The Story of Joseph the Dreamer from Jewish, Christian and Islamic Perspectives

More than just a Pretty Coat: The Story of Joseph the Dreamer from Jewish, Christian and Islamic Perspectives

Elizabeth Hayes

1 Introduction

The interpretive history of Joseph the dreamer in Judaism, Christianity and Islam is both rich and complex. The aim of this study is to present an over- view of trends in interpretation of the Joseph story in these three traditions. Although the boyhood garment given him by his father Jacob is often a focus of attention in Biblical interpretation, this paper will argue that the Joseph story is about far more than just a pretty coat. From the Biblical emphasis upon the politics of power and Joseph’s unique role in rescuing his family from famine to the Qur’an’s claim that Surah 12 is ‘the most beautiful tale’, the history of interpretation of the Joseph story is fascinating indeed.1

1.1 Two Primary Sources and a Multitude of Modifications The contours of the Joseph story are similar in the Biblical account and the version found in the Qur’an, although there are some key differences in detail.2 While the version in the Qur’an exhibits connections to the Joseph story in Genesis 37–46 and to midrashic sources as well, it is by no means clear that it is solely a derivative work. For this reason, both the Biblical text and the text of the Qur’an are viewed as primary sources for this study.

1.2 Trajectories of Interpretation: Sources and Communities Until recently, Western scholarship has tended to view the version of the Joseph story found in the Qur’an as derivative of the Biblical text. However, in some ways this perspective is insufficient to account for major differences and recent scholarship has moved towards viewing the version in the Qur’an and

1 This paper is dedicated to my friend Maryam, whose story telling ability caused the tale of Zulaykah and Yusuf to come alive: my view of Joseph has been delightfully altered forever. 2 M.S. Bernstein, Stories of Joseph: Narrative Migrations between Judaism and Islam, Detroit 2006, 35; S.B. Noegel and B.M. Wheeler, Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, Lanham, MD, London 2002, 175.

Non-Muslim readers may be tempted to interpret the story primarily as a retelling of the biblical account in Genesis 37–46. Comparative study can indeed shed important light on both traditions, but ceding authority or definitive form to earlier tradition may diminish the value of the latter. The two accounts arise out of very different circumstances and commu- nicate different messages: each must be read on its own terms.4

While interpreters reading the Joseph account from within a faith tradition may be slow to acknowledge two more or less independent Joseph traditions and struggle with the idea of ‘ceding authority’, such decoupling of the Biblical and Islamic accounts of the Joseph story might represent an important step for- ward for constructive dialogue. The move opens the door for Jewish, Christian and Islamic faith communities each to read and reflect upon its own canoni- cal scriptural text without demanding consensus regarding either the literary shape of the story or the theological construction resulting from interpretation within a given context. Additionally, understanding the development of the two versions as separate traditions allows academic freedom to explore the ramifications of separate literary texts without demanding priority for either.5

1.3 Joseph is a Dreamer (But is he a Prophet?) While both the Biblical and Qur’an accounts agree that Joseph is a dreamer, the question of prophet-hood still remains. What do the dual traditions have to say about Joseph as prophet? In the Qur’an, events within the narrative have been seen as a series of tests of Joseph’s fitness for prophet-hood while the biblical account of Joseph is set in a time frame prior to that of the writing prophets. Because of this, there is no explicit reference to Joseph as a prophet in the biblical account. However, the biblical account presents the role of Joseph as a dreamer and as an interpreter of dreams, thus as one who heard directly from God. In neither the Qur’an nor the biblical text does Joseph receive a particular message with instructions for a given population; rather he receives knowledge

3 Bernstein, Stories of Joseph, 35; V.K. Robbins and G.D. Newby, ‘A Prolegomenon to the Relation of the Qur’an and the Bible’, in: J.C. Reeves (ed.), Bible and Qur’an: Essays in Scriptural Intertextuality (Symposium), Atlanta 2003, 23–26. 4 J. Renard, Seven Doors to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims, Berkeley 1996, 49. 5 This is not meant to diminish any source critical studies involved with these texts, but rather to create an environment for productive reading and discussion of this significant story.