Benjamin

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Benjamin (Hebrew: בּנימין, Binyāmîn; "son of my right hand"), (b. 2212 AM 1948 BC
1813 H
2212 AM), was the youngest son of Jacob, and the second (and final) son of Rachel. He was the ancestor of the Tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was born during the journey that Jacob and his family took from Padan Aram to Canaan. He had eleven brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph. He also had a sister, Dinah.

Contents 1 The Famine 2 Entry into Egypt 3 Related References 4 See Also

The Famine

Benjamin was only four years old when his older brother Joseph was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He therefore probably had no memory of that event.

Twenty-two years later, he was a married man with an incredibly large family of ten sons: Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. When the famine struck, Benjamin probably felt it more acutely than most.

At first his other brothers went to Egypt without him, because their father Jacob held him back. But the second time, Judah reported that the viceroy of Egypt insisted, and quite sternly, that Benjamin must accompany them, or they would not be allowed to buy grain again. Judah offered to guarantee Benjamin's personal safety, and subject to that condition, Jacob consented for him to go.

The viceroy of Egypt received them grandly, and paid special attention to Benjamin. A few days later, the viceroy loaded them with all the grain they could carry and let them leave. But then they were arrested and brought back before the viceroy, who accused them of stealing a silver cup from his house. The soldiers proceeded to search the eleven men. Not only did they find all the money that the brothers had brought with them, but also—and worse than that—Benjamin's sack held the missing cup!

The viceroy announced that Benjamin would remain as his personal slave. But Judah interceded and told an incredible story of family shame and betrayal. In short, Judah told the story of the disappearance of Joseph, the brother whom Benjamin was too young to know.

And then the viceroy orderred everyone else out of the room, and broke down and wept in front of them. Then he told them his name. He was none other than Joseph! Moreover, Joseph held nothing against his brothers, saying that he had to come to Egypt in order to become viceroy and save Egypt (and virtually the entire Middle East) from the famine, which then (2238 AM) had two years to run.

Joseph then sent the eleven men back to Jacob at the head of a wagon train, with an invitation to move to Egypt with all their housseholds and take up residence in Goshen.

Entry into Egypt

On 15 Abib 2238 AM25 April 1921 BC
15 Iyar 1840 H
15 Abib 2238 AM, Benjamin, his wife, and his ten sons entered Egypt to live. He was 26 years old.

Related References

See Also

• Israel
• Israelites
• Arabs
• Palestine