In the story of Joseph in Genesis, Joseph’s planting of the silver cup was a very symbolic move that has many complexities. While it is fairly obvious that Joseph planting the cup was a test, I believe that Joseph was testing to see how his brothers had changed, if at all. Previously, Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery and did not seem to care. Now, Joseph plants the cup in Benjamin’s sack and it appears that Benjamin has stolen the cup. By doing this Joseph is able to see if his brothers have changed: if they leave Benjamin behind as a slave then it is apparent that they have not changed, but if they are remorseful and plead innocence then Joseph will know that they have changed for the better. By begging for innocence and requesting for Benjamin to be freed of guilt, Joseph’s brothers pass the test and have become good men.This test relates to his status as the beloved son because he believes that if his brothers have loyalty to him and condone stealing then they will remain loyal to God and respect God.
Anderson’s article makes connections between Joseph and Isaac’s stories that help illuminate key ideas in Genesis. Anderson shows how both of these men had to “die”, an idea that we discussed extensively in class. Joseph “dies” as his son Benjamin is sent away, while Isaac “dies” as he is nearly sacrificed to God by his father. This theme of death and resurrection is one that appears multiple times throughout Genesis. Anderson also points out the similarities between Joseph and Benjamin; they are both called “the beloved son” at some point showing how they are God’s elect. This connection between these two connects back to Joseph’s test and how the brothers have changed.
Tommy Gallagher Blog 
I thought that you did a really nice and thorough job of analyzing and answering the questions. I particularly liked your point on how the brothers’ actions demonstrated a certain loyalty to one another that could be translated to God. I agree with your conclusion that Joseph was testing to see how his brothers had been transformed since the last time they interacted. I think Anderson highlighted a really important point of comparing how the brothers reacted to Joseph versus Benjamin, which makes their actions much more apparent, dramatic, and meaningful.
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I like how you wrote your response by both answering the question and giving context at the same time. I also liked how you brought the story back to the idea of dying and and coming back that repeats itself throughout Genesis. Can you clarify what you meant by his brothers being loyal to him showing they would have loyalty to God?
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