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| The Egyptian wife of Joseph, Son of Jacob. |
Asenath (Gen. 41:45, 50; 46:20), wife of Joseph and daughter of Potipherah, a priest of the great national temple of the sun at On or Heliopolis, seven miles northeast of modern Cairo.
The three times that Asenath's name is mentioned the same phrase appears, "daughter of Potipherah priest of On"sacred city of the Sun-Worshipers. Priests of On were sages; hence the byword, "the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22) .
Among the honors conferred on Joseph by King Pharaoh for interpreting a puzzling dream was the hand of Asenath. He probably thought she would be a factor in helping him forget his own people, the Israelites.
Asenath bore Joseph two sons before the years of famine in Egypt. He gave to both of them Hebrew, not Egyptian, names. The first was Manasseh, meaning "God hath removed me from all my troubles and from my father's house." The second was Ephraim, meaning "God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
Asenath's Egyptian sons were adopted by her father-in-law Jacob. Upon Ephraim, the elder, he conferred the family blessing.
One tradition says that Asenath renounced her sun-gods and worshiped Jehovah.
The three times that Asenath's name is mentioned the same phrase appears, "daughter of Potipherah priest of On"sacred city of the Sun-Worshipers. Priests of On were sages; hence the byword, "the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22) .
Among the honors conferred on Joseph by King Pharaoh for interpreting a puzzling dream was the hand of Asenath. He probably thought she would be a factor in helping him forget his own people, the Israelites.
Asenath bore Joseph two sons before the years of famine in Egypt. He gave to both of them Hebrew, not Egyptian, names. The first was Manasseh, meaning "God hath removed me from all my troubles and from my father's house." The second was Ephraim, meaning "God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
Asenath's Egyptian sons were adopted by her father-in-law Jacob. Upon Ephraim, the elder, he conferred the family blessing.
One tradition says that Asenath renounced her sun-gods and worshiped Jehovah.
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