ment, Flavius Josephus," a famous Jewish historian, has furnished us with a valuable history of his nation, and as in many instances he differs from the version of the ancient Hebrew writings that has come down to us, the judicious historian is at liberty to choose that statement which seems most in accordance with truth.

LETTER II.

HISTORY OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.

THE Hebrews have been called the "chosen people of God," and most emphatically they were chosen by God, as many other people and individuals have been, as instruments to execute some great purpose. In this sense, this term of a "chosen people" might very appropriately be applied to the Hebrews; but superstition and ignorance have interpreted this appellation to denote that the Hebrews were the particular favorites of the common

* Flavius Josephus was born about thirty-seven years after the birth of Christ, at Jerusalem, and belonged to the order of the priesthood, and to the first of the twenty-four courses or classes into which the priests were divided. He tells us himself, in his auto-biography, that when he was sixteen years old it came into his mind to make a trial of the several sects that were among the Jews. These sects were three: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. He says that he resolved to make himself acquainted with these different sects, for the purpose of choosing the best with which to associate himself. He adds, that he contented himself with hard fare, and though having to undergo great difficulties, he went through them all. But not satisfied with these trials, when informed that a person named Banus-an ascetic-lived in the desert, and used no other clothing than what grew upon trees, and no other food than what grew spontaneously, and bathed himself in cold water frequently, both by night and day, in order to preserve his chastity; he imitated him in these things, and lived with him some time. At last Josephus decided for the sect of the Pharisees, who he says were akin to the Grecian stoics. He afterwards visited Rome, and through the mediation of Poppea induced Nero to grant to him the release of some Jewish priests whom the Procurator of Judea had sent prisoners to Rome. Later he became a governor of Galilee, and, as commander of the Jewish forces, defended with prudence and courage the town of Iotapha, when it was attacked by Vespasian and Titus. The town fell, however, by treachery, into the hands of the Romans, and Josephus was discovered in a cave where he had concealed himself. He was given up to the Roman general, but he had the good fortune not only to be pardoned but also to acquire the favor of Vespasian. After the conquest of Jerusalem he accompanied Titus to Rome, and occupied himself afterwards with the composition of his historical works, most of which have come down to us, and testify to his extensive knowledge, though they are not free from partiality, and some other blemishes.

Father of all mankind. History, however, proves most conclusively the erroneousness of this popular notion, as it teaches that many other nations have enjoyed even a greater measure of the blessings of heaven than what fell to the lot of the Hebrews. Neither does their history warrant us to infer that this people evinced such superior virtues as to entitle them to their assumed preference of divine favor; as indeed it would be blasphemy to impute to God a partiality for them without the existence of peculiar circumstances that would reconcile such a favor with His impartial and perfect justice. It is remarkable that a vain boast of the Hebrews can have acquired almost the authority of an article of faith among Christians, who have before them the most ample evidence of the wicked and bloodthirsty revengefulness of the Hebrew race. It is also wonderful to observe with what credulity Christians have joined in the praises bestowed by the Hebrews on their prominent men, in the face of the very vices which the historical records of the Hebrews themselves impute to these same men. Surely the Hebrew nation has had among them many men not only endowed with great qualities, but who have also evinced superior virtues; but on the other hand, names have been, by the partiality of an interested priesthood, surrounded with a halo of sanctity, which has led many Christians to regard them with superstitious reverence. Yet it is the duty of the historian to look only at the true merits of these people, and examine with perfect impartiality their claims to divine preference.

It has been properly observed that the history of the Hebrews "is first the history of a man, then of one family, and then of a nation."*

In "Ur of the Chaldees,"t supposed by many identical with the large and fertile plain of Osræne, in Northern Mesopotamia, dwelt a wealthy pastoral family said to have been descended, in the line of Heber, from Shem, the son of Noah. The head of this family was Terah, who, in the book of Joshua, is alluded to as an idolator. This man had three sons, one of whom was called Abram, who was borne by Terah's second wife, full sixty years later than his eldest brother. Haran, one of the sons of Terah,

* See Palestine, the Bible History of the Holy Land. By John Kitto, London, 1841, p. 23. + Ur, the birth-place of Abraham, has been generally regarded as a town; but later orientalists, who have investigated this subject, are rather disposed to regard it as a name of a district; still it appears more probable that this name denotes both a town and a district. The Moslems firmly believe that the town called by the Syrians Urhoi, and by the Arabians Orfah, or Urfah, is the Ur above alluded to; and the Jews and the Christians living there coincide in this opinion.

Joshua xxiv. 2.

§ Abram is compounded of two Hebrew words, Ab and Rom, which signify High Father; and Abraham is commonly derived from three, Ab Rab Hamon,-the father of a great multitude, but this last is a forced interpretation.

When we compare the 26th and 32d verses of xi chapter with the 4th verse of the xii chapter of Genesis, we find that Terah was two hundred and five years old when he died, and that at the same time the age of his son Abram was seventy-five years; whence it fol

died prematurely in his native land, leaving one son, by the name of Lot, and two daughters, called Milcah and Iscah. According probably to the prevailing custom of those times, Nahor, one of Haran's brothers, married Milcah, and Abram married Iscah, as related by Josephus,* who gives to Iscah the name of Saria.t

Abram-the "one-man," with whom the history of the Hebrews commences, is principally known to us by what is told of him in the Old Testament, and by Josephus; but the Jews as well as the Arabians have some other traditional records preserved of him, on which, however, there can scarcely be placed any reliance. Yet it will be interesting if I state some of the particulars mentioned in these traditions, of which most

lows that his father was one hundred and thirty years old at his birth. Hence we conclude that Abram was not born till sixty years after his eldest brother, who was born when Terah was seventy years old. The length of the interval makes it probable that Abram was the youngest of the brothers.

* Ant. 1. i. chap 6.

But we see, that Abram in the 12th verse of the xx chapter of Genesis, says of Sarai, "she is my sister, she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother;" and consequently Sarai is generally considered to have been the half-sister of Abram. Notwithstanding these words of Abram, Josephus however calls her his niece, and this has been considered as to have been the truth by some modern writers for the following reasons: The text which bears on Abram's marriage with Sarai is worded thus: "Abram and Nahor took them wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah."-Gen. xi. 29. Now there is an evident obscurity in this, arising from the introduction of the name of Iscah; but we find that the Jews clear up this obscurity by taking it for granted that " Iscah," in the text, is but another name for Sarai, and that, conformably to this opinion, Josephus takes no notice of the name of Iscah, but simply informs us that Sarai and Milcah were the daughters of Haran, and became the wives of their uncles, Nahor and Abram. Again it cannot be denied that the text, which has been cited, improves in clearness if we substitute the name of Sarai for Iscah, on the supposition that the two names belong to the same person, or rather that Iscah was the name originally borne by her who was afterwards called Sarai; which latter name she probably received after her marriage, for it means 'my mistress," or “my lady;" and it has justly been observed that a name of this sort, in an age when names were actually significant, appears more likely to have been borne by a married woman than by a girl. The Jews say that the name of Iscah was changed to Sarai on account of her beauty and housewifery. It has also been remarked that Nahor marrying one of his brother Haran's daughters, suggests the probability, strengthened by the manner in which the two marriages are mentioned in the text, that Abram married the other; and that if this conjecture be not right, it is difficult to see for what reason it should be so carefully noted that Haran, the father of Milcah, was also the father of Iscah, and if Iscah be not the same as Sarai, Iscah-which name never again occurs-is the only member of this family with whose matrimonial connexions we are not acquainted; and again, if Sarai be not the same as Iscah, the silence here observed as to her descent, when that of the two other women is given, would seem a most singular omission, as it could not be but of great interest, or at least of great satisfaction, to the Hebrews to be acquainted with their maternal as well as paternal descent. These reasons have been deemed so satisfactory by the Jews themselves, that the Targum of some Jewish writers, of the first reputation, allege that by Iscah Sarai is here to be understood, and that consequently Abram's wife was by birth the daughter of his half-brother Haran.

of those that refer to the early life of Abram, bear upon the religion of his family. All that we know from the Old Testament on this subject is, that Terah served other gods beyond the Euphrates. There are writers of great authority who think we may justly infer that Abram and the other members of Terah's family were brought up in the same idolatrous worship; while, without good reasons, others allege that Abram from his infancy stood alone the sole worshipper of the true God, among an idolatrous people, and in a family of idolators; and therefore became the especial object of divine favor. But, say the former, it is far more probable that feeling himself dissatisfied with the religion he had been taught, and with the practises it commanded, and being endowed with an inquiring mind, he sought earnestly after the true God. The most probable explanation is, that his father first communicated to him his own tenets, whatever they may have been, and that Abram afterwards attained to a more rational notion of the Deity. However this may be, the Jewish traditions. relate that Abram, when God had enlightened his mind, took an opportunity to burn and destroy all the idols in his father's house; and it is further said that Haran attempted to snatch the idols of his father from the fire, but was himself caught by the flames, and perished with his gods. Thus they account for the premature death of Terah's oldest son, which is mentioned only in Genesis without any further explanation.

These traditions farther tell us, that for this act Abram was accused before Nimrod, and was condemned to suffer death by fire; but that God miraculously withdrew him from the flames. These stories are, however, told with some variations; but are to this day articles of faith among the Jews, Mohammedans, and even the Christians of the East. As the word Ur in the Hebrew means fire, it is alleged that this last mentioned incident in the history of Abram, is indicated in the passage of Genesis,* which informs us that God brought forth Abram from Ur-the fire—of the Chaldees.

Josephus could not but be well acquainted with all the current traditionary legends concerning Abram; but though belonging to the sect of the Pharisees, which cherished "the tradition of the elders" with much zeal, he makes but little use of them; and in relating the history of Abram, omits the particulars which I have now given from these Jewish traditions. He tells us, that Abram was of a most sagacious and superior intellect, and possessed eloquence in a high degree; that he began to entertain a higher notion of virtue than others; and that he resolved to persuade all men of a new faith concerning God; "for he was the first," adds Josephus, "that ventured publicly to confess that there was but one God, the Creator of the universe; and that if the othert-gods—

Chap. xv. 7.

+ The heavenly bodies that were worshipped as divinities.

contributed anything to the happiness of men, they did so, not by their own power, but by that of the Supreme God." Josephus further says, that Abram's opinion was derived from the irregular phenomena that were visible in nature, and which seemed to him a conclusive reason, that the heavenly bodies had no power of themselves, but were subject to a superior force, by which their movements were regulated. The same writer, in the continuation, informs us, that the Chaldeans would not listen to this doctrine, but raised a tumult against Abram, who thought fit to leave the country; and at the command and by the assistance of God, went and settled in the land of Canaan, where he built an altar and performed a sacrifice to God."

In this account there is nothing conflicting with the narration in Genesis of Abram's immigration into Canaan; the cause only of his departure is more satisfactorily explained. But whether true or not, there is at least nothing in this account that seems not very probable, and which tends not only to manifest the superior reason with which God had endowed Abram, but also to direct our attention to the wisdom displayed by Him in leading men to execute His plans.

Josephus also advances the opinion that Berosus, without the mention of Abram's name, alludes to him in these words: "In the tenth generation after the flood, there was among the Chaldeans a man righteous, great and skilful in the celestial science." He also says that Hecateus‡ left a book concerning Abram, and that Nicolaus, of Damascus, in the fourth book of his history, says: "Abram reigned in 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 Canaan." Josephus appears to countenance the opinion that there was some truth in the assertion, that Abram had been in possession of Damascus, because, after having cited the words of the Syrian historian, he says the name of Abram was still in his time famous in the country of Damascus, and that he was shown a village named from him, "The habitation of Abram."|| Though in all the Rabbinical and Oriental accounts of Abram¶ we

Joseph. Antiq. book i. chap. 7.

+ That is, in astronomy.

From Miletus. Herodotus gathered much information from the works of Hecateus. ◊ Mesopotamia, evidently.

Joseph. Antiq. b. i. chap. 7.

¶ The Arabian traditions of Abram's life, although replete with preposterous incidents, and of no authentic authority at all, are, however, so curious, and also interesting as showing the notions which the Arabians entertain of his early life, that I cannot forbear to give here the substance of these traditions, which have been collected in a book called Maallem, and are undoubtedly very ancient. Here we are told that Nimrod, who then reigned in Babel, was one night astonished to see a star rise above the horizon, whose light exceeded that of the sun. He consulted his diviners as to the meaning of this strange appearance, and they unanimously assured him that it prognosticated the approaching birth of a mighty