for him to advance and mount to the thirty-first step of the
throne, and the king would descend thirty-six steps and
speak to him. But if one of the people came to have speech
with the king, he ascended only to the third step, and the
king would come down four steps from his seat, and address
him thence. It was also the custom that one who knew all
the seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the
throne to the top, but if a man knew only some of the
seventy languages, he was permitted to ascend as many steps
as he knew languages, whether they were many or, few.
And another custom of the Egyptians was that none could
reign over them unless he was master of all the seventy
languages.

When Joseph came before the king, he bowed down to