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Prayer of Joseph

A Jewish mystical work attributed to Joseph, describing his pre-existence as an angel and his descent to earth.|||Only fragments survive in Greek and Syriac. Fragment A is preserved in Origen's Commentary on John.|||Probably composed in the 1st century CE or earlier. Composed either in Aramaic (if Jewish) or in Greek (if Christian).|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||Describes Joseph's pre-existence as an angel, his descent to earth, and his role as the guardian of Israel.|||Charlesworth, J. H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2. Doubleday, 1985.|||Schäfer, P. " The Firstborn in the Prayer of Joseph." In Two Gods in Heaven. Princeton, 2020.|||Prayer of Joseph — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Joseph|Background and scholarly discussion.|||" I am Joseph, the one who is called the angel of God, and I am the firstborn of Israel." — Prayer of Joseph (paraphrase)

Collection: Jewish Pseudepigrapha Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition.

Date & Provenance

Probably composed in the 1st century CE or earlier. Composed either in Aramaic (if Jewish) or in Greek (if Christian).

Language & Manuscripts

Only fragments survive in Greek and Syriac. Fragment A is preserved in Origen's Commentary on John.

Why It Matters for Study

Describes Joseph's pre-existence as an angel, his descent to earth, and his role as the guardian of Israel.

" I am Joseph, the one who is called the angel of God, and I am the firstborn of Israel." — Prayer of Joseph (paraphrase)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

  • " I am Joseph, the one who is called the angel of God, and I am the firstborn of Israel." — Prayer of Joseph (paraphrase) " I am Joseph, the one who is called the angel of God, and I am the firstborn of Israel." — Prayer of Joseph (paraphrase)

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Charlesworth, J. H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2. Doubleday, 1985.
Schäfer, P. " The Firstborn in the Prayer of Joseph." In Two Gods in Heaven. Princeton, 2020.
Prayer of Joseph — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Joseph|Background and scholarly discussion.