1.143
Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land
that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean. For Elam left
behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at
the city Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most
fortunate nation, beyond others. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are
now called Chaldeans. Aram had the Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians;
as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now called Lydians. Of the four
sons of Aram, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus: this country lies between
Palestine and Celesyria. Ul founded Armenia; and Gather the Bactrians;
and Mesa the Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini. Sala was the son
of Arphaxad; and his son was Heber, from whom they originally called the
Jews Hebrews. note
Heber begat Joetan and Phaleg: he was called Phaleg, because he was born
at the dispersion of the nations to their several countries; for Phaleg
among the Hebrews signifies division. Now Joctan, one of the sons
of Heber, had these sons, Elmodad, Saleph, Asermoth, Jera, Adoram,
Aizel, Decla, Ebal, Abimael, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilat, and Jobab. These inhabited
from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it.
And this shall suffice concerning the sons of Shem.
1.148
I will now treat of the Hebrews. The son of Phaleg, whose father
Was Heber, was Ragau; whose son was Serug, to whom was born Nahor; his
son was Terah, who was the father of Abraham, who accordingly was the tenth
from Noah, and was born in the two hundred and ninety-second year after
the deluge; for Terah begat Abram in his seventieth year. Nahor begat Haran
when he was one hundred and twenty years old; Nahor was born to Serug in
his hundred and thirty-second year; Ragau had Serug at one hundred and
thirty; at the same age also Phaleg had Ragau; Heber begat Phaleg in his
hundred and thirty-fourth year; he himself being begotten by Sala when
he was a hundred and thirty years old, whom Arphaxad had for his son at
the hundred and thirty-fifth year of his age. Arphaxad was the son of Shem,
and born twelve years after the deluge. Now Abram had two brethren, Nahor
and Haran: of these Haran left a son, Lot; as also Sarai and Milcha his
daughters; and died among the Chaldeans, in a city of the Chaldeans, called
Ur; and his monument is shown to this day. These married their nieces.
Nabor married Milcha, and Abram married Sarai. Now Terah hating Chaldea,
on account of his mourning for Ilaran, they all removed to Haran of Mesopotamia,
where Terah died, and was buried, when he had lived to be two hundred and
five years old; for the life of man was already, by degrees, diminished,
and became shorter than before, till the birth of Moses; after whom the
term of human life was one hundred and twenty years, God determining it
to the length that Moses happened to live. Now Nahor had eight sons by
Milcha; Uz and Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Azau, Pheldas, Jadelph, and Bethuel.
These were all the genuine sons of Nahor; for Teba, and Gaam, and Tachas,
and Maaca, were born of Reuma his concubine: but Bethuel had a daughter,
Rebecca, and a son, Laban.
note
1.154
Now Abram, having no son of his own, adopted Lot, his brother Haran's
son, and his wife Sarai's brother; and he left the land of Chaldea when
he was seventy-five years old, and at the command of God went into Canaan,
and therein he dwelt himself, and left it to his posterity. He was a person
of great sagacity, both for understanding all things and persuading his
hearers, and not mistaken in his opinions; for which reason he began to
have higher notions of virtue than others had, and he determined to renew
and to change the opinion all men happened then to have concerning God;
for he was the first that ventured to publish this notion, That there was
but one God, the Creator of the universe; and that, as to other [gods],
if they contributed any thing to the happiness of men, that each of them
afforded it only according to his appointment, and not by their own power.
This his opinion was derived from the irregular phenomena that were visible
both at land and sea, as well as those that happen to the sun,
and moon, and all the heavenly bodies, thus: - "If [said he] these
bodies had power of their own, they would certainly take care of their
own regular motions; but since they do not preserve such regularity, they
make it plain, that in so far as they co-operate to our advantage, they
do it not of their own abilities, but as they are subservient to Him that
commands them, to whom alone we ought justly to offer our honor and thanksgiving."
For which doctrines, when the Chaldeans, and other people of Mesopotamia,
raised a tumult against him, he thought fit to leave that country; and
at the command and by the assistance of God, he came and lived in the land
of Canaan. And when he was there settled, he built an altar, and performed
a sacrifice to God.
