From Joseph to Jesus : the Joseph narrative as a compositional template from Old Greek Esther to the Gospel of Luke

Abstract

In this thesis I argue that the writers of the OG of Esther and the Gospel of Luke employ the narrative paradigm established in the Joseph narrative—which is developed further in the later literature of the Hebrew Bible and its Old Greek iterations—as a template for the portrayal of the main characters (Esther, Mordechai, and Jesus), the conflicts they are involved in, and their ascension to the throne. To establish this argument I proceed as follows: after laying out my methodology in the introduction I take a close look at the Joseph narrative by highlighting the main themes and the symmetrical structure of Gen 37–45, underscoring them (building on Schmid, Döhling and Ebach). Examining six texts (1 Kgs 11–12; 2 Kgs 25 par; Sus; 2 Sam 13; Tobit 1; Neh 1) I demonstrate that and how the Joseph story was deployed as a narrative template by later writers. Building on earlier scholarship that has observed allusions to Gen 37–50 in Esther (Rosenthal, Meinhold, Gan, Berg) and the gospels (Lunn, Lefebvre, Römer & Rückl, Ebach), I outline how the writers of Esther and Luke organise those allusions to tell their own story of salvation and ascension to royal power. In both books the brother (Gen 37) and the court (Gen 39) conflicts are fused together casting the main protagonist(s) (Mordechai, Esther and Jesus) in the role of Joseph, and their respective opponents in analogy to the brothers (in particular Judah), and Potiphar and his wife. To shape their account of climactic deliverance and ascension to kingship the writers of Esther and Luke combine allusions to Joseph’s elevation out of prison (Gen 40–41) with others to Judah’s climatic action on behalf of Benjamin (Gen 44).