Manasseh and Ephraim were Joseph’s sons born in Egypt during the height of his power as Egypt’s administrator. This is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart around 1704 BC. Apart from their father’s high position in the Egyptian court, they were also descended from priests. This was through their mother Asenath and their grandfather Potiphera (not to be confused with the captain of the guard Potiphar in Genesis 39). Thereby cementing their position in the Egyptian society, as well as later in the establishment of Israel as a nation-state.
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Their father’s story began in the 37th chapter of Genesis after Jacob settled his family in the land of Canaan. The deep-seated envy of Joseph’s brothers resulted in him being sold to Ishmaelite traders and later on as a slave in Egypt. This story culminated in the succeeding chapters after he rose as Egypt’s ruler (second only to Pharaoh) by interpreting the king’s dreams about the years of abundance followed by years of famine. This life-changing moment also established Joseph as a member of Egypt’s elite. The Pharaoh personally gave him a new Egyptian name “Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Sun City or Heliopolis, the modern-day suburb of Ain Shams), to be his wife.” (Genesis 41:45 NIV).
Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born before the years of famine. Joseph named his eldest Manasseh (‘to forget’ in Hebrew) because “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household,” while his younger son was named Ephraim (‘to be fruitful’) “because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (Genesis 41:50-52 NIV) There are no records as to whether Joseph had more children by Asenath apart from Manasseh and Ephraim. The boys were later on blessed by Jacob in his deathbed.
On (Heliopolis: Ancient City of Egypt)
Ain Shams
Manasseh: Meaning of Name and Background
Ephraim: Meaning of Name and Background
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And to never have a recorded error that Joseph must have made from the texts and records of scripture – Joseph truly became the best he could be under the guidance in his love for God.
1. He never had a beginning. Every child asks, “Who made God?” And every wise parent says, “Nobody made God. God simply is. And always was. No beginning.”
2. God will never end. If He did not come into being He cannot go out of being, because He is being.
3. God is absolute reality. There is no reality before Him. There is no reality outside of Him unless He wills it and makes it. He is all that was eternally. No space, no universe, no emptiness. Only God.
4. God is utterly independent. He depends on nothing to bring Him into being or support Him or counsel Him or make Him what he is.
5. Everything that is not God depends totally on God. The entire universe is utterly secondary. It came into being by God and stays in being moment by moment on God’s decision to keep it in being.
6. All the universe is by comparison to God as nothing. Contingent, dependent reality is to absolute, independent reality as a shadow to substance. As an echo to a thunderclap. All that we are amazed by in the world and in the galaxies is, compared to God, as nothing.
7. God is constant. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot be improved. He is not becoming anything. He is who He is.
8. God is the absolute standard of truth and goodness and beauty. There is no law-book to which he looks to know what is right. No almanac to establish facts. No guild to determine what is excellent or beautiful. He himself is the standard of what is right, what is true, what is beautiful.
9. God does whatever he pleases and it is always right and always beautiful and always in accord with truth. All reality that is outside of Him He created and designed and governs as the absolute reality. So He is utterly free from any constraints that don’t originate from the counsel of His own will.
10. God is the most important and most valuable reality and person in the universe. He is more worthy of interest and attention and admiration and enjoyment than all other realities, including the entire universe.