tites, as it is called: However, concerning this lake, we fhall fpeak more presently. Now when the Sodomites joined battle with the Affyrians, and the fight was very obftinate, many of them were killed, and the reft were carried captive; among which captives was Lot who had come to afflift the Sodomites. CHAP. X. How Abram fought with the Affyrians and overcame them, and faved the Sodomite prifoners, and took from the Affyr ians the Prey they had gotten. 31. W THEN Abram heard of their calamity, he was at once afraid for Lot his kinfman, and pitied the Sodomites, his friends and neighbours, and thinking it proper to afford them affiftance, he did not delay it, but marched haftily, and the fifth night fell upon the Affyrians, near Dan, for that is the name of the other spring of Jordan; and before they could arm themselves, he flew fome as they were in their beds, before they could fufpect any harm; and others, who were not yet gone to fleep, but were fo drunk they could not fight, ran away. Abram purfued after them, till, on the fecond day, he drove them in a body unto Hoba, a place belonging to Damafcas; and thereby demonftrated that victory does not depend on multitude, and the number of hands, but the alacrity and courage of foldiers overcome the moft numerous bodies of men, while he got the victory over fo great an army with no more than three hundred and eighteen of his fervants, and three of his friends: But all thofe that fled returned home ingloriously. 2. So Abram, when he had faved the captive Sodomites, who had been taken by the Affyrians, and Lot alfo, his kinfman, returned home in peace. Now the King of Sodom met him at a certain place, which they alled, The King's dale, where Melchifedeck, King of the city Salem, received him. That name fignifies, The righteous King; and fuch he was without difpute, infomuch that, on this account, he was made the Priest of God: However, they afterward called it Salem Jerufalem. Now this Melchifedeck fupplied Abram's army in an hofpitable manner, and gave them provifions in in abundance; and as they were feafting, he began to praife him, and to blefs God for fubduing his enemies under him. And when Abram gave him the tenth part of his prey, he accepted of the gift: But the King of Sodom defired Abram to take the prey; but entreated that he might have thofe men restored to him whom Abram had faved from the Affyrians, because they belonged to him. But Abram would not do fo; nor would make any other advantage of that prey, than what his fervants had eaten; but ftill infifted that he fhould afford a part to his friends that had affifted him in the battle. The firft of them was called Efchol, and then Enner, and Mambre. 3. And God commended his virtue, and faid, Thou fhalt not however lose the rewards thou hast deserved to receive by fuch thy glorious actions. He anfwered, And, ¿ What advantage will it be to me to have fuch red wards, when I have none to enjoy them after me? For he was hitherto childlefs. And God promised that he fhould have a fon, and that his pofterity fhould be very numerous, infomuch, that their number should be like the ftars. When he leard that, he offered a facrifice to God, as he commanded him. The manner of the facrifice was this: * He took an heifer of three years old, and a fhe goat of three years old, and a ram in like manner of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a pigeon; and, as he was enjoined, he divided the three former, but the birds he did not divide. After which, before he built his altar, where the birds of prey flew about as defirous of blood, a divine voice came to him, declaring that their neighbours would be grievous to his pofterity, when they fhould be in Egypt, for + four hundred years; during which time they fhould be afflicted, but afterward fhould overcome their enemies, fhould conquer the Canaanites in war, and poffefs themselves of their land, and of their cities. 4. Now It is worth noting here, that God required no other facrifices under the law of Mofes, than what were taken from thefe five kinds of animals which he here required of Abram. Nor did the Jews feed upon any other domestick animals than the three here named, as Reland obferves on Antiq. B. IV. ch.4§4. + As to this affliction of Abraham's posterity for 400 years, see Antiq, B. II, ch, ix, § 11 4. Now Abram dwelt near the Oak called Ogyges : the place belongs to Canaan, not far from the city of Hebron. But being uneafy at his wife's barrennefs, he entreated God to grant that he might have male issue; and God required of him to be of good courage; and faid, that he would add to all the reft of the benefits that he had bestowed upon him, ever fince he led him out of Mefopotamia, the gift of children. Accordingly Sarai, at God's command, brought to his bed one of her handmaidens, a woman of Egyptian descent, in order to obtain children by her; and when this handmaid was with child, fhe triumphed, and ventured to affront Sarai, as if the dominion were to come to a fon to be born of her. But when Abram refigned her into the hands of Sarai, to punish her, the contrived to flee away, as not able to bear the inftances of Sarai's severity to her; and the entreated God to have compaffion on her. Now a divine Angel met her, as she was going forward in the wildernefs, and bid her return to her mafter and mistress, for if she would submit to that wife advice, fhe would live better hereafter; for that the reason of her being in such a miserable cafe was this, that she had been ungrateful and arrogant towards her mistress. He alfo told her, that if fhe difobeyed God, and went on ftill in her way, the fhould perish; but if she would return back, she should become the mother of a fon, who fhould reign over that country. These admonitions fhe obeyed, and returned to her master and mistress, and obtained forgivenefs. A little while afterwards, fhe bare Ifmael, which may be interpreted, Heard of God, because God had heard his mother's prayer. 5. The forementioned fon was born to Abram when he was eighty fix years old: But when he was ninety nine, God appeared to him, and promised him, that he fhould have a fon by, Sarai, and commanded that his name should be Ifaac; and fhewed him, that from this fon fhould fpring great nations and kings, and that they fhould obtain all the land of Canaan by war, from Sidon to Egypt. But he charged him, in order to keep his pofterity unmixt with others, that they fhould be circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin, and that this should be done on the eighth day after they were were born: The reafon of which circumcifion, I will explain in another place. And Abram inquiring alfo concerning Ifmael, whether he should live or not, God fignified to him, that he should live to be very old, and should be the father of great nations: Abram therefore gave thanks to God for these bleffings; and then he, and all his family, and his fon Ifmael, were circumcifed immediately; the fon being that day thir teen years of age, and he ninety nine. CHA P. XI. Low God overthrew the Nation of the Sodomites, out of his wrath against them for their Sins. BOUT this time the Sodomites grew proud, $1. AB on account of their riches, and great wealth: They became unjust towards men, and impious towards God, infomuch that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him They hated ftrangers, and abufed themselves with Sodomitical practices. God was therefore much difpleafed at them, and determined to punish them for their pride, and to overthrow their city, and to lay wafte their country, until there fhould neither plant nor fruit grow out of it. 2. When God had thus refolved concerning the Sodomites, Abraham, as he fat by the Oak of Mambre, at the door of his tent, faw three angels; and thinking them to be ftrangers, he rofe up, and faluted them and defired they would accept of an entertainment, and abide with him; to which, when they agreed, he ordered cakes of meal to be made prefently; and when he had flain a calf, he roasted it, and brought it to them, as they fat under the oak. Now they made a fhew of eating; and befides, they afked him about his wife Sarah, d Where fhe was? And when he faid, fhe was within, they faid, they fhould come again hereafter, and find her become a mother. Upon which the woman laughed, and said, that it was impoffible fhe fhould bear children, fince fhe was ninety years of age, and her husband was an hundred. Then they concealed themselves no longer, but declared that they 10 K were Angels of God; and that one of them was fent to inform them about the child, and two for the overthrow of Sodom. 3. When Abraham heard this, he was grieved for the Sodomites; and he rofe up, and befought God for them, and entreated him that he would not deftroy the righteous with the wicked. And when God ad replied, That there was no good man among the Sodomites; for if there were but ten fuch men among them, he would not punish any of them for their fins, Abraham held his peace. And the angels came to the city of the Sodomites, and Lot entreated them to accept of a lodging with him; for he was a very gene rous and hofpitable man, and one that had learned to imitate the goodness of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites faw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they refolved themselves to enjoy those beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to fobriety, and not to offer any thing immodeft to the ftrangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his houfe; and promised, that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expofe his daughters to their luft, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made afhamed. 4. But God was much difpleafed at their impudent behaviour, fo that he both fmote those men with blindnefs, and condemned the Sodomites to univerfal deftruction. But Lot, upon God's informing him of the future deftruction of the Sodomites, went away, taking with him his wife, and daughters, who were two, and ftill virgins; for those that were * betrothed to them were above the thoughts of going, and deemed that Lot's words were trifling. God then caft a thunderbolt upon the city, and fet it on fire, with its inhabitants; and laid waste the country with the like burning, as I formerly faid when I wrote the t Jewifh *Thefe fons in law to Lot, as they are called, Gen. xix. 12-14, might be fo ftyled, because they were betrothed to Lot's daughters, though not yet married to them. See the note on Antiq. B. XIV. ch. xiii. 1. Vol. 111. t +Of the War, B. IV. ch. viii. § 4 Vol. V. |