Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, his father’s favorite. He had
the gift to interpret dreams. His jealous brothers sold him into slavery,
thus he found himself in Egypt.
The first owner of Joseph in Egypt was Potiphar,
the commander of the royal guards. Joseph quickly gained his high esteem
and trust; Potiphar made him overseer of the household. Potiphar’s wife
fell in love with Joseph and tried to seduce him. Joseph, feeling great
respect for his master, refused her. To take revenge on Joseph, she called
for the servants and accused him of having raped her. Potiphar had Joseph
put into the royal prison.
There Joseph helped to interpret dreams
and, thanks to this gift and other talents, he first became free and then
became the Pharaoh’s first adviser. After coming into power he had the
opportunity to save his father, brothers and their family from starvation;
they all came into Egypt and settled there with the Pharaoh’s permission.
When Jacob was dying, he summoned his grandsons
by Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath, Ephraim and Manasseh, for blessing.
Rather than blessing the eldest son, the dark Manasseh, with his right
hand, Jacob gave his first blessing to the younger, the fair-haired Ephraim.
Joseph thought that his father had made a mistake but Jacob replied ‘I
know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a prophet, and he also
shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he,
and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.’
The story of Joseph is recorded in Genesis
(30:22-24; 37; 39-50). There is also a wonderful novel Joseph and His
Brothers by Thomas Mann.
See: François Boucher. Joseph
Presenting his Father and Brothers to Pharaoh.
Alexander Ivanov Joseph Interprets
the Butler's and the Baker's Dreams in a Prison,
Joseph's
Brothers Find the Silver Goblet in the Benjamin's Pack.
Pontormo. Joseph Revealing
Himself to His Brothers. Joseph
Being Sold to Potiphar. The
Punishment of the Baker. Joseph
in Egypt.
Rembrandt. Jacob
Blessing the Sons of Joseph, Joseph
Accused by Potiphar's Wife.
Jacopo Robusti, called Tintoretto. Joseph
and Potiphar's Wife.
Diego Velázquez. Joseph's
Bloody Coat Brought to Jacob.