Interesting Facts

• Asudi was identified as one of the sons of Dan.
• According to the Book of Jubilees, Asudi died in Egypt in the same year that he entered.
• Dan had five sons who went with him to Egypt, including Asudi.
• However, the sources indicate that all of Dan’s sons, with the exception of Hushim, died in Egypt during the year of their arrival.

Genealogy

• Asudi was the son of Dan.
• Dan was a son of Jacob (also called Israel) and Bilhah, who was Rachel’s handmaid.
• Therefore, Asudi’s paternal grandparents were Jacob and Bilhah.
• His uncles (Jacob’s other sons) were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, and Naphtali, and his aunt was Dinah [as inferred from his father’s lineage as a son of Jacob].
• He had four brothers: Hushim, Samon, ‘Ijaka, and Salomon. Similar to Asudi, Samon, ‘Ijaka, and Salomon also died in the year they entered Egypt.

Historical Context

Asudi was born in the land of Canaan during the period leading up to the severe famine that afflicted the region, as described in the Book of Jubilees. This famine created barrenness in Canaan, while Egypt, under the administration of Joseph, had accumulated provisions from the preceding seven years of plenty. Consequently, Jacob and his entire household, numbering seventy souls, made the decision to migrate to Egypt in search of sustenance. Asudi was among those who made this journey and entered Egypt. The text from Jubilees explicitly states that Asudi died in the same year that he entered Egypt. This timing suggests that the hardships associated with the famine in Canaan or the journey to Egypt itself may have contributed to his early demise shortly after arriving in the land of Goshen, where Jacob and his family were intended to reside under the protection and provision of Joseph.

Narrative

Asudi’s personal narrative within these selected sources is exceedingly brief, limited to his inclusion in the genealogical lists of Jacob’s descendants who journeyed to Egypt. His significance lies primarily in his connection to the lineage of Dan and his participation in the migration of Jacob’s family during the famine. The notable detail regarding Asudi is his death, along with three of his brothers, in the same year that they entered Egypt. This event stands in contrast to the longer lives and the subsequent growth and prosperity experienced by many other members of Jacob’s household in Goshen. Asudi’s story, though lacking in personal actions or dialogues, contributes to the broader narrative of the challenges and vulnerabilities faced by Jacob’s family during this pivotal transition, highlighting the impact of the severe famine and the arduous journey to find refuge in Egypt. His early death marks a poignant moment in the initial stages of the Israelite sojourn.