Joseph's brothers conspired to kill him in Shechem. Shechem was a city in the region of Canaan where the family of Jacob (also known as Israel), including Joseph and his brothers, lived. According to the Bible, Joseph's brothers were jealous of him because he was their father's favorite son and he had received special attention from him, including a coat of many colors. They plotted to kill Joseph, but instead of killing him, they sold him into slavery and told their father that he had been killed by a wild animal.