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surrounded them" (Genesis 41:48). Again Moses re- And he delaying to return to me, I sent my hand
corded: "Then the seven years of plenty which were in maid
the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine With a measure of silver, to bring me back a meas-
began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in ure of flour:
all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was And not being able to procure it, I sent her with a
bread....The famine was over all the face of the earth, measure of gold:
and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the And not being able to procure it, I sent her with a
Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of measure of pearls:
Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy And not being able to procure it, I commanded
grain, because the famine was severe in all the lands" them to be ground:
(Genesis 41:53-57). As the Book of Genesis recorded, And finding no profit in them, I am shut up here,
the seven-year famine was so severe in Egypt that Jo- Whosoever may hear of it, let him commiserate me;
seph, as the chief administrator, had to be very careful And should any woman adorn herself with an
in selling food from the precious grain reserves to sat- ornament
isfy the hunger of all the inhabitants of the surrounding From my ornaments, may she die with no other than
countries. Joseph could not sell the grain reserves of my death.
Egypt for gold and silver to everyone because of the
danger that the grain would run out. When the famine (Reported in Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie, PL. LIX.
was at its peak, grain was much more valuable than gold Translation by Charles Forster).
or money.
This ancient inscription reveals a Yemenite Arab noble
Explorers during the last century discovered a number woman's sincere complaint that she could not purchase
of other fascinating ancient inscriptions in the Middle Egypt's grain with her gold. It also reveals Joseph's de-
East that provided confirmation of facts recorded in termination to resist any appeal from a stranger offer-
the sacred Scriptures. Ebn Heshem, an Arab from ing gold in return for Egypt's precious grain reserves.
Yemen, showed the English explorer, Mr. Cruttenden, This determination reminds us of Joseph's similar re-
a rich tomb of a wealthy Yemenite woman who had solve earlier in his life when he resisted the attempt of
died during the time of the Egyptian famine recorded Potiphar's wife to destroy his virtue. The tragic history
in Genesis 41. This Yemenite tomb was fortunately of famines often recorded the bartering of the most
discovered around 1850 after being exposed following precious of metals and luxuries in trade for the small-
a flood that uncovered the grave site. est amount of food available.

The tomb contained the body of a rich noblewoman Recent Archaeological Finds Give
who was covered in beautiful jewels. Seven collars of
pearls surrounded her neck; her hands and feet were Tantalizing Glimpses of Bible Truths
covered with seven bracelets, armlets, rings, and ankle-
rings displaying costly jewels. In addition, her tomb JERUSALEM, Israel (EP) -- The Garden of Eden, the
contained a coffer filled with rich treasure. Great Flood and the Exodus can all be glimpsed in re-
cent archaeological finds which lend credence to the
However, the greatest treasure of all was a fascinating historical accounts of the Bible.
engraved stone tablet bearing her final inscription
which confirmed the biblical account of Joseph's care- A former NASA scientist has rediscovered a river that
ful management of the remaining food reserves during has been dry for most of recorded history, and some
the seven years of famine in Egypt. Bible scholars believe it is the Pishon river described
in Genesis as one of the rivers feeding the Garden of
A Yemenite Inscription About a Famine During Eden. Farouk el-Baz discovered the river while assess-
the Time of Joseph ing Gulf War damage to the Kuwaiti desert, after notic-
ing smooth pebbles of basalt and granite that were out
In thy name O God, the God of Hamyar, of place. Analysis of satellite photos turned up a dry
I Tajah, the daughter of Dzu Shefar, sent my stew- channel that was probably once a river.
ard to Joseph,
The second chapter of Genesis says the Pishon "winds

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