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 a disease, nei ther by war, nor by any other severe ways, 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 succourer and 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 had alone 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 Abrahan 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 surprising readiness he showed in this his piety; he was delighted in having bestowed such blessings 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 should obtain the possession of the land of Canaan, and be envied by all men.* When God had said this, he produced to them a

* It seems both here, and in God's parallel blessing to Jacob, c. xix. sec. 1. that Josephus had not yet any 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 one; 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 latter part of his life, no more than an Ebionite Christian, who, above all the apostles, rejected and despised St. Paul, it would be no great wonder if he did not now follow his interpretation. In the mean time, we have in effect St. Paul's exposition in the testament of Reuben, sec. 6, in Authent. Rec. part i. p.

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 bad sacrificed, they returned to Sarah, and lived happily together, God affording him 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 buryingplace; 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 Ekidas, 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 Arabia the Happy, as far as it reaches the Red Sea. It is related of this Ophren, that he made war against Libya, and took it; and that his grandchildren, when they inhabited it, called it from his name Africa. And indeed Alexander

302, who charges his sons, " To worship the seed of Judah, who should die for them in visible and invisible 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, or seed, in the singular, may signify either posterity or a single person; and that in this promise of all nations being happy in the seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob, &c. it is always used in the singular. To which I shall add, that it is sometimes, as it were, paraphrased by the son of Abraham, the son of David, &c. which is capable of no such ambiguity.

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 Jurim, 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 begat a son Didorus; and that Sophon was his son, from whom the barbarous people called Sophasians 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 her, after he had obliged him to give him the strongest assurances of his fidelity. Which assurances 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 such presents 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 summer, for want of water; and besides this, for the robberies there committed, which are not to be avoided by travellers, but by caution beforehand. However, the servant came to Haran. And when he was in the suburbs, he met a great 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, VOL. I.

10

and could spare none for him, one only of the company rebuked them for their peevish behaviour toward 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 this 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 legi timate 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 directed 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 ac knowledgment, 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 trust them to none more safely, than to such as she had showed herself to be; and that he believed he might guess at the humanity of her mother and brother, that they would not be displeased, from the vir tue he found in her, for he would not be burdensome, but would pay the hire for his entertainment, and spend his own money. To which she replied, that he guessed right as to the humanity of her parents; but complained, that he should have all on free cost: but she said, she would first inform her brother Laban, and, if he gave her leave, she would conduct him in.

3. As soon then as this was over, she introduced the stran

ger; and for the camels, the servants of Laban brought them in, and took care of them, and he was himself brought into supper by Laban. And, after supper, he says to him, and to the mother of the damsel, addressing 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 to match him 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 light upon your daughter, in 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 has 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 of Keturah were gone to their own remote habitations.

CHAPTER KVII.

CONCERNING THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM.

1. A LITTLE While after this, Abraham died. He was a man of incomparable virtue, and honoured by God in a manner agreeable to his piety toward him. The whole time of his life was one hundred and seventy-five years; and he was buried in Hebron, with his wife Sarah, by their sons Isaac and Ishmael.

CHAP 37 XVIII.

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CONCERNING THE SONS OF ISAAC, ESAU AND JACOB. OF THEIR NATIVITY AND EDUCATION.

1. Now Isaac's wife proved with child, after the death of Abraham; and when her belly was greatly burdened, Isaac was very anxious, and inquired of God: who answered, that

The birth of Jacob and Esau is here said to be after Abraham's death; it should have been after Sarah's death The order of the nar ration in Genesis, not always exactly according to the order of time, zeems to have led Josephus into it, as Dr. Bernard observes here.