It's a tale of ambition, cunning, and a whole lot of grave-robbing... or, well, almost.
Our story begins not in Egypt, but in the land of Shinar. There lived a man named Rakyon – meaning, quite literally, "Have-naught." According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, he was wise and handsome, but unfortunately, also poor. Finding it impossible to make a living, he decided to head to Egypt, hoping to impress King Ashwerosh, son of 'Anam, with his wisdom. He figured, rightly, that if he played his cards right, he could become a great man.
But Egypt had its own quirks. Rakyon discovered that the king lived in seclusion, only appearing to the public once a year to hear petitions. So, how was our "Have-naught" supposed to get ahead?
Penniless and hungry, Rakyon was forced to sleep in a ruin. The next day, he tried selling vegetables. But as fate would have it, he ran into some ruffians who stole his goods and mocked him. Talk about adding insult to injury!
Another night in the ruin, and a plan began to hatch in Rakyon's mind. It was… audacious, to say the least. He gathered thirty strong men and went to the graveyard. There, he declared, in the king's name, that everyone had to pay two hundred pieces of silver for each burial! Otherwise, no interment would be allowed.
Can you believe it?
But here's the thing: it worked. Within eight months, Rakyon amassed a fortune in silver, gold, and jewels. He even built up a private, armed force. Talk about a glow-up!
Inevitably, on the day the king appeared before his people, they were furious. "What is this tax on the dead?" they cried. "Has such a thing ever happened, that we must pay to bury our loved ones? We know the king takes taxes from the living, but from the dead too? It is ruining the city!"
King Ashwerosh, completely unaware of Rakyon’s scheme, was enraged. He demanded that Rakyon and his armed men appear before him.
But Rakyon wasn't stupid. He came bearing gifts. A thousand youths and maidens, riding steeds and dressed in finery, preceded him. Then, he presented the king with gold, silver, diamonds, and a magnificent horse.
Now, King Ashwerosh wasn't immune to flattery, or to bribes, apparently. Rakyon, with his silver tongue, explained his actions in a way that not only won over the king but the entire court! The king declared, "You shall no longer be called Rakyon, 'Have-naught,' but Pharaoh, 'Paymaster,' for you collected taxes from the dead!"
And that, according to this legend, is how the title "Pharaoh" came to be.
The story doesn't end there. So impressed were they by Rakyon, that the king, the nobles, and the people all agreed to put him in charge of the realm. Under Ashwerosh's authority, Pharaoh administered law and justice throughout the year. Only on that single day when the king appeared did Ashwerosh himself pass judgment.
Over time, through cunning and power, Pharaoh eventually usurped the royal authority entirely, collecting taxes from everyone in Egypt. Yet, incredibly, he remained beloved by the people. And so, it was decreed that every ruler of Egypt would henceforth bear the name Pharaoh.
It's quite a story, isn't it? A rags-to-riches tale, fueled by audacity and a questionable business model. It makes you wonder what other surprising origins lie hidden within the names and titles we take for granted. What other figures in history, perhaps, rose to power through similarly unexpected means? And what does it say about us, that we sometimes admire those who, like the first Pharaoh, are willing to bend the rules to get ahead?
The Egyptian ruler, whose meeting with Abraham had proved so untoward an event, was the first to bear the name Pharaoh. The succeeding kings were named thus after him. The origin of the name is connected with the life and adventures of Rakyon, Have-naught, a man wise, handsome, and poor, who lived in the land of Shinar. Finding himself unable to support himself in Shinar, he resolved to depart for Egypt, where he expected to display his wisdom before the king, Ashwerosh, the son of 'Anam. Perhaps he would find grace in the eyes of the king, who would give Rakyon the opportunity of supporting himself and rising to be a great man. When he reached Egypt, he learnt that it was the custom of the country for the king to remain in retirement in his palace, removed from the sight of the people. Only on one day of the year he showed himself in public, and received all who had a petition to submit to him. Richer by a disappointment, Rakyon knew not how he was to earn a livelihood in the strange country. He was forced to spend the night in a ruin, hungry as he was. The next day he decided to try to earn something by selling vegetables. By a lucky chance he fell in with some dealers in vegetables, but as he did not know the customs of the country, his new undertaking was not favored with good fortune. Ruffians assaulted him, snatched his wares from him, and made a laughing-stock of him. The second night, which he was compelled to spend in the ruin again, a sly plan ripened in his mind. He arose and gathered together a crew of thirty lusty fellows. He took them to the graveyard, and bade them, in the name of the king, charge two hundred pieces of silver for every body they buried. Otherwise interment was to be prevented. In this way he succeeded in amassing great wealth within eight months. Not only did he acquire silver, gold, and precious gems, but also he attached a considerable force, armed and mounted, to his person. On the day on which the king appeared among the people, they began to complain of this tax upon the dead. They said: "What is this thou art inflicting upon thy servants—permitting none to be buried unless they pay thee silver and gold! Has a thing like this come to pass in the world since the days of Adam, that the dead should not be interred unless money be paid therefor! We know well that it is the privilege of the king to take an annual tax from the living. But thou takest tribute from the dead, too, and thou exactest it day by day. O king, we cannot endure this any longer, for the whole of the city is ruined thereby." The king, who had had no suspicion of Rakyon's doings, fell into a great rage when the people gave him information about them. He ordered him and his armed force to appear before him. Rakyon did not come empty-handed. He was preceded by a thousand youths and maidens, mounted upon steeds and arrayed in state apparel. These were a present to the king. When he himself stepped before the king, he delivered gold, silver, and diamonds to him in great abundance, and a magnificent charger. These gifts and the display of splendor did not fail of taking effect upon the king, and when Rakyon, in well-considered words and with a pliant tongue, described the undertaking, he won not only the king to his side, but also the whole court, and the king said to him, "No longer shalt thou be called Rakyon, Have-naught, but Pharaoh, Paymaster, for thou didst collect taxes from the dead." So profound was the impression made by Rakyon that the king, the grandees, and the people, all together resolved to put the guidance of the realm in the hands of Pharaoh. Under the suzerainty of Ashwerosh he administered law and justice throughout the year; only on the one day when he showed himself to the people did the king himself give judgment and decide cases. Through the power thus conferred upon him and through cunning practices, Pharaoh succeeded in usurping royal authority, and he collected taxes from all the inhabitants of Egypt. Nevertheless he was beloved of the people, and it was decreed that every ruler of Egypt should thenceforth bear the name Pharaoh.
