Legands of the Jews > Volume 2 >
THE BEGINNING OF THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE
As soon as Jacob was dead, the eyes of the Israelites were
closed, as well as their hearts. They began to feel the dominion
of the stranger,[1] although real bondage did not enslave
them until some time later. While a single one of the
sons of Jacob was alive, the Egyptians did not venture to
approach the Israelites with evil intent. It was only when
Levi, the last of them, had departed this life that their
suffering
commenced.[2] A change in the relation of the Egyptians
toward the Israelites had, indeed, been noticeable
immediately after the death of Joseph, but they did not
throw off their mask completely until Levi was no more.
Then the slavery of the Israelites supervened in good
earnest.
The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to deprive the Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the gifts that Joseph had sent to his brethren. Not content with these animosities, they sought to do them harm in, other ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of the Egyptians was envy and fear. The Israelites had increased to a miraculous degree. At the death of Jacob the seventy persons he had brought down with him bad grown to the number of six hundred thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism were extraordinary and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There were many occasions at that time for the display of prowess. Not long after the death of Levi occurred that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up by Joseph, and therefore was not wholly without grateful recollection of what he and his family had accomplished for the welfare of Egypt. But his son and successor Malol, together with his whole court, knew not the sons of Jacob and their achievements, and they did not scruple to oppress the Hebrews.
The final breach between them and the Egyptians took place during the wars waged by Malol against Zepho, the grandson of Esau. In the course of it, the Israelites had saved the Egyptians from a crushing defeat, but instead of being grateful they sought only the undoing of their benefactors, from fear that the giant strength of the Hebrews might be turned against them.[5]
