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Revision as of 01:56, 9 September 2006 by Therealmikelvee (talk | contribs) (→Biography)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the second son of Joseph. For other meanings, see Ephraim (disambiguation).
Ephraim (Hebrew: אֶפְרַיִם/אֶפְרָיִם, Standard Efráyim Tiberian ʾEp̄ráyim/ʾEp̄rāyim) – "double fruitfulness" ("for God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction").
Biography
The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt (Gen. 41:52; 46:20). The first incident recorded regarding him is his being placed, along with his brother Manasseh, before their grandfather, Jacob, so that Jacob might bless them (48:10; comp. 27:1). The intention of Joseph was that the right hand of the aged patriarch should be placed on the head of the elder of the two; but Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother, "guiding his hands wittingly." Before Joseph's death, Ephraim's family had reached the third generation (Gen. 50:23).
An Egyptian writer--Ahmed Osman--has claimed that Ephraim may be identified with Pharaoh Ay, who is thought by some scholars to be a son of Yuya, a powerful court official under Amenhotep III. Osman, in turn, thinks he may be identified as Joseph, the Pharaoh's Viceroy in the Bible. However, Ay's parentage--which has been the source of much speculation among Egyptologists--remains unknown from contemporary Egyptian records and Osman's claim is not followed by mainstream Egyptologists. The only thing that is certain is that Yuya was the father of Queen Tiye, Amenhotep III's chief wife, and Anen, her older brother. Yet, very interestingly enough, Ephraim is said by Hebrew tradition to eventually rule Egypt as Pharaoh, but, although Egypt previously temporarily was made to worship the God of the Israelites, Ephraim later allowed them to worship their previous gods and idols, which is exactly the case with Ay.
Descendants
Ephraim's descendants were known as the Tribe of Ephraim.
See also
External links
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
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