Canaan, and upon Account of a Famine went into Egypt (a). Eupolemus (b) agrees that Abraham was born at Uria [or Ur] of the Chaldees, that he came to live in Phoenicia (c); that fome time after his fettling here, the Armenians [or rather the Affyrians] overcame the Phænicians and took Captive Abraham's Nephew; that Abraham armed his Servants and rescued him; that he was entertained in the facred City of Argarize by Melchifedec Priest of God, who was King there; that fome time after, on Account of a Famine, he went into Egypt with his whole Family, and fixing there he called his Wife his Sifter; that the King of Egypt married her, but that he was forced by a Plague to confult his Priests, and finding her to be Abraham's Wife, he reftored her. Artapanus another of the Heathen Writers does but juft mention him; he fays the Jews were at firft called Hermiuth, afterwards Hebrews by Abraham, and that Abraham went into Egypt (d), and afterwards returned into Syria again; but Melo, who wrote a Book against the Jews, and therefore was not likely to admit any Part of their Hiftory, that could poffibly be called in question, gives a very large Account of Abraham (e). He relates, that his Ancestors. were driven from their native Country; that Abraham married two Wives, one of them of his own Country and Kindred, the other an

(a) Jofeph. Antiquitat. 1. 1. c. 8. Eufeb. Præpar. Evang. ut fup. (b) Id. c. 17. (c) The Ancient Heathen Writers often call Syria, Canaan and Phoenicia, by the fame Name. (d) Eufeb. Præp. Evang. 1. 9. c. 18. (e) Id. ibid. c. 19.

Egyptian,

Egyptian, who had been a Bond-woman; that of the Egyptian he had twelve Sons, who became twelve Arabian Kings (ƒ); that of his Wife he had one Son only, whose Name in Greek is Gelos [which anfwers exactly to the Hebrew Word Ifaac]: after other Things interfperfed he adds, that Abraham was commanded by God to facrifice Ifaac; but just when he was going to kill him, he was ftopped by an Angel, and offered a Ram instead of him. And as thefe Writers agree with Mofes in their Accounts of the Transactions of Abraham's Life, fo also it is remarkable that they give much the fame Character of him; all of them allowing him to be eminent for his Virtue and Religion, and they add moreover, that he was a Perfon of the most extraordinary Learning and Wisdom: He was Sinai naj μέγας καὶ τὰ ἐράνια ἔμπειρος, fays Berofus (g). Nicolaus Damafcenus fays, that his Name was famous all over Syria, and that he increased the Fame and Reputation which he had acquired by converfing with the most learned [Roywrátos] of the Egyptian Priefts, confuting their Errors, and perfuading them of the Truths of his own Religion, fo that he was admired amongst them (b) as a Perfon of the greatest Wit and Genius, not only readily understanding a thing himself, but very happy in an Ability of

(f) This is but a fmall Miftake; the Defcendants of Ishmael were 12 Kings, Gen. xvii. 20. and fettled near Arabia. (g) In loc. fup. citat. (6) Θαυμαθείς ὑπ ̓ αυτῶν ἐν ταῖς συνεσίαις ὡς συνετώτατος καὶ δεινὸς ἀνὴρ, ἐ νοῆσαι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι λέγων, περὶ ὧν ἂν ἐπιχειρήσεις διδάσκειν

convincing and perfuading others of the Truth of what he attempted to teach them. Eupolemus fays, that in Eminence and Wisdom he excelled all others, and that by his extraordinary Piety, or strict Adherence to his Religion [ἐπὶ τὴν οὐσέβειαν ὁρμήσαντα] he obtained the Favour of the Deity. [δαρεςῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ are his Words ()]. Both Melo and Artapanus agree likewife in teftifying Abraham to have been eminent for his Wifdom and Religion. There are feveral Particulars of no great Moment, in which these Writers either differ from Mofes, or relate Circumstances which he has omitted. Nicolaus Damafcenus relates, that Abraham came with an Army out of the Country of the Chaldees, that he reigned for fome time a King at Damafcus, that afterwards he removed into Canaan: The little Difference between this Account and Mofes's may easily be adjusted. Abraham was indeed no King, but Mofes obferves, that his Family and Appearance and Profperity in the World was fuch, that the Nations he converfed with treated him and fpake of him as of a mighty Prince. And when his Family came firft from Ur, and confifted both of those that settled at Haran, and those that removed with him into Canaan, he might well be reported, as the Circumstances of the World then were, to be the Leader of an Army; for very probably few Armies were at that time more numerous than his Fol

(i) Eufeb. fup. citat. This was the Character, which Enoch obtained by his Faith, Heb. xi. 5.

lowers,

lowers. As to his reigning King at Damafcus, it is eafy to fee how he made this Miftake: The Land of Haran, where Abraham made his first Settlement, was a Part of Syria, of which Damafcus was afterwards the head City; and hence it might happen, that the Heathen Writers finding that he made a Settlement in this Country, were not fo exact about the Place of it as they might have been, but readily took the Capital City to have been inhabited by him. Damafcenus relates further, that when Abraham went to Egypt, he went thither partly upon Account of the Famine in Canaan, and partly to confer with the Egyptian Priefts about the Nature of the Gods, defigning to go over to them, if their Notions were better than his own, or to bring them over to him, if his own Sentiments fhould be found to be the best grounded; and that he hereupon converfed with the most learned Men amongst them. Mofes relates nothing of this Matter; but what we meet with about Syphis, a King of (k) Egypt, who reigned a little after Abraham's time, and was very famous for religious Speculations, makes it exceeding probable, that Abraham might be very much celebrated in Egypt for his Religion; and that his Converfation there might occafion the Kings of Egypt to ftudy with a more than ordinary Care these Subjects. One thing I would remark before I leave these Writers, namely, the Life of Abraham was

(*) See Vol. I. p. 319. Eufeb. in loc. fup. citat. VOL. II.

G

fuch,

fuch, that even the Prophane Writers found fufficient Reafon to think him not only famous for his Piety, and Adherence to the true Religion, but very confpicuous alfo for his Learning and good Senfe, far above and beyond his Cotemporaries: He was accounted not a Man of low and puerile Conceptions, nor a bigotted Enthufiaft; but one of Temper proper to converfe with thofe that differed from him, and able to confute the most learned Oppofers; he had a Reafon for his Faith, and was able to give an Answer to all Objections, which the most learned could make to it (/): And not Damafcenus only, but all the other Writers I have mentioned lay a Foundation for this Character. They all fuppofe him a great Mafter of the Learning that then prevailed in the World, abundantly able to teach and instruct the wifeft Men of the feveral Nations he converfed with. This is the Subftance of what thefe Writers offer about Abraham, and in all this they fo agree with Mofes, as to confirm the Truth of this Hiftory; and the more fo, becaufe in fmall Matters they fo differ from him, as to evidence, that they did not blindly copy after him, but fearch'd for themselves'; and at laft could find no Reafon in matters of Moment to vary from him. Abraham lived to be an hundred threefcore and fifteen Years old, and died A. M. 2183.

If we look back, it will be easy to see, who were Abraham's Cotemporaries in all the feve

(See Damafcenus's Account of him, in Eufeb. loc. fup. citat.

ral