sold the slave to you, that I may be in a position to find out
all about him, for the youth seems to me to be neither a
slave nor the son of a slave. He appears to be of noble
blood. I must convince myself that he was not stolen." The
Medanites brought the Ishmaelites to Potiphar, and they
testified that Joseph was a slave, that they had owned him,
and had sold him to the Medanites. Potiphar rested satisfied
with this report, paid the price asked for Joseph, and the
Medanites and the Ishmaelites went their way.


JOSEPH'S COAT BROUGHT TO HIS FATHER

No sooner was the sale of Joseph an accomplished fact
than the sons of Jacob repented of their deed. They even
hastened after the Midianites to ransom Joseph, but their
efforts to overtake them were vain, and they had to accept
the inevitable. Meantime Reuben had rejoined his brethren.[59]
He had been so deeply absorbed in penances, in praying
and studying the Torah, in expiation of his sin against
his father, that he had not been able to remain with his
brethren and tend the flocks, and thus it happened that he
was not on the spot when Joseph was sold.[60] His first errand
was to go to the pit, in the hope of finding Joseph there. In
that case he would have carried him off and restored him
to his father clandestinely, without the knowledge of his
brethren. He stood at the opening and called again and
again, "Joseph, Joseph!" As he received no answer, he
concluded that Joseph had perished, either by reason of
terror or as the result of a snake bite, and he descended into