The history of Joseph in Egypt displays some familiarity with the circumstances and usages of that country; see Driver (Hastings's _D.B._) and Cheyne (_Ency. Bib._, col. 2589 seq.); although Abrech (xli. 43), possibly the Egyptian _ib rk_ (Crum, in Hastings's _D.B._, i. 665), has been otherwise connected with the Assyrian _abarakku_ (a high officer). An interesting parallel to the story of Joseph in Gen. xxxix. is found in the Egyptian tale of _The Two Brothers_ (Petrie, _Eg. Tales_, 2nd series, p. 36 seq., 1895), which dates from about 1500 B.C., but the differences are not inconsiderable compared with the points of resemblance, and the tale has features which are almost universal (Frazer, _Golden Bough_, 2nd ed., vol. iii. 351 seq.). On the theory that the historical elements of Joseph's history refer to an official (Yanhamu) of the time of Amenophis III. and IV., see Cheyne, op. cit., and _Hibbert Journal_, October 1903. That the present form of the narrative has been influenced by current mythological lore is not improbable; on this question see (with caution) Winckler, _Gesch. Israels_, ii. 67-77 (1900); A. Jeremias, _Alte Test._, pp. 383 sqq. (1906). It may be added that the Egyptian names in the story of Joseph are characteristic of the XXII. and subsequent dynasties. See, also Meyer and Luther, _Die Israeliten_ (1906), Index, _s.v._ (S. A. C.) FOOTNOTE: [1] Joseph's marriage with the daughter of the priest of On might show that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were believed to be half-Egyptian by descent, but it is notoriously difficult to determine how much is of ethnological value and how much belongs to romance (viz. that of the individual Joseph).