English version of the article: Архипов СВ. Книга Берешит как великая компиляция текстов и смыслов Второго переходного периода Египта: пилотная культурологическая, медицинская, археологическая и текстологическая экспертиза преданий против традиционной атрибуции. Введение. О круглой связке бедра. 14.02.2026. The text in Russian is available at the following link: 2026АрхиповСВ
The Book of Genesis as a Great Compilation of Texts and Meanings from the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: A Pilot Culturological, Medical, Archaeological, and Textological Examination of the Legends versus Traditional Attribution. Chapter 12
By Sergey V. Arkhipov, MD, PhD
CONTENT [i] Abstract [ii] Book of Genesis. Chapter 12 Analysis [iii] Notes to Chapter 12 [iv] AI Agent's Conclusion [v] Content [vi] External links [vii] Application |
The Book of Genesis (Bereshith) was composed in Egypt during the 17th century BCE and reached its definitive protographic form following the Minoan eruption of Thera. This study argues that the work was the result of a collaboration between an Egyptian polymath and a distinguished scribe of Asiatic descent. By analyzing ancient texts, anatomical descriptions, archaeological data, Bronze Age cultural history, and climatic markers, this article demonstrates that the book emerged from the work of a high-ranking socio-political committee within the Egyptian House of Life. We argue that the inclusion of precise anatomical data, such as the ligamentum capitis femoris, serves as a diagnostic marker of this Egyptian medical-scribal collaboration, challenging the late-date theories of the documentary hypothesis.
[ii] Book of Genesis. Chapter 12 Analysis
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Excerpts from the
Book of Genesis (1922LeeserI:14–15)
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Type of
Similarity and Justification |
Ancient Near
Eastern and Egyptian Contexts (Parallels,
Analogies, Similarity, Borrowings, Inversions)
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1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and
out thy birthplace, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will
show thee. 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless
those that bless thee, and him that curseth thee, will I curse ; and in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed.
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Psychopathological Symptomatology There is a correspondence in the recording of altered states of
consciousness (hallucinations and delirium), which may result from
intoxication on one hand and a space-occupying lesion in the brain on the
other.
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Mesopotamia In the Akkadian «Epic
of Gilgamesh», the ailing hero speaks in a state of delirium: «Enkidu raised his eyes, ... and spoke to the door
as if it were human: "You stupid wooden door, with no ability to
understand ... ! Already at 20 leagues I selected the wood for you, until I
saw the towering Cedar ... Your wood was without compare in my eyes".»
(1989KovacsMG:60). The standard version of the «Epic of Gilgamesh» was first
written in the Old Babylonian period (1800–1600 BCE) (1989KovacsMG:xxii).
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1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of
thy country, and out thy birthplace, and from thy father's house, unto the
land that I will show thee. 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And
I will bless those that bless thee, and him that curseth thee, will I curse ;
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
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Nosological Consistency There is a parallel in the recording of specific cognitive distortions
(auditory hallucinations or delirium) as symptoms of central nervous system
damage.
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Egypt The «Edwin Smith Papyrus»
(1650–1550 BCE), specifically in Cases № 7 and 8, describes cerebral
dysfunction resulting from cranial trauma (1930BreastedJH:175,201; sae.saw-leipzig.de). Notably, in Case № 8 of the «Edwin Smith Papyrus»,
mention is made of a patient into whom something demonic has penetrated from
the outside; modern translators interpret this as a clinical description of
the consequences of a stroke (2014MeltzerES_SanchezGM:92; sae.saw-leipzig.de).
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4 So Abram
departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him ; and Abram
was seventy and five years old at his departure out of Charan. 5 And Abram
took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that
they had acquired, and the persons that they had obtained in Charan ; and
they went forth to go into the land of Canaan ; and they came into the land
of Canaan.
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Toponymic Verification The mention of a major Mesopotamian urban center as a historical and
geographic anchor. |
Mesopotamia Harran appears in
inscriptions dating to the late third millennium BCE (2002HollowaySW). This settlement grew wealthy at the
intersection of caravan routes, serving as an outpost for the merchants of Ur
in the first half of the second millennium BCE (1996GreenTM). The toponym «Charan»
is mentioned in a letter from Ashmad to Askudum (Mari archives, ARM 26/1 24):
«[he] killed a donkey in the temple of Sin in Harran» (1988CharpinD:152–154).
The Mari archive, a key Mesopotamian source, dates to the first half of the
18th century BCE (1956Munn-RankinJM:106). |
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5 And Abram took
Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they
had acquired, and the persons that they had obtained in Charan ; and they
went forth to go into the land of Canaan ; and they came into the land of
Canaan. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto
the plain of Moreh; and the Canaanite was then in the land.
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Ethnopolitical Isomorphism The presence of the term «Canaan»
is characteristic of diplomatic correspondence and legal archives of the
18th–15th centuries BCE. |
Levant The inhabitants
of Canaan are mentioned in a letter from Ashmad to Askudum (Mari archive, ARM
26/1 24): «Send me a hundred Canaanites <…> awaiting the arrival of the
Canaanites» (1988CharpinD:152–154). In another letter (ARM 26/1 140, Mari archive) from Nur-Addu
addressed to Zimri-Lim, «Yakhsib-El, the Canaanite» is mentioned
(1988CharpinD:303–305). The Mari
archive, a key Mesopotamian source, dates to the first half of the 18th
century BCE (1956Munn-RankinJM:106). Furthermore, according to Na'aman, «It
is thus evident that in mid–18th century BCE people called
"Canaanites" lived south of the kingdom of Qatna [south of Syria], i.e., in the
same area where they are located in the Late Bronze Age.» (1994NaʾamanN:398).
Notably, «The earliest
occurrence of the geographical term [Canaan] outside the Old Testament is in
the Idrimi statue from Alalakh, which dates to about the middle of the
fifteenth century B.C.» (1961GibsonJC:217). Additionally, «The word Canaan comes from Hurrian
Kinahhu, which is attested by the documents from Nuzi (15th century BCE) and
which is supposed to be a Hurrian word for the colour of purple.»
(1991LemcheNP:26). |
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6 And Abram
passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh;
and the Canaanite was then in the land.
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Toponymic
Verification The mention of the
specific settlement of Shechem within the territory of the Levant. |
Levant Shechem (Nablus) is today the major administrative center. Settlement
of the area occurred between 4500–3200 BCE; signs of urbanization are
observed in 1900–1750 BCE, and by 1650–1550 BCE, it was already a prosperous
city (1992FreedmanDN). Archaeological research has shown that in 1650–1550
BCE, its structures were destroyed three times, with an interruption of human
activity until 1450 BCE (1974DeverWG). |
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10 And there
arose a famine in the land : and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was
come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now,
I know that thou art a woman of handsome appearance : 12 And it may come to
pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say. This is his wife
; and they may kill me, but thee they will save alive. 13 Say then, I pray
thee, thou art my sister, that it may go well with me for thy sake, and my soul
live because of thee. 14 And it came to pass, when Abram was come into Egypt,
that the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15 The princes
also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her to Pharaoh ; and the woman was
taken into Pharaoh's house.
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Ecological-Economic Determination There is a similarity in the
recording of climate change and aridity in the Levant, which affected
livestock farming and rendered the Nile Delta the sole stable source of fresh
water for the survival of nomadic populations. |
Egypt In the «Story of Sinuhe» (Middle Kingdom), the border guards in the north of
Egypt are mentioned: «I halted at Horusways. The commander in charge of
the garrison sent a message to the residence to let it be known. Then his
majesty sent a trusted overseer of the royal domains with whom were loaded
ships, bearing royal gifts for the Asiatics who had come with me to escort me
to Horusways.» (2006LichtheimM:1.231). The «Prophecies of Neferti» (reign
of Amenemhet I, 12th Dynasty) recount the practice of tribes from the East
using the Nile to water their livestock: «Foes have risen in
the East, Asiatics have come down to Egypt. ... Desert flocks will drink at
the river of Egypt, Take their ease on the shores for lack of one to fear;
<…> One will build the Wall-of-the-Ruler, To bar Asiatics from entering
Egypt; They shall beg water as supplicants, So as to let their cattle drink.»
(2006LichtheimM:1.141,143).
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10 And there
arose a famine in the land : and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was
come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now,
I know that thou art a woman of handsome appearance : ... 14 And it came to
pass, when Abram was come into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman
that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended
her to Pharaoh ; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
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Migration Stratification There is a similarity
in the description of the integration process of Asian migrants into Egyptian
society, evidently triggered by regional climate change. |
Egypt Approximately 20% of the genome of an Egyptian living between 2855 and
2570 BCE can be traced back to representatives from the eastern part of the
Fertile Crescent, including Mesopotamia and adjacent regions
(2025MorezJacobsA_Girdland-FlinkL). In the «Admonitions of Ipuwer» (12th Dynasty), we find: «Foreigners have become
people everywhere. <…> Foreigners are skilled in the works of the
Delta.» (2006LichtheimM:1.150,153). A procession of «Asiatics» arriving in
Egypt is captured in a fresco within the tomb of the official Khnumhotep II,
constructed between 1897 and 1878 BCE (2009KamrinJ). Other Egyptologists date
this depiction of a Canaanite caravan to approximately 1895 BCE
(2021BietakM_RensburgA).
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10 And there
arose a famine in the land : and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
for the famine was grievous in the land. … 17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh
and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. See note!
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Epidemiological Correlation There is a
correspondence in the recording of epidemics without the identification of a
specific pathogen; notably, the onset of an anthrax outbreak is linked to
drought and specific livestock feeding patterns during such periods. |
Egypt In the «Story of Sinuhe» (Middle Kingdom), a large-scale epidemic is
mentioned, which was known to both Egyptians and inhabitants of Asia: «How then is
that land without that excellent god, fear of whom was throughout the lands
like Sakhmet in a year of plague?» (2006LichtheimM:1.225). In the «Admonitions of Ipuwer» (12th
Dynasty), we find a description of excessive mortality: «Lo,
hearts are violent, storm sweeps the land, There's blood everywhere, no
shortage of dead, The shroud calls out before one comes near it. Lo, many
dead are buried in the river, The stream is the grave, the tomb became
stream. <…> [No longer] does she know the palanquin, And the butler is
lacking. There is no remedy for it, Ladies suffer like maidservants, Singers
are at the looms in the weaving-rooms, What they sing to the goddess are
dirges» (2006LichtheimM:1.151,153). In the «Complaints of Khakheperre-sonb» (Middle Kingdom), the consequences of an epidemic situation are possibly
described: «I meditate on what has happened, The events that occur
throughout the land: Changes take place, it is not like last year, One year
is more irksome than the other. The land breaks up, is destroyed, Becomes [a
wasteland]. <…> I meditate on what has happened: While trouble entered
in today, And turmoil will not cease tomorrow, Everyone is mute about it. The
whole land is in great distress.» (2006LichtheimM:1.147,148). Similarly, in the
«Tale of the Eloquent Peasant» (Middle Kingdom), there are words
implying the author's knowledge of epidemics: «You are like a
messenger of the Crocodile; you surpass the Lady of Pestilence!»
(2006LichtheimM:1.174). The «Edwin Smith
Papyrus» (1650–1550 BCE) mentions an ulcer/tumor (bnw.t) on the chest wall
with inflammation in Case № 39 following a blow. Case № 45 discusses local
non-inflammatory ulcers/tumors of the breast, designated as «bnw.t», without
indicating the presence of pain (1930BreastedJH:363,403; sae.saw-leipzig.de). Multiple
ulcerative lesions without hyperthermia or pain are characteristic
manifestations of anthrax. On the verso of the «Edwin Smith Papyrus», the
scribe adds a spell for «protection against the plague wind» (Incantation №
1), without clarifying the nature of the epidemic problem
(1930BreastedJH:473; sae.saw-leipzig.de).
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13 Say then, I
pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may go well with me for thy sake, and
my soul live because of thee. |
Linguo-Cultural Assimilation There is a parallel in the
reflection of a specific Egyptian speech formula that served as a marker of
intimacy and the elevated status of a union.
|
Egypt The «Coffin Texts» (2134–2040
BCE), Spell № 148, state:
«The
lightning flash strikes, the gods are afraid, Isis wakes pregnant with the
seed of her brother Osiris. She is uplifted, (even she) the widow, and her
heart is glad with the seed of her brother Osiris. She says: 'O you gods, I
am Isis, the sister of Osiris, who wept for the father of the gods, (even)
Osiris who judged the slaughterings of the Two Lands.» (1973FaulknerRO:125). In the «Lamentations of Isis», the goddess sings: «I am a woman beloved by
her brother, your wife, your sister by your mother» (1940МатьеМВ:79). Marriage with a sister was a
«most common occurrence» among Egyptians, while «polygamy was theoretically
unlimited, though in practice it was not widespread» (2021МюллерМ:197). Marriages between brothers and sisters in pharaonic families were
contracted «to preserve the royal bloodline» (2012EshraghianA_LoeysB).
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13 Say then, I
pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may go well with me for thy sake, and
my soul live because of thee.
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Legal Synonymy of
Statuses. There is a distinct
similarity in the application of the «wife-sister» legal model, which in the
culture of the mid-second millennium BCE served as a legitimate instrument
for elevating a woman's social and juridical status. |
Mesopotamia A similar
precedent is known from Mesopotamian texts. «According to the Nuzi marriage
contract HSS 5 80:1–23, a certain Hurazzi took to wife one Beltakkadummi,
whereas in HSS 5 69, he adopted the same woman as his sister.»
(1976SelmanMJ:120). The cuneiform tablets from Nuzi date back to the
mid-second millennium BCE (1976SelmanMJ:114). |
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13 Say then, I
pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may go well with me for thy sake, and
my soul live because of thee.
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Anthropological Dualism There is a similarity in the
reflection of a shared concept of the «soul» as a distinct vital principle whose
preservation constitutes the highest priority.
|
Egypt In the «Dispute between a Man and His Ba» (12th Dynasty), a similar concept is employed in the phrase: «My ba shall not go, It shall attend to me in
this!» (2006LichtheimM:1.164). The following is an important concept: «Ba = «divine power», «soul»
(2006LichtheimM:1.245). In the Pyramid of Pepi I (6th
Dynasty, ca. 2289–2255 BCE), Recitation № 318 states: «Hey, Sun! Now, that which you said, Sun — "Oh
for a son," so you said, Sun, "ba, in control, esteemed, with
active arms (and wide stride" — here is Pepi, Sun. Pepi is your son:
Pepi is ba, Pepi is esteemed, Pepi is in control, Pepi’s arms are active),
this Pepi’s stride is wide.»
(2007AllenJP:123). Recitation № 319 further adds: «Ho, Pepi! You shall become ba as the bas of
Heliopolis, you shall become ba as the bas of Nekhen, you shall become ba as
the bas of Pe, you shall become ba as the living star at the fore of his
brothers.» (2007AllenJP:124). The «Coffin Texts» (2134–2040 BCE), Spell №
77, read:
«I am this soul of Shu which is in the flame of the fiery blast which Atum
kindled with his own hand.» (1973FaulknerRO:80). We also read in the «Coffin Texts», Spell
№ 96, «I have crossed the west of the sky, I have traversed the east of the
sky, it is Re who made my soul for me, and it is I who made a soul for Re.» (1973FaulknerRO:95).
In the «Three
Tales of Wonder» (Papyrus Westcar, Hyksos period), we read: «May your ba know
the way that leads to the portal that conceals the dead. Thus greetings to a
prince!» (2006LichtheimM:1.218). In
the «Story of Sinuhe» (Middle Kingdom),
it is stated: «My ba was gone, my limbs trembled; my heart was not in
my body, I did not know life from death.» (2006LichtheimM:1.231).
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15 The princes
also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her to Pharaoh ; and the woman was
taken into Pharaoh's house. ... 17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house
with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 And Pharaoh called
Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why did.st thou
not tell me that she is thy wife? … 20 And Pharaoh commanded some men
concerning him, who accompanied him and his wife, and all that he had.
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The Borrowing of the Word «Pharaoh». |
The term «Pharaoh» derives from an Egyptian word that
originally designated the palace or the residence of the king and his
administration. By the 12th Dynasty, it became associated with the three
wishes following the royal name (life, prosperity, health), and by the New
Kingdom, the term began to be used as a title for the king himself
(2021NoonanBJ:183).
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16 And he did
well to Abram for her sake; and he received sheep, and oxen, and he-asses,
and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. |
Zooarchaeological Verification The biblical mention of camels as part
of Abraham's property reveals a direct similarity to archaeological findings
confirming the presence and domestication of these animals in Egypt and the
Sinai as early as the Early and Middle Kingdoms.
|
Egypt The domestication
of camels occurred at the beginning of the third millennium BCE in their
natural habitats: the dromedary (one-humped camel) in southeast Arabia, and
the Bactrian (two-humped camel) in southwest Central Asia. Within the
territory of Egypt, several artifacts have been discovered, including a
vessel in the form of a couchant camel (1st Dynasty), several camel models
(4th Dynasty), a depiction of a camel caravan (6th Dynasty), and an image and
inscription dating back to the 19th century BCE found in the Sinai
(2017SalaR). |
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16 And he did
well to Abram for her sake; and he received sheep, and oxen, and he-asses,
and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. 17 But the
Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai,
Abram's wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou
hast done unto me? Why did.st thou not tell me that she is thy wife? 19 Why
saidst thou. She is my sister? and so I took her to me for a wife ; now
therefore, behold, here is thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20 And Pharaoh
commanded some men concerning him, who accompanied him and his wife, and all
that he had.
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Narrative Migration There is a correspondence in the
thematic representation of disease as a form of divine retribution for moral
transgressions. |
Mesopotamia In the Akkadian «Epic of
Gilgamesh», punishment for cruelty is mentioned: «Anu, Enlil, and Shamash held a council, and Anu spoke to Enlil:
'Because they killed the Bull of Heaven and have also slain Humbaba, the one
of them who pulled up the Cedar of the Mountain must die!' Enlil said: 'Let
Enkidu die, but Gilgamesh must not die!'» (1989KovacsMG:59). The standard
version of the «Epic of Gilgamesh» was first written in the Old Babylonian
period (1800–1600 BCE) (1989KovacsMG:xxii).
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17 But the Lord
plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. |
Epidemiological
Correlation There is a
correspondence in the recording of epidemics without the identification of a
specific pathogen. |
Mesopotamia In a letter from
the Mari archives (ARM 26/1 263), an anonymous correspondent informs his lord
Yasmakh-Addu of a lethal epidemic and the subsequent purification: «From the
25th of the month [Abum] until the evening of the 5th of the month Tirum, the
Divine Power was in action. The sick who were afflicted by the disease have
survived, and on the 10th of the month Tirum, I gave omens to bury the heap
(of the deceased). The Divine Power has just answered (yes). Each of the
survivors has buried a body. On the 14th of the month Tirum, exorcists and
lamenters purified the city. God has just turned away from the land.»
(1988CharpinD:434–435, archibab.fr). The Mari
archive, a key Mesopotamian source, dates to the first half of the 18th
century BCE (1956Munn-RankinJM:106).
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17 But the Lord
plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's
wife. |
Identity of Logic There is a similarity
in the interpretation of mass disease as a legitimate and controlled
instrument of divine selection for humanity.
|
Mesopotamia In the Akkadian «Epic of
Gilgamesh», an epidemic is mentioned: «Instead of your
bringing on the Flood, would that famine had occurred to slay the land!
Instead of your bringing on the Flood, would that (Pestilent) Erra had
appeared to ravage the land!» (1989KovacsMG:103). The standard version of the
«Epic of Gilgamesh» was first written in the Old Babylonian period (1800–1600
BCE) (1989KovacsMG:xxii).
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18 And Pharaoh
called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why did.st
thou not tell me that she is thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou. She is my sister?
and so I took her to me for a wife ; now therefore, behold, here is thy wife,
take her, and go thy way. |
Administrative
Transparency The description of
direct interaction between the king and the head of a nomadic group
corresponds to the historical realities of the Middle Kingdom, when the
desacralization of power permitted personal contact between the ruler and his
subjects.
|
Egypt As noted by Rak, «In the Middle
Kingdom, pharaohs already communicated with nomarchs and representatives of the
nobility, participated in military campaigns, and so forth, whereas in the
Old Kingdom, only the elite of the elite could behold the earthly deity» (2004РакИВ:109). In the «Story of Sinuhe» (Middle Kingdom), there is a description of an audience
with the king: «When it
dawned, very early, they came to summon me. Ten men came and ten men went to
usher me into the palace. My forehead touched the ground between the
sphinxes, and the royal children stood in the gateway to meet me. The courtiers
who usher through the forecourt set me on the way to the audience-hall. I
found his majesty on the great throne in a kiosk of gold. Stretched out on my
belly, I did not know myself before him, while this god greeted me
pleasantly.» (2006LichtheimM:1.231). In the same narrative, the name of the residence is given,
apparently that of the 12th Dynasty pharaohs: «When I had started and
set sail, there was kneading and straining beside me, until I reached the
city of Itj-tawy.» (2006LichtheimM:1.231).
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19 Why saidst
thou. She is my sister? and so I took her to me for a wife ; now therefore,
behold, here is thy wife, take her, and go thy way. |
Linguo-Cultural Assimilation There is a parallel in the
reflection of a specific Egyptian speech formula that served as a marker of
intimacy and the elevated status of a union.
|
Egypt In the «Lamentations
of Isis», she sings: «I am a woman beloved by her brother, your wife, your
sister by your mother» (1940МатьеМВ:79). Marriage
with a sister was a «most common occurrence» among Egyptians, while «polygamy
was theoretically unlimited, though in practice it was not widespread» (2021МюллерМ:197). Marriages between brothers and sisters
in pharaonic families were contracted «to preserve the royal bloodline» (2012EshraghianA_LoeysB).
|
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20 And Pharaoh
commanded some men concerning him, who accompanied him and his wife, and all
that he had. |
Anti-Epidemic Segregation There are
shared signs in the implementation of an established sanitary protocol.
|
Egypt On the verso of the «Edwin Smith Papyrus» (1650–1550 BCE), there are
three spells for «protection» against certain epidemics (Incantations № 1–3).
One magical formula (Incantation № 7) was recited during the disinfection of
belongings «against the plague», while another (Incantation № 6) was used in
the event of accidentally swallowing a flying insect
(1930BreastedJH:473–478,482,483; sae.saw-leipzig.de). In these spells, we discern utterances that
accompanied anti-epidemic measures. According to
Herodotus (5th century BCE), priests in Egypt were meticulous about
cleanliness: «Every three days the priests shave the hair on their bodies...
Twice a day and twice a night they perform ablutions in cold water and, in
short, observe a multitude of other rites.» Furthermore, all Egyptians wash
their dishes and «wear linen garments, always freshly laundered» (1972Геродот:2.37). Plutarch (1st–2nd century CE) discusses the special attitude toward
personal hygiene on the part of Egyptian priests and their attention to water
as a substance capable of negatively affecting humans and animals (1996Плутарх:4–5,75).
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Anthrax Epidemic
A legendary description of an anthrax epidemic is
found in the «Book of Exodus» (The Ramesside period, ca. 1295–1069
BCE):
«3 Behold, the hand of the Lord will be sent
against thy cattle which is in the field, against the horses, against the
asses, against the camels, against the oxen, and against the sheep ; — a very
grievous pestilence.
4 And the Lord will distinguish between the
cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt and not one head shall die of all that
belong eth to the children of Israel.
5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying,
To-morrow will the Lord do this thing in the land.
6 And the Lord did this thing on the morrow,
and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel
there died not one.
7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there had not
died of the cattle of the Israelites even one ; but the heart of Pharaoh
remained hardened, and he did not let the people go.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron,
Take unto yourselves your hands full of soot of the furnace, and let Moses
throw it heavenward before the eyes of Pharaoh.
9 And it shall become small dust over all the
land of Egypt, and shall become upon man and beast an inflammation [a red
swelling in the skin], producing boils, throughout all the land of Egypt.
10 And they took the soot of the furnace, and
stood before Pharaoh ; and Moses threw it up heavenward; and it became an
inflammation, producing boils, upon man, and upon beast.» (1922Leeser. Exodus
9:3–11).
One
of the earliest descriptions of anthrax, first affecting animals and
subsequently humans, is present in the first book of Homer’s the «Iliad» (Ὅμηρος. Ἰλιάς, ca. 8th century BCE): «Who then of all the Immortals
the two chiefs brought to a conflict? Jove's own son by Latona ; for he, to
rebuke the Atrides, A pestilence raised in the camp, and the people ingloriously perish'd <…> First at the cattle he aim'd, and
the mules and the dogs fell attainted; Also the men thro' the camp he next with
his pestilent arrows Struck ; then the funeral piles with the heaps of the
slain were encumber'd. Nine
whole days enduring the pestilence raged unabated; <…> Unblemish'd rams
and goats, and the savoury
odour for incense Haply his wrath may appease, and the pestilence thus be
abated. He said, and his seat he resumed;» (1861RitsoFHJ:1.8–10,50–53,66–67).
«Outbreaks occur [anthrax in cattle] primarily in wet springs followed by a very hot, dry summer or in very dry conditions. Very wet springs or flooding bring spores to the surface where grazing animals come into contact with them. In dry years, livestock generally will graze low areas close to the ground where they normally don’t have access. They may contact the spores.» (2019LewisR, canadiancattlemen.ca). In the Book of Genesis, we read: «And there arose a famine in the land : and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.» (Genesis 12:10). One of the most probable causes of «famine» in a pastoralist community is the undernourishment of livestock due to a prolonged period of drought.
(The conclusion compiled by the AI agent, with our minor changes)
Preliminary Conclusion to the Analysis of Genesis Chapter 12
1.
Chronological and Geographical Attribution (20th–18th Centuries BCE)
The textual markers of Chapter 12 synchronize with the Middle Kingdom (12th Dynasty) era. The geographical link to the residence of Itj-tawy (The Story of Sinuhe) and the administrative accessibility of the ruler (Rak, 2004) indicate a period of desacralization of royal power, during which direct contact with the heads of nomadic groups became a protocol norm.
2.
Zooarchaeological and Economic Verification
The mention of camels within Abraham's property (Gen. 12:16) is corroborated by the findings of Sala (2017), dating the domestication and presence of these animals in Egypt and the Sinai to the 3rd–2nd millennia BCE (1st, 4th, and 6th Dynasties). The cause for migration to the Nile Delta (Gen. 12:10) finds a direct correspondence in the Prophecies of Neferti, which document the utilization of the river's resources by Eastern tribes during periods of drought.
3.
Genetic and Visual Stratification of Migration
Population genetics data regarding a 20% contribution of Eastern genome to the Egyptian population of that period, combined with the fresco of an «Asiatic» caravan from the tomb of Khnumhotep II (1897–1878 BCE), objectify the process of integration of Semitic groups into Egyptian society as described in the biblical narrative.
4.
Linguo-Cultural Assimilation and Social Status
The use of the speech formula «my sister» (Gen. 12:13) corresponds to Egyptian linguistic etiquette; Lamentations of Isis), where the terms «sister» and «wife» served as interchangeable markers of high-status union. The titulary Pharaoh in the text reflects the evolution of the term from designating a palace to serving as an epithet for the ruler, a transition documented by the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE.
5.
Nosological Consistency and Epidemiological Protocol
The description of «great plagues» (nega'im) in Gen. 12:17 reveals a clinical similarity to the description of inflammatory ulcers (bnw.t) in the Edwin Smith Papyrus (1650–1550 BCE), identified as anthrax. The subsequent expulsion of Abraham from Egypt (Gen. 12:19–20) corresponds to the protocols of anti-epidemic segregation and disinfection («protection against the plague wind») recorded in the Smith Papyrus, as well as by Herodotus and Plutarch.
6.
Narrative Logic and Anthropological Dualism
The concept of preserving the «soul» (Ba) as an autonomous principle in Gen. 12:13 is identical to the anthropological concepts of the 12th Dynasty (Dispute between a Man and His Ba). The motif of disease as a tool for legal regulation and divine selection in the biblical text finds a direct parallel in the Epic of Gilgamesh (Standard Version, 1800–1600 BCE), where an epidemic (Erra) acts as a controlled means of punishment.
Summary
The analysis of Genesis 12 reveals a systemic correlation with the material culture, medicine, and administrative practices of Egypt and Mesopotamia during the period of 1900–1600 BCE. The text demonstrates precise knowledge of Egyptian sanitary protocols, social linguistics, and zooarchaeological realities of the Middle Kingdom. The cumulative data suggests that the core of the narrative was formed under conditions of direct contact with the Egyptian administrative environment of the 2nd millennium BCE, preserving technical details (terminology, clinical presentation, audience formats) specific to this historical chronotope.
Sumer (c. 3300 – before 1900 BCE) britannica.com
The Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2543 – c. 2120 BCE) britannica.com
The Third Dynasty of Ur (22nd – 21st cent. BCE) britannica.com
The First Intermediate period of Egypt (c. 2118 – c. 1980 BCE) britannica.com
The Old Babylonian period of Egypt (2000 – 1595 BCE) onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 1980 – c. 1760 BCE) britannica.com
The Second Intermediate period of Egypt (c. 1759 – c. 1539 BCE) britannica.com
The New Kingdom of Egypt (c. 1539 – c. 1077 BCE) britannica.com
The Ramesside period (19th and 20th
dynasties, c. 1295–1069 BCE) britannica.com
Authors of the article
Arkhipov S.V. – Independent Researcher, MD, PhD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Medical Writer, Joensuu, Finland.
Correspondence: Sergey Arkhipov, email: archipovsv @ gmail.com
Article history
February 27, 2026 - online version of the article published.
Suggested citation
Arkhipov S.V. The Book of Genesis as a Great Compilation of Texts and Meanings from the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: A Pilot Culturological, Medical, Archaeological, and Textological Examination of the Legends versus Traditional Attribution. Chapter 12. About round ligament of femur. February 27, 2026.
Note
Keywords
Genesis Protograph, Bereshit Protograph, Hyksos-era Scriptorium, Ligamentum Teres, Ligamentum Capitis Femoris, Minoan Eruption Impact, Bronze Age, Middle Egyptian Origin, Cross-cultural Codification, Ancient Medicine, Biblical Chronology
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