by me." The men of her house spake not a word, but, in a
rage against Joseph, they went to their master, and reported
to him what had come to pass.[130] In the meantime the husbands
of Zuleika's friends had also spoken to Potiphar, at
the instigation of their wives, and complained of his slave,
that he molested them.[131]

Potiphar hastened home, and he found his wife in low
spirits, and though the cause of her dejection was chagrin
at not having succeeded in winning Joseph's love, she pretended
that it was anger at the immoral conduct of the slave.
She accused him in the following words: "O husband,
mayest thou not live a day longer, if thou dost not punish
the wicked slave that hath desired to defile thy bed, that
hath not kept in mind who he was when he came to our
house, to demean himself with modesty, nor hath he been
mindful of the favors he hath received from thy bounty.
He did lay a privy design to abuse thy wife, and this at the
time of observing a festival, when thou wouldst be absent."[132]
These words she spoke at the moment of conjugal
intimacy with Potiphar, when she was certain of exerting
an influence upon her husband.[133]

Potiphar gave credence to her words, and he had Joseph
flogged unmercifully. While the cruel blows fell upon him,
he cried to God, "O Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent
of these things, and why should I die to-day on account of
a false accusation by the hands of these uncircumcised,
impious men?" God opened the mouth of Zuleika's child,
a babe of but eleven months, and he spoke to the men that