Joseph found in Egypt

[mosheli]

(part 1.)
The biblical story of Joseph the son of Jacob in Egypt is well known to probably most everyone.
There have been many scholarly theories about which dynasty of ancient Egypt Joseph was in. Conventional scholars place him under the Hyksos (15th/16th dynasty). Rohl places him in the (11th-)12th dynasty. Moller & Wyatt place him in the 3rd dynasty.
Whatever dynasty Joseph was in Egypt during we should be able to find proof by finding Joseph himself.
Genesis in the Bible says that Pharoah called Joseph Zaphenath-paneah. Has anyone found such a named person in ancient Egyptian dynastic history (in a time as early in overall Egyptian history as Joseph is in overall biblical history)? Below we list the main extant hitherto theories about the name Zaphenath-paneah.

Versions of the biblical name:
Zaphenenath / Zap(h)(e)nat(h)-pa('a)nea(k)h / Zaf'en-ath_pan-ay'ah / / Zaf'uh-nath-puh-nee'uh / Z/s-p-n(-t(_p-'-n-h) / Sapenat_pa'(e)ne(c)ha / Safnatpa'neah / Ts(o)phnath-Pa'neach / Tsaph(e)nat(h)_pa'ne(a)ch(a) / Thafneos (Gildas), or (P)so(n)th(om)-phan((t)e)ch(os)/pane(a)ch (Septuagint, Josephus).

Theoretical original Egyptian (or Hebrew) renderings of the name:
Zat-en-aph / Zat(h)nap(h), Za-p-u-nt-p-a-anch / Za-pa-v-nt-pa-aa-ankh(u), Zoph-ent-pa-ankh(u), or Tsaphan/spn/sapan/zdphan/zaphan-paneach, or Sapirnatayuvf(n)anah, S-h-p-y-n-t-p-c-n-h, Sapneteph_onh, S-t-n-p_p-'-n-h, Se(d)-p-nute(r)-ef-onh, or D'fnt / T'f(n(t)) / T'd/T'f(a) + (m)nt/p(-)nutr / T'f-nt-pankh(u), Tchef(u)/Tchofneterp'anch(i), or Djed-pa-netjer-iw.f-ankh(u) / Ddp3ntriw.f'nh / Ddp3ntriwf-anh / Ddp3ntrfanh / D(d)-p'-nt(r)-iw.f-'nh / Dje(d)pa_nute(r)_('e)(f-')ankh(u) / D(ja)d(u)-naf_((')i)p(i)-(a)n(k)h(u) / ipu / Dd-n.f_'ip'ankh' / Djad_tu-naf / Djat-naf / Djed((u)-)en-efpa'anakh, Dafenenas / Dafelelas? or Gd-dn(-iw.f-'nh) / Gd-ipt-nt-iw.f-'nh / Gd-p3-ntr-iw.f-'nh, or Pssw/sh-nty/ntt-m-pnq / Psswntwmpnq, Psotm_peneh.

Theoretical meanings of the name in Egyptian or Hebrew:
"(the/a) expounder/revealer/discoverer of (godly) secrets", "a finder of (godly) mysteries", "the man to who mysteries/secrets are revealed", "one who reveals mysteries", "he who explains hidden things", "cover-uncover", "to hide(, treasure, store up, secret) + to (decipher, solve, decode,) interpret", "stored beautiful rest", "the one who has godlike wisdom", "the arbitrator/judge whose position is to pay/dole out provision", "my provision is god", "the provider of food by the living God", "(the) god speaks, [and] he lives", "... is alive, the life", "he/she who is called Anakh/life", "governor of the district of (the (place of) life/living one", "sustainer of life", "bread giver of life", "the one who furnishes the nourishment of life", "the one who furnishes the sustenance of the land", "the nourisher of the 2 lands", "saviour/preserver of the age/world", "salvation of the age", "healer of the world", "a fruitful vine", "the powerful governor of Egypt", "eternity, eternal", or "... Neith ..."?

The thing with most all of these theories is that they have not found any so named person matching Joseph in Egyptian history (or those few suggested matches of a few are pretty weak).

About 10 years ago we conducted our own search for which dynasty Joseph was in Egypt during. We searched all through dynastic Egyptian history and found that the only time that seems to best fit was around about the 3rd dynasty of Egypt. No other time seemed to fit as well. In the 3rd-4th dynasty period we found a number of seeming matches evidences that seem to confirm this Joseph placement. Finally some years ago now we also seemingly found a match for Zaphenath-paneah/Joseph himself. We noticed that the name and some details of "pharaoh/king" Sekhem(k)het of the 3rd dynasty seem to match the name and some details of Zaphenath(-paneah). In recent years we came to doubt this match though, but lately we again studied this possible match and we have again come to think & feel that this match seemingly surely must be right.

Names match:
First let us compare versions of the two names to show that the names surely are pretty similar.

Tsaph(e)nat(h) /
Zap(h)(e)nat(h)
Sekhem(k)het /
Se(s)chemchet /
"Szehemhet" /
"Sejemjet"

Zaf'en-at(h)
Sekhem-(k)het

(P)so(n)th(om)-
Sekhem-

(The 2nd part of Joseph's name Paneah is often supposed to be p-ankh, and it might match the ankh in Sekhemhet's other name Djoserty-ankh? Or the alternative Puh-nee'uh rendering of Paneah is possibly similar to the name of Sekhemhet's successor Huni/Huny?)

The a & e definitely can interchange. (Modern Egyptologists favour spelling names with e e.g. Re, Aten, Amen.) The n & m can interchange in/between some languages. The Hebrew ts/s/z or (p)s could match the Egyptian s/sz. (The s in Sekhemhet is represented by the folded cloth glyph and the letter was "originally unvoiced".) The final t(h) & t match. The second (k)h in Sekhem(k)het could be omitted/lost in Hebrew. Hyphen in same place in both names. The only more challenging match is the p(h)/f' & kh/h/ch in the middle, but in studying all the variant renderings of Zaphenath this does seem possible. (The 24 consonant Egyptian alphabet is at least uncertain what Hebrew y and f/ph would be in old kingdom Egyptian.)

An Egyptologist tried to trash the names match by claiming that the phonetic letters of the two names couldn't match. But when we look at the list of all the theoretical original Egyptian renderings of the name Zaphenath-paneah we see that there are many different "expert" theoretical renderings, and there is also no such named person matching Joseph in early Egyptian history.

Possible examples of Egyptian s matching Semitic ts/s/z:

Egy ser "rock"
Heb tzur/zur "rock" (Sadhe)

Egy sekh "liquid"
Heb tzuq "to pour or make liquid" (Sadhe)

Egy sua "to cry aloud, sing"
Heb tzuch "to cry out, joyful exclamation" (Sadhe)

Egy suha "to set up, erect"
Heb tzuh "to set up, constitute" (Tsade)

Egy seb "reptile"
Heb tzb "lizard" (tsade)

Egy sab "wolf, jackal"
Heb zab/zeeb "wolf" (but its zayin not tsade).
Heb tzboim "hyenas" (tsade)
Bab zibu "wolf"

Egy seb "star"?
Heb tzabaoth/sabaoth "hosts" (tsade)
zaba "starry host"
tzba "as a star" (tsade)

Egy sep "to turn, a turn"
Heb tzpr "to go in a circle, to turn, turn, turns" (sadhe)?

Egy sa "pass away"
Heb tzah "to go out" (sadhe)?

Egy sah "hinder part"
Heb zephon/saponi "north"
Heb zephan "secret"
sapan/zaphan "to hide, store up"
Saophis Comates "trafficker, getter"
So-khem/Sekhem/Sehem/khem "secret shrine"?

Egy ser "serpent, camelopard"
Ass/Akk tsir/sir "serpent"

Egy ser/tser "extend, elongate"
Ass/Akk tsiri "long, length

Egy smay "companion", zma "associate", s(e)ma "to join/unite"
Arab zamil "companion, fellow"

Egy sunt "to found"
Ass/Akk zunuti "foundation"?

Egy su "the body"
Ass/Akk zu/su "body"

Egy sema "encircle"
Ass zimu "circle, ring"

Egy sekaru "tower, fort"?
Ass ziggur(r)at "tower"

Egy ser "the ideographic arm"
Ass zaru "arms?"

Egy sart "to sow seed",
Akk zer "seed", Ass ziru "corn seed"

Egy Sekha "to remember, memory"
Heb zacc(h)ur "mindful"
Heb Zacher "memorial"
Heb zachariah "remembered"
Heb zichri "remembered, famous"
Ass zacaru "to record, to remember"

Egy su "papyrus"
Ass/Akk zu "parchment for writing?"

Egy se-Ra/sa-Re "son of the sun"
Heb zarah "sunrise"
Heb zerah "dawn"
Arab zarah "dawn"

Egy set "aromatic"
Heb ziz "a flower"

[mosheli]

(part 2.)
Possible names' meanings match:

Zaphenath-paneah "the powerful governor of Egypt"?
Sekhemhet "might/powerful (of/in (the)) body", "might/powerful (of/in the) pervading/spread/through-out".

Tsaphan/sapan/zaphan means "to hide(, treasure, store up, secret)", "hid, protected"
S(e)khem can mean "power, might" or "vital force", "scepter", "to have power", "(noun) a power", or "(to) prevail, shut place, to imprison" or "a shrine or sacred house, shrine (of the bearer), the shrine of the child Horus" or "secret shrine" or "most holy place",or "grey haired", "the perogative of divine beings and not used by humans".

Of this following list of our possible matches for the name & person Zaphenath &/or Paneah in the 3rd-4th dynasty only Sekhemhet seems to best match the name Zaphenath:
Sanakhte?
Sekhemhet/Djoserty-ankh?
Huni?
Sneferu?
Djed Sneferu?
Zazamankh/Djadjaemankh?
Saophis Comastes "trafficker, getter"?
Djedefre-ankh?
Sheshepankh/Sphinx "eternal living image"?
Shepseskaf?

Other details matches other than the names:

Zaphenath: pharaoh gave Joseph a gold chain or necklace of gold.
Sekhemhet: found in his pyramid complex was a golden necklace or "hollow gold tube".

Zaphenath: bones removed to Canaan.
Sekhemhet: intact sarcophagus found but no body found.

Zaphenath: 7 years plenty, 7 years famine.
Sekhemhet: Sekhemhet or the king in the king lists he is supposed to match reigned 6 or 7 years?
Sekhemhet's pyramid supposedly would have had 7 steps.

Zaphenath: Jacob later came to Egypt.
Sekhemhet: Khufu/Cheops comes soon after in king lists.
Khufu seems to match Jacob. khuf & cob/kov are similar. Both names have same meaning of "protect". Both had period of 17 years. Both had 3/4 wives. Etc.

Zaphenath: Some scholars claim similarities between Joseph & Imhotep (eg Mohler, Wyatt, etc).
Sekhemhet: Imhotep's name is found in graffiti on Sekhemhet's pyramid complex.

Zaphenath: 7 years famine.
Sekhemhet: His pyramid complex is nearby Djoser's, and Djoser is associated with a 7 years drought/famine in the Sehel/Philae inscription.
The Unas famine scenes are also next to Sekhemhet's pyramid complex.
Models of granaries in Old Kingdom tombs.

Zaphenath/Joseph: storehouses of Joseph.
Sekhemhet: 100/120/132 store/storage rooms/chambers/containers of Sekhemhet's pyramid complex. Wyatt also claimed there are "grain storage bins" in the nearby Step Pyramid complex of Djoser.

Zaphenath: 7 years plenty.
Sekhemhet: large/gaint fennel branch on his sarcophagus.

Zaphenath: His Hebrew name is Joseph.
Sekhemhet: His other name is Djoserty-ankh.

Zaphenath: He married Asenath daughter of Potiphera priest of On (Heliopolis).
Sekhemhet: Nebty or queen name Sen-nebty.
Nebty or queen name Htp-ren(...)(nebty).
His pyramid complex at Sakkara is not far from Heliopolis (On).

Zapheanth/Joseph: was vizier (tjaty).
Sekhemhet: Birth/Horus/secondary name Teti/Tety/Itety? (Though scholars may be wrong in matching Sekhemhet with Teti in the king lists.)
"from earliest times viziers and other officials of important rank held the sekhem [scepter]"?

Zapenath/Joseph: Is called "the all-comely" in Jewish tradition. Genesis & Josephus says/implies he was beautiful/handsome/good-looking.
Sekhemhet: His name means "might/powerful (of/in the) body".

Zaphenath: Joseph was a foreigner. Pharaoh placed him over all Egypt. He lived to a 110 years old.
Sekhemhet: His name could mean "Grey haired Son of a foreigner ruling overall" or "grey haired ruler over all"?

Zaphenath/Joseph: rode in 2nd chariot.
Sekhemhet: ramp enterance to his buried pyramid complex.

Zaphenath: 70 souls. 70 days.
Sekhemhet: His pyramid has a 72 degrees slope.

Zaphenath/Joseph: was in Pharaoh's/Potiphar's prison for 2 yrs.
Sekhemhet: sekhem can mean "shut place, imprison".

Zaphenath/Joseph: "He was only vizier and was not a king/pharaoh".
Genesis 45:8 says "he has made me a father to Pharaoh".
Pharaoh placed him over all the land and made him 2nd only to himself. He gave him his signet ring. Joseph rode in the 2nd chariot, they called abrech "bow the knee". He was adon "lord" over the land. He saved Egypt and made it great.
His brothers bowed to him (like in the dream), and he was ruler over the Hebrews in Egypt. The "head of Joseph" in Genesis 49. Pharoah placed his brothers over his "cattle". His brothers were afraid of him after Jacob/Israel died.
The "eternal mountains" of Joseph in Genesis 49 might be pyramids (and "pyramids are supposed to be pharaohs' tombs"). He was placed in coffin.
"A new king who knew not Joseph" could imply that Joseph or his sons were married into the royal dynastic line?
(In the story of Bata and Anpu('s wife), which is similar to Joseph and Potiphar's wife, Bata becomes ruler/king/pharaoh at the end.)
Sekhemhet: He is supposed by modern scholars to have been a king/pharaoh of the 3rd dynasty, but his name doesn't occur in any king lists, and the only support for him being a king is that he has a Horus name.
Sekhemhet is the supposed "successor" of Djoser, and his semi-pyramid complex is beside Djoser's and looks to me as if a vizier's beside his king's?
(Sekhemhet could mean "Grey haired Son of a foreigner ruling overall" or "grey haired ruler over all"?)

Zaphenath/Joseph: He is in the 1st book of the bible and is early in overall biblical chronology.
His biblical date is ca 1800s bc.
Sekhemhet: He is early in overall ancient Egyptian dynastic history.
Conventional chronology claims that his date is "2600s" bc and so supposedlycan't match Joseph of 1800s bc. However, the conventional chronology has no solid proofs of their theoretical ascribed dates of the dynasties, and all of their "expert" "scientific" dating methods are unreliable (see separate long article on this).
Material found in Sekhemhet's "pyramid" complex yielded a carbon date of 600 years older that his conventional Egyptological date [which is over 600 years older than his real date contemporary with Joseph.]
Herodotus said Menes (1st dyn) was (1)1340 yrs before Seti (19th dyn), and Josephus said Menes was 1300 yrs before Solomon/Shishak (ca 900s bc).
Herodotus said Moeris (12th dyn) was only 900 yrs before [Amasis II or Amyrtaeus].

At this stage I know that the match if it is true will not be accepted by conventional scholars primarily for two reasons: (1) They will still assert that their chronology is right and so the dates supposedly don't match; (2) they may assert that the phonetics of the two names don't match. This opposition will not be disolved until their chronology is proven wrong and the true dates of the dynasties are proven (with more than just horizontal matches evidences which they refuse to accept), and until the interchanges are proven more heavily. In the mean time though I am pretty sure this match of Zaphenath/Joseph with Sekhemhet seems surely correct, and so I wish to share it with others who are interested in the history of the bible being proven true.

[alon]

You've certainly done your homework! I know this has long been an issue of debate; and scholars do love to debate such things! Interesting read, but I do not feel qualified to comment on it. However I appreciate your sharing with us. Good work!

Dan C