and feared by his neighbors. His favorite son was Joseph, and his
father's partiality excited the envy of the other sons. They conspired to
kill him, but changed their purpose through the influence of Reuben, and
cast him into a pit in the wilderness. While he lay there, a troop of
Ishmaelites appeared, and to them, at the advice of Judah, they sold him
as a slave, but pretended to their father that he was slain by wild
beasts, and produced, in attestation, his lacerated coat of colors. The
Ishmaelites carried Joseph to Egypt, and sold him to Potaphar, captain of
Pharaoh's guard. Before we follow his fortunes, we will turn our attention
to the land whence he was carried.

CHAPTER IV.

EGYPT AND THE PHARAOHS.

(M65) The first country to which Moses refers, in connection with the
Hebrew history, is Egypt. This favored land was the seat of one of the
oldest monarchies of the world. Although it would seem that Assyria was
first peopled, historians claim for Egypt a more remote antiquity. Whether
this claim can be substantiated or not, it is certain that Egypt was one
of the primeval seats of the race of Ham. Mizraim, the Scripture name for
the country, indicates that it was settled by a son of Ham. But if this is
true even, the tide of emigration from Armenia probably passed to the
southeast through Syria and Palestine, and hence the descendants of Ham
had probably occupied the land of Canaan before they crossed the desert
between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. I doubt if Egypt had older
cities than Damascus, Hebron, Zoar, and Tyre.

But Egypt certainly was a more powerful monarchy than any existing on the
earth in the time of Abraham.

(M66) Its language, traditions, and monuments alike point to a high
antiquity. It was probably inhabited by a mixed race, Shemitic as well as
Hamite; though the latter had the supremacy. The distinction of castes
indicates a mixed population, so that the ancients doubted whether Egypt
belonged to Asia or Africa. The people were not black, but of a reddish
color, with thick lips, straight black hair, and elongated eye, and sunk
in the degraded superstitions of the African race.

(M67) The geographical position indicates not only a high antiquity, but a
state favorable to great national wealth and power. The river Nile,
issuing from a great lake under the equator, runs 3,000 miles nearly due
north to the Mediterranean. Its annual inundations c