which posterity of his we relate their history in another work. Now the name of Abram is even still famous in the country of Damascus; and there is shown a village named from CHAP. VIII. OF ABRAM'S DEPARTURE INTO EGYPT IN CONSEQUENCE OF both for understanding all things, and per- OW in Now after this, when a famine t bad an Berosus mentions our father Abram without naming him, when he says, "In the tenth generation after the flood, there was among the Chaldeans a man, righteous and great, and skilful in the celestial science.' But Hecateus does more than barely mention him; for he composed and left behind him a book concerning him. And Nicolaus of Damascus, in the fourth book of his history, says, "Abramtion to abuse the stranger's wife. He then, reigned at Damascus; being a foreigner, who came with an army out of the land above Babylon, called the land of the Chaldeans. But after a long time he removed from that country also, with his people, and went into the land then called the land of Canaan, but now the land of Judea: and this when his posterity were become a multitude; as to * Gen. xii. 5. out of fear, asked Sarai who she was, and who it was that she had brought along with her? And when he had discovered the truth, he excused himself to Abram, that supposing the woman to be his sister, and not his wife, he set his affection on her, as desiring an affinity with him by marrying her, but not as incited by lust to abuse her. He also made + Gen. xii. 10. CHAP. X. OF ABRAM'S SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ASSYRIANS, AND HIS RESCUE OF THE SODOMITE PRISONERS. HEN Abram heard of their calamity, the priest of God. However, they afterwards called Salem Jerusalem. Now this Melchisedec supplied Abram's army in an hospitable manner, and gave them provisions in abundance and as they were feasting, he began to praise him, and to bless God for subAnd when WHEN hearaid for Lot, his king duing his enemies under him. man, and pitied the Sodomites, his friends and neighbours: and thinking it proper to afford them assistance, he did not delay it, but marched hastily, and the fifth night fell upon the Assyrians near Dan; for that is the name of the other spring of Jordan; and before they could arm themselves he slew them as they were in their beds; and others who were not yet gone to sleep, but were so intoxicated they could not fight, ran away. Abram pursued after them till, on the second day, he drove them in a body unto Hoba,* a place belonging to Damascus; and thereby demonstrated that victory does not depend on multitude, depend on multitude, and the number of hands, but that the alacrity and courage of soldiers overcome the most numerous bodies of men: while he got the victory over so great an army with no more than three hundred and eighteen of his servants, and three of his friends. But all those that fled returned home ingloriously. So Abram, when he had saved the captive Sodomites, who had been taken by the Assyrians, and Lot, also, his kinsman, returned home in peace. Now the king of Sodom met him at a certain place, which they called the King's Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the city of Salem, received him. That name signifies the righteous king and such he was without dispute, insomuch that, on this account, he was made *Gen. xiv. 15. It is worthy of remark, that God required no other sacrifices under the law of Moses, than what were taken from these five kinds of animals which he here required of Abram. Nor did the Jews feed upon any other domestic animals than the three here named, as Reland observes on Antiq. IV. 4. It was a customary thing to cut the victim, which was to be offered as a sacrifice upon the occasion, into two parts, and so placing each half upon two different altars, to cause those who contracted the covenant to pass between both. This rite was practised both by believers and heathens at their solemn leagues: at first, doubtless, with a view to the great Sacrifice, who was to purge our sins in his own blood: and the offering of these sacrifices, and passing between the parts of the divided victim, was Abram gave him the tenth part of his prey, symbolically staking their hopes of purification and salvation on their performance of the conditions on which it was offered. This remarkable practice may be clearly traced in the Greek and Latin writers. Homer has the following expression: Ogxia WISH TENTES, I. ii. 124. Having cut faithful oaths." Eustathius explains the passage by saying, they were oaths relating to important matters, and were made by the division of the victim. See also Virgil, Æn. viii. ver. 640. The editor to the Fragments, Supplementary to Calmet, No. 129, is of opinion that what is yet practised of this ceremony may elucidate that passage in Isaiah xxviii, 15. "We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement: when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." That is, we have cut before before he built bis altar, where the birds of prey flew about as desirous of blood, a divine voice came to him, declaring that their neighbours would be grievous to his posterity, when they should be in Egypt, for four hundred years during which time they should be afflicted, but afterwards should overcome their enemies, should conquer the Canaanites in war, and possess themselves of their land, and of their cities. Now Abram dwelt near the oak called Ogyges: the place belongs to Canaan, not far from the city of Hebron. But, being uneasy at his wife's barrenness, he intreated God to grant that he might have male issue: and God required of him to be of good courage, and said, that he would add to all the rest of the benefits he had bestowed upon him, ever since he led him out of Mesopotamia, 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 pregnant, she triumphed, and ventured to affront Sarai, as if the dominion were to come to a son to be born of her. But when Abram resigned her into the hands of Sarai, to punish her, she contrived to flee away, as not able to bear the instances of Sarai's severity to her and she intreated God to have compassion on her. Now a divine angel met her as she was going forward in the wilderness, and bid her return to her master and mistress; for if she would submit to that wise advice, she should live better hereafter: for that the reason of her a covenant sacrifice, a purification offering with death, and with the grave we have settled, so that the scourge shall not injure us. May not such a custom have been the origin of the following superstition related by Pitts? "If they (the Algerine corsairs) at any time happen to be in a very great strait or distress, as being chased, or in a storm, they will gather money, light up candles in remembrance of some dead marrabot (saint) or other, calling upon him with heavy sighs and groans. If they find no succour from their before-mentioned rites and superstitions, but that the danger rather increases, then they go to sacrificing a sheep (or two or three upon occasion, as they think needful), which is done after this manner having cut off the head with a knife, they immediately take out the entrails, and throw them and the head overboard; and then, with all the speed they can (without skinning), they cut the body into two parts by the middle, and throw one part over the right side of the being in such a miserable case was, that she had been ungrateful and arrogant towards her mistress. He also told her, that if she || disobeyed God, and went on still on her way, she should perish: but if she would return back, she should become the mother of a son, who should reign over that country. These admonitions she obeyed, and returned to her master and mistress, and obtained forgiveness. A little while afterwards, she gave birth to Ismael, † which may be interpreted Heard of God: because God heard his mother's prayer. This son was born to Abram when he was eighty-six years old.‡ But when he was ninety-nine, God appeared to him, and promised that he should have a son by Sarai, and commanded that his name should be Isaac: and showed him that from this son should spring great nations and kings; and that they should obtain the land of Canaan by war from Sidon to Egypt. But he charged, in order to keep his posterity unmixt with others, that they should be circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin, and that this should be done on the eighth day after they were born. The reason of which circumcision I will explain in another place. And Abram enquiring also concerning Ismael, whether he should live or not; God signified 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 blessings; and then he, with his son Ismael, and all his family, were circumcised immediately: the son being that day thirteen years of age, and Abram ninety-nine. ship, and the other over the left, into the sea, as a kind of propitiation. Thus those blind infidels apply themselves to imaginary intercessors, instead of the living and true God." Travels, p. 18. In the case here referred to, the ship passes between the parts thus thrown on each side of it. This behaviour of the Algerines may be taken as a pretty accurate counterpart to that of making a covenant with death, and with imminent danger of destruction, by appeasing the angry gods. Festivities always accompanied the ceremonies attending oaths. Isaac and Abimelech feasted at making their covenant, Gen. xxvi. 30. and xxxi. 54. This practice was also usual among the heathen nations. Oriental Customs, Vol. I. 294. B. As to this affliction of Abraham's posterity for four hundred years, see II. 9. † Ann. 1956. Gen. xvi, 16. CHAP. XI. OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SODOMITE NATION, ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR SINS. ABOUT this time the Sodomites grew proud on account of their riches and great wealth they became unjust towards men, and impious towards God; insomuch that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and abused themselves with unnatural practices. God was therefore much displeased at them, and determined, as a punishment for their pride, to overthrow their city, and lay waste their country, till there should neither plant nor fruit grow out of it. When God had thus resolved concerning the Sodomites, Abraham, as he sat by the oak of Mambre, at the door of his tent, saw three angels; and thinking them to be strangers, he rose up, and saluted them, and desired they would accept of an entertainment, and abide with him; to which when they agreed, he ordered cakes of meal to be made; and when he had slain a calf, he roasted it, and brought it to them as they sat under the oak. Now they made a show of eating: and besides they asked him about his wife Sarah, where she was; and when he said she was within, they said they should come again hereafter, and find her become a mother. Upon which the woman laughed, and said, that it was impossible she should bear children, since she was ninety years of age, and her husband was an hundred. Then they concealed themselves no longer, but declared that they were angels of God; and that one of them was sent to inform them about the child, and two for the overthrow of Sodom. When Abraham heard this, he was grieved for the Sodomites; and he rose up, and besought God for them, and intreated him that he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. But when God had replied, that there was no good man among the Sodomites, for if there were but ten such men among them he would not punish any of them for their sins, Abraham held his pesocomites, and angels came to the city of the Sodomites, and Lot intreated them to accept a lodging with him;t for he was a very generous and hospitable man, and one that had learned to imitate the goodness of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved to possess those beautiful boys by force; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house, and promised that, if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made ashamed. But God was much displeased at their impudent behaviour, so that he both smote those men with blindness, and condemned the Sodomites to universal destruction; but Lot, upon God's informing him of the future destruction of the Sodomites, went away, taking with him his wife and two daughters, who were still virgins, for those that were be trothed to them were above the thoughts of going, and deemed Lot's words trifling. God then cast a thunderbolt upon the city, and set it on fire, with its inhabitants, and laid waste the country with the like burning, as I formerly said when I wrote the Jewish war; but Lot's wife continually turning back to view the city, as she went from it, and being too inquisitive what would become of it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a pillar ¶ of salt; for I T have seen it, and it remains at this day. Now standing then is also attested by Clement of Rome, contemporary with Josephus; as also that it was in the next century is attested by Irenæus, with the addition of an hypothesis, how it came to last so long, with all its members entire. Whether the account that some modern travellers give be true, that it is still standing, I do not know. Its remote situation, at the utmost southern point of the sea of Sodom, in the wild and dangerous deserts of Arabia, makes it exceeding difficult for inquisi he |