When Jacob (son of Isaac) died, his son Joseph (son of Jacob), who was then the prime minister of Egypt, came here with soldiers to mourn. It was also called Abel-mizraim.
Genesis 50:6Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”Genesis 50:7So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went all the officials of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of Egypt,Genesis 50:8together with Joseph’s whole household and his brothers and his father’s household. Only their little ones and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.Genesis 50:9Chariots and horsemen also went up with Joseph. It was a very large company.Genesis 50:10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.Genesis 50:11When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are in deep mourning.” So they named that place Abel-mizraim. It is on the other side of the Jordan.