Joseph the Patriarch
From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
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Joseph the Patriarch was thought to have lived sometime between 1600 - 1700 B.C.E. He was the son of Jacob and a celebrated diviner in the Bible's Book of Genesis. Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob who had two prophetic dreams interpreted to mean that he would reign supreme, even over his brothers. He and his eleven brothers eventually became the founders and leaders of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel.
In jealousy after Jacob's gift to Joseph of a fabulous coat of many colours, his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt and tricked their father into believing he was killed. His status elevated from slave to the second-in-command after interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh and saving the whole of Egypt during a famine. Jacob's family eventually travelled to Egypt to escape the famine, and it was through him that they were allowed to settle in the Land of Goshen. Before he died, he made the children of Israel swear that when they left the land of Egypt they would take his bones with them. After his death, to keep the Hebrew people from leaving and to bless the Nile in an amuletic fashion, the Egyptians put Joseph’s remains in a sarcophagus and sank him in the Nile. This was later dowsed and located by Serach bat Asher, and Moses magically raised it from the Nile so that Joseph's remains could be taken to Israel as promised.
Joseph is often depicted wearing his famous coat, as a figure having a prophetic dream, or in the garb worn by Egyptians of high ranking. It is believed, in the Jewish tradition, that the Evil Eye has no power over Joseph or his descendants. For this reason, many Jewish anti-Evil Eye amulets have, “I am the seed of Joseph the righteous, who is not subject to the Evil Eye.” written upon them. Sometimes the amulets simply have the name “Joseph” written upon them and the name alone is enough to ward off the Evil Eye.
Credits
This page is brought to you by the AIRR Tech Team:
- Author: Dr. Jeremy Weiss
- Contributors: nagasiva yronwode, Papa Newt, Reverend James
- Image: Unknown British Artist, sourced by nagasiva yronwode
See Also
- Religious Traditions
- Judaism
- JHVH, Yahweh, Jehovah, God
- Angels and Archangels
- Jewish Spiritual Figures
- The Book of Psalms
- The Kabbalah and the Jewish Grimoire Tradition
- Jewish and Yiddish Folk Magic
