24 Feb. Jacob and his sons travel to Egypt
“So Israel [Jacob] took all he had and started his trip. He went to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”
“During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision and said,’Jacob, Jacob.’ And Jacob answered, ‘Here I am.’ Then God said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will make your descendants a great nation there. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out of Egypt again. Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes when you die.’”
“Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their children and their wives in the wagons the king of Egypt had sent. They also took their farm animals and everything they had gained in Canaan.”
“So Jacob went to Egypt with all his descendants – his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He took all his family to Egypt with him….”
"Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in Goshen. When Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen, Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged him, and cried there for a long time.”
“Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I am ready to die, because I have seen your face and I know you are still alive.’”
(Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30)
The year after Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers, Jacob set out from Hebron with seventy members of his family and reached Beersheba (meaning the ‘Well of the Vow’ - see Genesis 21:31 & 26:23) where God appeared to him.
God told Jacob not to be afraid of settling in Egypt. In an age where gods were thought to dwell in a local area, God reassured Jacob that he would go with him and would be with him in Egypt.
God then renewed his covenant promise with Jacob: ‘I will make your descendants a great nation there. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out of Egypt again.’ (Genesis 46:4)
Joseph met his father Jacob as he arrived in Egypt in the region of Goshen (Pa-Gessem - modern day Faqus) in the Nile Delta in c.1660BC. As soon as he saw his father, Joseph hugged him and cried with joy and relief.
Joseph gave his brothers instructions on what to tell the king when they met him, and then hurried off to make arrangements for them to be introduced to the pharaoh.
The photo (by Gugganij) shows the archaeological site at Tel Be'er Sheva (Beersheba).
You can read more about Jacob’s journey to Egypt @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/24-the-journeys-of-isaac-jacob-joseph/jacobs-family-join-joseph-in-egypt/https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/24-the-journeys-of-isaac-jacob-joseph/jacobs-family-join-joseph-in-egypt/