Goshen
A place in the Bible
A region of Egypt where Jacob and his family lived. In the Douay-Rheims it is called “Gessen.”
What happened here
- The invitation: Joseph invited his father to live in Goshen, near him, with the whole family and the flocks.
- The embrace: in Goshen, Joseph went out in his chariot to meet his father Jacob. He embraced him and wept for a long time.
- The people grow: Israel settled in Goshen and grew very numerous there.
- The hail: during the plagues of Egypt, no hail fell in Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
Today
It was in Egypt, near the Nile Delta. No one knows for sure where it began and where it ended.
Where it appears in the Bible
Genesis 47:27; Genesis 45:10; Genesis 46:28-29; Exodus 9:26
What the Bible says
Genesis 47:27
So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.
Genesis 45:10
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, thy sheep, and thy herds, and all things that thou hast.
Genesis 46:28-29
28And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in Gessen. 29And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father, in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him wept.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Genesis 45:10; Genesis 47:27; Exodus 9:26