Pharaoh

fa'ro or fa'ra-o, a title of the Egyptian monarchs. Like shah, czar, emperor, and king, it is a general name applied to the rulers of that country. As used in the Scriptures, pharaoh is equivalent simply to the king. Attempts have been made to identify the pharaoh of Abraham, the pharaoh who was a friend of Joseph, and the pharaoh of the Hebrew Exodus, with, however, little success. The pharaoh who oppressed the Hebrews in Egypt by causing them to make bricks without straw has been identified as Rameses II. See Pyramids; Embalming