e was the
great art in which the Egyptians excelled, as we infer from the ruins of
temples and palaces; and these wonderful fabrics were ornamented with
paintings which have preserved their color to this day. Architecture was
massive, grand, and imposing. Magical arts were in high estimation, and
chiefly exercised by the priests. The industrial arts reached great
excellence, especially in the weaving of linen, pottery, and household
furniture. The Egyptians were great musicians, using harps, flutes,
cymbals, and drums. They were also great gardeners. In their dress they
were simple, frugal in diet, though given to occasional excess; fond of
war, but not cruel like the Assyrians; hospitable among themselves, shy of
strangers, patriotic in feeling, and contemplative in character.

CHAPTER V.

THE JEWS UNTIL THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN.

(M85) When Joseph was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, Egypt was
probably ruled by the Shepherd kings, who were called Pharaoh, like all
the other kings, by the Jewish writers. Pitiphar (Pet-Pha, dedicated to
the sun) was probably the second person in the kingdom. Joseph, the Hebrew
slave, found favor in his sight, and was gradually promoted to the
oversight of his great household. Cast into prison, from the intrigues of
Potiphar's wife, whose disgraceful overtures he had virtuously and
honorably rejected, he found favor with the keeper of the prison, who
intrusted him with the sole care of the prisoners, although himself a
prisoner,--a striking proof of his transparent virtue. In process of time
two other high officers of the king, having offended him, were cast into
the same prison. They had strange dreams. Joseph interpreted them,
indicating the speedy return of the one to favor, and of the other to as
sudden an execution. These things came to pass. After two years the king
himself had a singular dream, and none of the professional magicians or
priests of Egypt could interpret it. It then occurred to the chief butler
that Joseph, whom he had forgotten and neglected, could interpret the
royal dream which troubled him. He told the king of his own dream in
prison, and the explanation of it by the Hebrew slave. Whereupon Joseph
was sent for, shaven and washed, and clothed with clean raiment to appear
in the royal palace, and he interpreted the king's dream, which not only
led to his promotion to be governor over Egypt, with the State chariots
for hi