101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

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separate works about different characters and weaves them together into a single narrative,
merging a variety of identities into individual characters. Although it hangs
together as the work of primarily a single author, the story contains some traces of the
later political feuds between Reuben and Judah, with one or the other competing to be
the least culpable of wrongdoing in their brother’s treatment.
Like the earlier cycles about Abraham’s children and then Isaac’s children, the story
continues the theme of tribal competition and jealousy among the brothers. In this
account Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son, had a number of dreams foretelling that he would
become head of the household, with even his parents bowing down before him.
In the early stages, Joseph comes across as a rather pompous and obnoxious young
teen, with an“I’m Joseph and you’re not” sort of attitude. In one account, he insists on
telling his brothers about a dream in which, “For, behold, we were binding sheaves in
the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves
stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf ” (Gen. 37:7).
But one dream wasn’t enough. He had to rub it in with more visions of the future:
“Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the
eleven stars made obeisance to me” (Gen. 37:9).
No wonder his brothers“hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words”
(Gen. 37:8).
Not long after Joseph told his brothers of his dreams, Jacob’s other eleven sons conspired
to get rid of their obnoxious brother. Initially, they planned to kill him and toss
him into a pit. But Reuben had second thoughts about actually having blood on their
hands and suggested that they just leave him in the pit, presumably to starve to death.
No doubt some biblical scribe saw this action by Reuben as either more humane or
less culpable.
After placing him in the pit, Judah, not to be outdone by Reuben’s sudden burst of
compassion, argued,“Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand
be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content”
(Gen. 37:27).
Thus was Joseph sold into slavery and transported to Egypt, where his skills in
dream interpretation eventually led him to the top spot in Pharaoh’s pecking order.