Antiquities of the Jews — Book 2, Chapter 4

1. Now Potiphar, an Egyptian, who was chief cook to king Pharaoh, bought
Joseph of the merchants, who sold him to him. He had him in the greatest
honor, and taught him the learning that became a free man, and gave him
leave to make use of a diet better than was allotted to slaves. He
intrusted also the care of his house to him. So he enjoyed these
advantages, yet did not he leave that virtue which he had before, upon
such a change of his condition; but he demonstrated that wisdom was able
to govern the uneasy passions of life, in such as have it in reality,
and do not only put it on for a show, under a present state of
prosperity.

2. For when his master's wife was fallen in love with him, both on
account of his beauty of body, and his dexterous management of affairs;
and supposed, that if she should make it known to him, she could easily
persuade him to come and lie with her, and that he would look upon it as
a piece of happy fortune that his mistress should entreat him, as
regarding that state of slavery he was in, and not his moral character,
which continued after his condition was changed. So she made known her
naughty inclinations, and spake to him about lying with her. However, he
rejected her entreaties, not thinking it agreeable to religion to yield
so far to her, as to do what would tend to the affront and injury of him
that purchased him, and had vouchsafed him so great honors. He, on the
contrary, exhorted her to govern that passion; and laid before her the
impossibility of her obtaining her desires, which he thought might be
conquered, if she had no hope of succeeding; and he said, that as to
himself, he would endure any thing whatever before he would be persuaded
to it; for although it was fit for a slave, as he was, to do nothing
contrary to his mistress, he might well be excused in a case where the
contradiction was to such sort of commands only. But this opposition of
Joseph, when she did not expect it, made her still more violent in her
love to him; and as she was sorely beset with this naughty passion, so
she resolved to compass her design by a second attempt.

3. When, therefore, there was a public festival coming on, in which it
was the custom for women to come to the public solemnity; she pretended
to her husband that she was sick, as contriving an opportunity for
solitude and leisure, that she might entreat Joseph again. Which
opportunity being obtained, she used more kind words to him than before;
and said that it had been good for him to have yielded to her first
solicitation, and to have given her no repulse, both because of the
reverence he ought to bear to her dignity who solicited him, and because
of the vehemence of her passion, by which she was forced though she were
his mistress to condescend beneath her dignity; but that he may now, by
taking more prudent advice, wipe off the imputation of his former folly;
for whether it were that he expected the repetition of her solicitations
she had now made, and that with greater earnestness than before, for
that she had pretended sickness on this very account, and had preferred
his conversation before the festival and its solemnity; or whether he
opposed her former discourses, as not believing she could be in earnest;
she now gave him sufficient security, by thus repeating her application,
that she meant not in the least by fraud to impose upon him; and assured
him, that if he complied with her affections, he might expect the
enjoyment of the advantages he already had; and if he were submissive to
her, he should have still greater advantages; but that he must look for
revenge and hatred from her, in case he rejected her desires, and
preferred the reputation of chastity before his mistress; for that he
would gain nothing by such procedure, because she would then become his
accuser, and would falsely pretend to her husband, that he had attempted
her chastity; and that Potiphar would hearken to her words rather than
to his, let his be ever so agreeable to the truth.

4. When the woman had said thus, and even with tears in her eyes,
neither did pity dissuade Joseph from his chastity, nor did fear compel
him to a compliance with her; but he opposed her solicitations, and did
not yield to her threatenings, and was afraid to do an ill thing, and
chose to undergo the sharpest punishment rather than to enjoy his
present advantages, by doing what his own conscience knew would justly
deserve that he should die for it. He also put her in mind that she was
a married woman, and that she ought to cohabit with her husband only;
and desired her to suffer these considerations to have more weight with
her than the short pleasure of lustful dalliance, which would bring her
to repentance afterwards, would cause trouble to her, and yet would not
amend what had been done amiss. He also suggested to her the fear she
would be in lest they should be caught; and that the advantage of
concealment was uncertain, and that only while the wickedness was not
known [would there be any quiet for them]; but that she might have the
enjoyment of her husband's company without any danger. And he told her,
that in the company of her husband she might have great boldness from a
good conscience, both before God and before men. Nay, that she would act
better like his mistress, and make use of her authority over him better
while she persisted in her chastity, than when they were both ashamed
for what wickedness they had been guilty of; and that it is much better
to a life, well and known to have been so, than upon the hopes of the
concealment of evil practices.

5. Joseph, by saying this, and more, tried to restrain the violent
passion of the woman, and to reduce her affections within the rules of
reason; but she grew more ungovernable and earnest in the matter; and
since she despaired of persuading him, she laid her hands upon him, and
had a mind to force him. But as soon as Joseph had got away from her
anger, leaving also his garment with her, for he left that to her, and
leaped out of her chamber, she was greatly afraid lest he should
discover her lewdness to her husband, and greatly troubled at the
affront he had offered her; so she resolved to be beforehand with him,
and to accuse Joseph falsely to Potiphar, and by that means to revenge
herself on him for his pride and contempt of her; and she thought it a
wise thing in itself, and also becoming a woman, thus to prevent his
accusation. Accordingly she sat sorrowful and in confusion, framing
herself so hypocritically and angrily, that the sorrow, which was really
for her being disappointed of her lust, might appear to be for the
attempt upon her chastity; so that when her husband came home, and was
disturbed at the sight of her and inquired what was the cause of the
disorder she was in, she began to accuse Joseph: and, "O husband," said
she, "mayst thou not live a day longer if thou dost not punish the
wicked slave who has desired to defile thy bed; who has neither minded
who he was when he came to our house, so as to behave himself with
modesty; nor has he been mindful of what favors he had received from thy
bounty [as he must be an ungrateful man indeed, unless he, in every
respect, carry himself in a manner agreeable to us]: this man, I say,
laid a private design to abuse thy wife, and this at the time of a
festival, observing when thou wouldst be absent. So that it now is clear
that his modesty, as it appeared to be formerly, was only because of the
restraint he was in out of fear of thee, but that he was not really of a
good disposition. This has been occasioned by his being advanced to
honor beyond what he deserved, and what he hoped for; insomuch that he
concluded, that he who was deemed fit to be trusted with thy estate and
the government of thy family, and was preferred above thy eldest
servants, might be allowed to touch thy wife also." Thus when she had
ended her discourse, she showed him his garment, as if he then left it
with her when he attempted to force her. But Potiphar not being able to
disbelieve what his wife's tears showed, and what his wife said, and
what he saw himself, and being seduced by his love to his wife, did not
set himself about the examination of the truth; but taking it for
granted that his wife was a modest woman, and condemning Joseph as a
wicked man, he threw him into the malefactors' prison; and had a still
higher opinion of his wife, and bare her witness that she was a woman of
a becoming modesty and chastity.