Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the title of Master of Theology, in the Graduate Program in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, University of. He is applying for a Master of Theology degree at the Faculty of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. None of the present work has previously been submitted for any other degree or examination.
Introduction to the Study
While historical-critical approaches have separated Genesis 38 from the Joseph narrative, I will use a narrative approach to read Genesis 38 as part of the Joseph narrative. I will argue for the Judah-Tamar narrative (Gen 38) as an integral part of the Joseph narrative. The purpose of this study is to address the research question whether or not it is possible to distinguish a development of the character of Judah in Genesis, including Genesis 38.
I will use a literary-critical approach as opposed to the standpoints of historical-critical analysis. This work will provide the basis for the discussion that follows, namely the argument for the inclusion of Deuteronomy 38 (the story of Judah and Tamar) as an integral part of Josephus' narrative as a whole. Fourth, the study will argue that the story of Judas, told in the story of Joseph, takes the form of a subplot throughout the scope of the narrative.
Narrative Criticism and its Tools
The implied author guides and influences the reader to adopt a particular point of view based on the point of view of the narrative (Powell 1990: 23). The aim is to draw the implicit reader into the character's life, to share the experience with him. By analyzing the narrator of the story, we can gain valuable insight into the meaning of the text.
I will especially use this tool in analyzing the text of the story of Joseph. Other important plot elements are the author's implicit use of irony and symbolism. The implied author can speed up or slow down events to highlight different aspects of the story.
Analysis of the Text
The final series of events in the story is the family's move from Canaan to Egypt. The Hebrew expression ה.לֵא בֹּקֲעַי תוֹדְלֹּת (37:2) can be translated as “these are the descendants of Jacob.”6 The term תוֹדְלֹּת is common in the stories of Genesis. Here Judah takes center stage in the story for the first time and proposes a change of plan after seeing the 'Ishmaelite traders'.9 The tension in the plot is heightened as the implied reader witnesses the brother's consultation between the various plans that Ruben has put forward. and Judah.
Scholars cite that these inconsistencies in the story refer to the different redactions of the story (West 2006: 180) or that the final editor merged several stories into this final text of the Joseph story (Alter 2004: 212). Linked to the tensions within the family is the idea of the brothers' hatred of Joseph, which is similarly repeated in this passage. As a result, Joseph is 'brought down' again (Huddlestun 2002:56). The implied reader had noted that some form of stability seemed to return to Joseph's life as he enjoyed Potiphar's favor.
This is common among people who use deception and power to achieve their goals. 39:1). The text clearly indicates that the spatial setting has been moved from Canaan, where Joseph was sold to the slave traders and where Judah had lived, to Egypt. Fretheim claims that at this point “the narrator provides an important commentary to ensure that the reader understands who recognizes whom and that Joseph remembers his earlier dream.” The Hebrew word used here for “the dreams” is תוֹמלֲֹחַה (42:9), and it serves as a thread, connecting the different aspects of the story through their repetition in the text.
47 In 43:14 Jacob pronounces a blessing on his traveling sons, and asks God that 'the man' in Egypt will show them mercy and let Benjamin return; he adds the peculiar words "as for me, if I must be robbed, I will be robbed" יִתְלָכָש יִתְלֹּכָש רשֲאַכֶּ ,יִנֲאו. After the meal, Joseph orders that all the brothers' silver be returned to them and also that his own silver divination cup be secretly placed in Benjamin's pocket (44:1-2). The brothers who once took silver when they sold Joseph to Egypt can't seem to return the silver to Egypt, no matter how hard they try (Alter 2004:253). Cotter notes that “The pressure of the confrontation brings the Joseph story to a turning point.
The implied reader notices this as a repetition but also as a completion of the theme of dreams in the narrative. Jacob goes to Egypt with his whole family, all their livestock and all their possessions (46:5-7). The implied author emphasizes that there is no turning back. The implied reader knows this is because of Joseph's power and his administration of the land.
Genesis 38 (Judah-Tamar story) and its Relationship to the Joseph Narrative 61
Judah's apparent inability to exercise self-control when he sees Tamar is in stark contrast to Joseph's sexual content in his dealings with Potiphar's wife in the next chapter (Alter 1981:10). We can see it in the larger story of Joseph, where Judah becomes the leader of his brothers in Egypt, and also in the fact that Judah leads the family in their move from Canaan to Egypt (46:28). Role reversal is a related motif, for example when Reuben, who is the first born, plays a dependent role in the narrative (Arnold 2010:75).
So there is enough evidence at the plot level in the narrative to suggest that Genesis 38 plays a major role in the development of the story and shares connections with other parts of the story. The temporal setting of the narrative makes room for Judas to develop as a character in preparation for what lies ahead in the story. Along these lines, Clifford argues that these events in Judah's life must occur before he meets Joseph in Genesis 42; the events in Genesis 38 enable Judah to understand God's ability to transform and change his brothers.
Judah undergoes a transformation in Genesis 38 so that a completely changed Judah is able to act as a leader in the family and be its honest representative before Joseph in Egypt. In this section, I will highlight phrases that appear in Genesis 38 and are repeated elsewhere in the story of Joseph, I will highlight leitworter that occurs, which also emphasizes the connection of Genesis 38 to the larger narrative. As mentioned earlier, another Hebrew root yarad is used in the text.
Both Judah and Joseph 'descend' from the family home in Canaan, leitwort tells the intertwined stories of brothers who both leave the family home, both become leaders in their own right, and finally come together in the end . It is clear then that Genesis 38 plays a much more important role in the story of Joseph than many scholars are willing to admit. Not only does the Judah-Tamar story fit into the narrative chronology of Joseph's story, but it also allows the implied reader to gain more insight into his character.
In the next chapter I will analyze, on the basis of this argument, how the character of Judas is revealed throughout the story of Joseph and I will detail the larger role that Judas plays in the story.
A Comparison of the Characterisation of Judah and Joseph
68 The implied reader's view of Judah does not improve when the text mentions that he "went down from" (38:1). The narrator's hasty explanation of the death of Judah's two eldest sons (38:7-10) makes it possible to increase the implied reader's negative opinion of Judah. The implied reader of the entire book of Genesis would see Judah's marriage in a similarly negative light.
The implied reader's final encounter with Judah in the story of Joseph occurs after Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and arranges for the entire family to move to Egypt. Judah is now someone whom the implied reader trusts and who is honored as the progenitor of a great Jewish line of descendants in further accounts of. I believe the implied reader is suggesting that Joseph's harsh treatment by his brothers stems from his own character flaws.
The narrator gives the implied reader enough insight into Jacob's character to understand that much of Joseph's attitude and behavior stems from his father's own bias toward him. The narrator then begins to show how Joseph quickly gains the favor of the prison warden, further reinforcing the implied reader's perception of him (Kaminsky 2004: 139). It is clear that the narrator expects the implied reader to discern that Joseph is now completely different; he was.
On the other hand, however, the implied reader is also able to see Joseph's actions of taking an Egyptian wife and adopting Egyptian customs as an abandonment of the religion of his father (Wildavsky 1994:48). This action leads the implied reader to believe that Joseph still retains something of his childish selfishness. The implied reader is left in no doubt as to what kind of character Judah is.
The manner in which the implied author juxtaposes these characters plays a role in the continuing narrative of the Old Testament.
Concluding Remarks -the Judah Episode as a Story within a Story
These aspects of Joseph's character are not to be imitated, while Judah is completely transformed into a character who cares deeply for the other members of his family and is an exemplary character in many ways. It also places Judah as the head of the family, perhaps setting the narrative foundation for why Judah is the tribe of Israel that comes to the fore in the later narratives of the Pentateuch. Narrative Criticism: Human Purpose in Conflict with Divine Presence.” in Judges and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies.
Yahweh versus Baal: A Narrativo-Critical Reading of the Gideon/Abimelech Story, in Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Vol 33.2, p. 173-195. The Family Trouble Stories of Judah and David: A Study of Their Literary Connections. Narrative Criticism: What Does History Mean?' in Mark and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies.
Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in Visions of the Prophets and Wisdom of the Sages: Essays in Honor of R.
