Post by skddlbypI am reading Russell Langley's Practical Statistics Simply Explained
(Dover, l971), and wonder if and where any of the significance tests can be
applied to the bible?
For instance (?), there were seven years of abundance in Egypt, followed
by two years of famine, at which point Joseph predicts another five years of
famine.
What I am wondering, I guess, is if the two years of famine are
significantly related to the seven years of abundance, or if it's just pure
chance that two years of famine followed seven years of abundant crops?
Just guessing as to what test to use, I tried the 50% Probability Test. If
x = 2, and y = 7, and n = x + y = 9, the 50% Probability Test Table gives a
probability of n = 11 when x = 2, or the probability that x occurs by chance
is higher than 10%, and so the difference between the seven years of
abundance and the two years of famine is not proven to be statistically
significant. To be statistically significant, the probability that x occurs
by chance would have to be 5% or less.
Therefore, if Joseph was a statistician, he would not have predicted
another five years of famine.
Probably everything above is not significance.
Sorry, G-D revealed this. Not statistics.
Genesis 41
1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh
dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine
and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river,
ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the
brink of the river.
4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well
favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of
corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung
up after them.
7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And
Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and
he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise
men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that
could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my
faults this day:
10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the
captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man
according to the interpretation of his dream.
12And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the
captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our
dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he
restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily
out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment,
and came in unto Pharaoh.
15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is
none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou
canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: G-D shall
give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the
bank of the river:
18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed
and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill
favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt
for badness:
20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven
fat kine:
21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they
had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning.
So I awoke.
22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one
stalk, full and good:
23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east
wind, sprung up after them:
24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this
unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: G-D hath
shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are
seven years: the dream is one.
27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them
are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind
shall be seven years of famine.
28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What G-D is
about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the
land of Egypt:
30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the
plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall
consume the land;
31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that
famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is
because the thing is established by G-D, and G-D will shortly bring it
to pass.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set
him over the land of Egypt.
34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land,
and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous
years.
35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and
lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the
cities.
36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven
years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land
perish not through the famine.
37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of
all his servants.
38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this
is, a man in whom the Spirit of G-D is?
39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as G-D hath shewed thee all
this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all
my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the
land of Egypt.
42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon
Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a
gold chain about his neck;
43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and
they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all
the land of Egypt.
44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall
no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him
to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph
went out over all the land of Egypt.
46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king
of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went
throughout all the land of Egypt.
47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by
handfuls.
48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in
the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the
field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until
he left numbering; for it was without number.
50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came,
which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For G-D, said
he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For G-D hath caused
me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of
Egypt, were ended.
54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph
had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of
Egypt there was bread.
55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to
Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto
Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph
opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the
famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn;
because that the famine was so sore in all lands.