In recent times some historians, Bible scholars, and even a few Egyptologists have proposed the theory that the character of Joseph as found in the Old Testament is in fact the ancient Egyptian architect and polymath Imhotep. Just as Joseph rose to second in command over all the land of Egypt, so too was Imhotep elevated to such an honor. Though there are elements to this comparison that may not hold water, it is still a fascinating parallel that deserves further study. That being said, may we gaze with a discerning eye and an open mind as we compare Joseph with Imhotep.
As every modern day Egyptologist will tell you, Imhotep’s mummy has never been found. And as every modern day Bible scholar will tell you, the bones of Joseph left Egypt along with the children of Israel during the time of the Exodus. For it is written: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straightly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.” (Exodus 13:19). So, according to the Bible the mummy of Joseph did not remain in Egypt, but was taken into the promised land through the efforts of the prophet Moses during the Exodus. So, since Joseph’s mummy was taken out of Egypt and the fact that Imhotep’s mummy has never been found, then this could be evidence that the Biblical Joseph and the Egyptian Imhotep are one and the same person.
Most Bible scholars place the date of the Exodus at around 1,200 BC, during the reign of Ramses II. However, according to the Bible the date of the Exodus is pointed out to have happened around 1,440 BC. For in I Kings 6:1 we are told that, “…It came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the forth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” The conventional dates of Solomon’s reign are roughly 970 to 930 BC. So if the fourth year of Solomon’s reign was in 966 BC, then according to the time frame given in I Kings 6:1, the date of the Exodus would be approximately 1,446 years before the birth of Christ.
The Bible also tells us how long the children of Israel stayed in Egypt, after the seventy souls came down from Canaan land and settled in the land of Egypt during the time of Joseph. “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” (Exodus 12:40). When adding the date of when the children of Israel left the land of Egypt, to the date of when the children of Israel settled in Egypt, we come to the year 1,876 BC as the date when Joseph and his family settled on the banks of the Nile. However, according to historians and other scholars Imhotep lived nearly a thousand years before Joseph in the late 27th century BC, or around the years 2,686 BC and 2,648 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser.
The Egyptian priest and historian Manetho, who lived in the third century BC during the Hellenistic period, wrote thus of Imhotep, “During Djoser’s reign, there lived a man named Imhotep who had the reputation of the Greek god of medicine and who influenced the art of building with hewn stone.” So here we see that Imhotep was a man of many talents, what we would call today a Renaissance Man. By scanning the scriptures it would seem that Joseph too was multi-talented. According to the Bible Joseph was very responsible, could interpret dreams, and was a master in business administration, very much the same as Imhotep.
The many legends concerning Imhotep and all of his grand abilities, led many to believe that the man Imhotep was simply a mythical character. However, in the 20th century archaeologists excavating at Pharaoh Djoser’s pyramid complex discovered the base of a statue with the name Djoser on it as well as the name Imhotep. Along with Imhotep’s name the inscription included a long list of titles. One such title read thus: “Imhotep, chief after the king.” This title of vizier first appears in Egypt with Imhotep and was also the title bestowed upon Joseph. Imhotep was also the architect of Pharaoh Djoser’s step pyramid and it’s surrounding complex. Built on the plateau of Saqqara, this step pyramid designed by Imhotep is believed to be the first Egyptian pyramid ever built.
Standing side by side, Joseph and Imhotep do indeed share similarities, but chronologically speaking they are separated by centuries. Interestingly, in Upper Egypt there stands what is known as the Famine Stela, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (305 – 30 BC). The stela bears the inscription of a famine which lasted for seven years during the reign of Djoser. Imhotep is also credited with having been instrumental in ending the famine, just as the Biblical Joseph saved Egypt from a famine that lasted for seven years. Though it may be difficult to confirm with certainty that Joseph and Imhotep are the same person, the parallels between the two are truly interesting to say the least. However, the argument to support the theory that Joseph and Imhotep are the same person is a cold case. But what is fair to say is that the life of Joseph is a mystery of the Bible, and the life of Imhotep is a mystery of history.
References:
Osman, A. The Hebrew Pharaohs of Egypt. (Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company, 2003).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).