Topical Bible: Egypt: The Country of: Fertility of

◄ Egypt: The Country of: Fertility of ►

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Egypt, a prominent nation in biblical history, is frequently noted for its remarkable fertility, primarily due to the Nile River. The Nile's annual inundation deposited rich silt along its banks, creating a fertile strip of land that supported agriculture and sustained the population. This natural abundance is reflected in various biblical narratives and references.

In Genesis 41, Egypt's fertility is highlighted during the account of Joseph, who interprets Pharaoh's dreams predicting seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advises Pharaoh to store surplus grain during the plentiful years, which ultimately saves Egypt and surrounding nations from starvation. Genesis 41:47-49 states, "During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. So Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during those seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city, he laid up the food grown in the fields around it. Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure."

The fertility of Egypt is also evident in its role as a place of refuge during times of famine. In Genesis 12:10 , Abram travels to Egypt to escape a severe famine in Canaan: "Now there was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while, because the famine was severe." Similarly, in Genesis 42, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain during another famine, underscoring Egypt's reputation as a land of plenty.

Egypt's agricultural richness is further illustrated in Deuteronomy 11:10-11 , where the land of Egypt is contrasted with the Promised Land: "For the land you are entering to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated by hand as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven."

The fertility of Egypt, while a source of sustenance and refuge, also serves as a backdrop for the Israelites' enslavement and subsequent exodus. Despite its abundance, Egypt becomes a place of oppression for the Israelites, as described in Exodus 1. The paradox of Egypt's fertility and the Israelites' suffering is a recurring theme in the biblical narrative.

In summary, Egypt's fertility, primarily due to the Nile River, plays a significant role in biblical history. It serves as a symbol of abundance and sustenance, providing refuge during famines and highlighting the contrast between Egypt and the Promised Land. The biblical portrayal of Egypt's fertility underscores its importance as a land of both provision and paradox.

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Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.
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Library

Egypt and Greece.
... Fertility of Egypt."No rain in Egypt."Rising of the Nile."Preparations for the
inundation."Gradual rise of the water."Appearance of the country ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter ii egypt and greece.htm

Egypt
... inundation covers the fields the land of Egypt exists no ... of the Abyssinian mountains,
spread over the cultivated country, and bring fertility wherever they ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... which now forms the arable soil of Egypt to have attained to its present depth and
fertility.". ... Egyptians little suspected the true age of their country. ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Israelites
... the nomad has invariably set his face toward the country which is dependent for
its fertility, not upon ... which made Jacob and his sons "go down into Egypt.". ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... by the laws of the country, which did not suffer him to become enervated by idleness,
but obliged him to labour as in the days when he still dwelt in Egypt. ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... what took place regularly throughout the whole of Egypt, down to the latest times,
and what probably still occurs in those parts of the country where European ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... a thousand interlacing channels carry refreshment and fertility. ... Peninsula and the
frontiers of Egypt are reached ... that Nature has divided the country into five ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Afraid of Giants
... on two points: the eligibility of the country for settlement ... back again, in verse
19, to the fertility of the ... Over and over again, in Egypt, in the march, and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/afraid of giants.htm

The Gods of Egypt
... scenes to be found among the representations on the ancient monuments of Egypt is
at ... One would think that the country had been inhabited for the most part by ...
/.../chapter ii the gods of egypt.htm

The Provinces.
... "Amasis, king of Egypt, to Polycrates. ... to pay, making it greater or less as the soil
and the productions of the country varied in fertility and abundance ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter v the provinces.htm