find him with them, death would be inflicted upon them for
the abduction of a free man. The high-handed manner of
the sons of Jacob confirmed their suspicion, that they might
be capable of man theft. Their wicked deed would explain,
too, why they had accepted so small a sum in exchange for
Joseph. While discussing these points, they saw, coming
their way, the travelling company of Ishmaelites that had
been observed earlier by the sons of Jacob, and they determined
to dispose of Joseph to them, that they might at least
not lose the price they had paid, and might escape the danger
at the same time of being made captives for the crime of
kidnapping a man. And the Ishmaelites bought Joseph from
the Midianites, and they paid the same price as his former
owners had given for him.[55]


JOSEPH'S THREE MASTERS

As a rule the only merchandise with which the Ishmaelites
loaded their camels was pitch and the skins of beasts. By
a providential dispensation they carried bags of perfumery
this time, instead of their usual ill-smelling freight, that
sweet fragrance might be wafted to Joseph on his journey
to Egypt.[56] These aromatic substances were well suited to
Joseph, whose body emitted a pleasant smell, so agreeable
and pervasive that the road along which he travelled was
redolent thereof, and on his arrival in Egypt the perfume
from his body spread over the whole land, and the royal
princesses, following the sweet scent to trace its source,
reached the place in which Joseph was.[57] Even after his