

Iron In His Soul

By Jon Peasey

Published by Peasey Publications

at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jon Peasey

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Preamble

Chapter 1 - Journey to Shechem

Chapter 2 - His Arrival

Chapter 3 - Jacob's Reaction

Chapter 4 - Journey to Egypt

Chapter 5 - Sold as a Slave

Chapter 6 - Potiphar's House

Chapter 7 - Promotion

Chapter 8 - Temptation

Chapter 9 - Prison

Chapter 10 - Dreams in the Night

Chapter 11 - Forgotten

Chapter 12 - Pharaoh's Dreams

Chapter 13 - In Pharaoh's Presence

Chapter 14 - Marriage, Power and Glory

Chapter 15 - The Land of Egypt

Chapter 16 - The Good Years

Chapter 17 - Famine

Chapter 18 - Food in Egypt

Chapter 19 - Jacob Comes to Egypt

Chapter 20 - Testing Times

Chapter 21 - Renewal

Chapter 22 - Jacob's Death and Burial

Epilogue

About the Author

Bibliography of Names

PREAMBLE

The Old Testament story of Joseph, in The Bible, has fascinated people for centuries. Here is a man who held a unique place in history. His is a true 'rags to riches' story, told out against the backdrop of the ancient Egyptian Empire. It is a story of hatred, of treachery, of slavery and prison. But above all this, it is the journey of a soul, of a man who through faith in his God prevails in seemingly impossible situations; to emerge as God's man for the times.

Joseph's loss of freedom eventually leads to God's reward for his faithfulness under trying circumstances. The sovereignty, and omniscience, of God are revealed in the events that occur in the life of Joseph and others he comes in contact with.

Come with me, as we recreate the journey of a soul, a man called Joseph

Chapter One - Journey to Shechem

"Joseph! Joseph!"

Joseph hurried into his father's tent.

"Joseph, your brothers are feeding the flocks at Shechem. Go and see if everything is well with your brothers, and with the flocks; and come back and tell me."

Joseph was worried by his father's words, but his face did not show it. He replied obediently, "Yes, Father I will go and find them."

Joseph left his father and went to his tent to prepare for his journey. Joseph loved his father and was willing to go to Shechem for his sake; but, he knew his brothers hated him. He wondered what sort of reception they would give him.

Joseph's thoughts turned to the journey ahead. He calculated how much food he would need for his trip away. He would be on the trail for several days. Joseph packed some bread, dates, nuts and fruit into a small sack. He filled two skin bottles with water. Next, he picked out two woollen rugs. The temperature dropped severely at night. Satisfied with his preparations, he rolled his food sack up into his rugs; tied the bundle up and slung it over his shoulder. He slung the two water bottles over his other shoulder and left the tent.

Jacob watched his favourite son walk through the campsite and walk up the Hebron Valley, towards Shechem. Jacob's ageing eyes filled with pride. His thoughts turned inwards. 'Joseph is now seventeen years old; a good lad, bright, honest and God fearing.' Joseph held a special place in Jacob's heart, and he had given Joseph a special multi-coloured coat as a sign of his affection for him.

Jacob's face softened as he thought about Rachel, Joseph's mother. Rachel had been Jacob's favourite wife. Rachel's older sister Leah was Jacob's other wife; Leah and Jacob had several sons together. He had also sired sons with his concubines Bilhah and Zilpah, who were Rachel and Leah's hand maidens. Jacob was really pleased when Rachel became pregnant after many years of being childless. Joseph was Rachel's first child. Rachel regrettably had died several years ago giving birth to Joseph's brother, Benjamin.

Joseph looked back at the campsite. 'The sooner this trip is over, the better I will feel. The way to Shechem will be hot and tiring. I would rather be here at Father's camp'.

The valley entrance was just ahead. Joseph turned and looked down the valley towards his father's camp. The tents and animals appeared tiny and seemed to be in a different world. He turned and strode purposefully out of the Hebron Valley and began his descent to Shechem.

The sun was slowly sinking in the sky. Joseph looked for a place to spend the night. He scrutinised the rocks and hills around him. "There seems to be an opening in the rocks over to the left." he said to himself. He climbed up to investigate. The spot was ideal; there was enough room for him to lie down, also a rock overhang to protect him from the weather.

Joseph eased the water bottles and his pack from his shoulders and sat down. He was hungry and tired, his shoulders and back muscles were stiff. The rocks were still hot from the sun's rays, but Joseph knew they would soon turn cold with the cool night air. He untied his pack and unrolled it. Then lifting up his eyes towards the heavens, he said, "God of my father's watch over me and guide me on my journey."

As he ate he watched the sun disappear over the horizon. Its last fading rays cast a golden glow into the evening sky. Joseph reflected on the wonders in the starry heavens. The immensity of the night sky with its myriads of stars moved him to meditate upon the greatness of the God of his fathers, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth. Joseph was alone, and yet he did not feel alone. He sensed that God was with him. He pulled his rugs about him, stretched out and fell asleep.

Joseph woke up, the rock ledge was hard. He sat up and stretched his limbs. The eastern sky was showing the first tinges of light from the rising sun. The morning was cold. Joseph stood up and stamped his feet, briskly. As was his custom, he gave thanks to God and committed the day to Him.

Joseph climbed down from the rock ledge and strode down the trail. 'Today, I want to cover as much ground as I can before the heat of the day saps my strength. Then I can rest and carry on later in the afternoon.' As he walked his mind drifted back to the time his father gave him his multi-coloured coat. When his brothers saw the coat, they realised that Jacob loved Joseph more than them; and they hated Joseph and could not speak peacefully to him. 'Life has become more difficult since that time. Then there are the two dreams!'

Joseph had stood up before his brothers and said, "Listen, I had a dream last night. We were all binding bundles of wheat at harvest time, in the field, and my bundle stood upright and your bundles stood around mine and bowed down to my bundle."

His brothers replied, "Do you really think you will be a king and rule over us?'"

Their hatred increased even more because of that dream. Not long after, he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and his father, Jacob.

"Look, I had another dream. The sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me."

Jacob rebuked him, "What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down in front of you?"

Joseph in his naivety could not understand why his brothers were so upset over the dreams; but they envied him. He was relieved when they took the flocks to Shechem to find new pastures.

Joseph felt the sun's rays getting hotter, so he stopped and had a small drink from one of his water bottles. The sun was nearly overhead, time to find a nice shady spot and have some food and a good rest. Joseph turned off the trail into a shady area behind a large boulder. The sun would not be over this part of the boulder until late afternoon. When he finished eating, Joseph decided to have a sleep and continue later. He made himself comfortable and drifted off to sleep. Sometime later, he awoke and stretched himself, got up, put on his pack and water bottles then continued on his way. He felt refreshed after his rest and set off at a good pace down the trail.

'The next place I come to will be Ephrath. 'A surge of grief welled up inside him. Ephrath was the place they had buried his beloved mother, Rachel. She had died giving birth to Benjamin. The horror of losing his mother was still fresh in his memory; Joseph could not restrain the tears. He was just a small boy at the time, and even now, the memory was painful.

The days and weeks had turned into years; he and Benjamin had been looked after by Father's other wife, Leah, and his concubines Bilhah and Zilpah. They did it as their duty, and lavished their love on their own children. Joseph and Benjamin always felt left out of their affections. Jacob loved all his children and did not sense the aloofness, as his wives were careful to hide it in his presence.

When Joseph reached Ephrath, it was nearly twilight; so he made camp for the night. He was physically and emotionally tired.

Next morning, after Joseph had eaten, he decided not to visit his mother's burial place as he felt he would not be able to handle his emotions. Joseph set off towards Bethel. Joseph thought about Bethel as he walked; it was a significant place in his father's life.

Joseph was only an infant, when the event had occurred, but, when he was older he could remember Jacob talking about the event. Bethel was the place Jacob had made an altar to God, for God had said to Jacob, "Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me."

Jacob said to his family and to everyone else who was travelling with him; "Get rid of your foreign gods then make yourselves acceptable to worship God, and put on clean clothes. Afterwards we will go to Bethel. I will build an altar there for God, who answered my prayers, when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side."

Jacob's family and servants gave him their earrings and all their idols. Jacob hid them under an oak tree near Shechem; then they continued on to Bethel. At Bethel Jacob built an altar to God and called it 'God of Bethel'.

God appeared to Jacob again. This time He gave Jacob a new name and blessed him by saying, "I am God Almighty and from now on your name will be Israel instead of Jacob. You will have many children. Your descendants will become nations, and some of the men in your family will even be kings. I will give you the land that I promised Abraham and Isaac, it will belong to your family forever." Then God departed from Jacob.

Joseph pondered over the covenant that God had made with his father at Bethel 'How will God bring it about? The land is inhabited by different tribes and nations at present, and we are just a small family.' With these thoughts to occupy his mind, Joseph continued on his way.

'Bethel at last.' He looked for the Oak of Weeping, where Deborah, his grandmother Rebecca's nurse was buried. When he had found it he sat in the shade of the old oak. 'I should be a bit over half way to Shechem. I hope I won't have any difficulty finding my brothers and the flocks.'

Joseph made camp for the night and was pleased that he was about half way to Shechem; tomorrow should be the last leg of the trip.

Next day he saw Shechem in the distance. The last couple of days had been hot and tiring, and it was good to know that his journey was nearly over. He wondered where his brothers were pasturing the flocks. 'After a meal and a rest in Shechem, I will look for my brothers and the flocks.'

Chapter Two - His Arrival

Joseph was a bit bewildered; he had searched all around Shechem and could find no signs of his brothers, or the flocks. As he was wandering in a field a man found him and asked him, "What are you looking for?"

Joseph replied, "I am looking for my brothers, can you tell me where they are feeding their flocks?"

The man said to him, "They have gone; I heard them say, 'Let's go down to Dothan'."

Joseph was relieved, now he knew where they were, but he was not pleased at the prospect of further travel to catch up to them. He was glad he had packed some extra food; he would certainly need it now. Joseph decided to spend the night at Shechem.

Joseph's thoughts turned again to his mother Rachel; she was still alive when they were at Bethel. Fond memories flooded into his mind as he prepared his camp for the night. Joseph made himself a meal, gave thanks to God for it and committed the rest of his journey to God's care and protection. Then Joseph got comfortable for the night and fell asleep.

Next morning Joseph awoke refreshed and contemplated the trip to Dothan, he hoped his brothers were at Dothan. After a quick meal, he set off down the trail. 'My brothers will be surprised when they see me.' He could not remember going to Dothan before, so the terrain was not familiar. 'I should be there tomorrow.'

Joseph thanked God for watching over him; the trip had been hot and tiring, but it had been without danger or harm. As the sun's rays disappeared into the western sky, Joseph made camp. 'Sometime tomorrow, I should catch up with my brothers. It will be good to check up on them and then head back to Hebron and Father.' Joseph settled himself for the night and meditated on the goodness of God, before dropping peacefully off to sleep.

The following morning Joseph woke early and made an early start for Dothan. He had been walking for several hours when he spotted a large camp in the distance. 'That will probably be them, if it is, my trip will soon be over.' Joseph quickened his steps in anticipation.

Naphtali saw him in the distance and recognised the coat. "Joseph is coming." He said loudly, and pointed to the person approaching their camp.

Simeon and Levi looked up and saw the solitary figure in the distance.

"Yes, it's him, look at that coat." said Levi.

"I wonder what he's doing here?" said Simeon.

"Probably come to lord it over us." said Levi.

"Get the others together and we will decide what we will do to him," said Simeon.

The brothers quickly met together and said to each other, "Look, the Master of dreams is coming. Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams."

Reuben, the eldest brother heard what they had spoken and said to them, "Let's not kill him. Don't murder him, or even harm him; let's throw him into a dry well in the wilderness and leave him there." Reuben planned to rescue Joseph from the well and deliver him back to Jacob.

The ten brothers watched Joseph approach the camp, their hatred welling up inside them. Reuben hated Joseph also, but he could not bear to think of Jacob's reaction if he found out that Joseph had been murdered by his own brothers.

Joseph drew near their camp; he had recognised his brothers a little way back and was glad that he had finally caught up with them. He could see his brothers standing together to meet him. 'I wonder if they will be happy to see me. Oh, well! I will know soon enough.'

Judah said to the others, "As soon as he gets close, grab him and rip that coat off."

"Good!" said Dan.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher had strong reasons to hate Joseph. Joseph was always telling Jacob when they got up to mischief; consequently they were constantly reprimanded by Jacob. With the exception of Reuben, the brothers could hardly wait to get their hands on Joseph.

Joseph walked up to his brothers; from the sullen looks on their faces he could see that they were not pleased to see him. Their malice could no longer be restrained.

"Grab him!" yelled Naphtali.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher rushed forward and seized Joseph then proceeded to drag him to the others.

"Let me go." said Joseph.

"Be quiet!" said Zebulon.

"But, Father sent me to see how you were getting on," said Joseph.

"Silence!" roared Judah.

"Take his fancy coat off," said Issachar.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher forcibly removed Joseph's coat, with Joseph protesting and hindering them as much as he could.

"Give it to me.", said Judah and he took the coat from them.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Simeon.

"Find a dry well and throw him in.", replied Levi.

"There is an old well on the outskirts of the camp." said Issachar.

"Is it deep?" asked Judah.

"Yes." replied Issachar.

"Come on, what are we waiting for?" said Zebulon.

Joseph was dragged off towards the well.

'This can't be happening to me. Surely this is a bad dream.'

"Stop this, let me go!" yelled Joseph.

"Be quiet, we know you have only come to lord it over us." said Simeon.

"That's not true, Father sent me to check on you and the flocks." said Joseph.

"Lies, all lies." said Asher.

Joseph continued to protest but they did not take any notice and dragged him inexorably to the well. Joseph prayed silently to God for deliverance.

"Here it is!" said Issachar. The well was dry and about seven metres deep. Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher picked up Joseph and threw him into the pit.

Joseph landed heavily; fortunately, the bottom of the well had silted up and was very sandy. The sudden impact knocked the breath out of him. He lay gasping for breath. Gradually, his breathing returned to normal. He looked up, his brothers were laughing scornfully at him.

"Well Master dreamer, dream your way out of this." Levi yelled to him.

Joseph looked painfully up at his brothers. The physical abuse and mental anguish were beginning to take their toll on him. He lay quietly on the bottom of the well.

"Come on, let's go back to camp." said Judah.

"The Master dreamer's not going anywhere." said Zebulon.

The ten brothers headed back to their camp for a meal. Reuben went ahead of the others to organise a few things so he could rescue Joseph. He finished eating as soon as he could, and without attracting attention to himself, he went to his tent to finalise his plan of action. The others leisurely continued to eat their meal. They were feeling smug and satisfied with themselves.

As they ate they noticed a camel caravan heading their way. What they saw was a company of Ishmeelite traders on their way south, probably going to Egypt. A flash of inspiration came to Judah.

"What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body? Let's sell him to the Ishmeelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother." The others liked the idea, it pleased them.

Judah went to greet the Ishmeelites. They were Midianite merchants from Gilead. Their camels were laden with spices, balm and myrrh which they would sell in Egypt. Judah exchanged greetings with them and asked them if they were interested in buying a youth to sell as a slave. The Midianites agreed, as good healthy slaves were much sought after in Egypt. They told Judah that the going price for a young slave was twenty pieces of silver. Judah hurried back to his brothers.

Joseph slowly sat up; no bones appeared to be broken. He sat dejectedly in the sand. The sides of the well were sheer and rose vertically to the top. He could not climb out unaided.

Joseph was perplexed; he had not done anything to deserve this rough treatment from his brothers.

'Are they going to leave me here without food and water? Will they leave me here to die?' Joseph anguished over the possibilities as his mind churned over what had happened to him.

Judah and the others hurried to the pit. They looked down and saw that Joseph was sitting up.

"Here catch this rope." said Judah.

The rope was thrown down to Joseph. Joseph was glad to see the rope; he tied a loop in the end of it and put it over his head and under his shoulders. They drew Joseph up out of the pit and grabbed him again.

'Oh no! What I going to do?'

They marched Joseph back to the camp. "What are you doing now?" asked Joseph.

"You will soon find out?" snarled Levi.

Then Joseph noticed the caravan and wondered why he was being taken to the Ishmeelites.

"Here is the lad." Judah said to the leader of the Ishmeelites. "Here are your twenty pieces of silver." he replied and counted out the money.

Joseph could not believe what he was hearing. His own brothers were selling him as a slave! Joseph was deeply shocked. In a daze, he watched the Ishmeelites take a rope and tie his hands together.

"You can't do this to me." He wailed to his brothers.They stood silently and watched Joseph being led to one of the camels. The Ishmeelites mounted Joseph on a camel and tied him securely to the beast. Joseph was shattered, now he was a slave! This realisation, and his brother's treachery, was dumbfounding. The Ishmeelites mounted their camels and moved off. Joseph felt the beast move under him and the steady sway of its body as it settled into its normal gait. Joseph turned and looked at his brothers.

His brothers watched the caravan move off and saw the look of despair and anguish on Joseph's face. They were pleased they had finally gotten rid of him!

Reuben hurried to the well; he had taken more time than he reckoned on to put his plan into action to rescue Joseph. Reuben looked down into the well, he could not see Joseph. He called down into the well, "Joseph, Joseph." There was only silence from the well. 'The others must have taken him away.' Reuben rent his clothes; Father would hold him responsible if anything bad happened to Joseph. He hurried back to the camp and said to his brothers. "The lad's not there, what will I do?"

Judah explained what they had done with Joseph. Reuben was relieved that they had not killed him. "What shall we tell Father?"

Judah remembered Joseph's coat. "Here's his coat, we'll kill a kid from the goat herd and dip the coat in the blood. We'll tell Father a wild animal must have killed him."

The others agreed with Judah's plan, then killed a kid, and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in the blood.

Reuben said, "We've been at Dothan long enough, let's go back to Hebron."

The others agreed, the sooner they got away from this place the better. They would not admit it to each other but they were troubled by Joseph's last look at them.

Chapter Three - Jacob's Reaction

Jacob was concerned. Joseph should have been back from Shechem. 'What could be holding him up? I wonder if he had problems finding them. Could he have had an accident along the way? Perhaps they asked him to stay for a few days? Could he have been beaten and robbed?' Jacob turned over the possibilities in his mind. 'If he's not back in the next couple of days I'll have to send some of the servants to find him.'

A week went by and Jacob's concerns continued to grow. 'Should I send the servants, or, am I just an old fool? Joseph is probably staying with the others.' Jacob decided he was being overly concerned about Joseph. 'He'll come home when they bring the flocks, they may have been on the way home when he met them. I'll put the matter out of my mind.' Jacob resolved to stop worrying as Joseph was probably perfectly safe with his brothers.

Reuben was getting nervous, in a few days they would be back at Hebron. He knew Jacob would be grief stricken when they told him the story they had concocted between them. 'The others are not as worried; I'm the eldest and I'll be held responsible if the real story comes to light.' His brothers knew their father would put most of the blame on Reuben; as a result, Reuben's nervous tension was mounting. He kept rehearsing in his mind the story he would tell Jacob. He tried to imagine the scene; Jacob would be standing at the door of his tent. Jacob's eyes would be scanning them all as they came into the camp. They would approach Father.

"Reuben, where is Joseph? I sent him to check how you and the flocks were getting on."

"Father, we found this! Can you recognise if it is your son's coat, or not?"

Reuben shuddered to think of Jacob's reaction to the coat.

Jacob was concerned about Joseph. He hoped his sons and the flocks would be home soon.

"Father, Father!"

"What is it, Benjamin?"

"They are home, Father. One of the servants has seen them near the valley entrance."

Jacob was relieved, 'It will be good to see Joseph and the others.'

"Benjamin, tell me when they come to the valley entrance, I want to greet them all."

"I'll watch out for them, Father."

Benjamin walked out of the camp and found a good vantage point to spot his brothers coming into the Hebron Valley. About half an hour later the shepherds leading the flocks came into view. Benjamin raced back into the camp and rushed to his father's tent.

"Father, they have arrived at the valley entrance."

Jacob was pleased; soon he would see his family all together again. He went out of his tent and leaning on his staff he limped to the outskirts of the camp. Benjamin and most of the servants were already there waiting to greet the family. At the head of the flocks, the shepherds could be seen as tiny figures in the distance. As the gathering watched, the figures gradually became larger, and all the flocks could now be seen. The excitement was building up, they had been away for months, and now they were back. Benjamin was really excited, 'Joseph will soon be here!'

Reuben could feel his stomach muscles tightening, 'Soon I'll have to face Father and give him the bad news.' Judah was beginning to feel apprehensive; they would now have to tell the big lie about Joseph. Judah did not feel as courageous now that he had to face Father. Inwardly, the ten brothers were apprehensive, the younger brothers not quite as much; as the responsibility would be placed squarely on the older brothers. Yesterday, they had gone over their story again to ensure that each brother told exactly the same story. They had rehearsed it until each one was sure that there would be no slip up. They could see the welcoming party quite clearly now.

Father was there to greet them. They could also see Benjamin and several of the servants. Even the flocks seemed to sense that they were home. A tremendous wave of excitement was in the air! The brothers' apprehension lifted for a moment as they too were swept up in the exhilaration of the homecoming. Jacob's face was beaming, he was so happy to see his sons home again. In the excitement of seeing his sons he didn't notice that Joseph was missing.

"Welcome home, my sons." he called out.

Reuben, Judah, Simeon and Levi walked up to Jacob and Reuben said, "Father. It is good to see you again."

Jacob said, "How was your journey? Did you find good pastures for the flocks?"

Reuben replied, "Our journey was prosperous, we found good pastures in Dothan."

Even as Reuben spoke, Jacob suddenly recalled that he had sent Joseph to check on them.

"Reuben! Where is Joseph? I sent him to Shechem to see if you had found pasture for the flocks."

Reuben turned to Judah, Judah went to his baggage to get Joseph's coat. Reuben turned and said to Jacob, "Father, we have something to show you."

Jacob realised that Judah must have gone to get something. He turned to watch him. Judah returned with the blood stained coat. Jacob watched Judah as he approached them and saw that Judah was holding what appeared to be a blood stained garment in his hand. A dreadful fear took hold of Jacob and a cold chill ran down his spine!

Judah walked up to Jacob and said, "Father, we found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son?"

Jacob recognised Joseph's coat. 'Obviously, a wild animal has slain Joseph.'

"It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal."

Jacob ripped his clothes in despair! He was overcome with grief. 'It's my fault, I should not have sent him to Shechem and this would not have happened.'

He could not bear to look at the coat and said to Judah, "Judah take that away and bury it, I don't ever want to see it again."

Judah hurried away with the coat. Jacob limped slowly back to his tent with his sons trying to console him. Jacob went into his tent and ordered one of the servants to bring in some sackcloth.

When the sackcloth arrived he took off his clothes and wrapped the sackcloth around his loins and thighs as a sign of mourning. Jacob refused to be consoled; he blamed himself for Joseph's death. Jacob commenced a long period of mourning for Joseph.

The ten brothers were relieved their lie had worked so well, but, they had not expected the extent of their father's grief over Joseph.

"We must try and help Father get over this as quickly as possible." said Reuben. "Yes, I agree with you." said Levi.

Zebulon said, "Each of the families must help Father to forget about Joseph."

Jacob continued his mourning for many, many days. His sons and their families tried to comfort him, but, he refused to be comforted. The ten brothers found this situation so appalling; they almost wished Joseph was back! Jacob kept up his continual state of mourning. The families tried hard to comfort him, but, he would not be comforted. There was no joy in Jacob's camp.

He said to them, "I will go down into the grave mourning for my son."

\----------------------------------------------

Joseph watched his brothers slowly disappear from view. The gloating look on their faces was hard to bear. 'What have I done to make them hate me so much?' His body ached from the physical abuse handed out by his brothers.

The steady sway of the camel did nothing to relieve the pain in his body. 'Tomorrow, all the bruises will come out.' His back was sore; he had landed heavily in the pit. Joseph looked ahead; the Ishmeelites seemed to be going down towards the Great Sea. 'Maybe there is some way I can escape from them and return to Hebron. I will have to wait until nightfall; it will be useless during the day as they will catch me easily. I am tied securely to this camel; there is no way I can do anything until they take me off the camel.'

The afternoon passed slowly, the hot sun beat down relentlessly on the caravan. Joseph was thirsty, but he knew better than to ask for a drink, water was precious and scarce. 'They will give me a drink when we camp for the night.' The continuous swaying of the camel was monotonous and tiring. Joseph was used to walking everywhere. His thoughts returned to planning his escape. 'It will depend on how securely they tie me up tonight.' Joseph did not realise that the Ishmeelites were old hands at selling slaves. They had paid for him in silver and would make sure they protected their investment.

The afternoon sun was sinking slowly in the sky; the Ishmeelites turned off the main trail and formed a circle with the camels. They unpacked the camels bearing the tents, and pitched camp. Joseph was left on his camel until it was time to eat. The Ishmeelites took him off the camel, but left his wrists and legs tied. He was given a drink of water and some food. After Joseph had eaten, he was taken to one of the tents and thrust inside.

Joseph was alone in the tent. 'Now it's time to make a break for it.' His hands were tied behind his back. He sat down and wriggled around until he could bring his hands in front of him. Joseph then turned his attention to the rope around his wrists; he grabbed the knot in his teeth and worked at loosening the knot. He worked frantically. 'They may check up on me at any moment.'

A few minutes passed by, but the knot was not freeing up. In desperation, Joseph yanked hard at the knot; he felt a sharp pain in his gums, but the knot had loosened. He grabbed the knot again and grimaced at the pain in his gums. He tugged at the knot and the top layer came undone. 'Good!' He began to work on the rest of the knot. In a few moments it was undone. Joseph rubbed his wrists to ease the soreness; then he untied the rope around his legs.

He crept silently to the tent opening and listened; he could hear the Ishmeelites talking among themselves. It was quite dark now; Joseph reasoned that they would be watching the tent opening. He moved stealthily to the back wall of the tent and lifted it up. He slowly lifted up the fabric and put his head out for a look.

Suddenly, he was grabbed by the head and pulled through the opening! One of the Ishmeelites held him securely!

"We thought you might try to escape, so we set a trap for you." said the Ishmeelite. He was a big, powerful man and Joseph was no match for him. The Ishmeelite called out to the others and they came over.

"We'll have to watch him all the time." said the big man. He dragged Joseph back to the tent and tied him up again. One of the Ishmeelites was assigned to spend the night in the tent with Joseph.

Joseph was dismayed! With one in the tent and others on watch outside during the night, he could see no possible way of escape. 'They will be watching me very closely from now on.' He turned wearily and painfully on his side and lay there, feeling like a trapped animal.

Next morning Joseph was woken up by the sound of people moving about the camp. An Ishmeelite came into the tent with food and water for Joseph. They untied his hands. Joseph paused and silently gave thanks to God for the food. During the night he had had plenty of time to reflect on the events of yesterday. Joseph came to the conclusion that God had allowed this to happen to him; and that God must have some other form of rescue for him.

He waited for the Ishmeelites to come and put him back on a camel for the next stage of the journey. 'If only the Ishmeelites were going towards Hebron, God could rescue me through Father.'

The steady sway of the camel and the hot sun beating down on his body made Joseph feel drowsy. His body was still sore and he could feel the bruises under his clothing. 'How long will this go on?'

That night, trussed up in the tent, Joseph listened to the Ishmeelites talking together and he realised for the first time that they were on the way to Egypt by the Way of the Sea. A shiver ran down Joseph's back! He had heard that all shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians. Joseph was trained as a shepherd! He prayed earnestly to God to deliver him speedily from the Ishmeelites.

Chapter Four - Journey to Egypt

The days dragged on, the caravan came down from the mountain country and headed along the sea coast trade route towards the wilderness separating Canaan from Egypt. Joseph was losing all hope of rescue. The country they were in was completely unfamiliar to him. 'Even if I can escape I don't know where I am.' The sun seemed to be hotter as they moved towards the wilderness. The Ishmeelites had traversed this trade route to Egypt many times.

Joseph was perplexed, he had prayed that God would deliver him, and nothing had happened. He recalled the many times that God had delivered his father and grandparents out of trouble. 'Why doesn't God deliver me from these Ishmeelites?' Joseph's faith was sorely tried each day. 'Why does God leave me in the hands of these Ishmeelites?' Joseph continued to pray each day, but, it seemed as if God was not listening. Joseph's faith was severely tried. No matter how fervently he prayed there were no signs of being rescued.

The camel's gait slowed when the caravan entered the wilderness; the rest of the trip into Egypt would be across desert country. Joseph had had little conversation with the Ishmeelites; to them he was just another piece of merchandise to be looked after until it was sold. Joseph, however, listened intently to their conversations when he had the opportunity. He knew they were on the last, and worst, part of the journey. He had almost given up praying to God, but, he reasoned with himself that the Ishmeelites could have treated him a lot worse, and God was still able to deliver him, even from Egypt.

Sand, sand and more sand! It stretched into the distance as far as the eye could see. The camels plodded slowly and steadily on, this was familiar terrain to them. They could go for many days without water in the desert conditions. The camels moved steadily and gracefully in the sandy terrain. The Ishmeelites knew how far it was to the next oasis and were not concerned by the conditions; but crossing a desert wilderness was a new experience for Joseph.

He had heard of the vastness and now he was experiencing it for himself. For the first time he was glad to be on a camel. He did not like the idea of walking all day through the desert sands. Joseph was amazed at the desert; extremely hot during the day, and yet so cold at night. This was the third day they had been in the wilderness. Joseph noticed a hot breeze was beginning to blow. It seemed to be getting stronger all the time. The Ishmeelites were signalling to each other.

The wind was blowing sand about; it was getting difficult to see. The Ishmeelites moved the camels to the side of a large sand dune and made them squat down. The wind was howling now and blowing fiercely! Sand was blowing into their eyes and nostrils. One of the Ishmeelites released Joseph from his camel; untied his hands and motioned to him, to wrap his clothes about his face, and sit with his back to the camel.

Joseph was only too glad to obey! The wind's ferocity was increasing, the shrieking sound was unnerving. 'How long will this last?' Sand was getting into his clothing, penetrating under his garments and irritating his skin. The wind continued unabated for hours, Joseph longed for a drink of water. Sand was piling up around the camel. Joseph's feet were completely covered in sand.

He could feel sand piled up on his shoulders and between his back and the camel. 'If this is what a sandstorm is like? I hope I never have to go through another one. How much longer can this go on? When is it going to stop?' Joseph was very uncomfortable, the rope around his legs made movement awkward, and breathing through the fabric was difficult. The hot wind seemed to be coming from a furnace. Joseph reflected on the irony of the situation.

'Here's the perfect opportunity to escape, but where? I can't even see the next camel! And where can I go? I would die here in the wilderness without food and water.'

Joseph sat hunched against the camel; the wind had been blowing for hours. The shrieking noise was playing on his nerves. 'How much longer will this last?' Joseph felt the fury of the wind and recognised the power of God in nature. Joseph began to pray; as he prayed the wind slowly abated. After Joseph had been praying for a while he noticed the wind was waning. 'God has heard my prayer.' Joseph was encouraged; God had answered his prayer. 'I wonder why He does not deliver me from these Ishmeelites.'

The wind continued to drop, the shrieking stopped. Joseph could make out the line of camels again. He dug the sand away from his feet, shook the sand from his shoulders and stretched his weary body. It was good to move about. The Ishmeelites were also stirring themselves and were digging themselves from the sand. The wind was just a gentle breeze now and Joseph was able to uncover his face and breathe deeply. He was relieved that the sandstorm was over.

On the side facing the wind, the camel was half buried in sand. The Ishmeelites were all busy digging the camels out of the sand. Joseph's legs were tied and he was unable to get to the other side of the camel. However, the big Ishmeelite came along and dug out the camel that Joseph was riding. He tied Joseph's wrists together then placed Joseph back on the camel. The camel rose up and was ready to continue the journey.

Joseph was uncomfortable; sand had worked its way through his clothing and was irritating his skin. He wished he could have a wash and get rid of the sand; but, that was impossible, under the present circumstances. The Ishmeelites were ready to move on, the camels were lined up again and the caravan moved on.

Joseph was glad that the Ishmeelites were experienced travellers and knew what to do in bad weather. The caravan moved slowly across the desert, it would soon be night. Joseph was looking forward to a good sleep.

Joseph stretched himself out on the floor of the tent. The Ishmeelites untied his hands and legs. They were not worried about him trying to escape in the wilderness at night. Joseph managed to get rid of some sand from his clothing and was feeling more comfortable. It was good to get the ropes off; he massaged his wrists and legs. Food and water were brought to him. Joseph drank thirstily, then sat down and ate the food.

Joseph thought about the events of the day. God had answered his prayers about the sandstorm. 'It was when I realised that God was in command of the weather, that He answered my prayer to stop the sandstorm. When I acknowledged that God was in command, He responded to me. I am too busy telling God what to do; not wanting to see what He wants me to do.' Joseph pondered a bit more; when he had allowed God take charge of the situation, then the Ishmeelites had relaxed their security.

The caravan was nearing an oasis; the tall date palms could be seen in the distance. The camels quickened their steps, they could smell water.

"What a beautiful sight!" exclaimed Joseph.

The lush green of the palm trees set against the blue of the sky; the clear sparkling waters glistening under the tall trees and the cool shady areas seemed to beckon weary travellers to come and relax from the heat. Joseph looked around, the Ishmeelites had smiling faces. It was time to relax and replenish their water supplies. The camels could drink their fill in readiness for the next stage of the journey.

The caravan filed into the oasis, the camels were unpacked and allowed to drink, meanwhile, the Ishmeelites set up camp. Joseph was ordered to help. The tents went up quickly; then the water containers were replenished. The Ishmeelites told Joseph to relax in the shade until it was time to eat. The whole company, camels included, found a place in the shade and enjoyed the coolness.

'This is more like it.' Joseph savoured the delicious coolness under the palm trees. He could feel the weariness oozing from his body. Just to be out of the heat was a relief in itself, and the refreshing coolness of the shade was invigorating. For the first time, on the journey, Joseph felt at peace with the world about him.

After his meal was finished, Joseph asked permission to wash himself in the water. The Ishmeelites granted him permission and Joseph was soon splashing himself with the cool waters. The cool, clear waters were invigorating, and with the sand and grime washed off, Joseph felt like a new man. He went back to his spot in the shade, lay down and went to sleep. The Ishmeelites also spent time relaxing; some of them went to sleep, the rest stayed awake on guard. The day passed peacefully and preparations were made for a meal.

Joseph ate hungrily. As he ate he watched the sun going down over the horizon. The golden gleams of the sun's rays were reflected on the still waters of the oasis. The rays turned slowly reddish as the sun slipped out of view. Joseph was enthralled! One of the Ishmeelites approached him and he was ordered into a tent; his sleep that night was peaceful and relaxed.

Next morning the caravan moved off early. Joseph felt more at ease, the Ishmeelites were kinder in their dealings with him. They sensed that he was not going to try to run away in the wilderness. He was no longer tied to the camel, although they kept a continual watch on him. Joseph felt better; the stop at the oasis had given him renewed strength. His faith in God had also been strengthened.

God had not forgotten him; however he was still puzzled as to why God did not deliver him from the Ishmeelites. Joseph's thoughts turned to his father and his brother Benjamin. It seemed that years had gone by since he last saw them. 'I wonder what my brothers will tell Father, when I do not return with them.' Joseph was sad, it seemed as though he might not ever see his family again. 'Why has this happened to me? The Ishmeelites would get more money from Father if they knew who I am, but how can I establish my identity out here in the wilderness? It seems futile to even attempt it; the Ishmeelites hardly speak to me, except to tell me what to do. We are too close to Egypt for them to turn back. I should have thought of its sooner.'

The scorching heat of the desert sun was stifling. The pitiless sun beat down on the caravan as it moved closer to its destination. Joseph marvelled at these men who were prepared to travel in such conditions, year in and year out. 'It can't be just for the money, they must enjoy this sort of life. I certainly would not like it.' Joseph's thoughts turned to his immediate future. They were getting close to the Egyptian border.

'Slavery!' The thought sent a shudder through his body. 'How could God allow such a thing to happen to me?' Joseph was convinced that God would not allow him to be sold into slavery; into shame and degradation. The very thought was repulsive! Joseph was filled with a sense of foreboding. He was completely unaware that his brothers had planned to kill him; and that Reuben's restraining influence had saved his life. He was unaware that God had also used the Ishmeelites to save his life.

The Ishmeelites at the front of the caravan were pointing excitedly. In the distance another caravan could be seen coming towards them. The line of camels came slowly into view. The Ishmeelites were pleased, now they would have fresh news from Egypt. The two caravans converged on each other and the leaders of each group exchanged greetings and inquired about the likely sales' prospects. They talked for some time and then rode back to their respective caravans.

The Ishmeelite leader seemed pleased. Obviously, trading conditions in Egypt were favourable. A group of the merchants gathered around him, to listen to the latest news. It was good news! The traders in the returning caravan had sold all their merchandise for a handsome profit. They had also bought some excellent quality merchandise for low prices and expected to make high profits on it, back home. The news put the Ishmeelites in a good humour.

"It should be a very profitable journey this time." they said to each other. "Good profits will make it all worthwhile."

Joseph noticed the Ishmeelites were pleased about the news from the other caravan. 'It must be good news about trading conditions in Egypt.' Joseph had a bad feeling. 'What's going to happen to me? Will God deliver me? If he does, how will I get back to Hebron? If not, what sort of person will buy me?' Joseph turned over the possibilities in his mind. It was nerve wracking this anguish over what would become of him.

Although he was dreading the end of the journey, Joseph wished it was over. The continual sight of sand, in all directions, as far as the eye could see, with the occasional mountain in the distance, was getting to Joseph. 'It will be good to see a normal scene, with grass and trees, and feel grass under my feet. Just to be able to walk around on solid ground would be a welcome change. When will we get to Egypt? Surely, we must be close now.' Joseph's assumption was correct; the caravan was nearing the Egyptian border. The Ishmeelites tied his hands and legs again.

The outline of an Egyptian fort could be seen up ahead. The Egyptians had forts scattered along their eastern border. This one was especially important as it covered the main trade route into Egypt. The Egyptians had a full garrison of soldiers stationed here. The garrison had a dual role to fulfil. They were stationed here to keep peace on the border, and to inspect all incoming and outgoing traffic. It was a busy fort, with patrols up and down the border, plus, detailed inspections of the many traders who moved along the trade route. Smuggling was an ongoing problem; the soldiers were always on the lookout for contraband.

The caravan approached the fort. A squad of Egyptian soldiers came out of the fort to inspect the caravan. Joseph noticed that the soldiers were a tough looking lot. Life in the border forts was hard, the soldiers were always glad when their turn of duty was ended and they could get back to civilisation.

The leading camel came to a halt outside the mud brick fort. The leader of the Ishmeelites spoke to the squad leader in Egyptian. The Ishmeelites had been through this checkpoint many times before, and some of the soldiers knew them. Each camel was unpacked in turn, and the merchandise inspected. It was a slow process; it took them some time to reach Joseph's camel. Joseph was taken off the camel by the Ishmeelites. The Egyptians asked some questions about him. The Ishmeelites informed them that Joseph was a slave they were going to sell at the slave market. The Egyptians accepted this without question; it was a common sight for them.

The Egyptians continued their inspection, and then gave the caravan permission to enter Egypt. The caravan moved on, Joseph looked around him; they were still in desert country. He had always thought that Egypt would be an incredibly lush, green country. He was quite disappointed! Somehow, he had always thought that the lushness would start as soon as you crossed the border. 'More of the same!' It was an eerie feeling knowing that he was in Egypt. Joseph became despondent again; he could not see how he was ever going to escape.

The caravan continued steadily on towards Zoan, the capital of Egypt. Joseph noticed a lot more traffic as they moved closer to Zoan.The countryside began to change to a lush green. Joseph had never seen such lush, fertile country. His natural curiosity was aroused by the constant movement of traffic on the trade route. He saw soldiers, merchants, and government officials, dignitaries from other lands, also farmers and slaves. Joseph was fascinated by the passing parade.

He eagerly scanned each group or individual as they came to them. The journey to Pharaoh's capital was filled with interest. He marvelled at the huge statues and buildings along the route. The time passed quickly; there was so much to capture his attention.

The Ishmeelites were looking pleased; they would reach the capital tomorrow. When Joseph overheard this he was very dejected. 'Tomorrow!' His interest in his surroundings ceased and he became depressed.

The Ishmeelites made camp for the night. Joseph was as usual trussed up, but, his hands were untied so that he could eat. After his meal, his hands were tied again and an Ishmeelite was assigned to watch that he did not escape from the tent. Joseph's dejection showed in his face and in his movements. All hope of being rescued was abandoned. It seemed inevitable that he would be sold as a slave. Joseph was perplexed! 'Why has God allowed this to happen to me?' The thought kept turning over in his mind.

'Why!Why!' His sleep that night was disjointed. He tossed and turned, waking up at times in a cold sweat. The horror of what his brothers had done; tormented him. Their leering faces kept coming before him.Try as he might, he could not push the dream away into his subconscious mind.

The first tinge of morning light stole across the sky. The Ishmeelites on guard duty moved about the camp, waking everyone up. Joseph was already awake, the recurring bad dreams, were too much for him. In the early hours of the morning, he could not cope with them anymore and stayed awake. Although, being awake was of little comfort, the very thought of slavery was abhorrent.

The camp was stirring; a short while later food and water were brought to him. Joseph did not feel hungry but forced the food down. The Ishmeelites broke camp and were soon on their way again. They reckoned on reaching the capital about midday. Joseph felt better once they were on their way. In the light and warmth of the day he was able to put his situation into a better perspective. The Ishmeelites could have treated him a lot worse than they had. Except for the restraints of being tied up and being constantly under surveillance, their treatment was not harsh.

'If I am to be sold as a slave, then it would be sensible to ask God to see that I am sold to a fair master.' Joseph prayed silently to God and asked Him if it was His will not to rescue him at this time, to please ensure that he would be sold to a fair master. After he had prayed, Joseph could feel some of the tension draining away. 'If God is the possessor of Heaven and Earth, then surely He is in control of all things. God knows what lies ahead; I must learn to trust Him more. Whatever happens, God will be aware of it.'

The caravan was soon caught up in the traffic coming and going to Zoan. Joseph had never seen so many people going about their daily business. As they neared the approaches to the city, the thoroughfare widened to accommodate the busy throngs of people moving to and fro. The Ishmeelites tightened their security; Joseph's camel was now led by one of the Ishmeelites. Others moved closer to Joseph, in case he attempted to escape.

Joseph preferred to look at the people and the scenery; to take his mind off what lay ahead. The caravan's movements were hindered by the constant stream of traffic. The city buildings could now be seen. Joseph was fascinated by the huge buildings, carved out of stone. To Joseph's country eyes, the city was enormous; he had not imagined that it would be so huge.

Slowly, the caravan approached Zoan. The buildings were intricately carved, and painted in various colours, with statues in front of the buildings and statues along the main thoroughfares. Zoan was built on the banks of one of the main tributaries of the great River Nile. The city was lush and green, with myriads of palm trees adorning the roads and buildings. Joseph could see the great River shimmering in the sunlight. 'What a magnificent sight! The grandeur of the Egyptian empire is certainly no myth.'

The Ishmeelites guided their caravan towards the market area of the city. The market area was well away from the Palace and the Government buildings. It was also away from the residential areas of the nobility, the rich, and the famous. Joseph noticed the difference in the housing standards of the wealthy and the not so wealthy. The caravan approached its destination. The market area could now be seen and heard. The excited babble of voices, as people bought and sold merchandise, grew louder. Stalls were set up all over the market area. Joseph was amazed at the tremendous variety of goods on offer.

Over in one corner he could see the area where slaves were bought and sold. A cold shiver ran down his back! The Ishmeelites had decided among themselves to sell Joseph first, and later concentrate on selling the rest of their wares. The Ishmeelite leaders took Joseph towards the slave area; the others moved to the main selling area to set up their merchandise.

Joseph was led to the slave area; he steeled himself for the unknown. The leader of the Ishmeelites found a good place and began his sales pitch. Prospective buyers came along, felt Joseph's muscles to see if he could do hard manual labour and looked at his teeth to see if he was in good health. Joseph felt like one of his father's sheep. He was being inspected in a similar manner. He was not very impressed with the people who were buying slaves. Some were out to make a profit by reselling. The Ishmeelites were hoping to make a good profit on Joseph. Buyers came and went; the majority of them were looking for full grown men.

The Ishmeelites could afford to wait a few days, if necessary, to get a good price. Some prospective buyers had offered ridiculously low prices for Joseph and the Ishmeelites refused their offers. The sun was getting low in the sky; the Ishmeelites began to pack up for the day. Joseph was relieved! He was beginning to feel like a piece of meat at the butcher's stall. The Ishmeelites led him out to their camping area and tied him very securely for the night.

There was added danger; thieves would sometimes try to steal their merchandise. Tonight they would double the guards. Soldiers patrolled the area at night, but, they could not be everywhere at once. The Ishmeelites had been robbed in the past. They would make sure that it did not happen again.

Joseph was given a meal and pushed into a tent. His body was sore from the rough inspections and he was tired. He had difficulty going off to sleep; and his sleep was light and fitful.

Chapter Five - Sold as a Slave

Potiphar guided his chariot home from Pharaoh's Palace. As Captain of Pharaoh's Royal Guards he held a very high position at Pharaoh's Court. His home was located in the wealthy part of Zoan. He drove around the back to his stables and handed his chariot over to his head groomsman, Gimbal.

Potiphar was glad to be home, Pharaoh had given him a busy day. Potiphar's wife Esna greeted him. Esna instructed one of her house servants to serve the evening meal. She was a strikingly beautiful woman; a lot younger than her husband. He was captivated by her and lavished gifts on her. Potiphar cast an appreciative eye over her well proportioned figure and gave her a kiss. He could tell that she had something on her mind; she had that anticipative look in her brown eyes.

"Potiphar, we really must get another house boy, we don't have enough servants in the house. I need another one to help keep the place tidy."

Potiphar replied, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, do you think I would ask for another servant, if I did not need one?"

Potiphar gave it some thought, he couldn't see the need for another house boy, but, then he was not here often enough during the day to verify if that was indeed the case.

"Well, if you say we need another one; I will get one for you."

"Potiphar, can you get me one, tomorrow?"

Potiphar was a bit taken aback. "So soon!"

"Yes!" she replied.

"I will think about it."

One of the servants informed them that their meal was ready. They walked into the dining area for their meal. Esna was pleased; her latest whim was to be fulfilled. 'I will make sure that Potiphar comes home tomorrow with a new house boy.' That night, she was especially nice to Potiphar. She had already arranged for his favourite dish to be served at the evening meal. That usually put him in a good mood. She was very attentive to him during the meal and put him in a relaxed frame of mind.

Potiphar was lapping up the attention; he knew Esna was doing it so he would think favourably about a new house boy. Esna made certain it was a pleasant evening. Potiphar was feeling good, the wine had completely relaxed him and his wife was good company.

"Esna, I feel so relaxed."

"Potiphar, it's time we went to bed. Come on."

Potiphar stirred himself and followed her to their bedroom.

'Tonight, I will be especially nice to him, and tomorrow he will be sure to bring me home a new house boy.'

Potiphar woke up at his usual time. Esna lay at his side sleeping soundly. Potiphar felt good, Esna was in a loving mood during the night and they had spent precious moments together.

'Today, I'll go to the slave market and see if I can buy Esna a suitable slave to train as a house boy.' He glanced lovingly at his wife then kissed her softly. She moved slightly at his touch. Potiphar rolled lightly out of the way and got up. Normally, she woke up at the same time as he did, this morning he let her sleep in. Potiphar was halfway through his breakfast, when Esna came in.

"I thought you would sleep in a bit longer." he said.

"I woke up when I realised that you were not there." Esna wanted to make sure that Potiphar remembered that she wanted another house boy.

"Esna, I have decided to go to the slave market, today, and see if there is a suitable slave we can buy."

"Oh, Potiphar you are so good to me. I hope that you find me a good house boy."

Potiphar smiled lovingly at Esna and said, "Well, it all depends on what is available at the market." They finished their meal; Potiphar kissed Esna then went off to the Palace.

Potiphar was Captain of Pharaoh's personal guards. The safety of Pharaoh and his family was Potiphar's personal responsibility. He was held in high esteem by Pharaoh and his Court. Pharaoh's personal and political prisoners also came under Potiphar's jurisdiction. Pharaoh had given Potiphar houses and land as a reward for his services.

Potiphar was born of noble blood, and was a wealthy man before Pharaoh had endowed him with further wealth. He was well liked by the men who served under him; he was fair, but, firm in his dealings with the soldiers. Any breach of army regulations brought swift punishment on their heads. Yet, he was approachable if they had problems that he could help them with. Potiphar was well respected and feared throughout the length and breadth of Egypt.

Potiphar had been granted permission from Pharaoh to take some time off his official duties during the afternoon, to visit a slave market. He stepped into his chariot, and followed by a squad of foot soldiers set off to the market. People made way for him; it was not a pleasant experience to get in the way of an Egyptian army officer. The ride out to the market was slow and leisurely, the soldiers clearing the way. People moved quickly out of their path. The foot soldiers were thankful that Potiphar was not in a hurry; otherwise they would have to run to keep pace with him.

Potiphar was hoping that the trip was not in vain, it was difficult to obtain good slaves. Most slaves were surly and had to be punished often to make them work. 'Perhaps I can pick up a youth, who can be trained to accept some responsibility at a later stage. Full grown, mature slaves are generally harder to train as they can be rebellious and have to be forced to work. Yes, a youth will be a better proposition.'

Joseph woke up feeling tired and stiff. He began to pray; again he asked God that if he was to be sold, that, God would see that he was given to a fair master. The Ishmeelites brought him some food and water. They checked him over to ensure that they would get a good price. Satisfied, they led him back to the slave market.

The morning's trading was a repeat of the previous day; plenty of lookers offering low prices, plenty of inspections, but, no takers. The Ishmeelites were a bit concerned; they thought their slave would have been sold by now. Their attention was drawn to a commotion at the market entrance. An Egyptian officer with a squad of soldiers had arrived. The people moved hastily out of their way. The officer stepped down from his chariot and walked purposely through the market. When the traders realised he was there to inspect slaves they smiled at each other, this one was rich.

Potiphar decided to inspect all the youths, and then make a decision. Some of them he gave a cursory inspection, they were not suitable at all. He moved slowly around the market. A couple of youths might be suitable; he would keep them in mind. Potiphar had long-term prospects in mind, and he wanted to make sure that he got the right slave. Potiphar sent his soldiers around to inspect the markets.

Joseph watched the Egyptian officer move around the market. He was obviously going to buy a slave. He looked as though he was a high ranking officer; he had that sort of bearing. Joseph wondered what sort of person he might be. The officer was apparently looking at young slaves. The Ishmeelites noticed that he was looking at young slaves, and hoped that they would get a chance to show him their slave.

The word was passed along; it was Potiphar, Captain of Pharaoh's Royal Guards. The Ishmeelites were even more pleased, he was obviously very rich. Potiphar was not impressed at what he had seen so far. There were a couple of slaves he had noticed earlier, but, neither one really appealed to him. He moved closer to Joseph's stall. Potiphar looked about him; there were not many stalls left. It did not look very promising. He looked at the stalls ahead, only one appeared to have any youths. He walked past the other stalls and moved to the stall Joseph was in.

Joseph watched the Egyptian officer approach the stall. The Ishmeelites were excited, but, their faces did not show it. They bowed to Potiphar. Potiphar looked keenly at Joseph as he approached him. This slave showed signs of a good upbringing, even the dismal surroundings of a slave market could not hide it. Potiphar's hopes soared. He approached Joseph and looked him in the eye. Joseph looked calmly back into the eyes of the Egyptian officer.

'He certainly has a penetrating look', thought Joseph.

Potiphar searched Joseph's face, the youth looked intelligent, he was calm and poised; his bearing was dignified and self possessed. 'Not the usual sort to find in a slave market', Potiphar thought to himself. He looked again into Josephs eyes, Joseph looked back with a clear, steady gaze.

Potiphar then looked at Joseph's body and noted that he had no blemishes other than rope marks. Potiphar felt Joseph's muscles to check his muscle tone. Satisfied that he had found what he was looking for, he turned to the Ishmeelites and said, "I will give you twenty pieces of silver for the slave."

The leader of the Ishmeelites said, "Lord Potiphar, the offer is so little for such a fine slave."

The Ishmeelites sensed that the Egyptian was really interested in their slave; his offer was the highest so far. "Lord Potiphar the slave is worth at least forty pieces of silver."

"Forty pieces of silver!" he said scornfully. "Even a full grown slave is not worth that much, twenty pieces of silver is plenty for a youth."

The Ishmeelite was an old hand at bartering. "This slave is worth much more, observe his bearing. He has obviously had a good upbringing and can be trained as a scribe, or, something similar. Twenty pieces of silver is far too little for such a prize."

Potiphar could see he would have to offer more. "Twenty five pieces of silver is my final offer, take it or leave it."

The Ishmeelite knew he was on the right track. The Egyptian was prepared to go higher. "Lord Potiphar, we paid more money than you offer for this prize slave. We have fed and nurtured him; we cannot accept the loss, we must look for another buyer."

Potiphar thought for a moment, 'Is this slave worth more than twenty five pieces of silver?'He looked intently at Joseph, examining him carefully. The Ishmeelite realised Potiphar was weighing up, whether, the slave was worth extra money or not.

"Lord Potiphar, the slave is worth, forty pieces of silver; however, if we can make a sale, I will sell him for thirty five pieces of silver."

Potiphar could see that there was room for more bargaining. "Twenty five pieces of silver is more than enough for a youth."

The Ishmeelite replied, "Lord Potiphar, this fine example is worth, much more. You can see his worth. A fine officer like you can discern that he is worth more."

Potiphar said, "The youth is not worth thirty five pieces of silver, I can pick up an adult slave for thirty pieces of silver."

The Ishmeelite realised that Potiphar would not go much above twenty five pieces of silver, he began to compromise. "Lord Potiphar, this slave is worth at least the price of an adult slave, I will consider selling him to you for thirty pieces of silver."

Potiphar thought hard, he did not want to waste any more time; he had been here long enough. 'I will try one more offer, if that does not work, I will pay the thirty pieces of silver.'

"I will give you twenty eight pieces of silver for the slave,"

The Ishmeelite paused for a moment, 'Should I take the offer or try for thirty pieces of silver? I can always drop back to the twenty eight pieces of silver.'

"Lord Potiphar I have already dropped ten pieces of silver off the price. Thirty pieces of silver is my price."

Potiphar pretended to think long and hard, "Well, if you will not sell him for less, I will pay you thirty pieces of silver for the slave."

The Ishmeelite was elated, although his face did not show it, he said, "Lord Potiphar, you obviously know a good bargain when you see it."

Potiphar counted out thirty pieces of silver to the Ishmeelite, then, signalled to the soldiers to come and collect Joseph. The Ishmeelites bowed even deeper to Potiphar. They were very pleased that they had made ten pieces of silver out of the slave. The traders, they had met on the way to Egypt were right, handsome profits could be made at this time. The Ishmeelites could now concentrate on their other merchandise.

Joseph could hardly believe it; the Egyptian officer had actually paid thirty pieces of silver for him; so he must be very rich. The soldiers placed Joseph in their midst, and marched him out of the market.

Potiphar was pleased that he had picked up what on the surface seemed to be a good slave. 'This should make Esna happy.' Potiphar stepped into his chariot and headed towards home. The soldiers marched briskly after him. Joseph was forced to keep up with them. People moved quickly out of Potiphar's way. Potiphar's thoughts were about his new slave. 'I will make sure that the lad learns Egyptian, and if possible he can also learn to read and write. Initially, he will be trained as a house boy, but, if he shows signs of ability, then he will be given further responsibilities.'

Joseph wondered what sort of man his new master Potiphar would turn out to be. 'He is obviously a high ranking soldier in Pharaoh's army. I wonder what sort of house he lives in. I wonder what sort of work, he will make me do?' Joseph was glad he had not been sold to any of the other buyers, they were rough people. 'Well, I asked God to see that I was given to a fair master; so far it appears that way. The Egyptian seems to be a fair man.'

Potiphar had not slackened his pace, he wanted to get home and show off his new acquisition. The soldiers were glad they did not have to run. Potiphar turned off the main road and into the thoroughfare where he lived. A few minutes later he guided the chariot into the stables. Servants came running to meet him and took the chariot away. Joseph was marched to the back entrance of the living quarters. Potiphar dismissed the soldiers and ordered them to report back to their barracks.

Potiphar called his head steward Gebel and told him to fetch Esna. Gebel hurried inside. Esna was pleased! 'Potiphar has brought home a new house boy.' She picked up her polished copper mirror and made sure that she looked pretty for Potiphar. Satisfied, she walked out to meet Potiphar.

Potiphar greeted Esna, "Esna, I brought home a new house boy for you."

She slipped her arm through his and turned to inspect her new house boy. He was quite handsome and looked intelligent. Esna was pleased with Potiphar.

Potiphar said, "Well, what do you think?"

She replied, "Yes, he looks like he will fit in nicely."

Potiphar was relieved. He had made a good choice.

Esna spoke to Gebel, "Take the new slave and see that he bathes himself and give him some new clothes, then bring him to us."

Potiphar and Esna walked into the house. Joseph was led away by some male servants; and taken to the servant quarters. Gebel, the head steward showed him where to bathe himself. Joseph was pleased to be able to wash himself and put on fresh clothes. He felt better and looked at his surroundings. The mansion was built of mud bricks. The floor was made of stone slabs. The place was very clean and tidy.

The head steward came back to fetch him. Joseph was led into the main living quarters. The main living area was decorated simply, but, with very expensive furnishings. He was impressed. The head steward went in to notify Potiphar that Joseph was outside. Potiphar told him to bring the new slave in. Joseph was brought into their presence.

Potiphar said to him in Egyptian, "What is your name lad?"

Some words of the Egyptian language were similar to Hebrew, so Joseph was able to work out that his new master wanted to know his name, "My name is Joseph." he replied in Hebrew.

Potiphar understood that his name was Joseph. He said to him, "Joseph, you will be taught the Egyptian language. You will work in the house, as a house boy. Do you understand me?"

Joseph worked out that his new master wanted him to try and learn Egyptian and that he was to work in the house. He said in Hebrew, "I understand that you want me to learn Egyptian and that I will work in the house."

Potiphar sensed that Joseph had understood him. Gebel took Joseph to the kitchen and showed him where he was to work. Joseph was put under the control of the head girl Zerefna. She put him to work cleaning in the kitchen. Potiphar called Gebel and told him to see that Joseph learned their language as soon as possible. Gebel told Potiphar that he would start the teaching sessions, the next day.

Potiphar was keen to see how quickly Joseph could learn Egyptian.If he was as bright as he looked, it should not take him long to learn.

Potiphar turned to Esna and said, "I think he will pick up the language fairly easily."

"Yes, Potiphar I think you have made a good choice for my new house boy. You really are good to me!" Potiphar was pleased that his wife agreed with his choice.

Joseph ate his evening meal with the kitchen servants. After the meal was over, and the washing up was completed Joseph was shown his bed mat, in the servants' quarters. It had been a long day! Joseph was glad to get to bed. That night he thanked God for answering his prayers for a good master. He was still puzzled why God had not rescued him; so he prayed about it yet again. Feeling tired, he rolled on his side and went to sleep. His sleep that night was more restful.

Next day he started early; he was woken up before dawn to help prepare the morning meal. It looked like he would have to get used to long working days. The kitchen servants worked long hours. They had to prepare meals and clean up after every meal. Gebel came every day and gave Joseph lessons in Egyptian. Joseph learned quickly, he was anxious to learn the language; for he felt at a distinct disadvantage not knowing the language. Joseph sensed that God was blessing him in this place. So far, he had had hardly any problems. The problems that he did have were mainly related to language difficulties.

Time seemed to fly by. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months.

Chapter Six - Potiphar's House

Potiphar called Gebel and said to him, "Gebel do you think Joseph is bright enough to learn to read and write?"

Gebel replied, "He has picked up our language quickly, Master. I think he could be taught."

Potiphar was pleased, "Gebel you are getting on in years, and I want you to train Joseph as a possible replacement for you in the future."

Gebel said, "Master that is a splendid idea, the lad seems to be a very responsible type of person."

Potiphar pondered for a moment, "Gebel, Joseph is not to know why he is learning to read and write. Is that understood?"

Gebel understood perfectly, he had been with Potiphar for many years and often knew his master's thoughts.

"Gebel, I will leave it to you to re-arrange Joseph's work to give him more time to learn."

Gebel thought for a while, "Master, I could put him in the laundry. He could learn to run the laundry. He already knows how the kitchen is run."

"That sounds good Gebel. Start him in the laundry, tomorrow."

After the evening meal, Potiphar said to Esna, "Esna, I am putting Joseph in the laundry tomorrow; I want him to learn to read and write. He needs a position with a bit more free time, so he can study."

"Oh Potiphar, what a wonderful idea, he seems very bright."

Esna was pleased; Joseph had become one of her favourite servants. Joseph was well liked among the kitchen staff, he did his job without grumbling, and he did it well. Esna kept an eye on Joseph; she could see he had potential.

Next morning Joseph woke as usual and went about his normal duties. After breakfast Gebel came to him and said, "Joseph, today I want you to go to the laundry."

Joseph was quite surprised. "Gebel, why do I have to go to the laundry, have I done something wrong?"

Gebel laughed, "No, Joseph you have not done anything wrong. The Master wants to see if you can learn to read and write Egyptian; you need work that gives you time to study."

Joseph was relieved! "Gebel, does the Mistress know about this, I would not like to upset her."

Gebel said, "Mistress Esna already knows, she is in favour of it."

Joseph was pleased that he was going to learn to read and write Egyptian. Gebel took Joseph out to the laundry and explained what went on. He would have to learn all the tasks, so he knew what to do in case there were any problems. It would be Joseph's responsibility from now on to see that the laundry ran smoothly.

Joseph soon settled into the laundry routines. He found the days passed swiftly; but learning to read and write was a slow process, it would take years. He also had to learn all the hieroglyphics symbols. Joseph had not realised that it would take so long. On top of the study he also had the responsibility of the laundry each day. Problems cropped up when he least expected them. The Master and Mistress had to have their clothing on time, without fail. Especially the Master, his military uniforms had to be ready at all times.

Joseph adapted to the laundry routines quite well, and he had a good relationship with the laundry servants. They found Joseph easy to work with; he could do any of the tasks himself and understood their problems. As a result, Joseph found that they responded well to his requests.

'Study, study and more study!'Joseph wondered if he would ever finish. He was getting more adept at reading, but, writing was much harder. 'So many symbols to learn and Gebel is talking about teaching me mathematics.' Gebel also taught him about Egyptian history, and Egyptian religion, and how they tied in with the daily life of the nation. Joseph could see why he had been put in the laundry; 'There is no way I could do all this study in the kitchen job.' Hard as it was, Joseph knew that his Master had faith in him, so he slogged on.

God had been good to him in Egypt. He had a good master and the opportunity to learn to read and write Egyptian. His job in the laundry was much easier than the kitchen. 'All this learning must be for a reason.'

The days came and went, Joseph continued his studies. He found that writing was a lot easier now, and reading was not difficult. Mathematics was harder to grasp. Gebel told him it would all fall into place, one day.

Potiphar was pleased with Joseph's progress, Joseph was learning mathematics and he was also getting a good grounding in Egyptian history and religion. Gebel was full of praise for his pupil; however Joseph was not aware of it. Potiphar had noticed how well the laundry was running under Joseph's guidance. 'I wonder why Joseph is so good at what he does.' He decided to have a chat to Joseph. He told Gebel to have Joseph see him than night after the evening meal.

Joseph finished his meal; Gebel came to him and told him that Potiphar wanted to see him at once. 'What have I done wrong, that the Master should send for me?'

"Joseph, come closer. I have been watching you for some time now and I am pleased at the way you are progressing in your studies. One thing I have noticed, above all else, is that whatever task you put your hand to on a job it seems to run better. I want to know if there is something special, you have that nobody else seems to have."

Joseph breathed a sigh of relief! He thought he had done something wrong. He said to Potiphar, "Master, I am nobody special. The God whom I serve is the One who enables me to do my tasks."

Potiphar said, "Who is this God, whom you serve?"

Joseph said, "The God whom I serve, is the Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth."

Potiphar was impressed. "You serve only one God, we Egyptians serve many gods."

Joseph replied, "The God that I serve is the Creator of all things and there is no God like Him."

Potiphar said, "Well, he certainly seems to be looking after you."

Joseph was glad that he had the opportunity to speak to his Master about his God.

Potiphar said, "Joseph, on your way out find Gebel for me and ask him to come and see me."

Gebel walked into the room, Potiphar said to him, "Gebel, I think it is time that we gave Joseph a bit more responsibility. Have you any suggestions?"

Gebel thought for a while, "He is picking up mathematics fairly well, perhaps Master he could try keeping the records of the stores and the granaries."

Potiphar replied, "Can he do that as well as study and look after the laundry?"

"Oh yes, I will alter his study times, the record keeping will take the place of some study. The practical experience will be invaluable."

Potiphar's thoughts drifted back to the slave market and the thirty pieces of silver he had paid for Joseph. 'If those slave traders only knew the potential of this lad; they could have asked triple the price, and got it. Maybe, Joseph's God is smiling on me too.'

Potiphar felt good! Ever since Joseph had arrived in his household, the atmosphere had been good. Esna was very happy with Joseph; she seemed to favour him a bit, but, not enough to upset the other servants.

Gebel went to Joseph and informed him that from now on he would get some practical training in mathematics. He would be responsible for recording the movement of stores and the grain in the granaries. Joseph was glad that he was going to put into practice some of the things he had learned. Next day, Gebel showed Joseph the household records for the stores and granaries. Gebel explained that the Egyptians were scrupulous at keeping records and the Egyptian Government recorded all of its transactions.

Joseph was impressed, he had not realised that the nation of Egypt was so organised. Gebel took painstaking care in showing Joseph how the records were kept. If any discrepancies or mistakes were found Gebel would be in serious trouble.

Joseph found that keeping the records was easy. As long as he double checked that his entries were correct, he had no problems. It was interesting work for him, calculating the amount of stores and how much grain was in the granaries. He was expected to notify Gebel when stores were getting low, so more stores could be obtained before they ran out.

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A few years went by. Gebel had given Potiphar weekly updates on Joseph's progress. Potiphar had a keen interest in Joseph's progress. Joseph's studies were almost complete. He could read well and his writing standard was good. He still had some more to learn, but, most of his education was finished. Gebel began to spend time on the higher forms of mathematics, and concentrated on educating Joseph in the protocol and procedures of Egyptian court life. Gebel was amazed at the way in which Joseph soaked up the knowledge he was imparting to him.

Joseph had fitted into the student's life easily, yet, his normal duties had not suffered as a consequence. His high working standards were acknowledged by all Potiphar's servants. Potiphar and Esna knew that if they gave a job to Joseph it was carried out in an exemplary manner. There was no need to check up on him, the job was always done according to their instructions.

Potiphar called Gebel in for a discussion on Joseph. "Gebel, it's time to give Joseph more responsibility in the household. Do you have any suggestions?"

Gebel thought for a while and then spoke. "Joseph did his main training in the kitchen; why not put him in charge of the kitchen?"

Potiphar could see the logic in the suggestion. "Yes, I'm sure that would be a good move, I will put him in charge of the kitchen tomorrow."Both men were pleased by the decision. Potiphar was eager to see how Joseph would handle the increased level of responsibility. Gebel was happy for Joseph, he was sure Joseph would welcome the opportunity.

Joseph was happy that the master was pleased with his work. 'Tomorrow, I'll be put in charge of the kitchen. Surely, God is blessing me in this place.' Joseph prayed silently and thanked God for His goodness to him.

Gebel was very pleased with the way Joseph had grasped all his studies. He had picked it up easily and quickly. Potiphar was delighted with Joseph's high standard of learning; his formal education was nearly over. Potiphar looked forward to the benefits he would derive from Joseph's education.

Next morning Joseph was happy! The years of hard study were behind him. 'I can put it all too good use for the Master.' Joseph woke early, dressed himself, and headed for the kitchen. Some of the servants were already there, preparing the meal for breakfast. Joseph checked on the menu; then he made sure that there was sufficient food for the meal. Satisfied, he went over the itinerary for that day. Mistress Esna had invited friends over for a sumptuous feast. Joseph went out to the store house and took a quick tally of the various stores.

Joseph prepared beef, lamb, goats and ducks, for the meat and poultry dishes; plus waterfowl and game birds for variety, also, onions and garlic to spice up these dishes. All to be served with cool, lettuce leaves. Special treats would be baked by the baker; dates, grapes, pomegranates and nuts as fill ins between courses; with fine wines made from dates, grapes or pomegranates to wash it all down. Plus, beer made from barley for those with a more common taste.

Gebel woke up, got dressed, and went to the kitchen to find Joseph. Joseph spotted him coming and went to greet him. They exchanged greetings. Gebel reminded Joseph about the guests that the Mistress had invited. Joseph told Gebel of his preparations for the banquet. Gebel was pleased for Joseph seemed to have the situation under control.

Gebel was content; he could now delegate some of his responsibilities to Joseph. 'It will be good to move some of the burden on to Joseph's young shoulders.' Gebel was beginning to feel the weight of advancing years; it was good to have a younger person to ease the workload.

Esna woke up early and prepared herself for breakfast. She was thrilled that Joseph was back in the kitchen. She hurried out to see Joseph and gave him her instructions for the day.

"Joseph, are you aware that I am having guests over for a banquet today?"

"Yes, Mistress Esna, I have instructed the servants to prepare special dishes for them."

He informed her of his menu choices.

"Good! I would also like some special fish dishes prepared, as they enjoy fish."

"Is there anything else that they might like, Mistress Esna?"

"Yes Joseph, make sure that there is plenty of good wine to go with the meal."

Esna was sure that Joseph would make certain that her visitors enjoyed their banquet.

Joseph instructed the chief cook to prepare some special fish dishes for the banquet. He went to the wine store to select good quality wine for the guests. He instructed one of the kitchen servants to carry the wine into the kitchen, just before the meal was ready.

The kitchen maids were clearing away breakfast. Joseph went to check the stores again. It was a good way to stop any petty thieving; also it kept him in touch with what was on hand. Today, was too important to have any slip ups.

Esna wanted to make a good impression on her friends. An excellent way would be to see that Joseph ensured that the banquet was a success. Esna was pleased Joseph had been promoted. Esna went to the kitchen for an inspection, the preparations were almost complete. The baker had excelled himself; his dainties were mouth watering. The fish dishes were superb; the chief cook certainly knew his business. She complimented them on a job well done.

"Where is Joseph?" she asked the chief cook.

"Joseph is outside checking on the stores, Mistress Esna."

"Joseph, where are you?"

"Over here Mistress Esna, in the wheat granary."

Esna walked over to the granary. "Joseph, I am pleased with the meal preparations. Make sure the dishes are served at the right time." Esna walked back into the house.

Joseph emerged from the granary, he was happy that the meal preparations met with Mistress Edna's approval. He would do his best to ensure that the banquet was a success for her. He went into the kitchen to carry out final preparations. Joseph wondered who would be coming; the banquet was certainly on a grand scale.

Esna enjoyed being married to Potiphar; it gave her plenty of opportunities to mix with people from Pharaoh's Court. Her marriage to Potiphar had brought her many benefits. The lifestyle suited her; Potiphar's position at Court ensured that she mixed with the best of Egyptian society. His position in the Army meant that people treated them with respect. The gods had certainly been good to her.

Edna's guests were arriving. The news was conveyed to Joseph. He was not perturbed; everything would be ready at the required time. Esna sent for Joseph.

"Joseph, is everything ready?"

"Yes, Mistress Esna. When you are ready, I will commence serving the banquet."

"Some of the guests have not arrived yet; please serve wine and light refreshments until they arrive."

"At once, Mistress Esna." Joseph moved swiftly to the kitchen and ordered the servants to serve wine and light refreshments. The other guests would be arriving soon. Joseph made a final check of the kitchen. Satisfied that all was ready, he relaxed a little.

"Joseph, you may serve the main courses, everyone has arrived."

"At once, Mistress Esna." Joseph gave the necessary orders, the serving maids brought out the delicious food for the guests. Joseph made sure that plenty of wine was on hand, some Egyptians were heavy drinkers.

Esna had planned some entertainment for her guests. She ordered the musicians to play, and the dancing girls to dance for her guests. Her guests seemed to be enjoying it all. Esna was pleased, she liked to entertain. It was a pity that Potiphar could not be here on this occasion; he usually enjoyed a good feast. Potiphar also liked to entertain, however, his military commitments did not afford him many opportunities to do so. Esna had guests over frequently; and she also spent a lot of time visiting her many friends.

The last of the guests were leaving, Joseph was glad it was over. He was happy with the part he had played. Esna praised him on a job well done.

"Joseph, I am happy with the way you handled the banquet."

"Thank you, Mistress Esna. You know that I will always do my best for you and the Master."

Joseph was grateful that his efforts had not gone unnoticed. He had set a high standard; now, it was up to him to keep it up. He went to bed that night, satisfied that his first day in charge had turned out well. He thanked God for helping him through the day, and committed the days ahead to Him.

His thoughts turned to his father and Benjamin. It was such a long time since he had seen them. Sometimes, the longing was so strong he had to stop himself from crying. He wondered if his father was still alive. News from the land of Canaan was scarce, Canaan was not important in the eyes of the Egyptians. Joseph wondered if he would ever find out about his family.' God has given me a different life in Egypt, and I will have to make the best of it.' However, it was still hard to live with the treachery of his brothers. Joseph tried to put it from his mind. It was easy during the day, but, sometimes at night the thoughts kept coming back. He drifted off into a troubled sleep.

The days sped by, Potiphar and Esna were delighted with the way Joseph ran the kitchen. Gebel gradually placed more responsibility on Joseph. Joseph was unaware that Gebel was transferring a lot of his own duties to Joseph. Gebel was content; Joseph would make an excellent overseer for Potiphar in the future.

As Joseph grew older and matured, his organising abilities became more apparent. Gebel was amazed at the competent way in which Joseph did things. Teaching him to read and write had been the start of it all. Joseph had a keen mind and grasped the crux of any situation quickly.

'Yes, Master Potiphar made an inspired choice, the day that he brought Joseph home from the slave market.'

Chapter Seven - Promotion

"Master Potiphar! Master Potiphar! Come quickly!"

Potiphar woke up and sprang to his feet. "What's the matter?"

"It's Gebel, I went to wake him, he is just lying there; I think he is dead." The servant girl was very distressed.

Potiphar moved swiftly to Gebel's room in the servant quarters. Gebel was still and cold with the colour drained from his flesh. Potiphar could not detect any sign of life.

'Gebel is dead. He has been a faithful steward of my household for many years. Esna will be upset.' He pulled a covering over Gebel's face and turned to the maid.

"Gebel is dead; there is nothing that anybody can do for him. He has departed from this life. Tell the other servants to stay out of his room."

The maid ran out to spread the news.

Potiphar walked slowly back to his bedroom. Esna was sitting up waiting for him.

"What was all the commotion about, Potiphar?"

"Gebel is dead!"

"Oh no!" The colour drained from Esna's face.

"Yes, he died in his sleep. I will make arrangements for the embalmers to come and embalm him. He deserves a good journey into the next world."

Esna was saddened by the news. 'Gebel has not been sick, his death is very sudden. I will miss the kind old man; he was in Potiphar's service long before we were married.'

Potiphar and Esna were silent. They looked at each other. Their faces showed the grief they were feeling. There would be a period of mourning; even though Gebel was their servant, he had been close to both of them.

Potiphar turned to Esna, "I will have to go in as usual to Pharaoh's Court. I will make the necessary arrangements. Pharaoh will understand."

Esna was thoughtful, "Do you have in anyone in mind to take over Gebel's duties?

"Yes, Joseph is very capable. I have been training him to assume greater responsibility. I will go and speak to him immediately."

Joseph wondered what had happened, he heard someone calling out. He tried to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. It seemed to be near the Master's bedroom. 'Oh well, I will find out soon enough.'

The maid who had raised the alarm came along and informed him that Gebel was dead. Joseph was stunned! Gebel had not been sick. Joseph became nostalgic about the kind old man who had such an influence in his life.

He felt a deep sense of grief. He had come to respect Gebel, not only for his position, but, also for his honesty and integrity. He would miss his wisdom and advice. Joseph went back to the kitchen. Potiphar found him near the kitchen.

"Joseph, have you heard that Gebel has died?"

"Yes, Master Potiphar, it does not seem possible, he was not sick."

"Joseph I want to talk with you privately. Come with me."

Joseph followed Potiphar into one of the rooms in Potiphar's private suite.

"Joseph, I am appointing you my Chief Steward. I want you to take over Gebel's duties. Some of the duties are connected with my private affairs, I will show you in due course, what they are. For the moment, you will supervise all the servants. Unless myself, or, Esna instructs otherwise they will take their orders from you."

Joseph was astonished! Neither, Potiphar or Gebel had ever given him any reason to believe that he would take over from Gebel. "Master Potiphar, I am only young. Are you sure that I can handle such great responsibility?"

"Joseph, I have been training you for this job for several years, without your knowledge. Admittedly, I did not think that you would have to take over so soon. Nevertheless, you are the man for the job."

Joseph found it hard to believe. Potiphar had a busy schedule that day; he dismissed Joseph and went to put his uniform on. Joseph went to the kitchen and informed the servants that Potiphar had put him in charge of the house. He arranged a meal schedule for the day and went to find Mistress Esna.

"Mistress Esna, is there anything specific you want me to do?"

Esna was thoughtful for a moment. "Joseph, I want you to look after the embalmers when they arrive. Potiphar will arrange for them to come as soon as possible."

"I understand Mistress Esna; I will see that they are given whatever they need."

Esna dismissed Joseph. Today, she just wanted to be alone. Joseph was sad as he went about his duties. There was an unusual silence in the house today. The servants all respected Gebel, some of them had worked with him for many years. Their silence was the outward sign of their grief. Gebel did not have any family, he had never married. Potiphar's household had been the closest thing to a family in Gebel's life.

Potiphar managed to speak briefly to Pharaoh about the death of his steward; Pharaoh was sympathetic. Later, Potiphar instructed one of his officers to send the embalmers to the prison, where he would see them. The officer hurried off to carry out his orders. A short while later; Potiphar went to do his daily check at the prison.

Zanak, the Warden greeted Potiphar. Potiphar inquired, "Have the embalmers arrived?"

"Yes, they are waiting to see you."

"I will see them now. Bring them in."

The two men were brought to Potiphar. Potiphar told them to go to his house and embalm Gebel's body in readiness for his burial. The men promised to begin that very day. Potiphar was grateful. The embalmers left to carry out their business. Potiphar was relieved that the embalmers would start today.

Joseph instructed one of the male servants to watch for the embalmers and to let him know as soon as they arrived. Potiphar's servants moved quietly around the house, still coming to terms with Gebel's death.

Joseph felt a deep sense of loss, he would miss old Gebel. 'What could have caused his death? Gebel was not complaining about being sick, or, in pain. Perhaps it was just old age?'

Joseph made the normal arrangements for the midday meal. Esna was not hungry. Most of the servants were not hungry; some were too upset to eat. It was a sad day in Potiphar's household. Joseph wished the embalmers would come and prepare Gebel's body.

"Joseph, the embalmers have arrived."

"Good! Show them in."

The embalmers were brought to Joseph. He showed them the room where Gebel's body lay; and told them to ask if they needed anything. The embalmers wrapped Gebel's body in a shroud and took it away for embalming. Their profession was ancient, shrouded in mystery; handed down from father to son, their skills were preserved from generation to generation. They were outcasts in the social structure, but, an ever present necessity in the Egyptian way of life. The strong smell of ointment and spices marked them out in any company of people.

People shunned them; the presence of death seemed to accompany them. As a result their services were costly. Egyptians who were wealthy payed large sums of money to have their dead loved ones embalmed. Potiphar was very wealthy; they would be able to charge him a high fee for their services.

When the embalmers left, Joseph told one of Esna's maids to let Esna know that the embalmers had taken away Gebel's body. Esna was relieved. She was glad that Potiphar and Joseph were handling this matter. Esna could not bear to be near a dead body. She was terrified of death. Esna preferred to remember Gebel the way he was in this life. When the embalming process was finished, Potiphar would arrange the burial service with the Temple priests.

Joseph was still coming to grips with the fact that he was now in charge of Potiphar's household. He could not stop thinking about Gebel; it did not seem possible that he was dead. 'Yesterday, Gebel went about his duties as normal, he had not complained of any pain or illness. It seems like a bad dream. Gebel will not be around for advice when I run into problems. Yes, I will certainly miss old Gebel.'

Potiphar arrived home earlier than usual. "Esna, did the embalmers come today?"

"Yes Potiphar I asked Joseph to attend to them."

"They said they would come sometime today, I am relieved that they were able to come quickly."

Potiphar comforted Esna for a while; then went to look for Joseph.

"Joseph, come with me." Joseph followed Potiphar into his private suite.

Potiphar motioned to Joseph to sit down. "Joseph, this has all been sudden, I realise that you were probably fond of Gebel. When the mourning period is over, I want you to move into Gebel's room. I need to know how much you know about my affairs.Can you tell me what Gebel has taught you so far."

"Master Potiphar, Gebel was a good teacher. He taught me to keep the records for the stores and granaries. He did not show me anything about your private affairs."

"Yes, I feel certain that Gebel would have instructed you well in all the important areas of record keeping.You know Gebel and I have been assessing your progress all along. He was always satisfied with the high standard of your work. I am sure that you will soon settle into the head steward's position."

It dawned on Joseph that Potiphar had been keeping a close eye on him, ever since he had brought him home from the slave market.

"Master Potiphar, I will do my best to serve you and Mistress Esna, as well as Gebel served you both."

Potiphar was satisfied. He was sure that Joseph would handle his affairs just as capably as Gebel had done.

"Tomorrow, Joseph I will begin to show you my private affairs. See me as soon as I have had breakfast." Potiphar then dismissed Joseph.

Joseph walked back to the kitchen. Potiphar went to see Esna again. It was a sad day for them. Esna was glad that Potiphar had come back. She needed his support at the moment. Potiphar went to Esna and held her closely; she felt comforted. They held each other silently for several minutes, each occupied with their own thoughts.

Potiphar broke the silence, "Esna, I have spoken to Joseph about his new responsibilities; tomorrow I will begin to show him our private affairs."

"Potiphar I'm sure that Joseph will turn out to be a very good steward. He has always been a good house boy."

"I told Joseph that he could move into Gebel's room after the mourning period is over." The mention of Gebel's name made them silent again.

Joseph was pre-occupied as he went about his duties, his promotion seemed unreal. The servants were quiet; it did not seem possible that Gebel was dead. The evening meal was a silent affair, nobody felt like talking. The reality of Gebel's death hung over them like a dark sombre cloud. This was the time of mourning; it would last for many days. Gebel's body would be embalmed and laid to rest with the things that he would need in the next life.

When his body was ready for burial, it would be loaded on a funeral barge and taken across the river to the burial grounds. Professional mourners would wail and lament as the funeral party accompanied the barge. The Temple priests would carry out the funeral rites.

Joseph had never witnessed an Egyptian funeral; seventy days of mourning seemed excessive to him. The Hebrew mourning period only lasted for seven days.

The Egyptians placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of being ready for the next life. They believed that the god Osiris, ruled in the kingdom of the dead; and that the ruling Pharaoh was the incarnation of Osiris' son Horus. Osiris was also the god of vegetation; the annual rising and flooding of the great River linked him with the rebirth of life.

Therefore, Pharaoh ruled the land of the living and Osiris ruled in the realm of the afterlife. Pharaoh was worshipped as a god. The welfare of Egypt was directly linked to Pharaoh's well-being. Pharaoh as a god-king was an important part of his subjects' lives.

Joseph was pleased when the mourning period was over. It had been a strain on him. He could not understand why these Egyptians mourned over their dead for such a long time.

Joseph moved into Gebel's room. He settled in easily into the head steward's role. Potiphar seemed to be pleased with him. Joseph liked being in charge of Potiphar's household. Mistress Esna was easy to work for; she usually left the running of the house to him. Potiphar had shown Joseph all he needed to know about his private affairs. Potiphar had given Joseph a free hand in the running of his household. God was with Joseph in all that he did, and Potiphar's household was prospering as a result.

Potiphar observed that Joseph's God was blessing his house because Joseph was there. Potiphar left more and more of his affairs in Joseph's capable hands. Gebel had been an excellent steward; however, Joseph was shaping up even better. Potiphar and Esna were both impressed with Joseph's abilities; they were subconsciously giving over the complete running of the house to Joseph.

Joseph enjoyed his new responsibilities, he got along well with all the servants; and they found him a fair, but, firm supervisor. Plenty of laughter echoed through the house, especially when the Master and Mistress were not around.

Esna had more time to visit her friends; Joseph always had the house in immaculate condition. She would give Joseph his instructions for the day, and they would be faithfully carried out. She just wished that Pharaoh would give Potiphar more time at home. Pharaoh kept sending him on assignments. Esna did not like it. She threw herself into her social life to compensate for Potiphar's frequent absences.

She missed Potiphar. He doted on her and she lapped up the attention he lavished on her. There was nothing either of them could do about the situation. Pharaoh was absolute ruler! Whatever Pharaoh said, was carried out; refusal could mean instant death, or, incarceration in prison for an indefinite period of time. Only Pharaoh's closest advisers dare query him on any matter. Potiphar was often selected to carry out assignments for Pharaoh, but, he was certainly not in the inner circle of Pharaoh's advisers.

Potiphar was pleased Pharaoh chose him for assignments; however, he wished they did not keep him away from home so much. He missed Esna. She was such good company. He had never regretted choosing her as his wife. He dare not ask Pharaoh for more time at home, Pharaoh would be very displeased. It was a great honour to be chosen for Pharaoh's assignments.

Pharaoh would be insulted if Potiphar asked for more leave. Potiphar resigned himself to the situation. There was nothing Esna or he could do about it. Potiphar hoped the situation would return to normal soon. Life had been a lot easier before all these assignments.

The days and months flew by. Several years had passed since Gebel had died. Potiphar and Esna did not see much of each other, Pharaoh kept Potiphar very busy. Potiphar had reached the stage where he left all his household affairs in Joseph hands. Under Joseph his possessions had increased and Potiphar was getting a name for shrewd business dealing. Joseph was responsible for Potiphar buying more land. Potiphar was not even sure anymore of exactly what he owned. Joseph's God had blessed Potiphar since Joseph had been put in charge of his household. Larger storehouses and granaries were built to cope with the increased grain harvest. Potiphar's wealth was steadily increasing.

Esna was experiencing the benefits that increased wealth brought her way. Like Potiphar she left the daily affairs completely in Joseph's hands. Her life was a whirl of social activities, with banquet after banquet, event after event. Esna thrived on all the excitement. She had adjusted herself to Potiphar's frequent absences and filled the void with her social life. Deep down she missed Potiphar, but, she thrust her feelings aside, she could not change the circumstances. The social whirl was becoming an addiction for her.

Joseph was in a reflective mood. His present circumstances were very good. The Master and the Mistress trusted him implicitly; he had the complete run of the house. The other servants were good; there were no troublemakers among them. He missed his father and Benjamin. At times he would think about them and wonder how they were getting on. Thinking about them always brought back the pain of his brothers' betrayal. 'At least here I am in peaceful circumstances; I do not have to cope with my brothers' hatred. God has given me a good master. These years in Egypt could have been a lot worse.'

His mind went back over the long journey to Egypt and the circumstances that had brought him into Potiphar's house. He still did not understand why God had not seen fit to rescue him from the Ishmeelites. 'I can thank God for putting me in such a good position with Master Potiphar. Who knows where I might have ended up? I wonder if I will ever see Father and Benjamin again. It certainly does not seem possible.'

Joseph's attention was brought back to the present by the arrival of Esna. She had just come into the house and was asking for him.

"Joseph! Where are you?"

"I am coming Mistress Esna." He hurried out to greet her.

"Joseph, I am going to spend a few days with friends. I want you to look after the house for me in my absence. Potiphar is still away on business for Pharaoh, although he could come home any day."

Joseph was honoured; this was the first time that he had been called on to look after their affairs with both of them away at the same time.

"Certainly, Mistress Esna, you know I will do my best for you."

Esna knew that she could rely on Joseph, he was so efficient. It had not escaped her notice that he had developed into a handsome, likeable young man. He certainly was an asset to Potiphar and herself. Esna went off to finalise the arrangements for her visit to her friends. Joseph went back to his work. The goodness of his God occupied his thoughts as he worked carefully and skilfully on the work at hand. 'Surely, the God of my father's has blessed me in this house. Here am I a slave with the responsibility of this great house in my hands.'

Joseph often wondered why God had allowed him to be sold as a slave; and yet, He had blessed him with so much in Potiphar's house. 'Some day, perhaps, I will understand why I am in this situation.'

Potiphar was itching to get home. He was tired of Pharaoh's constant assignments. 'I am getting too old to enjoy this type of work.' His thoughts turned to home. He was sorry that he could not be home more often. Esna was not happy about his continual trips away from Zoan. She seemed to be filling in her time with continual banquets.

Potiphar hoped that Pharaoh would give him more time back in Zoan, at least that way he would be home at night. His relationship with Esna was becoming strained. He knew he could not approach Pharaoh; if he caught Pharaoh in a bad mood, Pharaoh was just as likely to demote him, or, put him in prison for a while to teach him a lesson.

'I seem to be stuck in this situation. At least my affairs are in good hands with Joseph. He has turned out to be a real blessing to Esna and myself. Two more days! I can report back to Pharaoh and maybe get some leave. I hope that Esna will be pleased to see me.' The two days seemed to drag on, interminably. Finally, Potiphar headed back to Zoan. He reported immediately to Pharaoh. Pharaoh was pleased with Potiphar's report.

"Potiphar, I have kept you away from home and your beautiful wife, far too long. Take a week off and spend the time at home. Report to me as usual after you resume your duties."

Potiphar was elated! "Thank you, Pharaoh you are most gracious."

"You deserve some time off, Potiphar I appreciate your loyalty and your service. Now, finish up quickly and go home."

People fled before his chariot as he moved quickly through the streets of Zoan. 'I hope Esna is home, I am sure she will welcome the time we can have together.' Potiphar was feeling good! Soon he would be home again in the arms of his wife.

Potiphar guided his chariot through the entrance and walked briskly inside.

"Esna, where are you? I am home."

Joseph heard Potiphar calling out for Esna, and came quickly to greet him.

"Master Potiphar, it is good to see you back home. Mistress Esna is not at home, she is spending a few days away with your friends Amenmope and Harrup."

Potiphar was disappointed! He was looking forward to spending the whole week with Esna.

"I was hoping that she would be home, Joseph. Pharaoh has given me leave from duty for one week."

"Mistress Esna left yesterday. Perhaps, you could dispatch a messenger to ask her to return. I believe that they were taking a trip up the river."

"Do you think the messenger will catch them in time?"

"I am not sure; I think that they would have left this morning. A man on horseback should have no difficulty overtaking them, today."

"Joseph, I would go myself, but, I have been away from home for a long time and I just want to relax for a while. I will send a messenger at once. Send Gimbal to me immediately."

Joseph went out to the stables and sent Gimbal the head groomsman in to Potiphar. Potiphar gave Gimbal his orders. Gimbal hurried out to the stables, selected a good fast horse and rode swiftly away. Potiphar hoped that Gimbal would catch up with them before nightfall.

Esna was enjoying the leisurely trip on Amenmope's boat. They had started out later than expected. The sail glistened in the sunlight as the boat moved steadily upriver. Amenmope's party had eaten a delicious meal at midday. The canopy overhead provided cool relief from the blazing sun. Harrup's hand maidens were kept busy fanning them with palm fronds. Esna could feel herself unwinding. Her own hand maidens made sure that she was comfortable. Her maidens would alternate with Harrup's maidens in fanning them. This part of the river was a hive of activity. Craft of all shapes and sizes were going to and fro. Esna had been on lots of cruises up and down the river, she always enjoyed them.

Their attention was drawn to a man on horseback, who was riding along the riverbank looking carefully at each privately owned vessel.

"There is something familiar about that man.", Esna said to Harrup.

Esna sat up and peered at him. Suddenly, he began to wave and shouted, "Mistress Esna is that you?"

Esna stood up in surprise, it was Gimbal!

She said to Amenmope, "Amenmope that is our head groomsman Gimbal I wonder what he is doing here."

Esna waved to Gimbal.

"Amenemope can we pull over to the bank and find out why he is here?"

Amenemope gave orders to his crew to row over to the bank. Gimbal watched the boat moving towards him. He stopped and waited for it to pull into the riverbank. The boat glided into the bank, the crew skilfully stopping directly alongside Gimbal.

"Gimbal, what are you doing here? Is there something wrong at home?"

"No, Mistress Esna there is nothing wrong. Master Potiphar is home on leave for one week and he sent me to ask you to return home."

Esna was astonished! Pharaoh had actually given Potiphar a whole week off.

Amenemope spoke to Esna, "Esna we can moor here, Gimbal can hurry back to Potiphar for transport for you and your maidens. It will be good for him to have you home."

Esna thought carefully for a few moments; then spoke to Gimbal.

"Gimbal ride as quickly as you can to Potiphar and tell him to send the carriage for us. If you are fast enough, we may get home before sunset."

Gimbal slapped the horse hard and raced quickly away. He was happy; he had caught up to them much faster than he thought he would. 'They must have been delayed this morning.'

Potiphar could hardly believe his good fortune; the gods must be smiling on him. He decided that the carriage would be too slow. 'I will send three chariots. Two will convey Esna and her maidens and the other will carry some soldiers who will act as an escort.'

Potiphar sent Gimbal up to the barracks with a message for the Captain.

The Captain quickly ordered three of his chariots to follow Gimbal. They set off at a fast pace after Gimbal.

Esna and the others were surprised to see three chariots accompanying Gimbal.

"Mistress Esna, Master Potiphar decided a carriage would be too slow. He has arranged for you and your maidens to ride in two chariots and the other will act as an escort."

Esna thanked Amenemope and Harrup for their hospitality and apologised for leaving them so soon.

"Esna, go home to your husband. Give him our greetings." said Amenemope.

They watched Esna and her maidens step on to the chariots. Then Esna waved to them and the chariots moved off at a brisk pace. Amenemope gave the order for the crew to shove off and the boat glided smoothly out into the river.

The soldiers' faces were beaming, this was the type of duty, they did not mind. Riding escort on beautiful women was a pleasant diversion from normal duties.

Esna was not pleased at Potiphar's choice of transport. Chariots had no suspension to smooth out the bumps; also, they had to stand up for the ride. The only good feature was their speed, at this pace they would be home before sunset.

Esna's hand maidens thought it was exciting. They would have a lot to tell the other maidens when they arrived home. They were enjoying the ride and the attention. The maid in Esna's chariot found it difficult to keep Esna shielded from the hot sun.

Potiphar was becoming impatient, surely they would arrive soon. The sun was very low in the sky. He sent one of the stable hands to watch for them and to report to him as soon as he saw them coming. Joseph had a meal ready for Esna and her maidens. They would be famished.

Potiphar was relieved; he could see his stable hand, hurrying back. 'They must be coming.' Sure enough, the chariots came into view. Gimbal was riding out in front. Potiphar was pleased with Gimbal, 'He has done an excellent job today.'

Chapter Eight \- Temptation

Esna was feeling down, Potiphar had returned to duty. Pharaoh, as usual, kept him away from home. The week they spent together had brought them closer, but the emotional high was wearing off. Esna was bored. She began to make plans to resume her hectic social activities. 'At least, that way I do not have to think about Potiphar being away from home so much.' Her social whirl recommenced; Esna's life once again became a continual round of banquets and outings. Life with Potiphar became a time of strain and tension. Esna chided him about the little time he spent with her.

"Potiphar, do you have to spend so much time on your work? What about me? Obviously, I do not matter to you anymore."

Potiphar castigated her for her thoughtlessness. "You knew when you married me that there would be times when I would be away from home. It's not my fault if Pharaoh keeps sending me away on assignments." Potiphar could not understand why she got so angry with him.

Esna understood that Potiphar had to work away from home; what really upset her was the little time she and Potiphar spent together. He spent so much time on his work he hardly had any time for her it made her so angry! When Potiphar did find a little time to spend with her, she would not allow him to embrace her.

Joseph did what he could to pour oil on troubled waters. He prayed earnestly that God would heal the rift between them. It saddened him to see the Master and Mistress growing apart. He made sure that he did not favour either party. He took a neutral stand.

Potiphar and Esna realised that Joseph was endeavouring to heal the rift, thus, they did not try to apply any pressure on him to side with one or the other. The tension between them was a source of friction between the servants. Potiphar issued an order and Esna countermanded it; then issued her own instructions. Joseph often had to step in and sort out the situation in a diplomatic manner. Esna was getting more irritable.

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Esna was getting tired of continual banquets. 'Today I'll spend a quiet day at home.' She called Joseph in to tell him of her decision.

"Joseph, I am not going anywhere today, I am spending a quiet day at home."

"Yes, Mistress Esna, do you want any special meals prepared?"

"No, Joseph."

Esna suddenly realised how much Joseph had matured. He had grown into a handsome, dignified man. She took another appreciative look at Joseph. Joseph was not aware that Esna was studying him carefully. Esna dismissed Joseph; he went about his normal duties. Esna was thoughtful; she had felt a sudden attraction to Joseph. It bothered her!

Joseph was an excellent steward he was one of her favourite servants. This impulsive attraction to him was an entirely new feeling. Esna could not escape the attraction she felt towards Joseph. Each time she saw him that day, she felt a sudden urge to keep him in her company. It worried her!

Joseph was oblivious to what Esna was going through. The thought would never have entered his head, that the Mistress was attracted to him.

Esna had a difficult day, she told herself that she was stupid, she was a married woman. Potiphar was a good husband and provider. 'I must stop this silly nonsense, at once.' Esna resolved to ignore the attraction she felt towards Joseph, but each glimpse of Joseph set her thinking again.

'Tomorrow, I will resume my normal activities; that will put an end to this.' Esna stayed in her private rooms most of the day. She deliberately kept away from Joseph.

Next day Esna when off to a banquet as usual; however, the banquet did not give her the satisfaction she needed. Amidst the idle chit chat and small talk she felt lonely and bored, and desperately unhappy. Her face did not show these emotions; to those around she was the same bright, laughing Esna. Esna was miserable; she could not dismiss Joseph from her thoughts. She knew it was wrong, but, she wished she was at home near Joseph.

'Anyway, I don't need an excuse to be in my own home.' The banquet dragged on. Esna wanted to go home. It would be rude to leave without a good reason, so Esna stayed until the other guests were leaving.

She was glad to get home, she called for Joseph. Joseph came in and greeted her, "Mistress Esna, did you have a good day?"

Esna replied, "Yes, it was a nice banquet Joseph. I will have an early evening meal. Please prepare it at once."

Esna felt it again, a compulsion to be with Joseph. Esna had a troubled sleep that night. She could not get Joseph off her mind. She dreamed that she was following him around, just to be near him. Morning was not much better; she found excuses to see Joseph. Esna decided not to go out that day; she wanted to be around Joseph. 'What is happening to me? I can't get Joseph off my mind.' Esna's thoughts were troubled.

Joseph thought it was unusual for the Mistress to spend two days at home without some sort of social engagement.' Oh, well! She must know what she is doing. I hope that she is not feeling sick. I will keep an eye on her.' Unwittingly, Joseph made matters worse; he found reasons to see Esna. The result was that Esna saw a great deal of Joseph that day.

Esna began to spend more time at home. The servants became used to her presence in the house again. Potiphar noticed that Esna was in a more subdued mood. She did not seem so angry with him, and she was not as tense. Things were more peaceful in the house. Their relationship was not back to normal, but, it had certainly improved lately. He was pleased that she had cut back on her hectic social round. He thought that was the reason for their marital problems.

Esna was a good actress; Potiphar had no reason to suspect that another man was in her thoughts. Potiphar wished that Pharaoh would take him off the constant assignments that took him away from home. 'Perhaps then I can spend some time with Esna and sort out our marriage.'

Esna could not get Joseph off her mind, she had tried, but to no avail. It was becoming an obsession; she had to be near Joseph. She wanted to be in his arms. Her infatuation could not be kept secret any longer. 'I must reveal my feelings to Joseph.'

Esna sought an opportunity to make sure that she and Joseph were alone together; without any likelihood of interruptions by the other servants. She found tasks for her hand maidens in other parts of the house. She made sure that all the men servants were occupied away from her private rooms. When Esna was satisfied that her privacy was assured, she found one of her house boys and told him to find Joseph and ask him to come and see her immediately. The house boy hurried off to find Joseph.

Joseph wondered what Mistress Esna wanted him for this time. She had certainly called for him a lot lately; most of the time it was for trivial things. He walked into the private suite. None of the handmaidens seemed to be around.

He called out in a moderate tone, "Mistress Esna are you there?"

Esna was pleased Joseph had arrived. She had put on fresh clothing and anointed herself with aromatic oils.

"I am in here Joseph."

Joseph walked into the anti-chamber that led into the Master's bedroom. Esna was reclining on huge floor cushions; underneath the cushions he could see a beautifully woven floor rug. The sweet odours of Esna's perfume wafted through the air. Esna smiled at him and sat up gracefully.

"Joseph, come over here and sit down."

Joseph could not help noticing Esna's beautiful figure beneath her robe. Her movements accentuated her figure.

A small voice inside him seemed to be saying, "Danger, danger!"

Joseph moved closer to Esna, but he remained standing. Esna patted a cushion near her and said, "Sit down here, Joseph."

Joseph stayed where he was and said, "Mistress Esna, I am in the middle of important work for Master Potiphar."

Esna, once again motioned for Joseph to sit alongside her. Joseph felt uncomfortable, Esna was a beautiful woman, and her body fragrance was alluring. Esna noticed his reluctance, she gave him a beautiful, warm smile and said, "Joseph, sit down."

Joseph hesitated, he dare not disobey the Mistress, yet he knew that the situation was wrong. Joseph moved closer. Esna was pleased; she would have him sitting down shortly. Esna pointed to the cushion and said, "Joseph sit down, please."

Joseph could see that Esna was getting impatient. He sat down on the cushion, as far away from Esna as he could. Esna smiled at him and said in an alluring tone of voice, "Joseph, do you like me?"

Joseph was surprised at the question. "Mistress Esna, of course, I like you. You and Master Potiphar have been very good to me."

Esna smiled happily. "Joseph, do you find me attractive?"

The little warning voice inside Joseph started again. Joseph knew that he would have to be careful with his reply.

"Mistress Esna, you are a likeable person."

"Joseph, I asked you if you found me attractive. Do you?"

Joseph was feeling trapped. "Mistress Esna, you are an attractive woman."

Esna was happy. "So, then you do find me attractive?"

Joseph did not reply.

Esna looked Joseph in the eye and said, "Joseph, I find you a very attractive man."

Joseph was speechless!

Esna took advantage of his quietness. She spoke softly, "Joseph, come closer."

Joseph had not gotten over the shock of what she had told him. He shook his head. Esna was not deterred, she moved up close to him.

"Joseph, make love to me."

Joseph leapt to his feet. "Mistress Esna, Master Potiphar isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns. No one in this house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible sin as this."

Joseph quickly left the room. His mind was in turmoil. He went to his own room to compose himself. He spoke aloud, "God of my fathers, what can I do?"

Joseph knew that he would have to keep out of Mistress Esna's way as much as possible. He would try to make sure that there was always somebody else in the house with him. He hoped she would forget about the incident. He went out of his room and went back to his work. His thoughts were troubled.

Esna was stunned by Joseph's reaction to her proposal. She became very angry. "Who does he think he is? He is only a Hebrew slave. How dare he treat me this way?"

Her anger took a while to abate; then she began to look at the situation. She still felt a deep need to be with Joseph. It was no use chastising him. The last thing she wanted was for Joseph to let Potiphar know what had happened. He might tell Potiphar just to get even. 'Potiphar is a very jealous husband; he might get rid of both of us. I will bring Joseph around to my way of thinking. Time is on my side.' Esna's composure returned. 'I'll see Joseph tomorrow and talk to him.'

Joseph made sure that he kept away from Esna that day. He was worried that Esna would cause trouble. He knew that the Master and Mistress were having problems, but, he never expected this turn of events. Esna did not call for Joseph again that day, so Joseph felt more relaxed by evening. That night he went back over the events of the day. 'Did it really happen? It is like a bad dream. How did I get into a situation like this?'He prayed long and fervently that night.

Next morning Joseph went about his duties as usual. Esna sent for him again. Joseph went reluctantly to see her. Esna made sure that she could have a private chat with Joseph.

"Joseph, I meant what I said yesterday. Make love to me. I want to be with you."

"No, Mistress Esna I cannot. It would be a great sin to do such a thing."Joseph excused himself and walked hurriedly away.

Esna was annoyed!

The days passed slowly, each day Esna confronted Joseph and asked him to make love to her. Joseph found the situation very trying. Potiphar was away most of the time and Esna seemed determined to pursue Joseph. Joseph found it hard to keep out of Esna's way, she pursued him relentlessly. Esna was hoping to wear Joseph down, one unguarded moment and she would win.

Joseph found he needed all his faith in his God to keep a clear head. He was getting tired of the continual vigil, but, he dare not give in.

Esna was getting tired of the constant pursuit. 'Today, I will have Joseph make love to me. I'll make sure that no one is around to disturb us.' Esna got ready. She gave all her handmaids jobs which kept them busy away from her private rooms. She allocated jobs outside the house for all the men servants. Satisfied that all was ready, she sent one of her maids to find Joseph and tell him to come to her, immediately.

The maid found Joseph and passed the message on to him. She then went back to the job that Esna had assigned her. Esna was pleased with herself, this time it would work.

Joseph walked slowly into the private suite. He could not see Esna, he called out to her. "Mistress Esna are you there?"

Esna replied from the master bedroom, "I am in here Joseph, come in."

Joseph hesitated he did not want to go into the bedroom. He had noticed that no one was in the house. Esna realised that Joseph was not going to come into the bedroom, she came to the doorway. Esna said to him, "Joseph comes here to me."

Joseph did not move. Esna said, "Joseph, I am ordering you to come here."

Joseph moved slowly to the doorway.

"Joseph, that is not close enough. Come closer."

Joseph moved cautiously closer. Esna grabbed his robe and said to him, "Make love to me!"

Joseph felt trapped, Esna's perfume was heady, her smile was warm and inviting, he could feel her arms brushing against his side. He sensed the softness of her body; she began to pull him towards her.

"No!"

Joseph broke loose from her and turned to flee. As he went she tightened her grip on his robe and the garment came away in her hand. Joseph fled to his room. Esna was furious! She called out to the men servants.

Joseph quickly put on another robe and sat in his room. He was shocked at what had taken place.

The male servants rushed into the private suite.

"Mistress Esna, what is wrong? "

"Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. And when he heard me scream he ran away, leaving his robe with me."

The male servants quickly searched the house and found Joseph in his room. They posted a guard on him; then told Esna that they had him under guard in his room.

Esna kept Joseph's robe by her. 'Potiphar will be home tonight, I will tell him as soon as he arrives home. I will fix Joseph for refusing my advances. Potiphar will deal with him.' Esna's infatuation now turned to spite. 'Joseph is only a slave; he should have been pleased with my attention to him. I will show him who is in charge around here.' Esna could hardly wait for Potiphar to arrive home.

Joseph sat in his room, wondering what would become of him. He had tried praying, but, did not get any comfort. 'Potiphar has the right to kill me. He will listen to his wife, and I will not be able to prove otherwise. Mistress Esna has my robe! The other servants would have seen her with my robe.' His present circumstances seemed hopeless.

Potiphar wheeled his chariot into the stables. He had had a good day. Pharaoh had not bothered him all day. He hoped that Esna was in a good mood, she had been more civil lately. Gimbal rushed over to him.

"Master, Mistress Esna wants to see you immediately!"

Potiphar walked briskly into the house. "Esna, where are you?"

One of Esna's maids told him that she was in their private suite. Potiphar hurried into the suite. Esna heard him coming and picked up Joseph's robe.

"Esna, what is the matter? Is there a problem?"

"Potiphar, that Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! But when I screamed in a loud voice he ran off in such a hurry that he left his robe behind."

Potiphar was shocked; that was Joseph's robe in Esna's hand. For a moment he stood dumbfounded; then his anger began to burn. 'After all that I have done for Joseph, the slave has repaid me in this manner.'

Potiphar was furious. This type of crime was punishable by death. Potiphar could not believe this had happened. He was so angry he could kill Joseph with his bare hands.

Esna was frightened she had never seen Potiphar this angry before. 'If he finds out the truth, what will he do to me?'

Potiphar paced around the room, constantly flexing his fingers.

"Potiphar, what are you going to do?"

Potiphar stopped pacing and faced Esna. The fury in his face alarmed her.

"I could kill him with my bare hands for what he tried to do to you. If I go and face him; that is what I will do."

Esna had meant to teach Joseph a lesson, but, Potiphar was likely to kill him. She was worried.

Potiphar came to a decision, "Esna, I will put him in prison for the night and decide what I will do to him in the morning."

Potiphar strode out of the room. He sent one of his house boys to find Gimbal. Gimbal ran in to see Potiphar. He sent him to the barracks for a squad of soldiers. When the squad arrived Potiphar gave them instructions to take Joseph to the prison and tell Zanak to put him into the inner cells and chain his feet together.

When the soldiers arrived they were shown to Joseph's room. They brutally tied his hands together; then shoved him out of the room; and then pushed him outside. They shoved him into the middle of the squad and marched him towards the prison.

Joseph knew that the soldiers were taking him away to lock him up. 'At least Potiphar has decided not to kill me for the moment.' In a silent prayer, he thanked God for sparing his life. He wondered what sort of story Esna had told Potiphar. 'Obviously, she has made out that it was my fault.'

The soldiers maintained a fast walking pace. Every now and then, one of the soldiers would give Joseph a prod with his spear. The spear heads were sharp and Joseph felt the blood flow from the wounds. It was almost nightfall, the soldiers quickened their pace; they wanted to reach the prison before dark.

Chapter Nine \- Prison

Joseph was tiring, the fast pace was taking its toll on him. He was not conditioned to forced marches. Each time he slowed down the soldiers prodded him with their spears. Joseph was forced to keep up the gruelling pace. At last, the prison came into view. The sun was throwing its last rays on to the prison walls. The soldiers slackened their pace; they were glad they could get rid of the prisoner and head back to their barracks.

The sentries saw them coming, and opened a small door alongside the main prison doors. Joseph was marched into the prison and handed over to the prison guards. When Zanak was informed of Potiphar's orders, he gave instructions to put the prisoner into solitary confinement, and chain his feet together. Joseph was marched inside the main wing of the prison; then downstairs into a small, foul smelling, and dark cell in the solitary confinement section.

Joseph surveyed his surroundings; it was dark, cold and smelled awful. A very faint gleam of light filtered under the door, from the lamp in the corridor. The floor was hard and cold. The contrast between this cell and Potiphar's house was so marked. Joseph was miserable. The small wounds made by the spears were aching. The cold seemed to be seeping into them and made them ache more. The chains were cutting into his ankles. He found it hard to find a comfortable position. Although, he was very tired he could not sleep, his thoughts were troubled. He tried praying, but, did not derive any comfort. The mental anguish and the aching wounds, combined to drive sleep from him.

Joseph heard voices, he had not slept; he did not know how many hours had passed. Suddenly, the door swung open and a guard pushed food and water into the cell; then quickly closed the door. Although the light from the corridor lamp was dim, it hurt Joseph's eyes. He squinted momentarily; then waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom again. He could see the food silhouetted in the feeble light showing under the door. Joseph was hungry and thirsty.

He dragged himself over to the food and ate ravenously; then he drank the water. He felt a bit better. The spear wounds were hurting and the chains around his ankles were cutting into him. He found it hard to believe that he was actually in prison. Worse, he had done nothing wrong to deserve this treatment.

'Why, has God allowed this to happen to me?' Joseph was despondent, his aches and pains did not contribute to any feeling of well-being.

Joseph's eyes became accustomed to the gloom in the cell. He was in a very small cell; there was no provision for any form of ablutions. He barely had enough room to stretch himself out full length on the floor. He was very tired, he desperately needed to sleep. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again. Gradually he dozed off. His mind drifted from one incident to the other. He tossed and turned, he relived the events leading up to his imprisonment.

Fatigue finally overcame the feverish activity of his mind; ever so slowly, he lapsed into a deep sleep. Joseph slept a long time; he did not even hear the door open. The guard looked at the prisoner, heard the deep breathing and realised that he was in a deep sleep. He picked up the food utensils and closed the door. He reported to Zanak that the prisoner was sleeping.

Potiphar awoke early; he had a sleepless night. Esna, on the contrary, had slept well and was still asleep. Potiphar spent the night wondering what sort of punishment was suitable for Joseph. He decided that killing him was too quick, he wanted Joseph to suffer. 'I will let him rot in prison.' The decision made, Potiphar dressed and had breakfast. He could not wait to instruct Zanak to leave Joseph in prison. Potiphar had made his decision, but, it brought him no happiness. Somehow, he had an awful feeling that his life would never be the same again.

Zanak was given Potiphar's instructions. The prisoner was to remain in prison until Potiphar ordered his release. Zanak knew that Potiphar had no intentions of releasing the prisoner. His curiosity was aroused. He wondered what sort of man, his latest prisoner was. He went down into the solitary confinement section and told the guard to open the door of Joseph's cell. The door swung open.

"Hold your lamp close to the prisoner's face."

Zanak was surprised to see a well bred young man. He certainly did not look the criminal type; however Zanak was used to seeing all types pass through his prison. Pharaoh put all his political prisoners in this prison.

Several hours later, Joseph woke up. He wondered if it was day or night. It was all the same in this part of the prison. No daylight ever reached the solitary confinement section. The chains on his ankles were abrasive and hurting his ankles. He rubbed the skin very gently; he realised that he would have to be careful with his movements. The metal chains were roughly made; any sudden movements would cause skin abrasions.

At least his hands were free. Joseph rubbed his arms and legs. He would have to force himself to exercise, but, he had hardly any room to move about. Joseph felt dirty and tired; he could feel the stubble on his chin. He wondered if they would allow him to wash himself.

Zanak wanted to question the new prisoner, he asked the guards to see if the prisoner was awake.

Joseph heard footsteps, a small panel in the door slid to one side. A face peered at him; Joseph looked up at the face.They guard could see that the prisoner was awake. He reported to Zanak.

"Open the door!" said Zanak.

Joseph blinked in the light.

"What is your name?" Zanak asked in a curt voice.

"My name is Joseph."

"Do you know why you are in prison?"

"I have not done anything wrong, my Master has put me in prison, but, I am innocent of any charges."

Zanak laughed! "They all say that! You are in prison for attempted rape. You attempted to rape your Master's wife."

'So that was it!' He looked the Warden in the eyes and said, "I am innocent, my Master's wife tried to seduce me and I ran away."

Zanak laughed again. "Do you expect anyone to believe you? You left your robe in her bedroom."

"The Mistress grabbed my robe as I ran away; it came off in her hand."

Zanak thought that was hilarious, he roared with laughter.

Joseph felt very uncomfortable. He spoke calmly, "That is the truth of the matter; the Most High God is my witness."

"The Who! What! Is your witness?"

"The Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth."

Joseph's calm gaze and steady reply unnerved Zanak. It was his turn to feel uncomfortable. There was something different about this prisoner, he conceded.

"Put him back into the cell."

The guard pushed Joseph back into the cell and locked the door. Zanak went away a thoughtful man.

Joseph felt better; the exchange of words with the Warden had lifted his spirit. At least, he knew what story the Mistress had concocted; but Joseph had to make the best of his situation. 'Master Potiphar might still decide to execute me. 'Joseph realised that his situation was precarious. He felt the need to pray. He prayed long and earnestly. When he stopped praying his mind was more peaceful. God was in command; if God was allowing this to happen, then He would see Joseph through this calamity. Joseph relaxed; he sat on the cell floor, in a contemplative mood.

Several days passed, Joseph grew accustomed to life in solitary confinement. Zanak kept an eye on his latest prisoner. He was impressed by his attitude and calmness. He had seen men go mad in those cells. The prisoner was polite, and even thanked the guard when he was brought food and water.

The guards were amazed at this prisoner; he gave you the impression that you were doing him a favour. Most prisoners were angry, or sullen, or malicious. This fellow greeted you pleasantly. It was quite a change to have a pleasant prisoner around.

Zanak had been considering an idea for a few days. Potiphar had not specifically stated that Joseph was to be kept in solitary confinement. Zanak decided to put Joseph in the main prison. If he behaved himself he would leave him there. Zanak went to see Joseph.

"Joseph, I have decided to take you to a cell in the main prison. If you behave yourself, I will consider letting you stay in the main prison."

Joseph was relieved. He would be glad to get out of this foul smelling cell. Zanak and one of the guards marched him upstairs to the main prison.

Joseph breathed the fresher air. 'At least I will be able to see other people moving around.' The cell was larger; he was able to move around better, and he had a mat for a bed. He took a deep breath; the air here was much fresher. Joseph silently thanked God for taking him out of that terrible place downstairs.

Joseph had been in his new cell for a few days. It was a definite improvement on the cell in solitary confinement. He felt as though he was now part of prison life. He was given permission to wash himself regularly. Through the opening in his cell door he could watch the guards moving around. Some of the guards were quite friendly to him. Joseph did his best to be friendly towards the guards. The guards could see the Joseph was genuine, and that he was not trying to ingratiate himself with them. They had never come across a prisoner like Joseph.

Zanak was pleased that Joseph was behaving himself. Zanak wondered if he could put Joseph to better use. Obviously, Potiphar had no further interest in Joseph. He had not even bothered to check up on him. If Joseph was to spend the rest of his days in prison, he might as well do something useful. Zanak went to see Joseph.

"Joseph, you have been behaving yourself, since you have been in prison. I am going to give you an opportunity to earn yourself some better conditions. In exchange for me taking the chains off your legs, you will help the guards with meals and other work."

Joseph readily agreed with the Warden. Zanak told the guard to take the chains off. Joseph stretched his legs then took a few steps. 'What a relief!' Joseph was pleased. 'It's good to get rid of these terrible chains. I'll get more exercise; and it will be good to do some work. It will make the days seem more worthwhile.'

Joseph said to Zanak, "When do you want me to start?"

"A guard will come and get you before the next meal. You will carry the meals to the other prisoners."

Zanak departed with the guard. Joseph could hardly believe it. He walked about his cell, it felt good. He thanked God for His goodness to him. He did not like being in the prison, but, he was realistic enough to see that he was free from being tempted by Esna.

Several days passed by, Zanak was satisfied that Joseph was doing the right thing by him. He was also interested to note that the whole tone of the prison was improving since Joseph had begun to serve the other prisoners. There was less tension; even the guards could sense a difference. It certainly made a pleasant change to be greeted in a friendly manner.

Joseph had the knack of putting people at ease. He seemed to be genuinely interested in each person he came across. Zanak began to wonder if Joseph really was guilty of attempted rape. He could not imagine Joseph even thinking of doing such a thing.

The days and months came and went. Zanak gradually gave him more responsibility. When Zanak found out that Joseph had been in charge of Potiphar's kitchen, he put Joseph in charge of the prison kitchen. Joseph was very busy, and he had many an opportunity to show his faith in God. Everyone in the prison could see that there was something different about Joseph. Although, he was a prisoner he was respected by both the guards and the prisoners.

Zanak could see that Joseph had a natural gift for organisation. He gave more and more responsibility into Joseph's hands. Joseph cooperated closely with the guards, they came to realise that whatever they gave him to do would be done well.

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Several years passed, Zanak had put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. Whatever needed to be done, he simply gave the matter over to Joseph and forgot about it. Joseph would attend to the matter promptly. Zanak came to trust in Joseph's judgement and left the care of the prisoners completely in Joseph's hands.

Joseph in return, always did the right thing by Zanak and the guards. He had almost forgotten his life in Potiphar's house. Life in prison was bearable, but, it would be good to be able to get out into the sunshine and see the outside world again. Joseph often wondered why God did not arrange for him to be taken out of prison. He had not done anything to deserve imprisonment. That was the hard part, knowing you were innocent of the charge against you.

It was a severe test of his faith; however, Joseph did not succumb. 'If God is allowing this to happen, then somehow it must be necessary for me.' He could not fathom God's purpose at all, yet by faith he sensed it would ultimately be for his good. Zanak looked after him. He ate well and was clothed decently. His cell was in the best position; he could at least look out on the outside world and see the sunshine and blue sky.

The captain of the guards was calling for him. "Oznak, I am in here."Joseph wondered what he wanted him for.

"Joseph, Pharaoh has sentenced two of his chamberlains to prison. I want you to personally look after them."

"Certainly Oznak, where have you put them?"

"They are in the same cell; in the main cell block."

Joseph followed Oznak to the cell were the prisoners were. He looked closely at them. They were still dressed in their court clothes. They looked sullen and angry. He turned to Oznak.

"Oznak, why are they here? "

"They disobeyed Pharaoh and he became very angry. He decided some time in prison would teach them a lesson. He could have just as easily had them executed. That is why it is important that you look after them. Pharaoh could change his mind at any time and release them. He might even give them their jobs back. Zanak is relying on you to look after them"

Joseph marvelled that these men had actually disobeyed Pharaoh. Joseph asked Oznak to open the cell door. He went in and spoke to the prisoners.

"I am Joseph; I have been assigned to look after you while you are in prison."

The two men looked at him. They were not interested in anybody at the moment. They were smarting from the humility of being placed in prison. They still had not figured out how Pharaoh had found out that they were deceiving him.

Joseph spoke again, "If there is any way I can be of assistance to you, ask for me."

They stared at him silently then deliberately ignored him. Joseph looked at Oznak. Oznak shrugged his shoulders. Joseph turned around and walked out of the cell.

Oznak said, "Don't worry, they will settle down in a few days." Oznak walked away, Joseph went about his normal duties.

The new prisoners were not very cooperative. Joseph found out from Zanak that one was Pharaoh's chief butler and the other was his chief baker. He wondered what they had done to make Pharaoh angry. Joseph was friendly and courteous to both men. Their animosity towards him quietened down after a few days and they came to realise that Joseph was genuinely interested in them. He did not intrude on their privacy, and they respected him for it. The days quickly passed and it appeared that Pharaoh had forgotten them. Joseph relaxed more as the days went by. If Pharaoh had forgotten them, then he would not have to pay such close attention to them.

Zanak called Joseph in and told him to treat the two prisoners in the normal manner from now on. He left Zanak and went to the kitchen to check on the meals. Zanak was pleased that Joseph had come his way. He did not have to worry about any of the prisoners anymore. Once they were handed over to Joseph, any problems were soon resolved. The prison ran smoothly; Joseph seemed to anticipate and head off problems before they got out of hand. The guards trusted him and usually cooperated with his suggestions.

Joseph still treated the chief butler and chief baker with courtesy, but, did not give them any special privileges. They realised that he was under orders and did not complain to him. They had gotten used to prison life. The contrast between prison, and the privileges they received as Pharaoh's servants, only accentuated their folly in trying to fool Pharaoh. They had plenty of time to bemoan their foolishness. Pharaoh was just as likely to leave them in prison until they died.

They often spoke to each other about the good times they had at Pharaoh's court. They had been in positions of authority and respect; but here they were incarcerated in this prison, the gods only knew for how long. Each man had been at the very top of his respective profession. They cursed themselves for throwing it all away.

The months glided swiftly by, Joseph had gained the respect of the butler Zophek and the baker Zanaken. They often chatted to him; he was cheerful and friendly. Joseph was interested in their tales of life at Pharaoh's court. Each of them had a great store of stories and anecdotes. Joseph would try to picture in his mind's eye, something of the pomp and glory of Pharaoh, and the Egyptian empire. He wondered what it would be like to actually be there. These men had factual, intimate connections with Pharaoh and his Court.

Joseph woke up this particular day, and as usual spent time in prayer to God. After prayer, he felt peaceful and happy. God would help him to resolve any problems that came along. He waited for the guard to come and unlock his cell, then he went down to the kitchen to organise the morning meal. When the meal was under way; he went as usual from cell to cell to check on the prisoners. Everything was normal until he came to the butler and baker. Joseph looked in on them and noticed each had a perplexed, sad expression on his face.

He asked the guard to open the cell so he could speak to them. The butler and the baker heard the cell door being open and looked up. Joseph walked into the cell.

"Why do you look so sad, today?"

Zophek said, "Each of us has dreamed a dream, and there is no one to tell us what they mean."
Joseph looked earnestly at each one and said, "Doesn't the interpretations of dreams belong to God? Please, tell me the dreams."

Chapter Ten \- Dreams in the Night

Zophek and Zanaken could see he was serious about the matter. They looked at each other; neither of them was sure that it was a good idea. Joseph noticed their hesitation and waited expectantly.

Zophek, the butler could see that Joseph was waiting to hear the dreams, so he decided he may as well tell Joseph about his dream. 'Maybe, Joseph can come up with an interpretation.' Zophek gazed into Joseph's eyes to make sure that he was not about to make fun of him. Satisfied, he said "In my dream, I saw a vine and the vine had three branches. Then the vine began to bud and blossoms shot forth. After that clusters of grapes appeared and ripened. When the grapes were ripe, I noticed Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and then I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

Joseph sent a swift, silent prayer to God asking for the interpretation. The butler and baker looked at him carefully. Joseph appeared to be thinking about the dream. Joseph waited on God for a few moments; then the interpretation was given to him.

Joseph said to the butler, "This is the interpretation of it. The three branches are three days and in three days Pharaoh will pardon you. He will make you his chief butler again, and you will serve him wine, just as you used too."

"But when these good things happen, please tell Pharaoh about me, so I can get out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in prison."

Zophek was pleased! The interpretation was favourable. Zanaken, the baker was encouraged by Joseph's interpretation of Zophek's dream.

Zanaken said to Joseph, "I also had a dream. On my head I had three white baskets. In the top basket there were all sorts of pastries and cakes for Pharaoh; then birds came along and ate the pastries and cakes out of the basket on my head."

Joseph again prayed silently. They waited; as the interpretation was given to him.

Joseph gave the baker a grave look and said to him, "This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets are three days, within three days Pharaoh shall hang you and your body shall hang upon a tree and the birds shall eat your flesh."

Zanaken was stunned! He had expected a favourable interpretation. He gave Joseph a fearful look. The atmosphere inside the cell became gloomy. Zanaken hoped that Joseph's interpretation was wrong. Although, he knew in his heart that Pharaoh had been extremely angry with him.

Zophek was quiet; he did not know what to say. Joseph realised that his continued presence would only heighten the gloom; he excused himself and carried on his duties. He did not like being the bearer of such sombre news. His mood was serious that day; however he kept the dreams and the interpretations to himself.

The next day Joseph noticed that the butler and baker were not talking to each other. Each was absorbed in his own thoughts. Joseph did not intrude on their privacy; they had plenty to think about. He knew the events would happen as it was told to him. The knowledge that God knew what would happen in the lives of individuals had struck him forcibly.

Those dreams had not happened by chance. Those men had been given their dreams by God himself! He remembered his own dreams back in the land of Canaan, and what about the dreams of Abraham, his great grandfather, and Jacob his father. God could, and did, speak to men through their dreams.

Today was the third day! Joseph was in a very serious frame of mind.

Zophek and Zanaken woke up, they looked at each other. Each could see the question in the others' eyes. 'Would Joseph's interpretations come true?' They had no need to speak. They waited for their morning meal in silence. Time seemed to pass very slowly, the morning dragged on and on.

Later that day Joseph arrived with the midday meal. They gave him a questioning look. He shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, the day is not over yet.

"Who knows what Pharaoh is thinking?" he said to them.

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Pharaoh woke up that morning in a happy frame of mind. 'Today is my birthday! I feel good! What will I do to celebrate my birthday?' Pharaoh was thoughtful for a few minutes.

'I will give a banquet to all my servants at Court. They can celebrate with me.'

Pharaoh called in Zoken his Chief Steward, and gave the order to prepare a huge banquet for all his servants.

He called in Akentoph, Captain of his armies and told him to make sure that as many soldiers as possible, who could be spared from duty, were to come to the banquet. Pharaoh was feeling pleased with himself, the day was going to be a day to be remembered!

Pharaoh looked around the banqueting hall. He could see the smiling faces of his servants. There was plenty of laughter and merriment. It made him very happy. He took special notice of each Chief Officer and then remembered that he had to replace his Chief Butler and Chief Baker. A frown appeared on his face. He thought about each man for a while and after careful consideration, he decided what he would do to each one.

He sent for Potiphar. Potiphar came immediately. Pharaoh gave him two sets of instructions. He was to bring Zophek to the banquet. Also, he was to take Zanaken, hang him and leave his body on a tree, in public view as a reminder to all Pharaoh's subjects, not to try and deceive Pharaoh.

Potiphar hurried to the prison. He dismounted from his chariot and strode to the main doors. The sentry on guard duty saw him coming and raced to the small side door to let him in. Potiphar walked briskly inside. Zanak was informed that Potiphar had arrived at the prison.

Potiphar said to him, "Pharaoh has ordered that Zophek be taken immediately to the Banqueting Hall in the Palace. Make sure that he is clean; he can dress in better raiment when he reaches the Palace. I want you to make sure that he arrives there as soon as possible. Pharaoh is waiting for him!"

Zanak nodded in agreement. Potiphar continued to speak, "Pharaoh has ordered that Zanaken is to be executed immediately. He is to be hanged and his body is to hang on a tree in public view as a warning to all subjects, not to deceive Pharaoh. I will attend to this matter myself. You will ensure that Oznak takes Zophek to Pharaoh. Is that clear?"

Zanak replied, "Yes, the instructions are clear enough."

Zanak sent immediately for Oznak. Zanak explained Pharaoh's orders to him. Oznak gathered a squad of guards and marched quickly to the prisoners' cell.

All the prisoners wondered what the commotion was all about. It was very unusual for anybody to hurry inside the prison. The duty guard heard the squad coming and was waiting for them. They marched up to the prisoners' cell door. The guard unbolted the door, he swung the door open.

Zophek and Zanaken were startled. They had heard the sound of marching feet, now their door was being unbolted. A squad of guards stood at the door.

A chill ran down their spines!

Oznak ordered half the squad to take Zophek with them and clean him up.

He looked at Zanaken and said, "You are coming with me. Potiphar is waiting for you."

Cold fear gripped Zanaken. Potiphar was Pharaoh's chief executioner. He was marched to Zanak's office. Potiphar inspected the prisoner.

He spoke to him, "Pharaoh has ordered that you are to be hanged and your body hung on a tree in public view as a warning to all his subjects not to try and deceive him."

Zanaken knew that Joseph's interpretation was true! It was actually going to happen to him.

Potiphar watched Zanaken's face, the man was terrified. He spoke to the guards, "Take him away. You will accompany me to hang his body as Pharaoh ordered."

The guards marched the condemned man out into the prison courtyard. His hands and feet were tied. He was thrown roughly into a wagon. The wagon rumbled down the road. Potiphar decided to hang him on a tree, on the approach to Pharaoh's Palace. That would surely get Pharaoh's message across. He scanned the approach to the Palace for the best position. He ordered them to stop the wagon.

"That palm tree just ahead will be the perfect. Hang him from that tree."

The guards took the condemned man, then put a rope around his neck, threw the rope over a branch, tied it off and drove the wagon out from under his body. It was a grisly sight. Potiphar was satisfied that Pharaoh would be pleased with his choice of location. He ordered the guards to return to the prison. Potiphar hurried back to the Palace.

Meanwhile, Oznak moved briskly, Pharaoh was waiting for his former Chief Butler. The guards quickly stripped Zophek and he washed himself. Zanak ordered them to hurry up. He sent a guard for a fresh robe for the butler. The guard raced away, he returned promptly with a fresh robe. Zophek dressed quickly, he had caught the sense of urgency and knew from experience; it was not good to keep Pharaoh waiting.

Oznak ordered them to take Zophek to Zanak's chariot. Oznak returned to Zanak and reported that the prisoner was ready. Zanak told him to go immediately to Pharaoh's Palace. Oznak hurried out to the chariot. He ordered one of his men to hold the prisoner in the chariot. Oznak mounted the chariot and then drove furiously out of the prison towards the Palace.

Pharaoh was enjoying his banquet; he knew that Potiphar would attend promptly to the two matters he had given him. Pharaoh relaxed, this was a fine banquet. His servants were enjoying themselves. It was good to share his birthday with them in this way. The cooks and bakers had done a superb job with the food. For once, they would also be able to partake of their efforts. The dancing girls were appreciated by all, the musicians were playing magnificently. The comedians and jugglers were at their best. Pharaoh was a happy man! This banquet would be long remembered by all concerned.

Oznak was nearing the Palace, people scattered quickly out of his way. His errand was obviously urgent. Chariots were not usually driven at breakneck speed through the city streets. No one was going to argue with one of Pharaoh's army captains. The Palace gates came into view. Oznak slowed the chariot; he greeted the sentries on duty. They were expecting him; they directed him to a doorway. Oznak stopped the chariot. They all dismounted quickly. A squad of soldiers formed a guard around them. Oznak ordered them to take them immediately to Pharaoh.

A courtier intercepted them and redirected them to a room to dress the prisoner appropriately for his audience with Pharaoh.

When the prisoner was dressed, the courtier ordered them to follow him. The courtier approached Pharaoh, bowed deeply and told him that Oznak had arrived with Zophek. Pharaoh ordered him to show the men in immediately. Pharaoh looked expectantly at the entrance. He did not have to wait long.

Pharaoh ordered the musicians to stop playing.

Everyone looked at Pharaoh!

All eyes turned to the entrance. Oznak marched the prisoner up to Pharaoh. Pharaoh took a long, hard look at his former Chief Butler; then he spoke, "Zophek, I hope that your time in prison has taught you a valuable lesson. Do not ever try to deceive me again. I have decided to restore you to your old position as Chief Butler. You can begin at once."

Zophek could hardly believe his ears. Pharaoh had restored him. He prostrated himself on the floor, in gratitude to Pharaoh. Pharaoh was pleased! 'I should not have any further problems with Zophek.'

He signalled to the musicians to commence playing. The feasting carried on again. Zophek was pleased to see his friends again, and he entered heartily into the banqueting. Surely he had reason for rejoicing!

Potiphar slowed his chariot; he was nearly at the Palace entrance. He greeted the sentries on duty and drove his chariot to the barracks. Potiphar hurried into the Palace to report to Pharaoh. Pharaoh noticed him coming in and motioned to him to come to him.

"Well, Potiphar, have you carried out the execution?"

"Yes, Pharaoh; the body is hanging on a tree on the approach to the Palace. All your subjects will know that you have ordered it."

"Excellent! When they learn the reason for the hanging, I am sure that they will think before they ever try to deceive me. You have done well, today. I will not forget it. You may rejoin the banqueting."

Potiphar was pleased to rejoin the festivities. The visit to the prison had reawakened the treachery of his slave, Joseph. 'He can rot in the prison.'

Joseph returned from the prison kitchen, there was a lot of excited talk going on. He asked one of the guards, what was happening. The guard told him Pharaoh had ordered that Zanaken was to be hanged and that Zophek was to be brought to him immediately. Joseph listened with rapt attention. 'The dreams had come true!' He hoped that Zophek would mention him to Pharaoh. Joseph was filled with reverential awe for his God. 'What knowledge! What power!'

Zophek was very glad to be back in his old position. He consciously avoided thinking about his time in prison. As a result, he soon forgot what Joseph had done for him. Pharaoh was not interested in what had happened to him in prison. Zophek did not even bring the subject up in his presence. He went about his duties a much wiser, thoughtful man.

'Never again will I put myself in such a position.' He often remembered what had happened to Zanaken. It created quite a stir in Zoan. People were a lot more respectful to Pharaoh, after they saw the body hanging at the approach to the Palace.

Chapter Eleven - Forgotten

Joseph passed through days of eager anticipation. He felt sure that Zophek would mention him to Pharaoh; after all, Zophek was in a position where he could speak to Pharaoh without having to have an audience.

A month had passed since Zophek left the prison. Joseph was becoming a bit despondent; he did not show it to others. It looked like Zophek had forgotten him. Joseph was grieved about it. It had seemed like an excellent opportunity to get out of this prison. 'Will I be stuck here for the rest of my days? Perhaps, he will still remember me. Perhaps, he has not had an opportunity to speak to Pharaoh about me.' Joseph continued to pray that God would work through Zophek and get him out of the prison.

The months slipped slowly around, Joseph continued in his normal prison routines. He appeared cheerful and bright to others, but, in his heart he was grieved. 'Zophek has forgotten me!' Joseph was certain that he had forgotten him; otherwise some sort of action would have occurred by now. Joseph found this a hard burden to carry. It was affecting his prayer life and his mental outlook.

'Why does God allow these situations in my life? Why does God leave me in this prison? Will I ever see my family again?'Joseph's inward thoughts were getting a negative bias. He was beginning to think about himself rather than others.

This gradual change in his thinking was noticeable. Zanak noticed that Joseph was becoming more introspective. He still did an excellent job, but, the zeal had gone out of him. The guards also noticed that Joseph did not seem to be as cheerful as usual. They wondered what was wrong with him.

Joseph was not aware that others noticed a difference in him. He continued to pray, but, it seemed futile. He was finding this trial hard to bear. Until now, he had seen some sort of purpose in his life. Now it all seemed so useless. 'First, my brothers sold me as a slave; however, I was happy serving Master Potiphar until Mistress Esna tried to seduce me. Then I was thrown into prison, which was bearable until Zophek forgot me.'

Sometimes, he wondered whether it was really any use praying. Lately it did not seem to be doing much good. 'God does not seem to be paying any attention to my prayers.' Joseph was downhearted, and yet he could not resign himself to spending the rest of his days in prison. Joseph was unaware that he was fighting a battle with himself. The battle was only in the early stages. Joseph had no way of knowing what the future held for him.

'Why? God, why? Why do I have to go through all these terrible situations? All I ever wanted was to be with Father and with Benjamin. I will probably never see them again. Why have you allowed this separation? Why must I stay in this Egyptian prison? If you really care about me, why don't you rescue me from this place? Life was so simple, at home as a lad helping Father.'

Memories of home were painful; for Joseph was a long way from Canaan. It seemed a lifetime ago. Prison life became dull and dreary. Joseph found that the days dragged. He was glad to go to bed at night and sleep. He found some solace in sleep. His faith was taking a battering.

Joseph found the days harder to bear than the nights. At night, he slept and was able to erase the things that caused him anguish. Joseph was beginning to find that little things that were wrong, or, went wrong, irritated him. He found that he was getting annoyed with himself. Deep down, he knew that he was the cause of it all. However, he was not even sure that he could be bothered sorting himself out.

His mental attitude changed. He was no longer as strong in his faith, and others noticed this difference in him. They could not work out what had caused the change in his outlook. They hoped Joseph would sort the problem out; whatever it was, it was deep seated.

The days came and went, one dreary day after another. Joseph had fallen into a negative thought pattern. His old optimism was replaced with a questioning attitude. His thinking became clouded, he was no longer sure of his decisions. He kept thinking to himself, 'Is there a better way to do the job?' Self doubts began to creep into his thoughts.

In his heart he knew that the problems were occurring because he had lost confidence in God. Joseph often faced up to the problem, but, he could not see why God left him in this prison. This test of Joseph's faith was a sore trial. He had always had a lot of faith in God. That fact made the situation unbearable at times. 'Why does God leave me in prison when I am innocent?'

Some days, life did not seem so bad, but, there were days when he was despondent. It was very hard to get through his jobs on those days. He would become silent not wanting to talk to anybody. Other days he would almost seem like his old self. He would be bright and cheerful; however, these days were the exception rather than the rule.

Zanak and the guards wondered at the change in Joseph. The other prisoners noticed he had become more withdrawn. Zanak called Joseph in to have a chat.

"Joseph, what is wrong with you? You have become moody and seem to have lost confidence in yourself."

'Is it that noticeable? What will I say to Zanak?'

He looked at Zanak and said, "Zanak, when I first came here, I told you that I was innocent of the charges against me. You laughed at me. I am innocent, and being in this prison knowing I am innocent is getting me down."

Zanak looked at Joseph. He could understand why Joseph was so down.

"Joseph, whether you are innocent, or, guilty is not my concern. Potiphar put you in prison and my instructions are not to release you until he gives the order."

Joseph stared at Zanak. 'Master Potiphar will probably never give the order to release me.' Zanak waited for Joseph's reaction. Joseph's face registered concern and resignation.

Zanak spoke again, "Joseph, you are fortunate to be alive! Potiphar could have killed you on the spot. Any other master would have killed you without any compunction at all. You will have to face up to the fact that you may never get out of here. You have worked hard and you are now better off that any of the other prisoners. I cannot do any more than I have already done for you."

Joseph let Zanak's words sink in. He made a lot of sense. Zanak could see that Joseph was thinking about what he had said to him.

Zanak said to Joseph, "Joseph, I need you to help me with this prison, however, of late, you have not been as efficient as usual. We both know that you are capable of better things. Now, I want you to go to your cell; and have a long think about what I have said, and what you are going to do about it."

Joseph said, "Thank you, for your advice Zanak I promise you that I will think about your words."

Zanak dismissed Joseph. Joseph walked back to his cell and sat on his mat. He went back over Zanak's words. He analysed his reactions to them. Zanak had given him a jolt when he had told him that his work was slipping. He had not realised that his attitude had such an adverse effect on his work.

Joseph had always tried to do his best in his work. He did not like being told it was now second rate. He knew that it was because he was rebelling against God. He did not want to be in prison. 'Why must I endure this? What can I do about it?'Joseph's thoughts went back to the Chief Butler, Zophek and the Chief Baker, Zanaken. He had not forgiven Zophek for forgetting him; that had started the negative thoughts.

'Maybe, he did not forget me. Perhaps, he has told Pharaoh and Pharaoh has not done anything about it. If that is the reason, I am holding a grudge for nothing.' Joseph conceded that he could be wrong about the matter. 'I will have to give Zophek the benefit of the doubt.'

Joseph then thought about their dreams; and how they had come to pass, exactly according to the interpretation. 'God knew exactly what would happen to each of them and surely he knows what will happen to me. What about my dreams when I was back in Canaan? God must surely bring them to pass.'

Joseph was thinking positively. 'If God is to fulfil those dreams, then somehow, some time, He will get me out of this prison.' Joseph was feeling better, his attitude was changing. 'Maybe, I am meant to be in this prison for some time yet. God is in control of all things. He has a reason for keeping me here.'

Joseph turned his eyes towards the heavens and prayed fervently, pouring out his anguish of soul, and asking forgiveness for ever doubting the goodness of God. He also forgave Zophek and sought God's restoring power. A deep sense of peace and well-being flooded into his soul. Joseph felt free in his soul; he got up from his mat and felt at peace with himself, and with the world. He called the guard.

The duty guard found Zanak and told him that Joseph wanted to see him. Zanak told the guard to bring Joseph to him. Zanak could see from the expression on Joseph's face that something had happened to him.

"Zanak I have thought about your talk and I have decided that my attitude was wrong. I have asked God for forgiveness and He has given it to me. Someday, He will take me out of this prison. Until then, I will serve you as best as I can."

Zanak was impressed! Joseph had not only managed a complete turnaround, but, he seemed to possess an air of victory which he did not have before. Power seemed to radiate from him!

Joseph turned and walked out of Zanak's office. Zanak stared after him. He was very thoughtful. 'This God, that Joseph worships, must be quite a God!' Zanak went back to his duties, amazed at the sudden change in Joseph.

Joseph went about his duties with a song in his heart. Everybody noticed the radical change, the old Joseph was back. His new found cheerfulness and zest for life was an inspiration for others. Whatever had been making Joseph despondent was gone, and how! The months drifted by, Joseph was still at peace, and nothing could shake his faith now. He had been tried in the fiery furnace of faith and he had endured it.

Iron had entered into his soul!

No longer would he doubt God. 'It is only a matter of time and I will be out of this prison.' Each day he was happy and relaxed. He seemed to be continually in the presence of his God. Others noticed his joy and peace of heart.

They envied him! It did a man's spirit good to be in his presence. Joseph, however, did not notice the effect on others. His mind was full of the goodness of God.

Chapter Twelve \- Pharaoh's Dreams

Two full years had passed since Pharaoh's birthday banquet. Pharaoh went to bed as usual; as he slept he began to dream. In his dream, he stood on the bank of the River Nile. As he gazed at the river, seven fat, well bred cattle came up out of the water and began to feed along the riverbank. As he watched this peaceful sight, a commotion in the water attracted his attention. Turning around, he saw seven malnourished, thin cattle. They came up out of the water and stood near the seven fat cattle. Suddenly, the seven thin cattle began to eat the seven fat cattle. As he watched in horror, the seven thin cattle ate up the seven fat cattle.

Pharaoh woke up startled! The dream was so vivid! For a while he could not get it out of his mind. Finally, he drifted off to sleep. He began to dream again; in his dream he saw seven full heads of grain growing on one stalk. The full heads were large and good. As he looked at this sight, another stalk began to grow behind the first stalk. This stalk also had seven full heads of grain, but, they were thin and parched looking. The hot, east wind had withered them. As he watched, the seven thin full heads of grain devoured the seven fat full heads of grain.

Again, Pharaoh woke up suddenly! He was also troubled by this second dream.' What is the meaning of these dreams?' Pharaoh tossed and turned all night. His sleep was fitful and disjointed. He woke up early. The two dreams were bothering him. He was sure that they held some sort of dreadful meaning. His thoughts were troubled as he ate his meal.

As soon as he arrived at Court, he called for his magicians and wise men. They all filed in and stood before his Throne. Pharaoh told them his two dreams and demanded an explanation from them. The magicians listened carefully, but, they were unable to make any sense out of the dreams. They told Pharaoh that they would go away and seek the interpretation from their gods, then report back to him. He agreed with them and dismissed them.

Pharaoh turned to his wise men and asked them if they could work out what the dreams meant. The wise men asked Pharaoh for a short time to discuss the dreams among themselves. Pharaoh agreed; he was anxious to have an answer. The wise men adjourned to a side room and discussed the matter back and forth. Obviously the symbols in the dreams stood for food; but, they were unable to work out any likely interpretation. Why the thin cattle ate the fat cattle; and why the thin full heads of grain ate the fat full heads of grain, left them all baffled. They could offer no explanation for such remarkable incidents.

They returned to Pharaoh and admitted the dreams had them all baffled. Pharaoh was disappointed! The magicians and soothsayers returned soon after. They told Pharaoh that all their enchantments and soothsaying's did not offer any solutions for the dreams.

Pharaoh was dejected! His magicians and wise men could not interpret his dreams. He sat dejectedly on his throne.

Zophek, the Chief Butler observed what was happening. His memory began to function. He thought of his dream in prison and Zanaken's dream; how Joseph was able to tell them exactly what they meant. He could hardly contain his excitement! 'Joseph will be able to give Pharaoh an answer!'

Zophek approached Pharaoh, as he walked he could not help noticing the defeated attitude of Pharaoh's wise men and magicians. He stood before Pharaoh. Pharaoh looked at him and saw the excited look on Zophek's face. Zophek spoke in front of everybody.

"Pharaoh, today, I remember my faults. Pharaoh was extremely angry with his servants and you put me and Zanaken in prison."

Pharaoh remembered the incident. He sat up and waited for Zophek to continue.

"Zanaken and I had separate dreams on the same night. We could not understand the meaning of the dreams. In the prison with us was a young man, a Hebrew. He was Zanak's servant. We told him our dreams and he explained them to us. He explained to each man his own dream and it happened according to his explanation. Within three days he restored me to my position and Zanaken he hanged!"

Pharaoh sat astonished! This Hebrew servant had interpreted their dreams before he, Pharaoh, had even made up his mind what to do! He well remembered his deliberations on his birthday. 'What sort of man had that sort of power?'Pharaoh and his entire Court listened in wonder as Zophek told his story. No one present could deny that Pharaoh had ordered events just as they occurred in the dreams.

Pharaoh thanked Zophek for his wisdom in telling him the story. He ordered that Joseph be brought to him. "Bring the Hebrew servant to me immediately!"

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Joseph woke up that morning feeling refreshed, he spent time in prayer. Shortly after, the guard came and opened his cell door. Joseph went to wash himself, then he went to the kitchen to organise the prisoners' meals. He was happy, he felt good inside and at peace with the world.

He supervised the meal preparations; then went to check on the prisoners. After his round, he returned to the kitchen for his own meal. Then he took one of the trustworthy prisoners and they accompanied the guards to hand out the meals. Mealtime over, Joseph supervised the washing of the eating utensils. Next he reported to Zanak for any special instructions for the day. Zanak greeted Joseph warmly and told him that he had nothing special for him to do that day. Joseph went about his normal duties.

About mid morning, the sentries on the gate noticed two chariots racing up to the main gates. They could see by the insignias on the chariots; that they belonged to Pharaoh's personal guards. This was highly unusual! Immediately, they sent for Zanak who hurried down to the entrance. As he arrived the chariots pulled up in a great swirl of dust. Ontis, the captain of Pharaoh's personal bodyguards, demanded to see Zanak. Zanak gave the order to open the main gates. The gate swung open and the chariots drove in.

Ontis said, "Where is the Hebrew prisoner? Pharaoh demands his immediate presence!"

Zanak gave instructions to run and get Joseph ready to go to Pharaoh. Oznak took some guards and ran to find Joseph. Joseph was walking along a corridor; he heard the sound of men running. He wondered what the problem was.

Oznak shouted to him, "Joseph, Pharaoh has demanded to see you immediately. Quick, you must change your prison garments and shave your beard."

They grabbed him and made him run with them. Ontis was waiting for him. Joseph sensed the urgency, but, was mystified as to why Pharaoh would want to see him. Ontis said to them, "Hurry up with the prisoner, Pharaoh is waiting."

Joseph was hurried into an adjoining room. A change of clothes was waiting for him. A bowl of water and a knife to shave his beard was ready. He quickly began to cut off his beard. One of the guards finished the shave. Joseph changed quickly. Ontis ordered his men to run with Joseph to the chariots.

Ontis, ordered Joseph to mount his own chariot. Joseph quickly stepped up into the chariot. Ontis and his men mounted their chariots; Zanak gave the order to open the gates and they sped out of the prison and headed for the Palace.

Joseph turned and looked back at the prison. He could hardly believe that he was outside! He had to cling hard to the chariot. The horses were being driven at a furious pace. As they neared the city; people quickly moved out of the way. They raced towards the Palace.

Ontis was tense, Pharaoh would be getting impatient. The chariots raced up to the Palace entrance, everyone was waiting. A courtier rushed up to meet them. He glanced quickly at Joseph. There was no time to change into better garments, Pharaoh wanted to see him immediately. They ran with Joseph to the Throne room. The courtier halted them at the entrance. He walked quickly inside and went directly to Pharaoh.

"My lord Pharaoh, the Hebrew prisoner has arrived." Pharaoh breathed a sigh of relief. 'Maybe, now I will get an answer to my dreams.'

"Bring him to me at once".

The courtier hurried away. He signalled to Ontis to take the prisoner to Pharaoh. Joseph was marched up to Pharaoh. As Joseph walked he could not help noticing the magnificence of the Throne room. Joseph looked at the most powerful monarch in the world, and wondered what Pharaoh could possibly want him for.

Pharaoh looked intently at the young Hebrew. He noted his bearing and his steady, unflinching gaze. Joseph was forced to prostrate himself before Pharaoh. Pharaoh sat upon his throne, surrounded with all the opulent luxury and splendour of his Court.

Joseph was impressed and awed at so much luxury and power.

Pharaoh dispensed with his usual protocol. He studied Joseph intently. The room was silent; all eyes were on Pharaoh and the Hebrew prisoner. Pharaoh could sense that there was something different about this Hebrew.

He spoke, "I had a dream, and nobody can explain it. I have heard about you; that you can understand a dream and explain it."

Joseph was relieved, so this is what it is all about. Joseph smiled at Pharaoh and said, "I can't do it myself, but God can give Pharaoh a good meaning to your dreams."

Pharaoh gazed intently at Joseph, Joseph look steadily back at him. Pharaoh was encouraged to tell him his dreams.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream, I stood on the riverbank. As I looked at the river, seven fat, well bred cattle came up out of the river and fed at the water's edge. Then, seven, thin, malnourished cattle; I have never seen such terrible looking cattle anywhere in Egypt, came up out of the river and ate the seven fat cattle. Afterwards, you could not even tell that they had eaten the fat cattle. They still looked thin and terrible."

"Then I woke up. I went back to sleep and dreamed again. This time, seven full heads of grain came up on one stalk, they were big and fat; as I looked another stalk grew behind the first. It also had seven full heads of grain on one stalk, but, they were thin and parched looking. They had been blasted with the east wind. Then, the seven thin full heads of grain devoured the fat full heads of grain."

Pharaoh paused for a moment, "I told the dreams to the magicians and wise men, but none of them could tell me the meaning."

Meanwhile as Pharaoh told his story, Joseph was praying silently for an explanation.

Pharaoh finished speaking and looked at Joseph. Joseph appeared to be thinking about the dreams. Everybody was hushed and tense.

All eyes were on Joseph!

Joseph waited silently on God; then the interpretation was given to him. Joseph looked into Pharaoh's eyes and spoke, "Pharaoh's two dreams are one dream. God, has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cattle are seven years."

"The seven cattle that came up after them are also seven years. The seven parched full heads of grain, blasted with the east wind are seven years of famine. What God is about to do, He is showing to Pharaoh."

"Seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt. After that seven years of severe famine will come. And the great abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. For the famine will be very severe. And God has given the dream to Pharaoh, twice, because He has established it, and God will shortly bring it to pass."

Joseph paused to let the interpretation sink in.

Pharaoh was staring at him in awe. The interpretation made sense! No wonder he had woken up in dread, that something awful would happen. He looked intently at Joseph. Joseph with his keen mind could see a way out of Pharaoh's dilemma.

Joseph spoke again, "Pharaoh should seek out a wise and discreet man, and set him over the land of Egypt; and let him appoint officers over the land, to take a fifth part of the harvests in the seven good years. Let them gather this food during the good years that will come; and store the grain in the cities, under Pharaoh's authority. That food will be stored for use in the seven years of famine, which will come in the land of Egypt, so that the people will not perish in the famine."

Pharaoh was amazed at Joseph's wise plan; his advice was excellent. Pharaoh looked around his Court. Everyone was nodding their head in agreement. Joseph's interpretation made sense, and his counsel was sound.

Pharaoh said unto all his servants in the Throne room, "Can we find such a man as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?"

His servants shook their heads, none of the wise men of Egypt, or, the magicians had been able to interpret the dreams; or, give Pharaoh any advice on them.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since, God has shown you all this, there is no one as wise and discreet as you are. You shall rule over Egypt; according to your words shall all my people be ruled. No one shall be over you except me."

Joseph stood speechless! Surely, he had not heard correctly. Pharaoh wanted to set him over the land of Egypt! Pharaoh could see Joseph's reaction. The Hebrew obviously, could not believe this was happening to him.

Pharaoh spoke again, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

To confirm it Pharaoh took the Royal ring off his finger and put it on Joseph's hand. He ordered Royal garments to be brought and put on Joseph. Pharaoh also took a gold chain and put it around Joseph's neck.

Chapter Thirteen - In Pharaoh's Presence

Pharaoh was pleased with his decision to make Joseph his Grand Vizier. He ordered Ontis to bring the second Royal chariot to the Palace. He told Joseph to ride in the chariot around Zoan, so that the people would know that there was a new ruler in Egypt. As the chariot moved slowly around Zoan, the soldiers cried out before Joseph, "Bow the knee!"

The people of Zoan quickly bowed their knees. The big question on each person's lips was "Who is this new ruler?" The reply was, "The new Grand Vizier of Egypt, Pharaoh has made him ruler over all of Egypt."

The news spread like wildfire. There was a great buzz of excitement around Zoan. Pharaoh has appointed a Grand Vizier to rule under himself. "What is he like? What sort of ruler will he be?" Questions and speculations flew around the capital. The populace was intrigued. What fascinating news!

Joseph stood in the chariot and watched the people bowing down to him. He felt as though he was in a dream. 'Can all this be true?' He smiled at the people, a warm genuine smile. The people sensed his warmth and many smiled back. Joseph was still astonished, only this morning he had woken up in his prison cell. Now he was riding in Pharaoh's chariot and the people were bowing down to him. He had gone from one extreme to the other! From prison to the Palace!

As the news spread, people ran from all over the city to catch a glimpse of the new ruler. Crowds thronged the sides of the road; the soldiers had to clear a pathway for the chariot. Joseph continued to smile at the people. The realisation that Pharaoh had appointed him to rule over his people was sinking in. The chariot pulled up before the Palace. Joseph stepped down and was escorted back to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to him, "I am Pharaoh, and without you no man will lift up his hand or foot, in all the land of Egypt."

The reality of it all struck Joseph forcibly. Pharaoh expected him to rule his huge empire for him. Joseph had a sudden impression of the enormity of the task.

Pharaoh felt good, he had a feeling that his new Grand Vizier would be a definite asset to the land of Egypt. Pharaoh called Zophek over. Joseph was pleased to see him. They smiled at each other. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Zophek told me about your ability to explain dreams. What convinced me was you told him what was about to happen, before I had even made up my mind, three days later."

Zophek bowed to Pharaoh, "I knew he could explain your dreams for you. It's good that you have rewarded him."

Pharaoh dismissed Zophek and spoke to Joseph, "Tonight, you will sleep here in the Palace. I will arrange to have a suite of your own built. In the intervening period, you will stay with me."

Joseph was waited on hand and foot, he was assigned his own servants. He also had a full retinue of soldiers at his disposal. The rest of the day was taken up with introductions to Pharaoh's princes and nobles. Pharaoh was keen to show off his new Grand Vizier. The princes and nobles had been in the Throne room when Joseph had interpreted the dreams. They were anxious to meet him and cultivate his favour. Joseph endeavoured to remember all their names, but, he knew it would take a little time.

Time was on his side; his new chief butler Okan would prompt him if he ran into difficulties.

Joseph found it hard to get used to being waited on. For so many years he had had to wait on others; he felt a trifle guilty that others had to wait on him. Practically, everything was done for him. When Joseph retired for the night it was in a sumptuous bedroom fit for a king. He could not help thanking and praising God for such an unexpected answer to his prayers.

Joseph realised that God had put him in this position for His glory and not for Joseph's sake. He was well aware that he would need God's help to govern Egypt for Pharaoh. Joseph spent a long time praying before he went to bed.

Next morning Joseph was up bright and early as usual. He was advised that Pharaoh and his family got out of bed a lot later in the day. Joseph asked Okan to show him around the Palace. Okan escorted Joseph from room to room; except for Pharaoh's private suites. Joseph was impressed and awed at the size of the Palace and the workmanship that had gone into it. Okan led him back to his own suite and asked if he wanted to eat. Joseph replied, "I will have something to eat now, I am used to eating early in the day."

Okan went away to arrange the meal. Joseph sat and reflected on the great task ahead of him. He had to set up storage systems that would be sufficient to see Egypt through the years of famine. 'I'll need to see the whole land for myself; otherwise, I will not be able to assess Egypt's needs.' He pondered over the massive organisation that would have to be set up to handle and distribute the grain.

Okan returned with servants carrying an abundance of food. Joseph was asked to take his pick. He selected the food he wanted and the remainder was taken away.

Pharaoh was pleased Joseph was an early riser; it was good to see that his Grand Vizier was on the job early. Pharaoh called Joseph into the anti-chamber of his private suite. Joseph went in to greet Pharaoh; he bowed his knee to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh spoke to him, "I have decided to call you, Zaphnath-Paaneah, which means 'Revealer of Secrets'. This is the official name which you will be known by." he paused for emphasis.

"I have been thinking about you and I have decided that you need a wife to help you in your duties. I will choose a fine wife for you. When I have decided on the right woman for you, I will bring her to you."

Pharaoh was happy! He would make sure that Zaphnath-Paaneah would have a wife fit for a king.

Joseph looked at Pharaoh; had he heard correctly? 'Pharaoh wants to give me a wife.' Joseph could hardly believe his ears. All these long years in Egypt, he had not thought about marriage. 'How can a slave possibly think about getting married?'

He spoke to Pharaoh, "Thank you, my lord. I do not deserve such a wonderful consideration from you."

Pharaoh replied, "I will see to it that you get a wife, that is worthy of your station in life. Enough of this talk you have many important people to meet, today."

Pharaoh and Joseph walked together to the Throne room; to start their duties for the day.

During the course of the day Pharaoh introduced Queen Nefterin to Joseph. Pharaoh had already discussed with Nefterin likely candidates for a wife for Zaphnath-Paaneah. They brought the list down to three young maidens of noble birth.

Queen Nefterin studied Zaphnath-Paaneah. With her womanly intuition she knew which of the women would best suit Zaphnath-Paaneah. She took an instant liking to Pharaoh's new Grand Vizier. She was sure that she would get on well with him. He was very courteous and discreet, and he was such a happy individual. His face lighted up when he smiled. The introduction over; Queen Nefterin left the Throne room accompanied by her maidens.

That night Pharaoh and Nefterin discussed their short list. Nefterin told Pharaoh she believed that Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah; the priest of On would be the best choice. Both of them knew her family, she came from a line of priests that went back many centuries.The more they talked about her, the more they were convinced that she was the right choice for Zaphnath-Paaneah. Asenath was a beautiful young woman. She was bright and intelligent. She was also endowed with a warm personality, had a good sense of humour and was compassionate in her dealings with others.

Pharaoh spoke, "Tomorrow, I will have Potipherah called in for a private audience."

Fortunately, Potipherah was in Zoan for a Temple Feast Day. Next day, an officer of Pharaoh's guards called at the Temple of the Sun God to bring Potipherah to Pharaoh. Potipherah wondered, 'What does Pharaoh want with me?'

Potipherah was escorted into Pharaoh's private audience chamber. Pharaoh was seated on a small throne; no one else was in the room. Guards were standing at the doorway.

"Come to me Potipherah."

Potipherah walked to Pharaoh and bowed in obeisance. Pharaoh spoke, "Potipherah, I have called you in today to discuss an important matter. I want you to give me your daughter Asenath as wife, for Zaphnath-Paaneah, my new Grand Vizier."

Potipherah was surprised! Never in all his born days would he have thought that was what Pharaoh wanted to see him for.

Pharaoh continued, "Asenath is on my short list of candidates. Both myself and Queen Nefterin have decided that she is the best choice of all the young women of noble birth."

Potipherah, thought carefully for a few moments. 'This is a great honour; my family will be elevated in rank. My daughter will be married to the second most powerful man in Egypt. Surely, this will be a blessing to the whole family.' He spoke to Pharaoh, "My lord, Pharaoh this is a great honour for me. It will be a great privilege to allow Asenath to marry Zaphnath-Paaneah."

"Bring Asenath here tomorrow about mid morning. I want Asenath and Zaphnath-Paaneah to meet."

Potipherah agreed to bring Asenath to the Palace tomorrow. He was then escorted back to the Temple. The other priests were intrigued. "Why did Pharaoh want to see you Potipherah?"

Potipherah told them, "I cannot tell you at this stage, however, I will be able to tell you soon."

Potipherah hurried home to tell his wife Asenaken. Asenaken was as surprised as Potipherah had been. She was thrilled!

"Our daughter Asenath is to be married to the Grand Vizier! What a great honour for our family. We will be looked up to throughout Egypt."

Potipherah called Asenath in to tell her the exciting news. "Asenath, today Pharaoh called me to the Palace for a private audience." Asenath could see the excitement on her father's face. "Pharaoh is seeking a wife for the new Grand Vizier and your name was on his short list."

Asenath's heart skipped a beat! "What did you say, Father?" Potipherah told her again. She was astounded!

Potipherah continued, "Now comes the best part. Pharaoh and Queen Nefterin have chosen you to be the wife of the Grand Vizier. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to the Palace to meet the new Grand Vizier."

Asenath was speechless! 'Pharaoh has chosen me to be the wife of the new Grand Vizier. What an incredible honour!' She gradually calmed herself and was able to speak to her father.

"Father, this is a great honour for me and for our family. I do not know what the Grand Vizier is like, but, I will do my best to be a good wife and to uphold the family honour."

Potipherah and Asenaken were very pleased. They were wondering if Asenath would accept Pharaoh's decision in the right spirit. They were glad that she was not going to rebel. Asenaken spoke to her, "Come along Asenath, we have to start preparing you for your visit to the Palace."

The two women walked out of the room and went to Asenath's bedroom. Their maidens followed them. Asenath was excited her thoughts were whirling around in her head. 'What is the Grand Vizier like? Is he old? Is he young and handsome? I guess he will be an older man. I hope that I will like him. No one knows much about him. Will I be able to love him? Will I be able to fulfil the duties required of such a high personage?'

Asenaken broke her thought pattern, by saying, "Asenath, stop dreaming, we have to select the most appropriate clothes for your audience with Pharaoh."

Asenath was brought back to reality; tomorrow she would face Pharaoh. 'I must concentrate on getting ready for that, and take one step at a time. If the audience with Pharaoh is unfavourable, Pharaoh might change his mind.' Asenath's maidens got out her favourite garments and jewellery. Asenaken and Asenath began a slow, careful process of selecting the best garments to wear.

Potipherah was elated! 'I will soon become the father-in-law of the Grand Vizier of Egypt. I will become a very important person in Egypt. People will look up to me and seek my favours. A word in my son-in-law's ear could be to their advantage. The other priests will treat me with more respect. Yes, this marriage will bring many advantages to my family. It is a rare privilege to have a private audience with Pharaoh, tomorrow I will have another one. I hope that Asenath will give a favourable impression. I am sure she will. She will make the Grand Vizier a good dutiful wife.'

Pharaoh woke and arose earlier than usual. He had a feeling that today would be a great day. After breakfast, he sent for Joseph. Pharaoh waited for Joseph in the anti-chamber of his private suite.

Joseph wondered why Pharaoh wanted him so early. He promptly went to see Pharaoh. Joseph bowed down. Pharaoh had a big smile on his face. "Joseph, today I want you to meet your future wife. Her father is bringing her in later this morning for an audience with me. When that is over, I will send for you. Stay in the Palace, this morning."

Joseph was excited and a bit nervous. Pharaoh watched his reaction and was pleased. He was sure that Asenath was the right choice for him. Pharaoh dismissed him. Joseph had not expected Pharaoh to act so quickly. He found it hard to concentrate.

'I wonder what she will be like. I am sure that Pharaoh will pick a good wife for me.' He was a bit apprehensive; he did not know how he would react when he saw her for the first time.

Pharaoh sent a palanquin and a squad of soldiers to convey them to the Palace. Potipherah and Asenath rode in the palanquin. A small retinue of servants also went with them to the Palace. It would not do to keep Pharaoh waiting. Their arrival was announced to Pharaoh. Pharaoh's courtier escorted them to a waiting room near the private audience chamber. They sat and waited for Pharaoh. Asenath was nervous; her maidens spoke encouraging words to her.

Potipherah was also a little bit nervous, but not for himself. He hoped that Asenath would make a favourable impression on Pharaoh. Pharaoh finished the business at hand and went to his private audience chamber.

He sent for Potipherah and Asenath; their servants were told to stay in the waiting room. Asenath took her father's arm and walked gracefully into Pharaoh's presence. Pharaoh was impressed! Asenath walked gracefully and calmly towards him. Her bearing and composure was so dignified. She looked strikingly beautiful! Pharaoh was very pleased!

They stopped in front of the Throne and bowed to Pharaoh. Pharaoh spoke to Potipherah, "Potipherah, have you told Asenath why she is here?"

"Yes, lord Pharaoh."

Pharaoh spoke to Asenath, "Asenath, I have chosen you to marry Zaphnath-Paaneah, my new Grand Vizier. I want you to tell me your thoughts on the matter."

Asenath look calmly at Pharaoh and replied, "Lord Pharaoh, I consider it a great honour that you have chosen me for such a high station in life. I cannot see how I qualify for such a high privilege. Nevertheless, I am ready to marry the Grand Vizier for your sake and for the good of Egypt."

Pharaoh was absolutely sure that he had made the right choice. "Asenath, I am pleased to hear you say that. I will ensure that your father is given a dowry fit for a prince."

He spoke to Potipherah, "Potipherah, you and I will discuss the dowry at a later stage, now it is time for Asenath to meet Zaphnath-Paaneah."

Pharaoh signalled to one of his courtiers standing at the entrance to go and get Zaphnath-Paaneah.

Joseph was finding it hard to concentrate; he knew that his future wife was with Pharaoh, right at this moment. He wondered what she would be like. While he was musing, Pharaoh's courtier came and told him that Pharaoh was ready to see him. Joseph walked slowly down to the private audience chamber. He was really nervous, but, did not show it. He waited at the entrance; Pharaoh beckoned him to approach the throne. Joseph walked up to Pharaoh and bowed.

Pharaoh spoke to him, "Zaphnath-Paaneah, I want you to meet your future wife, and her father."

Joseph turned towards them. She was breathtakingly beautiful! He looked into her eyes, their gazes locked. She did not look away. A powerful bond of attraction flowed between them.

Pharaoh and Potipherah looked at each other! They both smiled, the gods were good to them. It was obvious that these young people were attracted to each other.

Joseph smiled at her; a beautiful smile broke out on her face. Joseph was captivated! He felt awed that Pharaoh had chosen such a beautiful young woman to be his wife.

Asenath had looked sideways as the Grand Vizier approached Pharaoh. He seemed young to hold such a high office. She heard Pharaoh speak and then the Grand Vizier turned towards them.

He was handsome and dignified. He looked into her eyes; she felt a sudden attraction to him. She could not look away. Her heart began to beat faster. He was so much more than she had expected! Asenath began to feel happy; when he smiled at her she smiled in return. She had a good feeling that he would be a good husband to her.

Pharaoh broke in on their thoughts, "Zaphnath-Paaneah, this is Asenath and this is her father, Potipherah, priest of the Sun God."

Joseph turned to Potipherah, "Potipherah you do me a great honour, by allowing your daughter to marry me. I will do my best to be a good husband and provider."

Potipherah replied, "On the contrary, Grand Vizier; it is I who am honoured that you will become my son-in-law."

Joseph then turned to Pharaoh, "My lord, your choice is excellent. I feel deep down that Asenath will make me a good wife. I am grateful to you."

Pharaoh smiled approvingly. He just knew that it would be a great day today.

He spoke to them all, "We will make the announcement today." He beckoned to his courtier at the entrance. The courtier was told to proclaim to all of Egypt that the Grand Vizier was betrothed to Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of the Sun God. The courtier hurried out with the good news.

Pharaoh spoke again, "We will adjourn to another room for some refreshments. Queen Nefterin will join us." They followed him to a small room, adjacent to the audience chamber; where Pharaoh had arranged for refreshments to be ready. Pharaoh's servants began to serve them.

Pharaoh turned to Potipherah and said, "When we have finished the refreshments, you and I will go back and discuss the dowry, and the wedding arrangements." Potipherah nodded in agreement. "Zaphnath-Paaneah and Asenath can get to know each other."

Joseph and Asenath kept stealing glances at each other. Each of them was amazed at Pharaoh's choice; they could feel their attraction to each other. Joseph breathed a sigh of relief, Pharaoh and Potipherah had gone back to the audience chamber. Queen Nefterin discreetly retired as well. The servants cleared away the remaining food and utensils and left leaving them alone.

Joseph looked into Asenath's eyes and spoke to her, "Asenath, I feel that you and I will be compatible. I know that I am attracted to you. I will try to be a good husband. I want you to feel comfortable in my presence. Please, tell me how you feel about this marriage. I want us to be honest with each other right from the start."

Asenath looked intently into Joseph's eyes and spoke, "Zaphnath-Paaneah, I am greatly honoured to be chosen as your wife. It is a great honour for me and my father's house. I was expecting the Grand Vizier to be a much older man; and I would have treated the marriage with the respect due to it. I am quite surprised to find that you are a young man. I know that I am attracted to you, I have a feeling deep down that our marriage will be right."

Joseph listened to the soft, melodious, refined voice and felt a surge of affection for her. They smiled at each other. Joseph spoke again, "Asenath, I am glad you feel this way. I was feeling a bit nervous about meeting you. I did not imagine that Pharaoh would choose anyone as special as you."

Asenath felt a thrill run through her body. The Grand Vizier thought that she was somebody special. 'Imagine him being nervous about meeting me, when I have been so nervous about meeting him.' She smiled a warm happy smile and Joseph was enthralled. Impulsively, he reached out his hand and took her hand in his. A sense of closeness enveloped them. They gazed at each other, each intent upon memorising the other's face and form.

Pharaoh and Potipherah concluded their arrangements. Pharaoh sent Potipherah away a very happy man. The dowry had been most generous. Potipherah would become an extremely wealthy man. Potipherah went back to Asenath and Zaphnath-Paaneah.

They were startled and self-conscious when he walked into the room.

He smiled at them. "Zaphnath-Paaneah, Pharaoh has arranged for you and Asenath to marry in thirty days. I am taking her home now and you will not be able to see her again until the wedding takes place."

They looked at each other, thirty days and they would be together always. Potipherah and Asenath took their leave, and Joseph went to see Pharaoh.

Pharaoh had many things to show Joseph in those early days. The wedding arrangements also had to be fitted in. It would be a grand occasion for Egypt; a State wedding. All of Egypt's nobility would be invited. Pharaoh was fitting out a private suite in the Palace for the bride and groom.

Joseph was extremely busy; he had much to learn about the affairs of State. He was a fast learner; Pharaoh was impressed at his retention of information. Soon he would be able to hand everything over to Joseph. He had noticed that Joseph was an expert in handling people. Most were only too pleased to do his bidding.

Joseph continually thanked God for providing him, through Pharaoh, such a beautiful, refined woman for his wife. At night, he would go back over their meeting; savouring, every delightful moment, her face was firmly implanted upon his memory. He dreamed of life with Asenath by his side. Truly the ways of God were wondrous.

Sometimes, he thought of Esna and how he could have ruined his life if he had given in to her. Now, God was showing him that it had been worth keeping himself from her scheming and deceit. 'Asenath has an innate beauty and a much nicer personality.'

Joseph thought long and hard about Potiphar's situation. He remembered it was the lengthy absences away from home that had caused the problems in Potiphar's marriage. If Potiphar had been at home more often Esna would have been happy and contented. Joseph came to a decision.

He called Okan, "Okan, bring Potiphar to me I want to talk to him privately."

Okan returned with Potiphar. Joseph spoke to Okan, "Okan leave us alone to talk. Make sure no one disturbs us." Potiphar was apprehensive. 'Why does Joseph want to see me? Is he after revenge?'

Potiphar bowed to Joseph. "Potiphar, I have called you in to clarify matters between us. I am thankful that you chose not to kill me, but sent me to prison. I can understand why you were angry, but I never gave you cause to doubt me at anytime. Your wife tried to seduce me, not the other way around. The reason she had my robe was because I ran away from her advances. You did not at anytime ask me for my side of the incident."

Potiphar was silent. He digested Joseph's information.

Joseph spoke again, "I have had a long hard think about the situation and this is what I have decided to do." Potiphar looked worried. 'What does Joseph have planned for me?'

"Potiphar this incident would not have occurred if you had more time at home with your wife. I am taking you off assignments that take you away from home continually. You will carry out your normal duties around the Palace and the prison. You will need to address your wife's lies. I sincerely hope that you can sort out your problems."

Potiphar was relieved! "Thank you Grand Vizier. I am most grateful for your clemency in this matter."

Potiphar bowed to Joseph. Joseph spoke again, "Potiphar let this be a lesson to you to find out the facts of a matter before passing judgement. You may go." Potiphar bowed again and went back to his duties.

Joseph was pleased he had made a good decision. His thoughts turned again to Asenath. He was still in awe and wonder that this beautiful woman would soon be his wife.

Chapter Fourteen \- Marriage, Power and Glory

Zoan was agog with excitement! Today, the Grand Vizier was marrying Asenath, daughter of Potipherah, priest of the Sun God. The people were looking forward to it. Pharaoh was in a joyful mood, anyone in the vicinity of the Palace grounds would get free food and wine. Truly, it would be a memorable occasion. The Temple priests had arranged an elaborate ceremony.

Potipherah was exuberant! 'Today the Grand Vizier will become my son-in-law.' Potipherah would officiate in the main part of the wedding ceremony. His two sons Iskanoph and Nophken, also priests, would take part in the ceremony. The other priests were mindful of the importance of this marriage. Potipherah was now a man of considerable influence.

Joseph was nervous, but, very happy; the thirty days had not taken long to come around. 'Soon, I will be married to Asenath. It seems like a dream, except, this is very real.' He carefully checked his private suite with Okan; everything was ready for Asenath. Joseph looked splendid in his wedding garments. He and Okan went to the State room to wait for the ceremony to commence.

The State room was full of nobles and dignitaries from all over Egypt an air of expectancy pervaded the great room. Joseph was escorted to the front of the room. Pharaoh and Queen Nefterin were seated on thrones; Joseph bowed down to them and took his place.

Asenath was excited! She was nervous, but, in control of herself. Asenaken was thrilled that the day had actually come. She supervised Asenath's maidens as they prepared her for the wedding.

Asenath bathed in a specially prepared bath; aromatic oils were added to the water. Later, delicate perfumes were gently massaged into her skin. She looked at her wedding garments which had been specially made for this great occasion. Pharaoh, himself, had arranged for the Royal Seamstresses to make the garments.

Asenath looked at herself in the polished copper mirrors held by her maidens. She was pleased with her appearance. She felt good within herself, it showed in her face. Her face glowed with health and vitality. Her joy enhanced her beautiful face. She was ready to meet her bridegroom. She told Asenaken that she was ready to go.

Potipherah was waiting for them. Pharaoh sent three Grand Palanquins to Potipherah's new mansion in Zoan to convey the wedding party to the wedding. Asenath and Potipherah sat in one, and Asenaken and their maidens in the other two. The Palanquin bearers lifted up the palanquins, placed the poles on their shoulders, and then carried the palanquins to the Palace. Soldiers escorted them, with a squad in front, one squad on each side, and another squad at the rear.

The procession moved slowly to the Palace. People lined the road to catch a glimpse of the Grand Vizier's bride. They were happy; Pharaoh had declared a holiday in Zoan. Crowds followed the procession to the Palace entrance. The procession moved into the Palace. The palanquin bearers deposited their palanquins on the floor of the Grand Foyer. Courtiers moved in to escort the wedding party into the State room.

A quiet hush fell on the scene. The Temple Priests began to chant to Re, asking for blessings on the ceremony. Joseph could feel nervous tension mounting inside him. The priests commenced the wedding rituals. Potipherah and Asenaken were escorted into the State room. Asenath was carried in with great pomp and ceremony. A light veil was over her face.

Joseph was struck with her beauty! Even the veil could not mask it. 'Today, she is looking incredibly beautiful!' Asenath smiled at him through her veil.

Potipherah began the main wedding ritual, calling on the gods to prosper them and bless them with children. The ritual was long and tedious, but, Joseph and Asenath did not notice.

A State procession now took place to the Temple of the Sun God. Pharaoh and Queen Nefterin led the Grand Procession. The Grand Procession moved out of the Palace grounds. Regiments of soldiers marched in front followed by squads of chariots; then a band of Pharaoh's Court musicians, followed by Pharaoh's Royal Guards. Next in order were Pharaoh and Queen Nefterin in their Grand Royal Palanquin.

The Grand Vizier and his bride in their Palanquin came next. They were followed by Potipherah and Asenaken who were given places of honour as the bride's parents; then all the Princes and nobles of Egypt with their wives. The remainder of Pharaoh's Court followed them. Bands of musicians and performers were interspersed among the palanquins. Squads of foot soldiers, with spears, lined the route. The rear of the procession was taken up with more regiments of soldiers. It was a great display of Egyptian pomp and glory.

Egypt was celebrating! The populace was in a joyful mood. This was a great occasion for all of Egypt to celebrate. The procession wound its way slowly to the Temple of the Sun God. The wedding party went inside to pay their respects to the gods. When that part of the proceedings was concluded, the procession went back to the Palace by another route.

Soon the festivities would start. The Palace grounds had been set up to cater for the crowds. A plethora of tables were set up, laden with food and wine. The Egyptians were an orderly people, and each person would be served a portion of the food and wine.

The procession stopped in front of the Palace. Pharaoh gave the order for the festivities to begin. A great shout of appreciation went up for Pharaoh! The people crowded in for the refreshments. The soldiers on guard lined them up in an orderly fashion. The wedding party moved to the Great Banquet Hall where a great feast had been prepared. Joseph and Asenath were seated next to Pharaoh and Queen Nefterin.

Asenath was awed by the experience! Joseph sensed this and squeezed her hand in encouragement.

Jugglers, acrobats and dancers performed. Foods of all descriptions were brought out on great platters for all to eat. Fine wines were in abundance. This was certainly a magnificent banquet. Joseph and Asenath were treated like a king and queen.

The whole Palace was celebrating. All the servants took their turns in eating and drinking, but, they were careful not to go to excess. It would not do to incur Pharaoh's wrath; they remembered what had happened to the former chief baker.

Joseph being a light drinker was pleased to see that Asenath was also a light drinker. Heavy drinking at banquets and events was an Egyptian trait. Joseph felt good, the food and wine were excellent. The atmosphere was charged with excitement. A jubilant and joyous mood pervaded the Banquet Hall.

Asenath was happy; she could hardly believe that she was now married to the Grand Vizier of Egypt. Thirty days ago, she was just a priest's daughter. Now, she was one of the most powerful women in Egypt. She glanced at Joseph, he was so handsome. 'I will be the envy of many women.' She looked at her mother. Asenaken was so proud of her daughter; Asenath looked so beautiful and happy.

The festivities went on well into the evening hours. Pharaoh was happy. He knew that Asenath was the right choice for Zaphnath-Paaneah. He decided it was time for the Grand Vizier and his bride to be alone together. He signalled to Joseph that it was a good time to leave the festivities. Joseph was very pleased; he nodded his assent. Pharaoh announced that the Grand Vizier and his new wife were leaving the Banqueting Hall. A great cheer went up! The festivities would continue all night.

Joseph led Asenath into their private suite. They were both tired. Their servants were waiting for them. Asenath's maidens helped her undress and prepared her for the nuptial night. Joseph's servants helped him prepare also. Then the servants all quietly slipped away to the festivities leaving them alone.

Asenath went into the main bedroom and waited for Joseph. She did not have long to wait; Joseph had been waiting in another room. When he heard her maids retire he knew Asenath would go to their bedroom and wait for him.

He slipped quietly into the room. She gave him a warm smile, they were alone at last. Joseph was overcome with her beauty, her body was exquisitely proportioned. He took her in his arms and kissed her. She responded warmly. Asenath was nervous, but, that disappeared with his kiss.

Joseph spoke softly to her, "Asenath, my precious one, there is something I want to tell you. My real name is Joseph. Zaphnath-Paaneah is a name that Pharaoh has given to me for official occasions."

Asenath looked at him. The name Joseph had a nice sound to it.

"I would like you to call me Joseph in private. You must call me Zaphnath-Paaneah on public occasions. Will you do this for me?"

Asenath nodded in agreement. "Joseph, I like the sound of your name. Of course, I will call you Joseph."

Joseph was pleased, he kissed her again. It was good to hold her in his arms. They could feel the emotional tension drain out of them. He carried her to their bed and blew out the lamps.

Joseph as usual woke early. Asenath was sleeping quietly at his side. During the night they had discovered the joys of the marriage union. He silently thanked God for giving him such a fine wife. Asenath stirred and woke up. She smiled at him and kissed him. She was so happy. She had never dreamed that she would marry such a splendid man. Joseph gazed lovingly at her; she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again.

She spoke to him, "Joseph, what have you planned for today?" Joseph smiled and said, "Today, we are boating on the river." Asenath was pleased; a slow tranquil boat trip was an excellent idea.

"Well, how do you like being the wife of the Grand Vizier?"Asenath replied, "I am getting used to the idea, it will take me a while to adjust."

Joseph said, "I am still getting used to being the Grand Vizier, we will adjust together." She laughed at him. He liked the sound of her laughter, it was infectious. He laughed with her.

Pharaoh had assigned them one of the Royal boats for a week. At night the servants slept ashore, leaving Joseph and Asenath alone on the boat. During that week, they really began to get to know each other.

Asenath discovered that Joseph was a deeply religious man. She observed him praying to his God each day, and noticed the unswerving confidence he had in his God. She learned that he had been sold into slavery by his brothers. She learned of his education in Potiphar's house, and how Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. Then the awful years he spent in prison and the marvellous pardon from prison to become Grand Vizier of Egypt. She was beginning to understand that behind his likeableness he had an iron will. Whatever he resolved to do, he would carry it through. She was determined to help him put away the bitterness of those years.

Asenath was the only daughter of Potipherah and Asenaken, their youngest child. Potipherah was a fairly well-to-do priest. His family had a long tradition; they had been in the priesthood for centuries. Their two sons, Iskanoph and Nophken, had dutifully gone into the priesthood; and had taken part in the wedding ceremony. They were extremely proud of their sister. Potiphar and Asenaken dearly loved their daughter, yet, Asenath had not been spoiled by their indulgences. She had blossomed into a well balanced, sensible young woman.

Joseph and Asenath spent many happy hours together on the Royal Boat. At times they would have the boat pull in to the shore, and they would go and explore points of interest. A squad of soldiers would follow them at a discreet distance.

Then they would embark again, and head further up the river. The days were full of fun and carefree. Joseph did not have to think about affairs of State until his return.

They were falling deeper in love as the days passed. Each one marvelled that they had each other, but soon the day came that they had to retrace their steps. Joseph gave the order to turn the boat around and head back to Zoan. The return journey did not take as long, they did not stop to explore.

The boat trip was excellent, but, it was good to be back in their suite in the Palace. Tomorrow, Joseph would report to Pharaoh and recommence his duties. They spent the rest of the day in their suite enjoying their last free day together. Joseph was mentally gearing up for his return to duty. They went back over their boat trip, recalling the many happy incidents that had occurred along the way. That night they were especially close. Tomorrow, Joseph would be fully occupied with affairs of State.

Asenath would commence learning how to be the wife of the Grand Vizier. Queen Nefterin would take Asenath under her wing and teach her the protocols needed for each occasion.

Pharaoh greeted Joseph; he was pleased to see him. He could see that marriage agreed with Joseph. Joseph bowed to Pharaoh. Pharaoh told Joseph it was time for him to go out and see the land of Egypt for himself. Joseph was pleased, he told Pharaoh that he wanted to do that, and assess Egypt's storage capacities.

It was Pharaoh's turn to be pleased. They discussed his trip at length. Joseph went away to make preparations for his extensive journey throughout the length and breadth of Egypt. He had already worked out who he wanted on his assessment team.

Joseph sent for each person on his list individually, and told them what part they would play in this fact finding exercise. They were pleased to be chosen by the Grand Vizier for such an important trip. The next day Pharaoh and Joseph spent the entire morning together planning the trip. Joseph would meet many dignitaries for the first time. It was important to him and to Pharaoh that he was briefed on each of the dignitaries.

Asenath was not happy that Joseph was leaving her so soon. She would miss him while he was away; however she would be kept busy with Queen Nefterin. Queen Nefterin was a good teacher, but, very strict.

Asenath really had to keep her mind on what she was doing. She knew that she had to be groomed in this way. There would be many State occasions and functions to attend as the wife of the Grand Vizier. She resolved to do her best for Joseph's sake.

Joseph assembled his team for a briefing. There were military men, scribes, mathematicians, builders and various government officials. He stressed the importance of this fact-finding tour. It was their job to assess how well Egypt could cope with the famine. They would be responsible for assessing if each area had enough storage capacity for the abundant harvests expected in the seven good years. If not, they would have to determine how much extra storage capacity would be required. As each man listened, he realised his own role in this huge undertaking. Collectively, they would have to come up with a plan that would see Egypt through seven years of severe famine.

Joseph would work mainly from a boat on the river. His top men would also use boats. The remainder of the party would travel on horseback along the riverbank. They would use the river as a base and traverse the rest of the country on horseback.

Except for the Delta region, most of the agricultural land was on fairly narrow strips along the river's edge; crisscrossing most of Egypt would be alleviated. As the main cities and towns were at various sites along the river; Joseph should not have to travel far from the river Nile to meet dignitaries. Joseph was pleased with his overall plan. The big job would be collating all the information and assessing it for further action.

Joseph reported to Pharaoh that all was in readiness for the trip away. Pharaoh was pleased; the trip would serve two purposes. They would assess Egypt's capacity for grain storage, and Zaphnath-Paaneah would be introduced to the rest of Egypt. Joseph suggested that his task force should have two days off with their families and then set out.

Pharaoh was agreeable as they would be away for many days. Joseph sent a message to all members of the task force, to have two days off and report early the day of embarkation. The news was received with thanksgiving. They spent the rest of the day loading the stores and materials needed for their large undertaking.

Joseph was glad he could spend two days at home with Asenath. She was pleased when he told her that night. Asenath was happy that Joseph had arranged a short time together.

He would be away so long; she dreaded the thought of the separation. She had just gotten used to being married and now Joseph had to go off on this important trip.

However, she was a sensible person and realised that the future of Egypt was at stake. She made sure that Joseph got all the attention he deserved during his short respite. Joseph was pleased that Asenath was taking things so well. He was beginning to appreciate the excellence of Pharaoh's choice for his wife.

Their love continued to grow; the enforced separation would be hard to bear. Joseph was amazed at how quickly they had become used to each other's company. He would sorely miss his new wife. Joseph was beginning to comprehend God's wonderful provision of marriage for all races. The love and comfort of a good wife was beyond comparison. Marriage was one institution that all races supported; the sovereignty of God in causing it to be passed on from one generation to another was awe inspiring. Joseph had never been so happy in his life. The long hard years were being assuaged with the love and companionship of his lovely Asenath. Joseph's heart welled up in gratitude to God.

The big day arrived; Asenath gave Joseph, a tearful farewell. Joseph's boat pulled out from its mooring place. Pharaoh and the rest of his Court were there to see them off. Pharaoh was confident that Zaphnath-Paaneah's plan would do the job for him. Joseph was filled with a sense of the tremendous responsibility. God gave him a feeling of peace. Joseph relaxed, all would be well.

The flotilla moved slowly out into the main channel and headed south, up river. As the prevailing winds were from the north, they could use the boats' sails. Coming back would be harder as the boats would have to be rowed.

Pharaoh's capital Zoan was located in the north eastern part of the Delta. The Delta area was the most fertile area of Egypt. Joseph's first priority was to assess the Delta's storage capacities. The main party of his task force followed on horseback along the riverbank.

In the Delta area three main branches of the river Nile were recognised; The Western River, the Great River and the Waters of Re. Smaller tributaries split off from these main branches. The mighty river flowed from several mouths into the Great Sea. They would have to sail up and down the main tributaries.

The Egyptian economy was dependent on the river Nile for its agricultural and fishing industries. Annual floods brought silt from countries further south, down river towards the Delta. During the flooding water was transferred, via barrages, sideways into large shallow basins. As the water in the basins evaporated, seed was planted in the wet soil. The moisture and the sun's rays allowed the seed to sprout and the plants to grow. As the waters in these basins dried up, a network of irrigation canals was used to water the crops. Water was also stored in large, deeper basins for irrigation purposes.

The annual flood levels were direct indicators of the economy for the year. River level gauges were set at various points along the river. The gauges gave an early indication of the level of flooding expected further downstream, and thus the future state of the economy.

Too much water and the flooding devastated vast areas; not enough flooding meant poor crops and hardship.

Joseph's days were extremely busy, meeting dignitaries, attending official functions, working with his task force, assessing the collated information and making decisions on further storage requirements. At night he was pleased to lie down and sleep. The work was tiring, but, he found it rewarding. He was finding out, first hand, the enormity of the task. The scribes were kept busy recording all the data obtained. The Delta region was crisscrossed and carefully documented. A large portion of Egypt's crops were grown in this region. Joseph was impressed with the incredibly lush countryside.

However, he was reminded that huge flooding took place here in the bad years. Pharaoh's herds were grazed in the Delta area. Joseph took the opportunity to check on Pharaoh's stock, so he could give a report to Pharaoh.

When Joseph was satisfied that they had enough information on the Delta region, he decided it was time to head back to Zoan for a well earned rest; before heading south to cover the rest of Egypt and its territories. He gave the order to return to Zoan. His task force members were elated! It had taken a couple of months to fully assess the Delta region.

It was good to head home again; even if it was just for a short break to rest, and then set out again for an even longer time away. Joseph's boat pulled out into the main stream of the Western tributary and headed back to Zoan. Joseph's thoughts turned to Asenath.

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The outline of the city could be seen on the horizon. Joseph was informed that Zoan could be seen in the distance. He went outside to look at the city skyline. Soon he would be with Asenath. Joseph gazed at the city skyline for a few minutes; then went back inside to his work. Pharaoh would be expecting a report from him. Joseph had spent the return journey studying information from the trip. Adequate storage was the main problem in most areas. The present granaries were not sufficient for the huge crops expected.

A reception committee awaited them. Joseph was immediately escorted to see Pharaoh. Pharaoh was pleased to see him. "Zaphnath-Paaneah, I missed you. Was your journey prosperous?"

Joseph bowed to Pharaoh replied, "My lord Pharaoh, my journey was prosperous. I will give you a detailed report when you are ready for it."

Pharaoh told Joseph to see him shortly in the private audience chamber. Joseph went to his private suite. He needed to freshen up. Asenath was waiting for him; she rushed into his arms and kissed him excitedly.

Joseph could feel her excitement; he kissed her warmly and then spoke, "Asenath, my love I have missed you so much. I cannot stay with you now, I have to freshen up and give Pharaoh, a detailed report of my trip. I will see you tonight."

Asenath was momentarily disappointed, however, she realised that Pharaoh would be waiting to hear Joseph's report. She called Okan and told him to quickly prepare a bath for Joseph. Okan hurried out to give the servants the message. Joseph was pleased to bathe and change his garments. He hurried to Pharaoh's private audience chamber. Pharaoh had not arrived so Joseph had time to go over his report.

Pharaoh entered the chamber, Joseph bowed to him. Pharaoh walked to his throne and sat down. Joseph collected his data and sat next to Pharaoh. They discussed the various aspects of his journey. One fact was clear; they would have to build bigger granaries to store all the grain. Pharaoh decided it would be better to defer the rest of the journeys until they worked out how much extra storage was required in the Delta region.

The Royal builders would be instructed to draw up plans for new granaries; according to Joseph's recommendations. The work would commence while the task force was busy in the south of Egypt. Pharaoh asked Joseph to work out his recommendations during the next week and discuss what was needed with the Royal builders.

Pharaoh dismissed Joseph and returned to the Throne room. He summoned the Royal builders to be brought to him. Pharaoh told them the situation and instructed them to see Zaphnath-Paaneah in one week's time. The Royal builders were excited, for this was a far reaching undertaking. The Royal builders needed to make selections from the types of materials available in the Delta region. Plans could then be drawn up. A very large work force would be needed.

Joseph asked his task force leaders to report to him in the morning. They would have plenty of decisions to make in the next week. He was pleased with progress to date. Tomorrow, they would study the overview of the Delta region. Joseph had formulated plans and he wanted to discuss their ramifications before implementing them. As the day was nearly over, Joseph signalled to one of his servants to pick up his data and follow him. His thoughts then turned to Asenath. He walked to his private suite. Asenath was waiting for him; she had arranged a sumptuous meal for his homecoming.

It was good to be home! Asenath was bubbling over with excitement. Joseph would be home for the rest of the week. She would have him to herself every night this week. They were light-hearted and happy. God was good to them. Joseph excused himself after the meal as he needed to arrange his data for the morning. He promised Asenath that he would be with her in an hour or so. Asenath did not mind, Joseph was home. Joseph went quickly and efficiently through his information, sorting it into the required order. 'Tomorrow will be an important day.' He prayed earnestly for wisdom to make the right decisions.

Next morning Joseph went early to his private office in the Palace. He arranged to use the main audience room for his discussions. The task force leaders filed into the room and bowed to him. Joseph motioned to them to be seated. He explained that Pharaoh had decided that they should begin building extra granaries in the Delta region, as soon as possible. Today, he wanted to look at the total picture in the Delta and decide the location and size for every granary that was needed.

The rest of the week they would spend working out the details. He told them the Royal builders would meet with him at the end of the week. The discussions commenced, Joseph went through his data in the order he had prepared. Soon, an overall need was specified. The task force members allocated where the granary sites would be.

The actual size of the granaries would be decided tomorrow. The rest of that day, they kept the Royal scribes busy documenting the site data. The following day, they assembled again. A lot of discussion ensued about the size of each granary however a careful decision was made in each case. The results were documented by the scribes. He was sure that by the end of the week he could give the Royal Builders the information they required. The task force had given him their recommendations on the best type of building for each location.

Pharaoh was kept up to date on their progress; Joseph gave him a quick briefing at the end of each daily session. Pharaoh was very pleased with Joseph. His assessment of him was correct; this was the man to lead Egypt through the perilous times ahead.

The Royal builders were pleased with Zaphnath-Paaneah's plans. They made some suggestions which would be included in those plans. They were eager to start the huge undertaking. It was Joseph's turn to be pleased. He informed Pharaoh that all was in readiness. Joseph instructed the Royal builders to commence the project. He was relieved that the Delta area was catered for. Now, he had to plan the next stage of his fact finding tour.

The areas to the South would be easier to assess. The fertile land was on fairly narrow strips along the river banks. He was looking forward to seeing the great cities in the South. Egypt's prosperity had depended on those great cities in former years.

Joseph decided that three days would be sufficient time for the task force to prepare for the next stage. He issued instructions to be ready to leave in four days time. Pharaoh spent time over the next three days briefing Joseph about the various dignitaries he wanted him to meet. Joseph needed to spend time in each of the cities and use them as his headquarters. Pharaoh expected him to take time to get to know the powerful princes in the South. Their support was vital to Egypt's internal stability. Joseph again realised his position carried an enormous need for tact and diplomacy. He hoped that he would be equal to the task.

Chapter Fifteen - The Land Of Egypt

Joseph studied maps of the country, south of the Delta region. The cities of On, Noph, No-Amon and Assuan were the principal cities on his list. Noph and No-Amon were royal cities. Each had been the centre of Egyptian power at various times. Both Noph and No-Amon had great Pyramids and Temples in their vicinity. Egyptian knowledge, culture and heritage went back into antiquity. No other race could rival the Egyptians. They had dominated the world stage for centuries.The large, fertile areas of Egypt were envied by neighbouring countries. The River Nile was Egypt's constant source of life.

Joseph pondered over the maps. 'I will use a boat again, but take my chariot overland to use in the cities. My guards can bring the chariot with the land-based group. Pharaoh wants me to meet as many dignitaries as I can. It's essential for me to keep the powerful princes from the South on peaceful terms with Pharaoh.'

'My first stop will be at On, Asenath's birthplace. It will be good to see that city and catch up with Potipherah and Asenaken. I must see the great Temple of Re' at On. That's why Potipherah is known far and wide as the priest of On because of the temple. On is situated at the start of the Delta region. The Delta fans out behind the city of On. Just past On the great river splits into its three main tributaries. The ancient Egyptian name for On is Iunu. Potipherah's local knowledge will be invaluable; having him there is a definite asset to Pharaoh and myself. He will have a profound knowledge of the important dignitaries at On, and also at Noph.'

'The city of Noph will need more of my time. Many Pharaohs are buried in the vicinity. The famous pyramids of Khufu, Khephren and Menkaure are located at nearby Giza. The statue of the great Sphinx is there also. What an impressive sight they will be.' Joseph had been told the ancient name for Noph was Ankh-tawy, "That which binds the two lands."

'I need the princes of Noph on my side. Noph is the key to the unity of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, so I need to establish good relations with these princes.'

Joseph next turned his attention to No-Amon, known to earlier generations as Waset. The princes at No-Amon controlled the major mining operations of Egypt. Gold and copper were mined to the east of the Nile. Egypt also controlled the land of Kush, to the south of Assuan. Kush was a very good source of gold. The city of No-Amon controlled three major trade routes to the Red Sea.

'It's important for me to secure a good relationship with the princes at No-Amon as well. I need their trust and respect for we have a tremendous amount of work to do in the seven good years of harvest. Assuan is the southern border of Egypt; it will be our last stop on the journey upriver. There are numerous places to assess along the way.'

Joseph was thoughtful. He would be away from Asenath for a long time; however the assessment was vital for Egypt's survival in the years of famine. His taskforce was ready to move out of Zoan and head to Lower Egypt. Tomorrow they would set off again.

Asenath was sad, but did not show it. 'Joseph will be away a long time.' She arranged a special meal for the two of them. Tonight was their last night together for quite some time. She did not think it was fair. They had only been married for such a short time, and they had hardly seen each other.

Joseph noticed her pensive mood. "Asenath, my precious one is something concerning you?"

"Oh, Joseph we have been married for such a short time and we have hardly spent more than a few weeks together."

"I know my love; I feel it keenly as well. This work must be done for all our sakes. When it is over we will have plenty of time together." He took her in his arms and kissed her softly and tenderly.

"Oh, Joseph I wish I could come with you."

"Asenath, that would be nice, but it is not practicable. My days and nights are filled with work. I would not be able to give you the attention you deserve."

Asenath knew Joseph was right. "I suppose I am being selfish, Joseph."

"No, you are not selfish. It is perfectly natural to want to be with me, but this is the reason God has made me Grand Vizier of Egypt. My being here in Egypt is to provide enough grain for Egypt to survive seven years of severe famine."

Asenath held Joseph close and cried softly. The separation would be hard to bear.

Next morning the taskforce flotilla headed south, down river from Zoan, towards the city of On. Joseph was looking forward to seeing Potipherah and Asenaken. They cruised by the fortress city of Avaris, where Pharaoh kept a very large Army contingent.

The city of On sat near the junction of the three main tributaries of the great river. It was a principal place of worship in Egypt. The great Temple of Re', The Sun God was an important and influential institution. On was a place of commerce and wealth, and had played a prominent place in the shaping of Egypt's religious and political history.

Joseph was pleased to see Potipherah and Asenaken; they were delighted to see him. How important they felt, when the Grand Vizier called on them first. "Potipherah, it is good to see you again. Asenath sends her love to you and Asenaken. She is well in body and spirit. She is managing well with the demands of Pharaoh's Court."

"Zaphnath-Paaneah, welcome to our home. Our home is yours while you are in On."

"Potipherah thank you for your kindness. While I am here, I am hoping to spend some time together. By the way my name is Joseph; please call me Zaphnath-Paaneah on official occasions only."

Potipherah was a happy man. It was good to have his powerful son-in-law stay with him and Asenaken.

"Potipherah, I am hoping that you can arrange for me to meet the most important nobles and officials here in On."

"Of course Joseph; it will be my privilege to make these arrangements for you."

Joseph was pleased. They sat down to a sumptuous meal and talked about family and friends.

Next day Potipherah gave Joseph a guided tour of the great Temple of the Sun God, Re'. His fellow priests were happy to personally meet the Grand Vizier. The Temple of Re' would benefit from Potipherah's family ties to the Grand Vizier.

Joseph sent his taskforce into the surrounding countryside for their assessment. Meanwhile, Joseph met the local nobles and officials. On was an important city for storage. He would use it to store grain from the upper part of the Delta. It was located in a strategic position for distribution.

When the taskforce reported back to him, it was obvious large granaries would have to be built here; however their time in On was nearly over, they needed to keep moving. The great city of Noph, ancient Mennufer, awaited them. The princes and nobles of Noph were anxious to give a good impression to the Grand Vizier. Word had travelled ahead about the Grand Vizier's visit.

Joseph gave the order to cast off. The flotilla headed south. It was pleasant cruising along the river. They were now in the main river; the lush Delta region was behind them. The fertile areas were now in fairly narrow strips alongside the river banks. To the east and west were arid, desert regions. Rain was almost nonexistent. Except for the presence of the great river, the area would be desert and uninhabitable

They were near the great Pyramids at Giza. Joseph went ashore on the west bank and mounted his chariot. He drove to the site of the great Pyramids. Joseph looked in awe at the size of Khufu's burial place. The great Pyramid rose up like a man made mountain before him. Its outer casing of white limestone blocks glistened in the sunshine. The funerary Temple and the great causeway leading to the Pyramid were decorated with relief work and hieroglyphics. The size and the perfect lines of the Pyramid were truly inspiring. Khephren's Pyramid was nearly as large.

Menkaure's smaller Pyramid was also in the group. The famous statue of the great Sphinx, with its body of a lion and its head of a man, kept a solemn guard over the scene.

Joseph went away, amazed at the ingenuity of the Egyptian race. To build such enormous edifices and with such precision, was a wonderful achievement. And yet, God had made him ruler over these people who had such astounding talents. Impressed, he returned to his boat and continued his journey to Noph.

A lavish reception awaited him. The rulers of Noph had prepared him a great banquet. Pharaoh had given Joseph a list of people to see. Joseph was keen to keep these rulers on good terms with Pharaoh. Noph was crucial to Pharaoh's command of Egypt. Joseph went ashore to meet the rulers.

The taskforce was feted and entertained. Tomorrow they would begin their work, but today was a rest day. Some of the members had family ties in Noph. It would be good for them to catch up with their families. Joseph was pleased with the welcome they were given. He was assured of the rulers' cooperation.

Joseph was shown more Pyramids on the west bank near Noph and also the great Temples of the area. Noph was a very important religious and trade centre. It had been the previous capital of Egypt. Joseph had many official functions to attend. His taskforce members were now very proficient, and gave him daily reports. A lot more granaries were needed in this area as Noph and its surrounding areas had a large population to feed. After several weeks, Joseph gave the order to continue south towards No-Amon.

On the way they passed by many towns and villages. The fertile areas were assessed and storage capacities recorded. An excursion was made to She-Resy; "the Southern Lake".This was a very fertile area west of the great river.Joseph traversed the area with his chariot. She-Resy was an important source of fish, and water fowl.The area teamed with bird life, and also sustained a large agricultural area.The lake was fed by a tributary of the great river.

Several weeks were spent working through the Middle Egypt area, on the way south to No-Amon, ancient Waset. No-Amon controlled Upper Egypt. It also controlled Egypt's major mining interests. No-Amon was a great religious centre of worship. At Ipet-isut "The most select of places", on the east bank, the Temple of the god Amun, and the Temple of the local god Montu were located.

No-Amon had been a royal city in the past. Joseph was well aware of its importance to Pharaoh. It was a city proud of its heritage and standing in Egypt. Joseph had many nobles and dignitaries to meet. Several weeks were needed at No-Amon, then a further trip south to the border town of Assuan.

There was much to see and record. The taskforce had been away several months. They were all looking forward to heading back to Zoan, in the North.

Joseph was growing weary of the constant stop, start travel; although, it was important for him to see Egypt for himself. Egypt's future prosperity depended on him. By the time they reached Assuan they were all glad to finish the reconnaissance phase. On the way back they would speed up their journey.

Recommendations could be worked out when they stopped for the night. Heading downstream back to the Delta was slower, as the boats had to be rowed against the winds blowing from the north. Fortunately, the flow of the current was in their favour. The taskforce was elated when Zoan finally came into view.

Chapter Sixteen \- The Good Years

Joseph and his taskforce members were pleased to be home. Egypt's agricultural areas had been traversed and documented. Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's analyses. The Royal builders were commissioned to build granaries in each city in the South. Joseph appointed a team to coordinate the overall strategy. Time was not on their side. They only had seven years to build all the granaries and storehouses. The task of feeding a huge workforce would be a mammoth exercise. The full resources of Egypt were swung into operation. Joseph ordered the army to supervise the huge labour force.

Joseph was pleased that the time away from Asenath was over. He was happy to be home again. He and Asenath had a lot of catching up to do. He would stay in Zoan until it was time to inspect the granaries in the Delta region.

Asenath had been busy with Queen Nefterin; she was now adept in royal protocols. Queen Nefterin was happy with Asenath's progress. Asenath was also pleased at her own progress.

Indications for the harvest this year was very favourable. The harvest for the first of the seven good years was the best in living memory. Joseph ordered one fifth of the harvest throughout Egypt to be stored in existing granaries, either private or government. Some of these granaries were filled to overflowing. Joseph therefore stepped up the building program. If the first year's harvest was indicative of what was to follow in succeeding years; even more granaries would be needed.

Some of his original task force were kept on, to give constant updates on building progress. Joseph stayed in Zoan to oversee all the building projects.

Asenath was happy; Joseph was home with her each night. She often had his company at midday meal time, but he was so busy! The normal affairs of State had to be seen to, as well as the building program. Official functions, visiting ambassadors, and envoys from other lands also had to be attended to.

It was a very prosperous year for Egypt. The people rejoiced! One fifth of the harvest was stored in the State granaries. Pharaoh's army was on hand to ensure it happened. Huge crops were planted for the second year.

The second year's harvest was even more amazing! Some of the new granaries in the Delta were ready. They were needed, as the harvest filled the existing granaries and overflowed into the new granaries. Joseph was happy, but, he knew when the famine arrived it would be extremely severe. He purchased all the surplus grain he could find and stored that also.

New irrigation canals were dug, so more land could be cultivated, and planted with seed. Some of the new granaries in the Southern cities were brought into commission. Joseph kept the Royal builders on a demanding schedule; all the new granaries would be required. Plans were drawn up for additional granaries, they might be needed. No one had ever seen such abundant harvests.

Joseph and Asenath were very happy together, they were hoping to start a family. God was blessing them abundantly in their lives. Asenath came to have a deep respect for Joseph's God. Joseph often reflected on the goodness and sovereignty of God; how God had taken a shepherd lad and placed him in such a high station in life.

Asenath was keen to have a child; she wanted a male child for Joseph's sake. How happy she was when she realised she was expecting a baby.

"Joseph, I am with child! I hope the baby is a male child for your sake."

"Asenath, this is really good news!" Joseph was overjoyed.

The months passed swiftly. Asenath was nearing the end of her confinement. Egypt waited expectantly. The Grand Vizier would soon be a proud father. The Royal midwives were on standby.

Asenath began to feel hard, painful contractions, the baby was moving down. The midwives took over to help with the delivery of the baby. Asenath's labour was painful and intense. 'How long can this go on?' Many hours later it was over; Asenath had a baby boy! Asenath was very tired; it had been a long labour. Her newborn son was put in her arms. She felt a surge of affection for her child. Joseph would be so pleased.

Joseph was informed immediately. He was exultant! They had a son! The happy news was conveyed to Pharaoh. Pharaoh was pleased for Joseph. The baby's arrival was proclaimed throughout Zoan. Messengers were sent throughout Egypt proclaiming the news.

"The Grand Vizier has a son."

Joseph decided to name their son Manasseh, because God had caused him to forget all the years of hard toil, and his family in Canaan. Joseph and Asenath were extremely happy. They lavished their love and attention on their baby son.

The second good year was nearly over.

The third good year was upon them. Again the harvest was huge. Joseph continued to store as much grain as possible in the granaries. No one had ever seen such abundance before.

The Royal builders were finding it difficult to build granaries fast enough. Egypt was experiencing a period of tremendous wealth and prosperity. Times were good. There was plenty to eat and drink. People were enjoying these times of abundance.

Joseph and Asenath were captivated by their little son. As the year went on they watched him grow; and were fascinated as he began to take more interest in the things around him.

The fourth year of Pharaoh's dream was upon them. The land yielded an abundant harvest again. Manasseh was a toddler now and very much the centre of Asenath's attention. She was excited when she found she was expecting another baby.

Joseph was happy with the news. Asenath went into confinement again. Towards the end of the year Asenath's time drew near. Again the royal midwives were summonsed. Asenath's labour this time was shorter. Another boy! Asenath was so happy; a little brother for Manasseh.

Joseph was thrilled. The news was proclaimed throughout Egypt. Joseph named their new baby Ephraim, because God had prospered Joseph in the land of his adversities. Joseph was thankful for another son and Manasseh was pleased to have a baby brother. Asenath was really happy with her family. Joseph and Asenath were delighted with their two boys. Manasseh and Ephraim gave them countless hours of pleasure. Joseph felt good; having a family of his own brought so much joy in his life. It helped him forget the years of hard labour as a slave.

The fourth good year yielded a tremendous harvest. Joseph stopped counting the amount of grain, it was pointless. He just stored the grain in the granaries, but more granaries were needed. More men were assigned to build them.

The fifth year came and went. Again, the harvest was huge. Joseph continued to store as much grain as he could in the granaries. Two more good years, and then the famine would come. Joseph hoped they would have enough storage capacity. They only had two years left to build enough granaries.

Manasseh and Ephraim were at the delightful stage of running around and causing problems with their enthusiasm and curiosity.

Asenath planned a trip to On to see her parents. Joseph was too busy to leave what he was doing. A Royal boat would take her, her sons and her maidens to On. Two squads of soldiers would accompany them.

Potipherah and Asenaken were pleased to see them. They did not get much opportunity to catch up with Asenath and their little grandsons. It was a nice change for Asenath from official duties at the Palace. Asenath was happy to be home in On. She could rest and spend time with her mother. Her parents were enjoying Manasseh and Ephraim; however Asenath missed Joseph.

Joseph, meanwhile, spent the time reviewing the building program. 'Will we have enough storage? Two more years and then the famine commences.' The year moved inexorably on.

The sixth year came, another abundant harvest. Joseph had grain piled up in granaries, in every Egyptian city; from one end of Egypt to the other. Plus, what the Egyptian people had stockpiled privately. Joseph was very aware that they had one more year before the famine commenced.

The seventh year's harvest was tremendous! The granaries were at bursting point. Joseph and Pharaoh were pleased with what they had achieved. They had huge amounts of grain stored in the cities and large towns along the great river. No more could be done! The good years were over. Joseph hoped the grain that was stored in the State granaries would be sufficient.

Egypt could only wait and see!

Chapter Seventeen \- Famine

The eighth year commenced; the first of the seven bad years had arrived. News from up river was not good. River levels were very low. News from other lands was also bad; the expected annual rainfall did not come. In Egypt the river levels remained low. The crops would be poor. The agricultural areas began to dry up; the volume of water flowing down river was not enough to flood the basins. Irrigation canal levels were dangerously low. There was hardly enough water for seed to be planted.

Pharaoh was convinced that Joseph's God was all knowing. 'This is the start of the seven bad years!' He recalled his two dreams. The seven thin cattle ate up the seven fat cattle and were still thin and malnourished. The seven parched full heads of grain devoured the seven fat full heads of grain, in a similar manner. 'Here's the proof. We had seven extra good years of harvests. Now the seven bad years are starting.'

How thankful he was that Joseph had been able to interpret the dreams. Joseph's great plan to store up grain for the years of famine would now be put to the test. As the famine began to bite, the Egyptian people began to use up their private stores of grain.

The great building program ceased; it was now too late! The first year of famine brought hardship to many people. Reports from all countries were the same, widespread drought and famine. Private stocks of grain dwindled and prices soared, but, Egypt had grain for bread. As the year dragged on, Egyptians from one end of the country to the other began to starve. They cried out to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; do whatever he says to you."

Joseph opened up the granaries and sold grain to the Egyptian people. The famine worsened as it went into the second year. People, in other countries, realised that grain could be purchased in Egypt. So they came from other lands to buy grain. Joseph set up grain markets in the major cities. Travellers from north eastern countries were directed to Zoan to purchase grain. Most of the trade routes coming into North Egypt ended up at Zoan. The Egyptian army was on constant surveillance; the granaries needed to be guarded.

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The second bad year was worse than the preceding year. The famine was very severe in the land of Canaan. Jacob heard that people were buying grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, "Why are you sitting here staring at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some, so we don't starve to death. Benjamin won't go with you; in case something happens to him."

Preparations were made for the journey. They packed their asses with food and provision for themselves, and their animals. They took empty sacks for the grain and money to buy the grain. No one really wanted to go, but it was go, or starve!

The ten brothers travelled down from the mountain country; across the wilderness of Shur to Egypt. So, the sons of Jacob came into Egypt. They joined the other travellers buying grain for their families, and journeyed to the grain market in Zoan.

Joseph sat and observed the steady stream of foreigners. His usual habit whilst in Zoan was to supervise the selling of grain; today seemed to be no different to any other. The people buying grain came and bowed down before him, with their faces to the ground.

Ten men, leading their asses, came and bowed themselves down before him. Joseph's heart skipped a beat. It was his brothers! He pretended not to know them, and spoke curtly to them in Egyptian, using an interpreter to translate.

"Where are you from?"

"We have come from the land of Canaan to buy food."

They did not recognise him. Joseph remembered his dreams; how their sheaves bowed down to his sheaf, and how the Sun, Moon and the eleven stars bowed down to him. He said to them, "You are spies; you have come to see where our country is weak."

They said, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all from the same family: we are honest men, we are not spies."

Joseph said to them, "No, you have come to see where our country is weak."

They replied, "We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is with our father in Canaan, and one is dead."

"It's just as I said, you are spies and I am going to find out who you really are. I swear by the life of Pharaoh you won't leave here, until your youngest brother comes here. Choose one of you to go and fetch your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison; that will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you are spies!"

The brothers looked hopelessly at one another. This was not what they were expecting!

Joseph spoke to Ontis, the captain of his guards, "Take these men, under guard and put them in prison."

Ontis took a squad of soldiers and marched the brothers off to prison. Joseph made arrangements to stable and feed their animals.

'I'll give them a taste of prison life for a few days.'

Ontis handed the prisoners over to Zanak.

"The Grand Vizier has ordered that these men be held in prison. They could be spies."

Zanak looked at the ten men, they were foreigners.

He spoke to them, "Where are you from? What are you doing in Egypt?"

Judah spoke up, "My lord, we are from the land of Canaan. We are brothers from the same family. We came into Egypt to buy grain for our families. The famine is very severe in Canaan. The lord of the land has accused us of being spies. We are not spies; we are shepherds trying to buy grain for our families, so we don't starve to death."

Zanak could not understand what they were saying. He heard the word Canaan, and called for an interpreter. Judah repeated what he had said to the interpreter. Zanak spoke to them via the interpreter.

"Whether you are spies, or not, is of no concern to me the Grand Vizier has ordered that you be held in prison. Until I have further orders, this is where you will stay."

Zanak ordered the guards to put them into the cells. The brothers were taken to the main prison area and locked up. The cell door closed with a heavy thud.

The ten brothers looked at each other in despair. It seemed like a dream, but, this was very real! They were shepherds living in tents, moving about with their flocks to find pasture. Now they were locked up in an Egyptian prison accused of being spies. What was going to happen to them?

Judah spoke to his brothers, "God is punishing us. The lord of the land took a dislike to us as soon as he saw us. He thinks we are spies. We must be careful not to upset the guards; otherwise we won't get out of here. The lord of the land wants to send one of us back home to fetch Benjamin. The rest of us he wants to keep here in prison."

Simeon spoke up, "If Benjamin is not brought to him; it will prove to him that we are spies. He will probably kill us all."

They sat on their straw mats looking very dejected. The guards kept a close eye on them; the Grand Vizier, himself, had put them in prison.

Joseph sent word to Zanak to treat them as normal prisoners for three days. Joseph's brothers hated being in prison, they were used to the wide, open countryside. They knew they were being punished. 'How long will we spend in this dreadful Egyptian prison? The lord of the land can do what he likes with us.' They were powerless to change the circumstances.

On the third day, in the afternoon, Joseph had his brothers brought to him. They bowed before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph spoke to them via an interpreter.

"I fear God. I will give you an opportunity to save your lives. If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in prison. And the rest of you can take grain home for your starving families. But, bring your youngest brother here to me; then I will know you are telling the truth and you won't be put to death."

They said to one another, "We are being punished because of Joseph. We saw his anguish at what we did to him; when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen. That's why these terrible things are happening to us."

Rueben answered them saying, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the lad? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for our actions."

They did not realise that Joseph understood them. Joseph was overcome with emotion; he turned and went into an adjoining room, and wept. The memory of their callous act was painful. His brothers now realised what they had done to him was the cause of their present predicament. Joseph took a few minutes to compose himself.

He returned to his brothers and spoke to them via an interpreter; then he selected Simeon and bound him in front of them. Simeon was led away, back to the prison.

Joseph privately commanded his servants to fill each brother's sacks with grain. Put each man's money back into his sack, and give them provision for their trip home. When this was done, their asses were brought to the nine brothers.

Rueben, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, Issachar, Zebulon and Gad saw their laden asses; and with heavy hearts took them, and started out on the long journey back to Canaan.

"What will Father say when he hears the news?"

When they stopped for the night to make camp, one of them opened his sack to give his ass some grain. He saw his money at the top of the sack.

Zebulon said to his brothers, "Here's my money! Look, its right here in my sack."

They were trembling with fear and said to each other, "What is this that God has done to us?"

Their mood was serious and sombre on the journey home. Simeon was waiting expectantly for their quick return.

Chapter Eighteen \- Food in Egypt

Simeon was very unhappy. 'How long will I be in this prison? I won't get out of here unless they bring Benjamin back.' Life in prison was not easy. Joseph ordered Zanak to give the new prisoner work to do each day. Simeon hated being cooped up and having to do the work of a servant. It was degrading!

Joseph, through Zanak, kept a watchful eye on Simeon. Simeon was devastated. He had to go through an indefinite period in this dreadful place. He hoped his brothers would get home speedily and come straight back for him.

His brothers kept up a good pace in their daily travels. They were fearful and gloomy; their time in prison had been traumatic. They could not forget that Simeon was relying on them to come back with Benjamin. It was a terrible predicament. They would all starve without the grain from Egypt. The lord of the land had made it very clear that he would not sell to them if they did not bring Benjamin back to him. Their thoughts continually drifted to Father's reaction when they turned up without Simeon.

Jacob fretted each day. His sons should have returned by now. 'What was keeping them?' He hoped their journey was prosperous and no disaster had overtaken them.

With heavy hearts the brothers returned to Jacob's campsite. They were dreading the meeting with their father. Jacob watched the small caravan of asses approach. Something was not right. This was not a happy homecoming. His sons looked gloomy and dejected.

"What's the problem?"

Judah had been elected to tell Jacob the bad news.

"Father, the governor of the land spoke roughly to us; and accused us of being spies. And we said to him, 'We are honest men, we are not spies; we are twelve brothers, one is dead, and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan'. Then he said to us, 'I'll find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families. Bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that I will set your brother free, and you can trade in the land'."

The blood drained from Jacob's face as he listened to Judah. He looked at his sons. Simeon was missing! 'So it is true!'

His sons were physically tired and emotionally drained. They began to unload the asses. As they emptied their sacks, each of them was surprised to see his money was back in his sack. They were afraid of the consequences.

Jacob was appalled. Fear and grief welled up in his heart. "You have already taken away my sons Joseph and Simeon. Now you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me!"

Rueben, distraught at his father's outburst said, "Kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you."

Jacob was aghast at Rueben's words. 'Kill my grandsons, if Benjamin doesn't come back! What is Rueben thinking? Does he want to add to my troubles?'

Jacob spoke, "Benjamin won't go down with you, his brother is already dead, and he is the only son left. If anything happens to him on the way; I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."

The subject was closed!

The brothers split up and went to their tents. It was good to be home with their families after the traumatic trip from Egypt. They had food for a while, but what would happen when it ran out?

Simeon's wife and six children were fearful and very concerned when they learned of his predicament. 'Will we see him again?'

The famine continued to strengthen its grip on the land of Canaan. Rivers and streams dried up. Crops failed due to lack of water. It was useless planting seed. Finding pasture for the flocks was difficult. Water became more precious, soon they would be totally reliant on the deep wells. As the vegetation died, the bare earth appeared. Dust storms became more prevalent. The landscape began to look barren and bleak.

When the grain they had purchased in Egypt was nearly used up, Jacob was forced to acknowledge that they needed to buy more grain.

"Go back and buy us some more grain."

Judah spoke to him, "The man warned us, saying 'You won't see my face again unless your brother is with you.' If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy food; but if you won't send him, we won't go down."

Jacob said, "Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man you had another brother?"

They said to him, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family; he wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers? We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother to me?' "

Then Judah said to Jacob, "Send Benjamin with me, and we will leave right away, so that none of us will starve to death. I promise to bring him back safely; and if I don't you can blame me for the rest of my life. If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice."

Jacob agonised over his decision; a slow death by starvation for all his family, or, the possible loss of Benjamin? There was only one logical decision to be made.

Jacob said to them, "If Benjamin must go with you, then take some of the best fruits of the land with you and take the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds. Take twice the amount of money, plus the money that was returned in your sacks."

Jacob paused, "Perhaps it was a mistake the money was put in your sacks. Take your brother and go. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he releases Simeon and Benjamin. If I lose my children; I suppose I must."

They quickly packed up and set off for Egypt.

Joseph was a bit concerned, his brothers should have returned to Egypt long before this. He was looking forward to seeing Benjamin. He had not told Asenath about seeing his brothers. He wanted them to show some remorse when he revealed himself to them.

Zanak kept Joseph informed about the Hebrew prisoner. Joseph was concerned for Simeon. He had hoped his brothers would have made a speedy return. 'Oh well, when they run out of grain they will have to come back to Egypt.'

Joseph noticed that the amount of foreigners coming into Egypt to buy grain was increasing dramatically. The famine was very widespread. The additional granaries and storehouses he built were definitely required. 'If Pharaoh had not had his dreams, what condition would Egypt be in now?'

"Grand Vizier, the Hebrew brothers have returned." said Okan, Joseph's chief steward.

"Thank you, Okan I have been expecting to see them again."

His ten brothers were brought before Joseph. They bowed their faces to the ground. Joseph spoke in Egyptian, "Okan, take these men home, slaughter an animal and cook it. Be ready, for they will dine with me at noon."

Okan took the brothers to Joseph's house. The brothers were apprehensive. "It's because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. He wants to make a case against us; seize us as slaves, and take our possessions."

They came near the door of the house and spoke to Okan.

"Sir, we came to Egypt before to buy grain; when we stopped for the night to camp, we opened our grain sacks; and there in each man's sack was the exact amount of money we had paid for the grain. We have brought it back and we have brought extra money to buy grain. We do not know who put the money in our sacks."

Okan spoke to them in their native tongue, "It's alright, don't be afraid. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full."

Okan went inside and brought Simeon out to them. Simeon was relieved and pleased to see his brothers.They all wondered why they were in the Grand Vizier's house.

Okan brought them inside and gave them water to wash their feet. Then he arranged to feed their asses. The brothers got their present ready for the Grand Vizier; for they were told they were to dine with him.

Joseph came home at noon. They brought their present to him and bowed down before him. Joseph used Okan to interpret, "What about your elderly father, is he still alive?"

They answered, "Your servant our father is still alive and well."

They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before him.

Joseph spotted his brother Benjamin, Rachel's other son; and said, "Is this your younger brother, who you told me about?"

He spoke to Benjamin in Egyptian, "God bless you, my son."

Joseph yearned to hug his brother. Overcome with emotion, he quickly went out and sought a place to weep. He went to his bedroom and wept there.

His brothers were mystified by his sudden exit from the room. 'What is going on?'

Joseph washed his face and came back. Restraining his emotions, he said to Okan, "Serve the meal."

The servants began serving the meal. Joseph sat by himself and ate, the Egyptians sat apart and ate, and the Hebrews also sat apart and ate. The Egyptians could not eat their meal with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

His brothers sat before him; the firstborn according to his birthright, right down to the youngest, according to their ages. His brothers looked with astonishment at one another! Joseph sent servings to them from his table, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as theirs. So they all drank and were merry with Joseph.

Joseph called Okan to him and spoke in Egyptian, "Fill the men's grain sacks with grain as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup in the youngest brother's sack, plus his grain money."

So Okan did as Joseph commanded. Next morning at dawn the brothers were sent on their way. When they had gone out of the city and were still fairly close, Joseph said to Okan, "Get up, follow the men, and when you catch up to them say, 'My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver drinking cup? Not only does he drink from the cup; he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing'."

Okan, with a band of soldiers, caught up with the brothers who were feeling good after their feast with the Grand Vizier. They were surprised to see his head steward. Okan spoke to them the words which Joseph commanded him to say.

They said to him, "Sir, why do you say such things. We would never do anything like that. We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If you find that any one of us has the cup then kill him and the rest of us will be your slaves."

Okan said to them, "Good! I'll do what you have said, but only the one who has the cup will be my slave. The rest of you can go free."

Each brother quickly took his sack and opened it. Okan started with the eldest brother Rueben and searched each man, leaving Benjamin until last.

He found the cup in Benjamin's sack. In total despair they loaded their asses and returned to the city. So, Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell prostrate before him.

Joseph spoke to them via Okan, "What have you done? Didn't you know I would find you out?"

Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? How can we prove our innocence? God has shown that we are guilty. And now all of us are your slaves; especially the one who had the cup."

Joseph said, "I would never punish all of you. Only the man who was caught with the cup; he will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father."

Joseph knew this was a crucial moment. 'How will they respond?'

Judah, mindful of his vow to his father Jacob, came near to Joseph and said,"My lord, you have as much power as Pharaoh himself, and I am only your slave. Please don't get angry if I speak."

"You asked us if our father was still alive and if we had any more brothers. So we told you, 'Our father is a very old man. He was already old when Benjamin was born. Benjamin's brother is dead. Now Benjamin is the only one of the two brothers who is still alive, and our father loves him very much. You ordered us to bring him here, so you could see him for yourself. We told you that our father would die if Benjamin left him. But you warned us that we could never see you again, unless our youngest brother came with us. So we returned to our father and reported what you had said."

"Later our father told us to come back here and buy more grain. But we answered, 'We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the Grand Vizier, unless he is with us'. "

"My lord, our father then reminded us that his favourite wife had given birth to two sons. One of them was already missing and had not been seen for a long time. My father thinks the lad was torn to pieces by some wild animal, and he said, 'I am an old man. If you take Benjamin from me, and something happens to him, I will die of a broken heart.'

"That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much that he will die if Benjamin doesn't come back with me. I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life."

"My lord, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow."

Joseph sat impassively through Judah's speech. He could no longer restrain his emotions, he cried out in Egyptian, "Everyone leave the room!"

The Egyptians in his presence all went out of the room wondering what was going on.

Joseph wept aloud. The Egyptians and Pharaoh's household heard him. What was wrong with the Grand Vizier?

Joseph spoke in Hebrew to his brothers. "I am Joseph, is my father still alive?"

His brothers were deeply shocked. They could not answer him. Joseph said to them, "Please come close to me." So they came close.

Then he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives. There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plough fields or harvest grain. But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. After all, you weren't really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in Pharaoh's Court and placed me over all of Egypt."

"Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says,' "God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don't come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death'."

"All of you, including my brother Benjamin, can tell by what I have said that I really am Joseph. Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring him here."

Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin and wept on his neck, and Benjamin wept on Joseph's neck. Joseph kissed his brothers, one by one, and wept over them. After that his brothers talked with him.

News of this reached Pharaoh's household. Pharaoh was told, "Joseph's brothers have come."

Pharaoh and his officers were pleased. Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "Tell your brothers to load their asses and return to Canaan. Have them bring your father and their families here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they can eat and enjoy everything that grows on it. Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure to have them bring their father. They can leave their possessions behind, because they will be given the best of everything in Egypt."

Joseph wanted his brothers to meet Asenath and their two boys. He went to see Asenath. "Asenath, my brothers are here from the land of Canaan. I have forgiven them for what they did to me."

Asenath was speechless! 'Joseph's brothers are here in Zoan!'She did not feel kindly disposed towards them for what they had done to Joseph. She could see that Joseph was happy that they were here.

Joseph noticed Asenath's reaction. He saw the look of surprise and dislike. "Asenath, they have changed. They are sorry for what they did to me. This is all part of God's plan to preserve my family, as well as Egypt. Pharaoh has given me wagons and provisions to bring my father and my brothers' families to Egypt to save them from the famine."

Asenath relaxed a bit. She studied Joseph's face. He was relaxed and peaceful. He was genuinely happy to see his brothers. "Joseph, if you have forgiven them and have made peace with them; then I will be kind to them for your sake."

"Good my love, tonight I will bring them home to meet you and our sons. I will leave the dining arrangements to you."

Joseph kissed Asenath and then returned to his duties in the Palace.

Asenath arranged a banquet for Joseph's brothers. Joseph introduced his brothers, from the eldest down to the youngest. She could see that Benjamin was his favourite brother. Joseph interpreted for her.

Manasseh and Ephraim did not understand what all the fuss was about. Manasseh realised that somehow these men were connected to his father. Ephraim, however, did not understand it at all.

Joseph's brothers made a fuss of the two boys. They were pleased to see that Joseph was happily married with his own family. They would have good news to give Father; on their return to Canaan.

Jacob's sons had agreed to do what Pharaoh had said. So Joseph gave them wagons and food for their trip home, just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph gave some new clothes to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he gave five new outfits and three hundred pieces of silver. To his father he sent ten asses loaded with the best things in Egypt, and ten female asses loaded with grain and bread and other food for the return trip.

Then he sent his brothers off and told them, "Don't argue on the way home!"

Chapter Nineteen \- Jacob Comes to Egypt

Joseph's brothers went out of the land of Egypt, back to the land of Canaan and returned to their father's camp. Jacob was overjoyed to see his sons, but why were there wagons and extra asses? Judah spoke excitedly, "Joseph is still alive and he is Governor over all the land of Egypt."

Jacob was so surprised that he did not believe them; but when they told him all that Joseph and Pharaoh had said, and he saw the wagons which Joseph sent to carry him, his spirit revived. "Now I can believe you. My son Joseph really must be alive and I will go and see him before I die."

Jacob gave his son's instructions to pack up the camp, gather the flocks, and herds and prepare for the journey to Egypt. He was excited. 'Joseph is alive, Simeon and Benjamin are safe. Surely God is good to me in my old age.'

Jacob journeyed south to Beersheba. Here he offered animal sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. While they were camped at Beersheba, God spoke to Jacob in his dreams at night.

"Jacob! Jacob!"

"Here I am," Jacob answered.

God said, "I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die."

Jacob was spiritually strengthened for his journey. 'The God of my father has promised to be with me on my journey to Egypt; and He has also promised that Joseph will be at my side when I die.'

Moving Jacob's family was a large undertaking, with his eleven sons and their families, plus all their household goods. Jacob packed up camp and left Beersheba. They made an impressive sight with the wagons, their livestock and all their goods. The journey by necessity was slow, due to the livestock which needed to be fed and watered. When they came to the border of Egypt, Jacob sent Judah to Joseph, for directions into the land of Goshen.

Joseph was pleased to see Judah. "Judah, it is good to see you my brother. Is Father well? Has his journey been comfortable?"

"Yes Joseph, Father is well. His journey in the wagon has been good. He is looking forward to seeing you."

Joseph was excited. 'Soon I'll see Father!' He gave Judah directions to the land of Goshen.

"Tell father, I will come up to meet him when he arrives in Goshen."

When news reached Joseph that his father had arrived; he asked Okan to get his chariot ready, and then he went to Goshen. Joseph was longing to see his father. 'It's 22 years since I walked out of Father's camp at Hebron, to check on my brothers and the flocks. God surely moves in mysterious ways.'

Joseph drove his chariot into his father's camp. He dismounted from his chariot and went to Jacob. He looked at his father's frail figure, his wrinkled face and grey hair. The years of separation had taken their toll on his father's health.

Joseph presented himself to Jacob, and fell on his neck and wept a good while. Joseph touchingly put his hand on his father's eyes for a brief moment. All the hard years in Egypt, wondering whether he would see Father again, were over.

Jacob said to Joseph, "Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die."

Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them, "I must go and tell Pharaoh that you have arrived from Canaan. I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own."

"Pharaoh will call you in and ask what you do for a living. When he does, be sure to say, 'We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep.' If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen."

Joseph wanted them to say this to Pharaoh, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep.

Joseph took five of his brothers to Pharaoh. He selected Reuben, Judah, Simeon, Levi and Benjamin to meet Pharaoh, along with their father Jacob. Joseph presented his brothers to Pharaoh at Court. It was an awe inspiring moment for them. The full grandeur and glory of Egypt was vested in this man. The most powerful monarch in the world sat before them.

Joseph spoke, "My lord Pharaoh my brothers are privileged and grateful that you have granted them an audience."

Pharaoh motioned them forward; they bowed their faces to the ground before him.

Joseph spoke again, "My lord Pharaoh, this is my brother Rueben, my brother Judah, my brother Simeon, my brother Levi and my brother Benjamin."

Pharaoh asked them, "What do you do for a living?" Joseph interpreted for Pharaoh.

"Lord Pharaoh we are shepherds," was their answer. "Our families have always raised sheep. But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen."

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "It's good that your father and brothers have arrived. I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats."

Joseph went out and escorted his father Jacob in and presented him to Pharaoh. Pharaoh studied the frail old man before him. He had a commanding presence. Like Joseph, there was a certain quality of spirit and wisdom emanating from him.

Jacob bowed before Pharaoh. He spoke to Jacob, "How old are you?"

Jacob answered, "I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine."

Jacob paused, "My lord Pharaoh, may the God of my father, my God, the possessor of heaven and earth reward you for your kindness to my son Joseph and to me, and my family. God Almighty bless you abundantly and grant you a long and full life."

Pharaoh was happy; Joseph's God was pleased with Pharaoh. So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Joseph set up his father and his brothers in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses in Goshen. He gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, as Pharaoh commanded. Joseph provided bread for his father and his brothers according to the numbers in their households.

Chapter Twenty \- Testing Times

The famine worsened in Egypt and Canaan. The people of Egypt and Canaan were particularly hard hit. In Egypt because there were no crops and the level of the River Nile was very low; in Canaan because the rains ceased and the rivers and streams dried up. Canaan was very reliant on its early season and late season rain.

Canaan was in a calamitous situation. No rain, no crops and no grain in storage. Livestock died of starvation and thirst. The people of the land were in a terrible predicament. The only grain available was in Egypt, and the price was high. What would happen when they ran out of money? Dust storms and sand storms became more prevalent as the vegetation died. Livestock ate the dead vegetation, but there was no hope of renewing it. The deep wells of underground water kept people and animals alive.

In Egypt, the Egyptians had water available from the great river but no crops to harvest. The river level continued to drop each year. Their money purchased grain for eating purposes; this was rationed to them according to the number of people in their households. The poorer people struggled to get enough food to live on.

As the famine conditions worsened, commerce and trade declined. People needed their money for grain. The overriding goal of every one was to avoid starvation. Money was the key to survival; it was needed to buy grain. Food became the chief aim for every person. Merchants and traders felt the famine keenly. People were no longer interested in their merchandise. The labour markets and the slave markets had a rapid decline. Who needed another mouth to feed?

Joseph was much in thought about the general conditions in Egypt. The situation was getting desperate for many people. Slowly, through his grain sales, he gathered up all the money in Egypt and Canaan. The people had no choice, buy grain or slowly starve.

The inevitable occurred, the monetary system failed. The Egyptian people were in a terrible predicament. The people came to Joseph.

"Give us bread, why should we die in your presence? We have no more money."

Joseph said to them, "If you have no money, give me your livestock; I will give you grain for your livestock," So the people brought their livestock. Joseph gave them grain in exchange for horses, flocks, camels, cattle and asses. He fed the people with grain all that year.

Pharaoh's possessions increased mightily. He had all the money from Egypt and Canaan in his treasuries. Now, he also owned all the livestock in Egypt. Pharaoh became exceedingly wealthy.

Next year the people approached Joseph again. They said to him, "There's no way we can hide the truth from you. We have no money, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you will give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we will sell ourselves and our lands to Pharaoh. We will become his slaves."

Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine prevailed over them. So the land became Pharaoh's; except the land of the priests. Pharaoh assigned them their lands and was responsible for feeding them and their households.

Joseph now had a new challenge. The people were scattered throughout Egypt. He had to move them to the storage cities and towns. He began a huge logistical operation. He started moving the people off the land into the cities; particularly people who lived away from the river. The people had no choice, it was move, or starve.

Throughout the length and breadth of Egypt, he moved people into the nearest storage city, or town. These places were located along the great river. The population in the cities increased dramatically. Joseph had to house and feed them all. The people were grateful to Pharaoh, it was better than starvation.

Living conditions in the cities were crowded, and accommodation often cramped and noisy. However, the people had food, water and shelter. The news from other countries was very grim. Many people had died from starvation.

Pharaoh was pleased with the way Joseph was looking after the Egyptian people. "Joseph, now we have moved people into the cities, we need to keep them occupied."

"Yes, lord Pharaoh, we could use the men on building projects in the cities. We don't want people to be idle and lazy. Do you have any particular building projects in mind?"

"Yes, Joseph I want to discuss them with you."

They began to discuss Pharaoh's projects. These projects would keep the population busy until the famine was over.

The seventh and final year of the great famine arrived. Joseph was relieved it was nearly over. Towards the end of that year, Joseph spoke to the people, "You and your land now belong to Pharaoh. I am giving you seed to plant, but one-fifth of your harvest must go to Pharaoh. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families."

They said to him, "You have saved our lives; let us find favour in your sight, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."

Joseph made a law over the land of Egypt that Pharaoh should have one fifth of the harvests; except for the priests, for the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh's.

Chapter Twenty One \- Renewal

Egypt was barren; the years of famine had taken their toll. The river level had dropped each succeeding year of the famine. The irrigation canals had dried up. Water had to be carried from the river to the homes.

The tributaries in the Delta were also affected; some of the minor offshoots had dried up. Areas that were once teeming with bird life and water fowl; were barely able to sustain the vastly reduced numbers.

The Grand Vizier was confident things would improve next year. The people took the seed with mixed feelings. Many were doubtful. Why should next year be any better? The seven years of famine had given most people a negative outlook. Others pointed out that what the Grand Vizier had said to Pharaoh had so far been accurate.

"We had seven very good years. Now we have had seven very bad years. The Grand Vizier kept us alive through the famine. It he is confident that things will now improve; we should also be confident."

The fifteenth year commenced. Joseph had full confidence in his God, that they would have normal flood levels this year. With great anticipation the people watched the flood level indicators in the south of Egypt.

The news was good! River levels were back to normal. The people were jubilant! They could plant crops again. It was a common sight for people to go down to the river to watch it rise, higher and higher. The irrigation canals filled again. Water poured into the agricultural basins. What a beautiful sight!

When the flood waters receded, they planted their seed in the wet soil. Soon the tender plants appeared and the people were excited! They waited eagerly for their first harvest in many years.

Joseph moved the farmers back to their homes; they no longer owned their lands, or livestock, Pharaoh owned it. They had become tenants. One fifth of the harvests belonged to Pharaoh. The Egyptians were grateful to the Grand Vizier; he had saved them and their nation. He had also saved people in other lands from starvation. Truly, he was a great man in their sight.

The harvest was bountiful. The land near the river began to lose its barren look. Joseph set up an Administrative Bureau to oversee and collect the Harvest Tax. It was good to see smiles on people's faces again. The economy slowly began to rebuild. Joseph continued to store the Tax grain in the State granaries. Some would be kept as a buffer against future poor harvests. The remainder would be sold, or traded for other goods.

Joseph began to release money back into circulation. He set up more trading markets. He bought excess grain from the people in exchange for money. As the economy picked up he would be able to release more money. He also traded livestock for grain, or money. It was a good year, a sign of good times ahead. People were pleased to be back in their homes; except that they were now tenants.

The following year Egypt had another good harvest. The land was recovering. The people were happy that the dreadful years of famine were over. The land of Goshen returned to its normal, fertile state. Jacob and his sons prospered in Rameses. Their herds and flocks increased remarkably in the lush conditions in Goshen. They became richer and their possessions increased. God also blessed Jacob's sons with more children and grandchildren. Their families multiplied in Goshen.

Life in Egypt returned to its normal cycle; and the years rolled on. Joseph's fame spread far and wide. He was known as, 'The saviour of the world.' A great multitude of people had been saved from starvation in the Great Famine. Joseph became a respected leader and statesman throughout the known world.

Egypt returned to its former glory and Pharaoh was exceedingly rich. Pharaoh would often reflect on his choice of Joseph as his Grand Vizier. Joseph had proved time and time again to be an inspired choice. He ruled with fairness and integrity, and was completely trustworthy. Asenath had turned out to be an excellent wife for Joseph. Nefterin's intuition had been correct; Asenath was a definite asset to Joseph and to Egypt

Pharaoh's life was relaxed with Joseph ruling the nation for him.

Chapter Twenty Two \- Jacob's Death and Burial

Jacob, also known as Israel, lived for seventeen years in Goshen. He knew his time on earth was nearly over. Jacob sent a message to Joseph, to come and see him. Joseph went to Goshen. His father was lying in bed. He spoke to Joseph.

"If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. Instead, bury me in the place where my fathers are buried."

"I will do what you have asked," Joseph answered.

"Will you give me your word?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, I will," Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.

Joseph departed and returned to Zoan. He was sad to see how frail his father had become. He realised that his father's death was imminent. In his mind he retraced the early years and the close bond they had. He was grateful to God for bringing them together again after a long and painful separation. Joseph was thankful he was able to succour his father in Egypt, in the latter years of Jacob's life.

Sometime later Joseph was told, "Your father is very sick." Joseph realised his father was dying. He took Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to see you." Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.

Jacob told Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where He gave me His blessing and promised 'I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family forever'."

Then Jacob went on to say, "Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh. Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syria and before we reached Bethlehem. I had to bury her along the way."

Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, "Who are these lads?"

Joseph answered, "They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt."

"Bring them to me," Jacob said. "I want to give them my blessing."

Joseph brought his sons to him, and he hugged and kissed them.

Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, "For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children."

Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob's knees, and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.

After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right. But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh.

Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said, "My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the Lord God. He has been with me all my life, and His angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that He will bless these lads and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well."

Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father's right hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh.

Joseph said, "Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him."

But his father said, "Son, I know what I am doing. It's true that Manasseh's family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations."

Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, "I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh." Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.

After that, Jacob said, "Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago. Meanwhile, I'm giving you the hillside I captured from the Amorites."

Jacob called his sons together and said, "My sons, I am Jacob, your father Israel. Gather around, as I tell your future."

"Reuben, you are my oldest, born at the peak of my powers; you were an honoured leader. Uncontrollable as a flood, you slept with my wife and disgraced my bed. And so you no longer deserve the place of honour."

"Simeon and Levi, you are brothers, each a gruesome sword. I never want to take part in your plans or deeds. You slaughtered people in your anger, and you crippled cattle for no reason. Now I place a curse on you because of your fierce anger. Your descendants will be scattered among the tribes of Israel."

"Judah, you will be praised by your brothers; they will bow down to you, as you defeat your enemies. My son, you are a lion ready to eat your victim! You are terribly fierce; no one will bother you. You will have power and rule until nations obey you and bring gifts. You will tie your ass to a choice grapevine and wash your clothes in wine from those grapes. Your eyes are darker than wine, your teeth whiter than milk."

"Zebulun, you will settle along the seashore and provide safe harbours as far north as Sidon."

"Issachar, you are a strong ass resting in the meadows. You found them so pleasant that you worked too hard and became a slave. "

"Dan, you are the tribe that will bring justice to Israel. You are a snake that bites the heel of a horse, making its rider fall. O Lord, I am waiting for you to save us."

"Gad, you will be attacked, then attack your attackers."

"Asher, you will eat food fancy enough for a king."

"Naphtali, you are a wild deer with lovely fawns."

"Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream and climbing a wall. Enemies attacked with arrows, refusing to show mercy."

"But you stood your ground, swiftly shooting back with the help of Jacob's God, the Almighty — his name is the Shepherd, Israel's mighty rock. Your help came from the God your father worshiped, from God Almighty. God will bless you with rain and streams from the earth; he will bless you with many descendants."

"My son, the blessings I give are better than the promise of ancient mountains or eternal hills. Joseph, I pray these blessings will come to you, because you are the leader of your brothers."

"Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf, destroying your enemies, morning and evening."

These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings. Then Jacob told his sons, "Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebecca."

"I buried Leah there too. Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites."

When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died. He was 147 years old.

Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him. Joseph commanded the physicians he had brought with him to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. A period of 70 days was required for those who were embalmed. The Egyptian mourning period was 70 days. Joseph and his brothers grieved deeply for their father.

When the days of mourning were completed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's household. "If you consider me your friend, please speak to Pharaoh for me. Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If Pharaoh will give me permission to go, I will come back here."

Pharaoh answered, "Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father."

Joseph was relieved that he could carry out his father's request. Pharaoh spoke to him again, "Joseph, this is a solemn occasion. Egypt should show its gratitude to you. It is fitting that the nation should have a strong representation at your father's burial. I will arrange this for you."

Pharaoh decided that all the elders of the land of Egypt should accompany Joseph. The elders of Pharaoh's household would represent Pharaoh.

Joseph gathered them together in Rameses. There went with him, Pharaoh's chief servants; the elders of Pharaoh's household, all the elders of Egypt, Joseph's household, his brothers and their households, and his father's household. The small children, the flocks and herds stayed behind in Goshen.

The assembled company was a very great gathering. It was accompanied by units of the Egyptian army, with chariots and horsemen.

It was a tremendous spectacle of Egyptian pomp and glory. The huge company made an impressive sight as it moved out from Rameses and headed towards the land of Canaan.

The journey was slow and solemn. When the great company came to the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River; Joseph ordered a rest. They mourned for Jacob with a great and very solemn lamentation. Joseph observed seven days of mourning for his father.

The inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and said to each other. "This is a deep mourning for the Egyptians." They called the place 'Abel Mizraim' which means 'Mourning of the Egyptians'.

Jacob's sons took his embalmed body into the land of Canaan, and buried him in Machpelah Cave which is before Mamre; the cave which Abraham bought, along with the field of Ephron the Hittite, as a burial place. After the burial Joseph, his brothers, and all who went with him returned to Egypt.

Joseph's brothers said to each other, "What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?"

So they sent this message to Joseph, "Before our father died, he told us, 'You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you.' Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped."

When Joseph heard this, he wept. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, "We are your slaves."

But Joseph told them, "Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided. You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children."

After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.

Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So, Joseph and his brothers, and their families, together with his father's household lived in Egypt.

###

Epilogue

Joseph lived to see the third generation of Ephraim's children. The children of Machir, Manasseh's son, sat on Joseph's knees.

At the age of 110 years Joseph knew his time on earth was nearly up. He sent for his brethren. Joseph spoke to them, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you; and you shall carry my bones up from here." So Joseph died being 110 years old. They embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Centuries later Moses fulfilled Joseph's dying words; for in Exodus 13:19 we read, "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he [Joseph] had charged the children of Israel, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones away from here with you'." In the book of Joshua 24:32 we read that the children of Israel buried Joseph's remains in the same place Joseph buried his father Jacob.

About the Author

I am a retired male nurse, married with three sons, who have grown up and left home. I live with my wife at Innisfail in tropical North Queensland, Australia. The main agricultural crops of the region are sugar cane, bananas and paw paws. Innisfail is situated at the confluence of the Johnstone and South Johnstone rivers; adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.

I am a committed Christian and I fellowship with like minded Christians at a Gospel Hall in Innisfail. I enjoy writing and reading my Bible and Christian books. I also enjoy reading other non-fiction books in my spare time, particularly biographies and autobiographies. I also blog on my two blogs:

Biblical Perspectives blog http://www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

Words of Life blog http://www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com

Bibliography of Names

Akentoph \- Captain of Pharaoh's armies

Amenope \- Esna's friend

Asenaken \- Potipherah's wife

Asenath \- Joseph's wife

Ephraim \- Joseph's second son

Esna - Potiphars's wife

Gebel - Potiphar's head steward

Gimbal - Potiphar's head groomsman

Harrup - Amenope's wife

Manasseh \- Joseph's eldest son

Okan - Joseph's chief Butler

Ontis - Captain of Pharaoh's personal guards

Oznak - Captain of prison guards

Potiphar \- Captain of Pharaoh's royal guards

Potipherah - The Priest of On

Queen Nefterin - Pharaoh's wife

Zanak - Prison warden

Zanaken \- Pharaoh's former chief baker

Zoken - Pharaoh's Chief Steward

Zophek - Pharaoh's former chief butler

Joseph's Brothers

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Zebulon

Issachar

Dan

Gad

Asher

Naphtali

Benjamin

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