GENESIS 42, or, "Nice Joe versus Mean Joe"

Wherein Joseph is reunited with his brothers, sort of

For Courtney's sake, I'm trying to go easier on ol' Joe. So, I'll be generous and chalk up his slightly schizophrenic behavior in this chapter to conflicting emotions about his brothers. You'll notice that he switches from "Nice Joe" to "Mean Joe" pretty quickly:

Feeling the effects of the famine like everyone else, Jacob sends all but one of his sons to Egypt in order to buy grain (the distance from Egypt to Canaan was somewhere between 250-300 miles, btw. Hardly a trip 'round the block to the convenience store). There they are faced with Joseph, now a powerful ruler and administrator of the food reserves. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don't recognize him. He pretends not to know them (Mean Joe). The brothers bow down to him, just like in the dream Joseph had as a kid.

In a turn of the proverbial tables, Joseph throws his brothers into prison, accusing them of being spies (Mean Joe). After three days he releases them (Nice Joe). But to prove they aren't spies, the brothers are forced by Joseph to return to Canaan and bring back the last of their brothers, Benjamin (Mean Joe). Joseph gives the bros grain, provisions for their journey, and surreptitiously places silver in their bags (Nice Joe).

Before they leave Egypt, the bros discuss how they are most likely being punished for their misdeeds against Joseph years ago, and Reuben gets all "I told you so!" about it. Joseph is moved to tears by this (Nice Joe). He then sends them on the beginning of the their 600 mile round trip journey across the desert (Mean Joe).

They return to Jacob and give him the bad news: Benjamin must go back to Egypt with them. Jacob is less than thrilled with the idea.