How old was Joseph when his brothers sold him?
Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him into slavery. This occurred after they took his coat of many colors. By the time Isaac died at 180 and Jacob and Esau were 120, Joseph was 29 and had already been in Egypt for 12 years.
Les teaches that Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery, which happened after they took his coat of many colors. The transcript places this within a larger timeline: by the time Isaac died at 180 and Jacob and Esau were 120, Joseph was 29 and had already been in Egypt for 12 years. That means 12 years elapsed between the sale and that later point. The context also notes Jacob returned with 11 sons, Benjamin was born later, and Rachel died in childbirth with Benjamin.