| Country
in northeastern Africa through which the
Nile River flows. |
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Ramses II
1290-1224 B.C. |
Egypt was the home of
one of the world's ealiest civilizations. The Nile
River regularly flooded, providing a regular supply of fresh soil and
moisture for agriculture. Along the Nile the pharaohs of Egypt built
cities, temples, and monuments such as the pyramids. In
the Old Testament, Abraham went to Egypt during a famine
(Gen 12:10-14). Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt
(Gen 37:28), but when famine struck Canaan, his brothers came to Egypt to buy food (Gen
42-45). In time Joseph's father Jacob and the rest of his family settled
in eastern Egypt (Gen 46-47). As the years passed, the Israelites
were enslaved by the Egyptians, then delivered under the leadership of Moses, who led them on an exodus from Egypt
(Exod 1-15). Later generations had mixed relations with Egypt.
Solomon made a marriage alliance with
Egypt (1 Kings 3:1). Jeroboam was a refugee in Egypt before becoming
king of Israel's northern kingdom (1 Kings 11:40). King Josiah was
killed by the Egyptian army (2 Kings 23:29). After the fall of Jerusalem,
Jeremiah went to Egypt (Jer 42:6-7).
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