이삭과 요셉이 미라로 방부처리되었다는 충격적인 내용(창세기50장)

창세기 50장은 이삭과 아들 요셉의 인생을 마무리하는 구절이자 창세기 마지막 장입니다. 인상적인 것은 이삭과 요셉은 이집트 장례 풍속을 따라 방부처리 즉 미라로 만든 일입니다. 그렇다면 어디선가 이삭과 요셉의 미라가 숨어있지 않을까요? 어쨌거나 처음 알게 된 사실인데 이들이 미라가 되었다는 것이 적잖은 충격입니다. 

 

 

아버지를 미라로 만들라는 요셉

야곱은 이집트로 온 뒤 17년을 살다 147세까지 살았고 죽은 후에는 미라로 만들어 가나안의 막벨라 동굴로 옮겨집니다.

 

 

창세기 49장 읽기

 

1. Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him.

2. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physiclans embalmed Israel.

3. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming, And the Egyptians wept for him for seventy days.

 

 4. And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favour in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

5. My father made me swear, saying, " I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.' Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return."

 

그렇게 야곱은 자식들에게 축복반 저주반 등의 예언 혹은 유언 비슷한 것을 하고 돌아가십니다. 요셉은 오열하면서 아버지를 방부 처리 즉 미라로 만들라고 합니다. 아무래도 이집트에서 오래 살아서 이집트 장례 풍속을 따른 것인지 모르겠는데요. 하나님에게 선택을 받은 민족이 미라를 만들었다는 조금 생뚱맞은 생각이 들긴 합니다. 

 

 

 

그러나 미라를 만드는 일은 보통 시간을 많이 잡아먹는 일이 아니었나 봅니다. 장장 40일 동안 미라를 만들었고 이집트인은 요셉 총독의 아버지 슬픔을 70일 동안 애도합니다. 

 

 

 줄창 슬픔

 

6. And Pharaoh answered, "Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear."

7. So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8. as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, andhis father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their heres were left in the land of Goshen.

9. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.

10. When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father for seven days.

11. When the inhabitants of the land the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians." Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim, it is beyond the Jordan.

 

 

12. Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 

13. for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying, place.

14. After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

 

뭔가 오랫동안 비탄에 잠긴 장례 분위기입니다. 이집트 왕도 백성들도 요셉의 죽음에 오랫동안 애도했다는 의미는 요셉의 높은 위상도 반영한 거라고 보입니다. 

 

 형들의 두려움

 

15. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him, "

16. So they sent a message to Jopseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died,

17. Say to Joseph, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

19. But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?

20. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

21. So do not fear, I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

 

아버지의 장례도 치르고 나니 형제들은 요셉이 자신들에게 복수를 할까 두려워하며 아버지가 형제들끼리 사이좋게 지내라 그랬다는 등 구차하게 굽니다. 하지만 요셉은 형들보다 아량이 넓어서인지 형들에게 두려워 말라고 합니다. 형들과 가족들을 편히 모시겠다고 합니다.

 

 

 

 형들의 두려움

22. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived for 110 years.

23. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own.

24. And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jocob."

25. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here."

26. So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

 

요셉은 아버지가 묵던 집에서 기거하며 110살까지 살았습니다. 그리고 요셉의 시신도 방부처리해서 미라로 만들었다고 합니다.  그러나 이집트인 입장에서는 서운할 법도 한 것이, 요셉은 애굽땅을 떠날 때 자신의 뼈도 가지고 가라고 합니다.