Using histo-critical method, this chapter will offer an apologia to a vulnerable wife of Potiphar, who asked for sexual gratification from an Israeli slave, Joseph. Although many accounts and evaluations, especially on religious basis, have condemned this act as a loosed or adulterous living; this chapter however is seeking to reveal the nature of the Egyptian culture on slavery and that of Potiphar's job and his level of negligence among other reasons as what led to the vulnerability of his wife. The chapter will recommend that issues of religious identity and culture should be carefully weighed before concluding on sensitive issues like these. Husbands should also give their wives considerable attention in marriage, no matter the nature of their job. They should also endeavour not to hand over their supposed responsibilities as husbands of the house to so-called house assistants in order to avoid stories that touch.
TopPrevious Scholarship On Portipher’S Wife And Joseph
The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife have been researched and widely undertaken in different perspectives by scholars, lay preachers, Bible commentaries, and even other religious faiths like Judaism and Islam. This could be owing to the historical significance the event has on the moral aspect of the adherents of religious devotees. Taken for instance;
Adamo (2013) tags the story as “The Nameless African Wife of Potiphar and her contribution to Ancient Israel”. In his article, he tries to first trace the origin of this woman (Potiphar’s wife) to have come from Africa, thus creating the importance of Africa in Bible stories. For he says that “the wife of Potiphar is popularly believed to have come from Egypt on the African continent like her husband. She is referred to as the “African Wife of Potiphar” not only because Egypt is part of the African continent, but also because the ancient Egyptians referred to themselves as having ancestors in Punt along the coast of Somali Land”.
After that, the author moves to defend the action of Potiphar’s wife in the face of various discussions which appears to only highlight and center her story based on her seductive character, which is highly unapproved of in any decent society. His argument is that her action has a blessing on its own; since it played a crucial role to the survival of the Hebrews in Egypt. Not only that, it also initiated the event that brought the family of Jacob, otherwise known as Israel to Egypt, which set a stage for one of the major themes of the entire Bible, the Exodus.
He is also of the opinion that this woman’s misbehaviour brought Joseph to Pharaoh’s attention, to the extent that Joseph became the organizer and administrator of food storage and supplies in Egypt. Thus making him the bread basket of the ancient Near East in that period (Gen 12:10). The author went on to tag the behavior of Potiphar’s wife on the contrary as that of any normal human being with great desire for children. Thus, making her not better or worse than any normal human being whose husband may be impotent or a eunuch.
Despite the foregoing defense of Potiphar’s wife by Adamo, (2013), the paper has in no way been able to reveal the nature of the Egyptian culture on slavery, and that of Potiphar’s job and his level of negligence among other reasons as what led to the vulnerability of his wife. This is the gap created that this research intends to fill.