Dreams Can Come True: The Story of Joseph

By Barry Ison

Born in India, Barry completed his high school in Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Darjeeling, Queen of the Himalayas. Returning to Australia, he trained as a teacher and spent the subsequent eight years teaching in Papua New Guinea and another eight years in an international sc

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sweetspire Literature Management LLC
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9781960861719

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DREAMS CAN COME TRUE

THE STORY OF JOSEPH

As recounted by Tarku, a ward of Jacobs’ and

a brother and close friend to Joseph

I am Joseph, ben Jacob, ben Isaac, ben Abraham; now Tzafnet -Pa’neach, chosen by El Shadai, Adonai to be ruler over Kemet second only to the great Nesut Apepi, Pharaoh and Lord of Ta-meri, our beloved land. This is my story, shared with and now told by Tarku, my beloved brother, friend, and eminent mentor.

Ani Yosef, ben Ya’akov, ben Yitzhak, ben Avraham. Nesut Apepi, ha’melekh ha’gadol, ha’Pharaoh v’Adon Tameri, ar’tzeinu ha’ahavah – hu sim alai et hashem Tzafnat-Pa’neach ki El Shaddai Adonai bachar oti le’moshel al eretz Kemet. Rak bakissei hayah ha’Pharaoh gadol mimeni. Zeh hadavar asher higadeti leTaku. Hu achi asher anokhi oheiv, re’i asher ani he’emanti bo. Ha’davar asher gileiti lo, hu megaleh lakhem b’divrei kolo.

Copyright © 2024 Barry Ison

Paperback: 979-8-9859092-9-6

eBook: 978-1-960861-71-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023917976

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1:   Joseph and His Dreams

Chapter 2:   Egypt

Chapter 3:   Joseph A Slave

Chapter 4:   Prison

Chapter 5:   Pharaoh

Chapter 6:   Grand Vizier of Egypt

Chapter 7:   Joseph’s Plans

Chapter 8:   Egypt Prepares and a Wedding

Chapter 9:   Judgement and Famine

Chapter 10: Jacob and Goshen

Postscript

Ethnic Words, Places and References Used in the Narrative

Characters in the Story of Joseph

Map of Canaan

Map of Mediterranean

Map of Egypt

DEDICATION

This story is dedicated to Adonai, the Father of an infinite Majesty and His one honourable, true, and only son Yeshua, Messiah, Mashiach, Al-Masih, because He was there, blessing Jacob and Joseph, with His covenant promises, more than three and a half thousand years ago.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge my wonderful family, a very precious gift from Adonai, my God. Special thanks to Debbie, who with a masters in English and fifty years of teaching the English language has spent many hours editing and proofreading the manuscript. I would also like to thank my Hebrew professor, Francois de Villiers for his valued assistance in translation.

MESSAGE

As a result of all the research and deliberations that have gone into writing this fascinating and enlightening story, I am convinced that the resounding message has to be of the all-encompassing love of Adonai, Almighty God, for all His creation and, in particular, for those who honour and worship Him.

Preface

This is the story of Joseph, the second of a series of two volumes relating the life, the loves and the longings of both Jacob and Joseph, equally colourful, compelling, and admirable personalities. The Bible, the Tanakh, and the Quran, have a wonderful array of fascinating characters and they are all the very same people. The three great Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who established the people of Israel are shared in all three religions. Abraham, similarly, has been considered the father of several different nations. Then there are the most amazing leaders, fearless, trusting in their God and vanquishing their foes, like Moses, Joshua, and David. The brave Prophets who challenged authority and proved the supremacy of their God, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah; and many more. We read of the fearless Heroines who risked everything for their people, Deborah, Esther, and Ruth. And then there was Joseph, achieving greatness surpassing all of his forebears and becoming, possibly, the most powerful and influential of the sons of the Patriarchs and their descendants. Was there anyone in the annals of the nation of Israel, children of the sons of Abraham, like Joseph? He was appointed second in the kingdom of Egypt, after the Pharaoh, and managed to save much of the known world from starvation.

Were Jacob and Joseph really spoilt, self-serving, and perhaps less than admirable personalities? Did they both receive their just deserts, with Jacob having to flee for his life and Joseph being sold as a slave into Egypt? I believe, however, that the real story reveals an exciting series of amazing victories for each of their lives. Both Jacob and Joseph trusted and honoured their God Adonai, and consequently received His blessings, achieving immense riches, power, influence, and a significant reputation.

The Bible does not elaborate much on the personalities of these two hugely successful ancestors of God’s chosen people. The reason being, I think, simply because the authors of the ancient texts were primarily focused on God’s Covenant, and His nurturing and blessings for His people, rather than proclaiming the glory and achievements of any one individual. True, it speaks of the faithfulness of Abraham, the tolerance and forgiveness of Isaac, and the perseverance of Jacob, but very little about who these great people were as human beings. And, finally, when it comes to Joseph, there is very little detail about the boy, the man and finally the Grand Vizier of Egypt, who ruled the land second only to Pharaoh, probably around the late 17th century BC to the early 16th century BC, during the period of the Hyksos Pharaohs.

The overriding question during all of my research has been, given everything that contributed to Joseph’s childhood and his coming of age at seventeen, how did he manage the astounding accomplishments that made him both a favourite of Egypt’s Pharaoh, as well as the saviour of the known world plunged into a disastrous famine? I must admit to having indulged in some rather detailed descriptions, so I beg the reader’s patience as I wanted to explain the depth and extent of Joseph’s plans without which both Egypt and all of their neighbours would never have survived.

Quotations of Biblical texts are from The Complete Jewish Study Bible.

Finally, I recognise that I have made specific choices as these relate to historical events, character traits, and the significance of locations. This story has involved considerable research and while I am a historian, this account, its focus, and approach, has been a more recent exciting adventure to my studies, and I would acknowledge that many of the facts and inferences I have selected could be controversial. However, disjointed as specific events in history may appear, the weaving together of these historical fibres can produce some very interesting scenarios. My objective has always been to present Joseph, and his father Jacob, in as realistic and positive a light as my studies have discovered. They were both absolutely amazing people.

Recognising that my story is fiction based on fact, I have called my genre Biblifiction.

Introduction

Welcome to the second of the Jacob and Joseph duology. From the previous volume, ‘The Story of Jacob’, Joseph’s father, Jacob, had left his home in Beersheba, in the south of Cannan and travelled many days into the far north to Haran near the Euphrates River, where he was hoping to find himself a bride from his mother’s family.

On arriving, he met with Rachel and fell completely in love, subsequently agreeing to work for her father, Laban, for seven years in exchange for his daughter. Laban deceived him and the morning after the wedding Jacob found that he had actually married Rachel’s sister, Leah.

Furious, Jacob stormed into the city to confront Laban and several days later returned, a happy man, with Rachel, for whom he had agreed to work an additional seven years. While preparing to return to his father’s home in Canaan after working fourteen years for his two wives, Laban managed to convince Jacob to work for an additional six years in return for accumulating flocks and herds of his own. Finally, after twenty years of tireless effort, Jacob, his wives, their twelve children, and accompanied by numerous servants and slaves, left their camp outside Haran, and returned to Canaan, a very wealthy man.

There followed a period of many happy years where Jacob and his establishment settled into Succoth, half a day’s ride from Shechem, a market city, during which time Jacob increased in wealth and influence. This chapter finally ended when his only daughter Dinah was defiled by the son of the King of Shechem. Jacob’s family enacted a fierce revenge, killing all the males of the royal household, and then had to make a rapid escape ending up in Hebron to the south, where they finally created their Canaanite home.

Our story continues in the second volume, ‘The Story of Joseph’, where, by this time, Joseph has reached his coming of age at seventeen and has just celebrated this momentous occasion with great ceremony and acclaim.

As with ‘The Story of Jacob’, this story is narrated by Tarku, a ward of Jacob’s, and the older adopted brother and close friend to Joseph.

Chapter One

Joseph and His Dreams

Here I had another dream, and there were the sun, the moon and eleven stars prostrating themselves before me.

Genesis 37: 9.

Hebron was our home now, and it seemed to be offering us a wonderful feeling of safety and security after so many years of turbulence; involving challenges and conflicts, but also accompanied by countless opportunities and blessings. This was such a perfect time and place to rest and consolidate. In keeping with this train of thought, the day after returning from Beersheba, we were just completing our noon meal, when we received the call to assemble at Jacob’s tent immediately we had finished.

We were too large a group to enter his tent, so we gathered outside and made ourselves comfortable on whatever was available, under and around the awning. There was Leah, Nefertari, Mzia, Ithai, Nabu-Ahh, Djoser, the head shepherd and the lead herdsman, two new faces were our latest addition, being the crop masters, then Father Isaac’s manager, Baruch, and several of his senior personnel. Jacob had also invited four of the oldest boys, Reuben, Levi, Simeon, and Judah, and finally Joseph and myself. We sat, now one enlarged family, waiting for our leader to share his vision for the future. Whenever Jacob gathered us like this, he always had something of significance to share.

So, he began, "I have called you all together immediately after the arrival of my father and his people to ensure that we have a very clear understanding of how we are to work together as one large family. Misunderstandings can erupt on the slightest provocation and that is something I consider unacceptable and wish to avoid. If there is a problem, it should be brought to whomever is in charge of that activity and settled. Only extreme situations need be referred to me. Now let me go through each of the camp’s chief functions.

Firstly, overall camp management is to be shared between our senior Matriarch, Leah, and my old friend Baruch. Our Mother is in charge of everything domestic, including our living quarters, food, personnel, health and hygiene and the oversight of the children. Now let me introduce you all to Elder Baruch. Some of you already know him, and for others he is a stranger, but everything to do with our animals, our trade and our business dealings will be his responsibility. He has been a very dear member of our family from years past, as well as my mentor. Security is totally in the hands of Ithai and these three are the senior most of all our people. They will plan together, they will delegate, and they will oversee, they will train, and they will discipline, if and where necessary. I hope that is clear.

Now let me be a little more specific. Nefertari, you are responsible for all the cooking. We will be operating two kitchens as our population is too large to bring everyone together, and you will be responsible to Leah as will Mzia who will be in charge of everything to do with the health and hygiene of our two camps. I will leave it up to Leah to work with you regarding details such as someone to take responsibility for the second kitchen. On special occasions we will all gather together, but for day to day eating arrangements, we will have two separate kitchens, and these will be divided according to camp functions, rather than a division based on mine and my father’s camps. For instance, if it is more convenient to feed the warriors in our second kitchen, then that’s how it will function. Leah, my wife, do you have anything to add?"

Thank you, husband, for your trust in me as well as for your very clear delegation into how our, now very large, family will live together in harmony and affection. I would like to thank everyone here for all their contributions over the years and assure everyone that I will always be available for your suggestions as to how we can improve the quality of life we are looking forward to in our new home in Hebron. There is one small addition that I would like to explain. As some of you know, we were very fortunate, following the events in Shechem, to add to our family a small group of accomplished weavers numbering around a dozen women. They will be using both backstrap looms as well as pit looms for more refined designs. You will be welcome to visit the tents being set up for this activity and eventually, you may even be able to order your own special garment.

Thank you, Mother, Jacob continued, Our senior shepherd and herdsmen together with our crop masters, will be responsible for the animals and the management of our other agricultural activities. You four people, together with Baruch, will meet with me every month, but the day-to-day responsibility is yours, and your immediate accountability will be to Baruch. Ithai, how, many professional men at arms do we have now.

Ithai responded, We have over one hundred and twenty-five, master, but another close to two hundred who have training, mainly in archery. Father Isaac’s warriors together with his trained young men of the fields and household have significantly added to our numbers.

That should be sufficient for now Ithai, Jacob commented, but the animals will need protecting and there should be constant security in and around the camps. I will take responsibility, for now, for everything to do with our new trading opportunities as well as oversight of our breeding program. Eventually I will hand some of these duties over to my oldest boys, which is why they are here. I would like all of my sons attached to various aspects of our business for a further period of learning. I will be bringing together some of our senior experts as advisors and we will meet regularly to discuss animal and crop management. Of course, you who are in charge of these activities will be included.

Now Jacob focused on our principal business, I have a little to say to our chief herder and senior shepherd. First of all, my deep gratitude for all that both of you have done in bringing our herds and flocks all the way down from Succoth. Without you, we would no longer have many animals to look after. Again, thank you. Next, I wanted to ask you to please look around and make an estimate of what lands you will need for the animals and, if the local valley is insufficient, now that we have an additional number of animals from my father’s flocks and herds, where else could we look to safely pasture them all? Report back to Elder Baruch and we will follow up with the Royal House of Het in Hebron to seek their advice.

And of course, there were the children, looking at our revered teacher, Jacob said, Nabu-Ahh, venerable educator, we now have quite a population of children, and I would like you to establish a school that will cater for all of them, from the youngest around four years of age, to the older ones up to the age of fifteen. Please develop an appropriate program to include academic instruction inside and outside the school room, together with physical exercise and weapons training, and any other preparation you consider suitable to equip them for entering service as animal carers, croppers, or domestic workers. I will also be interested in your identifying anyone with the abilities to assist you in your training programs as well as to work alongside Elder Baruch and help him with various aspects of our business. For the time being, please liaise with Tarku, and let him know what you need. Alright everyone, are there any specific questions anyone might have?

Baruch spoke for the first time. Master Jacob, I wanted to tell you in front of this gathering how pleased we are that you have returned safely and with such great success and prosperity. I also wanted to know whether we are going to re-establish our trade with Rekem?

Thank you, respected Baruch, Jacob replied, I was going to discuss that privately with some of you, but as you have raised the issue in this gathering, let me respond. Following some further discussions with my father, and if everyone in my senior team is positively inclined in that direction, yes, I will resume that family tradition and retain it as predominantly my responsibility.

Finally, Jacob added, I would like to welcome Ammiel and Malachi. Both are experts in cropping, with Ammiel being the very best we could ever have hoped for, joining us. We will be exploring where and how to commence a series of crops, that will fill the valley below. However, their first task is to plant trees throughout our campsite. Within a few years, I would like to see all of this side of the valley covered with a forest. Is there anything you would like to add, Ammiel.

Thank you master Jacob, Ammiel looked up and smiled, if I may speak on behalf of Malachi as well, we are both honoured to have been brought into your service having worked for many years growing a variety of crops for Father Isaac, firstly around the city of Gerar, and then in the vicinity of Beersheba. Of course, this present site is much more convenient as we have a fertile valley floor, and a stream flowing through it. There will obviously be many springs that we will also be able to identify and develop a comprehensive system of irrigation. Thank you all again for your warm welcome and we hope in the near future to contribute to everyone’s welfare through plentiful harvests.

And so, we all left, feeling much more enlightened as to how we would work together, who held the positions of oversight, and how everything was going to be coordinated. Jacob’s family had certainly become a very busy place to live.

I think it would be safe to say that within the first ninety days, the combined camp sites which included Jacob’s people as well as the more recent arrivals from Beersheba had become totally amalgamated and the infrastructure arranged so as to ensure that everyone now considered themselves as one family under the authority of their Master and Father Jacob.

The House of Het officially sanctioned the whole of the Valley of Hebron for the use of our flocks and herds, totally at our discretion. Naturally any farms preexisting our arrival would remain and it was in our interests to respect the rights of earlier landlords. However, considering our animal population, the chief herdsman and senior shepherd had identified a number of additional options for pastureland as far north as Shechem and even up to Dothan. And speaking of Shechem, only a few days earlier, an official delegation had arrived from the royal house of Shechem, initially to pay respects to the House of Het, but, possibly more importantly, to offer their gratitude to Jacob for making it possible for the legitimate heirs to the throne to be re-installed following the demise of the usurper, Hamor. They brought with them an impressively large chest of shekels and gold jewellery as a gift, and as the chief emissary explained".

We completely understand the outrage your Lordship would have felt at the disgraceful act committed against your daughter and why you felt it a recourse to justice in sacking the palace and noble houses. My liege, the true King of Shechem, holds no claim on anything you now possess. What you didn’t know was that the royal house has a secret room hidden behind a large tapestry within the palace grounds, in which the wealth of the city is kept. On re-establishing his claim to the throne, his majesty regained this treasure and is able to now add to yours with this chest of silver shekels and gold jewellery. I am ordered to cordially invite your Lordship and any of your family to the city of Shechem at a time of your convenience. You would be our most honoured guests as we owe you a debt very difficult to repay.

He continued. In addition, your property, which you so capably developed, is still intact, under guard, and remains your possession. My king warmly welcomes you to re-establish your trading links with Shechem and beyond. We have also heard of the audacious attack by the King of Hazor upon your establishment near Jericho. You will be delighted to know that the whole of North Canaan has rejoiced in the shame that came with his defeat. Most of the remainder of his forces melted away during the trek back to Hazor, as none of them relished the punishment he would have meted out on them because of their defeat. He is a proud man and would never acknowledge his own faults. So now he buries himself away in his city, knowing that he has become a laughingstock to his northern neighbours. Again, we owe you a great acknowledgment of thanks.

A long speech, but we all had a wonderful laugh about all that seemed to have resulted following our victory across from Jericho and the fact that we now had a trading post fully established in Shechem as well as the patronage of that city, a magnificent achievement. Jacob did indeed follow up with that invitation, but that story is for a little later in my narrative.

The other development was Naran, our wine expert from Succoth. One fine morning, I walked out of my tent to freshen up in one of the bathrooms near the creek, when there in front of me was Naran. What a pleasant surprise. I invited him to come and sit under my awning. Most of our tents were now adorned by an awning, either immediately in front of our dwellings or by the side and it afforded a very pleasant addition as we could sit in the shade and enjoy the view overlooking the Hebron valley as well as the cool breezes that wafted up from the south.

It is so good to see you my friend, was his first greeting as we hugged. I have so much to tell you.

Welcome my old friend, was my response. I am also delighted to see you after such a long time. Perhaps you have already heard about our long series of adventures, but why don’t you begin?

Well, after you all had left, I felt very isolated and quite vulnerable. Who could say what vengeance would issue out from Shechem? Then, sometime later, I had a visit from some people who had come from the royal household. I thought they had all been killed. But these people explained that the true heir to the throne had been re-installed and was never a friend of the previous regime. So, now they came to ask me to serve as their Royal Master of wines. They would protect me and in addition, his majesty had already sent an envoy to our Master Jacob to return and re-establish his trading centre just outside the city. He recognises Master Jacob’s ownership of this vineyard and now wants me to be the sole provider for the palace.

That is splendid news Naran. What are you doing down here? asked Jacob.

Naran continued, Master Jacob sent Djoser to request my presence, so I have come down here together with a shipment of wineskins, and I have brought a special one for you. I know you do not indulge much in drinking wine, but I thought for the occasional special event like Joseph’s birthday, you may enjoy this. It is my very special vintage.

Thank you Naran. I think maybe you should now go to see master Jacob. I will take you to his abode, but I invite you to share this accommodation, while you are here in Hebron. This is my tent which I share with Joseph.

Naran’s visit resulted in several very interesting developments. First of all, Jacob offered him a contract that gave him a fifteen-percentage ownership of the vineyard, which he accepted. Then he was invited to occupy, on behalf of Jacob and his enterprises, the Shechem property as its manager. In addition, Jacob would accompany him together with a small company including Joseph and myself to Shechem, to reclaim his compound and meet with the new and rightful King of Shechem.

Thus, ten day later we set off. Our company included Jacob, Joseph, Baruch, brother Ithai, Naran, several of Ithai’s warriors who would be based at the Shechem centre, as well as several camels, and donkeys. Overnight, we stopped in Efrat where father paid homage to his late wife, the beautiful Rachel. By the following evening we had arrived at Shechem and Jacob proceeded straight to his compound which, we found, was being guarded by several soldiers of the king. On his arrival and announcing who he was, they bowed and bid him enter.

Nothing had changed. Everything was exactly as it had been left almost a year ago. Despite the haunting memories of everything that