Book Excerpt

Joseph's ten brothers went north towards Shechem so the flocks could graze in the fields there. Jacob was still concerned about retaliation for what they did to the people in Shechem, so he sent Joseph to find his brothers and report back on how they were doing. Joseph traveled north to the grazing fields only to discover they had gone even farther north to Dothan. He continued on, determined to find them, but when they saw him coming, their anger got the best of them and they plotted to kill him.

Reuben, thinking he needed to save him for their father's sake, convinced his brothers to throw him into a deep hole. After they stripped him of his colorful robe and threw him in the hole, Reuben returned to the sheep thinking he would rescue him later. While he was gone, a caravan of Ishmaelites came by on their way to Egypt. Judah knew it would be wrong to let him die in that hole, so he convinced his brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites who were willing to pay them eight ounces of silver. By the time Reuben came back and discovered what they'd done, it was too late. So they dipped his colorful coat in some goat's blood and returned to convince their father a wild animal must have devoured Joseph. First it was Rachel and now he had lost Joseph. Jacob could not be consoled.