Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people, Israel’s son/seed are more and mightier than we.” (Exo 1:8-9)

Today we will spend most of our time in Yasher and go through only chapter 1 of Exodus. I love Yasher because it fills in many gaps that are missing in Torah. For instance,  the new king over Egypt said, “Look, the people, Israel’s seed are more and mightier than we.” Why did he say that? And what caused this fear to rise up in them?

If you will recall, Joseph died in our 71st year in Egypt after ruling in Egypt for 80 years.

Yasher 59:25 And it came to pass after this that Joseph died in that year, the 71st year of the Israelites going down to Egypt.

And after Joseph’s death, the Pharaoh, who he was a father to, ruled over Egypt for 1 additional year. But there was yet another king that rose up, our third king, who did know Joseph and his brethren who ruled for 30 more years.

A New King Over Egypt Arose

Now, in our 102 year, a new king over Egypt who truly did not know Joseph or his brethren and the good thing they had done takes the throne. He was born 11 years before Levi (the last of Jacob’s sons) died and took the helm of Egypt at 20, 9 years later. Continue reading There Arose A new King Over Egypt →