In Potiphar's House

In this illuminating study of early biblical interpretation, James Kugel examines a series of exegetical stories that elaborate on the Joseph narrative in Genesis. These stories--which appear in such diverse source as rabbinic midrash, Christian writing, liturgical poetry, and the Qur'an--often contain details or whole incidents not found in the Bible itself. In tracing the development and function of these tales, Kugel reveals a dynamic interpretive process: the living, changing significance of texts through generations of discussion, analysis, and application.