Genesis 50
Joseph Buries Israel in Canaan
Then Joseph fell on top of his dad, wept, and gave him a kiss. Then he ordered the servants and doctors to embalm his father, so they did. The embalming process took 40 days, and the Egyptians mourned his death for 70 days.
When the mourning time finally came to an end, Joseph told everyone in Pharaoh’s house,
“Please do me a favor and tell Pharaoh that my dad made me swear that I’d bury him at a site he prepared for himself in Canaan. So please, let me go bury my father there and I’ll come right back.”
Pharaoh said,
“Go ahead and bury your dad there and fulfill your oath to him.”
So Joseph went to bury his dad. He brought with him all of Pharaoh’s servants, the elders in Pharaoh’s house, Egypt’s elders, Joseph’s brothers, and the rest of his entire family except the kids and the livestock, which they left in Goshen. They also brought chariots and horsemen, so it was a massive group. When they crossed the Jordan and arrived in Atad, they had a huge, 7-day mourning ceremony. When the locals saw the ceremony, they said,
“That must be a massive mourning ceremony for the Egyptians.”
So that place became known as Abel-Mizraim which means “meadow of Egypt.” It’s located past the Jordan.
So Israel’s sons fulfilled their father’s wishes by transporting his body to Canaan and burying him in the cave at Machpelah that was bought by Abraham. After Joseph buried his father, he went back to Egypt with everyone else who had accompanied him.
Joseph Forgives Brothers
Now that Israel was dead, Joseph’s brothers said,
“What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and wants payback for all the bad things we did to him?!”
So they messaged Joseph, saying,
“Before Dad died, he told us to beg you to forgive us for all the ways we wronged you. So please, forgive us for our offenses—we’re servants of dad’s God.”
Joseph cried when they said that. Then his brothers lay face down in front of him and said,
“See? We’re your servants.”
But Joseph said,
“You don’t have to be scared of me. I’m not in God’s seat am I? You intended to harm me, but God meant it for good so He could orchestrate this whole situation and sustain life for so many countries. So don’t be scared. I’ll sustain you and your children.”
Joseph comforted them and spoke to them from the heart.
Joseph Dies
So Joseph and his family stayed in Egypt, and Joseph lived to be 110 years old. He saw the third generation of Ephraim’s kids. And Manasseh had a son named Machir whose kids were born in Joseph’s lap. In Joseph’s old age, he told his brothers’ families,
“I’m about to die, but God will take care of you and bring you to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Then Joseph made Israel’s descendants swear something. He said,
“God will take care of you. Just bring my bones out of Egypt.”
So Joseph died at age 110, and his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.