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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
us to enter into the whole atmosphere of Abraham’s time and authenticates the narrative, both in statements of fact and in what it implies as to the character of the age in which he lived. The story of the patriarchs has been found to have equally definite' histori cal foundation. The objection that be cause of a traditional antipathy Jacob could not have received asylum in Egypt is squarely met by recent dis coveries relating to the Hyksos dynasty. During an interim of several hundred years these Shepherd Kings, who were of Semitic origin, superseded the reign ing dynasty of Egypt and it was during this period that Jacob found refuge for his family and flocks in the land of Goshen. The stirring events of the life of Joseph have likewise left their unmistakable record. The grain stor age cities of Pithom and Rameses have been uncovered and even Joseph’s book keeping is revealed in the tally marks placed upon the walls as the granaries were filled. The reference in Exodus 1 to the rising of “ a king which knew not Joseph” probably marks the return of the old Egyptian line. Moses also becomes more and more a living, vital personage, and the histor ical setting of his time is increasingly clear. There is reason to believe that the actual mummy of the Pharaoh of the oppression has been found, and pos sibly that of the very princess who be came Moses’ foster mother. The bondage of God’s ancient people in Egypt has its touching accent in the discovery of re mains of structures wherein the lower courses of brick contain the papyrus fibre, followed by other courses where the fibre appears in diminishing quanti ty until it is practically absent alto gether. Thus the Bible narrative as to the rigors of Israel’s bondage is esi- tablished in complete detail. These illustrations merely suggest the great wealth of evidence confirm atory of Biblical history which has
more than accidental and to any reason able mind will reflect, on the one hand, a divine channel of revelation, and on the other, the natural corruption of a litera ture coming from a people steeped in superstition and immorality. I need not enter upon the question of the geo logical evidence of the flood to which, among other distinguished scientists, the late Prof. G. F. Wright devoted al most a lifetime of study. Sufficient it is to say that an overwhelming mass of corroborative evidence has. been pro duced and the ■underlying facts of the Biblical account securely established. A further instance of the strict his torical accuracy of Scripture is found in the evidence of the tablets bearing on Genesis 14. This chapter was formerly one of the storm centres of criticism, the advanced theologians insisting that the existence of such a civilization in Abraham’s time was contrary to the facts of history. But the Hammurabi tablets have settled the controversy for all time, and not only has it been es tablished that a higher civilization ex isted than the most extreme conserva tives supposed, but the great Hammura bi himself is found to have been none other than the Amraphel of Genesis 14. The names of others of the kings mem tioned, as well as that of a certain Abra ham, are found on the tablets, and the latter may yet be identified as the father of the Jewish nation. The Ham murabi tablets, which are only part of an immense library, form, when trans lated, a volume of large size, and in clude a code of laws long antedating the Mosaic Code and dealing with all phases of political, social and domestic life. The forms prescribed for the conveyance of real estate provide for a description by metes and bounds, sug gesting the conditions attached to Abraham’s purchase of the field of Ephron and anticipating the general form of conveyance which obtains to day. Archaeology has, in fact, enabled
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