Nadene Goldfoot
The Pharaoh was inquisitive about his viceroy's father, Jacob of Canaan, and asked him his age and occupation. Joseph knew beforehand what the questions would be and so prepped Jacob.
(Gen.47:1-13). Joseph was his father's 11th son, 1st son of Rachel-Jacob's true love. Rachel died later in childbirth to Benjamin, raised by his step-mothers. Joseph was the apple of his father's eye, making his siblings very jealous, so jealous that they sold him to some passing Ishmaelites in a caravan one day who sold him again in Egypt. From this lowly position with the gift of dream interpretation, he rose to the position of viceroy to the pharaoh.
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Joseph spoke to the Pharaoh first and told him that his father and brothers were there in Goshen with their flocks, their cattle, everything they had. The Pharaoh then replied to Joseph that the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the region of Goshen, the best part of the land. If you think there are capable men among them, appoint them as chamberlains over my livestock.
Long-horned, humpless domestic cattle were well established in the Nile Valley by 4000 B.C. These cattle, known as the Egyptian or Hamitic
Joseph insinuates that they have brought both cattle and sheep. We know today that you have only one and not the other, and that sheep men and cattle men do not get along as their animals' needs are different. Sheep could ruin the cattle range. The pharaoh unknowingly is giving away good grazing land for his growing herd of cattle.
One of the most drawn-out of those conflicts was the so-called range wars. Beginning in the 1880s,
This is true in my father's day, and is the background of many cowboy movies, but not now with beef prices so high. They are finding some new facts, raising the two animals together these days. “The biological needs of sheep fit very well with cattle,” Ringwall says. That’s because cows and ewes tend to eat different things, Ollila says. Cattle eat the taller grasses while sheep eat forbs and short grasses.
Joseph picked out five of his brothers, the least muscular ones, to meet the Pharaoh first. The reason was that if Pharaoh were introduced to powerful men, he would enlist them in his military (so thought Rashi-rabbi in year 1040-1105). Joseph chose the five who were least impressive physically. Pharaoh asked them what their occupation was. They answered that they were shepherds, and that their forefathers had also been shepherds. Then they explained that there was no grazing land left for their flocks for the famine is severe in Canaan. They then asked permission to live in Goshen.
Joseph introduced Jacob, his father, to the pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and Pharaoh asked him how old he was. Jacob replied that he was 130 years old. He went on, saying that he'd had good and bad days so far, but he hadn't reached the old age yet that his ancestors had reached. Evidently he felt he was only middle-aged. Jacob blessed the pharaoh again, and left the room. Joseph had been his 11th son and he was already a man, 2nd only leader of Egypt under the pharaoh, having gone from slave to viceroy. The land was given to him and his brothers.
The Pharaoh knew the answer to his question he put to Jacob already because Joseph had told him about being shepherds, and his siblings had also told the Pharaoh. Pharaoh was just double checking on everyone's honesty.
Joseph had become ruler (under Pharaoh) over the land, much of the administrative power of Egypt was now concentrating in the Delta region (with the capital actually relocating there during the Hyksos period which followed). During a famine, due to irrigation, the Delta region would also suffer the least (Genesis 41:53-57). When Joseph wanted his family to move into the land, the Land of Goshen was a primary location for a number of reasons...
It was close to where Joseph lived and worked (including nearby large-scale food storage).
It was ideal land for raising flocks and herds
It kept them closer to a border area nearest Canaan
The final reason, listed above, has much intertwined with it. During this time in Egypt, shepherds were considered outcasts. Had Joseph's family needed to travel further into Egypt, away from their border of entry, it would have provoked reaction from the Egyptian people. All these reasons came together to enable Joseph to provide his people with some of the best land in the country (for tending livestock, versus growing crops).Genesis 46:28-43 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
(Was age given logical? This was over 4,000 years ago, and writing numerals was quite different. It's a miracle we still have copies of Moses' 5 books-this being in Genesis. Factual? Smudging of writing? style of numbering? It makes no difference. The heart of the story is profound and applicable for every generation of people. It all fits together like a 1000 piece puzzle is meant to end up.
Resource:
Tanakh, The Stone Edition
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.beefmagazine.com/pasture/sheep-cattle-the-combination-really-works
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