Житие святого праведного Иосифа Прекрасного

Beautiful in body and soul, blessed Joseph 2323 was the son of the Old Testament patriarch Jacob, the grandson of Isaac and the great-grandson of Abraham. He was born of Jacob's second wife, Rachel, who was barren until God heard her and opened her womb to bear children. Rachel first gave birth to the boy Joseph, who was Jacob's eleventh son. Rachel's second son was Benjamin, the twelfth son of Israel. After the birth of Benjamin, Rachel died and was buried in Ephrath 2324, that is, in Bethlehem 2325. Rachel's sons, Joseph and Benjamin, were very dear to Jacob, because God sent them to him in his declining days, and moreover, they reminded him of his beloved wife Rachel, whose death greatly upset him. Jacob loved her so much that for her sake he worked for his father-in-law Laban for fourteen years. In addition, both of Rachel’s sons were good-natured, chaste and worthy of love, especially blessed Joseph, in whom the grace of the Holy Spirit settled from a young age. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he began to tend his father's flocks along with brothers born from other mothers. Seeing the sinful deeds of his brothers, Joseph disdained to take part in them. On the contrary, loving his brothers and wanting to save their souls, Joseph brought some of their iniquities to the attention of his father Jacob, so that he would fatherly punish them and thus divert the wrath of God from his home. Jacob, seeing such intelligence in Joseph, combined with chastity and fear of God, loved him even more and sewed him many-colored clothes. The brothers greatly hated Joseph: some because he did not take part in their sinful deeds and let their father know about them; others - because his father loved him more than them. They could not speak friendly to Joseph, they made malicious accusations against him and slandered his father. However, Jacob, knowing well the innocence of Joseph, did not believe them. At that time, the Holy Spirit, who lived in Joseph, in dreams began to reveal to him, as a prophet, everything that concerned his future life. Without hiding anything, Joseph told his father and brothers about this: “Listen,” he said one day, “to the dream I had.” I dreamed that in the middle of a field we were knitting sheaves; my sheaf stood upright, but your sheaves standing around bowed down to my sheaf. To this the brothers said to him: “Will you really reign over us and rule over us?” And they began to hate him even more for such a dream. Then Joseph saw another dream and also told it to his father and brothers: “I saw,” he said, “how the sun, the month and eleven stars bowed to me.” Hearing this, the father scolded Joseph with the words: – What does this dream mean? Shall I and your mother (stepmother Leah) and your brothers really come and bow down to the ground before you? His father scolded him for show. By this he wanted to save his son from the even greater wrath of his brothers. In reality, this dream sank deeply into Jacob’s soul. He thought to himself: “What could this be? It seems to me that the Lord wants to surprise everyone with His mercy on this virtuous youth.” And in his heart he rejoiced at this. The brothers hated Joseph even more and planned to harm him. One day, while the brothers were tending sheep in Shechem 2326, Joseph and his father were in the Hebron valley. The child-loving father, caring for his sons who were in Shechem, said to his beloved son Joseph: “Go, child, to your brothers, see if they are healthy and if the herds are intact, and quickly return to me.” Fulfilling the order, Joseph went to his brothers to convey to them his father’s greetings; and Benjamin, while still a small youth, remained with his father. Joseph wandered through the desert of Shechem and could not find his brothers. He began to worry about their fate when he met some man who asked him: - I'm looking for my brothers; tell me if you know where they graze their flocks? Then the man said to him: “They left here, for I heard them say: “Let’s go to Dofaim!” 2327 And he showed Joseph the way. Joseph followed his brothers and found them in Dophaim. When he saw them from afar, he was very happy with them, because he loved them. They also saw him from afar, and before he had time to approach them, they were already furious with him, like wild animals, and began to consult about how to kill him. They said to each other: - Here comes that dreamer. Let's kill him now and throw him into the ditch. Afterwards we will say that the beast ate him. Let's see then how his dreams come true. The eldest brother Reuben heard this and, wanting to save Joseph from the murderous hands of his brothers, said to them: “Do not kill him, do not shed your brother’s blood: rather throw him into that ditch that is in the desert.” Let him die there alone, but do not lay your hands on him! By this Reuben thought to save the innocent young man from death. He wanted to secretly pull him out of the ditch and let him go to his father. Meek as a sheep, Joseph knew nothing of the wickedness of his brothers. He approached them and kissed them friendly, greeting them on behalf of his father. The brothers, like animals, pounced on him and stole the multi-colored clothes he was wearing. They gnashed their teeth at him, as if wanting to eat him alive. They beat Joseph with their fists and inflicted all sorts of insults on him. In this anger, the brothers seemed to him ferocious and merciless. Joseph no longer hoped that anyone would stand up for him. Therefore, he raised his voice and, with tears and sobs, began to beg his brothers for mercy: - Why are you angry? I ask you to release me somewhat and listen to my request. Brothers! You yourself know that my father cries every day about the death of my mother. Do you really dare to inflict a new wound on him when the old one has not yet healed? I beg you, do not separate me from my father, otherwise he will go to the grave out of grief. I adjure you by the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Mark 12:26), - by the God who commanded Abraham to leave the land and house of his father and settle in the Promised Land (Gen. 12:1-3), - by the God who promised to make the descendants of Abraham as countless as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5) or the sand on the seashore (Gen. 28:14). ). I conjure you by the Most High God, who gave Abraham willpower at the sacrifice of his son Isaac and sent a lamb to slaughter him in place of his son (Gen. 23:1-19). I adjure you by the Holy God, Who blessed our father Jacob through the mouth of Isaac (Gen. 27:27-29), his father, and Who did not leave Jacob even in Harran, which is in Mesopotamia (Gen. 28:10-19) 2328, from where Abraham came: here God delivered Jacob from misfortune! With all this I conjure you and ask you not to separate me from Jacob, as death separated him from Rachel. Otherwise, Jacob will cry for me just as he cries for Rachel, and his eyes will close without waiting for my return. Have pity on me and let me go to my father! So Joseph pleaded with his brothers by God his fathers. The cruel brothers did not have mercy on him at all and, without fear of God, dragged Joseph into the ditch. He grabbed them by the legs, cried and said: But they threw him into the ditch. This ditch was once a deep and dark well, which subsequently dried up. Sitting in this ditch, Joseph cried bitter tears and called his father to him: - Look, father, what happened to your son! They threw me into the ditch as if I were dead. You are waiting for my return, and I, like a robber, am now lying in a ditch. You yourself, father, told me: “Go, look at your brothers and herds and quickly return to me.” My brothers treated me like savage wolves and angrily separated me from you. Good father! You can no longer see me and hear my voice, and I cannot be the consolation of your old age. I will no longer see your gray hairs, for I was buried and, moreover, worse than dead. Weep, father, for your child, as your child cries for you, his father! After all, I was separated from you at such a young age! Who would give me a dove that speaks human speech, so that it could fly and tell you about my grief? I have no more tears, and from moaning I have already lost my voice. There is nothing that can help my grief! O land, the land that cried out to the Holy God for the righteous Abel, who was unrighteously killed, as it was told from the beginning from our forefathers that the earth also cried out for the blood of the righteous (Gen. 4:10)! Now turn to my father Jacob for me, tell him everything that my brothers did to me! So Joseph sobbed until he was exhausted in the ditch, and there was no one to console him. And the cruel brothers, having thrown Joseph into the ditch, began to eat and drink with joy. They reclined so cheerfully and solemnly, as if they had defeated the enemy or captured the city. During this fun, they noticed Ishmaelite merchants approaching them 2329, traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Camels walked with the merchants, carrying incense, incense and other aromas. Then Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, said to his brothers: - What is the benefit if we kill our brother and hide his blood? It's better to sell him to these Ishmaelites and let them take him further away. Joseph will die in a foreign country, and we will not be the murderers of our half-brother. The other brothers agreed with Judas. They went and pulled Joseph out of the pit. The Ishmaelites who passed by gave thirty gold coins for Joseph. During this sale, Reuben was not there: he was leaving somewhere. Upon his return, Reuben went to the ditch, but did not find Joseph there. Then he tore his clothes, returned to his brothers and said: - There is no boy in the ditch! Where will I go? How can I bear our father’s sobs for him? Reuben felt sorry for Joseph. The merchants who took Joseph reached the place in Ephrath where Rachel’s grave was located: here she died when Jacob was returning from Mesopotamia. As soon as Joseph saw the grave of his mother Rachel, he immediately ran up and fell to her. Then he said loudly and with bitter tears: - Rachel, my mother! Rise from the ground and look at Joseph, whom you loved! Look what happened to me: the foreigners are taking me to Egypt. My brothers sold me into slavery to them, and sold me naked, like a villain. Jacob doesn't know that I was sold. Open your coffin for me, my mother, and take me to you! Let your coffin be one deathbed for both of us! O Rachel! Take your son so that he will no longer wait for death on a foreign side. Rachel, take me to you! My separation from Jacob was as unexpected as my separation from you, my mother. Let your sobs and the torment of my heart reach your ears, so that you take me into your coffin. I can no longer cry: there are no tears, and my soul is exhausted from crying and sobbing. O Rachel, Rachel! Will you not hear the request of your son Joseph? Your son is being taken away from you by force, but you don’t want to keep him. I called Jacob - he did not hear my voice. Now I'm calling you and you don't want to hear me. Let me die here over your tomb, but I will not go like a villain to a foreign land! When the Ishmaelites who bought Joseph saw him fall to the grave, they said to each other: “This young man wants to escape from us with the help of witchcraft.” Let's tie him up tight so he doesn't cause us any trouble! Approaching him, they said angrily: - Get up, stop doing magic, otherwise we will kill you on this grave. We don't want to lose the money we paid for you! When Joseph stood up, the Ishmaelites saw that his whole face was swollen from bitter tears. And each of them sympathetically began to question him: “Why did you cry so bitterly when you saw this grave?” Don't be afraid and tell us who you are and why you were sold? The shepherds who sold you told us: “Keep an eye on him so that he does not run away from you on the way; if he runs away, it’s not our fault: we warned you.” Tell us the truth: whose slave are you? Those shepherds or someone else? And explain why you fell to this grave with such love? We are your masters because we bought you. Like a slave, you tell us everything. If you hide something from us, then who else can you tell your grief to? Are you our slave? Those shepherds told us that you might run away from us - that worries us. Calm down and tell us frankly who you are! You seem like a master to us, and we want to see in you not a slave, but our beloved brother. Your beautiful appearance and your mentality show us that you are worthy to appear before the king and be honored along with other nobles. All your perfections say that you will achieve great power. Be our friend wherever we lead you. Who could not fall in love with such an intelligent, noble and beautiful young man?! Sighing, Joseph answered them: “Although I was sold to you, I was neither a slave, nor a thief, nor a sorcerer, and I did not commit any crime at all.” I am my father’s beloved son, and I was my mother’s beloved son when she was still alive. Those shepherds are my brothers. Their father sent them to inquire about their health. They did not return from the mountains for a long time, so the child-loving father, worried, sent me to check on them. They captured me and sold me into slavery. My brothers could not look without envy at my father’s love for me, and this was the reason that they separated me from him. The coffin located here is the coffin of my mother. When my father Jacob moved from Haran to the place where he lived before, my mother died here and was buried in this grave. Hearing this, the Ishmaelites said with sympathy: - Don't be afraid, young man! Great honor awaits you in Egypt. Your appearance is proof of your nobility. Don’t be sad, on the contrary, be glad that you are now far from your envious brothers, who hated you for no reason. Joseph's brothers, when they sold him, brought a goat, killed it and stained Joseph's clothes with blood, which they sent to father Jacob with these words: “We found this clothing lying in the mountains and recognized it as the clothing of our brother Joseph, which saddened us all. We did not find Joseph himself and sent his coat of many colors to you. See if she is your son or not. We all recognized that these were Joseph's clothes. Recognizing his son’s clothes, Jacob wept and said with bitter sobs: - These are my son’s clothes, a predatory beast ate him! And Jacob tore his clothes. Putting on rags, he said with sobs: - Why wasn’t I eaten instead of you, my son?! Why didn’t that beast meet me in order to feed on me and leave you safe? Why didn’t that beast tear me to pieces? Oh, why wasn't I his food? Woe is me, woe! My heart grieves greatly for Joseph! Woe is me, woe is me! Where was my son killed so that I could go and tear my gray hairs apart over his beauty? I don't want to live without Joseph anymore! Child! I am the culprit of your death! I killed you by sending you into the desert to visit your brothers and herds! O child! I will cry and grieve until I go to hell! Instead of your dead body, I place your clothes in front of me with tears. But it makes me sad for another reason. It is all intact, and I think that it was not an animal that ate your body, but human hands that grabbed and killed you. If you had really been eaten by a beast, as your brothers said, then your dress would have been torn to pieces, because the beast would not first take off your clothes and only then eat your body. If he first stole the dress and then ate you, then the dress would not be stained with blood. There are no marks of claws or teeth on this dress, so where does the blood come from on it? If there were only animals in the desert and no robbers, I would grieve that the animals ate you, and I could not assume that the robbers killed you. I feel sad about Joseph, and his clothing brings me into another, no less sad state. So, I have two misfortunes: with tears I will think about how his clothes were taken off, and about how his body was killed or eaten? I will die, Joseph, my light and support, and let your clothes go down to the underworld with me. Without you, Joseph, I don’t want to see this light! And Jacob mourned for Joseph for many days. All the sons and daughters of Jacob gathered together to console him, but he did not want to be consoled and said: - With sadness I will go down to the underworld to my son! Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites hastily led Joseph to Egypt 2330, hoping to receive a lot of gold from some nobleman for his beauty. As they walked through the Egyptian city, they were met by the courtier of Pharaoh 2331 Pentephry. He saw Joseph and addressed the Ishmaelites with these words: - Merchants, tell me where you got this young man from? He is not at all like you, because among you Ishmaelites one cannot find such a handsome young man. “This boy is very smart and belongs to a noble family. Pentephry willingly bought Joseph from them and paid as much as they wanted. The courtier brought him into his house and tried in every possible way to find out his former life. The descendant of the righteous Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived with Pentephry in virtue and great meekness, and the Lord was with him. Joseph led an honest and blameless life. It was clear from his face and words that he was chaste and feared God: he never forgot the All-Seeing God of his fathers, Who delivered him from death in the ditch and from his hated brothers. Joseph grieved only for his father Jacob. While living with Pentefrius, Joseph gained his favor and liked him. Pentephry, seeing that the Lord was with Joseph, who was successfully arranging everything in his hands, made him the head of the whole house and put all the property into his hands: estates, villages, slaves and households. Pentefry himself, under Joseph, did not know about anything except the food that he ate at his table: he clearly saw that Joseph was honest and that the property in his hands was growing more and more. For Joseph's sake, God blessed the Egyptian's house. All the male and female slaves were very pleased with Joseph, because with him they lived well and quite comfortably, in all contentment. Joseph had good looks and a handsome face. Pentefria's wife was struck by his beauty, and her heart burned with satanic love for him. She tried in every possible way to seduce the innocent Joseph and strongly wanted to be with him. To seduce Joseph, Pentefria's wife resorted to many tricks: she changed her clothes every hour, washed and anointed her face, and hung necklaces around her neck. In addition, she deceived the righteous soul of Joseph with various body movements, vile laughter and adulterous words. But with all these tricks she was only ruining herself. Joseph did not look at her jewelry and did not think of sinning with her. The thought of God and fear of Him protected him from all temptations. When Pentefry’s wife saw that all her decorations were ineffective, she became even more inflamed with the fire of adultery and did not know how else she could influence the chaste young man. Afterwards, she once again decided to seduce him into sin with her shameless words; The snake venom that was in her opened her mouth, and she said to Joseph: – Stay with me and don’t be afraid of anything; on the contrary, be bold with me so that I can enjoy your beauty, and you my kindness. Don't be afraid of anyone, because all the servants are subordinate to us and you own the whole house; no one will come into our room and know about our conversations or our relationships. If you do not agree to my proposals because you are afraid of your husband, then I can poison him. The innocent young man continued to protect himself from vice. His body and soul were invincible. Joseph did not die in this storm. Fearing God, he rejected all his mistress's proposals. Remaining chaste, he answered her like this: “My lady, I cannot sin with you, for I fear God.” My master has entrusted me with everything, both domestic and agricultural, and there is nothing over which my authority does not extend, except for you, my lady. It is a sin for me to reject such love of my master and engage in such unworthy deeds in his house, by doing this I will anger God, Who knows all human secrets. With these and similar words Joseph instructed his mistress. This snake did not want to listen to anything and was even more excited by voluptuousness. Wanting to force Joseph to sin, she only looked for a convenient time and opportunity. Joseph, seeing how his mistress wanted to seduce him, often turned in prayer to the God of his fathers, saying: - God of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, deliver me from this misfortune! You Yourself see, Lord, how this crazy woman quietly wants to destroy me with her crime. You, Lord, delivered me from the murderous hands of my brothers. Now deliver me from this ravenous beast, otherwise I will be alienated from my fathers, who loved You so much, O Lord. In prayer, Joseph also addressed Jacob: “My father Jacob, pray fervently to God for me!” Pray for me because the enemy wants to separate me from God. A sinful death at the hands of a woman is even more terrible than death at the hands of brothers. That death wanted to destroy my body, this same death wants to separate my soul from God. Father! Thanks to your prayers to God, I was delivered from death in the ditch. Now pray again before the Most High to deliver me from the sinful ditch into which this woman, who has neither shame nor fear of God, is pushing me. When I came to my brothers, they treated me brutally and, like fierce wolves, separated me from you. Here I was met by an even more ferocious beast. Pray, reverend one, for me, your son Joseph, so that I do not die in soul before our God. Joseph remained invincible, and his mistress continued to look for an opportunity to attract him to her. It happened one day that Joseph entered the house on some business. There was no one from the family there. Suddenly Joseph was grabbed by the mistress and dragged to bed. Having exposed herself, she began to force him to commit adultery. The chaste and holy young man, seeing her impudence, turned away from her nakedness and, breaking free by force, ran out. His outer clothing remained in the hands of the mistress. So Joseph broke all the snares of the devil. The eagle, when it sees the hunter, flies even higher. Joseph did the same. He ran away from the woman because he did not want her snare to lead him into sin. Pentefria's wife, seeing that Joseph had escaped her hands, was greatly frightened; she was overcome by great fear. Besides, she felt ashamed. She began to figure out how best to slander the young man, so that her husband would get angry with him and kill him out of jealousy. She thought: - It will be better if Joseph dies. His death will make me feel better. I cannot see such beauty without enjoying it. He just despises me. After that, she loudly called the male and female slaves and said to them: - Look what this Jewish slave did to me! My husband gave him power over the whole house, and he wanted to rape me in the most shameless way. Owning a house is not enough for him; he also wanted to take me away from my husband. He came to me and said: “Lie with me,” to which I, as you yourself heard, screamed loudly. Joseph was frightened by this cry and ran away, leaving his clothes with me. Everyone listening was surprised at what had happened, because none of them expected Joseph to be so impudent. When Pentephry appeared from the royal chambers, his wife took Joseph’s clothing and showed it to him. Then, like a chaste woman, she began to complain about Joseph and said: “You brought this Jew so that he could abuse us.” Did you really teach him to insult and offend me like that? He found me alone in the house and wanted to rape me. If I had not screamed, and my family had not come to my cry, he would have committed violence, for I, weak, could not escape from the hands of him, who was stronger. When he heard that I screamed and that my family was running at my scream, he ran away from the house, leaving his clothes with me. Pentephry immediately believed these false words and became very angry with Joseph. He ordered Joseph to be shackled and sent to prison. Pentephry forgot about the improvement in the home and agriculture that God sent for Joseph’s sake. Without checking the words of his wife, Pentephry condemned the innocent Joseph. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, testing the hearts of people, did not leave Joseph and did not forsake him with His mercy: Joseph gained the favor of the warden and lived as if he were free. The Lord God does not abandon those who fear Him. And Joseph lived with the warden in the same way as with Pentephry. Seeing Joseph to be true to himself in everything, the chief made him overseer of the entire prison. One day after this, two courtiers of the Egyptian Pharaoh, the chief baker and the chief butler, offended their master. Pharaoh was angry and put them in the same prison where Joseph was put. Several days passed since they lived in prison. Joseph helped them in everything because they were honest people. Then one day, each of them, on the same night, had a dream that foreshadowed the near future. Joseph, as was customary, came to them in the morning and found them confused and sad. He asked them: - Why do you have sad faces today? “That night, each of us had a dream, and we are sad because there is no one to interpret them. - God alone, as Omniscient, can, if He wants, reveal the meaning of a dream to people who fear Him. Tell each of your dreams. God will reveal their meaning to you through me. The chief butler told him the following dream: “I saw a vineyard in front of me, and a grapevine in it.” Three young branches grew on the vine, which produced ripe berries. I had Pharaoh's cup in my hands. I took it and handed it into the hands of Pharaoh. To this Joseph answered him: “This is what your dream means: three branches mean three days.” In three days, Pharaoh will remember you, have mercy on you and, having released you from here, will again appoint you to your previous position. Then, as before, you will give the cup to Pharaoh. Remember me, my lord, when you feel good, and do me a favor. I ask you to mention me to Pharaoh and release me from here. After all, I was stolen from the Jewish land. On your side, I also did not commit any crime, and if I was sent to prison, it was only out of malice. When the chief baker saw that Joseph had interpreted the dream so well for his friend, he said to Joseph: – I also had a dream: I dreamed that on my head there were three baskets with all kinds of food. Birds flew in and pecked the food from my head. “This is what your dream means: three baskets are three days.” In three days Pharaoh will take your head off and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your body. On the third day, his birthday, Pharaoh held a feast for all his nobles and servants. At this feast, he remembered the chief butler and the chief baker and ordered them both to be brought. Having investigated their case, Pharaoh ordered the chief baker to be hanged and the chief butler to be returned to his former honorary position. This same butler completely forgot about Joseph and did not mention him to Pharaoh. Two years later, Pharaoh had an amazing dream. He saw that he was standing by the river, and seven well-fed cows, good-looking and fat in body, came out of it. These cows began to graze on the river bank. After them, seven other cows came out of the river, thin in appearance and skinny in body. They began to graze next to the first ones. Suddenly these seven thin cows devoured seven other fat ones. Despite this, they were not satisfied and remained as thin as they were. At this point the pharaoh woke up. Having fallen asleep again, he saw another dream: seven full and good ears of corn rose on one stalk; after them, seven other ears of grain grew, thin and dried up by the wind. These skinny ears devoured seven full ones. The dream terribly confused the awakened pharaoh. He called all the magicians and sages of Egypt and told them the dream. Not one of them could interpret this dream: how can the magicians serving demons understand the incomprehensible secrets of the Heavenly God? Pharaoh was greatly saddened by this. Then the chief butler remembered Joseph, who had interpreted the dream for him in prison, and said to Pharaoh: “Only now, my lord, have I remembered my sin.” When you were angry with us, your servants, and put me and the chief baker in prison, each of us in one night saw a dream concerning his future life. A young Jew, the slave Pentephry, lived with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them. As he said, so it came true: you, king, had mercy on me and appointed me to my previous position, but you ordered him to be put to death. Hearing this, Pharaoh rejoiced and ordered Joseph to be hastily brought out of prison. They shaved his hair and changed his clothes, because, as a prisoner, he was very overgrown and dressed in rags. Joseph appeared before Pharaoh and his officials. Pharaoh said to him: “I heard that you are very wise and intelligent and know how to interpret dreams.” I had a dream that no one can explain to me. Explain it. – The Most High God can, if he wants, reveal incomprehensible secrets to people. Without God it is impossible to know about any good omen. Then Pharaoh, in front of all the nobles, began to tell Joseph his dream about fat and thin cows, about fat and skinny ears of corn, about how the skinny ones devoured the fat ones and the skinny ones, which was already mentioned above. Joseph, filled with a prophetic spirit, began to interpret the dream and predict the future, how within seven years there would be wealth and abundance of fruit throughout the land of Egypt, as indicated by seven well-fed cows and seven full ears of grain. At the end of these years, there will be a great famine, as indicated by the thin cows that ate the fat ones, and the seven skinny ears of corn that ate the fat ones and were not satisfied. The former abundance will be forgotten everywhere, and famine will deplete the entire earth. There will be no trace of earthly fertility due to the famine that will come in seven years - and this famine will be very severe. And that this will certainly come true is evident from the fact that God revealed the same thing to you, king, in two dreams: about cows and ears of corn. Now take the advice of your wretched servant: choose a wise and reasonable man and make him ruler over the entire land of Egypt. During these coming seven fertile years, one fifth of all the produce of the land of Egypt must be collected. Wheat and all bread must be placed in the royal storerooms. In the same way, let all the cities collect and store grain in order to store food for the seven years of famine, otherwise all of Egypt will perish from it. Pharaoh and his nobles were surprised at Joseph's prophetic words and his wise advice. And Pharaoh said to his nobles: “Can we find someone like him, a man who has the Spirit of God in him?” Then Pharaoh turned to Joseph: - Since God revealed all this to you, there is no more intelligent and wise person than you. In my palace and throughout my kingdom you will be first after me. The entire Egyptian land will obey your orders. Unless I will be higher than you on the throne. Pharaoh took the ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand. Then he dressed Joseph in a scarlet robe and hung a gold chain around his neck. At the same time he said: “Today I appoint you as the second king of all Egypt. Without you I will not raise my hand, and no one in the whole land of Egypt will dare to do anything without your order. Pharaoh gave Joseph the Egyptian name Psonphomphanih, that is, “Savior of the world.” By order of Pharaoh, Joseph was placed on the second of the royal chariots and driven around the city, while the heralds shouted that a second king had been installed over Egypt. All the royal nobles walked around the chariot and gave the second king the same honors as the pharaoh himself. O wonderful change that happened in one hour to the righteous young man, thanks to the protection of God, who knows how to exalt and glorify him in order to seat him with kings and nobles! O Thy righteous judgment, O God! Thus, Lord, You cleared innocent Joseph from slander. Thus You reassured this offended righteous man and, even in this world, gave him such a glorious reward for his purity and patience! All the more will You reward Your holy saints in the future life! When the nobleman Pentephry, the same one who put Joseph in prison, learned about the miraculous incident, how Joseph with great glory mounted the chariot of Pharaoh, he was terribly frightened. With fear and trembling he came home and said to his wife: - Oh wife, you don’t know what an incredible event happened in Egypt! It is very scary for us! Our servant Joseph has now become master not only over us, but over the entire land of Egypt. Glorified by all, he now sits on the chariot of Pharaoh. Out of fear and trembling, I could not show myself to him and quietly left the nobles. Having learned about this, Pentephry's wife said to her husband: - Don't be afraid of anything. Now I confess my sin to you. I loved Joseph madly. All the time I preened and seduced him so that I could be with him and enjoy his beauty. But I couldn't achieve this. Due to the fact that he did not agree to my proposals, I forced him to lie with me. The chaste Joseph ran away from me and left his clothes, which I showed you. I slandered him as if he wanted to rape me. Thus, it turns out that through me he achieved royal power and such great glory. After all, if I had not loved Joseph and he had lived not in prison, but in our home, then his virtue and wisdom would have remained hidden and would not have been glorified. He should be pleased with me because I was the cause of such glory and honor for him. Let us not be afraid of this righteous and reverend Joseph. He didn’t tell anyone about what happened between us and, probably, out of his kindness, will forgive us. Let us go and worship him together with the other nobles. They went and bowed to Joseph in confusion. He was not at all angry with them and did not tell anyone about what happened between them. Pharaoh married Joseph to Asenath, the daughter of Pentephrius, but not the Pentephrius for whom Joseph worked, but another: he was a courtier, the same one was a priest in the city of Iliopolis 2332, that is, the Solar City. Joseph was thirty years old when he began to reign in Egypt. According to his prophecy, the land did indeed produce a bountiful harvest for seven years. At this time, Joseph walked throughout Egypt, collecting wheat and all kinds of earthly fruits and storing them in the cities. He accumulated as much wheat as the sand of the sea, so that later he could not even measure it, for there was no quantity of it. Even before the seven years of famine, Joseph had two sons from Asenath, the first named Manasseh, the second Ephraim. But then seven years of plenty passed, and seven years of famine came. Day by day, hunger intensified throughout the country. There was no bread anywhere in the entire Egyptian land except for the royal grain reserves. All of Egypt felt hungry. The people began to ask Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh sent them to Joseph. The latter opened the royal granaries and began to sell grain to all Egyptians. And people from all countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, for famine had taken over the whole land. The great famine also reached the land of Canaan, where Jacob lived. The elder and his sons began to suffer from hunger. When Jacob learned that there was a lot of grain in Egypt, he said to his sons: – Why don’t you take care? I heard that a lot of wheat is sold in Egypt. Go there and buy some bread there so that you don’t die of hunger. Ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt. The youngest brother, Benjamin, stayed with his father because Jacob did not let him go on the road with his brothers. Jacob said: “On the way, the same misfortune will happen to him as with his brother Joseph!” The children of Israel came to Egypt. Many other strangers came with them for the same purpose - to buy wheat, which Joseph, the prince of the Egyptian land, was selling to everyone. The brothers approached Joseph and bowed to the ground. When Joseph saw his brothers, he immediately recognized them. He asked them sternly, as if angry: – We came from the land of Canaan 2333 to buy bread. Joseph remembered his dreams and saw that they were beginning to come true. Therefore, he glorified God in his heart. Then, as if angry, he said to them again: – You are spies, spies. Have you come to spy the ways of this country? - No, sir. We, your servants, are honest people and came to buy food. We are all children of one person and are not spies or spies at all. Joseph said to them in an angry voice: - No, you came to spy on the ways of this country. The brothers were greatly frightened and, to prove their innocence, began to talk about their home and their father. – In the land of Canaan we have a righteous father. There used to be twelve brothers, but now there are eleven. There are ten of us here. One of our brothers, eaten by wild beasts, died in the desert. His father still cries for him because he loved him very much. Another brother, the youngest, stayed at home to console his father. “I told the truth that you are spies and spies, for you are giving yourself away.” I swear on the life of Pharaoh that you will not leave here until your younger brother comes here. Send one of you to bring your brother, but you will be detained. Then it will be revealed whether you are telling the truth or not. If you don’t bring your younger brother here, then you really are spies and spies. So Joseph told them and put them in custody for three days. On the third day he brought them to him and said: “It is only because I fear God that I do not resort to cruel torture.” If you are truly honest people, and not spies and spies, and you want to stay alive, then this is what you must do. Let one of you remain here in prison. The rest of you, go home and take the wheat you bought for your father; Bring your younger brother, about whom you speak, from there to me. Then your words will come true. If you do not agree to this, you will be killed. They agreed to this and said to each other in Hebrew: - We deserve this attack. We are punished for sin against our brother, because we ignored the suffering of his soul when he pleaded with us. We didn't listen to him. That is why this grief befell us. The eldest brother Reuben told them: “Didn’t I tell you then: don’t offend the boy?” You didn't listen to me. Now his blood is exacted from us. While talking among themselves, the brothers did not know that Joseph understood their speech. Joseph walked away from them and shed tears. Then, approaching them, he ordered Simeon to be taken from among them and tied before them. This Simeon hated Joseph more than anyone else and showed his anger most of all when Joseph was thrown into a ditch and sold to the Ishmaelites. Joseph ordered the bound Simeon to be imprisoned. Regarding the other brothers, he gave orders to fill their bags with bread, secretly return the silver to each one’s bag and give them provisions for the journey. After this, Joseph released his brothers. They put bread on their donkeys and set off towards the land of Canaan. One day they stopped to rest. One of the brothers, wanting to give food to his donkey, opened the bag and saw his silver through the hole. He told the brothers: “The silver was returned to me; it was found in my bag.” The brothers were embarrassed by this and said to each other: – What has God done to us?! Arriving to their father, they told him about everything that had happened to them in Egypt. Emptying the wheat from his sack, each brother found his silver in it. This scared them even more. After listening to his sons, the father sadly told them. “You deprived me of my children.” Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone; Do you really want to take my head from me? “Kill both my sons if I do not bring him to you.” Let him go into my arms. “My son will not go with you, because his brother died and he was left with me alone.” I am afraid that on the way, when he leaves me, the same misfortune will happen to him as to his brother Joseph. Then you will bring my old age and sorrow to the grave. Famine continued to rage in the land of Canaan. When all the bread bought in Egypt was eaten, Jacob said to his sons: - Go to Egypt again, buy some bread there so that we don’t die of hunger. “The lord of that land decisively declared to us: “Do not show your face to me unless your younger brother is with you.” If you let Benjamin go with us, we will go to Egypt and buy you bread. If you don’t let me in, then we won’t go. That gentleman told us: “You will not see me unless your younger brother comes with you.” “Why did you harm me by telling the Egyptian master that you also have a brother?” “That gentleman asked us about our family: “Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother? We answered all his questions. Little did we know that he would say: “Bring your brother!” Then Judas turned to his father again: - Let the boy go with me, let him come with us. Then you, and we, and our entire family will not die, but will remain alive. I take the lad into my care, and from my hands you will demand him. If I do not bring him to you and put him before your face, then I will forever remain guilty before you. If we had not delayed because of Benjamin, we would have been able to bring grain from Egypt twice. - If so, then do as you want. Take with you the fruits of our land, such as balsam, honey, incense, incense, pistachios and other nuts, and bring them as a gift to the Egyptian master. In addition, take with you double the amount of silver to return what you found in your bags. Take Benjamin with you and hit the road. May Almighty God give you the opportunity to gain the favor of that man so that he will let both Simeon and Benjamin go with you. Until you return, I will consider myself childless. The sons of Jacob took with them the gifts, double the amount of silver and Benjamin, and went to Egypt. They appeared before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house: - Bring these people into the house. Then kill some of the livestock and prepare dinner. At noon I will eat with them. The chief carried out Joseph's order and brought his brothers into the house. When they were brought into Joseph's house, they said to each other: “We were brought here because of the silver, which was returned to us in our sacks in order to slander us and seize us into slavery.” And they said to the ruler of the house: - Sir, listen to us, we beg you. We came here to buy wheat. It happened that when we arrived at the parking lot and opened our bags, everyone’s silver was found in his bag. We don't know who put it there. Now we brought double the amount of silver, so that one half could be returned as found in the bag, and the other half could be paid for the wheat. The head of the house told them: – Be calm, don’t be afraid. This treasure has been sent to you by your God and the God of your father. Then the chief brought Simeon to them and brought water so that they could wash their feet; He gave their donkeys food. The brothers prepared gifts and waited for Joseph to arrive, for they heard that he had a dinner prepared for them. When Joseph came to the house, the brothers bowed to the ground and presented him with gifts they had brought from home. Joseph asked them: “Are you healthy and is your old father, about whom you spoke, healthy, is he still alive?” - Your servant is healthy, father, still alive. - That man is blessed by God. The brothers bowed to him again. Looking up, Joseph saw his half-brother Benjamin and asked: – Is this the same brother you told me about? - May God's mercy be upon you, my son! At the same time, he became agitated. He was ready to cry. So he went into the inner room and there wept; Remembering his father Jacob, Joseph said: - Good father, happy are those who constantly live with you! My whole kingdom is not worthy of you, dear to God! I wanted to ask Benjamin if you remember me and if you love me the way I love you. Therefore I forced my brothers to bring Benjamin with them. I did not believe their words that my father was healthy and my brother was alive. I thought that out of envy they also destroyed this (younger) son of your beloved, Benjamin. Since he is my half-brother, the brothers hated him just as they hated me. I know, father, that you grieve greatly for us. I have increased your sorrow. I understand this sadness: none of us are left with you. O father! Isn’t it enough for you to have the grief that spoke about me? Now something else has been added to it. I am the cause of all your suffering, because I ordered Benjamin to be brought here. This action of mine is heartless. The rumor about you forced me to do this. I wanted to know if you are really alive, my good father. Oh, if only someone would give me the opportunity to see your angelic image again! So Joseph wept quietly in his room. Then he washed his face so that it would not be noticeable that he was crying and, restraining himself from tears, went out to his brothers. He ordered dinner to be served to himself, the Jews and the Egyptians, each separately, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Jews: any sheep shepherd evoked a feeling of disgust in the Egyptians. Just before dinner, Joseph ordered the brothers to sit in order of seniority, whoever was born first. At the same time, he began to call them by name, as if telling fortunes with the silver cup in his hands. He took the bowl in his left hand and, striking it with his right finger, made a sound. Having struck for the first time, he said loudly to those standing in front of him: - The eldest brother’s name is Reuben, let him sit first! Having struck a second time, Joseph said: - After him Simeon was born. And he also ordered me to sit down. Having struck again, he ordered the third to sit down, and, further calling each by name, he ordered him to sit down according to his age. With this miracle, Joseph struck such fear into everyone that everyone thought: “This man really knows everything.” Wanting to reduce their fear, Joseph hastened to send them food from his table, and he sent five times more to Benjamin than to the others. Everyone ate and drank and were completely satisfied. Joseph ordered the ruler of his house to fill each brother’s bag with free wheat, and to secretly put into Benjamin’s bag the cup with which he, Joseph, had been wondering, and after all this he would let them go. In the morning the brothers joyfully left the city. They were still not far away when the ruler of Joseph’s house caught up with them. He threateningly began to scold them and call them thieves and unworthy of the honor given, who paid for good with evil and stole the cup of the Egyptian master, from which he drinks and with which he tells fortunes. The brothers said: “If we brought back the silver found in our sacks, could we have stolen your master’s cup?” Whoever of your servants has the cup, death will come to him, and we will be our master's servants. The boss agreed: - Let it be as you say. Lay your bags on the ground, and I will look. They hastily pulled their sacks off their donkeys. The chief looked for the cup, starting with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and unexpectedly for everyone, the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. Seeing this, the brothers tore their clothes. Each of them threateningly reviled both Benjamin and Rachel: “Joseph wanted to reign over us and, according to his deserts, was eaten by wild beasts.” On the other hand, you planned to steal the royal cup and carried it out. Are you not the sons of Rachel, who stole her father’s idols and did not admit it, saying: “I stole nothing?” Benjamin burst into tears and said in tears: “The God of my father Himself, who, as He pleased, took Rachel from the living and learned the cause of my brother’s death, the God who comforts Jacob, who grieves over Rachel and her children, and who now sees us all and knows our hearts—He Himself knows that I did not steal the cups, as you say, and did not even think about it. I swear that I will not see Jacob’s gray hairs and will not hear His voice; I swear by all this that I did not steal the cups! Woe is me! Woe is me, Rachel! What happened to your children! Joseph, as they say, was eaten by beasts, and I turned out to be a thief on a foreign side, and they will leave me here as a slave; Joseph found no help for himself in the desert when the beasts were devouring him; So I, my mother, turn in vain to my brothers, and no one believes me, your son! Not knowing what to answer to the commander, the brothers took Benjamin and returned to the city. They came to Joseph and fell to the ground before him. - Is this how you repay my kindness? Did I then honor you so that you would steal my cup with which I tell fortunes? Was it not true when I said that you are not honest people, but spies and spies? “We don’t know what to answer our master, what to say, how to justify ourselves. God has revealed our sins and is punishing us for this. Therefore, all of us, our lord, will be your servants - both we and the one who had the cup. - No, I will not do as you say, for I fear God. The young man from whom the cup was found will remain a slave, but you go safe to your father. Judas, approaching Joseph, fell at his feet and began to ask: “Sir, don’t be angry with me if I tell you.” Master, you asked your servants: “Do you have a father or a brother?” We answered: “My father had two sons, whom he loved more than us. One of them was torn to pieces by a beast in the mountains, and his father is still crying about him; The father always keeps the other son with him, and this son serves as a consolation to him in his old age.” By your order, sir, we brought our younger brother to you. Now we have unexpectedly offended you. I beg you, lord, to leave me as a slave instead of the boy, so that only he can return to his father. After all, I took him on my guarantee. That's why I can't return home. I do not want to see the bitter death of our father, who will immediately die from immeasurable sadness as soon as he does not see his youngest son among us. Joseph heard these pitiful words and saw that everyone was standing before him in confusion and fear. He also saw how Benjamin, with his clothes torn and crying, fell at the feet of the brothers standing there, begging them to ask Joseph for him to let him go with them. Seeing all this, Joseph became agitated and could no longer contain himself. He ordered all the Egyptians to leave. When everyone left and only the brothers remained, Joseph began to cry and said to them in Hebrew: - I am Joseph, your brother. Is my father still alive? But the brothers could not answer Joseph’s words, for they were afraid of him. Joseph said to them: “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.” I was not eaten by wild beasts, as you told my father, but I was sold by you to the Ishmaelites. I then grabbed all of you by the legs and begged you, but no one had mercy on me. Now, my brothers, do not be sad, do not be afraid, and do not worry; on the contrary, you should rejoice that I reign. Just as you told your father earlier that I was eaten in the mountains, now go and tell him with joy: “Your son Joseph lives. He sits on the royal throne and holds in his hands the scepter of the Egyptian kingdom.” When Joseph said this, the brothers, out of fear and trembling, stood before him as if dead, and thought about how much harm they had done to him. Joseph said to them again: “Now don’t be afraid that you sold me.” God sent me here before you to preserve your life, so that I can feed you during the famine. Now is the second year of famine on earth. There are still five years left in which there will be no plowing, no sowing, no reaping. It was not you who sent me here, but God, who made me a father to Pharaoh, lord over his entire house and prince of the entire land of Egypt. Go quickly to my father, tell him everything about me. Tell him also about my glory and quickly bring him here with the whole house. Here you will all be well fed. After these words, Joseph fell on Benjamin’s neck and wept for joy. Benjamin also cried, hugging Joseph's neck. Then Joseph approached his brothers and also began to kiss them. He was not angry with them and, like a gentle person, still loved them. A rumor reached Pharaoh and his entourage that his brothers had come to Joseph. Pharaoh ordered Joseph to transfer his entire family to Egypt, promising to give him the best land. Joseph presented the brothers with rich gifts, gold, silver and red clothes, gave them chariots, horses and donkeys, on which they could cross with the whole house to Egypt, and equipped them, with all this, with travel supplies. In addition, Joseph sent expensive gifts to his father and joyfully sent his brothers to him, saying to them: - Do not quarrel on the way, but peacefully go quickly to your father and tell him: “Your son Joseph asked us to tell you the following: God has made me lord over this Egyptian land; Therefore, rejoice, father, and come here so that I can see your angelic face.” They quickly went, reached the land of Canaan, told their father about Joseph and conveyed his words to him. Hearing the name of Joseph, Jacob sighed, shed tears and said with sadness: - Why do you confuse my soul? Is it so that I will again remember the beauty of my dear son Joseph? Why do you want to rekindle the extinguished sadness of my soul? Jacob did not believe their words. Then Benjamin came up to him, kissed his knees and said: – These words are the true truth. Moreover, he showed his father the gifts and letters sent by Joseph. Jacob believed this and was surprised. His spirit came to life. He said: “I am happy, my son Joseph is still alive, and before I die, I will go and look at him.” Jacob joyfully and hastily went to Egypt to his son Joseph. When Joseph heard about Jacob's approach, he harnessed the royal chariot and rode out to meet his father. Jacob saw Joseph riding and, despite his old age, got off the chariot and went on foot to meet him. Joseph also got down from the chariot and also set off on foot, both himself and all his nobles. When Joseph approached his father, he lowered the royal staff in his hands to the ground, as if not wanting to hold it. Then, pretending that he bowed before this rod, he thus bowed to his father Jacob and gave him the rod. He did this so that the Egyptians would not be offended that, while wearing royal scarlet, he bowed to Israel. Jacob was the first to approach Joseph, hugged his neck and sobbed on it for a long time. Joseph also cried, hugging and kissing his father’s gray hair. And Jacob said to Joseph: “Now I can die, because I have seen you, my child.” With all possible honors, Joseph led Jacob into the royal Egyptian city and presented him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. The latter asked him: - I am one hundred and thirty years old. These years of mine are small and unhappy and have not reached those that my fathers lived. Pharaoh ordered Joseph to settle his father and brothers on better land. After living in the Egyptian country for seventeen years, Jacob died and joined his fathers. Joseph fell to his father's face, wept bitterly for him and kissed him. Dying, Jacob bequeathed to Joseph not to bury him in Egypt, but to take his remains to the land of Canaan and place them in the tomb of his fathers. Therefore Joseph said to Pharaoh's officials: “If you favor me, then go and tell Pharaoh that my father conjured me to bury him in the grave that he dug in the land of Canaan.” Now I would like to go to bury my father and return back. Pharaoh allowed this. Joseph went on the road. With him went all the youths of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt, all the house of Joseph, his brothers and all the house of his father, so that there was a very large crowd. They came to the place Atad, which is on the other side of the Jordan River. For seven days they wept bitterly here for Jacob and buried him in a double cave acquired by Abraham for the construction of tombs. Having buried his father, Joseph, with his brothers and everyone who went with him, returned to Egypt. After burying their father, the brothers said to each other: - What if Joseph remembers our malice and repays us for all the evil that we caused him? They came to Joseph and said: “Before your death, your father bequeathed to you: “Forgive the guilt and sin of your brothers, forgive them for the treacherous way they treated you.” Now we ourselves ask you to forgive us for the evil done to you. Joseph cried when they told him this. The brothers said to him again: “We are your slaves, lord.” - Do not be afraid, brothers, for I also fear God. You intended evil against me, but God turned it into good. So, don't be afraid. I will feed you and your families. These words of Joseph were very pleasant to the hearts of his brothers, and they calmed down. So Joseph, his brothers and all his father's house settled in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. He saw children not only of Ephraim, but also of Machir, the son of Manasseh. Before his death, Joseph said to his brothers: - I'm dying. But when God visits you and brings you out of this land to the land that he promised to our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then take my bones with you from here. Joseph died one hundred and ten years old. He was placed in a shrine in Egypt. In conclusion, we glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, depicted by Joseph, 2334 glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Joseph - from Hebrew increase, apply. Jacob buried Rachel on the road to Ephrath, i.e. Bethlehem, and erected a monument over her tomb (Gen. 35:19). Rachel's tomb was well known many centuries later (1 Samuel 10:2). Local Jews and Mohammedans still treat Rachel's tomb with great reverence. Arabs gather here for solemn prayers during rainless periods. Married women take pieces of stone from here and wear them during pregnancy. The memory of Rachel herself was preserved in her descendants in subsequent times. The residents and elders of Bethlehem, blessing the marriage of Boaz with Ruth, wished him the same happiness from God that Rachel brought to Israel (Ruth. 4:11). The prophet Jeremiah, depicting the disasters of the captivity of the Jews, presents Rachel as the foremother of the Israelites, orphaned and inconsolably crying for her sons, for they were gone (Jer. 31:15). Evang. Matthew, in this sad event described by the prophet, sees an indication of another, no less sad - the beating of the Bethlehem infants by Herod: the children of Bethlehem belonged to the offspring of Rachel, and she, as their mother, cries inconsolably, because they are not (Matthew 2:18). Bethlehem is a city in Palestine: in the Old Testament it is known as the birthplace of the greatest Jewish king David, and in the New Testament it is known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. It is located 2 hours south of Jerusalem and lies on 2 hills, the slopes of which are replete with vineyards, and well-cultivated grain fields stretch at the bottom. The name “Bethlehem” (from Hebrew “house of bread”) probably comes from this fertility. In ancient times it was called Ephrath (Mic. 5:2) (from Hebrew “to bear fruit”). Since the birth of Christ the Savior, Bethlehem has become a sacred place for all Christians. Before the occupation of Palestine by the Ottomans (15th century), Bethlehem was completely destroyed more than once, and by this time it had fallen into complete decline, from which it recovered only from the beginning of the 19th century. Now it is a small town with a population of up to 6,000 Arab residents, half Orthodox, half Catholic, called Beit Lakhm (“house of meat”). On the site of the den or cave where the Lord Jesus Christ was born, there is a church; the cave is under his altar; its walls and floor are lined with marble. The birthplace is considered to be a recess in the cave, illuminated by 5 silver lamps. There is a silver star embedded in the floor with the Latin inscription: Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Ghristus natus est - Jesus Christ was born here from the Virgin Mary. About three steps from this place there is a depression, recognized as the location of the manger in which Christ was laid. To the northwest of the cave stretches a narrow underground passage, with thrones and chapels, as well as a cave where Blessed Jerome (420) is buried. Shechem - the ancient city of the promised land; lies in Samaria, on Mount Ephraim, 18 hours from Jerusalem, 16 from Nazareth, in the valley of Gerizim and Ebal, abounding in apricots, peaches, pomegranates, plums, roses and myrtles. When Abraham came here for the first time, there was only the Oak Forest (Gen. 12:6); when Jacob returned from Mesopotamia, this place was already called the city of Shechem (Gen. 33:18–19). Jacob bought part of the field from Emmor, the father of Shechem, pitched his tent here, erected an altar and called on the name of the Lord God of Israel (Gen. 33:19–20). This was Jacob's only property in the land of promise. Nearby there was probably Jacob's well, which is mentioned in the New Testament (John 4:5–6). Joseph was sent here by Jacob to his brothers and near these places he was sold by them to the Ishmaelites. Before his death, Jacob gave a plot near Shechem to Joseph, who was buried here (Joshua 24:32). Currently, Shechem or Nablus serves as the seat of the Samaritans. Dophaim is a city near Mount Tabor and the Valley of Ezdrilon; here was the road from Gilead to Egypt, along which caravans with various goods stretched (Gen. 37:25). Now this name holds one green hill on the south-eastern side of the great plain, with a spring at the foot of the mountain, north of Samaria. Mesopotamia – i.e. Mesopotamia, ancient Shinar (Gen. 10:10), the place of birth and residence of Abraham before entering the land of Haran (Gen. 11:28, Acts 7:2), is the name of the space lying between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, limited in the south by the Persian Gulf, in the north by the mountains of Armenia. In a closer sense, Mesopotamia is the northern part of this region, the so-called. El-Jezir, while the southern part is known as Babylonia, present-day Iraq-Arabi, i.e. ancient Babylonia. During the Roman era, the country was divided into two parts, Ozroene in the west, which passed to Rome in 217 AD, with the main city of Edessa, and Mygdonia in the east with the main city of Nisibida, conquered in 115 by the Roman emperor Trajan. The beginning of Christianity in Mesopotamia was laid by the companion of Ap. Thomas Judas or Thaddeus, according to legend, one of the 70 disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. St. was born in the vicinity of Nisibida. Ephraim the Syrian (III-IV centuries); Bishop Thomas Barsuma of Nizia was a zealous champion of the Nestorian heresy, which taught that the Word of God, eternally born from the Father, only dwelt in the man Jesus, being with him in a special, moral union. In the 11th century Under the attack of the Seljuks, Mesopotamia declined and now belongs to Turkey. Residents are Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Syrians. The Ishmaelites are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar (Gen. 16:2). Egypt is one of the earliest states on the globe, which in ancient times achieved a relatively high degree of culture and citizenship. It occupies a narrow coastal strip of Africa on both sides of the Nile River; Previously, Egypt directly merged with the northwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, so that the inhabitants of Asia and Africa were in the most lively relations with each other. The geographical proximity of Egypt to Syria and Palestine and its outstanding fertility explain its importance in the history of the other East. Pharaoh is the common name of the ancient kings of Egypt and translated from Egyptian means king. Iliopolis is one of the most ancient and famous cities in the south of Lower Egypt. A priestly school existed here, and one of the most important sacred works of the Egyptians, “The Book of the Dead,” and other sacred texts originated here. The church of the sun located here was the subject of concern for all pharaohs. The ruins of Iliopolis are located near the village of Matarie (north of Cairo). The land of Canaan refers to the vast lands lying in western Asia along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in particular, the land on the other side of the Jordan, i.e. Phenicia and the land of the Philistines, while the country of Transjordan differs from the land of Canaan. In modern times, the land of Canaan usually refers to the entire promised land - all the lands occupied by the Israelites on both sides of the Jordan. Some features from the life of the righteous. Joseph have, according to the teachings of the church and the saints. ott., educational meaning, i.e. they foretell certain moments in the life of Jesus Christ, both in His humiliation and glorification. Like Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel, beloved by Jacob more than all sons (Gen. 37:3), so the Lord Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the Virgin Mary (Matt. 1:25) and the beloved Son of God. Like the Lord, says St. Ephraim the Syrian was sent to us to save us all, and so the youth Joseph was sent from his father’s bosom to his brothers; and just as Joseph’s cruel brothers, when they saw Joseph approaching, began to plot wickedness against him, although he brought them peace from their father, so the cruel-hearted Jews, when they saw the Savior, said: Indeed, this is the heir, let us kill Him and everything will be ours (Mark 12:7). Joseph, out of envy of his brothers, is sold to foreigners, and Christ is sold by Judas for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 28:15) and then, out of envy (Matthew 27:18), is given over to the pagans (Matthew 20:19). Joseph, after defeating the sinful proposals of his wife Pentephria, is imprisoned, and the Lord, having taken upon Himself all the sin of the world, rests in the tomb. In prison, Joseph proclaimed to the prisoners - one pardon, and the other condemnation, and the Lord, hanging on the cross, announced salvation to one of the two thieves crucified with Him, and then a sermon came down to those in the spiritual prison (1 Pet. 3:19); upon his release from prison, Joseph was appointed over the entire Egyptian kingdom, received a new name, great honors and saved not only Egypt, but also the surrounding countries from famine, and to the Lord Jesus Christ, after rising from the tomb, was given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and in His name every tribe worships those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is the Lord. the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10–11). Therefore, honoring the righteous Joseph as “truly the likeness of Christ” (service on the week of Vaiy, small eternity), St. The church decided to remember him at the beginning of Passion Week - on Great Monday. 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