Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel.

As Jacob’s name became synonymous with all Israel, so that of Joseph was
eventually equated with all the tribes that made up the northern kingdom.
According to tradition, his bones were buried at Shechem, oldest of the
northern shrines (Joshua 24:32). His story is told in Genesis (37–50).
Joseph, most beloved of Jacob’s sons, is hated by his envious brothers.
Angry and jealous of Jacob’s gift to Joseph, a resplendent “coat of many
colors,” the brothers seize him and sell him to a party of Ishmaelites, or
Midianites, who carry him to Egypt. There Joseph eventually gains the favour
of the pharaoh of Egypt by his interpretation of a dream and obtains a high
place in the pharaoh’s kingdom. His acquisition of grain supplies enables
Egypt to withstand a famine. Driven by the same famine, his brothers journey
from Canaan to Egypt to obtain food. They prostrate themselves before
Joseph but do not recognize him. After Joseph achieves a reconciliation with
his brothers, he invites Jacob’s whole household to come to Goshen in Egypt,
where a settlement is provided for the family and their flocks. His brothers’
sale of Joseph into slavery thus proves providential in the end, since it
protected the family from famine. The family’s descendants grew and
multiplied into the Hebrews, who would eventually depart from Egypt for
Israel.
The story of Joseph, often called a novella, is a carefully wrought piece of
literary craftsmanship. Though it features the personality of Joseph, it is
introduced (Genesis 37:2) as the “history of the family of Jacob.” Authorities
agree that parts of the story show dependence upon the ancient Egyptian
“Tale of Two Brothers,” but in characteristically Hebraic fashion, the narrator in
Genesis has ignored the mythical and magical motifs in the Egyptian tale, and
the focus of the outcome is placed on its meaning for the whole house of
Israel.
The purpose of the story is to relate the preservation of Israel. Its people
survive despite their own foolishness and wickedness, indeed, ironically, in
part because of these. The story is told as a testimony to the operation of
divine providence: “. . . you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good .
. .” (Genesis 50:20) sums up its moral. But while the Lord had turned the
provocations of the spoiled son and the jealousy and deceptions of his
brothers to good account, he had realized his end through the faithfulness of
Joseph, true to Israel’s ideals under all circumstances and ever mindful of his
obligations to his people. Joseph has served throughout the ages as the
model for the “court Jew,” the Israelite in a position of power who acts to
rescue and help his people.
1.) Who was Joseph's father?

Jacob (Israel)

Isaac

Abraham

Noah
Genesis 37:3

2.) How many brothers did Joseph have?

12

11

10
Genesis 35:22-26

3.) What gift did Joseph's father give to him?

A sling

A horse

A coat of many colors

A harp
Genesis 37:3

4.) Why did Joseph's brothers hate him?

Their father loved Joseph most

They hated his mother, Rachel

Joseph was smarter than them

Joseph was rude to them

Genesis 37:4

5.) What was the recurring theme in Joseph's dreams?

Joseph would one day be hated by all

Joseph's brothers would be killed

Egypt would go into famine

Joseph's family would bow down to him

Genesis 37:5-11
6.) Which of Joseph's brothers convinced the others to not kill Joseph?

Reuben

Levi

Simeon

Naphtali
Genesis 37:21

7.) Instead of killing Joseph, his brothers _____________.

tied him to a tree

stoned him

threw him in a pit

broke his legs

Genesis 37:24

8.) At what price did the merchantmen buy Joseph from his brothers?

20 pieces of silver

7 rubies

40 pieces of copper

10 pieces of gold
Genesis 37:28

9.) Who bought Joseph from the merchantmen?

Pharaoh

Potiphar

Joseph; he bought his own freedom

Judah
Genesis 39:1

10.) What office did Joseph hold in Potiphar's household?

Overseer of the house

Guard

Money keeper

Butler
Genesis 39:4
11.) Who lusted after Joseph?

A harlot

Pharaoh's wife

Potiphar's maidservant

Potiphar's wife
Genesis 39:7

12.) Why did Joseph get thrown in prison?

One of Potiphar's servants told Potiphar that Joseph stole gold from his treasury

Potiphar's wife convinced Potiphar that Joseph tried to lie with her

Joseph refused to bow to the Pharaoh

Joseph killed an Egyptian soldier in the defense of a servant

Genesis 39:13-20

13.) What did Joseph become well known for in prison?

Serving the other prisoners

Telling stories

Interpreting dreams

Predicting the future

Genesis 41:12

14.) The _________ was restored to his office and the _________ was hanged.

Tailor; baker

Butler; baker

Butler; tailor

Baker; Butler
Genesis 40:21-22

15.) What was the meaning of Pharaoh's dreams?

Seven years of war were about to begin

Seven years of preparation will precede seven years of famine

Seven nations would bond together to begin a new era

Seven of Joseph's brothers would come to live in Egypt

Genesis 41:29-30
16.) What food item did people from many countries travel to Egypt to buy?

wheat

fish

fowl

corn
Genesis 41:57

17.) Which of Joseph's brothers in Egypt was not allowed by Jacob to travel to Egypt
with the rest of his brothers?

Issachar

Benjamin

Zebulun

Dan
Genesis 42:4

18.) When Joseph's brothers first came to Egypt, Joseph:

invited them to a feast.

threw them in prison.

rejoiced and sang aloud.

ordered that they be killed.

Genesis 42:16-17

19.) Which brother offered himself as a replacement for Benjamin to be taken captive in
Egypt in order to spare their father?

Simeon

Judah

Reuben

Zebulun
Genesis 44:18-33

20.) When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, how did he treat them?

He was angry at them all

He chastised them, but let them go free

He was overjoyed
 He threw all of them but Benjamin in prison
Genesis 45:14-15

21.) What are the names of Joseph's sons?

Manasseh & Ephraim

Genesis 46:20
Children Manasseh (son)

Ephraim (son)

[1]

Parents  Jacob (father)

 Rachel (mother)

Relatives
Reuben (half brother)

Simeon (half brother)

Levi (half brother)

Judah (half brother)

Issachar (half brother)

Zebulun (half brother)

Dan (half brother)

Naphtali (half brother)

Gad (half brother)

Asher (half brother)

Benjamin (brother)

Dinah (half sister)

Rebecca (grandmother)

Isaac (grandfather)

Esau (uncle)
Leah (aunt)

Laban (grandfather)

Abraham (great-grandfather)

Sarah (great-grandmother)
Biblical family tree
Terah

Sarah[26] Abraham Hagar Haran

Nahor

Ishmael Milcah Lot Iscah

Ishmaelit 1st 2nd

7 sons[27] Bethuel
es daughter daughter

Moabite
Isaac Rebecca Laban Ammonites
s

Esau Jacob Rachel

Bilhah

Edomit Zilpah
es

Leah

1. Reuben 7. Gad 5. Dan 11. Joseph

2. Simeon 8. Ashe 6. Napht 12. Benja
 3. Levi r ali min
4. Judah
9. Issachar
10. Zebulun
Dinah (daugh
ter)
 JOSEPH’S BROTHERS TELL A LIE

Joseph had ten old brothers. One day Joseph’s father gave him a new coat. The brothers saw the
beautiful coat. The brothers saw the beautiful coat. They were jealous.

One night Joseph had a dream. He dreamed he had a bundle of grain stood up, and his brothers’
bundles bowed down to it.

Joseph had another dream. The sun and moon and eleven stars bowed to him in that dream.

Joseph told his brothers about the dreams. The angry brothers said, “Do you think you will be our king?”

Some time later, the old brothers took their sheep to the hills. After a few weeks, Joseph’s father called
him. “Go see how your brothers are,” he said.

Joseph put on his coat and went to find his brothers.

The angry brothers saw him coming. They took Joseph’s coat. They threw him into a deep, dry well.

Soon a group of men came by on camels. They were going to another country.

One brother said, “Let’s sell Joseph.”

The brothers took Joseph’s coat. They put goat’s blood on it. When they showed it to their father, he
thought an animal killed Joseph. That’s what the brothers wanted him to think.

Joseph was still alive. But he was a slave. The men on camels took him away. He could not go back home
again.
 JOSEPH HELPS PHAROAH

The king had put Joseph in prison. Joseph had not been bad. But somebody told a lie about him. That
wasn’t fair. But Joseph honored God anyway.

Joseph was a good helper in prison. Soon he had an important job. He helped watch the other men.
Joseph was kind and listened to the men.

Two men in prison had dreams. God let Joseph know what the dreams meant. Joseph told the men what
would happen.