Simon

Family: Jacob's Family · Role: brother of Joseph · First appears: Joseph Cast Into The Pit

In the year of Joseph’s misfortune, Simon and Gad tried to kill Joseph, who took refuge behind Zebulon; Simon then seized him and cast him into a pit of snakes and scorpions. Simon later acknowledged that envy had driven him to resolve to kill his brother, but that an angel saved Joseph. That same year, Simon married his sister Dinah after she refused to leave Shechem following the massacre there by Simon and Levi. He also had a son, Saul, by Bunah, whom he had taken captive in the campaign against Shechem.

When Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt, Joseph chose Simon to remain as hostage because he and Levi had advised killing him, and only Reuben and Judah had intervened. Manasseh bound Simon and cast him into prison, though Joseph ordered him good food and treated him kindly; after the brothers left the city, Simon was released and entertained in the ruler’s house. In his testament, Simon said he had taken his suffering as just retribution for his envy. He died at 120, and his sons secretly carried his bones from Egypt to Hebron.