Bible Encyclopedias

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Abel-Mizraim

ā´bel -miz´rā̇ -im ( אבל מצרים , 'ābhēl micrayim , "meadow of Egypt"): A name given to "the threshing floor of Atad," East of the Jordan and North of the Dead Sea, because Joseph and his funeral party from Egypt there held their mourning over Jacob (Genesis 50:11 ). The name is a pun. The Canaanite residents saw the 'ēbhel , "the mourning," and therefore that place was called 'ābhēl micrayim .

It is remarkable that the funeral should have taken this circuitous route, instead of going directly from Egypt to Hebron. Possibly a reason may be found as we obtain additional details in Egyptian history. The explanations which consist in changing the text, or in substituting the North Arabian Mutsri for Mitsrayim, are unsatisfactory.