Nadene Goldfoot
Joseph, a son from Jacob's first and strongest love, Rachel, was his 11th son, a son strongly longed for. It of course, was Rachel's first son; one she thought she'd never produce. Rachel had long ago thought she was barren.
Because of such desire and waiting on the part of Joseph's parents, when he arrived his parents showed him much favoritism. Joseph grew up to also have strong ambitions for himself. This had aroused his brothers' jealousy.
Jacob was so enamored with Joseph that he thoughtlessly made him a coat of many colors; having never done such a thing for his 10 other sons, who were now furious with their baby brother to see such special attention given to him. Joseph stood out in any crowd wearing such an enviously beautiful coat. To make such a coat, Jacob had to buy many dyes from solicitors, but in small quantities as they would cost much, only enough for one coat-and such experimentation would not be wasted on others -only Joseph who would show him much gratitude!
Jacob never realized what a situation he was setting up-a child psychologist he was not. One has to remember that these 10 older brothers had already started to see each of themselves as the future leader of their clan; the replacement of their father. As many people 4,000 some years ago, they not only were peeved, they were wild with fury!
The 10 sons, with their jealousy riled to the hilt, wanted to actually kill Joseph, but one of them calmed the rest down and talked them into selling Joseph to some passing Beduin Ishmaelites on their way to a sale in Egypt. Joseph must have been in total shock to suddenly be thrust about and tied up by his brothers! He might have even thought he was going through some rite of age in the family. 
Arriving in Egypt, no doubt as a package on one of their camels, he was bought as a slave by Potiphar, chief of Pharaoh's household. Then, he ended up being imprisoned on a false accusation brought by Potiphar's wife. He had in the meantime, gained a reputation as an interpreter of dreams. this eventually reached the king who released him from prison. He was so impressed with the interpretation Joseph had given himself about a very disturbing dream he had had that he appointed Joseph as his VICEROY.
In the meantime, Jacob was extremely depressed over his favorite son's disappearance. He had been inconsolable ever since he had disappeared. Rachel could not bring him out of it easily, but did one time when she conceived once more. None of his wives could make him happy again. Jacob was gruff with all his sons after that since they were the last to see him and had no reasonable explanation. Rachel then was able to give birth to Benjamin, his 12th son, and that made Jacob happy again.
One day the band had reason to travel into Egypt being their own land was suffering from a famine, and they needed supplies. A special event happened that joined Joseph to his father and his 11 brothers, one of which was a full brother that he did not know about. Joseph had power, extreme power and in his joy to be rejoined to his family, he was able to give grazing land that was in Goshen to his family for a resettlement. This was the start of Israelite settlement in Egypt. (Genesis 37, 39-45).
Joseph had married in Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of ON in Egypt and had 2 sons, Manasseh and Ephraim , Jacob's grandsons. (gen. 41:45-50). Asenath's name is Egyptian and apparently connected with the goddess, Neith.
When Jacob lie dying and blessing each of his sons, the 2 sons of Joseph were also there with them; Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph had them live with his father and brothers from then on. Jacob blessed them as well, conferring on them an equal portion with his own sons in the division of Canaan since Joseph would not be able to partake and leave Egypt.
During the Exodus, Manasseh's tribe had 32,200 men in the first census, and at the end in the 2nd and last census would arrive with 52,700 men showing a gain of 20,500 men.
Ephraim's tribe had in the 1st census 40,500 men and in the 2nd, had only 32,500, showing a loss of 8,000 men.
The fact is that the tribes from Joseph totaled 85,200 men entering Canaan with the rest who were half Israelites and half Egyptians. They had shared the 40 years of shared knowledge with Moses that the others had shared. They were 1st cousins to all the others once removed.
Manasseh's tribe was divided into 7 families or clans. One was called Machir and the other 6 were of kinship with Gilead, that land area in Transjordan. Half of Manasseh went with those of Reuben and Gad who all wanted territory in Transjordan, which was granted by Moses on condition that they help out in the conquest of the land as scouts preceding the main body of their fighters. After entering Canaan, the other half of Manasseh received territory in the West around the Valley of Jezreel. Both areas were highly fertile.
In 721 BCE, the Assyrians of Tiglath-Pileser II and Sargon exiled much of the population from both sections but part were able to remain.
A Jewish population, partly descended from the tribe of Simeon, still existed in the West Manasseh region in the earlier 2nd Temple period.
Ephraim was given land alongside Manasseh. Their land included the hill country in central Eretz Yisrael and was noted for its fertility.
In the period of the Judges before King Saul's day, Ephraim claimed priority among the Israelite tribes, partly because their religious center was situated at Shiloh in its territory., The secession of the northern tribes after Solomon's death centered on the tribe of Ephraim to which Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, belonged.
The prophets later spoke of the House of Judah and the House of Ephraim as representing the 2 branches of the Hebrew people.
Joseph died at age 110, and his body was later brought by the Israelites to Eretz Yisrael for reburial. This story of Joseph has been dated during the Hyksos domination of Egypt which started in the 18th to 16th centuries BCE.
There are numerous mentions of Joseph in Bahá'í writings. These come in the forms of allusions written by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh states that "from my laws, the sweet-smelling savour of my garment can be smelled" and, in the Four Valleys, states that "the fragrance of his garment blowing from the Egypt of Baha," referring to Joseph.
Bahá'í commentaries have described these as metaphors with the garment implying the recognition of a manifestation of God. In the Qayyumu'l-Asma', the Báb refers to Bahá'u'lláh as the true Joseph and makes an analogous prophecy regarding Bahá'u'lláh suffering at the hands of his brother, Mírzá Yahyá.
Resource:
Tanakh, Stone Edition
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