So different were the He'brews from the native E'gyp-tians, and so rapid had been the growth and progress of these chosen people of God, that the new line of kings became fearful that they would revolt against E'gypt. They looked upon the Is'ra-el-ites as a group of strangers who stubbornly clung to their own customs, and who were too proud to become members of the E'gyp-tian empire. "What would happen," they began to ask, "if E'gypt should become involved in a foreign war?" They also said among themselves, "Suppose these rich and powerful Jews were to unite with our enemies, then our country might be overcome by a revolution."
The Pha'raoh who was then on the throne made up his mind that he would crush the spirit of the Jews so thoroughly that there would be no danger of their taking part in a revolt. He decided to make slaves of the He'brews, forcing them to work without wages upon various government projects. Taskmasters were appointed to see that the slaves were driven as hard as possible at their work. The purpose of this cruel treatment was to weaken the He'brews, and in this way to reduce their numbers.
The kings of E'gypt had always been noted for their interest in erecting great public buildings and monuments. The gigantic pyramids, which are among the wonders of the world today, had been built by the hard labor of countless slaves. The huge stones for the pyramid were quarried and shaped by the slaves, carried on floats down the river Nile, and hoisted into position by some wonderful engineering which is unknown today. Magnificent temples, exceeding in size and beauty to many of the finest buildings of this age, had been erected in The'bes, Kar'nak, and Mem'phis.
The Pha'raoh who decided to make slaves of the Is'ra-el-ites also erected many new temples, built great treasure houses and palaces, and ordered the construction of vast tombs for the dead. In addition to these great works, the king must be credited with the building of many roads, a system of canals, and vast embankments in the valley of the Nile.
In carrying out this extensive program of public works, Pha'raoh drafted the He'brews as laborers. He placed over them hard taskmasters, who not only forced them to spend long hours in backbreaking work, but abused and insulted them. The lives of the He'brews were filled with sorrow and suffering; through no fault of their own they had become slaves of the lowest class.
The E'gyp-tians imposed taxes which they knew the He'brews would be unable to pay, and then seized their property as a penalty for not paying the taxes. The unhappy children of Is'ra-el were treated harshly in every possible way, and they were no longer permitted to live according to their own customs. Special efforts were made to destroy their family life, which had been the chief reason for their remarkable growth and strength. To prevent further increase in their numbers the midwives, or nurses who cared for mothers and young children, were ordered to see that all male He'brew children did not live after birth. When the midwives, who worshiped the true God, failed to carry out this cruel demand, it was ordered that all male children born to the He'brews should be thrown into the river Nile at once.
