Joseph and Aseneth

Historical English source page 65

xxi] 1L\RRIAGE OF JOSEPH AMD ASEXATH 6i The Marriage of Joseph and Asenath. XXI. And Joseph stayed that day with Pente- phres, and he went not in to Asenath, for that he was wont to say : " It is not meet for a man who worshippeth God to sleep with his wife before his marriage." And Joseph rose early and departed to Pharaoh and said to him : " Give me Asenath, daughter of Pentephres, priest of Heliopolis, to wife." And Pharaoh ""rejoiced with great joy, and he^ saith to Joseph : " Lo ! hath not this one been betrothed unto thee to wife from eternity ? Accord- ingly let her be thy wife henceforth and unto time eternal." Then Pharaoh sent and called Pente- phres, and Pentephres brought Asenath and set her before Pharaoh; and Pharaoh when he saw her marvelled at her beauty and said : " The Lord God of Joseph shall bless thee, child, and this thy beauty shall remain to eternity, for that the Lord God of Joseph chose thee as bride for him : for Joseph is as the son of the Most High, and thou shalt be called "^his bride* henceforth and for ever." And after these things Pharaoh took Joseph and Asenath and set golden wreaths upon their heads, which were in his house from of old and from ancient times, and Pharaoh set Asenath at Joseph's right hand. And Pharaoh ^ Lat. Syr. Ann. om. ; Slav. om. all to " Pharaoh " (1- 13)- ' Or "his daughter-in-law "; Slav. " daughter of the Most High " ; Syr. " daughter of the Lord and his bride " ; similarly Arm.; Lat om. all after " him " to end of sentence.