Joseph and His Coat of Many Nations; Part One

How Yuya Tushratta became the Father of Israel

Part One of Three Part Blog Series

by Yuya Joe College

Classic punk rockers and Canadiana rock music fans from the early 80s may still call me Joe College, but I sang and recorded as Jah Lifeguard during most of the 1990s. Friends and musicians often ask how I came to be called Yuya, and my usual answer is that Yuya is the original form of Joseph's name back in Egypt, and before there was Yusuf or Yosef, there was Yuya, advisor to several key Pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. As my birth name is Joseph, utilizing the original form of the name to promote my singing and songwriting seemed natural. When I first mentioned to my daughter Rebecca that I was thinking of changing my stage name to Yuya, she immediately replied: "You ARE a Yuya!"

Many people have wondered who Joseph of the Old Testament was, and in recent years significant research (primarily by Charles Pope of http://www.domainofman.com/ ) has linked him to this same Yuya, Vizier of the 18th Dynasty Egypt, and placed Yuya's son Aye as the most logical Ephraim. I am not claiming that the entire character of the main Joseph in the Old Testament is Yuya, as previous Egyptian Dynasties, plus Mesopotamian and other societies, had their own "Joseph" figures. Still, the bulk of Joseph's character and accomplishments are based on the achievements of Yuya, though presented under many other names in addition to Yuya, including Omri, Reuel and more.

The first two prominent Josephs in recorded history (the role likely goes back much further) are Imhotep, our globe's first master-architect and builder of a major pyramid at Saqqara, who was Vizier of Egypt and Chief Minister to Pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty, and Inyotef IV, father of Wa-ibre / Hammurabi (Moses I / Musa I) during the 13th Dynasty, Hammurabi being the first Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Early Josephs built pyramids, later Josephs constructed canals and created Temples.

If you read the foundational material on the http://www.domainofman.com/ website, you can learn about the Biblical identities of most 18th Dynasty luminaries, and in addition to being the father of Aye / Ephraim (adoptive) and Aanen / Manasseh (biological), Yuya may also have been the bio-dad of Amenhotep III / Solomon / Salman / Salim, and Akhenaten / Amenhotep IV / Moses / Musa, due to fertility problems caused by generations of royal inbreeding among the Egyptian Monarchs. Some healthy doses of Mitanni / Midian / Middle Earth / Assyrian bloodlines were perceived as highly beneficial, and in addition to providing daughters, Yuya / Joseph was willing to step in and sire the next generation of Princes and Kings, whenever required. Even if you find that idea far-fetched (remember, in that era, even son-mother, brother-sister and father-daughter relationships were practiced among the "Gods", noble royalty), there is no doubting that Yuya Joseph was the spiritual father and guide to these Pharaohs.

Charles Pope has done extensive research on the Egyptian and Greek identities of major Biblical figures, and his pioneering work also draws on the breakthrough research by Ahmed Osman, David Rohl and Robert Eisenman, all 3 of whom I also find incredibly valuable sources. Still, many mysteries remained, such as how did Yuya Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh become so prominent in the areas north of Jerusalem, and why do Yuya and his son Aanen not appear much in Egyptian writings, artwork and paintings?

The solution has been found!!! Yuya (Joseph of Old T) also had an Eastern identity, that of Ashurnasirpal, aka Tushratta, Abdi-Ashratu etc. Just as in 1st Century Rome when "Senators" may have seemed like politicians in the Roman Empire's capitol but about half of them were in fact Kings of their own nations, representing the interests of their peoples and land, so would it have been in the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Many of the key advisors to Pharaoh would have been responsible for significant territory of their own, and none held greater or more important lands than Mitanni King Tushratta, Our Yuya Abdi-Ashratu.

The California Institute for Ancient Studies (http://www.specialtyinterests.net/) has made a clear case for Yuya being Ashurnasirpal, but as they seem unaware that Yuya is also the primary source for Joseph of the OT, they didn't follow their conclusion through to see how the progeny stack up, and the fact is they stack very tightly. Ashurnasirpal IS the Eastern identity of Yuya Joseph, and his son Shalmaneser IV is Manasseh. For now, compare Shaul Manasseh to Shalmaneser ("Shumani is Foremost", Shumani or Shulmani being the god of health and vitality), and I'll break it down further for you below. Additionally, Aanen (Manasseh) was High Priest of Amun, the "hidden God," explaining why he wasn't around much and is rarely mentioned in Egyptian writings or shown in artwork, for he was ruling Assyria / Mtanni most of his adult life.

After confirming the veracity of the research from the California Institute for Ancient Studies website, my job was exploring the Eastern identity of Yuya to discover more information about his family, ancestors and descendants, and the past ten days have been a fascinating journey of inspiration and delight.

Here's the basic paternal bloodline of the Joseph who is most prominently remembered in the Old Testament:

Great-great-grandfather:

Terah / Tarakh / Shattuara / Parshatatar

Great-grandfather:

Abraham / Ibrahim / Wasashatta / Shaustatar

Grandfather:

Isaac / Artatama / Is-haq

Bilogical Father of BOTH:

Adoptive Father of Yuya / Joseph:

Jacob / Israel / Ya'qub / Amenhotep II / Shoshenq

and:

Biological Father of Yuya Joseph:

Esau / Ashur-rim-neshesu / Tab-rimmon / Shuttarna II


Names of Joseph / Yusuf / Yuya

Ashurnasirpal II (possibly also Ashurnasirpal I), aka Tushratta, Yuya, Joseph, Yusuf, Abishalom, Dushratta, Abdi-Ashratu, Abdi Ashirta, Abdi-Ashstarte, Omri, Khumry, Ghomri, Cymry, Reuel the Midianite, Imram, Amram, Imran, Jethbo, Bar Hadad, Ben Hadad, Uriel, Irhuleni, Nebat I, Ithobaal, Elkunirsa, Ashur-nadin-ahhe, Eriba-Adad II, Kadashman-Enlil

In a way it now seems that Egypt and Israel remember the wise, peaceful, constructive and loving Joseph, but a clear understanding of Joe's Eastern identity means that he had a fierce warrior side and that he earned the respect and admiration of Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III and Akhenaten by protecting the Northern and Eastern reaches of the empire; Mitanni / Assyria was Medea or Midian, Middle Earth, and peace with Min meant peace with the world.

Here's how Ashurnasirpal himself recounts one particularly nasty military victory:

The city (of Tello) was very strong; three walls surrounded it. The inhabitants trusted to their strong walls and numerous soldiers; they did not come down or embrace my feet. With battle and slaughter I assaulted and took the city. Three thousand warriors I slew in battle. Their booty and possessions, cattle, sheep, I carried away; many captives I burned with fire. Many of their soldiers I took alive; of some I cut off hands and limbs; of others the noses, ears, and arms; of many soldiers I put out the eyes. I reared a column of the living and a column of heads. I hung on high their heads on trees in the vicinity of their city. Their boys and girls I burned up in flames. I devastated the city, dug it up, in fire burned it; I annihilated it.

He had a divine side to him as well, and we'll explore that more in Parts Two and Three. Still, his men were known for skinning enemies alive and soon neighboring Kings sent advance parties ahead to greet him with gifts. Yuya fancied himself a slave to his wife Asherah / Ashratu, hence the name Abdi-Ashratu, a tongue-in-cheek reference to being married to the Queen of Heaven, the most powerful woman in the world, but he was primarily the best ally (and family member through significant intermarriage) the 18th Dynasty ever had.

There was an additional benefit of discovering the link between Asenath's Hebrew name and her Egyptian name, Tuya, which previously seemed difficult to connect. Now that we know Ashurnasirpal's wife was named Asherah / Ashratu, the Assyrian equivalent of Asenath, her four main names will henceforth be considered as Asenath / Asherah / Ashratu / Tuya.

Essentially, the reason Joseph's sons and grandsons dominate the northern Israel lands is because Joseph, Manasseh and Machir (Shamshi-Adad V) were all Assyrian kings who had tremendous backing from the 18th Dynasty, with whom they intermarried and exchanged daughters and other women, in addition to gold, horses, chariots, artisans and architects. Yuya Joseph (Tushratta) was a fierce ally of the Egyptian royals, defending the Eastern and Northern reaches of the empire and ensuring peace in the heartland, with Thebes and Akhetaten being made virtually invulnerable due to this family and military alliance. Judea and Samaria became the core of the new Holy Lands, and the Canaanites were absorbed into something bigger, as the lands were held and expanded.

The area south of Jerusalem was claimed by the tribes returning from Egypt, that is Simon and Judah with Benjamin covering the northern entrances to the Holy City. At that time all of the land north of Benjamin and Judah, between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, right up to Megiddo and beyond to Mount Carmel, was provided for Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim is the southern portion representing the alliance with Judah / House of David, Aye's prominence in Egypt, his biologically Davidic patriarchal line and Yuya's accomplishments in Thebes and Akhetaten. Manasseh receives the northern lands and the bulk of the coastline as he (Shalmaneser IV) carried on his father's drive to gain coastal lands, and he and his sons held them for the family and their allies once Canaan was conquered. As a New York University study found, Jews and Palestinians have very similar genes, and comprehending the paternal and maternal lines (especially in the forthcoming Queens of the Ninth Century BC article)presented in this poste will help you understand exactly how this came to be.

Although Joseph is credited with two sons, Ephraim and Maasseh, the former was Aye, an adoptive son who was biologically a Son of David, from the Tribe of Judah, but Yuya is remembered as being even more fruitful. In addition to Manasseh, Yusuf / Joseph was biological father of Solomon / Salman (Amenhotep III) and Moses II / Musa (Akhenaten, the Sun King).

As the story of how Yuya came to be father of both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten is well told on http://www.domainofman.com/, and as Aye / Ephraim's progeny are also abundantly presented there, my three part blog series will focus on Joseph's son Manasseh, also known as Shalmaneser III and Aanen.

Though Joseph's son Ephraim was blessed by many sons who ruled Israel and Judah for generations, and protected the heartland from Egyptian / Libyan encursion, Manasseh provided one strong line that continued to control Assyria for centuries and protected Jerusalem and the Twelve Tribes from assaults originating in the East and often provided a Northern buffer also.

This is the primary male descendants line (First Draft) of the final major manifestation of Manasseh:

Yuya, Joseph, Yusuf, Asurnasirpal, Abdi-Ashratu

Father of:

Aanen, Aaron, Manasseh, Shalmaneser III, Shammai

Father of:

Machir, Shamashi-Adad V, Eshek, Nadab

Father of:

Adad-Nirari III, Gilead, Ulam, Appaim

Father of:

Tilglath-Pileser III/ Tilgath-Pilneser III / Takelot III (Ishi / Shabaka / Pul / Pulu)

and

Ashur-Dan II (Bedan)

and:

Shalmaneser IV (Abiezer, Shemida)



Tilglath-Pileser III/ Tilgath-Pilneser III / Takelot III / Ishi

Father of:

Shalmaneser V ( Osorkon IV)

and:

Piye / Sargon II / Menelaus


Piye / Sargon II / Menelaus m Aramaen Queen Naqui'a / Zakitu

Father and mother of:

Sennacherib

Father of:

Esarhaddon

and:

Ashur-nadin-shumi



Esarhaddon

Father of:

Ashurbanipal / Asenappar / Sardanapalus

and:

Shamash-shum-ukin



Ashurbanipal / Asenappar / Sardanapalus

Father Twin Sons:

Sinshar-Iskin / Sarakos / Saracus

and:

Samal-lum-ukin

...and then came Babylon.

Keep in mind that a royal "son" is not always a biological son, but sometimes a nephew or younger cousin who seems best suited for leadership; the favour is expected to be returned, with the next appointment coming back to the earlier branch of the family, so the chain goes on and the Middle Earth royal family continued to rule Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel (whose early Kings were mostly descendants of Aye / Ephraim), Judah, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greek and Rome, regardless of where the current capitol was situated.

To be continued...