Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt

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Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - AhmedBahgat - 09-13-2005

Quranic Accuracy Vs. Biblical Error: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt

1. Introduction

This paper proposes to investigate the usage of the titles "King" and "Pharaoh" during the time of Abraham(P), Joseph(P) and Moses(P) as used in both the Bible and the Quran.

For all kings, the contemporaries of Abraham(P), Joseph(P) and Moses(P), the Bible uses the term "Pharaoh" to address the kings of Egypt. The Quran however differs from the Bible: the sovereign of Egypt who was a contemporary of Joseph(P) is named "King" (Arabic, Malik); whereas the Bible has named him "Pharaoh". As for the king who ruled during the time of Moses(P) the Quran repeatedly calls him "Pharaoh" (Arabic, Fir'awn).

These differences in detail between the Biblical and Quranic narrations appear to have great significance as will be discussed in this paper.

2. Biblical Usage Of The Word "Pharaoh"

Some examples of the usage of the word Pharaoh are presented below, and are taken from the stories of Abraham(P), Joseph(P) and Moses.

2.1 Pharaoh During The Time Of Abraham

According to the book of Genesis, the king who was a contemporary of Abraham was called Pharaoh, and this title is used six times in Genesis 12:10-20. Three examples are illustrated below:



“But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his house hold because of Abram's wife Sarai.”

[Genesis ; 12:17]



“So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?"

[Genesis ; 12:18]



“Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.”

[Genesis ; 12:20]

2.2 Pharaoh During The Time Of Joseph

According to the book of Genesis, the king who ruled Egypt in Joseph's time was also referred to as Pharaoh. The king is addressed as Pharaoh ninety times[2]. The following examples are take from Genesis 41:



“So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.”

[Genesis ; 41:14]



“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do."

[Genesis ; 41:25]



“Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and travelled throughout Egypt.”

[Genesis ; 41:46]

2.3 Pharaoh During The Time Of Moses

According to the book of Exodus, the king who ruled Egypt in Moses' time was also referred to as Pharaoh. He is addressed as Pharaoh 128 times[3]. Three examples are illustrated below:



“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian... “

[Exodus ; 2:15]



“Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet."

[Exodus ; 7:1]



“When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry land.”

[ Exodus ; 15:19]

Thus, for all kings, the contemporaries of Abraham(P), Joseph(P) and Moses(P), the Bible uses the term "Pharaoh" to address the kings of Egypt.

3. Quranic Usage Of The Words "King" & "Pharaoh" 

Some examples of the usage of the words King and Pharaoh are presented below, and are taken from the stories of Joseph(P) and Moses(P) . No such usage is to be found in the Quranic story of Abraham:

3.1 King Of Egypt During The Time Of Joseph

The sovereign who ruled Egypt during Joseph's day is named "King" (Arabic, Malik); whereas the Bible has named him "Pharaoh". The Quran never once addresses this monarch as "Pharaoh"

Two examples of the usage of the word King from the story of Joseph( are illustrated below. The Arabic word for King, Malik, is underlined in red in the Arabic text:

[Image: king1.gif]

“The king (of Egypt) said: "I do see (in a vision) seven fat cows, whom seven lean ones devour, and seven green ears of corn, and seven (others) withered. O ye chiefs! expound to me my vision, if it be that ye can interpret visions."

[The Quran ; 12:43]

[Image: king2.gif]

“They said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; for him who produces it, is (the reward of) a camel-load; I will be bound by it."

[The Quran ; 12:72]

Further examples of the usage of the word King during the time of Joseph can be found in the Surah Yusuf. See: 12:43, 12:50, 12:54, 12:72, 12:76

3.2 Pharaoh During The Time Of Moses

As for the king who ruled during the time of Moses(P), the Quran repeatedly calls him Pharaoh (Arabic, Fir'awn). Two examples of the usage of the word Pharaoh during the time of Moses are illustrated below. The Arabic word for Pharaoh, Fir'awn, is underlined in red in the Arabic text:

[Image: king3.gif]

“Moses said: "O Pharaoh! I am a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds."

[Quran 7:104]

[Image: king4.gif]

“Then after them sent We Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs. But they were arrogant: they were a people in sin.”

[The Quran ; 10:75]

Further examples of the usage of the word "Pharaoh" during the time of Moses can be found in the following verses:

7:104-137, 8:52, 8:54, 10:75-90, 11:97, 14:6, 20:24, 20:43, 20:56, 20:60, 20:78, 23:46, 26:10-66, 27:12, 28:3-42, 29:39, 38:12, 40:24-46, 43:46-85, 44:17, 44:31, 50:13, 51:38-40, 54:41-42, 66:11, 69:9, 73:15-16, 79:17-25, 85:18

[Image: king13.jpg]

According to modern linguist research the word "Pharaoh" comes from the Egyptian Per-aa, meaning Great House and originally referred to the palace rather than the king himself. The word was used by the writers of the Old Testament and has since become a widely adopted title for all the Kings of Egypt. However, the Egyptians did not call their ruler "Pharaoh" until the 18th Dynasty (c.1552 - 1295 BC).

In the language of the hieroglyphs, "Pharaoh" was first used to refer to the king during the reign of Amenhophis IV (c.1352-1338 BC). We know that such a designation was correct in the time of Moses but the use of the word Pharaoh in the story of Joseph( is an anachronism, as under the rule of the Hyksos there was no "Pharaoh." Similarly, the events related in Genesis 12 concerning Abraham (c. 2300 BC) could not have occurred in a time when the sovereign of Egypt was called Pharaoh, and this exposes yet another anachronism. In several chapters of Genesis we find the same error. The biblical writers composed their texts under the influences of the knowledge of their time, when the king of Egypt was usually designated as "Pharaoh". The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible
explains the reasons of such discrepancies with modern knowledge:



The frank attitude toward the stories about Egypt in Genesis and Exodus is that folk memory had retained the essentials of great Hebrew experience but had later clothed that memory with some details imperfectly recollected and some circumstantial details borrowed from later times and conditions.

The situation is entirely different in the Quran. We find it mentioned the Egyptian king who was a contemporary of Joseph. For him the Quran uses the title "King" (Arabic, Malik); he is never once addressed as Pharaoh. As for the king who ruled during the time of Moses, the Quran repeatedly calls him Pharaoh (Arabic, Fir'awn).

These facts that mentioned above were unknown at the time of the Quranic Revelation.

At the time of the Quranic Revelation, the only source of knowledge of the religious past was the Bible. From the time of the Old Testament to the Quran, the only document mankind possessed on these ancient stories was the Bible itself. Furthermore, the knowledge of the Old Egyptian hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten, and no one could read them until the 19th century AD.

These facts must be reflected upon, especially in the face of unfounded allegations that are usually made against the Prophet Muhammad,"the author of the Quran, who largely copied the Bible."

If there was no human knowledge in existence at the time, then from where did the Prophet Muhammad(P) obtain this information? If human factors are unable to account for the changes in the narrations which affected their meaning with regard to modern knowledge, another explanation has be accepted: the Quran is a Revelation from Allah, and that Muhammad(P) is his final Prophet.



“And thus (it is) that We have sent down the Book to thee. So the People of the Book believe therein, as also do some of these (pagan Arabs): and none but Unbelievers reject our signs.”

”And thou (Muhammad) wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.”

”Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: and none but the unjust reject Our Signs.”

“Yet they say: "Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "The signs are indeed with God: and I am indeed a clear Warner."

”And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe.”

”Say: ‘Enough is God for a witness between me and you: He knows what is in the heavens and on earth. And it is those who believe in vanities and reject God, that will perish (in the end).’"

[Quran 29:47-52]

Allah knows best.

Thanks for reading

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - alliex - 09-14-2005

Assalam allikum,

Just a quick note arn't we supposed to beleive in the 1st part of the bible. Or are we suppose to beleive in the Old Testement but not the translated version.

This is a good topic. A thing they I have come across when i was studying the New Kingdom Pharohs. Is that Akhenaten, Tutankhamen father, wrote a hymn to his god the aten. Which is similar to a Psalms verse. I will put the info here later so you can compare the two. But it make you think.

I'll get back to you when I have the bible on hand and the pray to Aten on hand.

Wasalam

Alliex

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - AhmedBahgat - 09-14-2005

Quote:Assalam allikum,
Just a quick note arn't we supposed to beleive in the 1st part of the bible. Or are we suppose to beleive in the Old Testement but not the translated version.

This is a good topic. A thing they I have come across when i was studying the New Kingdom Pharohs. Is that Akhenaten, Tutankhamen father, wrote a hymn to his god the aten. Which is similar to a Psalms verse. I will put the info here later so you can compare the two. But it make you think.

I'll get back to you when I have the bible on hand and the pray to Aten on hand.

Wasalam

Alliex

<a></a>20634[/snapback]

AA Brother

do you mean by the 1st part the Old Testament?, but anyway it is hard ad0fter all the human corruption to clearly know which ones were inspired by Allah and which is not, however we can idnetify many passages in the bible that are clearly no divine, and cosequently can not be believed, all other passages that run in harmony with Quran "The preserved words from the same God" should be believed in and respected exactly as the Quran verses, that is what the Quran says actually, so we should believe in both OT and NT but only what run in harmony with the Quran

Yes it is a great article, I have read many done by differnt muslims but this one took my attension due to the details it has, and due to the fact I'm Egyptian, I can easily qualify the historical part in it regarding who ruled top Egypt during the time of prophet "Joseph" (P)

Yes please brother add the info you have I will be very much intersted to read it

Salam bro

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - umm Zachariah - 09-15-2005

Bismillah

Assalamu alaikum

Have not wished you welcome yet so will do that - Welcome to the forum!

About this article, have you a source where you have found it, or have you written it yourself?

wasalam

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - AhmedBahgat - 09-15-2005

Quote:Bismillah
Assalamu alaikum

Have not wished you welcome yet so will do that - Welcome to the forum!

About this article, have you a source where you have found it, or have you written it yourself?

wasalam

<a></a>20674[/snapback]

Thank you Umm Zakeriah

Of course not my words sister, I'm not that strong in the English language, however I have 2 GB of religious material on my laptop that took me months to collect it theh study it, as I was involved (still) in an anti Islam web site, which was attacking Islam maliciously, with the help of Allah I stopped most if not all the stuff about Islam and the prophet (pbuh), in fact I forced most of the enemies of Islam to leave that web site due to my relentess defence, actually the forum owner (a devote christian) was impressed with my stand (alone in frnt of many) so he offered me my own forum to moderate, I called my forum (Judaism, Christianity and Islam the one religion), I added plenty of articles in there and every now and then I copy something from there to here

but as far as I remember I believe I got it 18 onths ago from Islamic Awarness web site

but I would like to say there is a lot of articles that I wrote using my broken english which eventually will be posted here, and I'm sure you will be able to deffrentiate between my writings and my composing

Take care sister

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - Shereen - 09-23-2005

At the time of the Quranic Revelation, the only source of knowledge of the religious past was the Bible. From the time of the Old Testament to the Quran, the only document mankind possessed on these ancient stories was the Bible itself. Furthermore, the knowledge of the Old Egyptian hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten, and no one could read them until the 19th century AD.

VEry right indeed. For those who 'claim' that Bible somehow was copied by the Muslims are WRONG...because there r many other differences......also Bible in many places(as it the word of influencial MEN) has wrong information according to histroy

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - AhmedBahgat - 09-23-2005

Quote:At the time of the Quranic Revelation, the only source of knowledge of the religious past was the Bible. From the time of the Old Testament to the Quran, the only document mankind possessed on these ancient stories was the Bible itself. Furthermore, the knowledge of the Old Egyptian hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten, and no one could read them until the 19th century AD.
VEry right indeed. For those who 'claim' that Bible somehow was copied by the Muslims are WRONG...because there r many other differences......also Bible in many places(as it the word of influencial MEN) has wrong information according to histroy

<a></a>20900[/snapback]

That is one of the common accusation I see a lot on the anti islam web sites, that Mohammad (pbuh) copied the Quran from the Bible, they forget that the Quran even with the smilarities with the Bible, the historical stories in it are different in many aspects like the story of Adam and Eve, it will be silly to claim the Quran was copied from the Bible indeed

Peace sister

Quranic Accuracy: The Kings & Pharaohs Of Egypt - alliex - 09-23-2005

Bismilah,

Ahmedbahgat, it is a very intresting topic you have psoted here. Like I said I would get back to you on an Egyptian hymn to a verse from the bible. They gave very similar qualities. THe hymn is to Akhenaten god the Aton. Akhenaten was a New Kingdom Pharoh and he was Tutakhamen father. Akhenaten beleived in one god. Not like he predicesors who belived in many. His god was a sun disk. He made a special temple for his god Aton. So he could raise in it. Akhenaten made his people pray through him to the Aton. Does it sound like a familar religion that is around today??

The quote I took out of the bible was from Psalm 104. I am not quite sure which was written first but I pretty sure that the hymn must of been written first. I don't know.

Well read both of them and see what you think.

HYMN TO ATON

You appear beautifully on the horizon of heaven

The living Aton, the beginning of life!

When you have risen on the eastern horizon

You have filled every land with you beauty

Your artegracious, great, glistening and high over very land

Your rays ecompass the lands o the limit of all that you have made

As you are Re, you reach to the end of them

(you) subdue them (for) you beloved son

Though you are far away your rays are on earth

Though you are in their faces, no one knows your going

When you set in the western horizon,

The land is in darkness, in the manner of death

(While the true) Nile comes from the underwoeld for Egypt

Your rays sucle every meadow

When your rise, they live, they grow for you

You make the seasons in order to rear all that you have made

The winter to cool them,

And the heat that they must taste you

You have made the distant sky in order to rise there in

In order to see all that you do make

While you were alone,

Rising in form as the living Aton

Appearing, shining, withdrawing or approaching

you made millions of forms of yourself alone

Cities, towns, fields, roads and rivers

Every eye beholds you over against them,

For you are the Aton of the day over the earth

You are in my heart, And there is no other that knows you

Save only your son Nefer-keheperu-ReWa-en-Re

For you have made hi, well-versed in your pans and in your strength

The worl came into being by your hand

According as you have made them

When you have risen they live

When you set they die

You are a lifetime your own self

For one live (only) through you

Eyes are (fixed) on beauty until you see

All work is laid aside when you set in the west

(But) when (you) rise (again)

(Everything is) made to flourish for the king,

Since you did find the earth

And rise them up for your son

Who come fourth from your body

the King of Upper and Lower Egypt...Akh-en-Aton and the chief wife of the King...Nefer-iti,

living and youthful forever and ever.

(Note: Through the ages the translation has become more modernised. With both quotes.)

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

O Lord my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with splendor and

majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a

garment;

he streaches out the heavens like a

tent

and lays the beams of his upper

chambers on their waters

He makes the clouds, his chariot

and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his meassagers,

flames of fire his servents.

He set the earth on its foundations:

it can never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a

garment;

the waters stood above the

mountains;

Bt at your rebuke the waters fled,

at the sound of your thunder they

took flight;

they flowed over the mountains,

they went down into the valleys

to the place you assigned for them.

You set a boundary they cannot cross;

never again will they cover the earth.

He makes your springs pur water into the

ravines;

it flows between the mountains.

They give water to all the beast of the

field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst,

The birds of the air nest by the waters;

He waters the mountains from his

upper chambers;

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of

his work.

He makes grass grow from the cattle,

and plants for mn to cultivate-

bringing forth food from the earth:

wine that gladdens the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine,

and bread that sustains his heart

The trees of the Lord are well

watered;

the cedars of Lebanon that he

planted.

There the birds make their nests;

the stork has his home in the pibe

trees.

The high mountains belong to the wild

goats;

the crags are a refuge for the

coneys.

The moon marks off the seasons,

and the sun knows when to go

down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night,

and all the beast of the forest

prowl.

The lions roar for their prey

and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they steal away;

they return and lie down in their

dens.

The an goes out to his work, O Lord!

In wisdon you made them all:

the earth is full of all your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,

temming with creatures beyond

number-

living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro,

and the leviathan which you formed

to frolic there.

These all look to you

to give them their food at the proper

time

When you give it to them,

they gather it up;

when you open your hand,

they are satisfied with good things,

When you hide your face,

they are terrified;

when you take away their breath,

they die and return to dust.

When you send your Spirit,

they are created.

and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord ebdure

forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works-

he who looks at the earth, and it

trembles,

who touches the mountains, and they

smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long

as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing him,

as I rejoice in the Lord,

But my sinners vanish from the earth

and the wicked be no more.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Praise the Lord.

Well that is it. Please read and we will discuss.

Your sister in Islam Alliex

Waslam