Pharaoh had one of those. And it wasn't pretty.
You know the story, right? Pharaoh's dream: Seven fat cows devoured by seven gaunt ones. Seven healthy ears of grain swallowed by seven withered ones. A classic nightmare scenario, ripe with symbolism. But what did it mean?
Pharaoh, understandably freaked out, called in his wise men, his magicians, his scribes – the best and brightest of Egypt. "Interpret this!" he demanded. And they tried. Oh, how they tried. But their interpretations… well, let's just say they weren't exactly confidence-boosting.
Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, recounts one particularly grim interpretation. One of these wise men told Pharaoh, "Thou wilt have seven sons, O Pharaoh, these are the seven fat kine." Okay, so far so good, right? Sons are good! But then came the kicker: "These sons of thine will be killed by the seven powerful rebellious princes." Ouch. That's a tough break for any parent, let alone a king.
And it didn't end there! The interpretation continued, offering a glimmer of hope, but a rather complicated one: "But then seven minor princes will come, and they will kill the seven rebels, avenge thy descendants, and restore the dominion to thy family." So, a cycle of violence, rebellion, and revenge? Not exactly the most uplifting prediction.
Pharaoh, as you might imagine, was not thrilled. He was about as pleased with this interpretation as he was with all the others he'd heard. And in his royal fury, he did something drastic. Something… well, downright terrifying. He ordered the execution of all his wise men, magicians, and scribes. Can you imagine? All those brilliant minds, snuffed out because they couldn't deliver good news.
The hangmen were ready. The decree was given. And Egypt stood on the brink of losing its intellectual elite.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What would you do if you were Pharaoh? Faced with a terrifying dream and even more terrifying interpretations, would you lash out in anger? Or would you search for a different perspective? Because as we know, this isn't the end of the story. Someone else is about to enter the scene. Someone with a very different understanding of dreams and their meanings. But that… that's a story for another time.