Joseph was the eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob and the elder of his two sons by his favorite wife, Rachel. His story is related in Genesis 37-50.
Background
The favoritism he enjoyed from Jacob aroused the envy of his older brothers. Their jealousy was aggravated by his apparent arrogance in relating dreams portending his aggrandisement at their expense. They plotted to kill him but were convinced by one of the brothers, Judah, to sell him instead as a slave.
After concealing him in a pit. they sold him to a passing caravan of merchants who were en route to Egypt. The brothers kept Joseph’s striped garment (translated in the King James version as the “coat of many colors"), which they soaked in the blood of an animal and presented to their father as proof that he had been killed by a wild beast.
Career
In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, a high official of the royal court. He rejected the advances of Potiphar’s wife, who sought to seduce him and who, in her anger at his refusal, accused him to her husband of trying to rape her. Joseph was imprisoned and in prison made the acquaintance of the royal butler and baker. He won a reputation by his accurate interpretation of their dreams. When the Egyptian Pharaoh experienced dreams that could not be explained Joseph was sent for and interpreted them as foretelling the advent of seven years of plenty for the kingdom, to be followed by a similar period of famine. These proved accurate and Joseph was appointed vizier, in which capacity he spent his initial years stockpiling grain in anticipation of the lean years to come.
When the famine materialized, it also affected the land of Canaan, home of Joseph’s family. Hearing that food was available in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers journeyed to Egypt where they were spotted by Joseph, whom they did not recognize. He accused them of spying and put them in prison. After three days, he released them all except Simeon, who was held as a hostage to ensure their return, this time together with Benjamin (Joseph’s full brother) whom they had prudently left behind. Despite Jacob’s misgivings, they returned to Egypt together with Benjamin. At first Joseph played a trick on them, making it seem that Benjamin had I stolen Joseph’s silver goblet, but when he revealed his identity there was an emotional reunion. He forgave them their misdeed, interpreting it as an act of divine providence, and after telling them to return to Canaan and bring their father, Jacob, back to Egypt he settled the family in the province I of Gosh, where they received land and grazing rights. This was the beginning of the Israelite settlement in Egypt which, traditionally, was to last for four centuries.
Before his death, Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and from each of I them was descended one of the twelve tribes. When Jacob died, Joseph returned with all his brothers and household to Canaan to bury his father in the cave of Machpelah, in accordance with Jacob’s dying wish. When Joseph died, aged one hundred, he too made his family swear that his remains would be buried in Canaan. His body was embalmed and when the Israelites left Egypt under Moses, they carried Jacob’s body to Canaan and buried him near Shechem in the field of Jacob.
Connections
He married an Egyptian woman, Asenath, who bore him two children, Ephraim and Manasseh.