Genesis 39 to 47

[pebbles]

   Genesis 41:20-23.  When I’ve read the story of Joseph and then being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and put to jail, I thought he was like any regular prisoner… maybe even abused… but it seems I never “saw” after all those times I’ve read this story that Joseph was also trusted by the warden when he was put in jail. (I find this “discovering things I never noticed in the bible” very fun 

   Genesis 41:14.   When summoned by pharaoh, he was shaved and put on Egyptian garments.  I’ve read somewhere that Egyptians shave their hairs because they don't want hair lice.  Do you know that those Egyptian queens and princesses in hieroglyphics?  They are portrayed with hair...but it was actually not their own!    Those black hair you would normally see in hieroglyphics are actually WIGS(!)  … like I said, they don’t want hair lice…it’s their way of being hygienic.  That must be the reason why when Joseph was summoned and have to face the pharaoh, he was shaved…

[Shin]

Wigs! 

Haha! It's great to have you back, pebbles!

Welcome back!

[pebbles]

Thanks, Shin!  And it's nice to be back. 

I was surprised by this too...but I think it's true.  You've seen the Egyptians depicted as having shaved heads.  They have an aversion to hair lice.  So nobody is allowed to go near the pharaoh unless he is shaved of body hair... I would presume it's the same for women.  And I think I've seen a movie that the Egyptian woman is bald and had a wig stand. I believe it's in their ancient culture. Any Egyptologist here? 

[Patricia]

No but my new neighbors are Egyptian 

[pebbles]

Even better!    Maybe they'll know their culture historically. 

Actually, I used to have a penfriend who is Egyptian.  But I only realized about the wigs 2 years ago 

If you've seen the bust of Nefertiti...she looks bald... her crown hides her head 

[Shin]

Hah! Every once in awhile I'm tempted to shave my head and go bald permanently.

But that's because I have another kind of head itch, and it's a good cure for that. 

[pebbles]

Hair lice? I used to have hair lice when I was a kid.  They say (or should I say, "old folks say") that you get it from being out in the sun often.

If you've seen monkeys in a row trying to catch hair lice (and then eat it  ) have you ever wondered why?  I think it's a form of socializing.  It's sort of like in the Philippines (well, at least in earlier years...meaning when I was a kid and earlier  ) women do this.  a daughter, the mother and grandmother... well of course, the "eating" part is not done    The head lice are usually killed on the head with the thumb fingernails of the two hands. You crush them!    One has to be quick and dextrous. 

Would you believe this is even a sort of bonding for parents?  I remember my mom combing through my hair trying to catch those hair lice... she'd also do this with my brother.  You get to lay your head on your mom's lap and you get to talk or she gets to scold you    Of course being a kid, it's such a hassle since you want to get out and play with your friends 

Also, a grandmother of mine would rummage through my hair and when she sees a big one, she'd get it and place it in her own head    why?    It's because she likes for her grand kids to comb through her hair, find the hair lice and even do the motion of killing the hair lice...because it's like massaging her head and scalp and she'd feel sleepy 

For westerners, this probably sound disgusting, huh?    I'd see in Western movies how parents would panic when they find out their kid has hair lice and you'd get quarantined.  I really find it over the top reaction for such a thing...but I guess I have a different experience about such things. 

Oh, yeah...how to get rid of hair lice? When shampooing the hair, get a towellette(?) get it soapy and use it to massage and hair and scalp.  The hair lice will stick to the towellette 

And I don't know if it's true...they say, hair lice likes very clean hair 

Wouldn't you say God works in mysterious ways in the story I've just shared?    I mean hair lice bonding a family 

[Shin]

Ah, err, I agree, that's.. that's.. TMI out here, pebbles.

[pebbles]

Shin,...what's TMI? 

[Shin]

Haha! Too Much Information!

It sounds like you have some great memories of your grandmother! 

[pebbles]

I'm always guilty of TMI 

Yes...I've lots of fond memories of my grandparents... the grandma I talked about is my grandpa's sister...basically she's my grand-aunt.  There's really no direct translation for that in our language and so every older relative in relation to one's direct grandparents are really just "lolo" (male) and "lola" (female)  For my real grandapa, I remember pulling on his fingers and toes to make them pop... you get money for every "pop"   And plucking his chin hairs... the value then was 25 cents per "pop" hair plucked   

As for my mom...I cut her toe nails...and corns if there are    It used to be my brother's job... (but he's not very good at it) but it got transferred to me when I got a bit older.  I'd used to tease my mom and say, "Ok, mom, just cry if I accidentally cut real deep."    Again, this might be TMI (yay!!!! I learned a new chat lingua!  ) but it's life in the Philippines and it gets to show how close and personal families are. ... Now, dad's toe nails.... 

[Shin]

What a sturdy fellow! Ouch!   

It's striking what Pharaoh calls Joseph, 'the savior of the world'.

It reminds me of how I've read in the original Douai of Christ in the Old Testament, but in other Bibles this is obscured as they will use other words.