Who Did Joseph Marry in the Bible?
Many people are curious about the marriage of Joseph and Mary. However, it is not entirely clear who they married and when. There are many theories. Some say Joseph married Asenath, a Semitic Hyksos, while others say Joseph married a Canaanite who was a descendent of a nomadic people.
Asenath was a Semitic Hyksos
Asenath was a Semitic, possibly Egyptian, woman who married Joseph. In the Bible, her name is first mentioned in Genesis 41:45. She was Joseph’s wife, and the mother of his sons. She was also the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On and the high priest of Heliopolis. She was also mentioned in the Book of Jubilees.
The biblical account of Joseph and Asenath is largely ambiguous. While it is clear that Joseph was devoutly religious and worshipped the God of Jacob, it is unclear why he chose to marry an Egyptian woman. Though she was of Egyptian descent, her bloodline would still have made her a Semitic Hyksos, which would mean that her descendants would not be able to inherit the Priesthood.
She was a descendant of a nomadic people
The story of Joseph and Asenath is interesting because the people of the ancient Near East were nomadic. The Hebrews, for example, were semi-nomadic and kept livestock and were often mobile. Their livestock included donkeys, camels, sheep, and other animals.
The story of Joseph and Aseneth is told in several versions. In Genesis 41:45, Asenath is described as the wife of Joseph and mother of his sons. In other versions, she is referred to as the daughter of Potipherah, high priest of Heliopolis. The Book of Jubilees also mentions Asenath.
She was a high-ranking Canaanite
The bible records that Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of Shechem. She bore him two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The two sons were accepted by Jacob’s other sons because Asenath had a strong belief in God. Asenath also grew strong in society.
The gospel of Mark identifies the woman’s nationality. The Canaanites were called Syrophoenicians before the Israelites arrived. The term “Canaanite” hadn’t been used in centuries, but it has theological overtones. The Canaanites lived in the Promised Land prior to the Israelites, and they worshipped idols.
The story of Joseph and his wife is well known, but the Bible also provides a fascinating glimpse into the social life of that time. The Canaanite women in the bible were not primarily wealthy. They were poor and had little money. As a result, they could not marry well. However, they had many children.
She was a foreigner
The Bible does not say why Joseph married a foreign woman, but it is possible she had reservations about him. Asenath was a high-born woman, and her people were nomads. However, she was the foremother of two major Israelite tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Before Joseph married Mary, she had already been engaged to another man. This meant that if Joseph was having an extramarital affair with another woman, it would have been illegal for him to marry her. Fortunately, this was not the case. He had a secret in his heart that kept him from having extramarital sex with a foreign woman.
Joseph was a highly important person in the Bible. During David’s reign, Joseph was the head of priests. He was also the head of Shebaniah’s household during the reign of Joiakim, the high priest at the time. Later, Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The son of Joseph and Mary, often called Joses, was a half-brother of Jesus. Joseph also provided burial for Jesus’ body.
She was given to Joseph by Pharaoh
In this story, Joseph married a woman who was given to the Pharaoh, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of a priest named Potiperah. On, or Heliopolis, was an ancient Egyptian city where the sun god Ra was worshipped. Asenath is an Egyptian word that means “belongs to Neith.”
Joseph was a high-ranking person who had achieved great success as an Egyptian and a Pharaoh gave him a wife. He was given Asenath by the Pharaoh after he had acquired high office. Other people speculate that Mary was the daughter of a Potipher. If so, she is a woman of high status.
When Asenath first met Joseph, she disapproved of the marriage, but later converted to his faith. Prior to meeting Joseph, she was dedicated to the worship of her gods. Her conversion to Joseph’s faith was a genuine one, as the text says she mourned in ashes for a week.
She was pregnant with a child that is not Joseph’s
The bible tells us that Joseph’s wife was pregnant with a baby that is not his. Joseph could have charged Mary with adultery, a crime that can lead to death. But, because he wanted to show mercy to his wife, he chose to divorce her quietly. He planned to obtain a legal divorce later. In addition, he may have been influenced by an angelic visit.
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, Joseph learned that she was pregnant long before the wedding celebration. In addition, Joseph’s family had been living far from Bethlehem for many generations. Since his family was far away, it was not likely that he would have had any close relatives in Bethlehem. This is why Joseph would have sought out other relatives in Bethlehem.
Reuben plotted against Joseph
When the plan to kill Joseph was hatching, Reuben intervened. He suggested a plan where Joseph would be thrown into a pit and starve to death. This plan was devised to give Reuben time to save Joseph. But Reuben wasn’t the only one plotting against Joseph.
Reuben was determined to save Joseph. He told his brothers not to harm him, but he planned to rescue him later to take him back to his father. However, the plan failed and Joseph was thrown into a dry well. While he was trying to stop his brothers, he blew his chance.
Joseph’s brothers acted against their brother out of misplaced loyalty. Jacob’s brothers’ conspiracy against Joseph was a violation of the law. Jacob knew that the plan was wrong, but he felt he had a role to speak up. Despite his good intentions, his actions were easily overridden, and the plan was executed anyway.
She was a hostage
It’s not clear in the bible’s version of events why Joseph’s wife was a hostage. There are two possible interpretations. First, she was the wife of a Hebrew overseer who had been tempted to commit adultery. She reportedly also accused him of criminal solicitations. His master believed her and cast him into prison. The prison keeper, however, was a favor from Yahweh, who trusted Joseph implicitly with the other prisoners.
Second, Joseph’s near-seduction of his master’s wife was reminiscent of the Tale of Two Brothers, which became a popular Egyptian tale during the reign of Pharaoh Seti II. In addition, Joseph’s rise to power is also reminiscent of the story of Osarseph, a Syrian born who became a vizier in Egypt. Another possibility is that the Egyptian king’s father Potiphar was a version of Merenptah. The “seven lean years” referred to famine in the Middle East.
She was a slave
When the biblical narrator first describes this story, it’s clear that the author does not subscribe to the idea that women are exclusive property. He describes women as having sexual, social, and other power. Nevertheless, he does point out that these qualities are not necessarily bad. When a woman does not receive the respect she deserves, she will likely act out against her husband.
The life of Joseph, who was a beloved son of his father Jacob, was a life of struggle. He was a slave in a foreign land and had little freedom except to obey his master’s orders. His brothers treated him like a prisoner and his master’s wife treated him cruelly and unfairly. Throughout his life, he was not given the respect he deserved.
She was a prisoner
This story of Joseph’s marriage to a prisoner shows how suffering prepares a person for leadership. He was put into a prison by his master, but the Lord protected him and blessed him throughout the process. He even learned the language and culture of Egypt while serving as a prisoner. Then, when his master’s wife falsely accuses him of rape, God uses his trial to prepare him for leadership. He then enters a prison for political prisoners, serving as their baker and butler. As a result, Joseph learns to follow the rules and protocols of a high-level government official.
As the story goes, Judah sold his younger brother into slavery, but the brothers of Joseph and Benjamin told “the ruler of Egypt” the truth when pressed. Jacob refused to release his younger son because he waited too long to act on Joseph’s behalf. He wanted to protect his brothers by taking his youngest son with them.