Embalming, the process of preserving a body after death, is a practice that the Israelites encountered during their sojourn in Egypt. This ancient technique is notably mentioned in the context of the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, two patriarchs of the Israelite people.

The practice of embalming is first recorded in the Bible in Genesis 50, following the death of Jacob. Joseph, his son, who held a high position in the Egyptian government, ordered the embalming of his father. Genesis 50:2-3 states, "Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him, taking the full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days." This passage highlights the integration of Egyptian customs into the lives of the Israelites during their time in Egypt. The embalming process, which took forty days, was a significant part of the mourning and burial practices in Egyptian culture, reflecting their beliefs about the afterlife and the preservation of the body.

The embalming of Joseph himself is also recorded in Genesis 50:26 : "So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt." Joseph's embalming signifies the continuation of this Egyptian practice among the Israelites, at least during their time in Egypt. It underscores the influence of Egyptian culture on the Israelites, as Joseph, despite his Hebrew heritage, was honored with an Egyptian burial custom.

The Israelites' exposure to embalming in Egypt is indicative of the broader cultural exchange that occurred during their stay in the land. While the Bible does not provide detailed descriptions of the embalming process, historical and archaeological evidence from Egypt suggests that it involved the removal of internal organs, treatment with natron (a type of salt), and wrapping the body in linen. This meticulous process was intended to prepare the deceased for the afterlife, a belief central to Egyptian religion.

From a theological perspective, the mention of embalming in the Bible serves to illustrate the Israelites' interaction with and adaptation to foreign customs while maintaining their distinct identity as God's chosen people. The practice of embalming, as learned by the Jews in Egypt, is a testament to the complex relationship between the Israelites and the surrounding cultures they encountered throughout their history.Genesis 50:2,26
And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Egypt
... it; hence came the practice of embalming the body ... were collected in its Library,
and learned professors lectured ... el-Yahudiya, or "Mound of the Jews," and the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
... important, for it shows that the Jews originally regarded ... silent] called the
Wise-men, and learned of them ... The gum was chiefly used in embalming dead bodies ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xiii eastern wise-men or magi.htm

The First Theban Empire
... examples taken from his own life, and from these we have learned some facts ... the sons
of Jacob, or at least a band of Jews entering into Egypt, and on ...
/.../chapter iiithe first theban empire.htm

A Bundle of Myrrh
... We are told that the Jews d id not permit the young ... The Egyptians used it in embalming
the dead: and we find ... in which he has been with Jesus and learned of him ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a bundle of myrrh.htm

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