BOOK II

THE DEATH OF JOSEPH

Joseph Sees a Vision about his Own Death. Asenath Comforts

Him
In the name of the Lord, the merciful and the compassionate!
When the days of Joseph that he should go from this world
to his fathers-like all human beings-arrived, it happened at
that time that he saw a vision in the night.
[In the vision he saw himself] reclining in the innermost
part of his compound, in the land of Egypt, while a luminous
person was standing before him.
He [the luminous person] said to him [Joseph], Behold, your
days are fulfilled, and your habitation with Pharaoh. From
now on, your dwelling place will be with the angels, like your
fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
At that moment he [Joseph] awoke from his sleep. And he
smelled the odor of perfume around his bed. And he felt
depressed in his heart about this [dream]. [For] he knew that
the day of his death had come. Then, his body became weak
and he was a little unwe11.22
At that moment, he summoned his wife Asenath from her
quarters and related to her what he saw in his dream. And he
groaned from the depth of his heart.
His wife was disturbed by this; she became very frightened,
and tears came down her eyes.
Then, he [Joseph] said to her, [Please] bring me a little water
so that I can wash.
And she ordered her maid to bring water in order that her
master [Joseph] should be bathed.

1. Lit. fence.
2. Or, he was a little hot, or he had a small fever.

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After Joseph was bathed, his whole body became clean.

[fol. 162b] And he arose, although his body was [still] weak.
And he wrapped himself in a fine garment and put a belt
around his waist, and began to pray before the Lord.
His wife went out and closed the door and sat at the opening
of the door, listening to his prayers as he was praying.
Joseph lifted up his hands to the Lord and opened his mouth
saying:
Lord, God of my fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hear
me!
I am your poor servant.
Listen to the voice of my supplication and my groaning
For you saved me from every trouble in the days of my
sale,
The bitter slavery of mine, and the great evil of the jail.
You rescued me, you freed me,1 you had compassion
upon me, _

And you made king, me

Over all the lands of Egypt and its surrounding regions!
I fed many nations and rescued them from famine.
You, also, 0 my Lord and my God,
Brought me back together with my father and my
brothers.
You put kindness in Pharaohs heart, for my sake,
So that he donated to them a beautiful and bright land.
They found in it [the land] their food,
With which their children and their wives
And their animals would nourish themselves.
You fed them, 0 Lord, in the days of famine,
Without [fol. 163a] toil and hardship,
According to what you have made me to discern by your
help.
I did not grieve in my heart,

On account of my separation from this world-

Which has many sorrows and passes away speedily-

1. Lit. took me out.

2. Lit. lands.

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When you visited me in your mercy and your compas-

sion.
But I fear the separation of the soul from the body,
Bitter death,
And the ascent of the soul into the atmospheres,1
Where the demons will invade her.
I fear that they may find in her [the soul] a deed, .

Which may be similar to their own deeds,

That the soul may be confounded by the darkness, -

And know not where to go;

And that Satan, the enemy, may prevail upon her,
And take her to the abode of his own damnation.
Therefore, I pray to you, 0 Lord,
That through your mercy, abundant to the family of
humankind,
You may send to my evil soul one of your holy angels,
2
So that he may accompany her in the atmosphere2
And bring her to your benevolence,
0 lover of humankind!
For you are master of mercy and compassion!
To you be glory forever, Amen.

Also, I pray to you, 0 my God,

That you may be succor to my wife and children,
And to my brothers,
For they are strangers in this land.
Protect them from the hand of these Egyptians,
And [from] the hand of Sinuteyos, son of Pharaoh,
For he harbors thoughts of greater evil,
In jealousy upon me and upon them.
[Now] when his wife Asenath heard everything that he said
in his prayer, she lost controls So she cried with much weep-
ing and mourning.
She came to him [Joseph] and fell [on the ground] and paid

1. Lit. airs.
2. Lit. be with her in the air.
3. Lit. she became tired of patience.

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 114

him obeisance and said, Woe unto me, worn out and
depressed. It would have been better for me not to have been
born into this world. Who will be able [to understand] your
separation [from this world], 0 my master Joseph? Ah to me! I
am a wanderer searching for my shelter with God. To him be

glory! Let him have mercy upon me so that I may follow you
soon. .

When Joseph, the Great One, the Just One, saw what type of
anguish of the heart had seized her, he was pained greatly on
her account.
And he stretched out his hands and took her and clasped her
[in his arms] in order to accept her confessions.
And while they were thus conversing, the light of dawn
arrived.1

Pharaoh Summons Joseph. A Voice Stops Joseph from Leaving

his Bed
Now, when Joseph tarried from going to Pharaoh, he
[Pharaoh] sent out one of his attendants to summon him
[Joseph].
When the messenger arrived at Joseph[s residence] and
found him sick, he [the messenger] greeted him and said to
him, The lord king is summoning you to him.
[Joseph] got up in due time and wore his royal garment and
put on the royal belt.
Then when he went out with the messenger [and came] to a
large gate, he heard a voice [fol. 164a] calling,2 Joseph, Joseph,
return to your bed, for, behold, your time has come to an end.
When Joseph heard this voice, he was seized by a fear in his
heart. And his powers failed, and he fell flat [on the ground].
When the messenger saw what had happened to him
[Joseph], he felt very deeply grieved on his [Josephs] account.
And he returned to the king and told him what had hap-
pened.
As for Pharaoh, he was indeed greatly disturbed, for Joseph
was Chief-in-charge of all of Pharaohs possessions. And he

1. Lit. shone.
2. Lit. saying.
3. Lit. went.

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 115

[Pharaoh] happened to have deep affection for him.

Pharaoh Comes to Visit Joseph. He Grieves on Josephs

Account
In due time, he [Pharaoh] arose with his other attendants and
went to Josephs house.
And when he came to him [Joseph], he found him lying on
his bed. And he [Pharaoh] sat down beside him.
Then Joseph arose and sat up and kissed Pharaohs hands.
Then, when Pharaoh saw him [Joseph] feeling painful, he
felt sad on his account and said, 0 Joseph, the work of the
kingdom is now going to ruin.
Joseph replied and said to him in a tired voice, When I was
[active] in the service of my lord the king, I did my service for
him with pleasure. I had affection for you and I would have
exchanged my life in your place in all your services. And I did
not cause anything to diminish in your services in all my pow-
ers. But now, 0 living king, I have seen this night a vision of a

bright angel. He said to me, &dquo;Joseph, Joseph, behold the end [fol.
164b] of your time has come so that you may go to the abode of
your father&dquo;. Let the God of my fathers now give you a kind
person who will serve you, and let him be clean in all his ser-
vices [to you].
When the king heard the words of Joseph, he groaned from
the depth of his heart and tears came down his eyes.
And he said, 0 my beloved Joseph, were it possible for me to
give in exchange for you all my possessions, I would have
gladly given everything I have. Just ask me now whatever
your desire, and remember me to your God.
At that moment, Asenath, Josephs wife, arrived and pros-
trated herself before Pharaoh, weeping.
But the king did not recognize her, for he had never seen her
[before]. But they told him that she was his servant Josephs
wife.
And Pharaoh said to her, Hold your heart firm, and do not
be sad so that good things will come to you.
And Joseph said to Pharaoh, I pray to you, 0 my lord, that
you shall bring to me my children from the land of Arabia, so

1. Lit. your.

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that they shall dwell with my brothers and be educated here.

And also tell my brothers that they should all come to me, so
that I see them before I die and establish my covenant and
oath with them.
After this, the king departed from him [Joseph], feeling sad
on his [Josephs] account and deeply depressed.
Then he sent to him [fol. 165a] a wise and learned person. He
also sent [messengers] to bring to him his children and his
brothers.
On that day, when and depression seized Pharaoh on
sorrow
account of Joseph, entered to where he was. For
no one
Pharaoh knew, and he was reflecting, that he must find some-
one [else] like Joseph to prepare [?] and govern the kingdom in

good order, forever.

Josephs Children, Brothers, and their Wives, and Family
Arrive. Pharaoh Returns
Then, after that, Josephs children and his brothers together
with their wives and their children, came to Joseph.
Because there was strict guard [?] they became deeply
frightened.
When Josephs sons came to him and saw their mother
weeping, having abandoned her garments and the ornaments
on her, and when they saw Joseph lying sick, they raised their

voices, weeping and in tears. And they fell upon their fathers
chest.
When Joseph saw them, his soul became a little strength-
ened, and he greeted them and kissed them.
Then, when his [Josephs] brothers heard the weeping of
Josephs sons, and their cries, it seemed to them that their
brother had died.
So they rent their clothes, and came to him crying [loudly] so
that the whole land was filled with the [sounds of the] cries of
their voices.
When Pharaoh heard their cries, he arose and came to
Joseph, and he came in and sat beside his head. And he
[Pharaoh] showed interest to hear what he [Joseph] had to say
to his brothers.

1. Lit. he wished, he desired.

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 117

[fol. 165b] Joseph indicated to his sons that they should be a

little calm.
Then as Josephs brothers came to him with burning hearts,
Pharaoh said to Joseph, 0 my beloved Joseph, comfort your
brothers hearts and tell them to be a little strong.

Josephs Last Will to his Brothers

Joseph looked at his son Menasseh and said to him in a weak
voice, Draw near to me so that you can hear my word and tell
it to my brothers.
And he [Menasseh] said to him, Speak, 0 Abba.
And Joseph said, [Tell them,] &dquo;You know very well, 0 my
brothers, what you had formerly done to me. This thing
[which you did to me] was from the Lord, the God of my
fathers who willed to do good things for me as well as for you,33
your children, and your wives.
&dquo;Behold, the lord, the king, has done good things unto me
and unto you. May the God of my fathers recompense him
doubly in all good things, for he has donated to you a good and
choice land. And he had fed you in the days of a terrible
famine.
&dquo;And when you came to this land, you were seventy-five
souls. But now the Lord has blessed you-you, your children,
and your animals-for you have become a multitude.
&dquo;Now, be mindful that there will not be anyone else who will
settle upon this land [which he has given you].
&dquo;Behold, now the God of my fathers [fol. 166a] has visited me
in order to convey me from this passing world to the heavenly
eternity, into the dwelling place of my fathers.
&dquo;And you must migrate from this land to your former land
in the days of my lord, the king.
&dquo;For you must know that many people are jealous of you.
These [people] happen to honor you [now] on account of the
honor you [are shown] from my lord, the king; but [they really
do so] against their own will.

1. Lit. quiet.
2. Lit. make nice.
3. Lit. many people.
4. Lit. lives.

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&dquo;Let your elders counsel your youths in the fear of the Lord.
Let your youths become obedient to your elders.
&dquo;Honor your wives for they are truly your own flesh and
blood in purity and counsel.
&dquo;Remember lest you become indolent in your prayers. It is
incumbent on you, according to the law of the Lord, [to pray]
night and day, so that the Lord may not withdraw his help
from you.
&dquo;In regard to the rules concerning my body, do what is good,
and carry it with you and place it in the grave of my father
Jacob.
&dquo;Let the God of my fathers be with you, if you do walk in his
resplendent commandments. Amen.&dquo;
And when they [his brothers] heard [all] this, they could not
bear patience, but raised their voices high, weeping.
Then Pharaoh departed from Joseph, very deeply saddened.
And he ordered [fol. lsf>b]3 food for Josephs brothers, and for
their animals, fodder.

Joseph Dies .

On the morrow, Joseph became more grave in his illness, and

his tongue became tired of speaking.
At midnight, he closed his eyes and raised his vision high into
the sky. And as his eyes were blinking, he opened his mouth
and swallowed his breath.
And there was great shock and terrible disturbance
throughout the land of Egypt and in all the houses of Israel.
For they [all] knew that they would never find again another
person like Joseph who would show them compassion, and
order their lives with good things.
Likewise, there was much weeping and great mourning
among Pharaohs household and all his army.

Josephs Sons and Brothers Request to Take Josephs Body to

the East
Then, Josephs sons, Ephraim and Menasseh, and his broth-

1. The last two words are illegible.

2. Lit. know.
3. Word illegible.

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 119

ers, went to Pharaoh, with their faces transformed on account

of the sorrow. And they prostrated themselves before Pharaoh.
When Pharaoh observed them in this state he was
depressed in his heart because of what had happened to them.
And he teemed with tears on their account. And he said to
them, Ask of me whatever you wish.
And they said to him, Your servant Joseph had ordered us to
take his body to a land in the direction of the sunrise and place
him by the side of the body of his father-in-law Qebtafar, the
priest, until [the time comes when] we can carry him and take
him to our own land and bury him by his fathers grave.

Pharaoh Orders the Embalming of Josephs Body

Then Pharaoh ordered that they embalm Joseph in precious
stoles with perfume of good odor in accordance with the laws
of the children of Israel.
Pharaoh said to them, If you choose to dwell in this place
which you [now] have, dwell in it with your honorable ones as
before. But if you choose to return to your own land, I shall
assist you in that whatever you find good [for] your life.
And they all prostrated themselves before Pharaoh, blessed
him, and left.
Arid they washed Josephs body and wrapped it in perfume
in accordance with their law and took it to the direction of the

sunrise as he [Joseph] had formerly ordered them.~3

And they stayed there for a short duration until the time of
mourning had passed.

Josephs Brothers Forsake Josephs Will and Remain in Egypt

After that, Josephs brothers took Ephraim and Menasseh,
their brothers children, and their mother, and brought them
to their houses by the land of Arabia. <

But they forsook all that Joseph had ordered them and had
told them to keep, and remained in Egypt until Pharaohs
death.
Then another Pharaoh who did not know Joseph became

1. Lit. the land of the eye of the sun.

2. Qebt&amacr;f&amacr;r. Cf. Potiphar.
3. Illegible word.

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 120

king [in Egypt].

And evil people went to Pharaoh and gave distorted reports
concerning Josephs brothers.
[The new Pharaoh] became hard over them and stopped the
benefits which were formerly accorded to them. And he did
not let [fol. 167b] them leave and go to their own land,2 because
theglorified Lord-may praise be to him-was angry at them
on account of their
transgressing their brother Josephs
covenant-about which he had made them take an oath.33

First Colophon
This [story] is written for the benefit of our souls, for the dili-
gence of our hearts.
For, if we abandon the commandments of the Lord, the
Most High, he will appoint evil and wicked persons to rule
over us in this world. And [we will have] much trouble. And,
after we die, evil spirits will not leave us alone but obstruct us
from reaching our land, the heavenly Jerusalem in which ...4
The people of Egypt oppressed the children of Israel contin-
ually with [hard] labor and hard tasks until they had com-
pleted 430 years.
Then the merciful Lord looked upon them with compassion.
And he sent to them Moses and Aaron and told them concern-
ing their salvation. And they performed miracles and great
wonders until Pharaoh let them go.
Then after he let them go, Pharaoh was profoundly sorry,
and he pursued them together with his whole army in order to
bring them back to their former [hard] labor as slaves.
But the Lord caused them [the Egyptians]-and his
[Pharaohs] whole army-to drown in the sea.
The Lord then brought the children of Israel to Mt Sinai.
Thus they began to praise the Lord. To him be glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.

1. Lit. grace.
2. Two lines not fully legible.
3. This is the original ending of the story of Josephs death. But there
follow two colophons by the same original 14th-15th-century hand.
4. Next six lines not fully legible.

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 121

Second Colophon1
Remember, 0 Lord, in your mercy, the sinful Tewodros2 who
caused [this book] to be copied,3 through the prayers of this
wonderful Joseph, in the majesty of your Kingdom, when it
comes.4

1. See following note concerning this colophon.

2. Tewodros, who ordered the copying [lit. writing] of the work, may
be Emperor Tewodros (c. 1411-1414).
3. Lit. written.
4. The handwriting of the original scribe ends here. A marginal note
follows starting at the end of col. 1, fol. 168a and ending on col. 2 of the
same folio. The note is by a different hand, and from a later period, no
earlier than the 16th century. It contains the days and dates of the
months of the death of three men, entitled Aq&amacr;b&emacr; Sa&amacr;t, and one
woman: Aml&amacr;k Maw&amacr;i, Amh&amacr; Laseyyon, Saraqa Berh&amacr;n, and his
mother, Heryeta M&amacr;ry&amacr;m.

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