1. Hebrews
2. Hebrews blamed for the plague

King Bocchoris

King Bocchoris, also known as Bakenranef, was a ruler of ancient Egypt, specifically of the 24th Dynasty, which was part of the Third Intermediate Period. His reign was notable in several respects. Firstly, Bocchoris is remembered for his legal reforms and his focus on administrative improvements. He was not just a ruler but also a lawgiver, emphasizing justice and order in his kingdom.

Interestingly, his reign also intersects with the philosophical world of ancient civilizations. In a period where rulers were often considered divine or semi-divine figures, Bocchoris’ approach to governance through law and administration suggests a more rational, perhaps even philosophical, understanding of kingship. This ties into themes of leadership and governance that are still relevant in discussions of philosophy and political theory today.

Furthermore, Bocchoris’ story is shrouded in myth and legend. He is sometimes mentioned in the context of magical and religious narratives, which reflects the rich tapestry of Egyptian mythology and its influence on governance and kingship.

For someone passionate about philosophy, thinking, and innovation, King Bocchoris represents an intriguing figure. His blend of practical governance with the mystical elements of Egyptian culture offers a unique lens through which to explore ancient leadership and its parallels with modern concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship. His reign suggests that even in ancient times, effective leadership required a balance of practicality, innovation, and an understanding of the cultural and mythological context in which one ruled.

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Most authors agree that once during a plague in Egypt which caused bodily disfigurement, King Bocchoris approached the oracle of Ammon and asked for a remedy, whereupon he was told to purge his kingdom and to transport this race [the Hebrews] into other lands, since it was hateful to the gods.

So the Hebrews were searched out and gathered together; then, being abandoned in the desert, while all others lay idle and weeping, one only of the exiles, Moses by name, warned them not to hope for help from gods or men, for they were deserted by both, but to trust to themselves, regarding as a guide sent from heaven the one whose assistance should first give them escape from their present distress.

Moses — also exile from the Hebrew people.

They agreed, and then set out on their journey in utter ignorance, but trusting to chance. Nothing caused them so much distress as scarcity of water, and in fact they had already fallen exhausted over the plain nigh unto death, when a herd of wild asses moved from their pasturage to a rock that was shaded by a grove of trees. Moses followed them, and, conjec- turing the truth from the grassy ground, discovered abundant streams of water. This relieved them, and they then marched six days continuously, and on the seventh seized a country, expelling the former inhabitants; there they founded a city and dedicated a temple.8
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4 1 To establish his influence over this people for all time, Moses introduced new religious practices, quite opposed to those of all other religions. The Jews regard as profane all that we hold sacred; on the other hand, they permit all that we abhor. They dedicated, in a shrine, a statue of that creature whose guidance enabled them to put an end to their wandering and thirst,9 sacrificing a ram, apparently in derision of Ammon.10
They likewise offer the ox, because the Egyptians worship Apis. They abstain from pork, in recollection of a plague, for the scab to which this animal is subject once afflicted them. By frequent fasts even now they bear witness to the long hunger with which they were once distressed, and the unleavened Jewish bread is still employed in memory of the haste with which they seized the grain.11 They say that they first chose to rest on the seventh day because that day ended their toils; but after a time they were led by the charms of indolence to give over the seventh year as well to inactivity.12 Others say that this is done in honour of Saturn,13 whether it be that the primitive elements of their religion were given by the Idaeans, who, according to tradi- tion, were expelled with Saturn and became the founders of the Jewish race, or is due to the fact that, of the seven planets that rule the fortunes of mankind, Saturn moves in the highest orbit and has the greatest potency; and that many of the heavenly bodies traverse their paths and courses in multiples of seven.14