The Deaths of Jacob and Joseph

Jacob had lived seventeen years in Egypt when he fell ill, and he died in the presence of his sons — but not before he had prayed that they would prosper, and had foretold to them, prophetically, how each of their descendants was to live in the land of Canaan; though this came about many years afterward. He also spoke at length in praise of Joseph: how he had not held his brothers’ wrongs against them, but on the contrary had been kind to them, and had given them such benefits as people seldom give even to their own benefactors. Then he commanded his own sons to admit Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, into their number, and to share the land of Canaan with them in common — about whom we will speak later. He asked, too, that he might be buried at Hebron. So he died, having lived a full hundred and fifty years less three. He had not fallen behind any of his ancestors in piety toward God, and he had the reward for it that is fitting for those who were as good as they were. [a]

Joseph, with the king’s permission, carried his father’s body to Hebron and buried it there at great expense. His brothers were unwilling at first to go back with him, because they were afraid that now their father was dead he would punish them for their secret plotting against him, since the one for whose sake he had been so gracious to them was gone. But he persuaded them to fear no harm and to have no suspicion of him. So he brought them back with him, gave them large possessions, and never stopped taking particular care of them.

Joseph also died, when he had lived a hundred and ten years. He was a man of admirable virtue, who conducted all his affairs by the rules of reason and used his authority with moderation; and this was the cause of his great good fortune among the Egyptians, even though he had come from another country, and in such poor circumstances besides, as we have already described. In the end his brothers died too, after living happily in Egypt. Some time later their descendants carried their bodies to Hebron and buried them there. Joseph’s bones they carried into the land of Canaan afterward, when the Hebrews went out of Egypt, for Joseph had made them promise this on oath. What became of each of these men, and by what toils they won possession of the land of Canaan, I will show later, once I have first explained why it was that they left Egypt. [c]