"JEHOVAH WAS WITH JOSEPH

Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt , and an Egyptian named Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh and chief of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there." (Genesis 39:1) In those few words, the Bible account helps us to imagine the humiliation of a young man who was sold once again.  He was mere property!  We may think of Joseph following his new master, an Egyptian court official, through bustling city streets crowded with bazaars as they headed toward Joseph's new home. 

Home! It was a far cry from anything Joseph had ever called home. He had grown up in a nomadic family who dwelled in tents as they moved frequently and tended their flocks of sheep.  Here, such wealthy Egyptians as Potiphar lived in elegant, brightly painted houses.  Archaeologists report that the ancient Egyptians were fond of lush, walled gardens with shade trees and quiet pools for growing papyrus, lotus, and  other water plants.  Some houses sat secluded within gardens, with porches for enjoying the breeze, high windows for ventilation, and many rooms, including a large dining room and quarters for servants. 

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