batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l20212-l20234
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l20212-l20234
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER XI. / IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD. / CHAPTER XII. / IN THE
NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.; lines 20212-20234
start: '20212'
end: '20234'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Joseph is placed at the bottom of a well by his companions, receives a
divine revelation that he will later confront them, and his brothers return to
Jacob with a false story that a wolf devoured him, presenting Joseph's garment
stained with false blood. Travellers later draw water, discover Joseph, conceal
him as merchandise, and sell him cheaply. An Egyptian buyer tells his wife to
treat Joseph well, possibly as a servant or adopted son, while the passage states
that God established Joseph and taught him the interpretation of dark sayings.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Joseph is set at the bottom of a well after others agree on that plan.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A revelation is sent to Joseph saying he will later declare this action to
them while they do not perceive him to be Joseph.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The brothers come to their father in the evening weeping.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The brothers say they were racing, left Joseph with their baggage, and that
a wolf devoured him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The brothers produce Joseph's inner garment stained with false blood.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Jacob rejects the brothers' account as contrived and says patience and God's
assistance are needed.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Travellers send someone to draw water, and the water-drawer lets down a bucket.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The water-drawer announces that the found person is a youth.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The travellers conceal Joseph in order to sell him as merchandise.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: Joseph is sold for a mean price described as a few pence and valued lightly.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: The Egyptian buyer tells his wife to use Joseph honourably, with the possibility
that he may be useful or adopted as a son.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The passage states that God prepared an establishment for Joseph and taught
him the interpretation of dark sayings.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Joseph
description: The youth placed in the well, later found, concealed, sold, bought
by an Egyptian, and taught the interpretation of dark sayings.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Joseph's brothers / those who carried him
description: Those who carry Joseph away, set him at the bottom of the well, return
to their father weeping, claim a wolf devoured Joseph, and present false blood
on his garment.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Jacob / father
description: Joseph's father, who hears the brothers' report and says they have
contrived the matter.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: God
description: The divine sender of revelation, helper invoked by Jacob, knower of
what the travellers did, and the one who establishes Joseph and teaches him interpretation.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Certain travellers
description: Travellers who send a person to draw water, conceal Joseph, and sell
him as merchandise.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Water-drawer
description: The one sent by the travellers to draw water, who lets down a bucket
and finds Joseph.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Egyptian buyer
description: The Egyptian who buys Joseph and tells his wife to use him honourably.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Egyptian buyer's wife
description: The wife addressed by the Egyptian buyer concerning Joseph's treatment
and possible usefulness or adoption.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: abandoned youth
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Joseph is set at the bottom of a well and later discovered as a youth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: kin betrayers
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: They carry Joseph away, agree to put him in the well, and execute the plan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: deceptive messengers
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: They return weeping with a story about a wolf and present false blood on
Joseph's garment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: skeptical grieving father
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Jacob rejects the brothers' report as contrived and invokes patience and
God's assistance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: divine revealer and guide
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: God sends revelation, knows what is done, prepares Joseph's establishment,
and teaches interpretation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: recipient of interpretive knowledge
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage says Joseph is taught the interpretation of dark sayings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: concealers and sellers
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The travellers conceal Joseph so that they might sell him, and he is sold
for a small price.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: discoverer at the well
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The water-drawer lets down the bucket and announces the discovery of a youth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:9
label: buyer and household patron
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The Egyptian buys Joseph and instructs his wife to treat him honourably.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:10
label: household recipient of instruction
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The buyer's wife is instructed to use Joseph honourably.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: well
literal_form: bottom of the well
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: water-drawing
literal_form: water, bucket, and drawing from the well
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: false blood-stained garment
literal_form: inner garment stained with false blood
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: claimed wolf attack
literal_form: the brothers' statement that a wolf devoured Joseph
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: cheap sale price
literal_form: mean price, a few pence
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: dark sayings
literal_form: interpretation of dark sayings
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Joseph placed in the well and given revelation
summary: Joseph is carried away, set at the bottom of the well, and receives a revelation
that he will later declare the action to those responsible.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Brothers report a false death to Jacob
summary: The brothers return at evening weeping, claim that a wolf devoured Joseph
while they were racing, and show a garment stained with false blood; Jacob rejects
their account as contrived.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Travellers discover and sell Joseph
summary: Travellers send a water-drawer, who lowers a bucket and finds Joseph; the
travellers conceal him as merchandise and sell him cheaply.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Joseph enters the Egyptian household
summary: An Egyptian buyer instructs his wife to treat Joseph honourably, perhaps
because he may be useful or adopted, and the passage states that God establishes
Joseph and teaches him interpretation.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: kin betrayal and abandonment in a pit or well
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Joseph is carried away by his brothers or companions and set at the bottom
of a well.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explicitly supply a standardized motif name; the
label is descriptive.
- id: motif:2
label: false token of death
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The brothers claim a wolf devoured Joseph and present his garment stained
with false blood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The blood and wolf are part of the brothers' deception rather than an
actual death scene.
- id: motif:3
label: hidden youth discovered through water drawing
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Travellers draw water with a bucket and discover Joseph as a youth in the
well.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes discovery and rescue-like removal, but also concealment
and sale.
- id: motif:4
label: sale of the abandoned youth as merchandise
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The travellers conceal Joseph in order to sell him and he is sold for a small
price.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No broader taxonomy reference is assigned because the available taxonomy
does not include a direct trade or enslavement motif.
- id: motif:5
label: divinely guided rise through interpretive wisdom
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage states that God prepares Joseph's establishment and teaches him
the interpretation of dark sayings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The later rise is only introduced here; this passage does not narrate
the full outcome.
- id: motif:6
label: providential preservation after betrayal
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After Joseph is abandoned, the passage includes revelation to him, God's
knowledge of events, and God's later establishment of him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The preservation pattern is inferred from the sequence within the passage
and should be reviewed against the broader chapter.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 20212-20215
quote_or_summary: Joseph is carried away, placed at the bottom of a well, and receives
a revelation that he will later declare the deed to those responsible.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 20216-20220
quote_or_summary: The brothers come to their father at evening weeping and claim
that a wolf devoured Joseph while they were racing and had left him with their
baggage.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 20221-20224
quote_or_summary: They produce Joseph's inner garment stained with false blood;
Jacob says they have contrived the matter and invokes patience and God's assistance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 20225-20229
quote_or_summary: Travellers send someone to draw water; he lowers a bucket, finds
a youth, and the travellers conceal Joseph so they may sell him as merchandise,
while God knows what they do.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 20230-20231
quote_or_summary: Joseph is sold for a mean price, described as a few pence, and
valued lightly.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 20232-20234
quote_or_summary: The Egyptian buyer tells his wife to treat Joseph honourably,
perhaps because he may be useful or adopted; the passage says God establishes
Joseph and teaches him interpretation of dark sayings.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized for extraction.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal extraction is strong for the supplied passage. Motif labels are descriptive
and should be human-reviewed, especially where no direct taxonomy reference is
available. No comparison claims were made because the passage itself does not
support a direct comparison.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage text and metadata. Footnote marker letters in the source were treated as non-substantive markers unless part of the visible passage wording.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l20212-l20234
passage_sha256=1abbb3a7be99f1019b15d9e83fd9e142342653450a71bc41ffd89acc452c763b