1
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and Rachel, the beautiful and beloved. His struggle against the Egyptian temptress.
THE copy of the Testament of Joseph.
2When he was about to die he called his sons and his brethren together, and said to them:--
3My brethren and my children, hearken to Joseph the beloved of Israel; give ear, my sons, to your father.
4I have seen in my life envy and death, yet I went not astray, but persevered in the truth--of the Lord.
5These my brethren hated me, but the Lord loved me:
6They wished to slay me, but the God of my fathers guarded me:
7They let me down into a pit, and the Most High brought me up again.
8I was sold into slavery, and the Lord of all made me free:
9I was taken into captivity, and His strong hand succored me.
10I was beset with hunger, and the Lord Himself nourished me.
111 was alone, and God comforted me:
12I was sick, and the Lord visited me.
13I was in prison, and my God showed favor to me;
14In bonds, and He released me;
15Slandered, and He pleaded my cause;
16Bitterly spoken against by the Egyptians, and He delivered me;
17Envied by my fellow-slaves, and He exalted me.
18And this chief captain of Pharaoh entrusted to me his house.
19And I struggled against a shameless woman, urging me to transgress with her; but the God of Israel my father delivered me from the burning flame.
20I was cast into prison, I was beaten, I was mocked; but the Lord granted me to find mercy, in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
21For the Lord does not forsake those who fear Him, neither in darkness, nor in bonds, nor in tribulations, nor in necessities.
22For God is not put to shame as a man, nor as the son of man is he afraid, nor as one that is earth-born is He weak or affrighted.
23But in all those things does He give protection, and in various ways does He comfort, though for a little space He departs to try the inclination of the soul.
24In ten temptations He showed me approved, and in all of them I endured; for endurance is a mighty charm, and patience gives many good things.
25How often did the Egyptian woman threaten me with death!
26How often did she give me over to punishment, and then call me back and threaten me, and when I was unwilling to company with her, she said to me:
27You shall be lord of me, and all that is in my house, if you will give thyself to me, and you shall be as our master.
28But I remembered the words of my father, and going into my chamber, I wept and prayed to the Lord.
29And I fasted in those seven years, and I appeared to the Egyptians as one living delicately, for those who fast for God's sake receive beauty of face.
30And if my lord were away from home, I drank no wine; nor for three days did I take my food, but I gave it to the poor and sick.
31And I sought the Lord early, and I wept for the Egyptian woman of Memphis, for very unceasingly did she trouble me, for also at night she came to me under pretense of visiting me.
32And because she had no male child she pretended to regard me as a son.
33And for a time she embraced me as a son, and I knew it not; but later, she sought to draw me into fornication.
34And when I perceived it I sorrowed to death. And when she had gone out, I came to myself, and lamented for her many days, because I recognized her guile and her deceit.
35And I declared to her the words of the Most High, if perhaps she would turn from her evil lust.
36Often, therefore, did she flatter me with words as a holy man, and guilefully in her talk praise my chastity before her husband, while desiring to ensnare me when we were alone.
37For she lauded me openly as chaste, and in secret she said to me: Fear not my husband. For he is persuaded concerning your chastity: for even should one tell him concerning us, he would not believe.
38Owing to all these things I lay upon the ground, and begged God that the Lord would deliver me from her deceit.
39And when she had prevailed
nothing thereby, she came again to me under the plea of instruction, that she might learn the word of God.
40And she said to me: If you will that I should leave my idols, lie with me. And I will persuade my husband to depart from his idols, and we will walk in the law by your Lord.
41And I said to her: The Lord wills not. that those who reverence Him should be in uncleanness, nor does He take pleasure in those who commit adultery, but in those who approach Him with a pure heart and undefiled lips.
42But she heed her peace, longing to accomplish her evil desire.
43And I gave myself yet more to fasting and prayer, that the Lord might deliver me from her.
44And again, at another time she said to me: If you will not commit adultery, I will kill my husband by poison; and take you to be my husband.
45I therefore, when I heard this, rent my garments, and said to her:
46Woman, reverence God, and do not this evil deed, lest you be destroyed; for know indeed that I will declare this your device to all men.
47She therefore, being afraid, begged that I would not declare this device.
48And she departed soothing me with gifts, and sending to me every delight of the sons of men.
49And afterwards she sent me food mingled with enchantments.
50And when the eunuch who brought it came, I looked up and beheld a terrible man giving me with the dish a sword. And I perceived that her scheme was to beguile me.
51And when he had gone out I wept, nor did I taste that or any other of her food.
52So then after one day she came to me and observed the food, and said to me: Why is it that you have not eaten of the food?
53And I said to her: It is because you have filled it with deadly enchantments; and how saidst you: I come not near to idols but to the Lord alone.
54Now therefore know that the God of my father has revealed to me by His angel your wickedness. And I have kept it to convict you, if perhaps you may see and repent.
55But that you may learn that the wickedness of the ungodly has no power over those who worship God with chastity behold I will take of it and eat before you.
56And having so said, I prayed thus: The God of my fathers and the angel of Abraham, be with me; and ate.
57, And when she saw this she fell upon her face at my feet, weeping; and I raised her up and admonished her.
58And she promised to do this iniquity no more.
59But her heart was still set upon evil, and she looked around how to ensnare me, and sighing deeply she became downcast, though she was not sick.
60And when her husband saw her, he said to her: Why is your countenance fallen?
61And she said to him: I have a pain at my heart, and the groanings of my spirit oppress me; and so he comforted her who was not sick.
62Then, accordingly seizing an opportunity, she rushed to me while her husband was yet without, and said to me: I will hang myself, or cast myself over a cliff, if you will not lie with me.
63And when I saw the spirit of Beliar was troubling her, I prayed to the Lord, and said to her:
64Why, wretched woman, are you troubled and disturbed, blinded through sins?
65Remember that if you kill thyself, Asteho, the concubine of your husband, your rival, will beat your children, and you will destroy your memorial from off the earth.
66And she said to me: Lo, then you love me; let this suffice me: only strive for my life and my children, and I expect that I shall enjoy my desire also.
67But she knew not that because of my lord I spoke thus, and not because of her.
68For if a man has fallen before the passion of a wicked desire and become enslaved by it, even as she, whatever good thing he may hear with regard to that passion, he receives it with a view to his wicked desire.
69I declare, therefore, to you, my children, that it was about the sixth hour when she departed from me. And I knelt before the Lord all day, and all the night; and about dawn I rose up, weeping the while and praying for a release from her.
70At last, then, she laid hold of my garments, forcibly dragging me to have connection with her.
71When, therefore, I saw that in her madness she was holding fast to my garment, I left it behind, and fled away naked.
72And holding fast to the garment she falsely accused me, and when her husband came he cast me into prison in his house. And on the morrow he scourged me and sent me into Pharaoh's prison.
73And when I was in bonds, the Egyptian woman was oppressed with grief, and she came and heard how I gave thanks to the Lord and sang praises in the abode of darkness, and with glad voice rejoiced, glorifying my God that I was delivered from the lustful desire of the Egyptian woman.
74And often has she sent to me saying: Consent to fulfill my desire, and I will release you from your bonds, and I will free you from the darkness.
75And not even in thought did I incline to her.
76For God loves him who in a den of wickedness combines fasting with chastity, rather than the man who in kings' chambers combines luxury with license.
77And if a man lives in chastity, and desires also glory, and the Most High knows that it is
expedient for him, He bestows this also upon me.
78How often, though she were sick, did she come down to me at unlooked for times, and listened to my voice as I prayed!
79And when I heard her groanings I held my peace.
80For when I was in her house she was wont to bare her arms, and breasts, and legs, that I might lie with her. For she was very beautiful, splendidly adorned in order to beguile me.
81And the Lord guarded me from her devices.
2
Joseph is the victim of many plots by the wicked ingenuity of the Memphian woman. For an interesting prophetic parable, see Verses 73-74.
YOU see, therefore, my children, how great things patience works, and prayer with fasting.
2So you too, if you follow after chastity and purity with patience and prayer, with fasting in humility of heart, the Lord will dwell among you because He loves chastity.
3And wheresoever the Most High dwells, even though envy,
or slavery, or slander befalls a man, the Lord who dwells in him, for the sake of his chastity not only delivers him from evil, but also exalts him even as me.
4For in every way the man is lifted up, whether in deed, or in word, or in thought.
5My brethren knew how my father loved me, and yet I did not exalt myself in my mind: although I was a child, I had the fear of God in my heart. For I knew that all things would pass away.
6And I did not raise myself against them with evil intent, but I honored my brethren. And out of respect for them, even when I was being sold, I refrained from telling the Ishmaelites that I was a son of Jacob, a great man and a mighty.
7Do you also, my children, have the fear of God in all your works before your eyes, and honor your brethren.
8For every one who does the law of the Lord shall be loved by Him.
9And when I came to the Indocolpitae with the Ishmaelites, they asked me, saying:
10Are you a slave? And I said that I was a home-born slave, that I might not put my brethren to shame.
11And the eldest of them said to me: You are not a slave, for even your appearance does make it manifest.
12But I said that I was their slave.
13Now when we came into Egypt they strove concerning me, which of them should buy me and take me.
14Therefore it seemed good to all that I should remain in Egypt with the merchant of their trade, until they should return bringing merchandise.
15And the Lord gave me favor in the eyes of the merchant, and he entrusted to me his house.
16And God blessed him by my means, and increased him in gold and silver and in household servants.
17And I was with him three months and five days.
18And about that time the Memphian woman, the wife of Pentephris came down in a chariot, with great pomp, because she had heard from her eunuchs concerning me.
19And she told her husband that the merchant had become rich by means of a young Hebrew, and they say that he had assuredly been stolen out of the land of Canaan.
20Now, therefore, render justice to him, and take away the youth to your house; so shall the God of the Hebrews bless you, for grace from heaven is upon him.
21And Pentephris was persuaded by her words, and commanded the merchant to be brought, and said to him:
22What is this that I hear concerning you, that you steal persons out of the land of Canaan, and sell them for slaves?
23But the merchant fell at his feet, and begged him, saying: I beg you, my lord, I know not what you say.
24And Pentephris said to him: From where, then, is the Hebrew slave?
25And he said: The Ishmaelites entrusted him to me until they should return.
26But he believed him not, but commanded him to be stripped and beaten.
27And when he persisted in this statement, Pentephris said: Let the youth be brought.
28And when I was brought in, I did obeisance to Pentephris for he was third in rank of the officers of Pharaoh.
29And he took me apart from
him, and said to me: Are you a slave or free?
30And I said: A slave.
31And he said: Whose?
32And I said: The Ishmaelites’.
33And he said: How did you become their slave?
34And I said: They bought me out of the land of Canaan.
35And he said to me: Truly you lie; and immediately he commanded me to be stripped and beaten.
36Now, the Memphian woman was looking through a window at me while I was being beaten, for her house was near, and she sent to him saying:
37Your judgment is unjust; for you do punish a free man who has been stolen, as though he were a transgressor.
38And when I made no change in my statement, though I was beaten, he ordered me to be imprisoned, until, he said, the owners of the boy should come.
39And the woman said to her husband: Wherefore do you detain the captive and wellborn lad in bonds, who ought rather to be set at liberty, and be waited upon?
40For she wished to see me out of a desire of sin, but I was ignorant concerning all these things.
41And he said to her: It is not the custom of the Egyptians to take that which belongs to others before proof is given.
42This, therefore, he said concerning the merchant; but as for the lad, he must be imprisoned.
43Now after four and twenty days came the Ishmaelites; for they had heard that Jacob my father was mourning much concerning me.
44And they came and said to me: How is it that you saidst that you were a slave? and lo, we have learned that you are the son of a mighty man in the land of Canaan, and your father still
mourns for you in sackcloth and ashes.
45When I heard this my bowels were dissolved and my heart melted, and I desired greatly to weep, but I restrained myself that I should not put my brethren to shame.
46And I said to them, I know not, I am a slave.
47Then, therefore, they took counsel to sell me, that I should not be found in their hands.
48For they feared my father, lest he should come and execute upon them a grievous vengeance.
49For they had heard that he was mighty with God and with men.
50Then said the merchant to them: Release me from the judgment of Pentiphri.
51And they came and requested me, saying: Say that you were bought by us with money, and he will set us free.
52Now the Memphian woman said to her husband: Buy the youth; for I hear, said she, that they are selling him.
53And immediately she sent a eunuch to the Ishmaelites, and asked them to sell me.
54But since the eunuch would not agree to buy me at their price he returned, having made trial of them, and he made known to his mistress that they asked a large price for their slave.
55And she sent another eunuch, saying: Even though they demand two minas, give them, do not spare the gold; only buy the boy, and bring him to me.
56The eunuch therefore went and gave them eighty pieces of gold, and he received me; but to the Egyptian woman he said I have given a hundred.
57And though I knew this I held my peace, lest the eunuch should be put to shame.
58You see, therefore, my children,
what great things I endured that I should not put my brethren to shame.
59Do you also, therefore, love one another, and with long-suffering hide you one another's faults.
60For God delights in the unity of brethren, and in the purpose of a heart that takes pleasure in love.
61And when my brethren came into Egypt they learned that I had returned their money to them, and upbraided them not, and comforted them.
62And after the death of Jacob my father I loved them more abundantly, and all things whatsoever he commanded I did very abundantly for them.
63And I suffered them not to be afflicted in the smallest matter; and all that was in my hand I gave to them.
64And their children were my children, and my children as their servants; and their life was my life, and all their suffering was my suffering, and all their sickness was my infirmity.
65My land was their land, and their counsel my counsel.
66And I exalted not myself among them in arrogance because of my worldly glory, but I was among them as one of the least.
67If you also, therefore, walk in the commandments of the Lord, my children, He will exalt you there, and will bless you with good things for ever and ever.
68And if any one seeks to do evil to you, do well to him, and pray for him, and you shall be redeemed of the Lord from all evil.
69For, behold, you see that out of my humility and longsuffering I took to wife the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis.
70And a hundred talents of gold were given me with her, and the Lord made them to serve me.
71And He gave me also beauty as a flower beyond the beautiful ones of Israel. And He preserved me to old age in strength and in beauty, because I was like in all things to Jacob.
72And hear you, my children, also the vision which I saw.
73There were twelve harts feeding: and the nine were first dispersed over all the earth, and likewise also the three.
74And I saw that from Judah was born a virgin wearing a linen garment, and from her, was born a lamb, without spot. And on his left hand there was as it were a lion. And all the beasts rushed against him, and the lamb overcame them, and destroyed them and trod them under foot.
75And because of him the angels and men rejoiced, and all the land.
76And these things shall come to pass in their season, in the last days.
77Do you therefore, my children, observe the commandments of the Lord, and honor Levi and Judah. For from them shall arise to you the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, one who saves all the Gentiles and Israel.
78For His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not pass away; but my kingdom
among you shall come to an end as a watcher's hammock, which after the summer disappears.
79For I know that after my death the Egyptians will afflict you, but God will avenge you, and will bring you into that which He promised to your fathers.
80But you shall carry up my bones with you. For when my bones are being taken up there, the Lord shall be with you in light, and Beliar shall be in darkness with the Egyptians.
81And carry you up Asenath your mother to the Hippodrome, and near Rachel your mother bury her.
82And when he had said these things he stretched out his feet, and died at a good old age.
83And all Israel mourned for him, and all Egypt, with a great mourning.
84And when the children of Israel went out of Egypt, they took with them the bones of
Joseph, and they buried him in Hebron with his fathers, and the years of his life were one hundred and ten years.