an allegory

Joseph knows the Egyptian sun god Ra has no power over the dry, cracked earth, nor does he look to Neir, the god of wisdom from which his wife, Asenath, is named–a wife given to him after years of loneliness and grief. Asenath is lovely to behold and interested in the God of His Father, Jacob, but at times still clings to the many gods of Egypt.
Joseph slips on his leather sandals and paces past terracotta pots and serving tables surrounded by guards. Back and forth, he paces, replaying the words he’s rehearsing in his head. It’s a dialogue of what he will say and do next concerning his brothers.