Remember Joseph? The Hebrew slave who correctly interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the famine? Well, Pharaoh hasn't forgotten. According to the Book of Jasher, after seeing that Joseph's predictions are coming true, Pharaoh gathers his advisors. "Behold you have seen and heard all the words of this Hebrew man," he says, acknowledging Joseph's accurate interpretation and wisdom. He wants to appoint Joseph as his second-in-command to manage the impending crisis.
But there's a catch. The Egyptian officers are hesitant. They point out a major problem: "Surely it is written in the laws of Egypt... that no man shall reign over Egypt... but one who has knowledge in all the languages of the sons of men." Joseph, they argue, only speaks Hebrew! How can he possibly govern a land when he can't even communicate with its people? It's a fair point, right?
So, what happens? Does Joseph's dream end here? Not a chance!
That night, the text says, God sends an angel to Joseph in his dungeon. Yes, his master had thrown him BACK in the dungeon because of his wife. The angel rouses Joseph and, in a single night, teaches him all the languages of mankind! Can you imagine waking up fluent in every language? The text even gives Joseph a new name: Jehoseph.
The next morning, Pharaoh summons Joseph. Joseph addresses the king in every language. The Book of Jasher vividly describes Joseph ascending the seventy steps to the throne, speaking to Pharaoh in different tongues until he reaches the top. Needless to say, everyone is amazed.
Pharaoh, convinced of Joseph's divinely granted abilities, declares, "Thy name no more shall be called Joseph, but Zaphnath Paaneah shall be thy name." Zaphnath Paaneah is often interpreted as "revealer of secrets" or "God speaks and lives." Pharaoh then bestows upon Joseph unimaginable power. He's second-in-command, his word is law, and everyone must bow before him. This echoes the biblical account in Genesis 41:45, but the Book of Jasher elaborates on the ceremony and its significance.
The transformation is incredible. Pharaoh gives Joseph his royal ring, princely garments, a golden crown, and a golden chain. Joseph is paraded through the streets in Pharaoh's second chariot, accompanied by music, soldiers, and adoring crowds. The Book of Jasher paints a vibrant picture: "Five thousand men, with drawn swords glittering in their hands... and twenty thousand of the great men of the king girt with girdles of skin covered with gold, marched at the right hand of Joseph, and twenty thousand at his left..." The streets are perfumed, and heralds proclaim Joseph's authority. It's a scene of absolute triumph.
Joseph, however, remembers where he came from. As he rides through the cheering crowds, he looks to heaven and proclaims, "He raiseth the poor man from the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill. O Lord of Hosts, happy is the man who trusteth in thee."
Pharaoh further cements Joseph's position by giving him land, riches, and even a wife: Osnath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest. Joseph builds a magnificent house, a temple, and a throne. He amasses an army. According to Jasher, "Joseph had an army that made war, going out in hosts and troops to the number of forty thousand six hundred men..." He is now a powerful leader, beloved by the people.
So, what do we take away from this story? It's more than just a rags-to-riches tale. It's a testament to faith, resilience, and the possibility of transformation. Joseph's journey, as recounted in the Book of Jasher, reminds us that even in the darkest of times, with a little help from above, we can rise to achieve extraordinary things. And who knows? Maybe you have a bit of Zaphnath Paaneah in you too.