After Par•ohꞋ Sa-hotep-ka-Ra En-yoteph 4th had related his dreams for Yo•seiphꞋ, Yo•seiphꞋ responded. "Your two dreams have the same meaning. What the ël•oh•imꞋ have purposed, they have communicated to Par•ohꞋ: The 7 good cows are 7 consecutive years of good crops; the seven good ears of corn. It's one dream. The 7 scrawny cows that followed them, like the 7 scorched ears of corn, will be 7 consecutive years of famine that will follow the 7 consecutive years of plenty.
The doubling of the dream means emphasis: the first 7 years will be very bounteous, the last 7 years will be very harsh, it has been established by the ël•oh•imꞋ, and the ël•oh•imꞋ will cause it to happen imminently.
Therefore, Par•ohꞋ should now look for an understanding and wise man and put him over the ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim. Further, Par•ohꞋ should be the pâ•qidꞋ supervising pᵊqid•imꞋ over the land, collecting 20% of the crops during the 7 years of plenty to store and distribute during the 7 years of famine."
Gold-gilded Mërkâv•âhꞋ of Par•ohꞋ |
Yo•seiphꞋ's counsel seemed good to Par•ohꞋ, and to those of his court.
"Could we find a better man than this, in whom is the ruꞋakh of ël•oh•imꞋ?" Par•ohꞋ asked his court.
So Par•ohꞋ said to Yo•seiphꞋ, "Inasmuch as ël•oh•imꞋ has shown you all of these things, there is no one more understanding and wise than you, so you shall be over my house. By your mouth shall all of my people be blown your kiss. Only I, the throne, shall be greater than you."
Then Par•ohꞋ Sa-hotep-ka-Ra En-yoteph 4th took off his signet ring and placed it on Yo•seiphꞋ's finger, saying, "See, I have granted you to be over all the land" and dressed Yo•seiphꞋ in royal linen garb, placing a gold chain around Yo•seiphꞋ's neck and giving him his own second royal ride – a mërkâv•âhꞋ – to Yo•seiphꞋ.
Then every man of Par•ohꞋ's court responded "Ah•vᵊreikhꞋ!"
So Par•ohꞋ set him over all of the ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim and Par•ohꞋ said to Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh, "I am Par•ohꞋ! In disobedience to you shall no man in the ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim lift his hand to any project or his foot to any journey."
Then Par•ohꞋ bestowed on Yo•seiphꞋ the name "Tzâ•phᵊnatꞋ Pa•ᵊneiꞋakh" and gave him the daughter of the couple who had put him in jail, for a wife: named •sᵊn•atꞋ Bat-PōtꞋi-PhërꞋa, ko•heinꞋ of Ōn City. Then Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh went forth over ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim.
Yo•seiphꞋ was 30 years old when he stood before Par•ohꞋ, MëlꞋëkh Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim.
Then Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh went out from his meeting with Par•ohꞋ, traveling throughout ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim. In the first 7 years of plenty, the land produced by the fistful. And for each of the 7 years of plenty, he collected 20% of the crops across the entire ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim and stored the food locally; each city storing the food from its local surrounding fields. So Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh stored-up grain like the sand of the sea – a lot; until they stopped counting because the total exceeded the Egyptian number system!
Before the first year of famine, two sons were born to Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh by his Egyptian wife (•sᵊn•atꞋ Bat-PōtꞋi-PhërꞋa, ko•heinꞋ of Ōn City). And Yo•seiphꞋ named his first-born Mᵊnash•ëhꞋ – because ël•oh•imꞋ na•shaꞋni of all my labor and all of my father's house.
When his second son was born, Yo•seiphꞋ named him Ë•phᵊr•aꞋyim, because ël•oh•imꞋ hi•phᵊrahꞋni in the ërꞋëtz of my affliction. Then the 7 years of plenty in ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim came to an end.
Then the 7 years of famine began, as Yo•seiphꞋ had projected. There was famine throughout all of the lands of the ancient Near East. But throughout all of ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim there was bread. So when ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim became hungry, they shouted their protests at Par•ohꞋ. "Go take it up with Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh!" Par•ohꞋ responded to the crowds. "Whatever Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh tells you, do it!"
So the famine ravaged the entire Near East. Then Tzâ•phᵊn•atꞋ-Pa•nᵊeiꞋakh authorized the local authorities to open the granaries – and sold the grain to the Egyptians, making a windfall profit for the government of Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim and Par•ohꞋ Sa-hotep-ka-Ra En-yoteph 4th.
Soon, all of the surrounding countries of the ancient Near East were caravanning to Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim for food—including Yo•seiphꞋ's whole family from ërꞋëtz hâ-I•vᵊr•imꞋ.
Optional parental preparation:
Hebrew tradition viewed the years in cycles of 7 years (e.g., Shᵊmit•âhꞋ). Today, scientists more likely associate rainy winters in the Near East following El Niño years and dry winters following La Niña years.
What's a signet ring? (A gold ring, worn by rulers and government officials, with a negative image of their arms or seal of office carved into the face of the ring. The ring is used to seal a scroll or document by folding the document, melting seal over the seam and impressing the ring into the hot wax, which leaves a positive image of the arms or seal of office in the wax seal.)
Questions you might anticipate that your child might raise and be prepared to discuss:
What is a famine?
What does consecutive mean?
What does imminently mean?
How does one blow a kiss?