Epilogue
Jacob’s troubles were not over. Jealousy and hatred led the brothers to sell Joseph to some traders going down to Egypt. Jacob was told he had been killed. This was the final cruel trick that was played on Jacob.
In an amazing turnaround, Joseph was richly blessed in Egypt and saved his whole family from starvation. We read that he brought his father down to Egypt, where he was presented to the pharaoh and where he actually pronounced a blessing on the pharaoh.
Jacob gave each of his sons a word of blessing before he died, and as Joseph requested, gave a special blessing to Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim was the younger, and when Jacob placed his right hand on his head, Joseph thought he was mistaken. “No,” Jacob said, “I know what I am doing. Manasseh too shall become a great nation but Ephraim, the younger, shall become greater.”
Jacob then instructed his sons to take his body back to Canaan and bury it in the cave with his ancestors. Joseph had his father’s body embalmed, and then with a great number of Pharaoh’s counselors and senior officers of the land, a great number of chariots and cavalry as well as all of Joseph’s family went to Atad—meaning the place of brambles—beyond the Jordan. Here they held a great and splendid funeral. Then his family went the rest of the way to the cave of Mach-pelah and buried him beside Leah and his ancestors.
At Joseph’s death he predicted that at some time in the future the family would return to Canaan. “When you return,” he said, “you must take my body back with you so that I may be buried in Canaan.”
This was done. In Joshua 24:32 we read that Joseph was buried in the parcel of land that Jacob had purchased so long before from the sons of Hamor at Shechem.
At this same place, on the West Bank near the site of the ancient city of Shechem, and on this same parcel of land, is the well that Jacob dug. Today many tourists come here to drink of the clear, cool water of this well. At one time a large church was built over this spot, but now there is only a small edifice protecting the well.
Tourists can still see the tomb of Rachel on the road to Bethlehem. It has had many exterior changes over the years, but the place has always been noted.
Then there is the site of the Oaks of Mamre, which until recently had a few ancient oak trees that were reported to be, if not the original oaks, at least oaks that grew from seedlings of those oaks. Not far from this place, a mosque has been built over the cave of Mach-pelah, where all the patriarchs are buried with their wives.
If you are wondering who received the birthright, you will have to turn to 1 Chronicles 5:1, which tells us that though Israel’s firstborn son was Reuben, he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his wives, and his birthright went to his half brother Joseph by being given to Joseph’s sons.
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Character List
(In Order of Appearance)
Nahor: Brother to Abraham, father to Bethuel, grandfather to Rebekah and Laban
Rebekah: Nahor’s granddaughter, Laban’s sister, youngest daughter to Bethuel and Milcah
Laban: Nahor and Milcah’s grandson, Rebekah’s brother, youngest son to Bethuel and Milcah
Bethuel: Rebekah and Laban’s father, Nahor’s son, Milcah’s husband
Terah: An ancestor (Abraham and Nahor’s father)
Deborah: Rebekah’s nurse
Abraham: Rebekah and Laban’s great-uncle, Sarah’s husband
Milcah: Nahor’s wife
Reumah: Nahor’s concubine
Barida: Laban’s wife
Nazzim: Barida’s father
Isaac: Abraham and Sarah’s son
Keturah: Abraham’s concubine
Eleazar: Abraham’s old friend and chief steward
Ishmael: Abraham’s son by Hagar
Zimran: Abraham and Keturah’s son
Anatah: One of the king’s daughters, attracted to Isaac
Zeb: A young goatherd from the family of Urim
Judith: Esau’s first wife who eventually returns to her family
Bashemath: Esau’s second wife who also returns
Adah: Esau’s third wife, sister to Bashemath
Elon: Adah and Bashemath’s father
Beeri: Judith’s father
Zibeon: Esau’s friend
Ahoolibama: Zibeon’s daughter, Esau’s fourth wife
Reuel: Esau’s first son with Adah
Eliphaz: Another son of Esau
Rachel: Laban’s younger daughter
Leah: Laban’s older daughter
Reuben: Leah’s first son with Jacob
Simeon: Leah’s second son with Jacob
Levi: Leah’s third son with Jacob