How old was Joseph when he revealed his brothers?
Daniel Moore
Published Jan 10, 2026
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he shared with his brothers two dreams he had had: in the first dream, Joseph and his brothers gathered bundles of grain, of which those his brothers gathered, bowed to his own.
When did Joseph reveal himself to his brothers?
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
How old was Joseph when his brothers threw him in the pit?
Jacob's 11th son, Joseph, born finally by Rachael, would be his favorite. When Joseph was 17 years old Jacob gave him a special ornate robe of many colors. It was a long robe with long sleeves and it upset his working-class brothers because it put Joseph above them as his father's right-hand man.
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 old was Joseph when the story begins?
Joseph's story begins in Genesis 37, when he is seventeen years old. We learn that Joseph is his father's favorite, and his many brothers are already jealous of him. Then Joseph has a dream where his brothers bow down to him.
37 related questions foundHow old was Joseph when he was sold?
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 old was Joseph when Jesus was born?
At one time, Joseph was assumed to be elderly when he married 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 old was Joseph in the Bible?
In another early text, The History of Joseph the Carpenter, which was composed in Egypt between the 6th and 7th centuries, Christ himself tells the story of his step-father, claiming Joseph was 90 years old when he married Mary and died at 111. The theory caught on.
How many brothers did Joseph have?
Most of the brothers (Simeon, Levi, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali) blend together in Genesis. But there are three stand-outs worth a second look: Reuben, Judah, and Benjamin.
How old was David when he became king?
David was around 15 years old when Samuel anointed him king in the midst of his brothers. How much time passed after David was anointed and the killing of Goliath is not clear.
How deep was the cistern that Joseph was in?
The cistern is 8 metres by 8 metres and its depth in the present day is 2.3 metres. The bottom part has been carved out of the rock, while its upper part is constructed of stones and most of it has been plastered.
Is Joseph older than Benjamin?
Rosh (meaning elder), in reference to Joseph being older than Benjamin. Muppim (meaning double mouth), in reference to Joseph passing on what he had been taught by Jacob. Huppim (meaning marriage canopies), in reference to Joseph being married in Egypt, while Benjamin was not there.
Why did Joseph weep when he saw his brothers?
Commentators have identified no fewer than eight such incidents. In this week's portion, Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41:1-44:17), Joseph weeps secretly when he hears his brothers attributing their current troubles to their having mistreated him: “He turned away from them and wept.
How many shekels was Joseph sold for?
And there passed by Midianites, merchants; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt. (37:28).
Did Joseph test his brothers?
Early in the story of Joseph and his brothers, it did not seem that the older brothers cared much about what happened to their younger brothers, nor did it seem like they worried much about the feelings of their father.
How many older brothers did Joseph have?
Birth and family
Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, lived in the land of Canaan with ten half-brothers, one full brother, and at least one half-sister. He was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's eleventh son. Of all the sons, Joseph was preferred by his father, who gave him a "long coat of many colors".
Who was Joseph's big sister in the Bible?
Dinah is first mentioned in Genesis 30:21 as the daughter of Leah and Jacob, born to Leah after she bore six sons to Jacob.
How many dreams did Joseph have?
Saint Joseph's dreams are four dreams described in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament in which Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is visited by an angel of the Lord and receives specific instructions and warnings of impending danger.
How many children 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 old was Joseph when Jesus died?
By contrast, the apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, from the 5th or 6th century, has a long account of Joseph's peaceful death, at the age of 111, in the presence of Jesus (aged about 19), Mary and angels.
What was Jesus's wife's name?
Mary Magdalene as Jesus's wife
One of these texts, known as the Gospel of Philip, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesus's companion and claimed that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples.
How long did Joseph live?
Joseph first appears in the Bible in the gospels of Matthew and Luke; in Matthew, Joseph's lineage is traced back to King David. According to the Bible, Joseph was born circa 100 B.C.E. and later wed the Virgin Mary, Jesus's mother. He died in Israel circa 1 A.D.
Did Mary and Joseph get married?
The High Priest ordered them to each bring a rod; he that owned the rod which would bear flowers was divinely ordained to become Mary's husband. After the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and caused Joseph's rod to blossom, he and Mary were wed according to Jewish custom.
What happened to Joseph?
' ” The circumstances of Joseph's death are unknown, except that he probably died before Jesus' public ministry began and was certainly dead before the Crucifixion (John 19:26–27).
How old was Samuel when he was called by God?
Samuel worked under Eli in the service of the shrine at Shiloh. One night, Samuel heard a voice calling his name. According to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Samuel was 12 years old.