Book of Jasher, Chapter 14 — Rikayon's Cunning Device; How the Kings of Egypt Came to Be Called Pharaoh
1In those days there was in the land of Shinar a wise man who had understanding in all wisdom, and was of beautiful appearance, but he was poor and destitute; his name was Rikayon, and he was hard pressed to support himself.
2And he resolved to go to Egypt, to Oswiris the son of Anom, king of Egypt, to show the king his wisdom; for perhaps he might find grace in the king's sight, so that he would raise him up and give him maintenance; and Rikayon did so.
3And when Rikayon came to Egypt, he asked the inhabitants of Egypt about the king; and the inhabitants of Egypt told him the custom of the king of Egypt — for it was then the custom of the king of Egypt to go out from his royal palace and be seen abroad only one day in the year, and after that the king would return to his palace and remain there.
4And on the day the king went out, he passed judgment in the land, and everyone who had a case came before the king that day to obtain his request.
5And when Rikayon heard of the custom of Egypt, and that he could not come into the king's presence, he grieved greatly and was very sorrowful.
6And in the evening Rikayon went out and found a house in ruins — formerly a bakehouse in Egypt — and he stayed there all night, in bitterness of soul and pinched with hunger, and sleep fled from his eyes.
7And Rikayon considered within himself what he should do in the town until the king appeared, and how he might support himself there.
8And he rose in the morning and walked about, and met on his way those who sold vegetables and various sorts of seed, with which they supplied the inhabitants.
9And Rikayon wished to do the same, to earn a living in the city; but he did not know the custom of the people, and he was like a blind man among them.
10And he went and obtained vegetables, to sell them for his support; and the rabble gathered around him and mocked him, and took his vegetables from him, and left him nothing.
11And he rose up from there in bitterness of soul, and went sighing to the bakehouse where he had stayed the night before, and he slept there a second night.
12And on that night he again reasoned within himself how he could save himself from starvation, and he devised a scheme.
13And he rose up in the morning and acted cleverly: he went and hired thirty strong men of the rabble, with their weapons of war in their hands, and he led them to the top of the Egyptian burial ground, and stationed them there.
14And he commanded them, saying, Thus says the king: Strengthen yourselves and be valiant men, and let no man be buried here until two hundred pieces of silver are paid — then he may be buried. And those men did according to the order of Rikayon to the people of Egypt that whole year.
15And in eight months' time Rikayon and his men gathered great riches of silver and gold; and Rikayon took a great number of horses and other animals, and he hired more men, and gave them horses, and they stayed with him.
16And when the year came round, at the time the king went out into the town, all the inhabitants of Egypt assembled together to speak to him about the work of Rikayon and his men.
17And the king went out on the appointed day, and all the Egyptians came before him and cried out to him, saying,
18May the king live forever! What is this thing you do in the town to your servants — not allowing a dead body to be buried until so much silver and gold is paid? Has the like of this ever been done in the whole earth, from the days of former kings, indeed from the days of Adam until this day — that the dead should not be buried except for a set price?
19We know it to be the custom of kings to take a yearly tax from the living; but you not only do this — from the dead also you exact a tax, day by day.
20Now, O king, we can bear this no longer, for the whole city is ruined by it — and do you not know it?
21And when the king heard all they had spoken, he was very angry, and his anger burned within him at this affair, for he had known nothing of it.
22And the king said, Who is he, and where is he, who dares to do this wicked thing in my land without my command? Surely you will tell me.
23And they told him all the works of Rikayon and his men; and the king's anger was aroused, and he ordered Rikayon and his men to be brought before him.
24And Rikayon took about a thousand children, sons and daughters, and clothed them in silk and embroidery, and set them upon horses, and sent them to the king by means of his men; and he also took a great quantity of silver and gold and precious stones, and a strong and beautiful horse, as a present for the king; and with these he came before the king and bowed down to the earth before him. And the king, his servants, and all the inhabitants of Egypt wondered at the work of Rikayon, and they saw his riches and the present he had brought to the king.
25And it greatly pleased the king, and he wondered at it; and when Rikayon sat before him, the king asked him about all his works; and Rikayon spoke all his words wisely before the king, his servants, and all the inhabitants of Egypt.
26And when the king heard the words of Rikayon and his wisdom, Rikayon found grace in his sight; and he found grace and kindness from all the servants of the king and from all the inhabitants of Egypt, on account of his wisdom and his excellent speeches; and from that time they loved him exceedingly.
27And the king answered and said to Rikayon, Your name shall no longer be called Rikayon, but Pharaoh shall be your name, since you exacted a tax from the dead. And he called his name Pharaoh.
28And the king and his subjects loved Rikayon for his wisdom, and they consulted with all the inhabitants of Egypt to make him prefect under the king.
29And all the inhabitants of Egypt and its wise men did so, and it was made a law in Egypt.
30And they made Rikayon Pharaoh prefect under Oswiris king of Egypt; and Rikayon Pharaoh governed Egypt, administering justice daily to the whole city; but Oswiris the king would judge the people of the land one day in the year, when he went out to make his appearance.
31And Rikayon Pharaoh cunningly usurped the government of Egypt, and he exacted a tax from all the inhabitants of Egypt.
32And all the inhabitants of Egypt greatly loved Rikayon Pharaoh, and they made a decree, to call every king who should reign over them and their seed in Egypt, Pharaoh.
33Therefore all the kings who have reigned in Egypt from that time forward have been called Pharaoh to this day.