1.161
NOW, after this, when a famine had invaded the land of Canaan, and
Abram had discovered that the Egyptians were in a flourishing condition,
he was disposed to go down to them, both to partake of the plenty they
enjoyed, and to become an auditor of their priests, and to know what they
said concerning the gods; designing either to follow them, if they had
better notions than he, or to convert them into a better way, if his own
notions proved the truest. Now, seeing he was to take Sarai with him, and
was afraid of the madness of the Egyptians with regard to women, lest the
king should kill him on occasion of his wife's great beauty, he contrived
this device : - he pretended to be her brother, and directed her in a dissembling
way to pretend the same, for he said it would be for their benefit. Now,
as soon as he came into Egypt, it happened to Abram as he supposed it would;
for the fame of his wife's beauty was greatly talked of; for which reason
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, would not be satisfied with what was reported
of her, but would needs see her himself, and was preparing to enjoy her;
but God put a stop to his unjust inclinations, by sending upon him a distemper,
and a sedition against his government. And when he inquired of the priests
how he might be freed from these calamities, they told him that this his
miserable condition was derived from the wrath of God, upon account of
his inclinations to abuse the stranger's wife. He then, out of fear, asked
Sarai who she was, and who it was that she brought along with her. And
when he had found out the truth, he excused himself to Abram, that supposing
the woman to be his sister, and not his wife, he set his affections on
her, as desiring an affinity with him by marrying her, but not as incited
by lust to abuse her. He also made him a large present in money, and gave
him leave to enter into conversation with the most learned among the Egyptians;
from which conversation his virtue and his reputation became more conspicuous
than they had been before.
1.166
For whereas the Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs,
and despised one another's sacred and accustomed rites, and were very angry
one with another on that account, Abram conferred with each of them, and,
confuting the reasonings they made use of, every one for their own practices,
demonstrated that such reasonings were vain and void of truth: whereupon
he was admired by them in those conferences as a very wise man, and one
of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject he undertook; and
this not only in understanding it, but in persuading other men also to
assent to him. He communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them
the science of astronomy; for before Abram came into Egypt they were unacquainted
with those parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans
into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also.
1.169
As soon as Abram was come back into Canaan, he parted the land between
him and Lot, upon account of the tumultuous behavior of their shepherds,
concerning the pastures wherein they should feed their flocks. However,
he gave Lot his option, or leave, to choose which lands he would take;
and he took himself what the other left, which were the lower grounds at
the foot of the mountains; and he himself dwelt in Hebron, which is a city
seven years more ancient than Tunis of Egypt. But Lot possessed the land
of the plain, and the river Jordan, not far from the city of Sodom, which
was then a fine city, but is now destroyed, by the will and wrath of God,
the cause of which I shall show in its proper place hereafter.
note
1.171
AT this time, when the Assyrians had the dominion over Asia, the people
of Sodom were in a flourishing condition, both as to riches and the number
of their youth. There were five kings that managed the affairs of this
county: Ballas, Barsas, Senabar, and Sumobor, with the king of Bela; and
each king led on his own troops: and the Assyrians made war upon them;
and, dividing their army into four parts, fought against them. Now every
part of the army had its own commander; and when the battle was joined,
the Assyrians were conquerors, and imposed a tribute on the kings of the
Sodomites, who submitted to this slavery twelve years; and so long they
continued to pay their tribute: but on the thirteenth year they rebelled,
and then the army of the Assyrians came upon them, under their commanders
Amraphel, Arioch, Chodorlaomer, and Tidal. These kings had laid waste all
Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the giants. And when they were come
over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale called the Slime
Pits, for at that time there were pits in that place; but now, upon the
destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the Lake Asphaltites,
as it is called. However, concerning this lake we shall speak more presently.
Now when the Sodomites joined battle with the Assyrians, and the fight
was very obstinate, many of them were killed, and the rest were carried
captive; among which captives was Lot, who had come to assist the Sodomites.
note