Joseph and Asenath 1

A Hellenistic-Jewish romance expanding Genesis 41:45's bare mention of Joseph's Egyptian marriage; author and exact date unknown, most scholars placing it somewhere between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD, probably in Egypt. Recasts the pagan priest's daughter Asenath as a convert who rejects her idols, is visited by an angel, and is transformed into a fitting bride for Joseph, followed by a court intrigue in which Pharaoh's son conspires against the couple and is foiled by Joseph's brothers.

1In the first year of plenty, in the second month, on the fifth of the month, Pharaoh sent Joseph to go round all the land of Egypt; and in the fourth month of the first year, on the eighteenth of the month, Joseph came to the borders of Heliopolis, and he was gathering the corn of that country as the sand of the sea.

2And there was a certain man in that city by name Pentephres, who was a priest of Heliopolis and a satrap of Pharaoh, and chief of all Pharaoh's satraps and princes; and this man was exceeding rich and very sage and gentle, and he was also a counsellor of Pharaoh, because he was prudent beyond all Pharaoh's princes.

3And he had a virgin daughter, by name Asenath, of eighteen years, tall and comely, and beautiful to behold exceedingly beyond every virgin upon the earth.

See also: Genesis 41:45

4Now Asenath herself bare no likeness to the virgins the daughters of the Egyptians, but was in all things like the daughters of the Hebrews, being tall as Sarah and comely as Rebecca and beautiful as Rachel; and the fame of her beauty spread abroad into all that land and unto the ends of the world, so that by reason of this all the sons of the princes and the satraps desired to woo her, nay, and the sons of the kings also, all young men and mighty, and there was great strife among them because of her, and they essayed to fight against one another.

5And Pharaoh's firstborn son also heard about her, and he continued entreating his father to give her to him to wife and saying to him: "Give me, father, Asenath, the daughter of Pentephres, the first man of Heliopolis, to wife."

6And his father Pharaoh said to him: "Wherefore dost thou on thy part seek a wife lower than thyself when thou art king of all this land?

7Nay, but lo! the daughter of Joacim the King of Moab is betrothed to thee, and she herself is a queen and beautiful to behold exceedingly.

8Take then this one to thyself to wife."