Giuseppe wrote: ↑Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:27 am
I am reading
Genèse de Marie, Portrait d'Israël en jeune fille by Sandrick Le Maguer, a follower of Dubourg.
Have you read
Joseph and Asenath?
http://markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm
Now Aseneth despised all men and regarded them with contempt; yet no man had ever seen her, for Pentephres had a tower in his house, and it was large and very high. 2. And the top storey had ten rooms in it. 3. The first room was large and pleasant; and it was paved with purple stones, and its walls were faced with precious stones of different kinds. 4. And the ceiling of that room was of gold; and within it [1] were ranged the innumerable gods of the Egyptians, in gold and silver. 5. And Aseneth worshipped all these; and she feared them and offered sacrifices to them. [2] 6. The second room contained all the finery for Aseneth's adornment and treasure chests. [3] 7. And there was much gold in it, and silver, and garments woven with gold, and precious stones of great price, and fine linens. 8. And all her girlish ornaments were there. [4] 9. The third room contained all the good things of the earth; [5] and it was Aseneth's store-house. 10. And seven virgins had the remaining seven rooms, one each. 11. And they used to wait on Aseneth, and were of the same age as she was, for they were all born on the same night as Aseneth; and they were very beautiful, like the stars of heaven, and no man or boy had ever had anything to do with them. 12. And Aseneth's large room, where she spent her time, [6] had three windows. 13. One window looked out over the courtyard to the east: the second looked to the north, onto the street; and the third to the south. 14. And a golden bed stood in the room, facing the east. 15. And the bed had a coverlet of purple woven with gold, embroidered with blue, and fine linen. 16. In this bed Aseneth used to sleep alone, and no man or woman ever [7] sat upon it, except Aseneth only. 17. And there was a great court all round the house, and a wall round the court, very high and built of great rectangular stones. 18. And there were four gates to the court, overlaid with iron; and eighteen strong young men-at-arms used to guard each one of them. 19. And along the wall inside the court every kind of beautiful tree that produces fruit had been planted; and the fruit on every one of them was ripe, for it was harvest time. 20. And on the right of the court there was an ever-bubbling [8] spring of water, and beneath the spring a great cistern [9] that received the water from the spring and out of which a river flowed through the middle of the court and watered all the trees in it.
And Joseph kept his father Jacob's face before his eyes continually,[10] and he remembered his father's commandments; for Jacob used to say to Joseph and his brothers, "Be on your guard, my children, against the strange woman, and have nothing to do with her, for she is ruin and destruction. 7. That is why Joseph said, "Tell that woman to go away." [11] ) 8. And Pentephres said to him, "My lord, the woman you have seen in the storey at the top is no stranger: she is our daughter, a virgin, who detests men; and no other [12] man has ever seen her, apart from you today. 9. And if you wish it, she shall come and speak with you; for our daughter is your sister. 10. And Joseph was overjoyed because Pentephres said, "She is a virgin who detests men." 11. And Joseph answered Pentephres and his wife and said, "If she is your daughter, then let her come, for she is my sister, and I will regard [13] her as my sister from to-day."
And Aseneth said to him, "Come, my lord, come into my house;" and she took his right hand and brought him [1] inside her house. 2. And Joseph sat down on her father Pentephres's seat, and she brought water to wash his feet; and Joseph said to her, "Let one of your virgins come, and let her wash my feet." 3. And Aseneth said to him, "No, my lord, for my hands are your hands, and your feet my feet, [2] and no one else shall wash your feet;" and so she had her way and washed his feet.
And the gates of the court that looked east were opened, and Joseph came in, sitting in Pharaoh's viceroy's chariot. 5. And there were four horses yoked together, white as snow, with golden reins; and the chariot was covered over [1] with gold. 6. And Joseph was wearing a marvellous white tunic, and the robe wrapped around him was purple, made of linen woven with gold: there was a golden crown on his head, and all round the crown were [2] twelve precious stones, and above the stones twelve golden rays; and a royal sceptre was in his right hand. 7. And he held an olive branch stretched out, and there was much fruit on it.
And she looked up and saw a man like Joseph in every respect, with a robe and a crown and a royal staff. 9. But his face was like lightning, and his eyes were like the light of the sun, [11] and the hairs of his head like flames [12] of fire, and his hands and feet like iron from the fire. 10. And Aseneth looked at him, and she fell on her face at his feet in great fear and trembling. 11. And the man said to her, "Take heart, Aseneth, and do not be afraid; but stand up, [13] and I will speak to you." 12. And Aseneth got up, and the man said to her, "Take off the black tunic you are wearing and the sackcloth round your waist, [14] and shake the ashes off your head, and wash your face with water. 13. And put on a new robe that you have never worn before, [15] and tie your bright girdle round your waist -- the double girdle of your virginity. 14. And then come back to me, and I will tell you what I have been sent to you to say." 15. And Aseneth went into the room where her treasure-chests and the finery for her adornment were; [16] and she opened her wardrobe and took out a new, fine robe, and she took off her black robe and put on the new and brilliant one. 16. And she untied the rope and the sackcloth round her waist; [17] and she put on the brilliant double girdle of her virginity -- one girdle round her waist and the other round her breast. 17. And she shook the ashes off her head, and washed her face with pure water, and covered her head with a fine and lovely veil.
And she came back to the man; and when the man saw her he said to her, "Take now the veil off your head, for to-day you are a pure virgin and your head is like a young man's." 2. So she took it off her head; and the man said to her, "Take heart, Aseneth, [1] for lo, the Lord has heard the words of your confession. 3. Take heart, Aseneth, [2] your name is written in the book of life, and it will never be blotted out. 4. From to-day you will be made new, and refashioned, and given new life; and you shall eat the bread of life and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed with the unction of incorruption. [3] 5. Take heart, Aseneth: [4] lo, the Lord has given you to Joseph to be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom. 6. And you shall no more be called Aseneth, but 'City of Refuge' shall be your name; for many nations shall take refuge in you, and under your wings shall [5] many peoples [6] find shelter, [7] and within your walls those who give their allegiance to God in penitence will find security. 7. For Penitence is the Most High's daughter and she entreats the Most High on your behalf every hour, [8] and on behalf of all who repent; [9] for he is the father of Penitence [10] and she the mother of virgins, and every hour she petitions him for those who repent; for [11] she has prepared a heavenly bridal chamber for those who love her, [12] and she will look after them for ever.
You can read the whole thing.
Some say this is "hiding" Christian doctrine in a Jewish text. However, these are obviously motifs from Syrian mysticism. This is Hadad and Astarte, more or less.
Regardless, I think Joseph (or Joshua, or Jacob/Israel) was originally Hadad anyway. I don't think Joseph and Asenath is the integration of foreign mysticism into a Jewish narrative. I definitely don't think it's a secret application of Christian beliefs to a Jewish narrative. Rather, I think this is the original narrative of Joseph and the moon goddess of Syria which has been updated with the names from the Pentateuch. It could even be the case that the Pentateuch was written out of these original myths.
Polytheistic myth -> Pentateuch story of a historical Joseph -> Mythological motifs reapplied to pseudo-historical narrative
The key is understanding that there is a common mythological basis for both the stories of the patriarchs and the esoteric tradition behind Gnosticism and Christianity.
In terms of historicity, the Christian narrative is constructed out of this esoteric tradition, not some history. Where historicity comes in may be in whether a historical person was identified as the secret Adam, or incarnation of this - as you call - Joshua spirit.
