Joseph

This one? This one?

Come on.

No, no, no!

Two more! Yes?

Yes.

Pay heed to potiphar, chief steward of the pharaoh.

Shh! Shh! Quiet! The slave market of avaris,

crown city of Egypt,

home to the pharaoh, god to his people,

welcomes the chief steward

and the head of pharaoh's guards,

the most honored... potiphar

Potiphar! Potiphar!

Potiphar! Potiphar!

I have fine slaves. Both of them are excellent.

Which one do you want? Which one?

Do you want one of these?

No.

No? This one? Look.

There? In the corner?

This one?

This one, sir? He's the best, sir.

He's a fine slave, sir.

Look at that fine head.

Look. Look at those shoulders.

Back. Those arms.

He is perfect.

Ah! Teeth.

Young.

He's healthy enough,

but probably never done a hard day's labor in his life.

Ah, but he can be trained, master.

He... he's submissive.

He's obedient. He'll do anything without a whimper.

And he knows his place.

Never opens his mouth except to pray.

Is that true, boy?

Answer the master.

And to whom are these prayers addressed?

Which gods?

Only one, my lord.

Only one god.

Must be very poor indeed.

Well, boy.

My one god provides all my needs, my lord.

Well, he hasn't done very well for you now, has he?

These Semites are a superstitious lot, my lord.

These what?

Semites.

Semites?

Semites.

But when they are not praying, they work very hard.

Hard workers, are they?

Yes!

I don't know, I don't know. What do you think, overseer?

I could knock the piety out of him, master.

I know that.

When I finish with him,

he'll need a city full of gods.

He's young.

There would be ten more good years in a slave like this.

Aah!

Stupid!

We could have made a fortune. You destroyed the deal.

Stupid!

Oh, my lord! Come and have a closer look, my lord.

The boy's amusing. For a good price,

I'll take him off your hands.

He wants you! Did you hear that? He wants you!

Come on. Move on!

Move the other way!

My name is ednan!

You

sleep here.

You bathe each day.

The mistress likes her slaves clean

and silent.

She sleeps

sixteen hours a day.

Remember that.

Before work each day...

We give praise to amun,

father of all gods.

And praise is how you begin your life here.

Praise to the all-powerful amun!

Praise to the all-powerful amun!

Praise to the all-powerful amun!

Praise to the all-powerful amun!

I thought you were pious, boy.

Are you too good to praise our god?

No, master. Not too good.

Then what?

I've... I've only ever prayed to the god of my fathers.

Well, you won't find him in Egypt.

Don't you think you could use amun's good graces?

I need workers, boy,

not holy men.

I'll just have to teach you to learn respect for my gods. Eh?

Now sleep! All of you!

Move! Move!

Don't muddy the water.

Come with me.

Man: All of you, stack them in the shade.

Fill the urn with water.

Run, holy boy, run!

I said run!

Come on, boy.

Where's your god now?

He doesn't seem very powerful to me.

Are you ready to praise amun yet?

Hmm?

Not ready?

You spilled the water!

Refill the urn.

Now.

It's a fight you want, is it?

Huh?

Come on. Put your backs into it.

Get back.

It's very definite instructions.

But I thought...

All of this area should've been cleared.

Look at this. What are you doing, fool?

I said put the bricks against that wall,

not this one.

Quiet, man. It is the slave who is right. They do go here.

The soil over there

is too porous. The shrine would sink in a month.

We'd both lose our heads.

Keep to the plans, ednan.

Follow the dimensions exactly as I've written them.

It's simple enough.

Ah?

It's no good to me. I can't read, idiot.

I can.

A slave who can read?

According to this, we begin here.

That slave, who is he?

Joseph the Semite, mistress.

And he understands drawings?

Yes, mistress.

Explain his bruises.

Well, I, uh...

A slave's life, mistress.

His lot is no different than any other.

Well, it should be.

A good foreman would see that this is a special man.

My wife wishes to compliment you, architect.

The garden is an absolute marvel.

It's quite lovely.

Thank you, mistress. I wish only to serve.

You've served well.

I owe you a special gift.

Name a prize.

If it's not too forward,

I should like to buy one of your slaves.

The one who can understand drawings,

the Semite.

Potiphar, I thought you said you favored him.

I did?

Yes.

And the good architect is correct.

We under-use a slave of his skills.

His manner is gentle,

a quality lost on ordinary labor.

Bring the Semite slave.

Semite! Here!

They tell me I did well the day I purchased you.

I am grateful, master, that god chose to be gracious to us both.

What?

Surely you remember, master.

He speaks incessantly of his god.

I'd be careful if I were you.

You worship as you like in canaan, but in Egypt,

only pharaoh, son of Ra, is god.

Is this insolence, boy?

- No, master. - Good.

I serve you with humility and honest labor,

but I cannot deny my god.

A slave who insists on his own ways.

What do you make of that, wife?

We have enough fools who pander to us.

If this state is to grow,

an honest slave who can read drawings and cipher

would be a valuable addition,

especially if we taught him our own writing.

You see

the respect the pharaoh's chief steward

commands in his own home?

Slaves instruct him on religion.

His wife tells him how to run his household...

A good wife keeps her wits about

and draws attention to what she sees as good.

And you see the slave as good?

They say whatever he touches flourishes.

Is this true?

It is, my lord.

Do you have a name?

I am Joseph, master.

Joseph, son of Jacob.