Exodus 1-10

Exodus 1: The generations of Israel are named and numbered. After time a new king of Egypt does not know Joseph, and finds no favor in the Hebrews. Pharaoh’s servants build storecities for the Hebrews: Pithom and Raamses. Still, the Hebrews multiply. He works their asses off (pyramids, anyone? There has been no mention of pyramids in these writings so far, and one would think they would be a highly prominent landmark of the era.), but they multiply faster and become more productive. Anti-Joe-Pharaoh issues a directive to midwives to kill Hebrew sons. The midwives fear Jehovah, and don’t act on this order. Their explanation to Pharaoh is that Hebrews birth very quickly, which is a satisfactory explanation for this leader. (He isn’t bright. If population control was his intent, killing the females, with their set reproductive limitations serves this purpose exponentially better than selectively killing the males.) Pharaoh then issues a mandate to all Egyptians to throw all male Hebrew infants in the river.

Exodus 2: A daughter of the house of Levi takes in some guy and they fuck. She has a kid, so they place it in an ark in the river reeds where Pharaoh’s daughter bathes. Pharaoh’s daughter finds the kid, who cries, she has compassion, seeks the sister of the baby’s father (placed there as a plant by babydaddy) to find a Hebrew chick to give suck. Babymama gets a paid job from Pharaoh’s daughter to nurse her child, who the Pharaoh’s daughter names Moses (to draw). Moses grows up. An Egyptian smites a Hebrew in front of Moses. Moses makes sure no one is looking, smites the Egyptian for smiting. Kicks sand over the Egyptian. Moses starts to break up a fight between two Hebrews the next day, and the fighters ask if Moses is going to kill them, like he did the Egyptian. So Pharaoh heard about that whole murdering thing, and Moses had to exile himself to Midian. Naturally, there is a well there and chicks bring the herd to the well. Moses defended the honor of some chicks, and Reuel, the shepherd chicks’ father wants to meet Moses. The meeting went well, with Moses getting sexed by Zipporah, daughter of Reuel. Zipporah bears Gershom (sojourner). The brilliant king of Egypt dies, the Hebrews collectively sigh relief, which reminds God of his covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Exodus 3: Moses is keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law (of the house of Reuel???) near the mountain of God at Horeb. Jehovah appears in a bush that won’t burn. Jehovah instructs Moses to deliver the Hebrews out of Egypt and back to Canaan. Moses wants to know how to identify Jehovah when asked, and perhaps Jehovah gets testy, because for the first time in either book, a message is all capitalized: I AM THAT I AM (YO SOY EL QUE SOY) Maybe I should read the notes. An ancient version of “it is what it is.” Hell, the thing’s only ¾ million words already….But hey, milk and honey, and good things are coming for the Hebrews. Jehovah concedes that Pharaoh won’t let the Hebrews go willingly, but that Jehovah had certain plans to persuade the Egyptian rulers. Such plans involved a change in public opinion swaying radically so that the Egyptian populace will be happy to give away flocks and treasures to the Hebrews upon their deliverance out of Egypt.

Exodus 4: Moses knows no one will believe this encounter with Jehovah. God asks Moses to identify what is in his hand. Moses correctly identifies it as a rod. Jehovah tells Moses to throw it down, where it becomes a serpent. God tells Moses to pick it up by the tail. Moses does, it’s a rod. God makes sure Moses understands the difference, and repeats the promise of the covenant. Jehovah instructs Moses to touch his hand to bosom, then to look at it. Jehovah made Moses’ hand of a leper, and when Moses again touches his bosom, the flesh is renewed. Jehovah tells Moses that if these stunts don’t work, to draw river water and pour it on to the dry earth, where it will become blood. Moses tells God he isn’t very bright, but God insists Moses will be fine. God tells Moses to go, but Moses asks for help. At this point, God becomes upset with Moses, and tells Moses that Jehovah had already given Moses the assistance of his brother Aaron the Levite. Aaron could do the speaking, as long as Moses could convey the basic idea of what Jehovah has in mind.

Moses requests leave from Jethro, who tells Moses to go in peace. Jehovah reiterates to Moses, a slow learner, that it is time to go, that people are dying while he’s fooling around. Jehovah reminds Moses to perform tricks, and reminds Moses he’ll have to see Pharaoh to get this accomplished. It came to pass in the lodging-place that Jehovah is fed up with Moses, as he hasn’t even performed the duty of shearing his son’s penis yet, so Moses falls gravely ill. Zipporah does the dick cut with a piece of flint on Gershom, presumably. This passage is horribly vague, but I think that Jehovah is disgusted and running out of patience with Moses, and this is a mini-trial, now passed with Zipporah finding greater favor with Jehovah with her dick cutting ability and quick thinking. Jehovah tells Aaron to meet Moses to become Jehovah’s spokesman for this mission, and Aaron does so, spreading the word of Moses’ experience to the Hebrews.

Exodus 5: Moses and Aaron visit Pharaoh, asking for the three day feast in the desert to worship Jehovah. Pharaoh, unfamiliar with Jehovah, states that the Hebrews must be idling if they have want for a break, and he commands his servants to cease delivery of straw for brickmaking. Hebrews scatter, gathering straw, but are expected by Egypt to continue brick production at their former levels. Moses discusses weaknesses of the plan as currently executed with Jehovah.

Exodus 6: JEHOVA is a personalized name here in Spanish with discourse between Jehovah and Moses at the beginning of the chapter.(2,3) In English, no such bold lettering with the Jehovah naming. The Hebrew El Shaddai appears for God Almighty. (3) Jehovah or JEHOVA (depending on how personal or in what language one wants to consider the discourse) reaffirms the covenant, and explains his increasing personalization to Moses. (Of all people in the bible to render this explanation to, this choice is an odd one. Meant to be, I suppose.) The Hebrews, now suffering mightily under Pharaoh, don’t want much to hear Moses out about the covenant. Jehovah appears again to Moses recommending a return to Pharaoh’s for the repeat release request. Moses tells Jehovah he doesn’t even have control of the Hebrews, much less Pharaoh, and that further claims an origin related to female circumcision, or not. Possibly Jehovah was as confused as I am at this discourse, but he turns over charge in execution of the entire operation to both Moses AND Aaron. (my caps here.) Moses again repeats that he is of uncircumcised lips, meaning I guess that some people have a way with words, and other people not have way, I suppose. **Analysis stolen directly from Steve Martin here.** This chapter is damned unclear, truly painful reading including the genealogy of Aaron and Moses. Worst chapter to read thus far in the bible, though I know well it will get much worse from time to time, and sometimes for great stretches. This chapter is this work’s prophecy unto its own self.

Exodus 7: Jehovah reiterates to Moses the importance of Aaron being Moses’ and Jehovah’s conduit of communication to Pharaoh. At the time, Moses is 80, Aaron 83, so this provides some hope to the author to either make something productive of life, or maybe I’ll just put it off another 40 years. Jehovah suggests the rod/serpent trick, so Moses gives Aaron the godstick to chuck on the ground, and it serpentizes. Pharaoh calls in his court of magicians, who are able to repeat the stunt. Moses’ godstick swallows those of Pharaoh’s priests, and Pharaoh’s heart is hardened my Jehovah’s cannibalistic serpentstick. God recommends further deployment of the godstick on the Nile, turning it and all waters of Egypt to blood. This is modified from the original plan, but Aaron and Moses do as commanded in Pharaoh’s sight. Pharaoh’s magicians are able to duplicate this task as well, but it appears Pharaoh is getting a little nervous about these Hebrews and the works of their Jehovahstick.

Exodus 8: Now frogs. Moses and Aaron, instructed by Jehovah, cast a plague of frogs from the waters of Egypt to cover the land. This happens, and Egypt becomes a weird amphibious mess. Egypts wizards are able to repeat this stunt as well, but Pharaoh calls on the two, and states he will let the Hebrews worship if only they take the frog issue away. Moses and Aaron via Jehovah are able to kill off the frogs, which the Egyptians stack in huge piles of stink in the fields. Pharaoh’s heart is again hardened, and he reneges on the offer of worship for the Hebrews. Now lice. Jehovah instructs Moses to instruct Aaron to smite the earth, producing a plague of lice (or fleas. Or sand flies.). Aaron so does, and Pharaoh’s magi are unable to perform this miracle. Pharaoh’s wizards tell their leader that this is indeed the work of God, and Pharaoh’s heart hardens. Jehovah instructs Moses to address this worship issue again with Pharaoh. Moses does so, threatening to bring flies with the godstick this go-around. Pharaoh does not relent, so awful flies plague the land of Egypt, except the land of Goshen where the Hebrews camped. Pharaoh again agrees that the Hebrews can worship, but wants to keep the worship in Egypt proper. Moses informs Pharaoh that the Hebrews will be stoned by native Egyptians due to the Hebrew practice of sacrificing abominations of Egypt. Pharaoh relents, stating it will be okay if they do not travel too far in the wilderness to get worship done, but after the fly plague recedes, Pharaoh again hardens his heart, and does not permit travel visas en masse for Israel.

Exodus 9: With repeated attempts by Moses and Aaron to persuade Pharaoh, Jehovah intensifies the punishment to Egypt. The murrain of cattle, and the pox of boils upon the people of Egypt only hardens Pharaoh’s heart further against the Hebrews. So, Moses via Jehovah (or the other way around, perhaps?) commands wicked hail intermingled with massive fires that kill everything in its path (Goshen is not in this path) except some Egyptians’ wheat, which had matured. Pharaoh once more agrees to let the Israelites leave, and Moses agrees to stop the hailstorm upon their departure. When Moses stops the hail, Pharaoh again reneges on his offer of freedom for the Hebrews.

Exodus 10: Locusts don’t work, so with the assistance of Jehovah, Moses blocks out the sun, bringing great darkness. Pharaoh agrees (yet again) to permit the Hebrews to depart, but Pharaoh does not agree to release the livestock, as his heart apparently needed fortification against the Hebrews by way of Jehovah. Pharaoh states that if he sees Moses again, it will be the death of Moses, and Moses seems at peace with this decision.

Matthew 1-13

Ed. Note: The OT is a lot greater in volume than the NT, but the reading regimen I'm under provides concurrent OT and NT selections. So, once in a while, we'll look to the future about 1500 years or so and see what JC is up to.

Matthew 1: Generations of Jesus, 14th generational Son of David, 14th generational Son of Abraham. Mary is pregnant. Joseph doesn’t want her all shamed, so they hit the road. An angel appears to Joseph, informing him not to worry about the pregnant wife thing, that it was only the Son of God, and that he will be named Jesus. Joseph woke up from that dream, and felt much better.

Matthew 2: Jesus born in Bethlehem under Herod. Wisemen came, fulfilling prophecy. (Mic 5.2) Herod heard of this whole King of the Jews thing, and became worried. He sent the wise men to Bethlehem to find out what was happening on the ground there. The magi are warned by God not to return to Herod, again in a dream, and they split. Another angel in Joseph’s dream instructs departure for Egypt, and to stay there until Herod is dead. Herod, being slighted by the wise men, slaughters all the males of Bethlehem 2 years or younger, the amount of time it took Herod to figure out the wise men were wiser than he thought, and weren’t coming back with news anytime soon, fulfilling prophecy (Jer. 31.15) When Herod dies, an angel again instructs Joseph via dream it was okay to go back, but Joseph was skittish, and settled in Nazareth for a spell.

Matthew 3: John the Baptist issues word that the Lord has come, and that prophecy is fulfilled. (Isa. 40.3) He mocks the Pharisees and Sadduees who come to his baptismal, and finally, Jesus arrives to be baptized. John is a little confused, thinking that Jesus should be the one offering the baptisms, but he is coerced into baptizing Jesus anyway, without his attorney present.

Matthew 4: The devil taunts Jesus during a forty day fast. Satan challenges Jesus with prophecy (Ps. 91.11,12), but Jesus turns the tables insisting that God cannot be tried. Angels minister to his corner after the devil is cast aside. He thinks it’s a good time to retire to Galilee, in Capernaum, fulfilling prophecy (Is. 9.1.2) Jesus starts a little preaching here. Makes Simon and Andrew fishers of men. Convinces James and John He has a better boat than their father. By this time, word had even reached Syria of what was going on in Galilee.

Matthew 5: The Sermon on the Mount. Many blessings. Claims to be enhancing prophecy, no destroying it. Jimmy Carter is called out for heart-based adultery. The intent seems to be the big purpose of this partly brimstonish display.. Only one oath matters, that to love and follow the Lord. Love the enemy, says Jesus.

Matthew 6: Alms—best kept anonymous. Prayer—best kept between self and the Father. Lord’s prayer. When you fast, do so happily. The true treasure is not of this earth, but in what comes next. A discussion of the uselessness of anxiety.
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Matthew 7: Judging others a bad idea because of casting stones, the Golden Rule as an example of productive living. Stay on the narrow path, it’s more fulfilling. Better to build the home upon rock than sand.

Matthew 8: Jesus cures a leper, then commends a centurion, while warning of much gnashing of teeth in the end days. Peter’s wife’s mother cured. Jesus calms a tempest.

Matthew 9: Jesus cures a paralytic, then meets and calls Matthew. The Pharisees wonder why Jesus breaks bread with the publicans and sinners, and inquire about the importance of fasting. Jesus cures the Ruler’s Daughter, and then the two demonic dumb men

Matthew 10: The twelve are called, and sent out to gather the lost sheep of Israel.

Simon, called Peter
James, son of Zebedee
John, James’ brother
Philip
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew the publican
James, son of Alphaeus
Thaddius
Simon the Cananaean
Judas Iscariot, the betrayer

Jesus issues advise to the twelve about acceptance, patience, and peace. He issues them caution in dealing with their adversaries, and try to stay a step ahead of the persecution. Don’t fear men, fear their maker. The value of the twelve relative to sparrows is stressed, and Jesus is really playing up the “love me more than all else” angle here, talking costs and rewards of service unto Him. This appears to be the first organization directed at spreading the word.

Matthew 11: The twelve are sent out across Israel. John the Baptist hears updates of Jesus’ progress, and Jesus struts all over Palestine extolling JTB. Jesus reproaches cities that don’t repent. Claims yet again that He is the light, that his yoke is easy, and that his burden is light. Good fire and brimstone stuff here.

Matthew 12: The Pharisees complain about the disciples taking someone’s grain, it appears, and Jesus responds citing examples of David eating priests’ food (1 S. 21.6) and the guiltless Sabbath profaning priests (Num. 28.9, 10) Jesus further defends working on the Sabbath by healing a man’s hand. The Pharisees took counsel against Jesus for His destruction. With renewed confidence of the handhealing, Jesus heals many more. Stakes further claim to fulfilled prophecy (Is. 42.1) The Pharisees concede Jesus has healing power, but thinks it is granted by Beelzebub the prince of demons. A house divided among itself… Jesus replies saying it’s okay to talk smack on Son of Man, but don’t go talking trash against the Holy Spirit. A tree is known by its fruit, with Jesus or against Him. The Pharisees want a sign that Jesus is actually working for good rather than evil, and Jesus states that only an evil man would make such a request. This chapter is a fairly decent study of logic in argument. The parallel is drawn by Jesus between himself and Jonah. Three days in a sea-monster equals three days in a tomb. About long enough. Jesus lectures further on the eternal torments of earthly wickedness, and recommends salvation in His word. His mother and brother come to see him, and Jesus responds by saying that any person who follows Him are his mothers and his brothers.

Matthew 13: Seeds yield according to proper sowing techniques. The disciples ask Jesus why he speaks in parables, and he answers that he can’t teach people that don’t understand, and don’t want to see. He speaks of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. (Is. 6.9,10) Harvest only the good wheat, but don’t destroy the entire field because of the tares. Mustard seeds yield big results. Spreading out the leaven. Defense of Jesus’ parable policy, citing prophecy. (Ps 78.2) These parables are end-time lessons, with much gnashing of teeth. Harvest the good, destroy the bad. Cast a wide net, discard the bad. Lessons of the end time. Then He goes home to Nazareth to a poor reception. Might have had something to do with ignoring the family above. (Mt. 12)

Genesis 41-50

Editor's note: There are over 38,000 words (numbers omitted) in the KJV according to this list. This summary through Genesis stands at 6515. (numbers and characters counted) At a bloated 17%, it looks like I'd better trim the fat for the Exodus.

Genesis 41: Pharaoh has bad dreams. His magicians can’t interpret, but the butler at long last remembers Joseph from their internment together. Pharaoh has two dreams: One where 7 wonderful kine are devoured by 7 scraggly ones and the same thing with 7 husks of corn. Joseph explains Egypt will see seven good years followed by seven awful ones, and Pharaoh begins storing a fifth of grain produced each year as a reserve. At this point, Joseph is 30, and he’s become Pharaoh’s right hand man. Kind of governing Egypt, it appears, and he runs the grain stores. Joseph is provided a wife by Pharaoh, Asenath, who bears him two sons, Manaseh (making to forget) and Ephraim (to be fruitful). People all over the world are buying off the grain store of Egypt as the famine spreads.

Genesis 42: Jacob, last seen ripping up his clothing in mourning, hears about grain in Egypt. He sends ten sons to pick up grain, leaving behind Benjamin in the event the ten do not return. The brothers arrive in Egypt, and Joseph recognizes them, but the brothers are unfamiliar with Joseph. Joseph accuses the men of being spies from Canaan, and sets them to test. He keeps Simeon bound in Egypt, and gives the brothers grain and their money back for their purchase. Joseph remembers previous dreams about his brothers and his dominion over them, and just wants to see that the missing brother, Benjamin, is alive and well, I think. Reuben volunteers to make the trip as an envoy, telling Jacob to kill both Reuben’s sons if he is unable to complete the journey to and from Egypt successfully with Benjamin, and returning Simeon. Jacob does not agree to this arrangement, cursing himself to Sheol should he make such arrangements. I guess he’s favoring Benjamin as he is the only remaining son (that Jacob knows about, thinking Joseph is dead) from wife Rachel.

Genesis 43: Famine continues in the land, and Jacob allows the complete envoy back to Egypt, this time with Benjamin. Jacob ensures that enough money is sent to cover the previous and current purchases, and he also sends choice fruits and nuts of the land. (famine?) But anyway, this is done, and Joseph sees that the brothers have returned, and so prepares a feast. There, he releases Simeon from bondage, and asks about the general welfare of the family. There is some segregation going on at this little dinner, because it’s some sort of abomination for Egyptians to dine with Hebrews. Joseph prepares to send the men off with loads of riches on their return trip to Canaan, but prepares five times as much of this abundance for Benjamin.

Genesis 44: Futhermore, Joseph puts his personal silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. Joseph informs his steward to go out into the desert and run these guys down, and to put on a big ass show full of accusations in so doing. The brothers (at this point, for a change, they are not guilty of any transgression) issue their defenses, and empty their sacks one at a time, from oldest to youngest, and of course, Benjamin dumps out the silver cup and a shit ton of money. Mass clothes renting among the brothers. Judah asks in Joseph’s presence upon return to Joseph’s palace what can be done to make this little situation go away? Joseph replies by stating he will keep Benjamin as a bondman for his evil deeds. Brothers back to Canaan, is Joseph’s proposition. Judah proposes that Joseph keep Judah instead, insisting that if Benjamin does not return, that the evil hairs on Jacob’s head would doom him to Sheol for allowing Benjamin to go to Egypt in the first place.

Genesis 45: Joseph starts bawling when he hears this, enough that a report is delivered to Pharaoh about the scene. Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, and appeals that they bring his father down to Egypt. Pharaoh agrees this is a good plan, and insists on it happening, providing the family with wagons and herds to make the transport possible. Israel (Jacob) faints when he hears his son Joseph is not dead, but is now governor of Egypt.

Genesis 46: Israel gets ready for his journey when God addresses him as Jacob at Beersheba. God tells Jacob not to worry about the trip to Egypt. It will work out. There is a windy generation of Israel detailing all 66 or 67 people who made the journey. Upon arrival, Joseph makes a declaration that his people are shepherds, but they are in Egypt now, so they can live in Goshen, because in Egypt, shepherds are an abomination. (Goshen is historically known as a region on the eastern delta of the Nile, thus named 7-3K BCE)

***There is a difficulty with the timeline here. If Genesis is the word of Moses, as some claim, its authorship would be in the second millennium BC. Even if Moses has not written Genesis, and the words were compiled shortly after Moses’ death, Goshen was not yet so named, but this would give these Jews time to build better pyramids.***

Genesis 47: The famine continues. In the second year of the drought, severe economic depression ensues. There are references to money being no good any longer, and a turn to direct commodity trading. When these commodities expired, Pharaoh, via Joseph began the process of land acquisition throughout Egypt. The text states that only the priests remained landowners under this system, so Pharaoh’s Egypt appears to be the first Communist state in recorded history. Those under servitude did so voluntarily, and agreed to forward one fifth of any proceeds or yields from the land unto Pharaoh. This is the first central planning scheme of governmental note, as there are passages detailing the relocation and reassignment of people throughout the land. It should be stated that the alternatives for the masses were likely death by starvation. If the money no longer had backing (I’m assuming there was a commodity crash on silver and gold), then travel would become nearly impossible. Supplies couldn’t be purchased. In any event, the people of Egypt seem genuinely happy with the treatment by Joseph/Pharaoh. Beats death. Speaking of, Jacob came to live in Egypt a total of seventeen years, and he gets ready to die at the spry age of 147, but he wants to be buried back in Canaan. I mean, his name is Israel sometimes…

Genesis 48: Jacob, now dying, is seen by Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob promises all the fruits of Israel as he had been promised it by God. Jacob would like to be buried with Rachel, he says. Jacob, now blind, does not recognize the two sons. The blessing sequence is bizarre, because Jacob, a past participant in a blessing-stealing scheme that worked will not be duped. Joseph wants the primary blessing to be placed on the firstborn, Manasseh. Jacob crosses his hands at their presentation for blessing, so that Ephraim receives the primary favor and blessing of Israel. Jacob tells Joseph not to be discouraged, that things wouldn’t necessarily be bad for Manasseh, they just wouldn’t be as glorious as that of Ephraim. Furthermore, Israel tells Joseph he’s been set aside a special little place called shoulder (Shechem?).

Genesis 49: See, this is where a project like this becomes difficult, because there are 26 verses of rant out ahead of me, and in my mind, this 147 year old guy has his eyes rolled back in his head, he may or may not be speaking in tongues, and you never know if someone about to die is going to make any sense. Jacob calls all the sons together, and these are their fates as predicted by Israel:

Reuben: Jacob’s firstborn, should have done better, defiled your father’s bed.**(I had to look this up, because I couldn’t remember anything of the sort happening in this text, and going back through, it did not. Rabbinical texts state briefly that Reuben had fuck with Bilhah, maid of Rachel. Since his father also had fuck with Bilhah, this was somehow considered incest, though getting daddy drunk and sleeping with him had no immediate consequences to earlier generations. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new code of ethics, but if so, the rules were certainly changed mid-course on Reuben.)

Simeon and Levi: Jacob remembers that bad PR thing with the circumcisions and slaughter, I think. Jacob simply decrees that these two need to stay separated, so little incidences like Shechem massacre don’t again occur.

Judah: Some indications he might be a hell of a fierce warrior, and probably not one to be fooled with. He’ll hang on to the scepter until Shiloh, at least.

Zebulun: Beach vacation/vocation w ships near Sidon. (Modern Southern coastal Lebanon)

Issachar: A strong ass. He’s going to work.

Dan: Likened to a snake biting the backs of horses’ heels...not a good preview, unless you’re into that sort of thing.

Gad: “A marauding band shall press up-on him; But he shall press upon their heel.”(19) That’s what it says. What a shitty vision, if you happened to be Gad, standing there taking all this in, and hearing about all these other things promised to your siblings.

Asher: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, And he shall yield royal dainties.”(20) That’s shitty too.

Naphtali: “A hind let loose, he giveth goodly words.” (21) Again, shitty.

Joseph: A lot more praise than all of them from Zebulun to Naphtali combined. Hell, you want to crown his ass, crown his ass.

Benjamin: Like a ravenous wolf that eats everything at the kill, and splits up the bounty of the kill at night. Trying to sound flattering here, but after the heaps of praise cast on Joseph, it would taste a little bitter if I were Benjamin.

Okay, Jacob has changed his mind, and now wishes to be buried in the cave of the field Abram bought from Ephron the Hittite. Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah, and also Leah (technically the first wife he fucked) are buried there also. Poor dead Rachel, buried alone. Israel dies.

Genesis 50: Joseph mourns, and orders a good, old fashioned Egyptian embalming. So…Israel might be out there somewhere? I’ll bet that’s worth some money. Egyptians of the time wept on Joseph’s behalf for 70 days. It’s not clear if this weeping was concurrent with the standard 40 day embalming period of the day. This passes, and Joseph asks Pharaoh if he can make a trip to Canaan to bury his father. Pharaoh agrees, and provides ample flair for Joseph’s journey. They arrive at the threshing floor of Atad for a week-long lamentation. Then, Jacob is buried in the cave of the field of Machpelah. The party returns to Egypt. There, Joseph’s brothers are worried that with Jacob’s passing, that Joseph might become vindictive about previous wrongs. They ask for forgiveness again and pledge servitude under Joseph. This moves Joseph, who reminds the brothers that he isn’t God. They live relatively peacefully in Egypt for the remainder of Joseph’s 110 years and at the end he reminds the Israelites the promises of Jehovah to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the extension of that deliverance to their generations. Joseph was put in a coffin in Egypt.