![]() ![]() Other dreams were symbolic-that is, they contained imagery that needed to be interpreted. In the Bible and in the ancient Near East, some dreams gave clear messages for the recipient (see, for example, Solomon in 1 Kgs 3:5–15). The first pair sets the narrative in motion and points ahead to its destination, while the second and third pairs are catalysts for Joseph’s ascension. Joseph has two dreams (Gen 37), two of his fellow prisoners in Egypt each have a dream (Gen 40), and Pharaoh has a pair of dreams (Gen 41). Six dreams, conveyed in three pairs, propel the story of Joseph rise from being the favored-and thus despised-son of Jacob to being the “discerning and wise” man appointed to manage Egypt during its 14 years of feast and famine (Gen 41:33). Dreams were one way the gods communicated from the divine realm to the human realm-a belief that is clearly evident in the Joseph narrative. While many of us dismiss dreams as a mental reworking of the day’s events or as the result of indigestion, ancients considered dreams to have potential revelatory significance. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedInĭreams dominate the story of Joseph, but their importance in the narrative derives from the significance of dreams in the culture and theology of the ancient Near East.
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