The History of Joseph, Part Nine

(Genesis 50:01 - 50:26)

Seeing that his father had died, Joseph knelt at his side, kissing his face and weeping.  He saw to it that the physicians who served him mummified Israel's body.  This task regularly required forty days, and, at Joseph’s command, the customary period of mourning, seventy days, was observed throughout Egypt. 

When the period of mourning had elapsed, Joseph spoke to members of the Pharaoh’s court, "If you would do this favor for me, please speak to the Pharaoh and tell him that my father made me swear, 'When I die, bury me in the tomb prepared for me in the land of Canaan.' Ask the Pharaoh to give me leave to bury my father there, and afterwards I will return to Egypt."

The Pharaoh replied, “Go then and bury your father as you promised.”

When Joseph departed to bury his father, with him went all the Pharaoh’s officers, dignitaries not only from his court but from all Egypt, as well as members of the households of Joseph, his father, and his brothers.  Only children and livestock were left behind in Goshen.  In this company was also a great number of chariots and charioteers. --- It was a very grand procession!

When they reached the threshing floor of Atad (beyond the Jordan River) they paused to mourn with a ceremony of vocal and bitter lamentations that lasted for a period of seven days.  When the inhabitants of Canaan witnessed such grieving, they declared, "The Egyptians are engaged in deep mourning here, so we will rename this place “Abelmizraim" [meaning “the mourning of Egypt”].

The sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them: they conveyed his body to the land of Canaan and interred it in the double cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, purchased for a burial place by Abraham from Ephron the Hethite.

Joseph, his retinue, and all his brothers, who had accompanied him to Canaan to bury their father, returned to Egypt after the funeral.  Now that their father was no longer alive, the brothers became worried and said to each other, “Maybe Joseph will now recall in anger the wrong we did him and feel free to exact his vengeance upon us."  Therefore, they sent a message to Joseph which said, “Before he died, our father Jacob instructed us to tell you, 'Please ask Joseph to forget the wrongs done to him by his brothers and to pardon the malice they showed to him.’  We therefore humbly beseech you to forgive the sin done to you by those who worship your father’s god."

When Joseph read the message, he was moved to tears.  And when his brothers came to him, they bowed down and fell prostate on the ground before him.  "We are your slaves," they professed.

Joseph responded, "Don't distress yourselves.  Am I God that I should punish you?  You thought to do me evil, but God turned that evil to good.  It was he who put me in a  position where I am now able to save the lives of so many people.  Fear not!  I will always take care of you and your children."  With kind words of forgiveness, he reassured them.

Joseph and his father's family continued to reside in Egypt, Joseph reaching the age of 110.  He witnessed the coming of the third generation, that of Ephraim's children, and he dangled from his knee the offspring of Machir, Manasseh's son. 

Joseph counseled his family members, "After my death, I assure you that God will appear to you and lead you out of this country and back to the land he solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."  He made them take an oath: “When God appears to you, make sure that you carry my bones out of this land with you.”

Joseph passed away at the age of 110; his body was mummified, and he was entombed in a sarcophagus in the land of Egypt. 

THE END OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS

Notes:
1.  It seems strange that Joseph, the Pharaoh's right-hand man and more, needs to ask others to intercede for him when he wants to ask the Pharaoh's permission to go to Canaan to bury his father.

2.  Fear of reprisals from Joseph induce the brothers to resort to more trickery and subterfuge, the hallmark of the family.  They tell Joseph (a lie) that on his death bed his father Jacob had asked Joseph to forgive his brothers.  It works; Joseph is moved to tears, forgives them, and there is a fine family reconciliation to bring the Book of Genesis to a climax.

3.  It is interesting that Joseph, like Jacob is mummified as befitting a royal personage of Egypt.  For some reason, no Bible translation employs the word “mummify,” but rather embalm.  Since the process of treating Jacob’s body took 40 days to complete, there can be no doubt that mummification, and not merely embalming was involved.  

4.  The story of Joseph comprises a consistent and dramatically satisfying narrative, much like a work of fiction.  Indeed, there is much expert opinion that regards it as such, fictional, rather than historical, or even legendary.  Dating the story and placing it within the context of Egyptian chronology has always been problematic.  Some place Joseph in the Middle Kingdom, some during the Hyksos period, and others during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom -- a huge range in time. While speculation is rife, efforts to identify Joseph as a particular Egyptian vizier have not been crowned with any kind of success, or at least any broad acceptance.  Even the presence of Hebrews in Egypt is not confirmed by any Egyptian annals.  While one wishes the story to be absolutely factual, the objective reader cannot escape the nagging feeling that the heroic stature of Joseph and his presentation as a kind of founding father icon and savior is too good to be true, merely the nostalgic, nationalistic propaganda of a people who, in exile and captivity, yearn to return to their native land.