Literal woman

Potiphar’s wife is fastened to the ox with a piece of cloth. At the same time, she tries to hold Joseph back by his mantle. This gesture reflects the moment in the biblical story when Joseph is running from his master’s wife, but she grabs hold of his mantle and will use it later as evidence in her false accusation against him. Look at the way her foot is positioned behind the leg of the ox, almost as if she partly becomes the animal herself. Potiphar’s wife is represented in this picture as the symbol of blind, animal-like passion.

If we look carefully, we can distinguish another significant detail, one which links this picture to theatre and literature. In contrast to the figure of Jealousy, she is indicated by her name and not by an abstract concept such as lust. Above her head is engraved the name “Zephirach.” Potiphar’s wife does not receive a name in the Bible, so where does this name come from?