Potiphera

Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis), whose daughter Asenath was given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh.

Potiphera was an Egyptian priest of On, also known as Heliopolis, a city known for its worship of the sun god Ra. He is mentioned in Gen 41:45 and 50, where he is identified as the father of Asenath, the woman given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh. This event occurred after Joseph had interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and was elevated to a high position in the Egyptian court. The marriage to Asenath, the daughter of a prominent priest, was a sign of Joseph's newfound status and power in Egypt. In Gen 46:20, it is mentioned that Asenath bore Joseph two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who would later become the ancestors of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. The fact that Joseph married the daughter of an Egyptian priest highlights the cultural and religious differences between the Israelites and the Egyptians, and it also foreshadows the future challenges the Israelites would face in maintaining their distinct identity in a foreign land.