E. Nesbit - "The Story of the Treasure Seekers"

Charlotte M. Yonge - "The Trial"

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The Antiquities of the Jews

F >> Flavius Josephus >> The Antiquities of the Jews




6. When she had said thus, she brought him to Laban; and being
owned by his uncle, he was secure himself, as being among his
friends; and he brought a great deal of pleasure to them by his
unexpected coning. But a little while afterward, Laban told him
that he could not express in words the joy he had at his coming;
but still he inquired of him the occasion of his coming, and why
he left his aged mother and father, when they wanted to be taken
care of by him; and that he would afford him all the assistance
he wanted. Then Jacob gave him an account of the whole occasion
of his journey, and told him, "that Isaac had two sons that were
twins, himself and Esau; who, because he failed of his father's
prayers, which by his mother's wisdom were put up for him, sought
to kill him, as deprived of the kingdom (34) which was to be
given him of God, and of the blessings for which their father
prayed; and that this was the occasion of his coming hither, as
his mother had commanded him to do: for we are all (says he)
brethren one to another; but our mother esteems an alliance with
your family more than she does one with the families of the
country; so I look upon yourself and God to be the supporters of
my travels, and think myself safe in my present circumstances."

7. Now Laban promised to treat him with great humanity, both on
account of his ancestors, and particularly for the sake of his
mother, towards whom, he said, he would show his kindness, even
though she were absent, by taking care of him; for he assured him
he would make him the head shepherd of his flock, and give him
authority sufficient for that purpose; and when he should have a
mind to return to his parents, he would send him back with
presents, and this in as honorable a manner as the nearness of
their relation should require. This Jacob heard gladly; and said
he would willingly, and with pleasure, undergo any sort of pains
while he tarried with him, but desired Rachel to wife, as the
reward of those pains, who was not only on other accounts
esteemed by him, but also because she was the means of his coming
to him; for he said he was forced by the love of the damsel to
make this proposal. Laban was well pleased with this agreement,
and consented to give the damsel to him, as not desirous to meet
with any better son-in-law; and said he would do this, if he
would stay with him some time, for he was not willing to send his
daughter to be among the Canaanites, for he repented of the
alliance he had made already by marrying his sister there. And
when Jacob had given his consent to this, he agreed to stay seven
years; for so many years he had resolved to serve his
father-in-law, that, having given a specimen of his virtue, it
might be better known what sort of a man he was. And Jacob,
accepting of his terms, after the time was over, he made the
wedding-feast; and when it was night, without Jacob's perceiving
it, he put his other daughter into bed to him, who was both elder
than Rachel, and of no comely countenance: Jacob lay with her
that night, as being both in drink and in the dark. However, when
it was day, he knew what had been done to him; and he reproached
Laban for his unfair proceeding with him; who asked pardon for
that necessity which forced him to do what he did; for he did not
give him Lea out of any ill design, but as overcome by another
greater necessity: that, notwithstanding this, nothing should
hinder him from marrying Rachel; but that when he had served
another seven years, he would give him her whom he loved. Jacob
submitted to this condition, for his love to the damsel did not
permit him to do otherwise; and when another seven years were
gone, he took Rachel to wife.

8. Now each of these had handmaids, by their father's donation.
Zilpha was handmaid to Lea, and Bilha to Rachel; by no means
slaves, (35) but however subject to their mistresses. Now Lea was
sorely troubled at her husband's love to her sister; and she
expected she should be better esteemed if she bare him children:
so she entreated God perpetually; and when she had borne a son,
and her husband was on that account better reconciled to her, she
named her son Reubel, because God had had mercy upon her, in
giving her a son, for that is the signification of this name.
After some time she bare three more sons; Simeon, which
name signifies that God had hearkened to her prayer. Then she
bare Levi, the confirmer of their friendship. After him was born
Judah, which denotes thanksgiving. But Rachel, fearing lest the
fruitfulness of her sister should make herself enjoy a lesser
share of Jacob's affections, put to bed to him her handmaid
Bilha; by whom Jacob had Dan: one may interpret that name into
the Greek tongue, a divine judgment. And after him Nephthalim, as
it were, unconquerable in stratagems, since Rachel tried to
conquer the fruitfulness of her sister by this stratagem.
Accordingly, Lea took the same method, and used a
counter-stratagem to that of her sister; for she put to bed to
him her own handmaid. Jacob therefore had by Zilpha a son, whose
name was Gad, which may be interpreted fortune; and after him
Asher, which may be called a happy man, because he added glory to
Lea. Now Reubel, the eldest son of Lea, brought apples of
mandrakes (36) to his mother. When Rachel saw them, she desired
that she would give her the apples, for she longed to eat them;
but when she refused, and bid her be content that she had
deprived her of the benevolence she ought to have had from her
husband, Rachel, in order to mitigate her sister's anger, said
she would yield her husband to her; and he should lie with her
that evening. She accepted of the favor, and Jacob slept with
Lea, by the favor of Rachel. She bare then these sons: Issachar,
denoting one born by hire: and Zabulon, one born as a pledge of
benevolence towards her; and a daughter, Dina. After some time
Rachel had a son, named Joseph, which signified there should be
another added to him.

9. Now Jacob fed the flocks of Laban his father-in-law all this
time, being twenty years, after which he desired leave of his
father-in-law to take his wives and go home; but when his
father-in-law would not give him leave, he contrived to do it
secretly. He made trial therefore of the disposition of his wives
what they thought of this journey; - when they appeared glad, and
approved of it. Rachel took along with her the images of the
gods, which, according to their laws, they used to worship in
their own country, and ran away together with her sister. The
children also of them both, and the handmaids, and what
possessions they had, went along with them. Jacob also drove away
half the cattle, without letting Laban know of it beforehand But
the reason why Rachel took the images of the gods, although Jacob
had taught her to despise such worship of those gods, was this,
That in case they were pursued, and taken by her father, she
might have recourse to these images, in order obtain his pardon.

10. But Laban, after one day's time, being acquainted with
Jacob's and his daughters' departure, was much troubled, and
pursued after them, leading a band of men with him; and on the
seventh day overtook them, and found them resting on a certain
hill; and then indeed he did not meddle with them, for it was
even-tide; but God stood by him in a dream, and warned him to
receive his son-in-law and his daughters in a peaceable manner;
and not to venture upon any thing rashly, or in wrath to but to
make a league with Jacob. And he him, that if he despised their
small number, attacked them in a hostile manner, he would assist
them. When Laban had been thus forewarned by God, he called Jacob
to him the next day, in order to treat with him, and showed him
what dream he had; in dependence whereupon he came confidently to
him, and began to accuse him, alleging that he had entertained
him when he was poor, and in want of all things, and had given
him plenty of all things which he had. "For," said he, "I have
joined my daughters to thee in marriage, and supposed that thy
kindness to me be greater than before; but thou hast had no
regard to either thy mother's relations to me, nor to the
affinity now newly contracted between us; nor to those wives whom
thou hast married; nor to those children, of whom I am the
grandfather. Thou hast treated me as an enemy, driving away my
cattle, and by persuading my daughters to run away from their
father; and by carrying home those sacred paternal images which
were worshipped by my forefathers, and have been honored with the
like worship which they paid them by myself. In short, thou hast
done this whilst thou art my kinsman, and my sister's son, and
the husband of my daughters, and was hospiably treated by me, and
didst eat at my table." When Laban had said this, Jacob made his
defense - That he was not the only person in whom God had
implanted the love of his native country, but that he had made it
natural to all men; and that therefore it was but reasonable
that, after so long time, he should go back to it. "But as to the
prey, of whose driving away thou accusest me, if any other person
were the arbitrator, thou wouldst be found in the wrong; for
instead of those thanks I ought to have had from thee, for both
keeping thy cattle, and increasing them, how is it that thou art
unjustly angry at me because I have taken, and have with me, a
small portion of them? But then, as to thy daughters, take
notice, that it is not through any evil practices of mine that
they follow me in my return home, but from that just affection
which wives naturally have to their husbands. They follow
therefore not so properly myself as their own children." And thus
far of his apology was made, in order to clear himself of having
acted unjustly. To which he added his own complaint and
accusation of Laban; saying, "While I was thy sister's son, and
thou hadst given me thy daughters in marriage, thou hast worn me
out with thy harsh commands, and detained me twenty years under
them. That indeed which was required in order to my marrying thy
daughters, hard as it was, I own to have been tolerable; but as
to those that were put upon me after those marriages, they were
worse, and such indeed as an enemy would have avoided." For
certainly Laban had used Jacob very ill; for when he saw that God
was assisting to Jacob in all that he desired, he promised him,
that of the young cattle which should be born, he should have
sometimes what was of a white color, and sometimes what should be
of a black color; but when those that came to Jacob's share
proved numerous, he did not keep his faith with him, but said he
would give them to him the next year, because of his envying him
the multitude of his possessions. He promised him as before,
because he thought such an increase was not to be expected; but
when it appeared to be fact, he deceived him.

11. But then, as to the sacred images, he bid him search for
them; and when Laban accepted of the offer, Rachel, being
informed of it, put those images into that camel's saddle on
which she rode, and sat upon it; and said, that her natural
purgation hindered her rising up: so Laban left off searching any
further, not supposing that his daughter in such circumstances
would approach to those images. So he made a league with Jacob,
and bound it by oaths, that he would not bear him any malice on
account of what had happened; and Jacob made the like league, and
promised to love Laban's daughters. And these leagues they
confirmed with oaths also, which the made upon certain as whereon
they erected a pillar, in the form of an altar: whence that hill
is called Gilead; and from thence they call that land the Land of
Gilead at this day. Now when they had feasted, after the making
of the league, Laban returned home.

CHAPTER 20.

Concerning The Meeting Of Jacob And Esau.

1. Now as Jacob was proceeding on his journey to the land of
Canaan, angels appeared to him, and suggested to him good hope of
his future condition; and that place he named the Camp of God.
And being desirous of knowing what his brother's intentions were
to him, he sent messengers, to give him an exact account of every
thing, as being afraid, on account of the enmities between them.
He charged those that were sent, to say to Esau, "Jacob had
thought it wrong to live together with him while he was in anger
against him, and so had gone out of the country; and that he now,
thinking the length of time of his absence must have made up
their differences, was returning; that he brought with him his
wives, and his children, with what possessions he had gotten; and
delivered himself, with what was most dear to him, into his
hands; and should think it his greatest happiness to partake
together with his brother of what God had bestowed upon him." So
these messengers told him this message. Upon which Esau was very
glad, and met his brother with four hundred men. And Jacob, when
he heard that he was coming to meet him with such a number of
men, was greatly afraid: however, he committed his hope of
deliverance to God; and considered how, in his present
circumstances, he might preserve himself and those that were with
him, and overcome his enemies if they attacked him injuriously.
He therefore distributed his company into parts; some he sent
before the rest, and the others he ordered to come close behind,
that so, if the first were overpowered when his brother attacked
them, they might have those that followed as a refuge to fly
unto. And when he had put his company in this order, he sent some
of them to carry presents to his brother. The presents were made
up of cattle, and a great number of four-footed beasts, of many
kinds, such as would be very acceptable to those that received
them, on account of their rarity. Those who were sent went at
certain intervals of space asunder, that, by following thick, one
after another, they might appear to be more numerous, that Esau
might remit of his anger on account of these presents, if he were
still in a passion. Instructions were also given to those that
were sent to speak gently to him.

2. When Jacob had made these appointments all the day, and night
came on, he moved on with his company; and, as they were gone
over a certain river called Jabboc, Jacob was left behind; and
meeting with an angel, he wrestled with him, the angel beginning
the struggle: but he prevailed over the angel, who used a voice,
and spake to him in words, exhorting him to be pleased with what
had happened to him, and not to suppose that his victory was a
small one, but that he had overcome a divine angel, and to esteem
the victory as a sign of great blessings that should come to him,
and that his offspring should never fall, and that no man should
be too hard for his power. He also commanded him to be called
Israel, which in the Hebrew tongue signifies one that struggled
with the divine angel. (37) These promises were made at the
prayer of Jacob; for when he perceived him to be the angel of
God, he desired he would signify to him what should befall him
hereafter. And when the angel had said what is before related, he
disappeared; but Jacob was pleased with these things, and named
the place Phanuel, which signifies, the face of God. Now when he
felt pain, by this struggling, upon his broad sinew, he abstained
from eating that sinew himself afterward; and for his sake it is
still not eaten by us.

3. When Jacob understood that his brother was near, he ordered
his wives to go before, each by herself, with the handmaids, that
they might see the actions of the men as they were fighting, if
Esau were so disposed. He then went up to his brother Esau, and
bowed down to him, who had no evil design upon him, but saluted
him; and asked him about the company of the children and of the
women; and desired, when he had understood all he wanted to know
about them, that he would go along with him to their father; but
Jacob pretending that the cattle were weary, Esau returned to
Seir, for there was his place of habitation, he having named the
place Roughness, from his own hairy roughness.

CHAPTER 21.

Concerning The Violation Of Dina's Chastity.

1. Hereupon Jacob came to the place, till this day called Tents
(Succoth); from whence he went to Shechem, which is a city of the
Canaanites. Now as the Shechemites were keeping a festival Dina,
who was the only daughter of Jacob, went into the city to see the
finery of the women of that country. But when Shechem, the son of
Hamor the king, saw her, he defiled her by violence; and being
greatly in love with her, desired of his father that he would
procure the damsel to him for a wife. To which desire he
condescended, and came to Jacob, desiring him to give leave that
his son Shechem might, according to law, marry Dina. But Jacob,
not knowing how to deny the desire of one of such great dignity,
and yet not thinking it lawful to marry his daughter to a
stranger, entreated him to give him leave to have a consultation
about what he desired him to do. So the king went away, in hopes
that Jacob would grant him this marriage. But Jacob informed his
sons of the defilement of their sister, and of the address of
Hamor; and desired them to give their advice what they should do.
Upon fills, the greatest part said nothing, not knowing what
advice to give. But Simeon and Levi, the brethren of the damsel
by the same mother, agreed between themselves upon the action
following: It being now the time of a festival, when the
Shechemites were employed in ease and feasting, they fell upon
the watch when they were asleep, and, coming into the city, slew
all the males (38) as also the king, and his son, with them; but
spared the women. And when they had done this without their
father's consent, they brought away their sister.

2. Now while Jacob was astonished at the greatness of this act,
and was severely blaming his sons for it, God stood by him, and
bid him be of good courage; but to purify his tents, and to offer
those sacrifices which he had vowed to offer when he went first
into Mesopotamia, and saw his vision. As he was therefore
purifying his followers, he lighted upon the gods of Laban; (for
he did not before know they were stolen by Rachel;) and he hid
them in the earth, under an oak, in Shechem. And departing
thence, he offered sacrifice at Bethel, the place where he saw
his dream, when he went first into Mesopotamia.

3. And when he was gone thence, and was come over against
Ephrata, he there buried Rachel, who died in child-bed: she was
the only one of Jacob's kindred that had not the honor of burial
at Hebron. And when he had mourned for her a great while, he
called the son that was born of her Benjamin, (39) because of the
sorrow the mother had with him. These are all the children of
Jacob, twelve males and one female. - Of them eight were
legitimate, - viz. six of Lea, and two of Rachel; and four were
of the handmaids, two of each; all whose names have been set down
already.

CHAPTER 22.

How Isaac Died, And Was Buried In Hebron.

From thence Jacob came to Hebron, a city situate among the
Canaanites; and there it was that Isaac lived: and so they lived
together for a little while; for as to Rebeka, Jacob did not find
her alive. Isaac also died not long after the coming of his son;
and was buried by his sons, with his wife, in Hebron, where they
had a monument belonging to them from their forefathers. Now
Isaac was a man who was beloved of God, and was vouchsafed great
instances of providence by God, after Abraham his father, and
lived to be exceeding old; for when he had lived virtuously one
hundred and eighty-five years, he then died.
BOOK II.

Containing The Interval Of Two Hundred And Twenty Years.

From The Death Of Isaac To The Exodus Out Of Egypt.

CHAPTER 1.

How Esau And Jacob, Isaac's Sons Divided Their Habitation; And
Esau Possessed Idumea And Jacob Canaan.

1. After the death of Isaac, his sons divided their habitations
respectively; nor did they retain what they had before; but Esau
departed from the city of Hebron, and left it to his brother, and
dwelt in Seir, and ruled over Idumea. He called the country by
that name from himself, for he was named Adom; which appellation
he got on the following occasion : - One day returning from the
toil of hunting very hungry, (it was when he was a child in age,)
he lighted on his brother when he was getting ready
lentile-pottage for his dinner, which was of a very red color; on
which account he the more earnestly longed for it, and desired
him to give him some of it to eat: but he made advantage of his
brother's hunger, and forced him to resign up to him his
birthright; and he, being pinched with famine, resigned it up to
him, under an oath. Whence it came, that, on account of the
redness of this pottage, he was, in way of jest, by his
contemporaries, called Adom, for the Hebrews call what is red
Adom; and this was the name given to the country; but the Greeks
gave it a more agreeable pronunciation, and named it Idumea.

2. He became the father of five sons; of whom Jaus, and Jalomus,
and Coreus, were by one wife, whose name was Alibama; but of the
rest, Aliphaz was born to him by Ada, and Raguel by Basemmath:
and these were the sons of Esau. Aliphaz had five legitimate
sons; Theman, Omer, Saphus, Gotham, and Kanaz; for Amalek was not
legitimate, but by a concubine, whose name was Thamna. These
dwelt in that part of Idumea which is called Gebalitis, and that
denominated from Amalek, Amalekitis; for Idumea was a large
country, and did then preserve the name of the whole, while in
its several parts it kept the names of its peculiar inhabitants.

CHAPTER 2.

How Joseph, The Youngest Of Jacob's Sons, Was Envied By His
Brethren, When Certain Dreams Had Foreshown His Future Happiness.

1. It happened that Jacob came to so great happiness as rarely
any other person had arrived at. He was richer than the rest of
the inhabitants of that country; and was at once envied and
admired for such virtuous sons, for they were deficient in
nothing, but were of great souls, both for laboring with their
hands and enduring of toil; and shrewd also in understanding. And
God exercised such a providence over him, and such a care of his
happiness, as to bring him the greatest blessings, even out of
what appeared to be the most sorrowful condition; and to make him
the cause of our forefathers' departure out of Egypt, him and his
posterity. The occasion was this : - When Jacob had his son
Joseph born to him by Rachel, his father loved him above the rest
of his sons, both because of the beauty of his body, and the
virtues of his mind, for he excelled the rest in prudence. This
affection of his father excited the envy and the hatred of his
brethren; as did also his dreams which he saw, and related to his
father, and to them, which foretold his future happiness, it
being usual with mankind to envy their very nearest relations
such their prosperity. Now the visions which Joseph saw in his
sleep were these : -

2. When they were in the middle of harvest, and Joseph was sent
by his father, with his brethren, to gather the fruits of the
earth, he saw a vision in a dream, but greatly exceeding the
customary appearances that come when we are asleep; which, when
he was got up, he told his brethren, that they might judge what
it portended. He said, he saw the last night, that his
wheat-sheaf stood still in the place where he set it, but that
their sheaves ran to bow down to it, as servants bow down to
their masters. But as soon as they perceived the vision foretold
that he should obtain power and great wealth, and that his power
should be in opposition to them, they gave no interpretation of
it to Joseph, as if the dream were not by them undestood: but
they prayed that no part of what they suspected to be its meaning
might come to pass; and they bare a still greater hatred to him
on that account.

3. But God, in opposition to their envy, sent a second vision to
Joseph, which was much more wonderful than the former; for it
seemed to him that the sun took with him the moon, and the rest
of the stars, and came down to the earth, and bowed down to him.
He told the vision to his father, and that, as suspecting nothing
of ill-will from his brethren, when they were there also, and
desired him to interpret what it should signify. Now Jacob was
pleased with the dream: for, considering the prediction in his
mind, and shrewdly and wisely guessing at its meaning, he
rejoiced at the great things thereby signified, because it
declared the future happiness of his son; and that, by the
blessing of God, the time would come when he should be honored,
and thought worthy of worship by his parents and brethren, as
guessing that the moon and sun were like his mother and father;
the former, as she that gave increase and nourishment to all
things; and the latter, he that gave form and other powers to
them; and that the stars were like his brethren, since they were
eleven in number, as were the stars that receive their power from
the sun and moon.

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