Final answer:
Joseph was sold by his brothers to Ishmaelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver in an event described in the Book of Genesis. The story demonstrates the varied historical value of slaves from biblical times to 18th-century Africa and pre-Civil War America.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the story from the Bible, Joseph's brothers sold him to a group of Ishmaelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver. This event is described in the Book of Genesis, specifically in Genesis 37:28, which is part of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament.
The transaction is significant and reflects the value of human life in the context of slavery during that time period, which, according to historical sources, shows a stark contrast in prices over time and place, with the value of a human being as a slave ranging from a mere three pounds in 18th-century Africa to as much as one thousand dollars in pre-Civil War America.
Joseph's story is set around 1800 BCE, according to biblical chronology, and his subsequent life in Egypt eventually leads to his family joining him in Egypt and living there for several generations. What follows is the biblical account of the oppression of Joseph's descendants, concluding with the birth of Moses and his rise from being an infant hidden among the reeds of the Nile to becoming a prince of Egypt.