Illustration created for this project.
Asenath
The Egyptian wife given to Joseph, mother of Manasseh and Ephraim.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 3
Archaeology — physical evidence · 1
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1
Origin & birthplace
ArchaeologyAsenath is called the daughter of Potiphera, 'priest of On' (Heliopolis), and On was a major, archaeologically well-documented cult center of the sun god Ra, still marked today by the standing obelisk of Senusret I. This attests the institution and place tied to her family, not Asenath herself.
Standing obelisk of Senusret I (12th Dynasty, c. 1940 BC) at Heliopolis/On, al-Matariyya, Cairo — sole survivor of the sun-temple of Ra; precinct excavated by the German-Egyptian mission (D. Raue); attests the cult setting, not the individual.
Family & lineage
Name & titles
ScholarlyUnlike most biblical names, Asenath is a genuinely Egyptian name, most plausibly reflecting a form such as iw.s-n-Nit, 'she belongs to (the goddess) Neith' (with other proposals like 'belonging to her father'). Its authentic Egyptian character fits the narrative setting of a wife given to Joseph in Egypt.
Egyptian onomastics; the 'belonging to (deity)' name-type is common in Egyptian personal names.
Where in scripture
GenesisFamily
Places in their life
Photo: KennyOMG — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
