| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Joseph and Asenath |
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| an early Jewish work, highly regarded in Eastern and Western Christian traditions, most likely emanating from Alexandrian Egypt between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200, probably composed in Greek. Based on Genesis, it narrates the conversion of Asenath to Judaism and her subsequent betrothal to the patriarch Joseph. The work teaches that conversion to Judaism brings life and blessing, while urging Jews to maintain their distinctive way of life in a non-Jewish dominant culture. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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