Potiphar's wife tried unsuccessfully to seduce him and after false accusations were levelled at Joseph he was imprisoned. Due to his ability to interpret Pharaoh's dream he was made governor of Egypt. He wisely rationed the country's produce in preparation for a time of famine.
During the famine Jacob's sons came to Egypt to plead with Joseph for supplies. They did not recognise him but after he was satisfied that they were reformed he identified himself with great joy. Joseph invited his father and brothers to come and settle in Egypt. The story is recounted in the Old Testament Genesis 37, Joseph is often seen as an Old Testament equivalent, or prefiguration, of Christ.
Visit us Plan your visit Floorplans Access Families. The idea of a foreigner reaching the top of Egyptian society sounds unlikely and there is no archaeological or written record of a Prime Minister in Egypt called Joseph.
However some new scientific evidence helps to support the case of a historical Joseph. Studies in 'ice cores' found in Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania - the mountain which supplies the Nile with its water - have revealed that a drought did take place around years ago - around the time the Bible sets Joseph's story. We also know of another event around the same time. One of the most fertile areas in Egypt was the land around Lake Quarun. This lake was fed with water from one of the branches of the Nile.
Droughts in Egypt used to cause this branch to dry up, leaving the land around the Lake destitute. We do know that between and BC a canal was built to keep the branches of the Nile permanently open, enabling water to fill Lake Quaran and keep the land fertile.
This canal was so effective that it still successfully functions today. There is no record of who built the canal, but for thousands of years it has only been known by one name. In Arabic it's the Bahr Yusef. This translates into English as The Waterway of Joseph. Could this canal have been built by a certain Prime Minister called Joseph as part of his work to save Egypt from famine? Was this Prime Minister the son of a Canaanite called Jacob?
The Bible tells us that the Pharaoh allowed Joseph to bring Jacob and his family to Egypt, where he took care of them. Generations later, Moses was to lead the descendents of Jacob out of slavery and Egypt to their promised land. Among the items that Moses brought from Egypt were the bones of his predecessor, Joseph. Whatever the truth behind the life of Joseph, his story accounts for a pivotal period in the history of the Israelites.
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Joseph Last updated This article examines the story of Joseph, one of the best known tales in the Bible. On this page Find out more Page options Print this page. Find out more Moses Top. See also.
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