Use of Animal Food in Egypt
Genesis 43:15-18
And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt…


It has been objected here that the narrator must be in error in representing Joseph as giving orders for the slaughter of animals for food, since that must have been contrary to the customs of the Egyptians; but Wilkinson, in describing preparations for dinner, says, "an ox, kid, wild-goat, gazelle, or oryx, and a quantity of geese, widgeons, quails, or other birds were obtained for the occasion"; and Kalisch alleges that "though there was scarcely an animal which was not held sacred in some province, there was, perhaps, with the only exception of the cow, none which was not eaten in other parts of the land"; so that the description here is in perfect harmony with what we now know to have been the habit of the people.

(W. M. Taylor, D. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

WEB: The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.




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