Joseph is the son of Jacob and Rachel, who gave birth to him after seven years of infertility, the father of Menashe and Ephraim, the ancestors of the two tribes of Israel. The image of Joseph and his life have inspired Jewish, Christian, and Muslim art from time immemorial. Many works of literature, fine art, and music are dedicated to Joseph. Some researchers are trying to attribute the story of Joseph to the period of Hyksos rule in Egypt (Mitchell, 2019). However, most do not associate it with any specific period but consider it as a reflection of the meeting of the Egyptian world with the Semites who settled in Egypt and occupied high administrative posts in it. The narrative of Joseph is the most detailed in the book of Genesis and is a complete and highly artistic biography. Although the story of Joseph has a secular character, it is imbued with the idea of the dependence of events on the will of Providence.
The nobility of Joseph and his exaltation, which is the result of innocent suffering, are introduced into the perspective of the story of the migration of the Israelites to Egypt, their subsequent enslavement, and eventual deliverance – Exodus. In religious literature, Joseph stands as a model of chastity, filial love, devotion to his family, and the behavior of a person in a high position (Mitchell, 2019). However, his image also has negative sides. He is sometimes criticized for false denunciations of his brothers, for which his misadventures are a worthy punishment. In a certain respect, the story of Joseph in Egypt becomes a symbol of the changing fate of Israel in a foreign land. Joseph’s vocation and mission are Providence to bring good to Egypt and the Egyptian people (Mitchell, 2019). Initially arriving at court, Joseph predicted seven years of abundance, which will be replaced by seven lean years. He advised creating food reserves during the great years, which would prevent famine in the subsequent lean years. Pharaoh entrusted the implementation of the plan to Joseph, giving him broad powers.
Thanks to Joseph, Egypt became a breadbasket for the surrounding countries during a severe drought. The landowners gave their fields to the Pharaoh for grain, and thus all the lands of Egypt passed into the personal possession of the Pharaoh. In a broader sense, the purpose of Joseph is to show what excessive parental love and competition between children in the family leads to. Jacob originally had twelve sons and one daughter. Jacob loved Joseph above all his children since he was the son of his elder years. One day Jacob gave Joseph very beautiful, colorful clothes. And then his brothers saw that he was their father’s favorite and hated him.
Joseph did not yet know what consequences the hatred and envy of his brothers would lead to. Joseph loved God and lived according to His commandments. Therefore, all the upcoming tribulations that will fall to his lot will, with God’s help, become a blessing for him and his family. Thus, Joseph became a symbol of the fact that a person who has spent his life in conditions of solid parental love can face many difficulties on the path of life. However, with reported perseverance and luck, a person can go through all life’s hardships.
Reference
Mitchell, S. (2019). Joseph and the way of forgiveness: A biblical tale retold. New York St. Martin’s Essentials.