Joseph

Is Joseph an epic hero? What exactly is an epic hero? Can a biblical character be considered as an epic hero, or is that description simply for the made up characters of old pieces of literature? These are all great questions. I'm going to do my best to answer all of these in detail, and hit on some topics that may be unknown to some.
According to www.reference.com an epic hero is a character in an epic poem who is noble and brave, and is affected by major events, and admired because of his achievements. A perfect example of an epic hero would be Odysseus, but he's not the subject of this particular blog. This blog is solely about the biblical character Joseph. He's found in the Old Testament in the Hebrew Bible and is known for being one of the more famous people in the entire Bible. He would also in my opinion, be considered one of the greatest heroes in the Old Testament as well.
Joseph had a very interesting life. He was adored by his father because he was born to him in Jacob's old age. His father even gave him a coat that was made with many different colors to express the love he had for his son. He was definitely the favorite child out of all of his brothers and sisters. Life as the favorite child was far from easy though. It was very difficult to say the least. He was absolutely hated by his siblings. He endured mocking and scorning for being daddy's precious little boy. Joseph never had to work a day in his life, and always got what he wanted handed to him. This, of course, did not set well with his brothers.

To make matters worse, Joseph begins to have these dreams basically saying that all of his siblings and his parents will one day bow down to him. After Joseph told his brothers this, they went absolutely insane and plotted to kill him, so one day they would not have to bow down to him. So one day as his brothers were tending their flocks, Jacob instructs Joseph to go out into the fields and check to make sure that his brothers were not still angry with him for the dreams. So Joseph wanders out to the wilderness to meet his brothers. Reuben, one of Joseph's brothers, pities him and convinces the rest not to kill Joseph, but to just throw him into a cistern, or well. They decided this was the right plan of action to take, and they would tell their father that Joseph was eaten by a wild beast. Later, when Joseph arrives, they throw him into the cistern. He stays there while his brothers eat supper. While they're eating, a caravan of Ishmaelites travel by. Joseph's brothers decide to sell him to the caravan, which takes Joseph to Egypt. Joseph was bought by a man named Potiphar, who was one of Pharaoh's officials. Joseph found favor in the eyes of the Lord and he gained Potiphar's trust, and was put in charge of Potiphar's household. While being in charge, he was tempted by Potiphar's wife. Joseph refused her offer, but in turn she played a trick on him. She planted his cloak in her bedroom and told Potiphar that he had tried to sleep with her, and ran whenever she called for help. So Potiphar threw him in jail.
Joseph went through a lot. He had to deal with the betrayal of his brothers, being shipped off to a different city, and being thrown in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Through it all, Joseph's faith in the Lord never lingered. He knew that God would never leave him, and trusted that He would deliver him from the mess he found himself in.
Joseph would most definitely be considered an epic hero. According to Campbell's description, one of the stages one must go through to be a hero is called The Road of Trials. Joseph most definitely went his fair share of trials. Campbell also described a hero as one who will experience temptation. Joseph had to deal with Potiphar's wife, and then suffered consequences even after he resisted temptation.
Later on in Joseph's story, he rises to become the second most powerful man in Egypt, next to Pharaoh. While he was there, the land suffered from a massive famine. So as fate would have it, Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt to get food and goods to take back home. When they arrived, they did not recognize Joseph, but Joseph recognized them. He waited a long time to reveal to his brothers his identity, but when he did, they were all extremely shocked. Joseph sent them home with many gifts, plenty of food to get them through the rest of the famine, and money.
Many lives were affected by the life of Joseph. He touches the lives of almost everyone he encounters. He had a specific purpose to help and better the lives of others.
He was highly trusted by a lot of people. He was trusted by Potiphar to be in charge of his household. The men at the jail trusted him to be in charge of the prison. Finally, Pharaoh trusted him enough to make him second in command. So the description of a "trust magnet" is very fitting word for Joseph.
Joseph's incredible ability to be trusted so easily is definitely a gift from God. If it wasn't, all the things that happened in his life wouldn't have happened. He wouldn't have been put in such a high position in Egypt, and he wouldn't have fulfilled the will of God. Joseph uses his gifts in order to better the lives of the people around him. He forgives his brothers and helps them survive in the end. He helped the men in prison, and helped them stay positive through it all. Joseph shows unceasing faith and willingness to serve the Lord.