Testament of Joseph

Chapter 13

  1. 1 And Pentephris was persuaded by her words, and commanded the merchant to be brought, and said unto him: What is this that I hear concerning thee, that thou stealest persons out of the land
  2. 2 of Canaan, and sellest them for slaves? But the merchant fell at his feet, and besought him, saying:
  3. 3 I beseech thee, my lord, I know not what thou sayest. And Pentephris said unto him: Whence, then, is the Hebrew slave? And he said: The Ishmaelites entrusted him unto me until they should return.
  4. 4 But he believed him not, but commanded him to be stripped and beaten. And when he persisted
  5. 5 in this statement, Pentephris said: Let the youth be brought. And when I was brought in, I did
  6. 6 obeisance to Pentephris (for he was third in rank of the officers of Pharaoh). And he took me apart
  7. 7 from him, and said unto me: Art thou a slave or free? And I said: A stave. And he said:
  8. 8 Whose? And I said: The Ishmaelites. And he said: How didst thou become their slave? And
  9. 9 I said: They bought me out of the land of Canaan. And he said unto me: Truly thou liest; and strightway he commanded me to be stripped and beaten.