Pharaoh

pharaoh

pharaoh (fârˈō) [Heb., from Egyptian,=the great house], title of the kings of ancient Egypt. Of the pharaohs in the Bible, Shishak is Sheshonk I, Neco or Necoh is Necho, and Hophra is Apries. Many scholars believe that the pharaoh who oppressed the Jews in chapters 1–14 of the Book of Exodus was Seti I and that his son Ramses II was the pharaoh of the Exodus.

See also Dynasties of Ancient Egypt (table).

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Pharaoh

 

an ancient Egyptian king; also, beginning with the 22nd Dynasty, the title of the king. The term “pharaoh” came from the ancient Egyptian per-o, meaning “great house,” and was passed down through biblical tradition as “pharaoh” (ancient Hebrew, paroh; Greek, pharao). According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, the pharaoh was the sun god as well as the earthly embodiment of Horus and the heir of Osiris.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharaoh

had dreams of cattle and corn by which Joseph was able to foretell the future. [O.T.: Genesis 41]

See: Dreaming

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Pharaoh

imposed cruel burdens of labor on the Hebrews. [O.T.: Exodus 5]

See: Harshness

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Pharaoh

refuses to heed Moses’s mandate from God. [O.T.: Exodus 7:13, 22–23, 8:32, 9:7, 12]

See: Obstinacy

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharaoh

the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005