Significance of Joseph's Tomb in Biblical Narrative

The Significance of Joseph's Tomb in Biblical Narrative

The biblical account of Joseph's tomb is deeply intertwined with the history of the Israelites and their journey to the Promised Land. Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his brothers but rose to prominence in Egypt, becoming a leader and savior during a time of famine ^[3].

When Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110, he was embalmed and placed in a coffin, a practice common among the Egyptians ^[14]. Before his death, Joseph made his brothers promise to carry his bones with them when they left Egypt, to be buried in the Promised Land. This request was fulfilled when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, taking Joseph's bones with them ^[9].

The significance of Joseph's tomb lies in its connection to the fulfillment of God's promise to the Israelites. The burial of Joseph's bones in Shechem, a parcel of ground purchased by Jacob from the sons of Hamor, symbolized the fulfillment of this promise and the Israelites' claim to the land ^[7]. According to John Gill, the burial site was likely in a field near Shechem, rather than in the city itself ^[12].

The preservation and eventual burial of Joseph's bones also served as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the hope of resurrection. As Calvin notes, Joseph's command to his posterity to safely rest was based on the oath of God, removing doubts about their deliverance ^[10]. The New Testament writer of Hebrews references Joseph's faith in the promise of God, highlighting the significance of his tomb as a testament to his trust in God's plan ^[8].

The historical context of Joseph's tomb is also noteworthy. Tombs during the biblical era were often excavated in solid rock or were natural caves, sometimes whitewashed and located in gardens or outside cities ^{[1, 2]}. The tomb where Jesus was laid, for example, was a new rock-hewn tomb in a garden near Calvary ^[2].

The burial of Joseph's bones in Shechem marked the end of an era and the fulfillment of a promise. As Matthew Henry observes, the book of Joshua, which records this event, begins with triumphs and ends with funerals, highlighting the glory of man's mortality ^[11]. The significance of Joseph's tomb serves as a reminder of the Israelites' history, their connection to the land, and their trust in God's promises.

The tradition surrounding Joseph's tomb continued through the centuries, with various interpretations and accounts emerging. Flavius Josephus, for instance, provides additional historical context about burial practices and tombs in ancient Judea ^{[4, 5, 6]}. Despite these variations, the biblical account remains the primary source for understanding the significance of Joseph's tomb.

The eventual burial of Joseph's bones in Shechem underscores the importance of this site in biblical history. Jacob had originally purchased the land from the sons of Hamor, and it became part of the inheritance of Joseph's descendants ^[13]. This event marked a significant milestone in the history of the Israelites, as they finally came to possess the land promised to their ancestors.

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tomb — From the burial of Sarah in the cave of Machpelah, (Genesis 23:19) to the funeral rites prepared for Dorcas, (Acts 9:37) there is no mention of any sarcophagus, or even coffin, in any Jewish burial. Still less were the rites of the Jews like those of the Pelasgi or Etruscans. They were marked with the same simplicity that characterized all their religious observances. This simplicity of rite led to what may be called the distinguishing characteristic of Jewish sepulchres--the deep loculus--which, so far as is now known, is universal in all purely Jewish rock-cu”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tombs — Of the Hebrews were generally excavated in the solid rock, or were natural caves. Mention is made of such tombs in Judg. 8:32; 2 Sam. 2:32; 2 Kings 9:28; 23:30. They were sometimes made in gardens (2 Kings 21:26; 23:16; Matt. 27:60). They are found in great numbers in and around Jerusalem and all over the land. They were sometimes whitewashed (Matt. 23:27, 29). The body of Jesus was laid in Joseph's new rock-hewn tomb, in a garden near to Calvary. All evidence is in favour of the opinion that this tomb was somewhere near the Damascus gate, and outside the cit”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Joseph — (increase). + The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel. He was born in Padan-aram (Mesopotamia), probably about B.C. 1746. He is first mentioned when a youth, seventeen years old. Joseph brought the evil report of his brethren to his father, and they hated him because his father loved him more than he did them, and had shown his preference by making a dress which appears to have been a long tunic with sleeves, worn by youths and maidens of the richer class. (Genesis 37:2) He dreamed a dream foreshadowing his future power, which increased the hatred of his”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 15, section 14: probable. However, the northern idolatrous calf, set up by Jeroboam, was where Little Jordan fell into Great Jordan, near a place called Daphnae, as Josephus elsewhere informs us, Of the War, B. IV. ch. 1. sect. 1: see the note there.] 25 (return) [ How much a larger and better copy Josephus had in this remarkable history of the true prophet of Judea, and his concern with Jeroboam, and with the false prophet of Bethel, than our other copies have, is evident at first sight. The prophet's very name, Jadon, or, as the Constitution”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 22, section 1: . How Isaac Died, And Was Buried In Hebron. From thence Jacob came to Hebron, a city situate among the Canaanites; and there it was that Isaac lived: and so they lived together for a little while; for as to Rebeka, Jacob did not find her alive. Isaac also died not long after the coming of his son; and was buried by his sons, with his wife, in Hebron, where they had a monument belonging to them from their forefathers. Now Isaac was a man who was beloved of God, and was vouchsafed great instances of providence by God, after Abraha”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 15, section 11: obey God rather than men," ver. 29.] 24 (return) [ What Josephus adds here is very remarkable, that this Mount Moriah was not only the very place where Abraham offered up Isaac long ago, but that God had foretold to David by a prophet, that here his son should build him a temple, which is not directly in any of our other copies, though very agreeable to what is in them, particularly in 1 Chronicles 21:25, 28; 22:1, to which places I refer the reader.] 25 (return) [ Of the quantity of gold and silver expended in the building of ”
Joshua “They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. -- Joshua 24:32”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 50:26: 50:26 Joseph’s death signified the end of his generation (see study notes on 25:7-8; 35:1-29) and of the patriarchal age. From this point forward, God dealt with Israel as a nation. • Joseph’s body was kept in Egypt as a pledge of hope for slaves awaiting the Promised Land (see Exod 13:19; Heb 11:39-40). He was eventually buried in Shechem (see Josh 24:32), where Jacob had originally sent him (Gen 37:13).”
Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 13:19: And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him,.... And his remains might well be called bones, since at such a distance from his death the flesh must be gone, and nothing but bones left; of the place where Joseph's coffin was laid; see Gill on Gen 50:26. The Jews pretend, that Moses was informed where Joseph was buried by Sarah, the daughter of Asher, who they say was living at this time (q); and many other fables they relate concerning the manner of finding him, which are not worthy of any notice. Jarchi thinks, that the bones of all the tribes, or of the sons of Jaco”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 27.21: Joseph commands his posterity safely to rest, had by no means become extinct; for he deems it sufficient to adduce the oath of God, to remove all their doubts respecting their deliverance. End of the Commentaries on the first book of Moses called Genesis. 218 Que depuis que Jesus Christ nous a baille claire demonstrance de la resurrection des morts — than since the time that Jesus Christ has given us a clear demonstration of the resurrection of the dead. — French Translation . 219 It would appear that the mourning for Jacob was ”
Joshua (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Joshua 24:29: This book, which began with triumphs, here ends with funerals, by which all the glory of man is stained. We have here 1. The burial of Joseph, Jos 24:32. He died about 200 years before in Egypt, but gave commandment concerning his bones, that they should not rest in their grave until Israel had rest in the land of promise; now therefore the children of Israel, who had brought this coffin full of bones with them out of Egypt, carried it along with them in all their marches through the wilderness (the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, it is probable, taking parti”
Joshua (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Joshua 24:31: And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt,.... At the request, and by the order of Joseph, Gen 50:25; which were punctually observed by the children of Israel under the direction and command of Moses, and therefore is ascribed to him, as here to them, Exo 13:19, buried they in Shechem; not in the city, but in a field near it, as the next clause shows. The Jews in their Cippi Hebraici say (g), that Joseph was buried at a village called Belata, a sabbath day's journey from Shechem; but Jerom says (h) he was buried in Shechem, and h”
Joshua (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Joshua 24:32: the bones of Joseph--They had carried these venerable relics with them in all their migrations through the desert, and deferred the burial, according to the dying charge of Joseph himself, till they arrived in the promised land. The sarcophagus, in which his mummied body had been put, was brought thither by the Israelites, and probably buried when the tribe of Ephraim had obtained their settlement, or at the solemn convocation described in this chapter. in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought . . . for an hundred pieces of silver--Kestitah translat”
Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 50:25: So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old,.... The exact age assigned him by Polyhistor (x), from Demetrius an Heathen. The Jewish writers (y) say, that he died the first of the twelve patriarchs, though he was the youngest of them; he died, according to Bishop Usher (z), in the year of the world 2369, and before Christ 1635: and they embalmed him; his servants, the physicians, according to the manner of the Egyptians, and as his father Jacob had been embalmed; see Gill on Gen 50:2, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt; in an ark or chest, very probabl”

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