The Hebrews who went down to Egypt settled there as guests of the Pharaoh. To those semi-nomadic people, the land, even though passing through a period of exceptional famine, must have seemed lush and green compared with droughtstricken Canaan and the desert which they had crossed. They were there as resident aliens, but at the time it was easy to forget that fact, because they were accorded special privileges, thanks to Joseph's position at the Pharaoh's court. However, the time came when this favorable status changed. Exodus 1:8 graphically portrays the shift in fortune which followed the death of Joseph. "Now there arose a new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph." We are not told the new king's name nor how long a period had elapsed since Joseph's death, but a good guess would be that t…