Joseph and Asenath, and the Solymi Connection
Here might be good point to speak of the story of Yusuf or Joseph, son of Jacob mentioned by Ibn Abd Rabbih. This Yusuf or Asaf as he is also named in Arabic tales was in the biblical story a man who lived in Canaan, where his grandfather was from. His brothers had thrown him into a well and then some “Midianites”, whom the Bible also calls “Ismailites” or children of Ishmael, came along and lifted him from the well and then sold him to an important person of a place called “Mitzraim”. As Salibi points out this Mizraim or Mitzraim has been misinterpreted in western translations of the Bible as the modern Egypt, when in fact it was likely an area in southwest Arabia either the Misramah of the Asir region or some where else where the Azd tribes of Kahlan lived and lived.
Asaf was associated with “Asiyyah” (meaning wild antelope or cow) who in Arab tradition is called “the Israelite woman”. She is sometimes called Asiyya bayt Muzahhim. But her traditional lineage or genealogy appears to makes her a descendant of the Sulaim bin Mansur, a tribe of Qays Ailan ultimately from the Azd in Hijaz and Central Arabia. And it was from Banu Sulaim the son of Mansur that descended “Ra’l, Zakwan, ‘Asiyyah ibn Khuyfaf ibn Imri’ Al- Qais ibn Buhthah ibn Sulaim and Za’b ibn Malik ibn Khufaf ibn Imri’ Al- Qais ibn Buhthah ibn Sulaim” (Abdul Wahab, 2006; Phillips, R., p. 65).
Thus, the 11th c. Cordoban Ibn Abd Rabbih wrote that the Banu Sulaym: were represented by “Dhakwan, Bahz and Buhtha” ( Abd Rabbih, p. 261) (Dhakwan is also written Zakwan or Zaakwan.)
This posting is to show that the Sulaym group just mentioned are often connected with names that are Arabized forms of the individuals surrounding the biblical Joseph and his son Jacob in ancient Hebraic stories. They include aside from Assiyya or Asenath, Potiphar – her father, Joseph's mother Rachel (Jacob’s favorite wife), and brother Benjamin, Bahila (Rachel’s handmaid who then marries Jacob), the sons of Bahila, or Ghuni, Sallum, Suham, Jahzi’el, and Jeser or Jezer, the sons of Zilpah daughter of Laban -Gad and Asher, and Yissachar, the son of Leah (who was Jacob’s wife and Rachel’s younger sister), Manasseh, Ephraim, Levi, Gershon, Arodi son of Gad, Naaman, Rosh and Elon to name but a few of Jacob's "posterity". In other words, "the Israelites".
But, in addition, closely connected with Sulaym are found names of a few Edomite or Horite tribes or “dukes” mentioned in Genesis 36 – including Zubyan or Zibeon and son Aja/Aia or Ashja’a, Zakwan or Zaavan and Yaakan or Akan, sons of Ezer (Assir). In the Bible they are said to be Hivite and Horite chiefs, children of Canaan and Edom.
Middle Eastern folk traditions or mythos surrrounding Moses and Josephus make these people mostly "Amalekite" rulers of a locale called “Misra”. (Josephus in fact divided the peoples of Edom into Amalekites and "Gebalites".) (Hebbe, p. 401).
Al-Tabari and Kahb al- Ahbar for example mentioned that the brother of the king of “Misra” that ruled in the time of Joseph and drowned in the Red Sea was Qabus, a descendant of Faran the Amalekite (See Part I) Al Tabari calls him “Qabus b. Mus'ab b. Mu'awiyah b. Numayr b. al-Salwas b. Faran b. Amr b. Amalek” ( Prophets and Patriarchs, p. 154)
Tabari wrote concerning Qabus and his brother Walid a text translated as follows:
“Moses was born to Amran and his mother was Jochebed, and some say that her name was Anahid. His wife was Zipporah bt. Jethro, who is Shu’ayb the prophet. Moses begat Gershom and Eliezer. He left for Midian out of fear when he was forty-one years old and called people to the religion of Abraham. God appeared to him at Mt. Sinai, when he was eighty years old. The pharaoh of Egypt in his days was Qabus b. Mus’ab b. Mu’awiyah the second master of Joseph. His wife was Asiyah bt. Muzahim b. Ubayd b. al-Rayyan b. Al Walid the first pharaoh of Joseph. When Moses was called he was informed that Qabus b. Mus’ab had died and that his brother, al-Walid b. Mus’ab had taken his place…It was said the al-Walid married Asiyah bt. Muzahim after his brother.” From the Ta'rīkh al-rusul wa'l-mulūk “Prophets and Kings” (Brinner, 1991, pp. 30-31)
Now it is said Walid, brother of Kabus was the ruler who drowned in the Red Sea. Of Walid it has been written “Walid, the brother of Kabus, is generally supposed to be that king of Egypt with whom Moses had to do, and who was drowned in the Red Sea. Most of the commentators on the Koran tell us this prince was an Arab of the tribe of Ad, or, as others say, of Amalek, who were also Arabians, though some pretend he was of Koptic descent (Fielden, J.L., 1876, p.24-25). What’s more, Tabari and Ibn Kathir wrote when Joseph was purchased, “the Amalekite” named Al –Rayyan or Riyan son of al-Walid was in charge of Misr . Tabari also wrote as follows with regards to Joseph and Potiphar:
“Joseph was sold for twenty dirhams by his brother…As for the man who bought Joseph from Malik b. Da’ar in Egypt and who said to his wife ‘Receive him honorably’, Ibn Abbas reports that his name was Qittin. According to Muhammed b. Sa’d…Ibn Abbas: the name of the one who bought him was Qatafir(Potiphar), and it is said that his name was Itfir b. Rawhib and that he was ruler and in charge of the Egyptian Treasury. At that time the King was al Rayyan b. Al-Walid a man of Amalekite stock…” (Brinner, p. 153).
Of Walid it is said that he is the first to be called “pharaoh” and he was “of the tribe of Ad although others say that of Amlak, i.e. an Amalekite” (1747, p. 117) “Another account gives the full name of the king and Pharaoh of Egypt at that time as al-Rayyan b. Al-Walid b. Tharwan b. Arashah b. Qaran b. ‘Amr b. Imlaq b. Lud b. Shem b. Noah” (Brinner, p. 153) Another version says that Daluka ruled after Walid. She is sometimes said to be his daughter or a distant relation of his (1747, p. 118).
Daluka, surnamed Al Ajuz, or the Old Woman of the royal blood, succeed the pharoah who drowned in the Red Sea. This queen is said to have been the most expert woman of her time in magic. Shelived a hundred years, and encompassed the city of Mesr with walls…I quote this account for what it is worth. So far, it confirms the statement of other authors, that aboutor in the time of Joseph and the sojourn of the Israelites, Egypt was ruled by Pharaohs or kings of Esau's race, when they threw off the yoke of Jacob (Fielden, p. 25).
Josephus divided the land of Edomites into Amalekites and Gebalites (Hebbe, 1848, p. 401). Although authors sometimes use or translate the name Misra or Kipti as the modern country of "Egypt", in the usage of the early Arab writers these names often refer to Amalekite peoples rather than the country of Egypt they are said to have conquered. After Daluka daughter of "the Amalekite", the ruler who succeeds her is called Darkun, son of Malthus or Baltus (Crosthwaite, 1839, p.234; Sale, 1747, p. 118). This name sounds like another name for an ancient "Himyarite " king Dhu Tarkun.
Then came Thardan king of the Amalekites. one version says that Walid was his son. Thardan was son of Amalek son of Eliphaz son of Esau - "Jacob's twin brother" (Fielden, p. 91). Scholars now consider that this name of Daluka ,daughter of Zabba (also called Zaffan), to be in fact “Zuleika” of other Arab tradition (El Daly, 2005, p. 133). And, this Zabba may be Za'b ibn Malik a tribe of Khufaf mentioned above. He is perhaps Zebah (also spelt Zeeb or Zebab) the biblical Midianite ruler, if not "Zephon" son of Gad son of Zilpah.
It is very possible then that the name of “Zilpah” is related to "Zuleikha" in the way the name "Tarikha", wife of Moses is also spelt "Zarifah" (biblical Zipphorah). Zilpah’s sister is according to Rabbinic sources is Bilha and both “Bilha” and “Rachel” are names closely related to that confederation of tribes in Hijaz and Central Arabia known as Ghatafan and Banu Sulaym. Otherwise Zuleika also has the same role as Asenath in the Bible. And most scholars consider her to be Asenath. Zuleika of the Quran is the seducer of Joseph and wife of Potiphar. Some sources refer to Potiphar’s wife as Ra’il rather than Zuleika. Ra’il, Ra'la or Rahil in English is "Rachel", who is wife of Jacob. (See Genesis 29)
