Antiquities of the Jews — Book 2, Chapter 5

1. Now Joseph, commending all his affairs to God, did not betake himself
to make his defense, nor to give an account of the exact circumstances
of the fact, but silently underwent the bonds and the distress he was
in, firmly believing that God, who knew the cause of his affliction, and
the truth of the fact, would be more powerful than those that inflicted
the punishments upon him:—a proof of whose providence he quickly
received; for the keeper of the prison taking notice of his care and
fidelity in the affairs he had set him about, and the dignity of his
countenance, relaxed his bonds, and thereby made his heavy calamity
lighter, and more supportable to him. He also permitted him to make use
of a diet better than that of the rest of the prisoners. Now, as his
fellow prisoners, when their hard labors were over, fell to discoursing
one among another, as is usual in such as are equal sufferers, and to
inquire one of another what were the occasions of their being condemned
to a prison: among them the king's cupbearer, and one that had been
respected by him, was put in bonds, upon the king's anger at him. This
man was under the same bonds with Joseph, and grew more familiar with
him; and upon his observing that Joseph had a better understanding than
the rest had, he told him of a dream he had, and desired he would
interpret its meaning, complaining that, besides the afflictions he
underwent from the king, God did also add to him trouble from his
dreams.

2. He therefore said, that in his sleep he saw three clusters of grapes
hanging upon three branches of a vine, large already, and ripe for
gathering; and that he squeezed them into a cup which the king held in
his hand; and when he had strained the wine, he gave it to the king to
drink, and that he received it from him with a pleasant countenance.
This, he said, was what he saw; and he desired Joseph, that if he had
any portion of understanding in such matters, he would tell him what
this vision foretold. Who bid him be of good cheer, and expect to be
loosed from his bonds in three days' time, because the king desired his
service, and was about to restore him to it again; for he let him know
that God bestows the fruit of the vine upon men for good; which wine is
poured out to him, and is the pledge of fidelity and mutual confidence
among men; and puts an end to their quarrels, takes away passion and
grief out of the minds of them that use it, and makes them cheerful.
"Thou sayest that thou didst squeeze this wine from three clusters of
grapes with thine hands, and that the king received it: know, therefore,
that this vision is for thy good, and foretells a release from thy
present distress within the same number of days as the branches had
whence thou gatheredst thy grapes in thy sleep. However, remember what
prosperity I have foretold thee when thou hast found it true by
experience; and when thou art in authority, do not overlook us in this
prison, wherein thou wilt leave us when thou art gone to the place we
have foretold; for we are not in prison for any crime; but for the sake
of our virtue and sobriety are we condemned to suffer the penalty of
malefactors, and because we are not willing to injure him that has thus
distressed us, though it were for our own pleasure." The cupbearer,
therefore, as was natural to do, rejoiced to hear such an interpretation
of his dream, and waited the completion of what had been thus shown him
beforehand.

3. But another servant there was of the king, who had been chief baker,
and was now bound in prison with the cupbearer; he also was in good
hope, upon Joseph's interpretation of the other's vision, for he had
seen a dream also; so he desired that Joseph would tell him what the
visions he had seen the night before might mean. They were these that
follow:—"Methought," says he, "I carried three baskets upon my head; two
were full of loaves, and the third full of sweetmeats and other
eatables, such as are prepared for kings; but that the fowls came
flying, and eat them all up, and had no regard to my attempt to drive
them away." And he expected a prediction like to that of the cupbearer.
But Joseph, considering and reasoning about the dream, said to him, that
he would willingly be an interpreter of good events to him, and not of
such as his dream denounced to him; but he told him that he had only
three days in all to live, for that the [three] baskets signify, that on
the third day he should be crucified, and devoured by fowls, while he
was not able to help himself. Now both these dreams had the same several
events that Joseph foretold they should have, and this to both the
parties; for on the third day before mentioned, when the king solemnized
his birth-day, he crucified the chief baker, but set the butler free
from his bonds, and restored him to his former ministration.

4. But God freed Joseph from his confinement, after he had endured his
bonds two years, and had received no assistance from the cupbearer, who
did not remember what he had said to him formerly; and God contrived
this method of deliverance for him. Pharaoh the king had seen in his
sleep the same evening two visions; and after them had the
interpretations of them both given him. He had forgotten the latter, but
retained the dreams themselves. Being therefore troubled at what he had
seen, for it seemed to him to be all of a melancholy nature, the next
day he called together the wisest men among the Egyptians, desiring to
learn from them the interpretation of his dreams. But when they
hesitated about them, the king was so much the more disturbed. And now
it was that the memory of Joseph, and his skill in dreams, came into the
mind of the king's cupbearer, when he saw the confusion that Pharaoh was
in; so he came and mentioned Joseph to him, as also the vision he had
seen in prison, and how the event proved as he had said; as also that
the chief baker was crucified on the very same day; and that this also
happened to him according to the interpretation of Joseph. That Joseph
himself was laid in bonds by Potiphar, who was his head cook, as a
slave; but, he said, he was one of the noblest of the stock of the
Hebrews; and said further, his father lived in great splendor. "If,
therefore, thou wilt send for him, and not despise him on the score of
his misfortunes, thou wilt learn what thy dreams signify." So the king
commanded that they should bring Joseph into his presence; and those who
received the command came and brought him with them, having taken care
of his habit, that it might be decent, as the king had enjoined them to
do.

5. But the king took him by the hand; and, "O young man," says he, "for
my servant bears witness that thou art at present the best and most
skillful person I can consult with; vouchsafe me the same favors which
thou bestowedst on this servant of mine, and tell me what events they
are which the visions of my dreams foreshow; and I desire thee to
suppress nothing out of fear, nor to flatter me with lying words, or
with what may please me, although the truth should be of a melancholy
nature. For it seemed to me that, as I walked by the river, I saw kine
fat and very large, seven in number, going from the river to the
marshes; and other kine of the same number like them, met them out of
the marshes, exceeding lean and ill-favored, which ate up the fat and
the large kine, and yet were no better than before, and not less
miserably pinched with famine. After I had seen this vision, I awaked
out of my sleep; and being in disorder, and considering with myself what
this appearance should be, I fell asleep again, and saw another dream,
much more wonderful than the foregoing, which still did more affright
and disturb me:—I saw seven ears of corn growing out of one root, having
their heads borne down by the weight of the grains, and bending down
with the fruit, which was now ripe and fit for reaping; and near these I
saw seven other ears of corn, meager and weak, for want of rain, which
fell to eating and consuming those that were fit for reaping, and put me
into great astonishment."

6. To which Joseph replied:—"This dream," said he, "O king, although
seen under two forms, signifies one and the same event of things; for
when thou sawest the fat kine, which is an animal made for the plough
and for labor, devoured by the worser kine, and the ears of corn eaten
up by the smaller ears, they foretell a famine, and want of the fruits
of the earth for the same number of years, and equal with those when
Egypt was in a happy state; and this so far, that the plenty of these
years will be spent in the same number of years of scarcity, and that
scarcity of necessary provisions will be very difficult to be corrected;
as a sign whereof, the ill-favored kine, when they had devoured the
better sort, could not be satisfied. But still God foreshows what is to
come upon men, not to grieve them, but that, when they know it
beforehand, they may by prudence make the actual experience of what is
foretold the more tolerable. If thou, therefore, carefully dispose of
the plentiful crops which will come in the former years, thou wilt
procure that the future calamity will not be felt by the Egyptians."

7. Hereupon the king wondered at the discretion and wisdom of Joseph;
and asked him by what means he might so dispense the foregoing plentiful
crops in the happy years, as to make the miserable crops more tolerable.
Joseph then added this his advice: To spare the good crops, and not
permit the Egyptians to spend them luxuriously, but to reserve what they
would have spent in luxury beyond their necessity against the time of
want. He also exhorted him to take the corn of the husbandmen, and give
them only so much as will be sufficient for their food. Accordingly
Pharaoh being surprised at Joseph, not only for his interpretation of
the dream, but for the counsel he had given him, intrusted him with
dispensing the corn; with power to do what he thought would be for the
benefit of the people of Egypt, and for the benefit of the king, as
believing that he who first discovered this method of acting, would
prove the best overseer of it. But Joseph having this power given him by
the king, with leave to make use of his seal, and to wear purple, drove
in his chariot through all the land of Egypt, and took the corn of the
husbandmen, 3 allotting as much to every one as would be sufficient for
seed, and for food, but without discovering to any one the reason why he
did so.