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According to Jewish (Christian, and Islamic) traditions, Joseph was one of the Twelve Patriarchs, the son of Jacob and Rachel. He was the head of the House of Joseph, the husband of Asenath, the father of Manasseh and Ephraim and therefore the forefather of the Tribe of Manasseh and the Tribe of Ephraim.

< Twelve Patriarchs -- Jacob -- Rachel -- Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs -- Twelve Tribes -- House of Joseph -- Tribe of Manasseh -- Tribe of Ephraim>

Overview

Joseph is a literary character of the early Jewish tradition. He was the protagonist of one of the longest narrative in the Pentateuch, concerning his life, the conflict with his brothers, his arrival in Egypt as a slave, his rise to fame and glory, and his final reconciliation with his family.

Joseph's Childhood

Childhood in ancient Israel was defined as the period between birth and marriage. The coming to age of Joseph was "delayed" because he was sold as a slave by his brothers when still a child. A slave never becomes an adult. He remains a "boy" (a servant) as long as he lives. Only when Joseph is freed, he marries and becomes a man.

Like in the case of Isaac and Ishmael, the story of Joseph's childhood reflects the conflicts among siblings born to the same father but different mothers. The narrative is about a young boy who suffered a very traumatic experience but was successful in life nonetheless.

Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers

Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. He had a brother (Benjamin), 10 half-brothers, and at least one half-sister. He lived in the land of Canaan and worked under his brothers, but because he was a favorite of his father's, his brothers hated him:

Joseph ... was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves [Gk. "a robe of many colors"]. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers and even "had made him a long robe with sleeves", they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. (Genesis 37:2-4).

They "hated him even more" and were "jealous of him" when Joseph had two prophetic dreams in which he saw his family "bowing down" before him. In the first dream, Joseph and his brothers gathered bundles of grain, of which those his brothers gathered, bowed to his own. In the second dream, the sun (father), the moon (mother), and eleven stars (brothers) bowed to Joseph himself. These dreams, implying his supremacy, angered his brothers. (Genesis 37:1–11)

The brothers plotted to kill Joseph, with the exception of Reuben, who suggested to have Joseph thrown into an empty cistern, intending to rescue Joseph himself. Upon imprisoning Joseph in a pit without water, the brothers saw a camel caravan carrying spices and perfumes to Egypt, and sold Joseph to these merchants. They told Jacob that Joseph had been killed by some wild animal. The brothers painted goat's blood on Joseph's coat and showed it to Jacob, who therefore believed Joseph dead. (Genesis 37:12–35)

Slave in Egypt

Meanwhile, Joseph "was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials," the captain of Pharaoh's guard (Gen 37:36). He became a favorite of his master's, who "put him in charge of all that he had" (Gen 39:4) as his household's superintendent.

Potifar's wife (called Zuleika in later tradition) tried to seduce him and at his refusal she made a false accusation of rape, and thus assured his punishment and imprisonment (Genesis 39:1–20). Joseph was in prison, but even there he found the favor of the chief jailer, who put him in charge of everything (39:21-22).

Soon afterward Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker, who had offended the Pharaoh, were thrown into the prison. Both men had dreams, and Joseph, being able to interpret dreams asked to hear. The cup-bearer's dream was about a vine with three branches that was budding. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out and they produced grapes. The cup-bearer took those grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. Joseph interpreted this dream as the cup-bearer being restored as cup-bearer to the Pharaoh within three days. The baker's dream was about three baskets full of bread for the Pharaoh, and birds were eating the bread out of those baskets. Joseph interpreted this dream as the baker being hanged within three days and having his flesh eaten by birds.[16] Joseph requested that the cup-bearer mention him to Pharaoh to secure his release from prison,[17] but the cup-bearer, reinstalled in office, forgot Joseph.[18] After two more years, the Pharaoh dreamt of seven lean cows which devoured seven fat cows; and of seven withered ears of grain which devoured seven fat ears. When the Pharaoh's advisers failed to interpret these dreams, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. Joseph was then summoned. He interpreted the dream as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, and advised the Pharaoh to store a surplus grain.

Following the prediction, the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of his entire kingdom as his Vizier, under the name of Zaphnath-Paaneah. Joseph married "Asenath" the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, and had two sons. Joseph's marriage marks the end of both his servitude and "childhood." He is no longer a "child" (a "boy," a property), but a free man, and a man of power.

Joseph in Second Temple Jewish Interpretation

Second Temple Jewish authors rewrote the narrative, especially in Egypt, by making him one of the ancient Jewish heroes.

Artapanus (3rd century BCE) completely ignored all the dark sides of the ancient narrative, by exalting Joseph as a wise Jew who succeeded in becoming one of the most powerful man in Egypt.

The Book of Jubilees (2nd century BCE) also looked favorably at Joseph but precisely because of the conflict with his brothers and especially his chastity in his rejection of Potiphar's wife.

The Wisdom of Solomon and the novel Joseph and Aseneth followed the path of exaltation of Joseph in the Greco-Roman context of the Jewish diaspora, while highlighting his opposition to local Egyptian culture. In Joseph and Aseneth the echoes of the old family quarrel reemerge, some brothers being at odds with Joseph's marriage in spite of the conversion of Aseneth.

More ambivalent is the attitude of Philo, who in De Iosepho exalted the patriarch as the ideal politician, while being much more critical in De Somniis to the point of accusing him of adopting Egyptian customs.

By contrast, Josephus offered a very positive portrait of Joseph, stressing his innocence, righteousness and prophetic skills against the continuous envy by his brothers.

Joseph in later traditions

Later Rabbinic and Christian traditions would place more emphasis on the psychology of the character, often finding elements of ambivalence and guilt in his behavior.

Joseph in ancient sources

• See Joseph (sources) -- survey of ancient sources

Joseph in literature & the arts

• Joseph (arts) -- survey of fictional works

Joseph in scholarship

• Joseph (research) -- survey of scholarly works

References

• Joseph / Maren Niehoff / In: The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism (2010 Collins / Harlow), dictionary, 822-823

• / [[]] / In: The Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992 Freedman), dictionary,

External links

• Wikipedia