ABRAM, afterwards called Abraham, son of Terah, was born at Ur, a city of Chaldaea, A. M. 2008, ante A. D. 1996. Gen. xi. 27. He spent his early years in his father's house, where idols were worshipped. Many have supposed that he himself was at first a worshipper of idols, but that, God giving him a better understanding, he renounced it, and on that account suffered a severe persecution from the Chaldeans, who threw him into a fiery furnace, from which God miraculously saved him. The Vulgate rendering of 2 Esd. ix. 7. expresses that he was delivered from the fire of the Chaldeans, which the Jews generally believe ; although the opinion seems to be founded only on the ambiguity of the word Ur, which signifies fire, as well as the city of Ur, from whence God directed Abraham into the land of promise. It seems that Terah also was convinced of the vanity of idolatry, since he accompanied Abraham from Ur, where he was settled, to go to that place whither the Lord had called him. The first city to which they came was Haran, in Mesopotamia, where Terah died. From thence Abraham went into Palestine, at that time inhabited by Canaanites. Here God promised to bless him, and to give him the property of the country. The patriarch, however, did not acquire landed property here, but lived and died a stranger. Some time after his arrival in Canaan, a great famine obliged him to go down into Egypt ; where, fearing that the Egyptians might be captivated with the beauty of Sarah, and not only force her from him, but take away his own life also, if they knew her to be his wife, he deter mined to call her sister. During their stay in Egypt, her beauty being reported to Pharaoh, he took her forcibly from Abraham, designing to make her one of his wives. God, however, afflicted him with great plagues, and obliged him to restore her. After the famine had ceased, Abraham returned to Canaan, accompanied by his nephew, Lot ; and pitched his tents between Beth-el and Hai, where he had previously raised an altar. But, as both Abraham and Lot had large flocks, they could not conveniently dwell together, and therefore separated ; Lot retiring to Sodom, and Abraham to the plain of Mamre, near Hebron, Gen. xii. xiii.

Some years after this, Lot being taken prisoner by Chedorlaorncr and his allies, then warring against the kings of Sodom, and the neighboring places, Abraham with his household pursued the conquerors, overtook and defeated them at Dan, near the springs of Jordan, and retook the spoil, together with Lot. At his return, passing near Salem, (supposed to be the city afterwards called Jerusalem,) Melchisedek, king of that city, and priest of the Most High God, came out and blessed him, and presented him with bread and wine for his own refreshment and that of his army ; or, as some have thought, offered bread and wine to God, as a sacrifice of thanksgiving on Abraham's behalf.

After this, the Lord renewed his promises to Abraham, with fresh assurances that he should possess the land of Canaan, and that his posterity should be as numerous as the stars of heaven.

As Abraham had no children, and could no longer expect any by his wife Sarah, he complied with her solicitations, and took her servant Hagar as a wife ; imagining, that if he should have children by her, God might perform the promises which he had made to him of a numerous posterity. Soon after her marriage, Hagar, finding she had conceived, assumed a superiority over her mistress, and treated her with contempt ; but Sarah complained to Abraham, who told her that Hagar was still her servant. Hagar, therefore, being harshly treated by Sarah, fled ; but an angel, appearing to her in the wilderness, commanded her to return to her master, and to submit to her mistress's authority. Hagar therefore returned, and gave birth to Ishmael, Gen. xiv.

The enormous sins of Sodom, Gomorrhah, and the neighboring cities, being now filled up, three angels were sent to inflict upon them the divine vengeance. Abraham, sitting at the door of his tent, in the valley of Mamre, saw three persons walking by ; and, with true oriental hospitality, immediately invited them to take refreshment, washed their feet, and hasted to prepare them meat. When they had eaten, they asked for Sarah. Abraham answering that she was in her tent, one of them said, " I will certainly return unto thee, according to the time of life, and lo ! Sarah thy wife shall have a son." Upon hearing this, Sarah laughed ; but one of the angelic visitors rebuked her unbelief, by remarking, " Wherefore did Sarah laugh ? Is any thing too hard for the Lord ? In a year I will return, as I promised, and Sarah shall have a son," Gen. xviii. 1 — 19.

have a son," Gen. xviii. 1 — 19. When the angels were ready to depart, Abraham accompanied them towards Sodom, whither two of them (who proved to be divine messengers) continued their journey. The third remained with Abraham, and informed him of the approaching destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham interceded, praying, that if fifty righteous persons were found therein, the city should be spared ; he reduced the number gradually to ten ; but this number could not be found, or God, in answer to his prayers, would have averted his design. Lot, being the only righteous person in the city, was preserved from the calamity that destroyed it, Gen. xviii. xix. See Lot.

Sarah having conceived, according to the divine promise, Abraham left the plain of Mature, and went south, to Gerar, where Abimelech reigned ; and again fearing that Sarah might be forced from him, and himself be put to death, he called her here, as he had done in Egypt, sister. (See Abimelech I.) Abimelech took her to his house, designing to marry her ; but God having in a dream informed him that she was Abraham's wife, he restored her with great presents. Sarah was this year delivered of Isaac whom Abraham circumcised according to the cove nant stipulation. For several years the two wives and the two children continued to live together ; but at length Ishmael became apparently jealous of the affection shown to Isaac by his father, so that Sarah insisted that he and his mother should be dismissed the family. After very great reluctance, Abraham complied ; as God informed him that it was according to the appointments of Providence, for the future ages of the world. About the same time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his general, to conclude an al liance with Abraham, who made that prince a present of seven cwc-lambs out of his flock, in consideratior that a well he had opened should be his own prop erty ; and they called the place Beer-sheba, or " tin well of swearing," because of the covenant then ratified with oaths. Here Abraham planted a grove built an altar, and resided some time, Gen. xx. xxi

About the year A.M. 2133, God directed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, on a mountain which he would show him. Obedient to the divine command, Abraham took his son, and two servants, and went towards mount Moriah, on which the temple afterwards stood. On their journey, Isaac said t his father, " Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the victim for a burnt-offering." Abraham answered, that God would provide one. When they arrived within sight of the mountain, Abraham left his servants, and ascended it with his son only. Having bound Isaac, he prepared to sacrifice him ; when about to give the blow, an angel from heave cried out to him, " Lay not thine hand upon the Is neither do thou any thing to him. Now I know that thou fearest God, since to obey him thou have not spared thine only son." Upon looking roui him, Abraham saw a ram entangled in the bushes with his horns, which he offered as a burnt-offerining instead of his son Isaac. He called the place Jehovah jireh, or the Lord will see, or provide, Gen. xx 1—14.

Several years afterwards, Sarah died in Hebron where Abraham came to mourn for her, and to perform the funeral offices. He addressed the Pool at the city gate, entreating them to allow him to bury his wife among them ; for, being a stranger, and having no land of his own, he could claim no right interment in any sepulchre of that country. I therefore, bought of Ephron, one of the inhabitants the field of Machpelah, with the cave and sepulchre in it, at the price of four hundred shekels of silver (about $200 ;) and buried Sarah with due solemnities, according to the custom of the country, Gen xxiii.

Abraham, being reminded by this occurrence, probably, of his own great age, and the consequent uncertainty of his life, became solicitous to secure an alliance between Isaac and a female branch of his own family. Eliezer his steward was therefore sent into Mesopotamia, to fetch from the country and kindred of Abraham a wife for his son Isaac. Eliezer executed his commission with prudence, and returned with Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, grand daughter of Nahor, and, consequently, Abraham's niece. The life of the patriarch was prolonged for many years after this event, and he died at the age of 175 years. He was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael, in the cave of Machpelah, where he had deposited the remains of his beloved Sarah, Gen. xxiv. xxv. A. M. 2133, ante A. D. 1821.

It appears from the thread of the sacred narrative, that Abraham took Keturah by marriage, and had by her six sons — Zirnran, Jokshan, Mednn, Midian, Ish- bak, and Shuah — after the death of Sarah, Gen. xxv. 1. This, however, is in itself improbable, his age at that time being 137 years, and his infirmity, long be fore, such as to render it highly improbable that he would have any children. On these grounds, it has been thought that he married Keturah while Sarah was living, and that the words may be rendered, in the pluperfect tense, " and Abraham had added, and taken a wife." It is worthy of remark, in support of this interpretation, that 1 Chron. i. 32, 33. places the sons of Keturah before Isaac, and calls her concubine, which would hardly have been the case had she been his legitimate wife, taken after the death of Sarah.

In reviewing the history of this eminent patriarch, there are several things worthy attentive consideration.

1. Abraham is introduced rather abruptly in the sacred Scriptures; — "And Jehovah said to Abram;" (Gen. xii. 1.) but it may rationally be concluded, that before a man would undertake a long, fatiguing, and uncertain journey, at the command of another, he would be well assured of the authority which commanded him. It seems reasonable, therefore, to in fer, that God had previously spoken to Abraham — perhaps often, though by what means we know not. However, we learn from other sources of information besides the Scriptures, that about this time Chaldea became polluted with idolatry ; and it is therefore most probable that a principal reason for Abraham's quitting his own country, was his dread of this evil. At that time idolatry was not equally prevalent in Egypt ; and the countries which were distant from the great cities, or had but little intercourse with them, were still less infected with it. This accounts for Abraham's traveling northward, instead of taking the direct road, which communicated through Canaan, between Babylon and Egypt. Undoubtedly, the providence of God called Abraham, for his own personal quiet, and that of his family, to seek a country less polluted than the dominions of Nimrod ; and so far, no doubt, he may be said to have had a divine direction ; but everything leads to the conclusion, that he had also an express direction to the same purpose.

2. Previous to his journey, Abraham was a man of property, Gen. xii. 5. He was no adventurer for a fortune, but was already rich in worldly wealth ; and had many dependents, most of whom, probably, accompanied him to his new residence. The dignity and power of Abraham are incidentally stated in the story of his rescuing Lot. He must have been man of no trifling possessions, who had three hundred and eighteen servants born among his property, whom he could entrust with arms, Gen. xiv. 14. It implies, that he also had many not born in his house, but bought with his money ; some also, doubtless, were old ; some were women, and some children ; these together make a considerable tribe. In fact, Abraham appears to correspond exactly to a modern emir ; to possess many of the rights of sovereignty in no small degree ; and to lie little other than an independent prince, even while dwelling on the territories of sovereign princes, who greatly esteemed him.

3. As the incident of Abraham calling Sarah sister is liable to ambiguity, and has suffered by being E laced in false lights, to die greater discredit of Abraham than is just or necessary, a few thoughts may be well bestowed on it. It has been affirmed by some writers, that by this conduct Abraham exposed Sarah to the danger of adultery ; and that she seemed too easily to consent, by passing for his sister, and not his wife. In Abraham, there is thought to have been lying, disguise, and too great easiness in hazarding his wife's chastity ; and in her, too great forwardness of compliance. Chrysostom, who seriously endeavored to excuse him, acknowledges, that the patriarch exposed Sarah to the danger of adultery ; and that she consented to this danger, to save the life of her husband. It deserves consideration, how ever, how far this might be a custom derived from the earliest ages of mankind ; for as in the first, so also in the second infancy of the human race, the relations of life were so very few, and so very intimate, that it was little short of inevitable for that nearest in blood to intermarry ; and it is by no meant incredible, that some families had made a point of maintaining themselves distinct from others, by this custom ; and that they chose to be thus restricted to the branches of their own family, (cousins, &c.) as afterwards among the Jews the restriction was enlarged to their own tribe. Augustine makes an apology for Abraham, saying, 1st. That he did not lie, by describing Sarah as his sister, as indeed she was ; he only concealed a truth which he was not obliged to discover, by not calling her his wife. 2ndly. That being exposed at the same time to two dangers, one of losing his life, the other of having his wife taken from him, and not being able to avoid either by acknowledging her as his wife, but thinking it at least probable that he should escape death, by acknowledging her for his sister ; of two evils he chose what seemed to him the least. — But, independent of these considerations, it should be recollected, that every nation, and often every family, has its own manners ; which appear not merely singular, but uncouth, to those not accustomed to them, and which, occasionally, arc mistaken by casual observers. It is not usual in England, nor does it appear to have been so in Egypt, or in Canaan, for a husband to call his wife sister; but it seems to have been customary among the Hebrew families to use this term, and others of near consanguinity, for a more general relation than they strictly import, (see Father, Brother, Sister,) and also for a wife,a. companion. — For example: We find Abram twice using this mode of speech, and twice experiencing the same inconvenience from it. We find Isaac using the same appellation, with at least equal apparent art, and under the same apprehension, in the some place where Abram had used it. We recollect no other instances equally ancient ; but it is observable, that the bridegroom, in the Canticles, does not call his bride wife, but always sister. Now, whatever allowances, or of whatever kind, the poetical style may require ; or whatever liberties of speech it may take, it must at least possess, as essential to it, a correspondence to the manners it depicts. This mode of address, then, was certainly founded on those manners. In later ages, we find Tobias calling his wife sister ; (Tobit viii. 4. J " Sister, arise, and let us pray :" — and verse 7, " I take not this my sister for lust" These instances tend to prove, that it was nothing unusual for husbands to express affection for their wives, by calling them sister in familiarity, and in private. To return to Abraham : there seems to be no necessity for supposing, that the use of this appellation commenced when Abraham was about to enter Egypt with Sarah. It was his general request long before; (Gen. xx. 13.) but he now again desired Sarah to use the title brother, (as had been customary between them in private,) in ordinary discourse, when speaking to him, or of him, to the Egyptian women, with whom she might converse. What these Egyptian women reported of her beauty and manners, with such accidental sight of her as might occur to the chief officers of Pharaoh's house, induced Pharaoh to take her into his palace, and give her apartments in his haram ; but it does not appear that he ever saw her. Thus Sarah's calling Abraham's brother, was as likely to have been the immediate cause of her being taken from him, as his calling her sister. — That king's conduct, or at least the behavior of his officers, seems too much to justify Abraham's suspicions of the Egyptian manners. On the whole, so far as relates to this transaction in Egypt, while it is admitted, that the fear of Abraham induced him to use art and management, it must be equally admitted, that his fear was too well founded. Nor does it seem to have overcome his faith, as some have said ; nor to have put him out of the regular custom of his life ; but to have suggested what he thought a prudential application in public of what had been his custom in private, though, perhaps,, by this very prudence, he ran at least as great a risk from the anger of Pharaoh, when he dismissed him without delay, as he might have done, had he trusted entirely to the ordinary course of things, and followed the simple path of his duty. The same effects seem connected with the same circumstances in the story of Abimelech, Gen. xx. 2. See Abimelech I.

4. However customary a plurality of wives might be among the nations around him, Abraham took no other wife than that of his youth ; and this, as it should seem, from his very great affection for Sarah. His connection with Hagar was not proposed by him self, but by Sarah ; and Abraham in that yielded to her wishes, rather than to his own. The same we find practiced by Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob, who gave their handmaids to their husband, and considered themselves as having children by this substitution. (See Adoption.) As to Abraham's treatment of Hagar, it may appear, that after she had become his wife, he ought not to have left her so entirely under the power of Sarah ; but it is evident that the sending away of Ishmael and his mother appeared hard to Abraham himself; nor did he com ply with the demands of Sarah, till after he had obtained the divine sanction ; with a renewal of the promise of divine protection to Ishmael. See Hagar, and Ishmael.

5. The covenant made with Abraham is a subject well worthy of consideration, whether as it regards the solemnity, the occasion, or the provisions of it. Its history is related in two parts ; the first is previous to the birth of Ishmael ; the second, previous to the birth of Isaac. The first foretells, that Abraham should have a numerous posterity, and that he need not make a stranger his heir : the second promises a son by Sarah, with whom the covenant was to be established. (For the ceremonies of the covenant, see Covenant.) Regarding the provisions of the covenant, we may notice, (1.) The posterity of Abraham. His family has, from remote antiquity, been extremely numerous ; from him are derived many tribes of Arabs, descending through Ishmael, and others by Keturah, to say nothing of the Jews ; neither has there been on the face of Die earth, since Noah and his sons, any man whose posterity is equally extensive, — any man to whom so many nations refer their origin. Others may have begotten families, but Abraham is the father of nations. (2.) The change of names, Abram into Abraham, and Sarai into Sarah. (3.) The sign of the covenant — circumcision. This had reference to posterity. See Circumcision.

6. The history of Abraham's entertaining the an gels, deserves, and is capable of, illustration. We find the patriarch, like a modern hospitable Arab of dignity, sitting in the door of his tent, in the heat of the day ; where a stream of refreshing air passed through, and where the shade was comfortable and refreshing. He was not, however, so selfish or so indolent, but that at the sight of strangers, traveling during those sultry hours, he felt for their fatigue. He did not wait till they approached him, as if he valued his ease more than their entertainment, but ran towards them, invited and pressed them to par take of hospitality, and then hastily (disregarding the heat of the day, now he could serve his company) accommodated them, and stood by them under the trees, while they ate. He gave them a repast ac counted noble, a liberal meal ; and that his guests might want for nothing, he himself attended them. Such is still the hospitality, and such the politeness, of the East.

[The extent of oriental hospitality may properly be here illustrated by the following extracts from distinguished modern travelers.

Niebuhr, in his Description of Arabia, (p. 46, Germ, ed.) says, " The hospitality of the Arabs is celebrated of old; and I believe that the present Arabs are not behind their ancestors in the practice of this virtue. — A mere traveler, who wished to visit a sheik of rank in the desert, might expect, according to oriental custom, to live at the expense of the sheik during his stay, and perhaps to receive a present at his departure. — In some of the villages, there are free caravanseras, or taverns, where all travelers may have lodging, food, and drink, for some days, without charge ; provided they will put up with the common fare of the Arabs ; and these houses are much frequented. I myself, in my journey from Loheia to Beit el Fakih, was for several hours in such a public house in the village Meneyre, with all my fellow-travelers, servants, camel-drivers, and ass- drivers. The sheik of this village, who supported the house, was not only so civil as to come to us himself, and cause a better meal than usual to be set before us, but he also besought us to remain with him for the night."

The following is more specific, from La Roque : (Voyage dans la Palest., p. 124 seq.) " When strangers enter a village where they know no one, they inquire for the Menzel, (or house for the reception of strangers,) and desire to speak to the sheik, who is the lord of it ; after saluting him, they signify their want of a dinner, or of a supper and lodging in the village. The sheik says they are welcome, and that they could not do him a greater pleasure. — But they seldom have occasion for all this ; for as soon as the people of the village see any strangers coming, they inform the sheik of it, who goes to meet them, and having saluted them, asks if they would dine in the village, or whether they choose to stay the whole night there. If they answer they would only eat a morsel, and go forward, and that they choose to stay under some tree a little out of the village, the sheik goes or sends his people into the village, to cause a collation to be brought, and in a little time they re turn with eggs, butter, curds, honey, olives, fruit, fresh or dried, according to the season. If it is evening, and the strangers would lodge in the village, the women of the sheik's house never fail to cause fowls, sheep, lambs, or a calf to be killed and prepared, — which they send to the Menzel by the sheik's servants."

To the same purpose is the ensuing extract from Burckhardt, (Travels in Syria, p. 384.) describing his visit to the little city of Kerek, in the region east of the Dead Sea. "They have eight Menzels for the reception of guests. When a stranger takes up his lodging at one of these, one of the people present declares that he intends to furnish that day's entertainment, and it is then his duty to provide a dinner or supper, which he sends to the Menzel, and which is always sufficient for a large company. A goat or lamb is generally killed on the occasion ; and barley for the guest's horse is also furnished. When a stranger enters the town, the people almost come to blows with one another in their eagerness to have him for their guest ; and there are Turks, who every other day kill a goat for this hospitable purpose."

In Carnes's Letters from the East, (i. p. 283.) we also find the following account : " We were belated a few miles from Acre, and were obliged to stop at an Arab village on a hill ; and, on entering the rude and dirty khan, found it filled with the inhabitants. — In a short time, the sheik stepped up, and civilly invited us to lodge in his house, which we very gladly acceded to. He asked if his women should prepare a repast for us, or if we chose to dress it ourselves. On our preferring the former, in about an hour a very decent meal made its appearance."

" Abraham,'' remarks Dr. Richardson, " was a Bedouin ; and I never saw a fine, venerable looking sheik busied among his flocks and herds, that it did not remind me of the holy patriarch himself."

But to return to Abraham. To obtain accurate ideas of this story, it may be further observed, that these guests were eating, not in the tent of Abra ham, but under the shadow of the oaks : that Abra ham's tent was not the same as Sarah's tent, but placed at some little distance from it, as is the custom in the East ; and also, that his guests gradually dis covered themselves to Abraham. " Where is Sarah thy wife ?" How should entire strangers know his wife, and her name ? and wherefore interfere in his domestic matters ? " Sarah," says Abraham, " is in her tent." No doubt this excited Sarah's attention ; —to which purpose it was adapted, and for which it was intended. Then one of them continued,  "When I come this way again next year, I shall find her better engaged ; she will not then be so much at leisure, but be caressing a son." Such may be thought the import of the expressions, freely taken. On hearing this, Sarah laughed ; (Gen. xviii. 1 — 12.) probably from a notion that the speaker knew nothing about her. Then, for the first time, " the Lord" speaks, reasoning, that the Lord could do any thing ; and repeating, that Sarah should have a son. Thus, by Sarah's detection, a token of some extra ordinary person as the speaker was given to her and to Abraham ; and the circumstances, though not altogether miraculous as yet, are well calculated to excite attention and apprehension in the minds of those interested ; especially if Abraham, who had so lately received the covenant from God, understood any allusion to it, or any confirmation of it, under these ambiguous expressions, which greatly resemble those used not long before ; if so, then by this time he might begin to discern something of the dignity of his guests. At least, he must now have regarded his guests as extraordinary personages ; but what has passed hitherto, does not demonstrate that they were super-human. Abraham, therefore, pleas ed and interested with their conversation, probably desirous of further information, as also of doing honor to his courteous and well-wishing guests, accompanied them a part of the way towards Sodom ; and about the dusk of the evening, when the day was closing, he perceived on one who staid with him, the others having departed, those splendid tokens, brightening as darkness came on, which designated a celestial being. Some have thought, that beside the person spoken to, the Shekinah appeared : it might be so ; but it seems more probable, that this person gradually suffered the radiance of the sacred Shekinah to appear, and, without leading Abraham to suppose he had seen Jehovah, might yet convince his mind, that he had seen his commissioned messenger. If such honors might be gained by hospitality, the apostle was right to recommend it, by the example of such as had unawares entertained an gels. Such an afternoon, such an evening, amply re paid the most liberal hospitality ! Heb. xiii. 2. This kind of ambiguity, brightening into certainty, seems well suited to the circumstances of the subsequent conversation between Abraham and his glorious visitor. Had Abraham conceived that he was speaking immediately to Jehovah, that had left no room for reasoning, or representation ; and he could not address a mere stranger-traveler, a mere casual, undistinguished guest, by such honorable terms as he bestows on the person with whom he discourses. The principle of thus representing this part of the history, seems to be confirmed by the accuracy of distinction preserved in the original. The narration says, "Abraham stood before Jehovah," (ver. 22,) "and Jehovah spake," ver. 26, &c. Abraham, however, never uses this term in addressing this person, but merely Adonai, " Behold I have spoken to Adonai," ver. 27, &c. Probably, therefore, here is a further instance of the "unawaredness" with which Abraham entertained angels; since, though he perceived the dignity of his guest to be great, it was, in reality, much greater than he understood. He saw the human exterior of this appearance fully ; but the interior, or super-human, he saw very imperfectly and ambiguously ; as, indeed, human nature could see it no otherwise.

7. Abraham's faith, respecting his son Isaac, when commanded to offer him for a burnt-sacrifice, has been so often urged and illustrated, as to need no enlargement here. — We may, however, remark, that Abraham, under these circumstances — as having a son in his old age, born after the covenant, and in consequence of that alliance, on whose issue depended invaluable promises, who was now arrived at man's estate, who was his heir, who was his mother's favorite — must have been well convinced, that he followed no idle phantasy, no illusive injunction, in proposing to slay him. The common feelings of human nature, the uncommon feelings of the aged patriarch, all protested against such a deed. The length of the journey, the interval of time, the discourse of Isaac, all augmented the anguish of the parent ; unless that parent were well satisfied in his own mind, that he acted in obedience to authority fully and completely divine.

8. The Orientals, Indians, and Infidels, as well as Christians and Mahommedans, have preserved some knowledge of Abraham, and highly commend his character. See D'Herbelot, Bib. Orient, p. 12. Indeed, a history of his life, though it would be highly fanciful, might easily be compiled from their traditions. The Persian magi believe him to have been the same with their founder, Zerdoust, or Zoroaster ; while the Zabians, their rivals and opponents, lay claim to a similar honor. Some have affirmed that he reigned at Damascus; (Nicol. Damasc. apud Joseph, lib. i. cap. 7. Justin, lib. xxxvi.) — that he dwelt long in Egypt ; (Artapan. et Eupolem. apud Euseb. Preepar. lib. ix. cap. 17, 18.) — that he taught the Egyptians astronomy and arithmetic ; (Joseph. Antiq. Mb. i. cap. 8.) — that he invented letters and the Hebrew language, (Suidas in Abraham,) or the characters of the Syrians and Chaldeans; (Isidor. Hispal. Origg. lib. i. cap. 3.) — that he was the author of several works ; among others, of the famous book entitled Jezira, or the Creation, a work mentioned in the Talmud, and greatly valued by some Rabbins ; but those who have examined it without prejudice, speak of it with contempt. In the first ages of Christianity, the heretics called Serbians published "Abraham's Revelations;" (Epiphan. Uteres, 39. cap. 5.) Athanasius, in his Synopsis, speaks of the " Assumption of Abraham ;" and Origen in Luc. Homil. 35.) notices an apocryphal book of Abraham's, wherein two angels, one good, the other bad, dispute concerning his damnation or salvation. The Jews (Rab. Selem. in Bava Bathra, cap. 1.) at tribute to him the Morning Prayer, the 89th Psalm, a Treatise on Idolatry, and other works. — The authorities on all these points, and for still other traditions respecting Abraham, may be found collected in Fa- bricii Cod. Pseudepigr. V. T. I. p. 344 seq.

We are informed (article Ben Scholman, D'Her- belot)that, A. D. 1119), Abraham's tomb was discovered near Hebron, in which Jacob, likewise, and Isaac, were interred. The bodies were found en tire, and many gold and silver lamps were found in the place. The Mahommedans have so great a respect for his tomb, that they make it their fourth pilgrim age (the three others being Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.) (See Hebron.) The Christians built a church over the cave of Maehpelah, where Abraham was buried; which the Turks have changed into a mosque, and forbidden Christians from approaching. (Quaresm. Elmid. tom, ii. page 772.) The supposed oak of Mamre, where Abraham received the three angels, was likewise honored by Christians, as also by the Jews and Pagans.

Our Savior assures us that Abraham desired earnestly to see his day ; and that he saw it, and was glad, John viii. 56. Elsewhere, he represents the happiness of the righteous as a sitting with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven ; (Matt. viii. 11.) also a reception into Abraham's bosom, as into a place of rest, opposed to the misery of hell, Luke xvi. 22.

The emperor Alexander Severus, who knew Abra ham only by the wonders which the Jews and Christians related of him, conceived so high an idea of him, that he ranked him, with Jesus Christ, among his gods. Lamprid. in Severo.