Family dynamics in biblical times: Joseph as a family psychotherapist

Families have existed for thousands of years and are the most enduring form of small social group. This article discusses the family of Facob as described in the Bible, and analyses the dynamics of the family system, the relationships between family members and the ways in which they interact and respond to stressful events. Such events disrupted the equilibrium of the family and led to a severe crisis, but this was eventually resolved peacefully, and family members were reconciled. The story of Joseph, Jacob's son, unfolds as possibly the earliest description of a psychotherapeutic intervention to resolve a long-standing family crisis.