Nibley On The Remnant Of The Coat Of Joseph

[nosmelone]

In reviewing some of my notes from Hugh Nibley's "An Approach to the Book of Mormon" he speaks of a group of stories written by a tenth century compiler of legends concerning biblical and non-biblical pre-Islamic prophets. The compilers name was Al- Tha’labi and the compilation of these Jewish stories were called the Qisas al-anbiya or “Stories of the Prophets”. In these "Stories of the Prophets" it speaks about Joseph of Egypt having a remnant of his garment (or coat of many colors). Nibley describes it as saying,

"And when Joseph had made himself known unto them [his brethren] he asked them about his father, saying, "What did my father after [i left]?" They answered, "He lost his eyesight [from weeping]." Then he gave them his garment [qamis, long outer shirt]. According to ad-Dahak that garment was of the weave [pattern, design] of Paradise, and the breath [spirit, odor] of Paradise was in it, so that it never decayed or in any way deteriorated [and that was] a sign [omen]. And Joseph gave them that garment, and it was the very one that had belonged to Abraham, having already had a long history. He said to them, "Go, take this garment of mine

and place it upon the face of my father so he may have sight again . . . and when he brought the garment he laid it upon his face, so that his sight returned to him."

This is interesting because this rare occurrence of a remnant of the coat of Joseph is had in the Book of Mormon when Captain Moroni is proclaiming the "Title of Liberty" he uses the analogy of the undecayed remnant of the garment of Joseph (Alma 46:23,24). I recall Nibley's son in-law Boyd Petersen stating that Nibley's translation of that scenario wasn't correct in the way he stated it.

Does anyone know if there has been more information given on this interpretation or where to get Petersen's explanation on Nibley's translation?