Men drive donkeys carrying heavy loads of Egyptian grain along the northeast route out of the Nile Delta. The sun hardens the mud path leading toward the border forts. They carry water and provisions for a harsh journey of 250 miles back to the Canaanite highlands. Armed guards overtake the caravan before it reaches the frontier.
By 1600 b.c., Egyptian border security strictly controlled all overland traffic moving east. State officials managed vast granaries and recorded every merchant party passing through the checkpoints. The pursuing guards halt the men and tear open the woven sacks to locate missing state property. They bypass the standard commodities and search for an object manufactured from imported metal.
A silver divination goblet emerges from the grain belonging to the youngest brother. High-ranking Egyptian officials use these vessels to practice lecanomancy by reading oil patterns floating on water. The solid metal cup weighs nearly three pounds and represents a massive concentration of wealth. Discovering this specific tool of statecraft in foreign baggage transforms a routine inspection into a severe criminal offense.
Stolen silver seals a man to his fate without requiring a single witness.
The guards bind the travelers and force the entire party to march back to the administrative center. They abandon their northward route and walk toward the estate of the vizier. Egyptian law dictates permanent physical enslavement for stealing state property. The men step onto the polished stone floor of the governor knowing no defense will satisfy the court.