Alvis Rofhessa
Active Member
(I didn't know whether to put this under comparative reigion, ancient myth or Abrahamic religon.) I have been involved in comparing mythologies around the world and/incld the bible to find synchronisms and reconstruct a true time-scale of history. In the course of my studies I have been amazed to have found many accounts of the famine of Joseph of Genesis/the Bible thanks to using the bible as a key to mythology (and v-v). There is no doubt most of these accounts are the same as Joseph's famine not different time local (known world) ones because the minor details like it being 7 yrs and described as world-wide etc, tho a few may not be same.
-> Judaeo-Xtian version: Joseph vizier during 7 yrs plenty/storage and then 7 yrs drought/famine; (no rain before flood; shortage of food after flood; 2 earlier lesser famines/droughts in days of Abraham, Isaac; later lesser famines/droughts in times of Ruth, David, Elijah, Elisha, famine Acts/Pauline letter, 3rd/black horseman of apocalypse (6:5-6)).
-> Greek versions: abduction of Persephone, life shrivels & dies, dry summer, grain stored in silos, Demeter wanders earth. Some see correspondence with [Thales]. (M Jordan.)
-> Hittite version: Telipinu disappeared, trees withered, springs dried up, famine crept over world.
-> Phoenician versions: Mot slays Baal, 7 yrs drought/sterility. Salem & Sahar huge appetites, spend 7 yrs amoung crops/pasture while food accumulates in barns. Danel puts 7 yr curse on earth. drought Keret (2 wives, 7 sons). (Ref: A Millard, Larousse, Hutchinson.)
-> Yemeni version: . (Ref: G Jeffreys/ies.)
-> Assyrio-Babylonian version: Epic of Gilgamesh "7 yrs drought ... have you saved grain ... I have saved grain ... for 7 yrs". Atrahasis epic ".... Let the fig tree be cut off from the people; in their bellies let vegetables be wanting. Above let Adad make scarce his rain....[there then followed 7 harsh yrs/periods/series of famine.]" (Refs: NK Sandars.)
-> Iranian versions: Tishtriya vs Apaosha/drought. During the reign of Afrasiyab, king of Turan, over Persia, it did not rain for 8 years. (Ref: Robinson/Wilson)
-> Indian versions: Indra vs Vritra/drought. Once the earth was deprived of moisture, Ganges washing only sky, land filled with ashes, to put an end to this terrible drought ... sought to bring the Ganges out of heaven. (Ref: E Sykes, Larousse.)
-> Chinese version: Huangti brought down Pa/dryness who stopped wind & rain, Pa couldn't go back, continued to spread drought, people suffered grtly. (Ref: Larousse.)
-> Egyptian version: 7 yrs drought during Djoser's reign. 7 empty years Mentuhotep 4 (11th dyn, or 12th?) "Yrs of famine" (12th dyn). "Famine lasting many years" (immed prior 18th dyn.) Myth of Hathor & Sekhmet slaying men = "plagues & starvation which accomp the dry season immd preced the rise of the river. Joseph has been variously corresponded with Osarsiph, Peteseph, Inyotef, Djoser, Souphis, Yuya. (Ref: W Keller, B Walker, Mercatante, D Rohl.)
-> Bambara version: Faro (vs Teliko/desert wind) came to earth after long period of drought during which most living things died? (Ref: M Jordan.)
-> Yoruba: Ifa left earth whereupon famine descended.
-> Rhodesian: "then Mwuetsi sickened: rain didn't fall, plants withered, streams ran dry, animals and people died."
-> Peru: deluge followed by a famine (tho this could also/alt be the lack of food after flood). Con transformed their land into desert where no rain ever fell.
-> Mexico: 4th age great famine prevailed (DA MacKenzie.)
-> Toltec: Tollan stricken by drought & then famine, all rivers and wells dry up, grainaries invaded by vermin. (Pears.)
-> Huron Indian vers: Tsenta made life poss on earth by defeating the Great Frog which had swallowed all the (deluge) waters and returning them to the rivers and valleys.
-> Cherokee: Sun-goddess hated people and cursed them with a great drought (Flem-Ath.)
-> Evolutionist versions: Egyptian wheat found in Lake Dwellings built on dried up lake shores. Geological period (lost name) when most seas considerably dried up. Perhaps cp 2 droughts supposedly between end of last ice age and 1st Egyptian dynasty. Perhaps connected with desication of Sahara and/or Sphinx rain marks? (Ref: J Jeans, , Cambridge, Acknowl: Libronix/Logos.)
-> Unverified: The Myth of the Heavenly Cow speaks of a great famine, which necessarily entails a failure of the inundation and the death of the population because they had no fresh water to drink.
-> Judaeo-Xtian version: Joseph vizier during 7 yrs plenty/storage and then 7 yrs drought/famine; (no rain before flood; shortage of food after flood; 2 earlier lesser famines/droughts in days of Abraham, Isaac; later lesser famines/droughts in times of Ruth, David, Elijah, Elisha, famine Acts/Pauline letter, 3rd/black horseman of apocalypse (6:5-6)).
-> Greek versions: abduction of Persephone, life shrivels & dies, dry summer, grain stored in silos, Demeter wanders earth. Some see correspondence with [Thales]. (M Jordan.)
-> Hittite version: Telipinu disappeared, trees withered, springs dried up, famine crept over world.
-> Phoenician versions: Mot slays Baal, 7 yrs drought/sterility. Salem & Sahar huge appetites, spend 7 yrs amoung crops/pasture while food accumulates in barns. Danel puts 7 yr curse on earth. drought Keret (2 wives, 7 sons). (Ref: A Millard, Larousse, Hutchinson.)
-> Yemeni version: . (Ref: G Jeffreys/ies.)
-> Assyrio-Babylonian version: Epic of Gilgamesh "7 yrs drought ... have you saved grain ... I have saved grain ... for 7 yrs". Atrahasis epic ".... Let the fig tree be cut off from the people; in their bellies let vegetables be wanting. Above let Adad make scarce his rain....[there then followed 7 harsh yrs/periods/series of famine.]" (Refs: NK Sandars.)
-> Iranian versions: Tishtriya vs Apaosha/drought. During the reign of Afrasiyab, king of Turan, over Persia, it did not rain for 8 years. (Ref: Robinson/Wilson)
-> Indian versions: Indra vs Vritra/drought. Once the earth was deprived of moisture, Ganges washing only sky, land filled with ashes, to put an end to this terrible drought ... sought to bring the Ganges out of heaven. (Ref: E Sykes, Larousse.)
-> Chinese version: Huangti brought down Pa/dryness who stopped wind & rain, Pa couldn't go back, continued to spread drought, people suffered grtly. (Ref: Larousse.)
-> Egyptian version: 7 yrs drought during Djoser's reign. 7 empty years Mentuhotep 4 (11th dyn, or 12th?) "Yrs of famine" (12th dyn). "Famine lasting many years" (immed prior 18th dyn.) Myth of Hathor & Sekhmet slaying men = "plagues & starvation which accomp the dry season immd preced the rise of the river. Joseph has been variously corresponded with Osarsiph, Peteseph, Inyotef, Djoser, Souphis, Yuya. (Ref: W Keller, B Walker, Mercatante, D Rohl.)
-> Bambara version: Faro (vs Teliko/desert wind) came to earth after long period of drought during which most living things died? (Ref: M Jordan.)
-> Yoruba: Ifa left earth whereupon famine descended.
-> Rhodesian: "then Mwuetsi sickened: rain didn't fall, plants withered, streams ran dry, animals and people died."
-> Peru: deluge followed by a famine (tho this could also/alt be the lack of food after flood). Con transformed their land into desert where no rain ever fell.
-> Mexico: 4th age great famine prevailed (DA MacKenzie.)
-> Toltec: Tollan stricken by drought & then famine, all rivers and wells dry up, grainaries invaded by vermin. (Pears.)
-> Huron Indian vers: Tsenta made life poss on earth by defeating the Great Frog which had swallowed all the (deluge) waters and returning them to the rivers and valleys.
-> Cherokee: Sun-goddess hated people and cursed them with a great drought (Flem-Ath.)
-> Evolutionist versions: Egyptian wheat found in Lake Dwellings built on dried up lake shores. Geological period (lost name) when most seas considerably dried up. Perhaps cp 2 droughts supposedly between end of last ice age and 1st Egyptian dynasty. Perhaps connected with desication of Sahara and/or Sphinx rain marks? (Ref: J Jeans, , Cambridge, Acknowl: Libronix/Logos.)
-> Unverified: The Myth of the Heavenly Cow speaks of a great famine, which necessarily entails a failure of the inundation and the death of the population because they had no fresh water to drink.
