GENESIS 50:10-14

Q: Why does Joseph mourn his father at the threshing floor? Is it symbolic of something?

There is no indication in the text or via scholars I consulted to shed much light on this.

 

What we do know is that if you trace the geographical path from Egypt across the Trans-Jordan 

at a point  approaching Hebron, it would appear to be a foreshadowing of the route Israel later

takes in their Exodus  from Egypt (Numbers 33:1-49; Joshua 3). It is also in fulfillment of God's

promise to Jacob in Genesis 46:1-4. Given the lack of any attached significance to Atad or his 

threshing floor, I would suggest that it just happened to be the best identifying name/landmark 

by which to describe the area in which the caravan stopped to mourn. It is also likely that it 

happened to be the most appropriate spot for such a caravan to temporarily settle and carry 

out their mourning by the coast of the Jordan River (thus, just far enough to fulfill Genesis 

46:1-4). 

 

In addition, the practical reason may be that threshing floors were also "conveniently 

located in open [and flat] places...which could be used for other purposes." 

(Dictionary of Biblical Imagery) 

 

Two examples of such purposes are (a) where the kings of Judah and Israel convened with

the prophets on a threshing floor (I Kings 22:10) and (b) the use of a threshing floor in

Jerusalem for the site of the Temple (II Samuel 24:18-26).