Chapter 8.
OF THE DEATH OF JACOB AND JOSEPH.FJAJ 2.53
1. NOW when Jacob had lived seventeen years in Egypt, he fell into a
disease, and died in the presence of his sons; but not till he made his
prayers for their enjoying prosperity, and till he had foretold to them
prophetically how every one of them was to dwell in the land of Canaan.
But this happened many years afterward
He also enlarged upon the praises
of Joseph (15)
As to this encomium upon Joseph, as preparatory to Jacob's adopting Ephraim
and Manasses into his own family, and to be admitted for two tribes, which
Josephus here mentions, all our copies of Genesis omit it, ch. 48.; nor
do we know whence he took it, or whether it be not his own embellishment
only.
how he had not remembered the evil doings of his brethren to their disadvantage;
nay, on the contrary, was kind to them, bestowing upon them so many benefits,
as seldom are bestowed on men's own benefactors
He then commanded his
own sons that they should admit Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasses, into
their number, and divide the land of Canaan in common with them; concerning
whom we shall treat hereafter
However, he made it his request that he
might be buried at Hebron
So he died, when he had lived full a hundred
and fifty years, three only abated, having not been behind any of his ancestors
in piety towards God, and having such a recompense for it, as it was fit
those should have who were so good as these were
But Joseph, by the king's
permission, carried his father's dead body to Hebron, and there buried
it, at a great expense
Now his brethren were at first unwilling to return
back with him, because they were afraid lest, now their father was dead,
he should punish them for their secret practices against him; since he
was now gone, for whose sake he had been so gracious to them
But he persuaded
them to fear no harm, and to entertain no suspicions of him: so he brought
them along with him, and gave them great possessions, and never left off
his particular concern for them.FJAJ 2.54
2. Joseph also died when he had lived a hundred and ten years; having
been a man of admirable virtue, and conducting all his affairs by the rules
of reason; and used his authority with moderation, which was the cause
of his so great felicity among the Egyptians, even when he came from another
country, and that in such ill circumstances also, as we have already described.
At length his brethren died, after they had lived happily in Egypt
Now
the posterity and sons of these men, after some time, carried their bodies,
and buried them at Hebron: but as to the bones of Joseph, they carried
them into the land of Canaan afterward, when the Hebrews went out of Egypt,
for so had Joseph made them promise him upon oath
But what became of every
one of these men, and by what toils they got the possession of the land
of Canaan, shall be shown hereafter, when I have first explained upon what
account it was that they left Egypt.FJAJ 2.55