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[184]
When Joseph understood that his father was coming, for Judas his
brother was come before him, and informed him of his approach, he went
out to meet him; and they met together at Heroopolis. But Jacob almost
fainted away at this unexpected and great joy; however, Joseph revived
him, being yet not himself able to contain from being affected in the same
manner, at the pleasure he now had; yet was he not wholly overcome with
his passion, as his father was. After this, he desired Jacob to travel
on slowly; but he himself took five of his brethren with him, and made
haste to the king, to tell him that Jacob and his family were come; which
was a joyful hearing to him. He also bid Joseph tell him what sort of life
his brethren loved to lead, that he might give them leave to follow the
same, who told him they were good shepherds, and had been used to follow
no other employment but this alone. Whereby he provided for them, that
they should not be separated, but live in the same place, and take care
of their father; as also hereby he provided, that they might be acceptable
to the Egyptians, by doing nothing that would be common to them with the
Egyptians; for the Egyptians are prohibited to meddle with feeding of sheep.
1
1 Josephus thought that the Egyptians hated or despised the employment of a shepherd in the days of Joseph; whereas Bishop Cumberland has shown that they rather hated such Poehnician or Canaanite shepherds that had long enslaved the Egyptians of old time. See his Sanchoniatho, p. 361, 362.
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