Genesis 49:28-50:14--Jacob's Death and Burial

Jacob's Death and Burial​
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28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah-- 32 the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

50 Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

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I've been talking about this the past few times, but finally Jacob reaches the end of his life and gives instructions to be buried alongside Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah in the cave near Mamre.

Joseph gave orders to his physicians (since Jacob was already dead, this probably means "morticians") to care of his father's body and embalm him at the time of his death, and the whole of the land of Egypt mourned for 70 days--more than 2 months.  This is on par with the mourning period for the loss of a king--this is how the people thought of Israel since he was the father of Joseph.

Joseph goes to Pharaoh telling him that his father made him swear to bury him in Canaan alongside his wife and ancestors, and Joseph asks for permission to leave Egypt to go to the funeral.  Not only does Pharaoh say "yes," but Pharaoh sends all of his servants, the elders of his household, and the elders of Egypt (a royal delegation), and all of the adult went to the funeral--only the children, flocks and herds remained in Goshen.  And a military escort from Egypt was given with chariots and horsemen.

And when they got to the land of Canaan, they mourned again for another seven days--both the Israelites and the Egyptians.  And the Canaanites saw this and great expression of grief from the Egyptians and called the place Abel-mizraim, which means "the mourning of Egypt" (or "the meadow of Egypt").

Joseph buried his father in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre as his father instructed and Joseph returned to Egypt along with all of the nation of Israel with him.  Their journey back to the promised land will be nothing like this in the books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  Instead of having a military escort from Egypt, they were going to have the Egyptians in hot pursuit and they would spend 40 years--not a matter of weeks wandering through the wilderness.