The selling of Joseph occurs in Genesis 37:25-28, 36
and is cited by destructive critics as a doublet that supports the Documentary Hypothesis,
because there is a contradiction that would only come from separate sources: one account
lists Ishmaelites as the traders that purchase Joseph and the other account lists
Midianites.
The supposed doublet does not exist because:
1. The traders, Ishmaelites and Midianites, are not two distinctly
different types of people. In Judges 8:22-28,
Midianites were used interchangeably with Ishmaelites.
2. This repetition is consistent with Ancient Near Eastern literary
style.
Ishmael and Midian, the patriarchs of the Ismaelites and Midianites, were stepbrothers
and sons of Abraham.
Ishmael was the first born of Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant
(Gen 16:1-16). Because of God’s covenant
with Abraham, Ishmael was blessed with many descendants even though he was not the heir.
Ishmael had 12 sons and was the father of nomadic tribes who resided in the desert of
northern Arabia (Gen 25:12-18). The Bible
does not mention any Ishmael king, only princes, and it seems that there wasn’t any
national boundary to their area. Any from the Arabian desert could claim to be a
descendant of Ishmael.
Midian was the son of Keturah, a concubine who married Abraham (became
his wife) after Sarah’s death (Gen 25:2-4).
Midian’s descendants did have kings (Num 31:8)
and resided near Moab. Ishmaelites who settled among the Midianites were considered Midianites.
Two different inspired biblical authors, Moses and Samuel, considered Ishmaelites and
Midianites as the same group of people.
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