Asenath was an ancient Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and daughter of Potipherah, priest of ʾOn (Heliopolis) (אָֽסְנַ֔ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֖רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֽוֹן[2]).

[4] However, 1 Chronicles 7 lists eight sons, including Ezer and Elead, who were killed in an attempt to steal cattle from the locals.

[9] The name Ephraim can therefore be translated as "I will be fruitful", with the prefix of aleph (א) indicating the first person, singular, future tense.

Biblical scholars regard it as obvious, from their geographic overlap and their treatment in older passages, that originally Ephraim and Manasseh were considered one tribe – that of Joseph.

[17] These rabbinical sources allege that it was on account of modesty and selflessness, and a prophetic vision of Joshua, that Jacob gave Ephraim precedence over Manasseh, the elder of the two;[16] in these sources Jacob is regarded as being sufficiently just that God upholds the blessing in his honour, and makes Ephraim the leading tribe.