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Toward the end of Gen. 47 there are some very interesting "politico-theological" developments. At the height of the famine in Egypt, the people turn to Joseph for relief. He grants them food in exchange for their cattle. When their livestock runs out they turn to him again. ...
This time they offer to sell both *themselves* and their land. Joseph is only acting as a middleman here. The land is being bought up for Pharaoh. All the land *and people* of Egypt are now the property of Pharaoh. This suggests that, prior to this, the Pharaonic system was...
...more equitable, less centralized, perhaps based more on tribal affiliations. Difficult to say precisely. The point is that the centralized, absolute authority that we are used to associate with the Pharaoh's (who importantly are *god* kings) originated in *debt*. ...
Moreover, a debt that is perpetual and inherited by succeeding generations (sound familiar?). This includes a one fifth tax on all agricultural products (recall, all the land now belongs to Pharaoh). Only one class of people are exempt from this debt: the priests. ...
The priests get to keep their land and are exempt from all taxes. Now that the land belongs to Pharaoh, one of the first new policies is stated thus: "And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even unto the other end thereof"...
In other words, the tribal and land-based affiliations that probably reigned before are deliberately sabotaged, uprooted, in order to make a new, rootless working class that is answerable only to the central authority of Pharaoh.
Another really interesting detail here. The people, grateful for being given food to live on, say "Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants". This word "servants", in Hebrew "avadim", also means slaves.
In fact, it is the same exact word that is used to describe the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt. In other words, *everyone in Egypt was a slave* (except for the priestly caste), not only the Hebrews. That's not something you hear very often. The "theological" side of this. ...
...consists in the comparison to be made with man's relationship with God, which is often (albeit not always) expressed in terms of debt. When the Hebrews leave slavery in Egypt it is in order to be the "avadim" of God. Further more, just as the peoples were relocated. ...
...after Pharaoh took control of all the land, so the Hebrews are relocated from Egypt to Canaan, the property of their new master (God). A new priesthood is also established to whom (or "through" whom, as intermediaries with God) must be payed a tithe.
This was supposed to be part of the Bible thread: https://twitter.com/juanfitz4/status/1265114291268489216
