Tliis drought, which was repeated in A.D. 1201 (see page 

 62) occurred 95 years ( = 5 x 19) after that of Isaac in 

 B.C. 1804, and is 21 cycles of 171 years before A.D. 1883. 

 It will be seen from the diagram that from A.D. 1869 to 

 A.D. 1879 there were nine splendid seasons in succession 

 on the Nile, broken only by two bad years, viz., A.D. 1873 

 and 1877, which were much below the average. Tiie dry 

 seasons commenced in A.D. 1880, the drought gradually 

 increasing in intensity until in A.D. 1883 (B.C. 1708) after 

 three years of drought, the famine had spread all over the 

 land of Egypt, but the grain having been stored in all the 

 cities during the years of plenty, as directed by Joseph 

 (see xli, 48, 49), the people were saved from starvation. 



The drought continued to A.D. 1889 (B.C. 1702). Good 

 seasons commencing in A.D. 1890 (B.C. 1701) extending to 

 A.D. 1896 (B.C. 1695), when a more severe drought than 

 the one already experienced, commenced in the followim; 

 year. It is strange that no mention is made of this in the 

 Bible; but no doubt Joseph (who would, from his official 

 position under Pharoah, have access to the Nilometer 

 records) was aware of the impending drought, and made 

 provision for it, as he had previously done. The method 

 he adopted is fully described in xlvii, 13 to 26, wherein it 

 is stated that, the people being destitute, he bought up all 

 the land of Egypt for Pharoah, and established food depots 

 in the various cities in which the grain was stored. Seed 

 was distributed to the people on the understanding that 

 " in the increase one-fifth part shall be given to Pharoah," 

 the remaining four-fifths to be retained by them for their 

 subsistence. 



This does not appear to have been merely a tentative 

 measure, for, in (26) it is stated :— 



"And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this 

 day, that Pharoah should have the fifth part; except the land of 

 the priests only, which became not PharoahV 



