Susanne Binder

Joseph's rewarding and investiture (Genesis 41:41-43) and the Gold of Honour in New Kingdom Egypt

Against the backdrop of the authors Egyptological research on the Gold of Honour in the New Kingdom, this chapter reports on the findings and (re)turns to the Bible scholars, who were the first to present detailed research on the Egyptian phenomenon of rewarding with gold in conjunction with their interest in the Biblical narrative of Joseph. The main characteristics of the Gold of Honour are summarised and it emerges as a powerful political tool under the sole control of the king who in his selection of officials could break the bounds of the conventional ranking system in society. The chapter reviews the parallels between the Egyptian sources and the verses in Genesis 41. The diachronic dimension and development of a text are acknowledged, and issues concerning the transmission of narrative motifs, their origin and survival are raised. Keywords: Biblical narrative; Egyptological research; Genesis 41; Gold of Honour; Joseph; New Kingdom