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I really must look into the Bronze Age as related to the times of Genesis. But, your question does bring to mind a chart shown in one of the Exodus documentaries – might be in the Moses Controversy – which displayed symbols of the governors of the provinces under Pharaoh at that time. It showed how they all became significantly depleted of resources during the famine. In a famine of that significance, I suppose everything, including military defense of all surrounding territories, may have become the property of Pharaoh just to survive.