Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

btn. xt.-xvii. THE TALE OF THE TWO BROTHERS 123

The name of Joseph's wife, Asenath (Snat), was pure
Egyptian, and is seldom met with except in the Old and
Middle Empire. His father-in-law, the priest of On, was
an Egyptian whose name, Puti-pera, meant the ' gift of
the sun.' The chamberlain who bought Joseph from
the Midianites bore also the same designation; yet his
titles are given in the Semitic language, although the
"word sari, or chamberlain, is found written in Egyptian
characters.

The Tale of the Two Brothers in the D'Orbiney
Papyrus is of great value for the special relation in
which it stands to the history of Joseph. Anpu, a
married man, as the papyrus relates—■

sent his younger brother, saying to him, ' Hasten and bring us
seed corn from the, village ;' and the young brother found the
wife of his elder brother occupied in braiding her hair, and he said
to her, ' Rise up, give me seed corn, that I may return to the field,
for thus has my elder brother enjoined me, to return without delay.'
The woman said to him, ' Go in, open the chest, that thou mayest
take what thine heart desires, otherwise my locks will fall by the
way.' And the youth entered into the stable, and took thereout a
large vessel, for it was his wish to carry away much seed corn.
And he loaded himself with wheat and grains of durra and went
out with it. Then she said to him, ' How great is the burthen on
thine arm !' He said to her, ' Two measures of durra and three
measures of wheat, making together five measures, which rest on
my arms.' Thus he spake to her. But she spake to the youth and
said, ' How great is thy strength ! Well have I remarked thy
vigour every time.' And her heart knew him ! . . . And she
stood up and laid hold of him, and she said to him, ' Come, let us
enjoy an hour's rest. The most beautiful things shall be thy por-
tion, for I will prepare for thee festal garments.' Then the youth
became like to the panther of the south for rage, on account of the
evil word which she had spoken to him ; but she was afraid beyond
all measure. And he spoke to her and said, 'Thou, O woman, hast
been to me like a mother, and thy husband like a father, for he is
older than I, so that he might have been my parent. Why this so
great sin, that thou hast spoken to me ? Say it not to me another
time, then will I not tell it this time, and no word of it shall come
out of my mouth about it, to any man whatsoever.' And he
loaded himself with his burthen, and went out into the field.