Joseph, in the Old Testament , son of 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. 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 colours,” the brothers seize him and sell him to a party of Ishmaelites 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 purpose of the story is to relate the preservation of Israel. Its people survive despite their own foolishness and wickedness, ironically . 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 his moral . Joseph had 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.