AUTHOR'S CHAPTER TO THE READER.
The idea of illustrating scenes of that period of the history of Egypt in which the Israelites were held in bondage by her kings, and presenting it from a point of view outside of the Mosaic narrative, yet strictly harmonizing therewith, occurred to the writer some years ago.
In view of his object, he has carefully studied the history and chronology of Egypt, and endeavored to inform his mind upon the manners, customs, laws, religion, and polity of the ancient Egyptians, so far as to aid him in an intelligent and practical execution of his work.
The difficulties which the question of dynasty, and of individual reigns have presented, will be understood by the Egyptian student. Whatsoever chronology or theory the author might finally decide upon, he saw would be open to the objections of adherents to the opposite school.
After a thorough examination of the subject of the dynasties, the author has followed, chiefly, the chronology and theory of Nolan and Seyffarth, whose opinions are sustained by the ablest scholars.
But this work is by no means a "Book on Egypt." It professes to have nothing more to do with Egyptian antiquities, mythology, chronology, and history, than these naturally assemble about his subject, which is, mainly, "The Bondage and Deliverance of the Children of Israel from the Land of Egypt."
The plan upon which the author has constructed his work is similar to that of "The Prince of the House of David;" viz., by presenting the scenes and events he would describe, through a series of letters, alleged to be written by one who is supposed to witness with his own eyes what he is made to place before those of the reader.
As in "The Prince of the House of David," a young Jewish maiden is supposed to witness many of the most remarkable scenes in the human life of the Lord Jesus, and to write of them to her father in Egypt, so in the present work a young prince of Phœnicia is made the medium of communication between the author and his reader.
This prince, Sesostris, the son of the king and queen of Phœnicia, upon reaching the age of eight-and-twenty, prepares to go into Egypt, for the purpose of studying the laws and arts, religion and government of that country, which, at this period, was the most powerful kingdom of the earth. Mistress of wisdom, learning, and letters, she drew to her brilliant court youths, nobles, philosophers, and travellers of all lands; as in later centuries, even in her decadence, Greece sent her scholars there to be perfected in the sciences and philosophies of her academies.
Young Sesostris takes leave of his mother, now a widowed queen, and embarks in the royal galley at the marble pier of the palace of the Isle of Tyre. He bears letters to Amense, the queen of Egypt, commending him to her courtesy.
Between Egypt and Phœnicia existed bonds, not only of friendly alliance, but of relationship. But few centuries had passed since a king of Phœnicia, at the head of a vast army of Syrians, invaded Egypt, and taking Memphis, set up a foreign throne in the valley of the Nile.
Under this dynasty of conquerors, Joseph ruled in Egypt, and Jacob dwelt; for, being Syrians, these new Pharaohs regarded with partiality the descendants of Abraham, who was also "a Syrian."
But after the death of Joseph, not many years elapsed ere the Theban kings of Upper Egypt invaded the Memphitic realm of the Nile, and, overturning the power of this foreign dynasty, friendly to the sons of Israel, re-established the native Egyptian monarchy, "which knew not Joseph," nor recognized the descendants of Abraham dwelling in the land. On the contrary, looking upon them as of similar lineage with the expelled Syrian or Assyrian invaders, as they were equally called, the new monarch and conqueror, Amosis, at once placed them in subjection, and oppressed them with a bitter bondage.
This new Egyptian monarchy, under Pharaoh-Amosis, came into power again, some years after the death of Joseph, during which period the children of Israel had increased to a great people. For the space of seventy years their oppression was continued by successive kings, until, under Amenophis I. (the father of Amense, "Pharaoh's daughter"), the alarming increase of the numbers of the Hebrews, led this monarch to take harsher measures with them, "for the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew."[1] Fearing for the stability of his kingdom, if they should rise upon their taskmasters, and remembering the Syrian shepherd-kings, who had so lately ruled Egypt, he issued the command for the destruction of all their male children, as soon as born!
At the time of the promulgation of this sanguinary edict, Amense was a young princess, to whose feet the little ark, containing the infant Moses, God-directed, came.
The theory of Egyptian chronology which we have decided to follow, represents this princess as the Queen of Egypt, at the time when we present the Prince Sesostris of Tyre to the reader Under her wise rule, Egypt had attained the culmination of its glory and power. Her father, having died, after reigning twenty-two years, she began her brilliant reign when Moses was twelve years of age—B. C. about 1560. She had been upon the throne twenty-one years, when the Prince Sesostris prepares to visit her court.
We will not longer delay presenting the reader to the Letters of Prince Sesostris, trusting that this feeble attempt to illustrate one of the most interesting periods of human history, as it might have appeared to a stranger in Egypt, may lead to a study of the Old Testament by many who are unfamiliar with its pages; and also show how, in his dealings with Pharaoh, God wielded not merely an arbitrary power, but that, in all the "mighty works" He did, He was striking at Egypt's gods, and asserting His own Divinity, as the Only Living and True God, "besides Whom there is none else."
The Author.
Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Jan. 1, 1859.
Note.—The Egyptian scholar, the critic, and the Biblical student are referred to the "Concluding Essay by the Author," in the Appendix, at the close of the volume.
[1] Exodus ii.