Genesis 41:38-45
[38] And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” [39] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. [40] You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” [41] And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” [42] Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. [43] And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. [44] Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” [45] And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
I always hear that there’s no evidence for the existence of Joseph or the Hebrew people’s time in Egypt, but to me, this is evidence enough.
There’s a place called Tell el-Dab’a (Avaris), located in the Nile Delta region (identified as Goshen in the Bible), where excavations have revealed a large Semitic settlement during the Middle Kingdom (c. 1876 BC), matching the biblical timeline for Joseph’s arrival. The site includes a massive villa with a floor plan identical to later Israelite four-room houses, suggesting a prominent Semitic official (probably Jacob, Joseph’s father) lived there. Royal seals have been unearthed at there with names Yacob-har (Jacob) and Sakir-har (Issachar).
Lastly, there’s a tomb at Tell el-Dab’a that contained a shattered statue of a Semitic man wearing a multicolored coat, echoing the biblical description of Joseph’s “coat of many colors.” The tomb was eerily empty, with bones removed—consistent with the biblical account that Moses took Joseph’s bones from Egypt during the Exodus.
There’s always people that will say this isn’t evidence. There’s always gonna be people that will say that the Bible is a made-up story, but as Christians, when we see this kind of evidence (even though we don’t need it to have faith), it really does build our faith. It makes us feel more bold in our faith when we have evidence that we can say to the unbeliever and skeptic, when they demand physical, historical, archaeology evidence. This evidence isn’t always for us, for our faith, but for the skeptic, scoffer, unbeliever who needs some form of physical proof before they can give in.
Man can try to destroy all evidence of God, but the LORD’s name, His story, His Kingdom, and His people will never be forgotten. Never be blotted out. No matter how hard the world tries, He is the Rock that shall not be moved. So, stand firm on that Rock and know with certainty that the Scriptures are true and preserved from God.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Firm On The Rock.