Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel who became governor of Egypt.
In Genesis, Joseph is Rachel’s firstborn and Jacob’s favored son. His brothers’ jealousy led them to sell him into slavery, and he was eventually imprisoned in Egypt. Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams brought him before Pharaoh, whose troubling dreams foretold seven prosperous years followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh appointed Joseph to organize Egypt’s food reserves, making him second only to Pharaoh in authority. During the famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt seeking grain without recognizing him. Their eventual reconciliation brought Jacob’s family to Egypt and explains, within the biblical narrative, how the Israelites came to live there.
Joseph is often confused with Judah, Levi, or Benjamin because all were sons of Jacob. Benjamin was Joseph’s full brother, while the others were his half-brothers. Joseph’s Egyptian wife was Asenath, and his sons were Manasseh and Ephraim.