Isaac married Rebekah, and had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob though the younger obtained the rights of primogeniture; he also procured his father's blessing by very unjustifiable means; and then repaired to Padan-aram to take a wife out of his own family. He married Leah and Rachel, and had twelve sons, who were called the twelve Patriarchs or fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel, their names were, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph and Benjamin. They were all born in Padan-aram; but Jacob returned to Canaan before his father's death. Joseph was the favourite son of Jacob; on which account his brethren hated him, and at length sold him to some Ishmaelites, who were merchants, and the descendants of Ishmael a son of Abraham; these Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt, where he became a slave to Potiphar, the chief officer under the king. His good conduct soon gained the esteem and confidence of his master, but the wickedness of Potiphar's wife caused him to be thrown into prison. He was released from this confinement, in order to interpret two dreams of Pharoah's. God enabled him to discover that they predicted seven years of plenty which would be followed by seven years of famine; and the wise advice Joseph gave the king on this subject, induced the monarch to raise him to a very high office in his kingdom, and entrust to him the whole care of collecting and managing the corn. This famine was severely felt in Canaan, and Jacob sent his sons into Egypt to purchase corn. Joseph recognised his brethren, and after putting them to several trials, for the purpose of making them properly sensible of their former cruel conduct, he discovered himself to them in a very affectionate manner; he enquired concerning his father, and when he found the old man was still alive, he desired his brothers to fetch him, and their families out of Canaan. Jacob who had bitterly wept the loss of his favourite son, whom he believed from the accounts of his other children to have been devoured by a wild beast, rejoiced when he heard of his safety, and desired to go to Egypt to see him before he died. Pharoah gave Joseph's family the land of Goshen for their residence; and during his reign, the Hebrews were held in great estimation. The descendants of Jacob multiplied to so great a degree, that about sixty years after the death of Joseph, the king who then reigned over Egypt became jealous of their numbers, and endeavoured to check their increase by slaying the infants, and reducing the parents to a state of slavery. They suffered many hardships during several years, but at length God was pleased to deliver them in a miraculous manner by the hand of Moses, who would soon have conducted them into the promised land, had not their disobedience and perverseness brought upon them the punishment of a forty years' wandering in the wilderness. During this time, God commanded Moses to deliver his laws to the people of Israel.