ABSTRACT
The story of Joseph as the interpreter of pharaoh’s dreams in Genesis 41 bears a striking resemblance to the account of Democides in the court of the Persian king Darius, as recorded by Herodotus in Histories 3.125–132. The narrative in Genesis 41 inspired accounts of Daniel as a dream and sign interpreter in Daniel 2, 4–5. A form-critical analysis of all these passages clearly demonstrates the greatest similarities exist between Genesis 41 and the account in Herodotus. This indicates that the author of the Joseph Novella may have been familiar with the writings of Herodotus and may have crafted his narrative after 400 bce, a date slightly later than many commentators are willing to admit. But this conclusion parallels new scholarship that finds Hellenistic inspiration for many passages in the Primary History
