105 
of Egypt,” with “ chariots and horsemen,” — “ a very great 
host” — (HjnD, mahhaneh), besides, “the house of Joseph,” 
and the “ grievous mourning to the Egyptians” would become 
more natural in our eyes if, indeed, the royal house of Egypt 
were themselves “ sons of Kheth,” as Mariette tells us the 
Pharaohs of this Hyksos dynasty were; and as also in so impor- 
tant a sense and degree were the monarchs of the great 
XIXth dynasty, Seti and his line, worshippers of the Hittite 
god, Sutekh, as devout almost as Apapi himself. 
I do not think this has been duly taken into the account ; 
and, indeed, the greatness and historic importance of the 
Hittites is only dawning upon us, and their history is awaiting 
its vates sacer, in the person, I hope, of Prof. Sayce. It 
seems a very just observation, that “ Joseph spake unto the 
house of Pharaoh,” and not to the Pharaoh himself, for per- 
mission to go up to Khebron to bury his father, because the 
Hebrew custom of letting the hair and beard grow, and wear- 
ing sackcloth, in mourning, would exclude him from the pre- 
sence of “ his holiness.” This is one of the very numerous 
and varied points which display the “ HEgypticity,” as Ebers 
says, of the narrative. 
So, also, does the age of Joseph at his death. “Joseph 
died an hundred and ten. years old,” by which I under- 
stand that he had reached at least that desired age. Berosus 
gives a hundred and sixteen years as the ideal length of life.* 
But among the Egyptians a hundred and ten years was for 
many ages the desired limit. As instances we may take one 
of a very early date, another of the XIXth dynasty. The 
venerable Ptahhotep, who lived in the ancient time of the 
Yth dynasty, says, “I have passed 110 years of life by the 
gift of the king.”f And in a court poem, addressed to 
Seti II., the scribe assures him “thou shalt dwell 110 years 
on the earth.”J “It is the number of years,” writes Pierret,§ 
“ invariably adopted by the formulary of the inscriptions when- 
ever there is asked of the gods the boon of a long and happy 
existence.” 
“ And Joseph dwelt in Egypt ; he and his father’s house: 
and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.” || We may well 
notice with interest the statement with regard to his great 
descendant, Joshua, that he, also, “ died, a son of an hundred 
* T.S.B.A., iii. 147. 
X Chabas, XIXth Dyn ., 119. 
|| Gen. 1. 22. 
f Birch, Hist. Eg ., 51. 
§ Hid. d’Arch., 308. 
if Josh. xxiv. 29. 
