Joseph and his Dreams

The book of Genesis is a book about new beginnings: the creation of the world, the creation of human beings, and the formation of languages. But the most dramatic beginning of all is the invention of humanity. This long process begins with the story of the Garden of Eden and culminates in the story of Joseph. Once Joseph emerges onstage, we are presented with an incredibly complex character, described with unprecedented sharpness and detail. Nothing human is alien to the writers of Joseph’s tale. This book traces the literary-psychological brilliance of the Joseph story. In the first part, Ilana Pardes considers the complex interrelations between the axes of dreams and trauma across various episodes in Joseph’s life. Pardes’s reading of the biblical text is accompanied by an intricate dialogue with Freud's writings and modern literary adaptations of the tale. In the second part, Itamar Lurie explores the relevance of Joseph’s tale to the therapeutic context. Drawing on contemporary psychoanalytic theories, he addresses a variety of topics – from sibling rivalry to forgiveness. The imprint of the ongoing conversation between the authors is evident on every page of this book.