Topical Encyclopedia Jacob, also known as Israel, is a significant patriarch in the biblical narrative, and his burial is a notable event that reflects the customs and beliefs of the time. The account of Jacob's burial is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, which provides detailed insights into the practices and significance of burial in the patriarchal period.Death and Burial Request Before his death, Jacob made a specific request regarding his burial place. In Genesis 49:29-32 , Jacob charged his sons, saying, "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite." This cave, known as the Cave of Machpelah, was a significant family burial site, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah were also buried. Jacob's insistence on being buried there underscores the importance of family heritage and the covenant promises associated with the land of Canaan. The Journey to Canaan Jacob's death occurred in Egypt, where he had lived for seventeen years after being reunited with his son Joseph. Upon his death, Joseph honored his father's request. Genesis 50:2-3 describes how Joseph commanded the physicians to embalm his father, a process that took forty days, followed by a period of mourning that lasted seventy days. This embalming was in accordance with Egyptian customs, reflecting the cultural integration of the Israelites during their time in Egypt. Following the mourning period, Joseph sought permission from Pharaoh to fulfill Jacob's burial request. Pharaoh granted this request, and a large entourage accompanied Joseph to Canaan. Genesis 50:7-9 details the procession: "So Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s officials went with him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt—besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. Both chariots and horsemen went up with him, and it was a very large company." Burial at Machpelah Upon reaching Canaan, Jacob was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, as he had requested. Genesis 50:12-13 states, "So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite." The burial of Jacob in the ancestral tomb not only fulfilled his personal wishes but also reaffirmed the connection of the Israelite people to the Promised Land. This act symbolized the continuity of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the hope of future possession of the land by their descendants. Significance Jacob's burial is significant for several reasons. It highlights the importance of family and ancestral ties, the belief in the promises of God regarding the land of Canaan, and the integration of cultural practices from both Canaan and Egypt. The burial at Machpelah served as a tangible link to the patriarchal heritage and the divine promises that shaped the identity and faith of the Israelite people. Nave's Topical Index Genesis 50:5My father made me swear, saying, See, I die: in my grave which I have dig for me in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again. Nave's Topical Index Library In Death and after Death Whether it is Lawful to Receive Money for Things Annexed to ... Appendix D. The Cause and Cure of Earthquakes Symbolic Ornaments of the Church The First Theban Empire Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest On the Words, and Rose Again from the Dead on the Third Day, and ... The Reaction against Egypt Index i. Of Subjects Resources What is the importance of the empty tomb? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Joseph of Arimathea? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of the cave of Machpelah? | GotQuestions.org Burial: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Burial for Criminals, Marked by Heaps Burial of Enemies, Sometimes Performed by the Conquerors Burial of Persons Embalmed, Deferred for Seventy Days Burial of Persons Hanged, Always on the Days of Execution Burial of the Friendless, a Kind Act Burial were Ceremonially Unclean Burial: An Ignominious, Compared to the Burial of an Ass Burial: Antiquity of Coffins For Burial: Antiquity of Purchasing Places For Burial: Attended by Family of the Dead Burial: Attended by Female Friends Burial: Attended by Great Lamentation At Burial: Attended by Hired Mourners Burial: Attended by Numbers of Friends Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends of Jacob Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Abner Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Child of Jeroboam Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Stephen Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: The Son of the Widow of Nain Burial: Burial of Gog (Multitude) Requiring Seven Months Burial: Burying Places for Poor and Strangers Burial: Burying Places in Caves Burial: Burying Places in Gardens Burial: Burying Places in Houses Burial: Burying Places in Valleys Burial: Burying Places of Kings Burial: Burying Places with Shelves Burial: Burying Places: A Place of Honor Burial: Burying Places: And Inscriptions Burial: Burying Places: Anyone Who Touched, Were Unclean Burial: Burying Places: Bought by Abraham Burial: Burying Places: Closed With Stones Burial: Burying Places: Demoniacs Lived In Burial: Burying Places: Family Burial: Burying Places: Joseph Burial: Burying Places: King Saul's Burial: Burying Places: Marked With Pillars, Rachel's Burial: Burying Places: On Hills Burial: Burying Places: Painted and Garnished Burial: Burying Places: Refused to the Dead Burial: Burying Places: Robbed Burial: Burying Places: Sealed Burial: Burying Places: Under Trees, Deborah's Burial: Directions Given About, Before Death by Jacob Burial: Directions Given About, Before Death by Joseph Burial: Frequently Prepared and Pointed out During Life Burial: Held in High Veneration Burial: Illustrative of Regeneration Burial: Members of a Family Interred in the Same Burial: Often Desecrated by Idolatry Burial: Often Took Place Immediately After Death Burial: Orations Sometimes Made At Burial: Places Used for Caves Hewn out of Rocks Burial: Places Used for Gardens Burial: Places Used for Houses of the Deceased Burial: Places Used for Natural Caves Burial: Places Used for The City of David for the Kings of Judah Burial: Places Used for Tops of the Hills Burial: Places Used for Under Trees Burial: Privation of, Considered a Calamity Burial: Privation of, Threatened As a Punishment Burial: Provided for Aliens and Strangers Burial: Provided for the Common People Burial: Sometimes had Inscriptions Burial: Sometimes not Apparent Burial: The Body Was: Anointed For Burial: The Body Was: Carried on a Bier To Burial: The Body Was: Preserved With Spices Burial: The Body Was: Sometimes Burned Before Burial: The Body Was: Washed Before Burial: The Body Was: Wound in Linen For Burial: The Jews Anxious to be Interred in Their Family Places of Burial: The Right of all Nations Burial: Visited by Sorrowing Friends Related Terms |
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