Joseph (Hebrew Bible)

Joseph, in the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), appears in the Book of Genesis (his name Yosef, Hebrew: יוֹסֵף means "The Lord increases", (Tiberian Hebrew Yôsēp̄), later called Zaphnath-paaneah or Tzáfnat panéach צפנת פענח, Standard Hebrew Ẓáfənat paʿnéaḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Ṣāp̄ənaṯ paʿănēªḥ : Egyptian origin "Discoverer of hidden things"), the eleventh son of Jacob, born of Rachel. He is one of the best-known figures in the Scriptures, famous for his coat of many colours and his God-given ability to interpret dreams. Owing to jealousy from his brothers, he was sold as a slave, eventually working under the Egyptian Potiphar, but was later freed, and became the chief adviser (vizier) to the Egyptian Pharaoh around 1600 BC.

Other versions

The story of Joseph (Arabic يوسف Yūsuf) is also told in chapter 12 of the Qur'an. This is not believed (other than by Muslims) to be an independent source.

Related Topics:
Arabic - Qur'an - Muslims

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The "Story of the Two Brothers," an Egyptian romance written for the son of a 12th century BC Pharaoh, contains an episode somewhat similar to the Biblical account of Joseph's treatment by Potiphar's wife. Scholars disagree as to whether the two stories shared a common source.

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