From a netfriend:

There appears to be a serious chronological disparity between the timeline of Joseph and the timeline of his brothers.

First let’s look at Joseph after he was sold into slavery:

37:2 Joseph is 17.

37:28 Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers (Judah et al).

41:46 Joseph was aged 30 years when he was made food administrator in Egypt.

41:47-48 There were 7 years of plenty.

41:53 7 years of plenty ended and famine followed.

45:4-6 After 2 years of a 7 year famine, Joseph was reunited with brothers who sold him.

So, if Joseph was 30 years old when he was made food administrator, and 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine transpired by the time he was reunited with his brothers (who sold him into slavery), then he must have been 39 when his brothers came to Egypt. If he was sold into slavery at 17, then he had been in Egypt for 22 years when his brothers came.

Now let’s Look at what Judah and his clan did during those 22 years: ——————————————————————–

37:28 Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers (Judah).

38:1-2 At this time Judah married Shua.

38:3 She conceived and had her first child, Er.

38:4 She conceived again and had her second child, Onan.

38:5 She conceived again and had her third child, Shelah.

38:7 Er married Tamar but was killed by God.

38:8 Onan told to do the honours on Tamar but spilled his seed and so God killed him too.

38:11 Tamar asked to stay a widow till the youngest son, Shelah, had grown to manhood.

38:14 Shelah, the youngest brother (now grown), was supposed to marry Tamar but didn’t get around to it.

38:18 Judah is tricked into impregnating Tamar after Shelah’s failure to marry.

38:29-30 Tamar has twins, Perez and Zerah.

46:12 Hezron and Hamul are named as children of Perez.

46:7 Hezron and Hamul are among those accompanying Jacob to Egypt.

45:4 The brothers reunite with Joseph whom they sold into slavery.

So, in the space of 22 years, Judah had to marry, get Shua pregnant, have her give birth, get her pregnant again, have her give birth again and get her pregnant yet again and have her give birth yet again. The youngest child, Shelah, had to grow up to at least marrying age. Then there had to be a sufficient period for it to be realised that he wasn’t doing anything about marrying Tamar. Judah then had to be tricked into impregnating Tamar so she could have twins. One of the twins, Perez, would need to grow up marry and have his own children, Hezron and Hamul. They would accompany the family into Egypt.

I don’t believe that even by applying unlikely minimum periods throughout, all this could be squeezed into 22 years.