More evidence of the historical fact of Genesis: Archeologists find 'Joseph-era' coins in Egypt
gabriel
More evidence for the accuracy of Genesis and the entire Bible.
www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/10/10/news-to-note-10102009#one
Archaeologists may have found evidence for the Joseph of Genesis
in Egypt, a news agency has reported.
Researchers in Egypt have discovered a cache of coins "bearing
the name and image of the biblical Joseph," the Jerusalem Post
reports. The news was originally reported by Egyptian paper
Al-Ahram and translated by MEMRI.
The coins-five hundred in all-were among a group of "small
archeological artifacts" at the Museum of Egypt and were
originally mistook for charms or ornaments. The leader of the
team, Sa'id Muhammad Thabet, found the coins in various vaults
while doing research on Joseph.
If true, the discovery overturns the previous contention that
ancient Egyptians were unfamiliar with coins and used a barter
system exclusively. Thabet originally questioned that idea when
reading a letter by an ancient Egyptian who served as royal
inspector of the Nile bridges. Named Thot-Nehet, he wrote of
leasing lands in exchange for coins and agricultural goods.
As for the coins themselves, Thabet noticed that what had been
classified as charms were actually round (or nearly round) and
bore an inscription on one side and an engraved image on the
other-just like coins throughout the centuries, including today.
The inscribed side of the objects bore the name of Egypt, a date,
and a value, while the engraved face of most bore the name and
image of an Egyptian pharaoh or deity. The objects also came in
various sizes and were made of precious materials. Also, similar
objects have been found at various archaeological sites, adding
to Thabet's suspicion that the objects were coins rather than
charms.
The coins are dated to many periods of Egyptian history,
including as far back as Joseph's time. Most interestingly, the
report matches up with Genesis 41 in describing "one coin that
had an inscription on it, and an image of a cow symbolizing
Pharaoh's dream about the seven fat cows and seven lean cows, and
the seven green stalks of grain and seven dry stalks of grain."
Furthermore, the researchers were able to decipher the writing on
the coin (which matched the earliest known hieroglyphic texts)
and make out multiple versions of Joseph's name as well as what
is purported to be an image of him.
If Thabet's research is correct, then we have another fascinating
confirmation of the reality of Genesis history. But as the
research has not yet been presented for review or otherwise
published (as far as we are aware), the accuracy of the research
remains in question. Baptist Press, in an article titled
"Evangelicals Skeptical about 'Joseph Coins'," quotes evangelical
scholars who are skeptical of Thabet's claims. "My initial
response is one of skepticism in that the 'interpretation' of the
coins is quite subjective," explained ancient Egypt expert Robert
Griffin of the University of Memphis.
Archaeologist Steven Ortiz of Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary concurred, noting that Thabet's team was seeking to
validate specific verses of the Koran with their discovery. Of
course, the motivation of Thabet's research doesn't necessarily
mean the findings are flawed; nonetheless, we'll reserve judgment
until the exact findings are published in a peer-reviewed
journal. Besides, our trust in Genesis (and the rest of God's
Word) doesn't ebb and flow with each new archaeological
discovery!
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Archeologists have discovered ancient Egyptian coins bearing the
name and image of the biblical Joseph, Cairo's Al Ahram newspaper
recently reported. Excerpts provided by MEMRI show that the coins
were discovered among a multitude of unsorted artifacts stored at
the Museum of Egypt.
According to the report, the significance of the find is that
archeologists have found scientific evidence countering the claim
held by some historians that coins were not used for trade in
ancient Egypt, and that this was done through barter instead.
The period in which Joseph was regarded to have lived in Egypt
matches the minting of the coins in the cache, researchers said.
"A thorough examination revealed that the coins bore the year in
which they were minted and their value, or effigies of the
pharaohs [who ruled] at the time of their minting. Some of the
coins are from the time when Joseph lived in Egypt, and bear his
name and portrait," said the report.
The discovery of the cache prompted research team head Dr. Sa'id
Muhammad Thabet to seek Koranic verses that speak of coins used
in ancient Egypt.
"Studies by Dr. Thabet's team have revealed that what most
archeologists took for a kind of charm, and others took for an
ornament or adornment, is actually a coin. Several [facts led
them to this conclusion]: first, [the fact that] many such coins
have been found at various [archeological sites], and also [the
fact that] they are round or oval in shape, and have two faces:
one with an inscription, called the inscribed face, and one with
an image, called the engraved face - just like the coins we use
today," the report added.