Joseph, Pharaoh of Egypt by Robert Epstein
This Play is the copyright of the Author and must NOT be Performed without the Author's PRIOR consent
ACT ONE
SCENE 1
[LIGHTS RISE on JEREMIAH. seated on a rock, Upstage)
JEREMIAH:
My name is Jeremiah. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I was a prophet in Judah from 625 B.C.E. to 587 B.C.E. I was a prophet during the reigns of five Kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehohaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachim and Zedekiah.
I was there at the Fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 587 B.C.E.
(Jeremiah stands)
I proclaimed that the Nation of Judah would suffer from famine and would be taken captive by enemies who would exile them. After Zedekiah, the last king of Judah was killed in 587 BCE by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies in the last revolt, I became an advisor to Gedaliah, who had been made Governor of Judea.
Gedaliah was assassinated by Ishmael, a member of the royal household of Judah, because he was working with the Babylonians. Johanan briefly succeeded Gedaliah. Johanan and I, then with the remnants of the Army of Judah, fled to Egypt. The Soldiers of the Army of Judah joined the Egyptian Army as mercenaries. They established a Jewish military colony at Elephantine, a small island in the Nile River. This colony was destroyed in 411 B.C.E. in a Civil War.
There can be no doubt that an Israelite Exodus from Egypt occurred. However, a number of significant historical and geographical questions remain concerning events prior and during the Exodus.
On the historical side, one is prompted to ask: Who is the “new king of EXODUS 1:8” who “came to power in Egypt” and “did not know Joseph”?
(Jeremiah moves downstage)
Was this new Pharaoh Egyptian, or Hyksos?
What was the identity of the Pharaoh who initially refused, but eventually was obliged to agree to Moses’s demand that the Israelites should be released from bondage? Perhaps a passing historical footnote is in order …
Around 1720 B.C.E., a group of foreigners referred to as “Hyksos” - whose name simply means “foreign rulers” - invaded the land of the Nile and erected their capital at Avaris. They penetrated Egypt at a time of political disintegration that had resulted in a
proliferation of local rulers throughout Lower Egypt. The Hyksos developed a number of Asiatic technological innovations including the horse-drawn war chariot, the battering ram and the composite bow.
The Hyksos were in power until they were able to take control of the whole of Lower Egypt by 1700 B.C.E., rendering the Theban Dynasty of Upper Egypt a vassal state, and the Pharaoh no more than a figurehead. This era is known as The Second Intermediate Period (1782 to 1570 B.C.E.).
By 1700 B.C.E., the Kingdom of Kush had risen to the south of Thebes in Nubia, and allied itself with the Hyksos rulers against the Kingdom of Thebes. The Egyptians mounted a number of campaigns to drive the Hyksos rulers out and subdue the Nubians, but all failed until Ahmose I(“the first”), who had been a soldier in the Theban army, finally succeeded about 1555 B.C.E.
After 1550 B.C.E., the Hyksos were expelled from Egypt by native princes.
(Jeremiah returns to the rock, sits)
(FADE)
SCENE 2
[LIGHTS RISE ON REUBEN and JUDAH (Joseph’s brothers), standing by one large chair and two smaller chairs
JOSEPH strides in from Stage Right and seats himself in the larger chair]
JOSEPH:
Reuben, thank you for accepting the position as Minister of Trade.
[REUBEN nods]
JOSEPH
Judah, thank you for accepting the position as Minister of War.
[JUDAH nods]
]OSEPH gestures for JUDAH and REUBEN to sit]
JOSEPH:
You both have had these positions for a month. Let’s discuss your plans and build your staff.
REUBEN:
Joseph, thank you for the trust you have placed in me. After you left us in Canaan many years ago, you do remember I attempted to save you. I started a trading company with
the Minoans and the Babylonians.
JOSEPH:
Reuben, tell me what materials you recommend we trade with the Babylonians. What are the resources they have that we could utilize?
REUBEN:
They have cedar, a lightweight wood excellent for uses in building, and Chlorite, a highly desired mineral for bowl carving..
[JUDAH confronts REUBEN]
JUDAH
Reuben, we have many enemies that want to invade Egypt. The Kingdom of Kush is organizing a large army of ten thousand soldiers on our borders. What can we trade for in order to increase our military power?
REUBEN:
The Babylonians have Copper. It is the principal alloy in the bronze to make our swords. The Kingdom of Kush does not have obsidian, but we can secure vast amounts from the Babylonians.
[JOSEPH stands, turns to REUBEN]
JOSEPH
What is this obsidian?
REUBEN
It is a hard, glossy, volcanic stone that can be chipped to make sharp-edged tools such as arrowheads, spear points, and knives. We will trade enough obsidian to equip our armies to destroy the kingdom of Kush and kill every man, woman, and child in their country so that they will never invade our country again!
I have appointed two of your brothers, Dan, the Minister of Finance, and Simon, the Minister of Commerce, to also assume the responsibility of tax collecting in order for us to raise the resources to trade with the Babylonians.
JUDAH:
These Egyptians believe the Pharaoh is a god and trust him with the task of protecting them from foreign threats as well as internal conflicts, like famine.
JOSEPH:
We collect taxes from citizens to build grain warehouses and support our armies.
REUBEN
If we tax the Egyptians too heavily to pay for our military needs, will the people revolt?
JUDAH: (standing)
Joseph has asked Asher, our brother, to organize a military police brigade that will assist the tax collectors in their duties. If the people object, the military police will use all their resources to collect the taxes.
REUBEN:
The people of Egypt will pay increased taxes in the form of grain. I expect we will need to increase that tax this year to sixty percent!
JOSEPH:
Sixty percent! The people are certain to revolt!
JUDAH:
We have recruited the special forces soldiers from the Egyptian army to be in our Military Police Brigade. They will accomplish their mission.
REUBEN:
We will also require the Egyptian people to meet their tax requirement by providing thirty days every year of manual labor to be the resource for our country’s large harvest and building projects.
JOSEPH:
What is the age range of those manual laborers?
REUBEN:
We will require every family member that does not own land to have the male members of their families between the ages of twelve and sixty to serve in this manual labor task force.
JUDAH: (raising his fist)
If the Egyptian people attempt to revolt against these taxes to support our empire; then Asher’s military police brigade will destroy these insurgents and make examples to the Egyptian people that our government will not tolerate insurrection!
(JOSEPH exits.)
(JUDAH and REUBEN sit and ponder)
[FADE TO BLACK]
[End of Extract]