the antiquities of the jews-1-第10节

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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　（29）　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　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　14。

Concerning　Sarah　Abraham's　Wife；　And　How　She
Ended　Her　Days。

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
sepulchers　in　that　place。

CHAPTER　15。

How　The　Nation　Of　The　Troglodytes　Were　Derived　From　Abraham　By
Keturah。

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　Madiau　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　Troglodytis；　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
grandchildren；　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　Japbran）　the　country　of　Africa　took　its
name；　because　these　men　were　auxiliaries　to　Hercules；　when　he
fought　against　Libya　and　Antaeus；　and　that　Hercules　married
Aphra's　daughter；　and　of　her　he　begat　a　son；　Diodorus；　and　that
Sophon　was　his　son；　from　whom　that　barbarous　people　called
Sophacians　were　denominated。〃

CHAPTER　16。

How　Isaac　Took　Rebeka　To　Wife。

1。　Now　when　Abraham；　the　father　of　Isaac；　had　resolved　to　take
Rebeka；　who　was　grand…daughter　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　that　they　either　rarely　or　never　were　seen　in　that　country；
The　servant　got　thither　not　under　a　considerable　time；　for　it
requires　much　time　to　pass　through　Meopotamia；　in　which　it　is
tedious　traveling；　both　in　the　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
travelers　but　by　caution　beforehand。　However；　the　servant　came　to
Haran；　and　when　he　was　in　the　suburbs；　he　met　a　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　the　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　pretense　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　anybody；　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　mayst
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　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　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　trust　them　to　none　more　safely　than　to　such
as　she　had　shown　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　virtue　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　think　them　so　parsimonious　as　to　take　money；　for　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　stranger；
and　for　the　camels；　the　servants　of　Laban　brought　them　in；　and
took　care　of　them；　and　he　was　himself　brought　in　to　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　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　17。

Concerning　The　Death　Of　Abraham。

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　18。

Concerning