Jacob's Later Years
For the earlier parts of Jacob's life see Isaac, Jacob and Laban, and Jacob and Esau Reconciled.
After the death of their father Isaac Jacob and Esau could not remain together because the land was unable to support their large flocks and herds: Jacob remained in Canaan, while Esau returned to the region around mount Seir in the land of the Edomites (southeast of the Dead Sea) (Genesis ch. 35, vv. 27-29; ch. 36, vv. 6-8; ch. 37, v. 1).
Of all his sons Jacob's favourite was Joseph, the first child of his wife Rachel; and as an expression of his great love for him Jacob made him a distinctive coat 'of many colours'. However, Joseph was disliked by his half-brothers, the children of Jacob's other wife, Leah, and of the two servant girls, Zilpah and Bilhah: they both envied his preeminent place in their father's affections and resented the way in which he seemed to regard himself as superior to the rest of the family - a trait for which even his father criticised him (ibid. ch. 37, vv. 3-11). So one day when his half-brothers were away from home looking after the flocks and herds, and Joseph had been sent to discover if all was well, they sold him to a group of Ishmaelites who were travelling to Egypt and happened to be in the vicinity. The distinctive coat 'of many colours' they kept and dipped in goat's blood, and when they returned home, showed it to Jacob, who, believing that Joseph must have been eaten by a wild animal, was devastated by the presumed death of his favourite son (ibid. ch. 37, vv. 12-36). (For a more detailed account of this episode see Joseph Sold By His Brothers.)
When they reached Egypt the Ishmaelites sold Joseph to Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian in the service of the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. Potiphar recognised Joseph's ability, and after a number of setbacks Joseph eventually rose to prominence, becoming the most powerful man in the country after the Pharaoh himself (ibid. ch. 39, v. 1 - ch. 41, v. 52). (For more detail see Joseph in Egypt.) After several years of good harvests Egypt was hit by a famine, which also affected neighbouring regions including Canaan, and Joseph, who had foreseen this event and wisely made provision against it, was put in charge of the royal granaries and given responsibility for the distribution of grain (ibid. ch. 41, vv. 53-57).
In Canaan Jacob and his family were facing starvation, and Joseph's half-brothers were sent to Egypt to see if they could buy grain there - Jacob's twelfth son Benjamin, Rachel's second child and therefore Joseph's full-brother, was not allowed to go with them 'lest peradventure mischief befall him' (ibid. ch. 42, vv. 1-4). When his half-brothers appeared before him, Joseph immediately recognised them, though they did not recognise him. He accused them of being spies and questioned them about the other members of their family, and though he gave them grain to take back to Canaan, he required that they prove the truth of what they had said by returning with Benjamin. In the meantime, to ensure that they did return, one of the brothers, Simeon, was detained in custody (ibid. ch. 42, vv. 5-24). When they reached home and told Jacob what had happened, he refused to let Benjamin leave: if anything should happen to him, it would, he said, 'bring down <his> gray hairs with sorrow to the grave' (ibid. ch. 42, vv. 29-38).
As the famine continued, however, Jacob realised that it would be necessary to buy more food, and so very reluctantly he allowed Benjamin and the eldest brother, Judah, to travel to Egypt. On arrival they were warmly welcomed, reunited with Simeon, and invited to a meal in Joseph's house (ibid. ch. 43), but when the brothers' sacks were filled with grain to take back to Canaan, Joseph ordered that a silver cup should be concealed in Benjamin's sack, and once the brothers had started on their journey, he sent his men after them. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack and the brothers were brought back to Joseph, who accused Benjamin of theft and insisted that, as punishment, he remain with him as his servant. When Judah, who had promised Jacob that he would ensure Benjamin's safe return, pleaded with Joseph to allow him to remain in place of Benjamin, Joseph could keep up the pretence no longer. He revealed himself to his brothers, telling them that he forgave them for having sold him to the Ishmaelites and instructing them to bring Jacob and all his family to live near him in Egypt (ibid. ch. 44, v. 1 - ch. 45. v. 24). (For a more detailed account of these events see Joseph Reunited With His Brothers).
The brothers returned to Canaan and told Jacob that Joseph was still alive and wished them to come and live with him, and so Jacob and all his family travelled down to Egypt (ibid. ch, 45. v. 25 - ch. 46. v. 7). Jacob, then 130 years old according to the biblical account (ibid. ch. 47, v. 9), was granted an audience with the Pharaoh himself, and he and his family were offered some of the best land in the country (ibid. ch. 47, vv. 1-12). (Jacob's descendants, usually referred to as the Israelites, remained in Egypt for many centuries. Initially they prospered (ibid. ch. 47, v. 27), but over time their situation deteriorated and eventually they were rescued from slavery by Moses, who led them out of the country.)
Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt (ibid. ch. 47, v. 28), but when he felt that he was not far from death, he made Joseph promise to bury him not in Egypt but in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre where his father Isaac, his grandparents Abraham and Sarah, and his first wife Leah were buried (ibid. ch. 47, vv. 29-31; ch. 49, vv. 29-32). On his deathbed Jacob blessed his twelve sons and predicted the different futures of their descendants (ibid. ch. 48. v. 1 - ch. 49. v. 28), and when he died, his body was embalmed, as was the Egyptian custom, and there were 70 days' mourning for him in Egypt. After that, as he had wished, Joseph accompanied his body to Mamre for burial in the cave of Machpelah (ibid. ch. 50, vv. 1-13).
