is the one I personally subscribe to. If you differ, and I am sure you many of you will do you r thing… maybe you will change my opinion, it has been known to happen before.
At this point Kamose, S. Tao II, younger brother assumed the role of the Horus and Pharaoh and proceeded to start the uprising of Egypt against their Hyksos oppressors. Those that were not driven north were captured and enslaved. Amongst those were many of the tribes of Israel.
Kamose upon taking the throne promptly gave the Hyksos the finger in his own way by taking the throne name “Wadj-kheper-re” or in other words “Flourishing is the Manifestation of Re”. The New Kingdom of Egypt was soon to begin with the populace reinvigorated.
