the antiquities of the jews-1-第8节

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grievous　to　his　posterity；　when　they　should　be　in　Egypt；　for　four
hundred　years；　（20）　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。

4。　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　entreated　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　that
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　with　child；　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　hand　of　Sarai；
to　punish　her；　she　contrived　to　fly　away；　as　not　able　to　bear　the
instances　of　Sarai's　severity　to　her；　and　she　entreated　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
would　live　better　hereafter；　for　that　the　reason　of　her　being　in
such　a　miserable　case　was　this；　that　she　had　been　ungrateful　and
arrogant　towards　her　mistress。　He　also　told　her；　that　if　she
disobeyed　God；　and　went　on　still　in　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　bare　Ismael；　which
may　be　interpreted　Heard　of　God；　because　God　had　heard　his
mother's　prayer。

5。　The　forementioned　son　was　born　to　Abram　when　he　was　eighty…six
years　old：　but　when　he　was　ninety…nine；　God　appeared　to　him；　and
promised　him　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　all　the　land　of　Canaan　by　war；　from　Sidon　to　Egypt。　But　he
charged　him；　in　order　to　keep　his　posterity　unmixed　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　inquiring　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；
and　all　his　family；　and　his　son　Ismael；　were　circumcised
immediately；　the　son　being　that　day　thirteen　years　of　age；　and　he
ninety…nine。
CHAPTER　11。

How　God　Overthrew　The　Nation　Of　The　Sodomites；　Out　Of　His　Wrath
Against　Them　For　Their　Sins。

1。　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　Sodomitical　practices。　God　was　therefore
much　displeased　at　them；　and　determined　to　punish　them　for　their
pride；　and　to　overthrow　their　city；　and　to　lay　waste　their
country；　until　there　should　neither　plant　nor　fruit　grow　out　of
it。

2。　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　presently；　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　would　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　a　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　of　the　overthrow　of　Sodom。

3。　When　Abraham　heard　this；　he　was　grieved　for　the　Sodomites；　and
he　rose　up；　and　besought　God　for　them；　and　entreated　him　that　he

would　not　destroy　the　righteous　with　the　wicked。　And　when　God　had
replied　that　there　was　no　good　man　among　the　Sodomites；　for　if
there　were　but　ten　such　man　among　them；　he　would　not　punish　any
of　them　for　their　sins；　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　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
themselves　to　enjoy　these　beautiful　boys　by　force　and　violence；
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。

4。　But　God　was　much　displeased　at　their　impudent　behavior；　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　daughters；　who　were　two；　and　still　virgins；
for　those　that　were　betrothed　（21）　to　them　were　above　the
thoughts　of　going；　and　deemed　that　Lot's　words　were　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。　（22）　But
Lot's　wife　continually　turning　back　to　view　the　city　as　she　went
from　it；　and　being　too　nicely　inquisitive　what　would　become　of
it；　although　God　had　forbidden　her　so　to　do；　was　changed　into　a
pillar　of　salt；（23）　for　I　have　seen　it；　and　it　remains　at　this
day。　Now　he　and　his　daughters　fled　to　a　certain　small　place；
encompassed　with　the　fire；　and　settled　in　it：　it　is　to　this　day
called　Zoar；　for　that　is　the　word　which　the　Hebrews　use　for　a
small　thing。　There　it　was　that　he　lived　a　miserable　life；　on
account　of　his　having　no　company；　and　his　want　of　provisions。

5。　But　his　daughters；　thinking　that　all　mankind　were　destroyed；
approached　to　their　father；　（24）　though　taking　care　not　to　be
perceived。　This　they　did；　that　human　kind　might　not　utterly　fail：
and　they　bare　sons；　the　son　of　the　elder　was　named　Moab；　Which
denotes　one　derived　from　his　father；　the　younger　bare　Ammon；
which　name　denotes　one　derived　from　a　kinsman。　The　former　of　whom
was　the　father　of　the　Moabites；　which　is　even　still　a　great
nation；　the　latter　was　the　father　of　the　Ammonites；　and　both　of
them　are　inhabitants　of　Celesyria。　And　such　was　the　departure　of
Lot　from　among　the　Sodomites。

CHAPTER　12。

Concerning　Abimelech；　And　Concerning　Ismael　The　Son　Of　Abraham；
And　Concerning　The　Arabians；　Who　Were　His　Posterity。

1。　Abraham　now　removed　to　Gerar　of　Palestine；　leading　Sarah　along
with　him；　under　the　notion　of　his　sister；　using　the　like
dissimulation　that　he　had　used　before；　and　this　out　of　fear：　for
he　was　afraid　of　Abimelech；　the　king　of　that　country；　who　did
also　himself　fall　in　love　with　Sarah；　and　was　disposed　to　corrupt
her；　but　he　was　restrained　from　satisfying　his　lust　by　a
dangerous　distemper　which　befell　him　from　God。　Now　when　his
physicians　despaired　of　curing　him；　he　fell　asleep；　and　saw　a
dream；　warning　him　not　to　abuse　the　stranger's　wife；　and　when　he
recovered；　he　told　his　friends　that　God　had　inflicted　that
disease　upon　him；　by　way　of　punishment；　for　his　injury　to　the
stranger；　and　in　order　to　preserve　the　chastity　of　his　wife；　for
that　she　did　not　accompany　him　as　his　sister；　but　as　his
legitimate　wife；　and　that　God　had　promised　to　be　gracious　to　him
for　the　time　to　come；　if　this　person　be　once　secure　of　his　wife's
chastity。　When　he　had　said　this；　by　the　advice　of　his　friends；　he
sent　for　Abraham；　and　bid　him　not　to　be　concerned　about　his　wife；
or　fear　the　corruption　of　her　chastity；　for　that　God　took　care　of
him；　and　that　it　was　by　his　providence　that　he　received　his　wife
again；　without　her　suffering　any　abuse。　And　he　appealed　to　God；
and　to　his　wife's　conscience；　and　said　that　he　had　not　any
inclination　at　first　to　enjoy　her；　if　he　had　known　she　was　his
wife；　but　since；　said　he；　thou　leddest　her　about　as　thy　sister；　I
was　guilty　of　no　offense。　He　also　entreated　him　to　be　at　peace
wit