Book manuscript: Arkhipov S.V. Medical Record: The Contribution of a Middle Bronze Age Egyptian Physician to the Book of Genesis. Kyrö: Author’s Edition, 2026. – 312 pp. – 2 tables. – Bibliographical references: 856 entries. play.google.com , books.google.com
Chapter 8
EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY
for
an extensive herd of livestock, Jacob headed a large family that at its peak
numbered "seventy souls", not counting the wives of his sons (Gen.
46:27). This required deep knowledge in agriculture, crafts, trade, geography,
meteorology, as well as an understanding of various dialects, political trends,
and tribal relations. However, nothing is known about Jacob's education. He was
born near the well of "Beer-Lahai-Roi", which was located "in
the Negeb" (Gen. 24:62, 25:11). Here, in the arid terrain in the south of
the Levant, he spent his early childhood years. Later, the family apparently
came to the city of "Gerar", ruled by the king of the
"Philistines", and subsequently settled in the "valley of
Gerar" (Gen. 26:1, 8, 17). Presumably, these locations should be sought in
the south-west of modern Israel and the territory of the Gaza Strip, a
partially recognised state of Palestine. A hint is provided by the remark that
"the border of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of
Gerar as far as Gaza" (Gen. 10:19). "Gaza" (now Gaza) was
founded near 3000 BCE on the Mediterranean coast of the Southern Levant
(2007DumperM_Abu-LughodJ). The settlement was mentioned in connection with the
campaigns of Thutmose III around 1457 BCE (2014FiliuJP). In the initial period
of life, Jacob's knowledge and diverse professional experience accumulated,
among other things, through interactions with the family's numerous servants
(Gen. 26:14).
Later,
Isaac made a decision to move to the "Be'er-Sheba" desert, where he
founded a settlement of the same name (Gen. 21:14, 26:23, 33). Then he moved
further east through the "Negeb" desert, since the Mediterranean Sea
was to the west, Egypt to the south, and the Judean Mountains to the north.
From "Be'er-Sheba", Jacob set out for "Haran" (Gen. 28:10).
We believe that at that time he was over 17 years old. In other words, Jacob spent
his adolescence and youth in a desert region. To date, in "Be'er-Sheba",
only a votive cylinder seal with an inscription from the Neo-Assyrian period
has been found (2002HorowitzW_OshimaT).
From
the Middle Bronze Age of the Levant (2200–1550 BCE), a limited number of texts
in the Akkadian language have been discovered in Canaan. Overall, illiteracy
dominated in the south of the Levant, with the exception of Hazor (in the north
of modern Israel) – a site similar to the Northern Levant (Syria), where writing
was present (2010ShaiI_UzielJ). In Bronze Age Canaan, scribal training
materials were uncovered at the sites of Hazor, Aphek, and Ashkelon, where a
tablet containing Sumerian and Akkadian text was excavated. Traditions and
handwriting indicate that scribal schools operated at least in Hazor, Megiddo,
Ashkelon, and Gezer (2019CohenY). According to our primary source, Jacob did
not visit these settlements, which means it is improbable that he received an
education in any school in his homeland.
After
a family conflict, his parents sent him to Northern Mesopotamia, designated as
"Paddan-aram" (Gen. 27:43, 28:2, 5–6). The direct destination of the
journey was the city of Haran (Gen. 27:43, 28:10, 29:5). The traveller did not
stay anywhere for a long time. Only one overnight stay near Beth-el is known,
"and the name of that city was originally Luz" (Gen. 28:11, 19). The
settlement was located south of Shechem on the road to Ephrath north of Hebron
(Gen. 33:18, 35:19, 27).
In
Haran, Jacob was hired to tend livestock for seven years for his mother's
brother in exchange for his future wife (Gen. 29:15, 18, 20). Circumstances
unfolded such that he worked diligently for 20 years as a shepherd for his
father-in-law (Gen. 30:43, 31:38, 41). Jacob lacked the means to pay the bride
price, and his future father-in-law acted as a creditor. A similar antichretic
loan is described in tablet 92 EN 9/1, 165 (SMN1067) from the Nuzi archive.
According to the text, the borrower settles in the house of the creditor and
works for him. "A personal antichretic loan is evidently contracted when
the borrower is in a dire economic situation. Economically, such a transaction
approaches a form of short-term slavery" (2010MaidmanMP). Cuneiform
tablets from Mesopotamian Nuzi date back to the middle of the second millennium
BCE (1976SelmanMJ). In the early to mid-2nd millennium BCE, among the
"Hurrians of Nuzi, both temporary and permanent debt bondage appear to
have been widely practiced. The system of economic enslavement widespread among
the Nuzi Hurrians was the result of the dire economic situation of the
community members, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the extreme need of
the slave-holding economy for free labor" (1956ЦкитишвилиОВ). Being essentially a slave, Jacob
did not attend an educational institution in Haran.
The
Mesopotamian educational system is well known from the Old Babylonian period.
This is corroborated by educational exercises from the 18th century BCE,
although earlier materials have also been excavated (2005CarrDM). In his youth,
Jacob arrived in the lands of Northern Mesopotamia (northern Syria, southern
Turkey), specifically in Haran. This settlement, founded around 2500 BCE,
became a major cultural, commercial, and religious centre in the Middle Bronze Age
(1998ÖzdenizMB_YildirimM). According to Old Babylonian period documents,
Asdi-Takim once ruled in Haran (1995HollowaySW). This individual is mentioned
in correspondence from the Mari archive, specifically in a letter (ARM 34 54)
sent by Bazzum to King Zimri-Lim around 1775 BCE (1988DurandJ-M). Apparently, a
scribal school operated in Haran even before Abraham's birth. There is no
reason to believe that the institution disappeared by the time Jacob appeared
in the specified settlement. In the Middle Bronze Age, literate civilizations
such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria used writing as a tool of control and
administration (2010ShaiI_UzielJ). In Haran, Jacob successfully engaged in
animal husbandry (Gen. 30:29–30, 43, 31:9). To conclude transactions with other
livestock breeders and butchers, at least an understanding of individual
symbols and words in contracts was necessary. Local judiciary and scribes
facilitated economic activities and the transfer of inheritance rights.
The
earliest texts were created in Sumerian cuneiform in 3200–3100 BCE
(2010StearnsPN_LangerWL). The Sumerian script was borrowed to record the
Akkadian language (2008HuehnergardJ_WoodsC). Gradually, Akkadian supplanted
Sumerian and became the official language of Babylonia and Assyria in the 2nd
millennium (2014ПотаповВ).
The
Canaanite alphabet formed significantly later, approximately in the 15th
century BCE, based on Proto-Sinaitic, developed in Northern Egypt around 1900
BCE (2012HowardMC). The oldest lines in Hebrew were inscribed in the late
11th–early 10th century BCE (2009MisgavH_GanorS; 2018GarfinkelY_GanorS).
This
brief overview demonstrates that in the first half of his life, Jacob travelled
through territories where the written Akkadian language dominated. He undoubtedly
understood it, or this dialect may even have been his native tongue. Upon
reaching Haran, Jacob freely engaged in dialogue with local shepherds and his
future wife (Gen. 29:4–8, 12). Returning to Canaan from Northern Mesopotamia,
he purchased a plot of land in Shechem (Gen. 33:18–19). The deed of sale for
the land was drawn up by local scribes, likely in Akkadian rather than Sumerian
or Ancient Egyptian. In Megiddo, a cylinder seal belonging to Izkur-Addu, who
bore the title of "scribe", was discovered (2019CohenY).
Excavations
at Shechem uncovered a letter from the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE and a
list of witnesses dating to the Late Bronze Age (2002HorowitzW_OshimaT). The
aforementioned document in Akkadian, found alongside New Kingdom artifacts,
appears to be a short contract (1926BöhlFMT).
Jacob
arrives from Shechem in Hebron and settles "in the land of Canaan"
(Gen. 35:27, 37:1). During his stay in the south of Canaan, there are also no
hints of his education in an educational institution. Predominantly, Jacob
supervises the livestock activities of his sons (Gen. 37:2, 12–14). After the
disappearance of his son Joseph, the father falls into a deep depression (Gen.
37:34–35). In such a state, there is little incentive to study the sciences.
Meanwhile,
in the Middle Bronze Age, writing was used in the south of Canaan. A cuneiform
tablet was discovered, apparently created by the palace administration in
Hebron. The tablet features an accounting table describing sheep and goats, and
also mentions a king (2019CohenY). During Jacob's time, in the 17th–16th
centuries BCE, the prosperity of the city of Hebron is noted (2005Na'amanN).
This indicates that under the ruler of the surrounding territory,
record-keeping was conducted on clay tablets. The Hebron document (H.86-1),
written in the Akkadian language, contains Hurrian and Amorite names
(1986AnbarM_Na'amanN). Consequently, in the 17th century BCE, natives of the
Armenian Highlands and the nomadic West Semitic people of the Near East
inhabited Canaan. For written communication, they used Akkadian cuneiform.
In
the final part of his life, Jacob lived in Egypt (Gen. 47:27–28). It is
unlikely that in old age he began to learn the Ancient Egyptian language. We
believe that earlier he had not managed to master either Akkadian writing or
reading to perfection. Literacy in the Middle Bronze Age was accessible to few.
Presumably, Jacob understood the meaning of individual cuneiform words or
symbols. It is doubtful that he read literary works independently, but he
happened to hear Sumerian myths, Akkadian stories, Hittite ritual texts,
Hurrian legends, and possibly Ancient Egyptian tales.
In
Jacob's family, only Joseph could have learned to read and write. He left Haran
at six years old (Gen. 30:25, 28, 34, 31:41). From seven to 15–16 years old,
the boy lived in the field near Shechem (Gen. 33:18–19). Until the age of 17,
Joseph "was pasturing the flock with his brothers" in the valley of
"Hebron" (Gen. 37:2, 14). Here he came to realize the importance of
written language and education. From our point of view, Joseph was not sold
into Egyptian slavery (Gen. 37:36, 39:1). On his own initiative, the young man
left his father's nomadic farm and, joining a trade caravan, reached Egypt
(Gen. 37:28). He headed to the capital region from the province, which under
the Hyksos became the south of the Levant. Desertion opened up bright
prospects, or at least provided a chance. The prototype of Joseph appears to
stage his own death. He was aided in this by a stranger met near Shechem (Gen.
37:14–15). The Old Testament episode with the unknown individual reminded us of
a similar one in the Story of Sinuhe, where we find: "I moved on at dawn.
I met a man on the road. He greeted me with respect, and I was afraid of him"
(1978КоростовцевМА). We
believe the authors tried to bring their narrative as close as possible to
classical texts. The writers make it clear that Jacob guessed his son's flight,
as he once said, deceiving himself: "one left me, and I said: surely he
has been torn to pieces" (Gen. 44:28).
The
Code of Hammurabi (ca. 1760 BCE) restricted the rights of individuals who
voluntarily left their community, specifically those who "hated their city
and fled" (1920HandcockPSP). Similarly, the Laws of Eshnunna (20th–17th
centuries BCE) infringed upon the status of a person who "hated his city
and his master and fled" (1988YaronR). Being used as free labor, by
fleeing Joseph violated the law, undermined the welfare of the family, and set
a dangerous precedent for his brothers, especially those who were deliberately
deprived of a share of the inheritance. The depiction of the flight of perhaps
the main character from his workplace did not fit into the authors' concept. A
positive character in Ancient Egyptian epic could not serve as an example for
bonded laborers, as well as children who were at the full disposal of their
fathers. After Joseph's disappearance, Jacob's grief is described (Gen.
37:34–35). In this story, one can discern the prototype of the despair of an
elderly ruler whose subjects or soldiers are fleeing. Power totters, accustomed
prosperity diminishes, confidence in the future vanishes, and weakness in old
age without defenders exposes personal vulnerability.
If
Joseph commissioned the Book of Genesis for his own legitimation, then his
literary reflection could not be depicted as a criminal. Deception of
relatives, equivalent to betrayal of the tribe, had to be concealed. Rather, he
enters the service of "Pharaoh's courtier, the captain of the guard",
rather than being bought as a slave (Gen. 37:36). In the Brooklyn Papyrus,
compiled during the 12th and 13th Dynasties, domestic servants are listed,
among whom 48 are slaves of Asiatic origin, and one of them worked as a teacher
(1957HornSH). In other words, workers from Asia, including skilled ones, were a
common phenomenon in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt.
We
think that initially Joseph had to occupy a minor position and concurrently
enroll in a scribal school. Like him, the scribe Kaaper, who worked during the
5th Dynasty, noted that he began his career from the position of "shepherd
of speckled cattle". The high priest Anhurmose, who flourished during the
reign of Pharaoh Merneptah (19th Dynasty), stated in his autobiography: "I
was a poor man, taken into the school" (2001КоростовцевМА). A similar fate befell the Russian
polymath Mikhail Lomonosov (1711–1765). At age 19, the genius set out from the
Arkhangelsk Province to the capital, wishing to become a student at the Moscow
Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy without means of subsistence (1952ЛомоносовМВ). In Ancient Egypt, age was not an
obstacle to learning if the student possessed abilities. In an admonition to a
scribe recorded in papyrus Turin A, it is stated: "After all, you are a
man of thirty years" (2001КоростовцевМА).
Presumably,
Joseph excelled in study and labor, so his master "appointed him over his
house, and all that he had he put into his hands" (Gen. 39:4–6, 8). Later
he was appointed administrator of the prison (Gen. 39:22–23). At thirty years
of age, Pharaoh appointed Joseph ruler "over all the land of Egypt"
(Gen. 41:41, 46). Here the thirty-year life milestone is intentionally
highlighted as a critical point for confirming the capacity of a ruler or
high-ranking official. In Ancient Egypt, the "Heb-Sed" – the
"Festival of the Thirty-Year (reign of the ruling Pharaoh)" – was
sumptuously celebrated. ... During the festival, mysteries based on the Osiris
myth were enacted (2004РакИВ). Such festivals were repeated "at intervals much shorter than
thirty years" (2021МюллерМ).
Under
the Hyksos, natives of Western Asia were hired as officials in the Nile Delta
(2012BietakM). That is, the future vizier tirelessly learned and worked for
about 13 years. In reality, the prototype of Joseph apparently engaged in divination.
He "divines" the future and possesses a special divination cup from
which he also drinks (Gen. 44:5, 15). At the very least, it presumably refers
to a ritual vessel and a psychoactive composition. In Hittite iconography,
depictions of a seated man drinking liquid from a cup, possibly based on
alcohol or some medications used as part of a ritual conducted in an official
cult place, are frequently encountered (2026ArnottR).
A
Middle Kingdom document titled Be a Scribe concludes with the words: "The
scribe alone directs the work of all men" (1958КацнельсонИС_МендельсонФЛ). In the Instruction of Kheti, Son
of Duauf, to His Son Pepi (Middle Kingdom), it is stated: "You do not see
anyone without a supervisor, except for the scribe, who is the supervisor
himself" (1958КацнельсонИС_МендельсонФЛ).
The position of a top-level executive in a highly developed state required
literacy acquired in the Nile Valley. Initially, it was necessary to learn the
language, and Joseph achieved this. To conceal his understanding of foreign
(Akkadian?) speech, he uses the service of an Egyptian interpreter when
speaking with his brothers (Gen. 42:23). From what has been said, it is clear
that the Ancient Egyptian language was inaccessible to ordinary shepherds of
Canaan.
According
to the Book of Genesis, Jacob demonstrates knowledge of mathematics and mastery
of counting within a thousand (Gen. 32:14–16). In Mesopotamia, where he worked
for a long time, the concept of "thousands of ten thousands" was used
(Gen. 24:60). The specified numeral corresponds to 10,000,000. Ancient
Egyptians could not write this number. The maximum number possible to record
with hieroglyphs was 9,999,999, which was sufficient for everyday needs
(2003RoeroCS). In the Pyramid Texts, mentions of "hundreds of
thousands" and "millions" are encountered, for example, in the
tomb of Pharaoh Pepi I of the 6th Dynasty (ca. 2289–2255 BCE) (2007AllenJP). In
fact, the parting wish to Rebekah to become tens of millions (thousands of ten
thousands) is an Ancient Egyptian wish that is simply impossible to record with
the available symbols.
Jacob
understood what the actions "multiplication", "subtraction",
and "addition" meant (Gen. 26:24, 31:9, 35:11). We realize his
knowledge of the arithmetic operation "division" from the words:
"he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and
the camels, into two bands" (Gen. 32:8). The Sumerians developed
sexagesimal notation, sometimes using coefficients of both six and ten,
flexibly recording numbers (2002КрамерС). The decimal order of calculation in
Mesopotamia arose no earlier than the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE;
moreover, during the Old Babylonian period, or in the 20th–17th centuries BCE,
both systems were used in parallel (1961ВайманАА_СтрувеВВ). In Egypt, at the beginning of the 2nd
millennium, a decimal number system was used. We understand this from the
problems of the Reisner Papyrus (ca. 1880 BCE), Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (ca.
1850 BCE), Berlin Papyrus (ca. 1850 BCE), Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus (ca.
1850 BCE), and Rhind Papyrus (ca. 1650 BCE) (2003RoeroCS). As is clear from the
recount of livestock sent as a gift to his brother, Jacob, like the Egyptians,
uses a decimal system (Gen. 32:15–16). According to our calculations, this event
occurs approximately in 1640 BCE. It is thought that if the text of the primary
source had been created in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, in a number
of cases the writers would have indicated numerals that were multiples of six.
Jacob
did not attend school, which means his knowledge of the surrounding world was
received from immediate relatives. In geography, he appears to have known about
the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea – "Yam HaMelakh" (Gen. 14:3,
49:13). He had occasion to cross the Jordan, Jabbok (Zarka), and Euphrates
rivers (Gen. 31:21, 32:11, 23–24). He worked near the Balikh River, which flows
through the valley containing the settlement of Haran (Gen. 28:10, 29:4). His
family had to bypass the canyon of the Yarmouk River from the east when
returning home from Northern Mesopotamia (Gen. 31:18). At the end of his life,
"Israel" was "in the land of Egypt, in the country of
Goshen" (Gen. 47:27). That is, Jacob had the opportunity to see a branch
of the Nile in the delta region. Traveling from Haran to Canaan, he happened to
pass by the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and pitch camp on the Ajloun highlands (Gen.
31:21–23, 25). The Golan Heights could be viewed when stopping at the place
"Mahanaim" (Gen. 32:3). Messengers were sent by him to the Al-Sharat
highlands – "into the land of Seir, the country of Edom" (Gen. 14:6,
32:4, 36:8–9). The meeting with Esau took place near the settlement of
"Penuel" at the foot of the Al-Balqa highlands (Gen. 32:32, 33:1).
Traveling from "Shechem" to "Hebron", his family passed
through the Samarian and Judean Mountains (Gen. 33:18, 35:4, 27). Jacob spent
his early childhood in the "Be'er-Sheba" desert and heard about the
"Paran" desert (Gen. 21:14, 20, 26:33, 28:10). For twenty years he
had to work in the oasis of Haran near the Eastern Taurus ranges (Gen. 28:10,
29:4, 31:38, 41). Basically, he had a good idea of the map of the Levant – the
west of the Fertile Crescent. Tales of his grandfather Abraham's travels from
Ur to Haran could tell of its eastern part (Gen. 11:31–32). In turn, about the
Zagros Mountains – the territory east of the Mesopotamian Lowland – he could
learn from legends about ancestors who arrived in the land of
"Shinar" (Gen. 11:2; 2014РомановаЭП_АршиноваМА).
Nomadic
across the lands of the Levant, Jacob studied the flora and fauna essential for
human survival. The mention of bread in the Book of Genesis testifies to his
familiarity with wheat (Gen. 42:1–2). It was "reliably" grown in
Haran (Gen. 30:14). His father sowed this grain in Gerar (Gen. 26:6, 12). Jacob
uses lentils to prepare a stew and also bakes bread (Gen. 25:34). At the same
time, the dish prepared "from this same red stew" could have been
made from red barley (Gen. 25:30). In the Book of the Dead (New Kingdom), beer
is mentioned as being "brewed from the red barley of the Nile" (2003БаджЭАУ). Barley porridge is a hearty dish
made from crushed barley grains.
Jacob
knew about grapes (Gen. 49:11). As valuable food products, he advises his sons
to take to Egypt "spices and ladanum, pistachio nuts and almonds",
and names products of processed plant raw materials: balsam and honey (Gen.
43:11). Merchant caravans passed through Canaan, delivering "spices and
balm and myrrh" from other regions to Egypt (Gen. 37:25). In the book,
forage grasses for livestock are specifically highlighted as
"pasture" (Gen. 47:4). Remarkable is the mention of reed (Gen. 41:2).
The word denoting "reed along the banks of the Nile" in the Hebrew
version is assumed to be an Egyptian loanword (2021NoonanBJ).
Among
domestic species of animals, Jacob mentions: female and male goats, sheep and
rams, donkeys, horses, camels, cows, and bulls (Gen. 30:33, 31:17, 32:15–16,
49:6, 11, 14, 17). Mules were present during his lifetime (Gen. 36:24). Of wild
animals, he speaks of serpents, hinds, wolves, and lions (Gen. 49:9, 17, 21,
27).
Jacob
did not attend an educational institution and did not study healing. He
developed extremely limited knowledge in veterinary medicine and biomedical
disciplines. The work of a livestock breeder suggests that he was familiar with
the anatomy of domestic animals. Slaughtering and butchering animals, Jacob
inevitably learned their morphology. This is explicitly stated in the Book of
Genesis. For example, when preparing a reconciliation feast at Mount
"Gilead", "Jacob slaughtered livestock" (Gen. 31:25, 54).
He brings slaughtered kids to his mother for cooking food (Gen. 27:9, 14, 16).
He had to see internal structure and injuries in an animal "torn by
beasts" (Gen. 31:39). Jacob developed concepts of the normal physiology of
conception and birth in both humans and livestock (Gen. 30:7, 31:8, 10). He had
an understanding of female infertility and the pathology of human childbirth
(Gen. 29:31, 30:2, 35:16–19). He possessed an understanding of the spontaneous
abortion of sheep and goats that "cast their young" (Gen. 31:38).
According to legend, he saw sword wounds as well as fatal outcomes (Gen.
34:25–26). He was familiar with the operations of tenotomy and the castration
of bulls (Gen. 32:6, 16, 49:6). The provided fragmentary information indicates
that Jacob knew about normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of both
animals and humans.
Among
the workers of Jacob's nomadic farm, a "midwife" was present (Gen.
35:17). That is, the head of the family had the opportunity to consult on
matters of obstetrics. Jacob and his sons demanded that the men of Shechem
perform circumcision of the foreskin (Gen. 34:14–17, 22). After the agreement
of the townsmen, someone performed a mass circumcision (Gen. 34:24). This could
have been carried out by a specialist with surgical experience, such as a
barber-surgeon or a local healer. Physicians were present in the Nile Delta,
where Jacob's family migrated (Gen. 46:6, 47:27, 50:2). However, nowhere is his
communication with Egyptian doctors mentioned. The people of Judea did not
raise professional physicians until the Alexandrian period, although empirical
medicine coexisted with the priestly system of "treatment"
(1947CastiglioniA).
Knowledge of the anatomy of domestic mammals implied Jacob's understanding of the internal structure of the human body. Differences between humans and animals are often minimal in both an anatomical and psychological sense. Self-awareness, memory, empathy, and intelligence have been detected in killer whales and dolphins, dogs and elephants, crows and parrots, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. A relatively developed intuition was identified in bumblebees, which demonstrated the ability to solve practical tasks in an experiment (2026BhamboreAA_LoukolaOJ). A single structural plan, a similar algorithm, and the result of thought make it difficult to clearly separate humans from other animals. Carl von Linné (1707–1778), back in 1735, positionally placed our species in an order alongside monkeys and sloths (1735vonLinnéC). In a monograph published later, the naturalist transferred man to the order "Primates", which included anthropoid apes (1758vonLinnéC). The creators of the Book of Genesis understood this more than three thousand years before C. Linné. According to the writers' concept, both humans and animals were created from the same material – "out of the ground" (Gen. 2:7, 19, 3:19). Here, a common scheme of internal morphology is also implied. Much later, Neil H. Shubin identified elements of the ancient pink fish Tiktaalik, which lived 375 million years ago, in our body (2008ShubinN). The hypertrophied pride of Homo sapiens not only refuses to believe this, but also wishes to elevate itself relative to its own kind. If a cataclysm on Earth occurs comparable to the asteroid impact on the Yucatán Peninsula 66 million years ago, birds will survive again. Then the hoatzin, which has fingers on its wings, will gain the opportunity to develop to a highly intelligent stage and occupy the human niche on the planet in approximately 60–70 million years.
We
believe Jacob became involved in labor from an early age. As a youth, his twin
brother engaged in game hunting (Gen. 25:27–28). No specific activities of
Jacob himself are reported. It is only known that his childhood was spent
"dwelling in tents" (Gen. 25:27). This remark allows us to expect
work within and around the nomadic camp. This conjecture is indirectly
confirmed by the episode of Esau selling his birthright (Gen. 25:31, 34).
Before Esau arrived from hunting, Jacob had cooked a "pottage", and
upon concluding the deal, he gave him "bread and pottage of lentils"
(Gen. 25:29, 34). Thus, in his youth, he was entrusted with cooking food,
baking bread, and gathering fuel for the hearth. At the same time, he mastered
the technique of slaughtering and butchering livestock. Therefore, his mother
asks him to bring "kids of the goats" to prepare a meal (Gen.
27:9–10). The son fulfills the request, skins, and apparently dismembers the
animals (Gen. 27:14, 16).
Jacob's
father managed herds of small and large cattle (Gen. 26:14). In addition, his
tribe sowed grain crops (Gen. 26:12). This roughly outlines Jacob's other
duties: to pasture farm animals near the encampment. Thus, upon reaching Haran,
he indicates to the shepherds when to water and feed the livestock (Gen. 29:7).
Presumably, Jacob simultaneously gathered the fruits of wild plants and
produced wine (Gen. 27:25). It was rational to involve the young man in setting
up dwellings during migrations (Gen. 26:2, 17, 22–23). During the sowing
season, as we see it, he tilled the soil, and later harvested and transported
the yield to the place of residence. He must have been enlisted to assist
workers digging wells (Gen. 26:15, 18, 20–22, 25, 32). Surveying Jacob's work
activity during the discussed time interval, minor physical loads should be noted.
Traumatic impacts on the musculoskeletal system proved to be minimal.
A
month after arriving in Haran, Jacob hired himself into the service of his
mother's brother (Gen. 29:14–15, 20). His function was to "feed and
keep" the sheep (Gen. 30:32). The contract term was initially agreed upon,
but extended later: seven years for the younger daughter and as many for the
elder (Gen. 29:18, 26–27). Activity as a shepherd proved to be extremely
successful (Gen. 30:29–30). Fourteen years later, Jacob concluded a third,
indefinite contract (Gen. 30:31–34). He was appointed to pasture sheep and
goats (Gen. 30:35). In this field, he achieved high labor results: "And
the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and
menservants, and camels, and asses" (Gen. 30:43). By the time of the
exodus to Canaan, his eldest son Reuben had turned 12 years old (Gen. 29:32).
Most of the subsequent children were born a year apart, while the youngest,
Joseph, was past 6 years old (Gen. 30:23–24). It is thought that the sons began
to help in animal husbandry and were involved in cultivating wheat (Gen.
30:14). Then Jacob assumed the role of a teacher.
The
work of a shepherd involves prolonged walking over rough terrain. In doing so,
it is required to carry personal belongings and a supply of provisions. This
predetermines an increase in the level of environmental mechanical factors
affecting the musculoskeletal system. An increase in average daily mechanical
stresses in skeletal tissues causes a series of adaptive biological processes
within them. In the case of bioeffective stresses – representing the difference
between actual and optimal average daily stresses – biological processes are
induced that neutralize them according to the principle of negative feedback,
whereas uneliminated bioeffective stresses lead to damage (2004Архипов-БалтийскийСВ, a). Accordingly, the activity of a
livestock breeder is fraught with the development of conditions commonly called
degenerative-dystrophic diseases. In addition to the above, unfavorable
features of the shepherd's profession include accidental injuries, attacks by
predators and robbers, exposure to precipitation and wind, hypothermia,
overheating, and sleep deprivation. Exactly this is heard in the words
addressed to Laban on Mount Gilead: "in the day the drought consumed me,
and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes" (Gen.
31:39–40).
Alongside
routine livestock farming in Mesopotamia, Jacob engaged in selective breeding:
breeding small livestock that were "streaked, speckled, and spotted"
(Gen. 30:39). These animals were designated as payment for labor according to
the formula: "the speckled shall be thy wages" and "the
ringstreaked shall be thy hire" (Gen. 30:32, 31:8). His second goal was to
improve the breed by selecting and crossing healthy and large individuals: he
"laid the rods" when the animals were "stronger", but
"when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in" (Gen. 30:41–42). As
a result, "the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's" (Gen.
30:42). His cousins and father-in-law envied his success (Gen. 31:1–2). That
is, the methodology used by Jacob was exclusive. Even the older relative lacked
a clear understanding of the patterns of inheritance of external traits in
animals (Gen. 30:31–34). The secret of efficiency was explained to his wives
with guile: "God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them
to me" (Gen. 31:9). Gradually, the herd entrusted to Jacob changed from
white to spotted. This required six years (Gen. 31:41). As stated above,
originally colored animals had been removed by his father-in-law (Gen. 30:32).
Jacob
arrives in Northern Mesopotamia alone and on foot (Gen. 27:43, 28:2, 5, 10,
29:1). The route from Canaan to his destination reconstructed by us covers
approximately 900 km. Engaging in transhumant pastoralism in Haran forced him
to walk a lot with a load and sleep in the pasture. The second long journey is
made upon returning to his homeland, "into the land of Canaan",
specifically to "Shechem" (Gen. 31:17–18). According to our
measurements on the map, the migrant had to walk about 750 km, ascending and
descending highlands, crossing rivers, and pasturing livestock along the way.
The third multi-day journey began in "Shechem". Jacob walked along
the Samarian and Judean Mountains and reached "Hebron" (Gen. 33:18,
35:27). The length of the specified route was tentatively 100 km. Walking loads
negatively affect the articular cartilage surfaces of the lower extremities.
The detrimental effect of walking is more significant in older individuals. The
writers understood this, which is why Jacob is transported to Egypt in a wagon
(Gen. 45:27).
For
the first fourteen years, our hero receives no wages, working for two wives and
two concubines (Gen. 29:23–24, 28–29, 31:41). Consequently, he manages to
accumulate wealth in the form of livestock in six years (Gen. 31:41). Among
other things, Jacob acquires slaves, camels, and donkeys (Gen. 30:43). This
means that in addition to livestock breeding, the shepherd conducts trade and
exchange operations. To generate income, it is necessary to remember prices for
various commodities, forecast their dynamics, study the market, be able to
count correctly, conclude profitable deals, and record debit and credit. Thus,
during his stay in Haran, Jacob manages to master the profession of a merchant.
The merchant's skill proved useful to Jacob when purchasing a plot of field in
the area of the city of Shechem for a hundred "kessitah" (Gen.
33:19).
Stress
on the joints of the arms and legs is harmful, especially when carrying heavy
loads. Jacob moved large stones on more than one occasion (Gen. 28:18, 29:10,
31:45). In addition, he reliably built altars twice (Gen. 33:20, 35:7). Uncut
flat blocks were required for their construction. It has been noted that unhewn
limestone blocks were used in the construction of altars in Mesopotamian Ur,
which is similar to the practice of the ancient Hebrews. The carrying and
laying of stones by Jacob appear to have been performed without mechanical
aids. Therefore, both immediate and long-term painful consequences for mobile
joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles were to be expected.
For
most of his life, Jacob inhabited temporary dwellings outside settlements. This
implies that the family led a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. His grandfather
Abraham and father Isaac are described as shepherds caring for large herds of
livestock; his sons and grandsons engaged in the same trade, passing skills
from generation to generation (Gen. 21:21, 26:14, 46:34, 47:3). Jacob's mobile
"farm" was large in terms of the number of raised animals and the
number of "servants" – that is, workers who looked after herds of
goats, sheep, cows, oxen, donkeys, and camels (Gen. 32:14–16). This points to
the need for skills in managing a work team, planning, monitoring proper
feeding and care of animals, their treatment, and creating conditions for
optimal breeding. In Shechem, Jacob manages the farm while his sons look after
"the cattle in the field" (Gen. 34:5). He manages the farm while
living in "Hebron" "in the land of Canaan", while the
children pasture the animals (Gen. 35:27, 37:1, 2, 12–14). It is not ruled out
that the sons were involved in agricultural work, for sowing and harvesting
grain crops (Gen. 37:7). The father of the family twice sends his elder
children to Egypt for grain, gives advice, directs the composition of the
expedition, and stays home himself (Gen. 42:1–4, 43:2, 11–13). Jacob makes
decisions about relocating to "Be'er-Sheba" (Gen. 46:1). With his
consent, the tribe migrates further south to Egypt (Gen. 46:6). Judah is sent
ahead by him to scout the route and establish contacts with the local
administration (Gen. 46:28). Primacy in the family is confirmed by determining
precedence after his death. Jacob "set Ephraim before Manasseh" and
bequeathed to Joseph "one portion above his brethren" (Gen.
48:20–22). The specified is perceived as political propaganda, but it clearly
demonstrates a managerial role in the family.
Jacob
spent the final 17 years of his life in Egypt (Gen. 47:28). From this period
onward, family members became "settled" in the bountiful land of
"Goshen", which was also called "Rameses" (Gen. 47:11, 27).
The nomads finally reached their cherished goal. As is clear from the text,
Jacob did not engage in physical labor at the sunset of his days, but was fully
supported by his sons (Gen. 45:10–11). This period of the patient's life was
characterized by minimal impact of environmental mechanical factors and the
absence of occupational hazards affecting skeletal tissues. He could have
sustained injuries while working as a shepherd, building altars, and traveling
on foot across the Fertile Crescent.
At
the end of his life, Jacob was an experienced, knowledgeable livestock breeder
with long professional seniority. At the same time, activities related to
caring for domestic animals and traveling over rough terrain undeniably took a toll
on his health, above all on the musculoskeletal system.
Title & Contents / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / Chapter 17 / Chapter 18 / Chapter 19 / Chapter 20 / Chapter 21 / Chapter 22 / Chapter 23 / Chapter 24 / Chapter 25 / References / Notes
Russian-language version:
Титул и оглавление / Глава 1 / Глава 2 / Глава 3 / Глава 4 / Глава 5 / Глава 6 / Глава 7 / Глава 8 / Глава 9 / Глава 10 / Глава 11 / Глава 12 / Глава 13 / Глава 14 / Глава 15 / Глава 16 / Глава 17 / Глава 18 / Глава 19 / Глава 20 / Глава 21 / Глава 22 / Глава 23 / Глава 24 / Глава 25 / Список литературы
Author of the publication
Arkhipov S.V. – Independent Researcher, MD, PhD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Medical Writer, Finland.
Correspondence: Sergey Arkhipov, e-mail: archipovsv @ gmail.com
Publication history
October 23, 2026 - online version of the book is published.
Suggested citation
Arkhipov S.V. Medical Record: The Contribution of a Middle Bronze Age Egyptian Physician to the Book of Genesis. Chapter 8. About the round ligament of the femur. October 23, 2026. https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2026/10/medical-record-chapter-8.html
Note
Keywords
hip joint, hip dislocation, osteoarthritis, ligament of the head of femur, ligamentum teres, ligamentum capitis femoris, Minoan Eruption, Bronze Age, Ancient Medicine, Ancient Egypt, Edwin Smith Papyrus, Biblical Chronology, Genesis, Genesis Protograph, Bereshit
NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7
Comments
Post a Comment