Why does Joseph plant the silver cup? What is the ultimate aim of such a move? How does this relate to his status as the beloved son? Appeal explicitly to the story as a whole (i.e. Gen 37-50) and to article from Anderson in your answer?
Early on, Joseph earns a bitter jealousy from each of his brothers. For one, he is a clear favorite of his father Jacob. In addition, he begins describing certain dreams he is having, where his brothers, among others, are bowing down to him. In response, the brothers plot to kill him, but eventually settle on selling him as a slave. Years later, Joseph works his way into power in Egypt, and we see his dreams from earlier play out. Without recognizing him, Joseph’s brothers bow down to Joseph, asking for food during a drought. Joseph gives them food, but keeps Simeon. With Simeon in his control, he requests that the brothers return with their youngest brother Benjamin. Once they do, Joseph holds a feast and leaves them with bags of food. However, before they leave Joseph plants a cup in Benjamin’s belongings. He does so as a test of their will. The brothers are now in a very similar position as they were with Joseph. Do they abandon Benjamin and once again return to their father without his beloved son? Instead, Judah offers to take Benjamin’s place, revealing a selfless and protective heart in a direct contrast from the one which sold Joseph as a slave. In turn, Joseph reveals himself and asks that his brothers return to Canaan to tell Jacob, who believes that Joseph is dead, the news.
Once Jacob hears the news, he is overjoyed and plans to travel to Egypt, to see his son. With that, Joseph completes his arc as the beloved son. Anderson compares this arc to that of Jesus, specifically with regard to Jesus’ death and resurrection. From the perspective of Jacob, Joseph “dies” after being sold a slave but is “resurrected” after earning a new life and reappearing back to Jacob as a new man, one with the power to save his brothers and father from famine.
jrundle 
Completely agree with your reasoning behind why Joseph planted the cup. To add on, we see that Joseph saves his family. Obviously, he provides them food during the famine, but he also makes his family whole again. For years, Jacob mourned the loss of his son, and he was prepared to do so with Simeon and Benjamin. However, Joseph brings all three back to Jacob, reuniting their family. In this sense, Joseph can be seen as the beloved son once again.
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Do you think Joseph “saves” the family for purely physical reasons (ie. preventing them from starving)? Or do you think one could say that Joseph “saves” the family metaphorically by revealing their brotherly love, which ultimately brings them closer? I agree with your points above, but I also think that in bringing the sons back to Jacob, he is truly returning communion and love to Jacob.
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The reasoning you offer on why he placed the cup in Benjamin’s bag is an interesting one. It does seem as if he is testing his brother’s reaction, but thinking about why Benjamin’s bag might lead to further reasons. Joseph shows a clear preference for Benjamin over the rest of his brothers, which led me to think about the possibility of Joseph wanting to keep Benjamin with him while the others return. It seems as if Joseph, even if he’s still holding a grudge to his brothers, desires more to reconnect with them than to seek vengeance.
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Do you think that perhaps his brothers also undergo a transformation and a sort of rebirth as they choose to save their own blood? I agree when you say that Judah’s offer does reveal a, “selfless and protective heart,” which stands in direct contrast with the actions of all the brothers at the beginning of the narrative. I think that Joseph is also representative of the forgiving heart and mercifulness of God.
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