When Jacob died in the land of Egypt
he was embalmed and then carried back to the land of Canaan. It took 40 days to embalm his body, then another 70 days for the Egyptians to mourn him. That’s 110 days - almost four months to make his body ready. After that, his son Joseph went to Pharaoh’s court, to make a request about keeping his oath. You see, Jacob made Joseph swear to him that he would bury his body in the proper location - in the cave near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This was the tomb that was bought by Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather, from Ephron the Hittite as their family’s burial tomb. Well, Pharaoh not only gave Joseph permission, but he sent all his officials to accompany him. Every dignitary of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt went with him. Joseph and Jacob most have made quite an impression. So all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and all those belonging to his father’s household went along. Only their children and their flocks and their herds stayed back, in the land of Goshen. Even Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was quite a funeral procession. When the vessels reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they loudly lamented. At the threshing floor, Joseph observed 7 full days of mourning. Across the river, just west of the Jordan, was the land of Canaan. The Canaanites are recorded as having said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why the threshing floor is called Abel Mizraim - it means “the place beyond” or “east of the Jordan.” The Canaanites looked east of the Jordan and saw the sadness of the family of Israel, and the lament of the Egyptian people. After setting his father in the cave, Joseph and his brothers and all the Egyptian dignitaries returned to Pharaoh. They stayed there many more years until God was ready to raise up a savior named Moses.
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