The author of Joseph and Aseneth is anonymous, a Jewish writer from the Roman era likely active between the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. The author’s precise location is uncertain, with scholars proposing Egypt, Syria-Palestine, or Asia Minor as possible settings. The work is a Hellenistic Jewish narrative composed in Greek, expanding on the brief biblical story of Joseph’s marriage to Aseneth, an Egyptian priest’s daughter, into a full romance and conversion tale.

The author’s single known work, Joseph and Aseneth, survives in several Greek manuscript versions and later translations. It blends biblical tradition with popular genres of its time, including Greek romance and wisdom literature. According to modern scholars, the narrative reflects the concerns of Jewish communities living within pagan cultures, focusing on themes of conversion, religious boundaries, and the renunciation of idolatry.

The text’s historical importance lies in its unique window into Jewish thought outside the Rabbinic tradition, particularly regarding proselytism and mystical piety. It was preserved by early Christian communities, who valued its themes of repentance and initiation. Academics study it for its perspectives on gender, its possible liturgical elements, and its role in the development of ancient novelistic literature.