Antiquities Book 2, Chapter 3
How Joseph Was Thus Sold By His Brethren Into Egypt, By Reason Of Their Hatred To Him; And How He There Grew Famous And Illustrious And Had His Brethren Under His Power.
1. Now these brethren rejoiced as soon as they saw their brother coming
to them, not indeed as at the presence of a near relation, or as at the
presence of one sent by their father, but as at the presence of an
enemy, and one that by Divine Providence was delivered into their hands;
and they already resolved to kill him, and not let slip the opportunity
that lay before them. But when Reubel, the eldest of them, saw them thus
disposed, and that they had agreed together to execute their purpose, he
tried to restrain them, showing them the heinous enterprise they were
going about, and the horrid nature of it; that this action would appear
wicked in the sight of God, and impious before men, even though they
should kill one not related to them; but much more flagitious and
detestable to appear to have slain their own brother, by which act the
father must be treated unjustly in the son's slaughter, and the mother 1
also be in perplexity while she laments that her son is taken away from
her, and this not in a natural way neither. So he entreated them to have
a regard to their own consciences, and wisely to consider what mischief
would betide them upon the death of so good a child, and their youngest
brother; that they would also fear God, who was already both a spectator
and a witness of the designs they had against their brother; that he
would love them if they abstained from this act, and yielded to
repentance and amendment; but in case they proceeded to do the fact, all
sorts of punishments would overtake them from God for this murder of
their brother, since they polluted his providence, which was every where
present, and which did not overlook what was done, either in deserts or
in cities; for wheresoever a man is, there ought he to suppose that God
is also. He told them further, that their consciences would be their
enemies, if they attempted to go through so wicked an enterprise, which
they can never avoid, whether it be a good conscience; or whether it be
such a one as they will have within them when once they have killed
their brother. He also added this besides to what he had before said,
that it was not a righteous thing to kill a brother, though he had
injured them; that it is a good thing to forget the actions of such near
friends, even in things wherein they might seem to have offended; but
that they were going to kill Joseph, who had been guilty of nothing that
was ill towards them, in whose case the infirmity of his small age
should rather procure him mercy, and move them to unite together in the
care of his preservation. That the cause of killing him made the act
itself much worse, while they determined to take him off out of envy at
his future prosperity, an equal share of which they would naturally
partake while he enjoyed it, since they were to him not strangers, but
the nearest relations, for they might reckon upon what God bestowed upon
Joseph as their own; and that it was fit for them to believe, that the
anger of God would for this cause be more severe upon them, if they slew
him who was judged by God to be worthy of that prosperity which was to
be hoped for; and while, by murdering him, they made it impossible for
God to bestow it upon him.
2. Reubel said these and many other things, and used entreaties to them,
and thereby endeavored to divert them from the murder of their brother.
But when he saw that his discourse had not mollified them at all, and
that they made haste to do the fact, he advised them to alleviate the
wickedness they were going about, in the manner of taking Joseph off;
for as he had exhorted them first, when they were going to revenge
themselves, to be dissuaded from doing it; so, since the sentence for
killing their brother had prevailed, he said that they would not,
however, be so grossly guilty, if they would be persuaded to follow his
present advice, which would include what they were so eager about, but
was not so very bad, but, in the distress they were in, of a lighter
nature. He begged of them, therefore, not to kill their brother with
their own hands, but to cast him into the pit that was hard by, and so
to let him die; by which they would gain so much, that they would not
defile their own hands with his blood. To this the young men readily
agreed; so Reubel took the lad and tied him to a cord, and let him down
gently into the pit, for it had no water at all in it; who, when he had
done this, went his way to seek for such pasturage as was fit for
feeding his flocks.
3. But Judas, being one of Jacob's sons also, seeing some Arabians, of
the posterity of Ismael, carrying spices and Syrian wares out of the
land of Gilead to the Egyptians, after Rubel was gone, advised his
brethren to draw Joseph out of the pit, and sell him to the Arabians;
for if he should die among strangers a great way off, they should be
freed from this barbarous action. This, therefore, was resolved on; so
they drew Joseph up out of the pit, and sold him to the merchants for
twenty pounds 2 He was now seventeen years old. But Reubel, coming in
the night-time to the pit, resolved to save Joseph, without the privity
of his brethren; and when, upon his calling to him, he made no answer,
he was afraid that they had destroyed him after he was gone; of which he
complained to his brethren; but when they had told him what they had
done, Reubel left off his mourning.
4. When Joseph's brethren had done thus to him, they considered what
they should do to escape the suspicions of their father. Now they had
taken away from Joseph the coat which he had on when he came to them at
the time they let him down into the pit; so they thought proper to tear
that coat to pieces, and to dip it into goats' blood, and then to carry
it and show it to their father, that he might believe he was destroyed
by wild beasts. And when they had so done, they came to the old man, but
this not till what had happened to his son had already come to his
knowledge. Then they said that they had not seen Joseph, nor knew what
mishap had befallen him; but that they had found his coat bloody and
torn to pieces, whence they had a suspicion that he had fallen among
wild beasts, and so perished, if that was the coat he had on when he
came from home. Now Jacob had before some better hopes that his son was
only made a captive; but now he laid aside that notion, and supposed
that this coat was an evident argument that he was dead, for he well
remembered that this was the coat he had on when he sent him to his
brethren; so he hereafter lamented the lad as now dead, and as if he had
been the father of no more than one, without taking any comfort in the
rest; and so he was also affected with his misfortune before he met with
Joseph's brethren, when he also conjectured that Joseph was destroyed by
wild beasts. He sat down also clothed in sackcloth and in heavy
affliction, insomuch that he found no ease when his sons comforted him,
neither did his pains remit by length of time.
to them, not indeed as at the presence of a near relation, or as at the
presence of one sent by their father, but as at the presence of an
enemy, and one that by Divine Providence was delivered into their hands;
and they already resolved to kill him, and not let slip the opportunity
that lay before them. But when Reubel, the eldest of them, saw them thus
disposed, and that they had agreed together to execute their purpose, he
tried to restrain them, showing them the heinous enterprise they were
going about, and the horrid nature of it; that this action would appear
wicked in the sight of God, and impious before men, even though they
should kill one not related to them; but much more flagitious and
detestable to appear to have slain their own brother, by which act the
father must be treated unjustly in the son's slaughter, and the mother 1
also be in perplexity while she laments that her son is taken away from
her, and this not in a natural way neither. So he entreated them to have
a regard to their own consciences, and wisely to consider what mischief
would betide them upon the death of so good a child, and their youngest
brother; that they would also fear God, who was already both a spectator
and a witness of the designs they had against their brother; that he
would love them if they abstained from this act, and yielded to
repentance and amendment; but in case they proceeded to do the fact, all
sorts of punishments would overtake them from God for this murder of
their brother, since they polluted his providence, which was every where
present, and which did not overlook what was done, either in deserts or
in cities; for wheresoever a man is, there ought he to suppose that God
is also. He told them further, that their consciences would be their
enemies, if they attempted to go through so wicked an enterprise, which
they can never avoid, whether it be a good conscience; or whether it be
such a one as they will have within them when once they have killed
their brother. He also added this besides to what he had before said,
that it was not a righteous thing to kill a brother, though he had
injured them; that it is a good thing to forget the actions of such near
friends, even in things wherein they might seem to have offended; but
that they were going to kill Joseph, who had been guilty of nothing that
was ill towards them, in whose case the infirmity of his small age
should rather procure him mercy, and move them to unite together in the
care of his preservation. That the cause of killing him made the act
itself much worse, while they determined to take him off out of envy at
his future prosperity, an equal share of which they would naturally
partake while he enjoyed it, since they were to him not strangers, but
the nearest relations, for they might reckon upon what God bestowed upon
Joseph as their own; and that it was fit for them to believe, that the
anger of God would for this cause be more severe upon them, if they slew
him who was judged by God to be worthy of that prosperity which was to
be hoped for; and while, by murdering him, they made it impossible for
God to bestow it upon him.
2. Reubel said these and many other things, and used entreaties to them,
and thereby endeavored to divert them from the murder of their brother.
But when he saw that his discourse had not mollified them at all, and
that they made haste to do the fact, he advised them to alleviate the
wickedness they were going about, in the manner of taking Joseph off;
for as he had exhorted them first, when they were going to revenge
themselves, to be dissuaded from doing it; so, since the sentence for
killing their brother had prevailed, he said that they would not,
however, be so grossly guilty, if they would be persuaded to follow his
present advice, which would include what they were so eager about, but
was not so very bad, but, in the distress they were in, of a lighter
nature. He begged of them, therefore, not to kill their brother with
their own hands, but to cast him into the pit that was hard by, and so
to let him die; by which they would gain so much, that they would not
defile their own hands with his blood. To this the young men readily
agreed; so Reubel took the lad and tied him to a cord, and let him down
gently into the pit, for it had no water at all in it; who, when he had
done this, went his way to seek for such pasturage as was fit for
feeding his flocks.
3. But Judas, being one of Jacob's sons also, seeing some Arabians, of
the posterity of Ismael, carrying spices and Syrian wares out of the
land of Gilead to the Egyptians, after Rubel was gone, advised his
brethren to draw Joseph out of the pit, and sell him to the Arabians;
for if he should die among strangers a great way off, they should be
freed from this barbarous action. This, therefore, was resolved on; so
they drew Joseph up out of the pit, and sold him to the merchants for
twenty pounds 2 He was now seventeen years old. But Reubel, coming in
the night-time to the pit, resolved to save Joseph, without the privity
of his brethren; and when, upon his calling to him, he made no answer,
he was afraid that they had destroyed him after he was gone; of which he
complained to his brethren; but when they had told him what they had
done, Reubel left off his mourning.
4. When Joseph's brethren had done thus to him, they considered what
they should do to escape the suspicions of their father. Now they had
taken away from Joseph the coat which he had on when he came to them at
the time they let him down into the pit; so they thought proper to tear
that coat to pieces, and to dip it into goats' blood, and then to carry
it and show it to their father, that he might believe he was destroyed
by wild beasts. And when they had so done, they came to the old man, but
this not till what had happened to his son had already come to his
knowledge. Then they said that they had not seen Joseph, nor knew what
mishap had befallen him; but that they had found his coat bloody and
torn to pieces, whence they had a suspicion that he had fallen among
wild beasts, and so perished, if that was the coat he had on when he
came from home. Now Jacob had before some better hopes that his son was
only made a captive; but now he laid aside that notion, and supposed
that this coat was an evident argument that he was dead, for he well
remembered that this was the coat he had on when he sent him to his
brethren; so he hereafter lamented the lad as now dead, and as if he had
been the father of no more than one, without taking any comfort in the
rest; and so he was also affected with his misfortune before he met with
Joseph's brethren, when he also conjectured that Joseph was destroyed by
wild beasts. He sat down also clothed in sackcloth and in heavy
affliction, insomuch that he found no ease when his sons comforted him,
neither did his pains remit by length of time.