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How much was Joseph sold for in the Bible?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 24, 2026

"When those traders came along, the brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver.

How much did Joseph's brothers sell him for in today's money?

They all agreed that as soon as they finish eating, they would haul Joseph out of the pit and sell him to the Ishmaelites. Whilst they were talking the Midianites passed by, quite by accident and took him and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver.

How much was Joseph sold for and to who?

Genesis 37:12-36 New International Version (NIV): "So when the merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt."

How old was Joseph when he was sold into slavery?

Joseph was in prison for two years after he interpreted the dreams of the chief butler and baker (see Genesis 41:1). He was sold into slavery when he was about seventeen (see Genesis 37:2), and he was thirty years of age when he became vice-regent to the pharaoh (see Genesis 41:46).

How much is a biblical shekel worth today?

The Shekel Coin

According to New Nave's Topical Bible, one who possessed five talents of gold or silver was a multimillionaire by today's standards. A silver shekel, on the other hand, was probably worth less than a dollar in today's market. A gold shekel was perhaps worth a little more than five dollars.

20 related questions found

How old was Mary when Jesus was born?

All About Mary

However, now we believe that Mary and Joseph were both in their teens when Jesus was born, around sixteen and eighteen respectively. This was the norm for Jewish newlyweds at that time.

How many Joseph was in the Bible?

Dutripon's Latin Bible concordance (Paris 1838) identified 16 people named Joseph in the Bible, 9 of whom featured in the New Testament: Joseph I. Joseph (Genesis). Eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob from his wife Rachel, and the brother of Benjamin.

How old was Joseph when he was put in charge of Egypt?

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.

How much was Joseph sold for KJV?

[28] Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Did Judah sell Joseph?

The children of Jacob sell their brother Joseph by Konstantin Flavitsky, 1855. Judah was the one who suggested that Joseph be sold, rather than killed.

Which brother decided selling Joseph?

When Jacob assigns Joseph to take a flock of sheep to sell, the brothers see their opportunity to be rid of him forever. They beat him and sell him to a slave trader. They then return to Jacob and tell him Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. Joseph is bought by Potiphar, the pharaoh's superintendent of prisons.

How much did Judas sell Jesus out for?

Judas then went on his own to the priests of the Temple, the religious authorities at the time, and offered to betray Jesus in exchange for money—30 pieces of silver, as specified in the Gospel of Matthew.

Who seduced Joseph?

According to the Book of Genesis 39:1–20, Joseph was bought as a slave by the Egyptian Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh. Potiphar's Wife tried to seduce Joseph, who eluded her advances.

What gift did God give Joseph?

Jacob gave him a coat with long sleeves because of a mistranslation in the King James Version of the Bible: “coat with long sleeves” was translated incorrectly as “coat of many colors.” Long-sleeved or many-colored, the significance was the same.

What was Joseph nickname in the Bible?

In the Book of Genesis Joseph is Jacob's eleventh son and Rachel's first son, and known in the Hebrew Bible as Yossef ben-Yaakov.

Who is the father of Joseph in the Bible?

Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. As Jacob's name became synonymous with all Israel, so that of Joseph was eventually equated with all the tribes that made up the northern kingdom.

How many kids did Mary and Joseph have?

They may have been: (1) the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph (the most natural inference); (2) sons of the Mary named in Mark 15:40 as "mother of James and Joses", whom Jerome identified with the wife of Clopas and sister of Mary the mother of Jesus; or (3) sons of Joseph by a former marriage.

How much older was Joseph than Mary?

The Bible offers no evidence that Joseph was older than Mary. “We know virtually nothing about Joseph, and no age is mentioned for either Joseph or Mary in the Gospels,” says Paula Fredriksen, professor emerita of scripture at Boston University, and author of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Did Jesus have a wife?

"Christian tradition has long held that Jesus was not married, even though no reliable historical evidence exists to support that claim," King said in a press release.

How much is a Israel coin worth?

Currently, half an Israeli shekel is worth 14 cents. Sometimes the coins are found in pristine condition inside collector's sets. These sell for around $5 or so.

What are coins called in Israel?

sheqel, also spelled shekel, monetary unit of Israel. The sheqel (plural: sheqalim) is divided into 100 agorot. Israel's current monetary system, based on the New Israeli Sheqel (NIS), was established in 1985, when the old sheqel was replaced at a rate of 1,000 old sheqalim to 1 new sheqel (NIS 1).

Does Israel accept US dollars?

US dollars are the most welcome foreign currency. However, the exchange rate won't work in your favour. And in a restaurant or shop, you'll probably get your change in shekels regardless of what currency you've paid in. Best to stick to shekels if you can.