See also:

• ABRAHAM, or ABRAM (Hebrew for " father is high ")

ABRAHAM, or ABRAM (See also:

• HEBREW

Hebrew for " See also:

• FATHER

father is high ")  , the ancestor of the Israelites, the first of the See also:

• GREAT

great Biblical patriarchs . His See also:

• LIFE

life as narrated in the See also:

• BOOK

book of See also:

• GENESIS
• GENESIS (Gr. 'ybeo-es, becoming; the term being used in English as a synonym for origin or process of coming into being)

Genesis reflects the traditions of different ages . It is the latest writer (P) who men- See also:

• ABRACADABRA

ABRACADABRA BRACADABR RACADAB ACADA CAD A tions Abram (the See also:

• ORIGINAL

original See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of the name), Nahor and IJaran, sons of Terah, at the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of a See also:

• GENEALOGY (from the Gr. yivos, family, and Vryos, theory)

genealogy of the sons of See also:

• SHEM (Hebrew for " name, renown, posterity ")

Shem, which includes among its members See also:

• EBER, PAUL (1511-1569)

Eber the eponym of the See also:

• HEBREWS, EPISTLE TO THE

Hebrews . Terah is said to have come from Ur of the Chaldees, usually identified with Mukayyar in See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south Babylonia . He migrated to Haran ~ in See also:

• MESOPOTAMIA (Mevoaora)

Mesopotamia, apparently the classical Carrhae, on a See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch of the IJabor . Thence, after a See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short stay, Abram with his wife Sarai, and See also:

• LOT
• LOT (Lat. Oltis)

Lot the son of Haran, and all their followers, departed for See also:

• CANAAN, CANAANITES

Canaan . The See also:

• OLDEST

oldest tradition does not know of this twofold move, and seems to locate Abram's birthplace and the homes of his kindred at Haran (Gen. See also:

• XXIV

xxiv . 4, 7, See also:

• XXVII

xxvii . 43) . At the divine command, and encouraged by the promise that Yahweh would make of him, although hitherto childless, a great nation, he journeyed down to See also:

• SHECHEM (mod. Nablus)

Shechem, and at the sacred See also:

• TREE (0. Eng. treo, treow, cf. Dan. tree, Swed. Odd, tree, trd, timber; allied forms are found in Russ. drevo, Gr. opus, oak, and 36pv, spear, Welsh derw, Irish darog, oak, and Skr. dare, wood)
• TREE, SIR HERBERT BEERBOHM (1853- )

tree (cf. See also:

• XXXV

xxxv . 4, Josh. xxiv . 26, Judg. ix .

6) received a new promise that the See also:

• LAND

land would be given unto his See also:

• SEED (from the root seen in Lat. serere, to sow)

seed . Having built an See also:

• ALTAR (Lat. altare, from alias, high; some ancient etymological guesses are recorded by St Isidore of Seville in Etymologiae xv. 4)

altar to commemorate the theophany, he removed to a spot between See also:

• BETHEL (Heb. " House of God ")

Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and called upon (i.e. invoked) the name of Yahweh (Gen. xii . 1-9) . Here he dwelt for some See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, until strife arose between his herdsmen and those of Lot . Abram thereupon proposed to Lot that they should See also:

• SEPARATE

separate, and allowed his See also:

• NEPHEW

nephew the first choice . Lot preferred the fertile land lying See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

east of the See also:

• JORDAN (the down-comer; Arab. esh-Sheri'a, the watering-place)
• JORDAN, CAMILLE (1771—1821)
• JORDAN, DOROTHEA (1762—1816)
• JORDAN, THOMAS (1612 ?–1685)
• JORDAN, WILHELM (1819–1904)

Jordan, whilst Abram, after receiving another promise from Yahweh, moved down to the oaks of Mamre in See also:

• HEBRON (mod. Khulzl er-Rahman, i.e. " the friend of the Merciful One "—an allusion to Abraham)

Hebron and built an altar . In the subsequent See also:

• HISTORY

history of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abram appears prominently in a See also:

• FINE

fine passage where he intercedes with Yahweh on behalf of Sodom, and is promised that if ten righteous men can be found therein the See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city shall be preserved (xviii . 16-33) . A See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar passage, more valuable for the See also:

• LIGHT

light it throws upon See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive ideas than for its contribution to the history of Abram, narrates the See also:

• PATRIARCH (M.E. and O. Fr. patriarche, Lat. patriarcha, Gr. aarpuipxtis, from srarptu., clan, and apxil, rule)

patriarch's visit to See also:

• EGYPT

Egypt . Driven by a See also:

• FAMINE (Lat. fames, hunger)

famine to take See also:

• REFUGE

refuge in Egypt (cf. See also:

• XXVI

xxvi. r, xli . 57, xlii. r), he feared lest his wife's beauty should arouse the evil designs of the Egyptians and thus endanger his own safety, and alleged that Sarai was his See also:

• SISTER

sister . This did not See also:

• SAVE, or SAVA (Ger. Sau; Hungarian Szdva; Lat. Savus)

save her from the See also:

• PHARAOH (Par'oh)

Pharaoh, who took her into the royal See also:

• HAREM

harem and enriched Abram with herds and servants .

But when Yahweh "plagued Pharaoh and his See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house with great plagues" suspicion was aroused, and the Pharaoh rebuked the patriarch for his deceit and sent him away under an escort (xii. r) . This See also:

• STORY, JOHN (c. 1510-1571)
• STORY, JOSEPH (1779-1845)
• STORY, ROBERT HERBERT (1835-1907)
• STORY, WILLIAM WETMORE (1819—1895)

story of Abram and his increased See also:

• WEALTH

wealth (xiii . 2) receives no comment at the hands of the narrator, and in its See also:

• PRESENT

present position would make Sarai over sixty years of See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age (xii . 4, xvii. r, 17) . A similar experience is said to have happened to See also:

• ABRAHAM, or ABRAM (Hebrew for " father is high ")

Abraham and Sarah at Gerar with the See also:

• PHILISTINE

Philistine See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king See also:

• ABIMELECH (Hebrew for "father of [or is] the king ")

Abimelech (xx . E), but the See also:

• TONE, THEOBALD WOLFE (1763-1798)

tone of the narrative is noticeably more advanced, and the presents which the patriarch receives are See also:

• COMPENSATION (from Lat. compensare, to weigh one thing against another)

compensation for the king's offence . Here, however, Sarah has reached her ninetieth See also:

• YEAR

year (xvii . 17) . (The See also:

• DATES

dates are due to the See also:

• POST

post-exilic framework in which the stories are inserted.) Still another See also:

• EPISODE

episode of the same nature is re-corded of See also:

• ISAAC (Hebrew for " he laughs," on explanatory references to the name, see ABRAHAM)

Isaac and Rebekah at Gerar, also with Abimelech . Ethically it is the loftiest, and Isaac obtains his wealth simply through his successful farming . Arising out of the incident is an See also:

• ACCOUNT
• ACCOUNT (through O. Fr. acont, Late Lat. comptum, cornputare, to calculate)

account of a See also:

• COVENANT
• COVENANT (an O. Fr. form, later convenant, from convenir, to agree, Lat. convenire)

covenant between Abimelech and Isaac (xxvi . 16-33, J), a duplicate of which is placed in the time of Abraham (xxi .

22-34, j and E) . See also:

• BEERSHEBA

Beersheba, which figures in both, is celebrated by the planting of a sacred tree and (like Bethel) by the invocation of the name of Yahweh . This See also:

• DISTRICT

district is the See also:

• SCENE (Fr. scene, Lat. scaena, Gr. oflvil, a tent or booth, a stage or scene)

scene of the See also:

• BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

birth of See also:

• ISHMAEL (a Hebrew name meaning " God hears ")

Ishmael and Isaac . As Sarai was barren (cf'. xi . 30)2 the promise that his seed should possess the land seemed incapable of fulfilment . According to one rather obscure narrative, Abram's See also:

• SOLE (Solea)

sole See also:

• HEIR (Lat. heres, from a root meaning to grasp, seen in heres or erus, master of a house, Gr. xeip, hand, Sans. hat ana, hand)

heir was the servant, who was over his See also:

• HOUSEHOLD, ROYAL

household, apparently a certain Eliezer of Damascus3 (xv . 2, 1 The name is not spelt with the same guttural as Haran the son of Terah . 2 Barrenness is a motif which recurs in the stories of Rebekah, See also:

• RACHEL (1821-1858)

Rachel, the See also:

• MOTHER

mother of See also:

• SAMSON (1135-1211)
• SAMSON (cf. Heb. shemesh, " sun ")
• SAMSON, JOSEPH ISIDORE (1793-1871)

Samson, and Hannah (Gen. See also:

• XXV

xxv . 21, See also:

• XXIX

xxix . 31; Judg. xiii . 2; I Sam. i . 5) .

Abram's connexion with See also:

• DAMASCUS

Damascus is supplemented in the traditions of Nicolaus of Damascus as cited by See also:

• JOSEPHUS, FLAVIUS (c. 37-C. 95?)

Josephus (Antiq . 1 . 7 . 2) . the See also:

• TEXT (Lat. textum, woven fabric, from texere, to weave)

text is corrupt) . He is now promised as heir one of his own flesh, and a remarkable and See also:

• SOLEMN (Lat. sollemnis, sollemnis, less correctly solennis, yearly, annual; from sollus = totus, whole, entire, Gr. Mos., and annus, year)

solemn passage records how the promise was ratified by a covenant . The description is particularly noteworthy for the sudden See also:

• APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

appearance of birds of See also:

• PREY (0. Fr. preie, mod. proie, Lat. praeda, booty, from prae and the root hed—seen in prehendere, prendere, to grasp)

prey, which attempted to carry off the victims of the sacrificial covenant . The See also:

• INTERPRETATION (from Lat. interpretari, to expound, explain, inter pres, an agent, go-between, interpreter; inter, between, and the root pret-, possibly connected with that seen either in Greek 4 p4'ew, to speak, or irpa-rrecv, to do)

interpretation of the evil See also:

• OMEN (a Latin word, either connected with os, mouth, or more probably with auris (Gr. ois, ear; apparently, meaning " a thing heard " or " spoken ")

omen is explained by an allusion to the bondage of the Israelites in Egypt and their return in the See also:

• FOURTH

fourth See also:

• GENERATION (from Lat. generare, to beget, procreate; genus, stock, race)

generation (xv . 16; contrast v . 13, after four See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred years; the See also:

• CHAPTER (a shortened form of chapiter, a word still used in architecture for a capital; derived from O. Fr. chapitre, Lat. capitellum, diminutive of caput, head)

chapter is extremely intricate and has the appearance of being of secondary origin) . The See also:

• MAIN (from the Aryan root which appears in " may " and " might," and Lat. magnus, great)
• MAIN (Lat. Moenus)

main narrative now relates how Sarai, in accordance with See also:

• CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom, gave to Abram her See also:

• EGYPTIAN

Egyptian handmaid Hagar, who, when she found she was with See also:

• CHILD
• CHILD, FRANCIS JAMES (1825-1896)
• CHILD, L
• CHILD, LYDIA MARIA (1802-1880)
• CHILD, SIR FRANCIS (1642-1713)
• CHILD, SIR JOHN (d. 1690)
• CHILD, SIR JOSIAH (163o - 1699)

child, presumed upon her position to the extent that Sarai, unable to endure the reproach of barrenness (cf. the story of Hannah, r Sam. i . 6), dealt harshly with her and forced her to flee (xvi .

1-14, j; on the details see IsmuAEL) . Another tradition places the See also:

• EXPULSION (Lat. expulsio, from expellere)

expulsion of Hagar after the birth of Isaac . It was thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael, according to the latest narratives, that See also:

• GOD

God appeared unto Abram with a renewed promise that his posterity should inhabit the land . To See also:

• MARK
• MARK, CARL (1858– )
• MARK, GOSPEL OF ST
• MARK, ST

mark the solemnity of the occasion, the patriarch's name was changed to Abraham, and that of his wife to Sarah.4 A covenant was concluded with him for all time, and as a sign thereof the rite of See also:

• CIRCUMCISION (Lat. circum, round, and caedere, to cut)

circumcision was instituted (xvii . P) . The promise of a son to Sarah made Abraham "laugh", a punning allusion to the name Isaac (q.v.) which appears again in other forms . Thus, it is Sarah herself who "laughs" at the See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea, when Yahweh appears to Abraham at Mamre (xviii . 1-1 5, J), or who, when the child is See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born cries " God hath made me laugh; every one that heareth will laugh at me" (xxi . 6, E) . Finally, there is yet another story which attributes the See also:

• FLIGHT

flight of Hagar and Ishmael to Sarah's See also:

• JEALOUSY (adapted from Fr. jalousie, formed from jaloux, jealous, Low Lat. zelosus, Gr. j'i os, ardour, zeal, from the root seen in '&u', to boil, ferment; cf. " yeast ")

jealousy at the sight of Ishmael's "mocking" (rather dancing or playing, the intensive form of the verb "to laugh") on the feast See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day when Isaac was weaned (xxi . 8 sqq.) . But this last story is clearly out of See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place, since a child who was then fourteen years old (cf. xvii .

24, xxi . 5) could scarcely be described as a weak babe who had to be carried (xxi . 14; see the commentaries) . Abraham was now commanded by God to offer up Isaac in the land of See also:

• MORIAH

Moriah . Proceeding to obey, he was prevented by an See also:

• ANGEL

angel as he was about to See also:

• SACRIFICE (from Lat. sacrificium; sacer, holy, and facere, to make)

sacrifice his son, and slew a See also:

• RAM
• RAM, PIERRE FRANCOIS XAVIER DE (18o4-1865)

ram which he found on the spot . As a See also:

• REWARD

reward for his obedience he received another promise of a numerous seed and abundant prosperity (xxii . E) . Thence he returned to Beersheba . The story is one of the few told by E, and significantly teaches that human sacrifice was not required by the Almighty (cf . Mic. vi . 7 seq.) . The See also:

• INTEREST

interest of the narrative now extends to Isaac alone .

To his "only son" (cp. xxii . 2, 12) Abraham gave all he had, and dismissed the sons of his concubines to the lands outside See also:

• PALESTINE

Palestine; they were thus regarded as less intimately related to Isaac and his descendants (xxv . 1-4, 6) . The See also:

• MEASURES

measures taken by the patriarch for the See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage of Isaac are circumstantially described . His See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head-servant was sent to his See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master's See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country and kindred to find.. a suitable See also:

• BRIDE (a common Teutonic word, e.g..Goth. bruths, O. Eng. bryd, O. H. Ger. prs2t, Mod. Ger. Bract, Dut. bruid, possibly derived from the root bru-, cook, brew; from the med. latinized form bruta, in the sense of daughter-in-law, is derived the Fr. bru)

bride, and the necessary preparation for the story is contained in the description of Nahor's See also:

• FAMILY

family (xxii . 20-24) . The picturesque account of the See also:

• MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

meeting with Rebekah throws interesting light on See also:

• ORIENTAL

oriental custom . Marriage with one's own folk (cf . Gen. xxvii . 46, xxix. rq; Judg. xiv . 3), and especially with a See also:

• COUSIN (Fr. cousin, Ital. cugino, Late Lat. cosinus, perhaps a popular and familiar abbreviation of consobrinus, which has the same sense in classical Latin)
• COUSIN, JEAN (1500-1590)
• COUSIN, VICTOR (1792–1867)

cousin, is recommended now even as in the past . For its See also:

• CHARM (through the Fr. from the Lat. carmen, a song)

charm the story is comparable with the account of See also:

• JACOB
• JACOB, JOHN (1812-1858)

Jacob's experiences in the same land (xxix.) .

For the completion of the history of Abraham the compiler of Genesis has used P's narrative . Sarah is said to have died at a See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good old age, and was buried in the See also:

• CAVE (Lat. cavea, from caves, hollow)
• CAVE, EDWARD (1691–1754)
• CAVE, WILLIAM (1637–1713)

cave of Machpelah near Hebron, which the patriarch had See also:

• PURCHASED

purchased, with the adjoining See also:

• FIELD (a word common to many West German languages, cf. Ger. Feld, Dutch veld, possibly cognate with O.E. f olde, the earth, and ultimately with root of the Gr. irAaror, broad)
• FIELD, CYRUS WEST (1819-1892)
• FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (18o5-1894)
• FIELD, EUGENE (1850-1895)
• FIELD, FREDERICK (18o1—1885)
• FIELD, HENRY MARTYN (1822-1907)
• FIELD, JOHN (1782—1837)
• FIELD, MARSHALL (183 1906)
• FIELD, NATHAN (1587—1633)
• FIELD, STEPHEN JOHNSON (1816-1899)
• FIELD, WILLIAM VENTRIS FIELD, BARON (1813-1907)

field, from Ephron the Hittite (See also:

• XXIII

xxiii.) ; and here he himself was buried . Centuries later the See also:

• TOMB (Gr. Tuµ/3a, Tuµ(3os, probably allied to Lat. tumulus, literally a swelling, tumere, to swell)

tomb became a place of See also:

• PILGRIMAGE (Fr. pelerinage, Lat. peregrinatio)

pilgrimage and the traditional site is marked by a fine See also:

• MOSQUE (through Fr. mosquie; Span. mezquila, from Arab. masjid, sajada, to adore)

mosque.' 4 Abram (or Abiram) is a See also:

• FAMILIAR (through the Fr. familier, from Lat. familiaris, of or belonging to the familia, family)

familiar and old-attested name meaning "(my) See also:

• FATHER

father is exalted "; the meaning of Abraham is obscure and the explanation Gen. xvii . 5 is See also:

• MERE
• MERE, ADALBERT (1838-1909)

mere word-See also:

• PLAY

play . It is possible that rah¢m was originally only a dialectical form of ram . 'See See also:

• SIR

Sir See also:

• CHARLES
• CHARLES (1270-1325)
• CHARLES (1421-1461)
• CHARLES (1525-1574)
• CHARLES (c. 1319-1364)
• CHARLES (Fr. Charles; Span. Carlos; Ital. Carlo; Ger. Karl; derived from O.H.G. Charal,latinized as Carolus, meaning originally " man ": cf. Mod.Ger., Kerl," fellow," A.S. ceorl, Mod. Eng. " churl ")
• CHARLES (KARL EITEL ZEPHYRIN LUDWIG; in Rum. CAROL)
• CHARLES [KARL ALEXANDER] (1712-1780)
• CHARLES, ELIZABETH (1828-1896)
• CHARLES, JACQUES ALEXANDRE CESAR (1746-1823)
• CHARLES, THOMAS (1755-1814)

Charles See also:

• WARREN
• WARREN, GOUVERNEUR KEMBLE (183o-1882)
• WARREN, JOSEPH (1741—1775)
• WARREN, MERCY (1728—1814)
• WARREN, MINTON (1850-1907)
• WARREN, SAMUEL (1807-1877)
• WARREN, SIR JOHN BORLASE, BART
• WARREN, WILLIAM (1812-1888)

Warren's description, Hasting's See also:

• DIET

Diet . See also:

• BIBLE
• BIBLE, ENGLISH

Bible, vol. iii. pp . Zoo seq . The so-called Babylonian colouring of Gen . The story of Abraham is of greater value for the study of Old Testament See also:

• THEOLOGY

theology than for the history of See also:

• ISRAEL (Hebrew for " God strives " or " rules "; see Gen. xxxii. 28; and the allusion in Hosea xii. 4)

Israel . He became to the Hebrews the embodiment of their ideals, and stood at their head as the founder of the nation, the one to whom Yahweh had manifested his love by frequent promises and covenants . From the time when he was bidden to leave his country to enter the unknown land, Yahweh was ever present to encourage him to See also:

• TRUST

trust in the future when his posterity should possess the land; and so, in its bitterest See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours, Israel could turn for See also:

• CONSOLATION (Fr. consolation, Lat. consolatio, from consolari, to assuage, comfort, console)

consolation to the promises of the past which enshrined in Abraham its hopes for the future .

Not only is Abraham the founder of See also:

• RELIGION
• RELIGION, FOLKLORE, CUSTOM

religion, but he, of all the patriarchal figures, stands out most prominently as the recipient of the promises ()di . 2 seq . 7, xiii . 14-17, xv., xvii., xviii . 17-19, xxii . 17 seq.; cf. xxiv. g), and these the apostle See also:

• PAUL
• PAUL (PAULUS)

Paul associates with the coming of See also:

• CHRIST (Gr. X pLQTOS, Anointed)
• CHRIST, WILHELM VON (1831-1906)

Christ, and, adopting a characteristic and artificial See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style of interpretation prevalent in his time, endeavours to force a Messianic interpretation out of them.' For the history of the Hebrews the life of Abraham is of the same value as other stories of traditional ancestors . The narratives, viewed dispassionately, represent him as an idealized See also:

• SHEIKH, or SHAIKH

sheikh (with one important exception, Gen. xiv., see below), about whose See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person a number of stories have gathered . As the father of Isaac and Ishmael, he is ultimately the See also:

• COMMON

common ancestor of the Israelites and their nomadic fierce neighbours, men roving unrestrainedly like the See also:

• WILD, JONATHAN (c. 1682-1725)

wild See also:

• ASS (O.E. assa; Lat. asinus)
• ASS, FEAST OF THE

ass, troubled by and troubling every one (xvi . 12) . As the father of See also:

• MIDIAN (properly Madyan, so Sept.)

Midian, Sheba and other Arabian tribes (xxv . 1-4), it is evident that some degree of kinship was See also:

• FELT (cognate with Ger. Filz, Du. vilt, Swed. and Dan. fill; the root is unknown; the word has given Med. Lat. filtrum, " filter ")

felt by the Hebrews with the dwellers of the more distant south, and it is characteristic of the genealogies that the mothers (Sarah, Hagar and Keturah) are in the descending See also:

• SCALE
• SCALE (1) A

scale as regards purity of See also:

• BLOOD

blood . This great ancestral figure came, it was said, from Ur in Babylonia and IIaran and thence to Canaan .

See also:

• LATE

Late tradition supposed that the See also:

• MIGRATION

migration was to See also:

• ESCAPE (in mid. Eng. eschape or escape, from the O. Fr. eschapper, modern echapper, and escaper, low Lat. escapium, from ex, out of, and cappa, cape, cloak; cf. for the sense development the Gr. iichueoOat, literally to put off one's clothes, hence to sli

escape Babylonian See also:

• IDOLATRY

idolatry (See also:

• JUDITH, THE BOOK OF

Judith v., See also:

• JUBILEES, BOOK OF

Jubilees xii.; cf . Josh. xxiv . 2), and knew of Abraham's miraculous escape from See also:

• DEATH

death (an obscure reference to some See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act of deliverance in Is . xxii . 22) . The route along the See also:

• BANKS, GEORGE LINNAEUS (1821-1881)
• BANKS, NATHANIEL PRENTISS (1816–1894)
• BANKS, SIR JOSEPH
• BANKS, THOMAS (1735-1805)

banks of the See also:

• EUPHRATES (Babylon. Purattu, Heb. Perath, Arab. Frdt or Furst, Old Pers. Ufratu, Gr. Eb4 parrls)

Euphrates from south to See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

north was so frequently taken by migrating tribes that the tradition has nothing improbable in itself, but the prominence given in the older narratives to the view that IJaran was the See also:

• HOME
• HOME, DANIEL DUNGLAS (1833-1886)
• HOME, EARLS OF

home gives this the preference . It was thence that Jacob, the father of the tribes of Israel, came and the route to Shechem and Bethel is precisely the same in both . A twofold migration is doubtful, and, from what is known of the situation in Palestine in the 15th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century B.C., is extremely improbable . Further, there is yet another parallel in the story of the See also:

• CONQUEST

conquest by See also:

• JOSHUA, BOOK OF

Joshua (q.v.), partly implied and partly actually detailed (cf. also Josh. viii . 9 with Gen. xii . 8, xiii . 3), whence it would appear that too much importance must not be laid upon any ethnological interpretation which fails to account for the three versions .

That similar traditional elements have influenced them is not unlikely; but to recover the true See also:

• HISTORICAL

historical See also:

• FOUNDATION (Lat. fundatio, from fundare, to found)

foundation is difficult . The invasion or See also:

• IMMIGRATION (from Lat. in, into, and tnigrare, to depart)

immigration of certain tribes from the east of the Jordan; the presence of Aramaean blood among the Israelites (see JACOB) ; the origin of the sanctity of See also:

• VENERABLE (Lat. venerabilis, worthy of reverence, venerari, to reverence, to worship, allied to Venus, love; the Indo-Germ. root is wen-, to desire, whence Eng. " win, properly to struggle for, hence to gain)

venerable sites,—these and other consideratons may readily be found to account for the traditions . Noteworthy coincidences in the lives of Abraham and Isaac, noticed above, point to the fluctuating See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of traditions in the oral See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage, or suggest that Abraham's life has been built up by borrowing from the common stock of popular See also:

• LORE
• LORE, AMBROISE DE (1396-1446)

lore ? More original is the parting of Lot and Abraham at Bethel . The district was the scene of contests between See also:

• MOAB

Moab and the Hebrews (cf. perhaps Judg. iii.), and if this explains See also:

• PART

part of the story, the See also:

• PHYSICAL

physical configuration of the Dead See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

Sea may have led to the See also:

• LEGEND (through the French from the med. Lat. legenda, things to be read, from legere, to read)

legend of the xxiii. has been much exaggerated; see S . R . See also:

• DRIVER, SAMUEL ROLLES (1846– )

Driver, Genesis, ad loc.; S . A . See also:

• COOK
• COOK, ALBERT STANBURROUGH (1853– )
• COOK, EDWARD DUTTON (1829–1883)
• COOK, ELIZA (1818–1889)
• COOK, JAMES (1728-1779)
• COOK, THOMAS (1808-1892)

Cook, See also:

• LAWS

Laws of See also:

• MOSES (Gr. Mwvo c, Mcoo-i3s)
• MOSES, ASSUMPTION OF

Moses, p . 208 . See H . St .

J . See also:

• THACKERAY, WILLIAM MAKEPEACE (1811-1863)

Thackeray, Relation of St Paul to Contemporary Jewish Thought, p . 69 seq . (1900) . z On the other See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand, the coincidences in xx. xxi. are due to E, who is also the author of xxii . Apart from these the narratives of Abraham are from J and P.destruction of inhospitable and vicious cities (see SODOM AND GOMORRAH) . Different writers have regarded the life of Abraham differently . He has been viewed as a chieftain of the See also:

• AMORITES

Amorites (q.v.), as the head of a great Semitic migration from Mesopotamia; or, since Ur and IIaran were seats of See also:

• MOON (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Mond, Du. maan, Dan. maane, &c., and cognate with such Indo-Germanic forms as Gr. µlip, Sans. ma's, Irish mi, &c.; Lat. uses luna, i.e. lucna, the shining one, lucere, to shine, for the moon, but preserves the word i
• MOON, SIR RICHARD, 1ST BARONET (1814-1899)

Moon-See also:

• WORSHIP (i.e. " worth-ship," O. Eng. weor8scipe)

worship, he has been identified with a moon-god . From the See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of the See also:

• LITERARY

literary See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence and the locale of the stories it has been held that Abraham was originally associated with Hebron . The See also:

• DOUBLE
• DOUBLE (from the Mid. Eng. duble, the form which gives the present pronunciation, through the Old Er. duble, from Lat. duplus, twice as much)

double name Abram-Abraham has even suggested that two personages have been combined in the Biblical narrative; although this does not explain the See also:

• CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change from Sarai to Sarah.' But it is important to remember that the narratives are not contemporary, and that the interesting See also:

• DISCOVERY

discovery of the name Abi-ramu (Abram) on Babylonian contracts of about 2000 B.C. does not prove the Abram of the Old Testament to be an historical person, even as the fact that there were " Amorites " in Babylonia at the same See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period does not make it certain that the patriarch was one of their number . One remarkable chapter associates Abraham with See also:

• KINGS, FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF

kings of See also:

• ELAM

Elam and the east (Gen. xiv.) . No longer a peaceful sheikh but a See also:

• WARRIOR

warrior with a small See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

army of 318 followers,' he overthrows a See also:

• COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination of powerful monarchs who have ravaged the land .

The genuineness of the narrative has been strenuously maintained, although upon insufficient grounds . "It is generally recognized that this chapter holds quite an isolated place in the Pentateuchal history; it is the only passage which presents Abraham in the character of a warrior, and connects him with historical names and See also:

• POLITICAL

political movements, and there are no clear marks by which it can be assigned to any one of the documents of which Genesis is made up . Thus, while one school of interpreters finds in the chapter the earliest fragment of the political history of western See also:

• ASIA

Asia, some even holding with See also:

• EWALD, GEORG HEINRICH AUGUST VON (1803-1875)
• EWALD, JOHANNES (1743-1781)

Ewald that the narrative is probably based on old Canaanite records, other critics, as See also:

• NOLDEKE
• NOLDEKE, THEODOR (1836— )

Noldeke, regard the whole as unhistorical and comparatively late in origin . On the latter view, which finds its main support in the See also:

• INTRINSIC (through Fr. intrinsique, from Lat. intrinsecus, inwardly; inter, within, secus, following, from root of sequi, to follow)

intrinsic difficulties of the narrative, it is scarcely possible to avoid the Conclusion that the chapter is one of the latest additions to the See also:

• PENTATEUCH

Pentateuch (See also:

• WELLHAUSEN, JULIUS (1844— )

Wellhausen and many others)." On the See also:

• ASSUMPTION, FEAST OF

assumption that a recollection of some invasion in remote days may have been current, considerable interest is attached to the names . Of these, Amraphel, king of Shinar (i.e . Babylonia, Gen. x . 1o), has been identified with Khammurabi, one of the greatest of the Babylonian kings (c . 2000 B.C.), and since he claims to have ruled as far See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west as the Mediterranean Sea, the See also:

• EQUATION (from Lat. aequatio, aequare, to equalize)

equation has found considerable favour . Apart from See also:

• CHRONOLOGICAL

chronological difficulties, the See also:

• IDENTIFICATION (Lat. idem, the same)

identification of the king and his country is far from certain, and at the most can only be regarded as possible . Arioch, king of Ellasar, has been connected with Eriaku of See also:

• LARSA (Biblical Ellasar, Gen. xiv. 1)

Larsa—the See also:

• READING

reading has been questioned—a contemporary with Khammurabi . Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, bears what is doubtless a genuine Elamite name . Finally, the name of Tid'al, king of Goiim, may be identical with a certain Tudllulu the son of Gazza, a warrior, but apparently not a king, who is mentioned in a Babylonian inscription, and Goiim may stand for Gutim, the Guti being a See also:

• PEOPLE

people who lived to the east of See also:

• KURDISTAN

Kurdistan .

Nevertheless, there is as yet no monumental evidence in favour of the genuineness of the story, and at the most it can only be said that the author (of what-ever date) has derived his names from a trustworthy source, and in representing an invasion of Palestine by Babylonian overlords has given expression to a possible situation.6 The improbabilities and See also:

• INTERNAL

internal difficulties of the narrative remain According to Breasted (Amer . Journ. of Sem . Lit., 1904, p . 36), the "field of Abram " occurs among the places mentioned in the See also:

• LIST (O.E. lisle, a Teutonic word, cf. Dut. lust, Ger. Leiste, adapted in Ital. lista and Fr. lisle)
• LIST, FRIEDRICH (1789-1846)

list of the Egyptian king Shishak (No . 71-2) in the loth century . See also his History of Egypt, p . 530 . The number is precisely that of the See also:

• TOTAL

total numerical value of the consonants of the name "Eliezer " (Gen. xv . 2) ; an astral signification has also been found . ' W . R . See also:

• SMITH
• SMITH, ADAM (1723–1790)
• SMITH, ALEXANDER (183o-1867)
• SMITH, ANDREW JACKSON (1815-1897)
• SMITH, CHARLES EMORY (1842–1908)
• SMITH, CHARLES FERGUSON (1807–1862)
• SMITH, CHARLOTTE (1749-1806)
• SMITH, COLVIN (1795—1875)
• SMITH, EDMUND KIRBY (1824-1893)
• SMITH, G
• SMITH, GEORGE (1789-1846)
• SMITH, GEORGE (184o-1876)
• SMITH, GEORGE ADAM (1856- )
• SMITH, GERRIT (1797–1874)
• SMITH, GOLDWIN (1823-191o)
• SMITH, HENRY BOYNTON (1815-1877)
• SMITH, HENRY JOHN STEPHEN (1826-1883)
• SMITH, HENRY PRESERVED (1847– )
• SMITH, JAMES (1775–1839)
• SMITH, JOHN (1579-1631)
• SMITH, JOHN RAPHAEL (1752–1812)
• SMITH, JOSEPH, JR
• SMITH, MORGAN LEWIS (1822–1874)
• SMITH, RICHARD BAIRD (1818-1861)
• SMITH, ROBERT (1689-1768)
• SMITH, SIR HENRY GEORGE WAKELYN
• SMITH, SIR THOMAS (1513-1577)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM (1813-1893)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY (1764-1840)
• SMITH, SYDNEY (1771-1845)
• SMITH, THOMAS SOUTHWOOD (1788-1861)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (1769-1839)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (c. 1730-1819)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (fl. 1596)
• SMITH, WILLIAM FARRAR (1824—1903)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1808—1872)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1825—1891)
• SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON (1846-'894)

Smith, Ency .

Brit . (9th ed., 1883), See also:

• ART

art . " See also:

• MELCHIZEDEK (Heb. for " king of righteousness "; or, since Sedek is probably the name of a god, " Sedelt is my king ")

Melchizedek." That the names may be those of historical personages is no See also:

• PROOF (in M. Eng. preove, proeve, preve, &°c., from O. Fr . prueve, proeve, &c., mod. preuve, Late. Lat. proba, probate, to prove, to test the goodness of anything, probus, good)

proof of historical accuracy: "We cannot therefore conclude that the whole account is accurate history, any more than we can argue that Sir See also:

• WALTER, HUBERT (d. 1205)
• WALTER, JOHN (1738/9-1812)

Walter See also:

• SCOTT, ALEXANDER (fl. 1550)
• SCOTT, DAVID (18o6-1849)
• SCOTT, MICHAEL (1789-1835)
• SCOTT, ROBERT (1811-1887)
• SCOTT, SIR GEORGE GILBERT (1811-1878)
• SCOTT, SIR WALTER, BART
• SCOTT, WILLIAM BELL (1811-1890)
• SCOTT, WINFIELD (1786-1866)

Scott's See also:

• ANNE (1665-1714)
• ANNE (1693-1740)

Anne of Gei-erstein is throughout a correct account of actual events because we know that Charles the Bold and See also:

• MARGARET
• MARGARET (1283–1290)
• MARGARET (1353-1412)
• MARGARET (1489–1541)
• MARGARET, ST (c. 1045–1093)
• MARGARET, ST (SANCTA MARGARITA)

Margaret of See also:

• ANJOU

Anjou were real people " (W . H . See also:

• BENNETT, CHARLES EDWIN (1858- )
• BENNETT, JAMES GORDON (1794-1872)
• BENNETT, JOHN
• BENNETT, JOHN HUGHES (1812–1875)
• BENNETT, SIR WILLIAM STERNDALE (1816-1875)

Bennett, Century Bible: Genesis, p . 186) . untouched, only the See also:

• BARE

bare outlines may very well be historical . If, as most critics agree, it is a historical See also:

• ROMANCE

romance (cf., e.g., the book of Judith), it is possible that a writer, preferably one who lived in the post-exilic age and was acquainted with Babylonian history, desired to enhance the greatness of Abraham by exhibiting his military success against the monarchs of the See also:

• TIGRIS (Old Persian Tigrd, Diklat of the cuneiform inscriptions, Hiddekel of the Old Testament, Diglath of the Targum, Digla of the Arabs)

Tigris and Euphrates, the high esteem he enjoyed in Palestine and his lofty character as displayed in his interview with Melchizedek . See further, Pinches, Old Test. in Light of Hist . Records, pp . 208-236; Driver, Genesis, p. xlix., and notes on ch. xiv.; Addis, Documents of the See also:

• HEXATEUCH

Hexateuch, ii. pp . 208-213; See also:

• CARPENTER, LANT (1780-1840)
• CARPENTER, MIRY (1807-1877)
• CARPENTER, WILLIAM BENJAMIN (1813-1885)

Carpenter and Harford-Battersby, The Hexateuch, i. pp .

157-159, 168; Bezold, Bab.-Assyr . Keilinschriften, pp . 24 sqq., 54 sqq . ; A . Jeremias, Altes Test. See also:

• IM(K2+a2+h2—2 ah cos 0)

im Lichte d . See also:

• ALLEN, BOG OF
• ALLEN, ETHAN (1739–1789)
• ALLEN, GRANT CHARLES GRANT BLAIRFINDIEI, (1848–1899)
• ALLEN, JAMES LANE (1850– )
• ALLEN, JOHN (1476–1534)
• ALLEN, or ALLEYN, THOMAS (1542-1632)
• ALLEN, WILLIAM (1532-1594)
• ALLEN, WILLIAM FRANCIS (183o-1889)

Allen Orientsj21, pp . 343 seq.; also the literature to the art . GENESIS . Many fanciful legends about Abraham founded on Biblical accounts or spun out of the See also:

• FANCY (a shortened form, dating from the 15th century, of " fantasy," which is derived through the O. Fr. fantasie, modern fantaisie. from the Latinized form of the Gr. cbavraoia, Oavrai'ecv, Oat Pais, to show)

fancy are to be found in Josephus, and in post-Biblical and See also:

• MAHOMMEDAN

Mahommedan literature; for these, reference may be made to See also:

• BEER

Beer, Leben Abrahams (1859); Grunbaum, Neue Beitrage z. semit . Sagenkunde, pp . 89 seq . (1893); the apocryphal "Testament of Abraham " (M .

R . See also:

• JAMES
• JAMES (Gr. 'IlrKw,l3or, the Heb. Ya`akob or Jacob)
• JAMES (JAMES FRANCIS EDWARD STUART) (1688-1766)
• JAMES, 2ND EARL OF DOUGLAS AND MAR(c. 1358–1388)
• JAMES, DAVID (1839-1893)
• JAMES, EPISTLE OF
• JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE RAINSFOP
• JAMES, HENRY (1843— )
• JAMES, JOHN ANGELL (1785-1859)
• JAMES, THOMAS (c. 1573–1629)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (1842–1910)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (d. 1827)

James in Texts and Studies, 1892) ; W . Tisdall, Original See also:

• SOURCES

Sources of the Quran, passim (1905) . (S . A .