ABSTRACT
I will bless you and make your name great’ (Genesis 12 :2). Abraham’s two sons, Isaac (Yitzchok) and Ishmael (Yishmael), went their separate ways, and Islam traces its origins to Ishmael. One of Isaac’s sons was Jacob (Yakov) and the three, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are known as the three Patriarchs (Ovos). Jacob had 12 sons from whom descended the Twelve Tribes of Israel. One of the youngest sons was Joseph (Yossef) who was sold into slavery in Egypt. In time Joseph became viceroy of Egypt and the rest of Jacob’s family, totalling 70 individuals, joined him in Egypt in 1523 BCE.
