This work "presents Joseph not only as the example of the chaste man, but under a more significant and original aspect as the example also of universality of salvation in Christ" (Mara, Pat. 4.159).

In the Oxford manuscript (see Webber 1992 p 147) the work is headed "De prophetis," which may reflect CASSIODORUS's reference to a commentary of Ambrose on the Prophets (INSTITUTIONES I.iii.6, cf. Webber p 36 n 19), though Cassiodorus says that he has not been able to locate this work. This and the following text DE PATRIARCHIS were often treated in manuscripts as a single work (see Mynors et al. 1991 p 67), as in Oxford, Bodleian Library 137 (not in Gneuss [HG], but saec. xi ex. according to Gameson 1996 p 154) in which they are numbered as books one and two.

The Old English gloss to DEFENSOR's LIBER SCINTILLARUM (ed. EETS OS 93) includes one brief sentence from the work. All but one other citation (for which see the entry for the HEXAMERON) headed "Ambrosius dixit" in Defensor's florilegium are from JULIANUS POMERIANUS, DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA.