"It Is Not Right For a Man Who Worships God to Repay His Neighbor Evil For Evil": Christian Ethics in Joseph and Aseneth (Chapters 22–29)

Abstract

This article argues for the Christian provenance of chapters 22–29 of Joseph and Aseneth. In particular, the article interprets these chapters as promoting the adoption of Christian ethics toward enemies as a means for obtaining salvation in the Church, which is personified by Aseneth. Framing this notion is the recurring formula, “It is not right for a man who worships God to . . .” This repetitive pattern draws the whole book into a coherent literary and ideological unit, and highlights the key principles of Christian ethics that it intends to convey.