Joseph's Coat = Amaranthus tricolor

Jospeh’s coat is Amaranthus tricolor.  It is native to South America, yet may of its varieties are widely distributed all around the world. 

Joseph’s coat or A. tricolor sometimes interchangeably refer to other amaranths, A. gangeticus, A. dubius or any of its species.  It is because there are very few distinguished characters among ±70 species of the Amaranthus genus, thus making it difficult to differentiate them. 

A. tricolor, as the name suggested, has striking yellow, red and green foliage.  The leaves may be eaten as a salad vegetables, as well as cooked as a leafy vegetable.

Biblical Account ( Genesis 37 )

Joseph’s father Jacob favoured him and gave Joseph as a gift when he was 17 years of age.  As a result, he was envied by his brothers, who saw the special coat as an indication that Joseph would assume the family leadership.

Jacob may had favoured Joseph most out of his 12 sons, from the fact that Joseph was the son of Rachel, Jacob’s first love.

His brother’s suspicious grew when Joseph told them of his two dreams in which all the brothers bowed down to him.   His brothers then plotted to kill him, had not the eldest brother Reuben interposed.  Reuben persuaded them instead to throw Joseph into a pit and secretly planned to rescue him later. 

However, while Reuben was away, they others sold Joseph to Ishmaelite merchants for 20 pieces of silver.  The brothers then dipped Joseph’s coat in goat blood and showed it to their father, saying that Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts