Interesting Facts

• The Chief Baker held the official position of chief baker to the King of Egypt.
• He was imprisoned alongside the chief butler after they both offended Pharaoh.
• While in prison, he experienced a dream which he recounted to Joseph for interpretation.
• Unlike the chief butler’s positive dream, the Chief Baker’s dream was interpreted by Joseph as a prediction of his death within three days.
• Joseph’s interpretation of the Chief Baker’s dream came to pass exactly as foretold; he was hanged by Pharaoh.

Genealogy

• The provided sources offer no information concerning the Chief Baker’s ancestry, his birth, any marital connections he may have had, or whether he had any offspring.

Historical Context

The Chief Baker existed within the same historical and cultural milieu as Merod, the chief butler. The Egyptian royal court of the Pharaoh, with its established hierarchy of officials, including the chief baker and chief butler, forms the backdrop of his story. The significance attached to dreams within Egyptian culture is evident in Pharaoh’s reliance on dream interpreters. The practice of imprisoning royal servants for displeasing the Pharaoh is also highlighted by the confinement of the chief baker and the chief butler. Furthermore, the presence of Joseph, a Hebrew in the Egyptian prison system with a reputation for dream interpretation, reflects the diverse elements within Egyptian society at that time. The impending famine, which later becomes central to the narrative through Pharaoh’s dreams, underscores the importance of divine communication and interpretation in their world.

Narrative

The Chief Baker’s personal narrative, as depicted in the texts, begins with his transgression against Pharaoh, leading to his imprisonment alongside the chief butler in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was held. After a period of confinement, both the chief baker and the chief butler experienced dreams in a single night. Upon observing their distress the following morning, Joseph inquired about their unease, and they explained that they had both had dreams but lacked an interpreter. The Chief Baker, observing the favorable interpretation given to the chief butler’s dream, was then emboldened to recount his own dream to Joseph. He described seeing three white baskets on his head, with various baked goods for Pharaoh in the uppermost basket, which birds then came and devoured. Joseph interpreted this dream unfavorably, declaring that the three baskets represented three days, after which Pharaoh would lift up his head, not in restoration, but in execution by hanging, with birds consuming his flesh. Precisely as Joseph had interpreted, on the third day, which coincided with Pharaoh’s birthday feast, the chief baker was hanged by Pharaoh. The contrasting fates of the chief baker and the chief butler serve to underscore the accuracy of Joseph’s dream interpretations and further establish his reputation within the prison. The Chief Baker’s story is a cautionary one, highlighting the potential for negative outcomes and the power of divine revelation through dreams, as interpreted by Joseph.