heing sc,cn decades, or ten weeks of seven required to enable Joseph to pass beyond the days, and tho second 12 >< 6 = 72, the boundaries of Egypt, especi11lly when 11ccom- duodecimal calculation being also used in panied by a large funeral procession), and l~gypt (vide Wilkinson in Rawlinson's 'He- bury my father, and I will come again. rodotus,' vol. ii. p. 121 ; and in 'Manners Ver. 6.-And Pharaoh said, Go up, and nncl Customs of the Ancient Egyptians· vol. bury thy father, according as he made thee iii. p. 471, et s!XJ.q., ed. 1878). The apparent swear. Pharaoh's answer would, of course, discrepancy between the accounts of Genesis be conveyed through the courtiers. nnd Herodotus will disappear if the seventy Vers. 7-9.-And Joseph went up to bury days of the Greek historian, durin~ which his father: and with him went up all the the body lay in natrum, be viewed as the servants of Pharaoh (i. e, the chief officers entire period of mourning (Hengstenberg's of the roy11l palace, n.s tho next clause ex- ' Egypt and the Books of Moses,' p. 68 ; Sir plains), the elders of his house (i. e. of (,. ·wilkiuson in Rawlinson's 'Herodotus,' vol. Pharaoh's house), and all the elders of the ii. p. 121), a sense ~·hich the words raiira land of Egypt (i. e. the nobles e.nd State Jf 1roi1}t1a1 ,t!: raprxtVovtr, Xlrp'f', icpin/,avrtc officials), and e.11 the house of Joseph, and 1
,,µ,pa, if3ooµh,covra (Herod. ii. 86) mll bear, his brethren, and his father's house: only though E:nlisch somewhat arbitrarily, but un- their little ones, and their 11.ocks, and their connncingly, pronounces it to be "excluded herds, they left in the land of Goshen. And both by the context and Greek syntax." there went up with him (as an escort) both Vers. 4, 5.-And when the days of his chariots and horsemen: and it we.a a very mourning were past, .Joseph spake unto great company. Delineations of funeral the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I processions, of a most elaborate character, have found grace in your eyes, speak, I may be seen on the monuments. A detailed pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh,-that and highly interesting account of the funeral Joseph did not a<ldrcss himself directly to procession of an Egyptian grandee, enabling Pharaoh, but through the members of the us to picture to the mind's eye the scene of royal household, was not owing to tho cir- Jacob's burial, will be found in Wilkinson's curusb.nce that, being arrayed in mourning ' Manners and Customs of tho Ancient npparcl, lie could not come before the king Egyptians,' vol. iii. p. 444, eel. 1878. First (Hosenmiiller), since it is not certain that servants led the way, carrying tables laden this Persian custom (Esther iv, 2) prevailed with fruit, cakes,' flowers, vases of ointment, in Egn,t, but is supposed to have been due, wine and other liquids, with three young either to a desire on J oseph's part to put geese and a calf for sacrifice, chairs and himself on a good understanding with the wooden tablets, napkins, and other things. priesthood who composed the courtly circle, Then others followed bearing daggers, bows, since tbe interment of the dead was closely fans, and the mummy cases in which the connected with the religious beliefs of Egypt deceased and his ancestors had been kept (Ifavernick), or, what ,vas more likely, to previous to burial. Next came a table of the fact that Joseph, ha-ring, according to offerings, fauteuils, couches, boxes, and 11, Egyrtian custom (Herod. ii 36), allowed bis chariot. .After these men appeared with gold beard and hair to grow, could not enter the vases and more offerings. To these succeeded king's presence without being both shaven the bearers of a sacred boat and the mysterious and shorn (Hengstenberg, Kurtz, Keil). It eye of Osiris; as tho god of stability. Pl11ced has been suggested (Kallsch) that J oseph's in the consecrated boat, the heo.rse containing power may have been restricted after tbo the mummy of the deceased was drawn by expiration of the famine, or that another four oxen and by seven men, under the Pharaoh may have succeeded to the throne direction of a superintendent who reguluted who was not so friendly as his predecessor the march of the funeral. Behind tho hearse with the gran<l vizier of the realm ; but such followed the male rela.tions and friends of the conjectures are not required to renderJ oseph's deceased, who either bea.t their breasts, or conduct in this matter perfectly intelligible- gave token of tl1eir sorrow by their silence sayiug, My father made me swear (eh. xlvii. and solemn step as they w11lked, leaning on 29), saying (i. e. my father saying), Lo, I their long sticks ; and with these the proces- die : in my grave which I have digged for sion closed. me-not Lou"ht (Onkelos, Drusius, Ains- Ver. 10.-And they came to the thresh- worth, Bohle~1, and others), but digged, ing-11.oor of Atad. 'l'h8 threshing-floor, or ,~pv(a (LXX.), Jodi (Vulgate). Jacob may goren, was a large open circular area which l,ave either enlarged the original cave at was used for tmmpling out the corn by means !II achpelal1, or prepared in it the special of oxen, and wos exceedingly convenient for 1,iche which he designed to occupy-in the the accommodation of a !11rgo body of people land of Canaan, there she.It thou bury me. such us accompanied Joseph. Tho goren at Now therefore (literally, and now) let me go which the funeral p11rty halted was named up, I pray thee (the royal permission was Ata<l (i. e. Buckthorn), either from the nnme oa. L. 1-14.J THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 537