Kristian Heal presented a paper at a FARMS "brown-bag" forum in which he reviewed a number of comparisons made between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus recorded in ancient Syriac Literature. The origins of Christianity in Edessa (modern Urfa in southeast turkey) are shrouded in mystery. The traditional story, known to Eusebius and related at the end of Book 1 of Ecclesiastical History, tells of how Abgar, King of Edessa, upon hearing of the miracles of Jesus sent a letter requesting that Jesus come to Edessa to heal him. Jesus replies by letter promising that one of his disciples will be sent in due course. After the resurrection, Thaddeus is sent to preach in Edessa by Thomas. Eusebius reports to have made a copy of the original correspondence between Abgar and Jesus when he visited the city archives in Edessa, a translation of which he quotes in full in the text of his history.
The Old Testament Patriarch Joseph was a favorite theme of Syriac authors during the Golden age. Several extensive retellings of the Joseph story survive. Joseph's life is seen as typifying that of the Lord. For the benefit of the reader, Heal provides a detailed chart of comparisons in Syriac Literature between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus (see chart below). [Kristian Heal, "Jesus in the Syriac Retelling of the Joseph Story," presented at a FARMS brown-bag lecture, October 11, 2000]
2 Nephi 3:4 And great were the covenants of the Lord which He made unto Joseph ([Chart]): Table of Comparisons between the Life of Joseph and the Life of Jesus [in Syriac Literature]. [Kristian Heal, "Jesus in the Syriac Retelling of the Joseph Story," presented at a FARMS brown-bag lecture, October 11, 2000]
“And Great Were the Covenants of the Lord Which He Made Unto Joseph”
As patriarch of the house of Israel, just before his death Moses blessed the various tribes of Israel (Deuteronomy 33:1). Richardson, Richardson and Bentley note that in the blessing to the tribe of Joseph (Deuteronomy 33) we find an interesting prophecy about the descendants of Joseph:
And of Joseph he [Moses] said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, And for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and they are the thousands of Manasseh. (Deuteronomy 33:13-17)
Concerning this scripture, Elder LeGrand Richards wrote the following:
When this blessing was given by Moses, the patriarch, it is clear that he first had in mind the new land that would be given to Joseph which would be abundantly blessed of the Lord to produce precious fruits of the land and the precious things of the lasting hills and of the ancient mountains.
When the descendants of Joseph were led to this land of America about 600 B.C., they were told that it would be a land choice above all other lands [see 2 Nephi 1:5]. The reading of Moses' blessing to Joseph indicates that Moses was impressed with this fact and attempted to so describe it. He further indicated that it would be in the "ancient mountains" and the "everlasting hills." The land to which they were led was in the western part of South, Central, and North America, in the Rocky Mountains, which accurately answers Moses' description.
Then Moses further indicated that the good will of him who dwelt in the bush (referring to the God of Israel who dwelt in the burning bush--see Exodus 3:2) would be upon Joseph who was separated from his brethren. Then he refers to his glory as like "the firstling of his Bullock," or the firstborn or heir of his father, and we have already pointed out how Joseph became heir to the birthright. Moses looked beyond to the power and authority that should be given to Joseph's seed and added: "he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh" (see Deuteronomy 33:17). This seems to look forward to the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth in the latter-days, which we have previously outlined, and the gathering of Israel. (Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [1950], pp. 64-66)
In a time previous to Moses' blessing, Isaac's son Jacob had called his children to him and blessed them just prior to his death: "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob: and hearken unto Israel your father" (Genesis 49:1-2).
Of these verses, Elder LeGrand Richards commented:
It is suggested the reader study the entire chapter [of Genesis 49] noting the great difference in the respective blessing. Now let us give careful consideration to the special blessing Joseph received from his father:
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb; The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren (Genesis 49:22-26).
This blessing is very similar to that given by Moses, and begins with references to the land to which Joseph's seed would go: "A fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall." This seems consistent to assume that the ocean was regarded as the wall over which Joseph's branches were to run "unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." Then Jacob indicated that Joseph would be blessed "with the blessings of heaven above . . . blessings of the breasts, and of the womb," indicating that his posterity would be great, and that his blessings would prevail above the blessings of his progenitors. (Richards, A Marvelous Work, pp. 64-66)
[Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson and Anthony E. Bentley, 1000 Evidences for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Part Two-A Voice from the Dust: 500 Evidences in Support of the Book of Mormon, pp. 84-85]
Note* By what "patriarchal" authority did Moses give his blessing to Joseph's posterity? Joseph's line held the birthright. Did Moses have some of the blood of Joseph in him? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Richard Anthony's commentary on 2 Nephi 7; see also the commentary on 2 Nephi 1]