aim, and he said, that he required this son of favors ne nath conferred on me, in being to his as a sacrifice and holy oblatio.. Accord-me a supporter and defender. Accordingly, ingly he commanded him to carry him to the mountain Moriah, and to build an altar, and offer him for a burnt offering upon it; for that this would best manifest his religious disposion towards him, if he preferred what was pleasing to God before the preservation of his own son. 2. Now Abraham thought that it was not right to disobey God in any thing, but that he was obliged to serve him in every circumstance of life, since all creatures that live, enjoy their life by his providence and the kindness he bestows on them. Accordingly he concealed this command of God, and his own intentions about the slaughter of his son, from his wife, as also from every one of his servants; otherwise he should have been hindered from his obedience to God; and he took Isaac, together with two of his servants, and laying what kings were necessary for a sacrifice upon an ass, he went away to the mountain. Now the two servants went along with him two days; but on the third day, as soon as he saw the mountain, he left those servants that were with him till then, in the plain, and having his son alone with him he came to the mountain. It was that mountain upon which king David afterwards built the temple.* Now they had brought with them every thing necessary for a sacrifice, excepting the animal that was to be offered only. Now Isaac was twenty-five years old. And as he was building the altar, he asked his father, "What he was about to offer, since there was no animal there for an oblation?" To which it was answered, "That God would provide himself an oblation, he being able to make a plentiful provision for men out of what they have not, and to deprive others of what they already have, when they put too much trust therein; that, therefore, if God pleased to be present and propitious at this sacrifice, he would provide himself an oblation." 3. As soon as the altar was prepared, and Abraham had laid on the wood, and all things were entirely ready, he said to his son, "O son, I poured out a vast number of prayers that I might have thee for my son; when thou wast come into the world, there was nothing that could contribute to thy support, for which I was not greatly solicitous, nor any thing wherein I thought myself happier than to see thee grown up to man's estate, and that I might leave thee at my death the successor to my dominion; but since it was by God's will that I became thy father; and it is now his will that I relinquish thee, bear this consecration to God with a generous mind; for I resign thee up to God, who thought fit now to require this testimony of honor to himself on account of the * Here is a plain error in the copies, which say, that king David afterwards built the temple on this mount Moriah, while it was certainly no other than king Solomon who built that temple, as indeed Procopius cites it from Josephus. For it was for certain David, and not Solomon, who built the first altar there, as we learn, 2 Sam. xxiv. 18, &c. 1 Chron. xi. 22, &c. and Antiq. b vii, chap. xiii. sect 1. thou, my son, wilt now die, not in any common way of going out of the world, but sent to God the Father of all men beforehand, by thy own father, in the nature of a sacrifice. I suppose he thinks thee worthy to get clear of this world, neither by disease, neither by war, nor by any other severe way, by which death usually comes upon men, but so that he will receive thy soul with prayers and holy offices of religion, and will place thee near to himself and thou wilt there be to me a succorer, a supporter in my old age; on which account I principally brought thee up, and thou wilt thereby procure me God for my comforter instead of thyself." 4. Now Isaac was of such a generous disposition as became the son of such a father, and was pleased with this discourse, and said, "That he was not worthy to be born at first, if he should reject the determination of God and of his father, and should not resign himself up readily to both their pleasures; since it would have been unjust if he had not obeyed, even if his father alone had so resolved." So he went immediately to the altar to be sacrificed And the deed had been done if God had not opposed it; for he called loudly to Abraham by his name, and forbade him to slay his son, and said, "It was not out of a desire of human blood that he was commanded to slay his son, nor was he willing that he should be taken away from him whom he had made his father, but to try the temper of his mind, whether he would be obedient to such a command. Since, therefore, he now was satisfied as to that his alacrity, and the surprising readiness he showed in this his piety, he was delighted in having bestowed such blessings upon him; and that he would not be wanting in all sort of concern about him, and in bestowing other children upon him and that his son should live to a very great age; that he should live a happy life, and bequeath a large principality to his children, who should be good and legitimate." He foretold also, that his family should increase into many nations; and that those patriarchs should leave behind them an everlasting name;* that they *It seems, both here and in God's parallel blessing to Jacob, ch. xix. sect. 1, that Josephus had yet no notion of the hidden meaning of that most important and most eminent promise, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. He saith not of seeds, as of many, but as of ones and to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. iii. 16. Nor is it any wonder, he being, I think, as yet, not a Christian. And had he been a Christian, yet since he was, to be sure, till the la ter part of his life, no more than an Ebionite Christian, who, above all the apostles, rejected and despised St. Pau, iš would be no great wonder if he did not follow his interpre tation. In the meantime, we have, in effect, St. Paul's exposition in the Testament of Reuber, sect. 6, in Authent Rec. part. i. p. 302, who charges his ions, "To worship the Seed of Judah, who should die for the m in visible and invisble wars; and should be among them, an eternal King." Nor is that observation of a learned foreigner of my acquaintance to be despised, who takes notice that as seeds in the plural must signify posterity, so seed in the singular may signify either posterity or a single person; and that in this promise of all na tions being happy in the seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob &c. it is always used in the singular. To which I shall add hat it is sometimes, as it were, paraphrased by the son of Ab raham, the son of David, &c. which is capable of no such ambiguity. should obtain the possessior of the land of her, after he had obliged him to give him the Canaan, and be envied by all men. When God had said this, he produced to them a ram, which did not appear before, for the sacrifice. So Abraham and Isaac, receiving each other unexpectedly, and having obtained the promises of such great blessings, embraced one another; and when they had sacrificed, they returned to Sarah, and lived happily together, God affording them his assistance in all things they desired. CHAPTER XIV. Concerning Sarah, Abraham's Wife, and how she ended her days. § 1. Now Sarah died a little while after, having lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. They buried her in Hebron; the Canaanites publicly allowing them a burying-place: which piece of ground Abraham bought for four hundred shekels, of Ephron, an inhabitant of Hebron. And both Abraham and his descendants built themselves sepulchres in that place. CHAPTER XV. How the Nation of the Troglodytes were derived from Abraham by Keturah. § 1. Abraham, after this, married Keturah, by whom six sons were born to him, men of courage and of sagacious minds: Zambran, and Jazar, and Madan, and Madian, and Josabak, and Sous. Now the sons of Sous were, Sabathan, and Dadan. The sons of Dadan were, Latusim, and Assur, and Luom. The sons of Madian were, Ephas, and Ophren, and Anoch, and Ebidas, and Eldas. Now for all these sons and grandsons, Abraham contrived to settle them in colonies; and they took possession of Troglodytes, and the country of Arabia the Happy, as far as it reaches to the Red Sea. It is related of this Ophren, that he made war against Libya, and took it, and that his grandthildren, when they inhabited it, called it from his name Africa. And indeed Alexander Polyhistor gives his attestation to what I here say, who speaks thus: "Cleodemus the prophet, who was also called Malchus, who wrote a history of the Jews, in agreement with the history of Moses, their legislator, relates, that there were many sons born to Abraham by Keturah: nay, he names three of them, Apher, and Surim, and Japhran. That from Surim was the land of Assyria denominated; and that from the other two, Apher and Japhran, the country of Africa took its name, because these men were auxiliaries to Hercules, when he fought against Libya and Antæus; and that Hercules married Aphra's daughter, and of her he begat a son, Diodorus; and that Sophon was his son from whom the barbarous people called Sophacians were denominated. CHAPTER XVI. How Isaac took Rebeka to Wife. § 1. Now when Abraham, the father of Isaac, had resolved to take Rebeka, who was granddaughter to his brother Nahor, for a wife to his son Isaac, who was then about forty years old, he sent the ancientest of his servants to betroth strongest assurances of his fidelity. Which as surances were given after the manner following: They put each other's hands under each other's thighs, then they called upon God as the witness of what was to be done. He also sent suci. Uresents to those that were there, as were in esteem, on account that they either rarely or never were seen in that country. This servant got thither not under a considerable time: for it requires much time to pass through Mesopotamia, in which it is tedious travelling, both in winter for the depth of the clay, and in su mer for want of water; and besides this, for the robberies there committed, which are not to be avoided by travellers but by caution before hand. However the servant canie to Haran And when he was in the suburbs, he met z considerable number of maidens going to the water; he therefore prayed to God, that Rebeka might be found among them, or her whom Abraham sent him as his servant to espouse to his son, in case his will were that this marriage should be consummated, and that she might be made known to him by this sign, that while others denied him water to drink, she might give it him. 2. With this intention he went to the well, and desired the maidens to give him some water to drink: but while the others refused, on pretence that they wanted it all at home, and could spare none for him, one only of the company rebuked them for their peevish behavior towards the stranger; and said, What is there that you will ever communicate to any body. who have not so much as given the man some water? She then offered him water in an obliging manner. And now he began to hope that his grand affair would succeed: but desiring still to know the truth, he commended her for her generosity and good nature, that she did not scruple to afford a sufficiency of water to those that wanted it, though it cost her some pains to draw it; and asked who were her parents, and wished them joy of such a daughter; and mayest thou be, espoused, said he, to their satisfaction, into the family of an agreeable husband, and bring him legitimate children. Nor did she disdain to satisfy his inquiries, but told him her family. They, says she, call me Rebeka; my father was Bethuel, but he is dead; and Laban is my brother, and, together with my mother, takes care of all our family affairs, and is the guardian of my virginity. When the servant heard this, he was very glad at what had happened, and at what was told him, as perceiving that God had thus plainly diret his journey; and producing his bracelets and some other ornaments, which it was esteemed decent for virgins to wear, he gave them to the damsel, by way of acknowledgment, and as a reward for her kindness in giving him water to drink; saying, it was but just that she should have them because she was so much more obliging than any of the rest. She desired also that he would come and lodge with them, since the approach of the night gave him not time to proceed farther And producing his precious ornaments for women, he said, he desired to ter the death of Abraham;* and when her belly trust them to none more safely than to such as was greatly burdened, Isaac was very anxthe had showed herself to be; and that he be-ious, and inquired of God, who answered that lieved he might guess at the humanity of her Rebeka should bear twins; and that two nations mother and brother, that they would not be dis- should take the names of those sons; and that pleased, from the virtue he found in her, for he he who appeared the second should excel the would not be burdensome, but would pay the elder. Accordingly she, in a little time, as God hire for his entertainment, and spend his own foretold, bore twins; the elder of whom, from money. To which she replied, that he guess- his head to his feet, was very rough and hairy; ed right as to the humanity of her parents; but but the younger took hold of his heel as they complained, that he should think them so par- were in the birth. Now the father loved the simonious as to take money; for that he should elder, who was called Esau, a name agreeable have all on free cost. But she said, she would to his roughness, for the Hebrews called such a first inform her brother Laban, and if he gave hairy roughness (Esau, or) Seir; but Jacob the her leave, she would conduct him in. younger was best beloved by his mother. 3. As soon then as this was over, she intro- 2. When there was a famine in the land, duced the stranger; and for the camels, the Isaac resolved to go into Egypt, the land there servants of Laban brought them in, and took being good; but he went to Gerar, as God care of them, and he was himself brought in commanded him. Here Abimelech the king to supper by Laban. And after supper, he says received him, because Abraham had formerly to him, and to the mother of the damsel, ad-lived with him, and had been his friend. And dressing himself to her: "Abraham is the son of Terah, and a kinsman of yours, for Nahor, the grandfather of these children, was the brother of Abraham by both father and mother; upon which account he hath sent me to you, being desirous to take this damsel for his son to wife. He is his legitimate son; and is brought up as his only heir. He could indeed have had the most happy of all the women in that country for him, but he would not have his son marry any of them; but out of regard to his own relations, he desired him to match here, whose affection and inclination I would not have you despise; for it was by the good pleasure of God, that other accidents fell out in my journey, and that thereby I lighted upon your daughter, and your house; for when I was near to the city, I saw a great many maidens coming to a well and I prayed that I might meet with this damsel, which has come to pass accordingly. Do you, therefore, confirm that marriage, whose espousals have been already made by a divine appearance; and show the respect you have for Abraham, who hath sent me with so much solicitude, in giving your consent to the marriage of this damsel." Upon this they understood it to be the will of God, and greatly approved of the offer, and sent their daughter, as was desired. Accordingly isaac married her, the inheritance being now come to him; for the children by Keturah were gone to their own remote habitations. CHAPTER XVII. Concerning the Death of Abraham. 1. A little while after this Abraham died. He was a man of incomparable virtue, and honored by God in a manner agreeable to his piety towards him. The whole time of his life was one hundred seventy and five years; and he was buried in Hebron, with his wife Sarah, by their sons Isaac and Ismael. CHAPTER XVIII. Concerning the Sons of Isaac, Esau and Jacob. as in the beginning he treated him exceeding 3. It was now that Isaac's affairs increased, and his power was in a flourishing condition; and this from his great riches. But Abimelech thinking Isaac throve in opposition to him, while their living together made them suspicious of each other, and Isaac's retiring, showing a secret enmity also, he was afraid that his former friendship with Isaac did not secure him, if Isaac should endeavor to revenge the injuries he had formerly offered him; he therefore renewed his friendship with him, and brought with him Philoc, one of his generals. And when he had obtained every thing he desired by reason of Isaac's good nature, who preferred the earlier friendship Abimelech had shown to himself and his father, to his later wrath against him, he returned home. 4. Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father principally loved, was now Come to the age of forty years, he married Adah, the daughter of Helon, and Aholibamalı, the daughter of Esebeon; which Helon and Esebeon were great lords among the Canaanites, thereby taking upon himself the authority, and pretending to have dominion over his own marriages, without so much as asking the advice of his father; for had Isaac been the arbitrator, he had not given him leave to marry thus for he was not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of that country; out not caring to be uneasy to his son by commanding him to put away these wives, he re-possession of as many good things as thy powsolved to be silent. er is able to bestow. Make him terrible to his enemies, and honorable and beloved among his friends." and intercessions with God; and said, "O Lord of all ages, and Creator of all substance; for it was thou that didst propose to my father grea: plenty of good things, and hast vouchsafed to bestow on me what I have; and hast promised to my posterity to be their kind supporter, and to bestow on them still greater blessings; do thou, therefore, confirm these thy promises, and do not overlook me because of my present weak condition, on account of which I most earnestly pray to thee. Be gracious to this my son; and preserve him and keep him from every thing that is evil. Give him a happy life, and the 5. But when he was old, and could not see at all, he called Esau to him, and told him, that besides his blindness, and the disorder of his eyes, his very old age hindered him from his worship of God [by sacrifice,] he bid him therefore to go out a hunting, and when he had caught as much venison as he could, to prepare him a supper,* that after this he might make supplication to God, to be to him a supporter and an assister during the whole time of his life; saying, that it was uncertain when he should die, and that he was desirous, by his prayers for him, to procure, beforehand, God to be merciful to him. 6. Accordingly Esau went out a hunting. But Rebeka thinking it proper to have the supplication made to obtain the favor of God to Jacob, and that without the consent of Isaac, bid him kill kids of the goats, and prepare a supper. So Jacob obeyed his mother, according to all her instructions. Now when the supper was got ready, he took a goat's skin, and put it about his arms, that by reason of its hairy roughness he might, by his father, be believed to be Esau; for they being twins, and in all things else alike, differed only in this thing. This was done out of his fear, that before his father made his supplications, he should be caught in his evil practice, and lest he should, on the contrary, provoke his father to curse him. So he brought in the supper to his father. Isaac perceiving by the peculiarity of his voice, who he was, called his son to him, who gave him his hand, which was covered with the goat's skin. When Isaac felt that, he said, "Thy voice is like the voice of Jacob, yet because of the thickness of thy hair, thou seemest to be Esau." So suspecting no deceit, he ate the supper, and betook himself to his prayers *This supper of savory meat, as we call it, Gen. xxvii. 4, to be caught by hunting, was intended plainly for a festival or sacrifice, and upon the prayers that were frequent at sacrifices, Isaac expected, as was then usual in such eminent cases, that a divine impulse would come upon him, in order to the solemn blessing of his son there present, and his foretelling his future behaviour and fortune. Whence it must be, that when Isaac had unwittingly blessed Jacob, and was af*rward made sensible of his mistake, yet did he not attempt to alter it, how earnestly soever his affection for Esau might incline him to wish it might be altered, because he knew that this blessing came not from himself, but from God, and that an alteration was out of his power. A second afflatus then came upon him, and enabled him to foretell Esau's future behavior and fortune also. Whether Jacob or his mother Rebeka were most blameable in this imposition upon Isaac in his old age, I cannot determine. However, the blessing being delivered as a prediction of future events, by a divine impulse, and foretelling things to befall to the posterity of Jacob and Esau, in future 7. Thus did Isaac pray to God, thinking his prayers had been made for Esau. He had but just finished them, when Esau came in from hunting. And when Isaac perceived his mistake, he was silent; but Esau required that he might be made partaker of the like blessing from his father that his brother had partook of; but his father refused it, because all his prayers had been spent upon Jacob: so Esau lamented the mistake. However, his father, being griev ed at his weeping, said, that "he should excel in hunting, and strength of body; in arms, and all such sorts of work; and should obtain glory forever on those accounts, he and his posterity after him; but still should serve his brother."" 8. Now the mother delivered Jacob, when he was afraid that his brother would inflict some punishment upon him, because of the mistake about the prayers of Isaac; for she persuaded her husband to take a wife for Jacob out of Mesopotamia, of her own kindred. Esau having married already Basemmath, the daughter of Ismael, without his father's consent, for Isaac did not like the Canaanites, so that he disapproved of Esau's former marriages, which made him take Basemmath to wife, in order to please him; and indeed he had a great affection for her. CHAPTER XIX. Concerning Jacob's Flight into Mesopotamia, by reason of the fear he was in of his brother. § 1. Now Jacob was sent by his mother to Mesopotamia in order to marry her brother Laban's daughter, (which marriage was permitted by Isaac on account of his obsequiousages, was for certain providential; and according to what Rebeka knew to be the purpose of God, when he answered her inquiry, "before the children were born," Gen. xxv. 23, "that one people should be stronger than the other peoples and that the elder, Esau, should serve the younger, Jucob. Whether Isaac knew or remembered this old oracle, deliv ered in our copies only to Rebeka; or whether, if he knew and remembered it, he did not endeavor to alter the Divine determination, out of his fondness for his elder and worse son Esau, to the damage of his younger and better son Ja cob, as Josephus elsewhere supposes, Antiq. b. ii. chap. vi. sect. 3, I cannot certainly say. If so, this might tempt Rebeka to contrive, and Jacob to put this imposition upon him. How ever, Josephus says here, that it was Isaac, and not Rebeka, who inquired of God at first, and received the forementioned oracle, sect. 1, which, if it be the true reading, render Isaac's procedure more inexcusable. Nor was it probably any thing else that so much encouraged Esau formerly marry two Canaanitish wives, without his parent's consent as Isaac's unhappy fondness for him. her that he was a stranger, who came to inquire about her father's affairs. But she, as pleased, after the custom of children, with Jacob's coming, asked him who he was? and whence he came to them? and what it was he lacked that he came thither? She also wished it might be in their power to supply the wants he came about. ness to the desires of his wife;) and he accord- | were saying this, the damsel came, and the ingly journeyed through the land of Canaan; other shepherds that came down along with and because he hated the people of that coun-her. Then they showed her Jacob, and told try, he would not lodge with any of them, but took up his lodging in the open air, and laid his head on a heap of stones that he had gathered together. At which time he saw in his sleep such a vision standing by him: he seemed to see a ladder that reached from the earth unto heaven, and persons descending down the ladder, that seemed more excellent than human; and at last God himself stood above it, and was plainly visible to him, who, calling aim by his name, spake to him these words: 5. But Jacob was quite overcome, not so much by their kindred, nor by that affection which might arise thence, as by his love to the 2. "O Jacob, it is not fit for thes, who art damsel, and his surprise at her beauty, which the son of a good father, and grandson of one was so flourishing as few of the women of that who had obtained a great reputation for his age could vie with. He said then, “There is eminent virtue, to be dejected at thy present a relation between thee and me, elder than circumstances, but to hope for better times, for either thy or my birth, if thou be the daughter thou shalt have great abundance of all good of Laban; for Abraham was the son of Terah, things, by my assistance; for I brought Abra- as well as Haran and Nahor. Of the last of ham hither out of Mesopotamia, when he was whom, Nahor, Bethuel thy grandfather was the driven away by his kinsmen; and I made thy son. Isaac my father was the son of Abraham father a happy man; nor will I bestow a less and of Sarah, who was the daughter of Haran. degree of happiness on thyself. Be of good But there is a nearer and later cement of mucourage, therefore, and under my conduct pro-tual kindred which we bear to one another, for ceed on this thy journey, for the marriage thou goest so zealously about shall be consummated. And thou shalt have children of good characters, whose multitude shall be innumerable; and they shall leave what they have to a still more numerous posterity, to whom, and to whose posterity, I give the dominion of all the land, and their posterity shall fill the entire earth and sea, so far as the sun beholds them; but do not thou fear any danger, nor be afraid of the many labors thou must undergo, for by my providence I will direct thee what thou art to do in the time present, and still much more in the time to come." 3. Such were the predictions which God made to Jacob. Whereupon he became very joyful at what he had seen and heard, and he poured oil on the stones, because on them the prediction of such great benefits was made. He also vowed a vow that he would offer sacrifices upon them, if he lived and returned safe; and if he came again in such a condition, he would give the title of what he had gotten to God. He also judged the place to be honorable, and gave it the name of Bethel, which, in the Greek, is interpreted, the house of God. 4. So he proceeded on his journey to Mesopotamia, and at length came to Haran; and meeting with shepherds in the suburbs, with boys grown up, and maidens sitting about a certain well, he stayed with them, as wanting water to drink; and beginning to discourse with them, he asked them whether they knew such a one as Laban? and whether he was still alive? Now they all said they knew him, for he was not so inconsiderable a person as to be unknown to any of them; and that his laughter fed her father's flock together with hem; and that indeed they wondered that she was not yet come: for by her means thou mightest learn more exactly whatever thou desirest to know about that family. While they my mother Rebeka was sister to Laban thy father, both by the same father and mother; I therefore and thou are cousin-germans. And I am now come to salute you, and to renew that affinity which is proper between us." Upon this the damsel, at the mention of Rebeka, as usually happens to young persons, wept, and that out of the kindness she had for her father, and embraced Jacob, she having learned an account of Rebeka from her father, and knew that her parents loved to hear her named; and when she had saluted him, she said, that "He brought the most desirable and greatest pleasure to her father, with all their family, who was always mentioning his mother, and always thinking of her, and her alone; and that this will make thee equal in his eyes to any advantageous circumstances whatsoever." Then she bid him go to her father, and follow her while she conducted him to him, and not to deprive him of such a pleasure by staying any longer away from him. 6. When she had said thus, she brought him to Laban; and being owned by his uncle, he was secure himself, as being among his friends; and he brought a great deal of pleasure to them by his unexpected coming. But a little while afterward, Laban told him, that he could not express in words the joy he had at his coming; but still he inquired of him the occasion of his coming, and why he left his aged father and mother, when they wanted to be taken care of by him: and that he would afford him all the assistance he wanted. Then Jacob gave him an account of the whole occasion of his journey, and told him, "That Isaac had two sons that were twins, himself and Esau; who, because he failed of his father's prayers, which by his mother's wisdom were put up for him, sought to kill him, as deprived of the kingdom* By this, "deprivation of the kingdom that was to be given Esau of God," as the first-born, it appears that Josephus |