A Critique of the Article on ‘Joseph’ in the Encyclopedia Judaica

In the Encyclopedia Judaica, Bathja Bayer narrates the story of Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph) on the basis of the Jewish Bible. She explains why and how the brothers attempted to eliminate Yūsuf; the sale of Yūsuf to Pharaoh’s chief steward, Potiphar; how having the ability to interpret dreams, wisdom, and chastity led to his release from prison and elevation to power in Egypt, and Yūsuf’s position and status after his release from prison. Her article also highlights Yūsuf’s positive and negative ethical traits and describes how rabbis use the positive aspects of his life for ethical teachings. Finally, she recounts the story of Yūsuf in the Qurʾān. In this article, the story of Joseph in the Jewish Bible is critiqued based on the Qurʾānic verses, and its differences with the account of the Qurʾān is presented. Given that the Jewish Bible and the Qurʾān are from the same [divine] source, the overall story is similar in both books, but there are some differences in the details. The research method applied in this article is descriptive-analytical.