SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 25

JOSEPH’S DEATH

THE GREAT PROCESSION TO CANAAN

From Genesis 50

With his sons gathered at his bedside, Jacob breathed his last and died. Overcome with grief, Joseph fell
across his father’s face and wept, kissing the old man’s lifeless body. Then Joseph commanded his attendants to embalm Jacob’s body, which required forty days. When the time of mourning was over, a period of seventy days, Joseph made a request to Pharaoh through the king’s household. [Please tell Pharaoh that my father made me swear that I would bury him in the tomb which he had prepared in Canaan. Ask Pharaoh’s permission for me to go there to bury my father. Tell him that I will come back.] [Go and bury your father as you promised,] Pharaoh said. The procession to Canaan included many high-ranking Egyptians; Pharaoh’s officials, leaders of his household and rulers of the land of Egypt. A great number from Joseph’s household, as well as from Jacob’s family, went there with Joseph. The people of Israel left their children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. The procession that went with Joseph included chariots and horsemen and a great throng of people. When this procession reached the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River, they stopped to mourn for seven days, led by Joseph. The Canaanites who lived nearby renamed the place Abel-mizraim, [The Mourning of Egypt,] because of the great lamentation there. Thus, the sons of Jacob fulfilled his wish to be buried in Canaan, taking his body to the Cave of Machpelah, east of Mamre. Abraham had bought this cave, along with a field, from Ephron the Hittite, to use as a family tomb. When he had completed the burial of his father, Joseph led the great procession back to Egypt. But Joseph’s brothers were concerned now that their father was dead. [Joseph will surely seek revenge and repay the evil that we brought upon him,] they said. So, Joseph’s brothers sent word to him. [Before he died, your father left word for you to forgive the sin of your brothers, servants of your father’s YHVH. We also beg you to forgive us the evil that we did.] When Joseph received this word, he began to cry. Joseph’s brothers came to him and knelt down before him, begging for his forgiveness. [We are your servants,] they said. [You must not be afraid, for I cannot take YHVH’s place as a judge,] Joseph answered. [You wanted to hurt me but YHVH used your evil for good. He put me here to keep many people alive. No, you must not be afraid, for I will provide for you and your families.] Joseph’s words were a great comfort to his brothers, for they were assured now that he would not harm them. Joseph and his family lived in Egypt for many years. Joseph lived to the age of a hundred and ten and was able to see Ephraim’s grandchildren as well as Manasseh’s grandchildren through Manasseh’s son Machir. One day Joseph told his brothers that he would soon die. [But YHVH will someday take you from this land to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,] he told them. Joseph also made them swear with an oath that they would carry his bones back to Canaan when they went. When Joseph died, they embalmed him and placed him in an Egyptian coffin.

COMMENTARY

AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FUNERAL

Joseph lived for many years, honoured as one of the greatest men of Egypt. When death came, Joseph’s body was prepared as an Egyptian mummy. But it was not buried in Egypt. Joseph knew that one day YHVH would bring His people back to the land promised to Abraham. When the day came, Joseph’s remains would return with them. He had lived as a ruler in Egypt, but his heart had always been fixed on YHVH and on the Promised Land. With the body now forty to seventy days old and fully mummified, the funeral party marched from the dead person’s house to the tomb. The mummy itself was in a coffin within a coffin, the outer one painted and in the general form of a mummy in a headdress. Placed on a bier sometimes shaped like a boat, this was pulled by men and oxen. A priest led the way, followed by two women who stood for some goddesses that protected the dead. Next in line came the female mourners, wailing and singing lamentations, which were songs of mourning. Behind them came the male mourners, uttering cries, beating their chests and sometimes gashing themselves with knives. After this came a long line of servants and slaves, carrying the things the deceased would need to be comfortable in his life in the next world. They carried chests, boxes and bags filled with food, oil, perfume, jewellery, toys, tools, favourite objects, even furniture. They also carried small figures, called [ushebtis,] that were supposed to come alive, grow to full size, and perform any work the dead person might be asked to do in the next world. At the tomb door, the mummy in its coffin was set upright against a mound. Priests recited passages from The Book of the Dead, a kind of ancient Egyptian guidebook containing prayers and spells to insure a safe journey to the next world. A papyrus scroll, containing other texts, or a stone scroll to represent it, was placed in the tomb. The most important part of the funeral was the ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth. The priest, using a special adze, a long-handled tool, touched the jaw, mouth, eyes and ears so the deceased could speak, eat, see and hear in the next world. Animals were sacrificed, and gifts were presented to the mummy to make sure this happened. The funeral party then went to a great feast, complete with entertainers, where they sang songs of praise to the dead person and enjoyed themselves in his honour.