Yosef and Daniel

Introduction

The Yosef narratives and the Book of Daniel both revolve around a young man who is exiled to a foreign country and becomes successful there due to his unique abilities to interpret dreams.  In addition to this general similarity, though, the two stories contain many more specific parallels in both plot and language.

Content Parallels

Setting	Exile – Both the Yosef saga and the story of Daniel take place in exile, in Egypt and Bavel respectively. In addition, both heroes are amongst the first wave of exiles1 and are sent from their homes at an early age. Beauty and charm – Yosef and Daniel are both described as handsome and capable of charming others. Power – Both Daniel and Yosef rise to power in a foreign palace.  Yosef's position enables him to save others, while Daniel brings others to recognition of Hashem.
Dreams and Solutions	Content of the dream – In both Paroh and Belshazzar's dreams, animals emerge from the water. Reaction to dream – Paroh and Nevuchadnezzar each awake troubled from their dreams, with their hearts beating quickly. Inability to interpret – The meaning of the kings' dreams elude them.2 They call upon wizards who are unable to find a satisfying explanation. Solution – In both stories, it is the Israelite outsider, Yosef or Daniel, who are able to interpret the dreams.
Rise to power	Change of name – Both protagonists are given new names by the foreign leaders as a sign of change in status. Yosef is given the name Tzafenat Paneach, while Daniel is given the name Belshazzar. Placement in and removal from "pit" – Yosef is thrown into prison by Potiphar only to be removed and granted a position of power. Similarly, Daniel is thrown into the lion's den but emerges unscathed and is praised by the king, and rises to success. Find favor – Yosef finds favor in the eyes of both Potiphar and the prison guard while Daniel similarly charms the head eunuch. Ruler – After explaining the king's dream, both Yosef and Daniel are appointed as rulers over the country. Signs of kingship – Both characters are dressed in royal finery and given a necklace to wear as others proclaim their royal status.
Religiosity	Refuse to be swayed – Yosef rejects Mrs. Potiphar's daily advances, while Daniel rejects the non-kosher food he is offered to eat. Call on Hashem – Both protagonists attribute their interpretative abilities to Hashem.

Literary Allusions

 

Analysis

• Degree of Similarity – Since much of the book of Daniel is written in Aramaic, it is not surprising that none of the parallels share identical language.  Despite this, in several cases the Aramaic is very close to the Hebrew,³ or has a similar meaning,⁴ and in another case it is just the form of the word that differs.⁵
• Distinctiveness of Parallels – Many of the parallels are unique to these stories. Only in these two stories are people described as having  "פְּנֵיכֶם זֹעֲפִים" or does someone's heart pound (וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ) in reaction to a dream.⁶ The terms "וּבְרִיאֵי בָּשָׂר/וּבְרִיאֹת בָּשָׂר"  also do not appear anywhere else in Tanakh.  Content parallels are unique as well.  Only these two narratives speak of dreams about animals leaving the water, wise men or magicians who cannot interpret dreams and outsiders who can.  In addition, a "שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים"  appears in only one other story besides these.⁷
• Function of Parallels
• Reinforce Plot – Many of the parallels between the stories relate to dreams and their interpretation and the resulting rise to power of the interpreter. In all of these cases, the similar language reinforces the parallel content.
• Both Yosef and Daniel are described as having the "spirit of God" in them, and Hashem makes others view them with mercy.  It is these traits that lead them to find favor in the eyes of the foreign rulers.
• In both stories, the contrast between the protagonist's ability to interpret dreams and the local magicians' inability to do so, accounts for his success.
• It is the placement of a gold ornament around the necks of Yosef and Daniel that marks their new positions of power.
• Unconnected – In other cases, though, the shared language seems unconnected to the plot.  Thus the description of Daniel and his friends as having "upset faces" or being "healthy of flesh" has no correlation to the baker and butler's similar visages or the fat cows of Paroh's dream. The role of the "שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים" is also vastly different in the two narratives.
• Content – Some of the overall plot parallels are not unique to these stories, but are also found in the Book of Esther.⁸ In all three, a Jew, exceptional in his/her beauty, rises to power in exile, and it is the king's troubled sleep which provides the stimulus through which they find favor in his eyes. Only in the Yosef and Daniel stories, though, do dreams and their interpretation play such a central role.

Differences

The many similarities between the stories serves to highlights the areas in which the characters differ. One of the main contrasts that emerges relates to their religious observance.  Though both consistently mention Hashem and attribute their interpretive abilities to Him, while Daniel goes out of his way to maintain a Jewish lifestyle, managing to keep kosher and risking his life to pray, Yosef does neither.⁹