As many legends are based on real people and events, I believe that Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, was a real person of Hebrew faith who held a high office in ancient Egypt. Joseph is prominent in the Bible of Christian tradition, in Jewish legends (Midrash and Aggadah), and in the Qur’an of the Islamic religion. When in Egypt, he was given an Egyptian name, which the Bible states was ZAPHENATH PAANEAH. The actual name in Egyptian may never be known, as we do not have the original hieroglyphic symbols. However, there are several possible renditions.
Joseph in Egypt
Joseph was probably born c.1710 BC. From an early age, he was an interpreter of dreams for his brothers and his father Jacob. According to the Bible, he was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers. While in prison after false accusations of attempted rape, Joseph interpreted the dreams of the royal butler and also the royal baker. Later on, he was able to decipher Pharaoh’s dreams, following which, at the age of about 30, he became vizier in charge of the agriculture and granaries of northern Egypt c.1680 BC, during the early Hyksos era.
In ancient Egypt, food scarcities usually occurred during periods of civil war, when there was a lack of strong central government, or following an extended period when the Nile did not flood sufficiently to irrigate the land. To combat starvation, ancient Egyptians dug canals for irrigation and amassed grain into storehouses. According to the Bible, Joseph stored up grain during seven years of good harvests so that the people would not starve during the following seven years of famine.
