SECT. V. The LXX Interpreters noted.
HERE, Reader, I will resolve you a riddle in the LXX in Gen. XXXV. In Moses the story of Jacob in that place is thus. They went from Bethel; and when it was but a little space to Ephratha, Rachel travailed, &c. And afterwards, Israel went on, and pitched his Tabernacle beyond the Tower Eder.
The LXX invert the order of the history, and they make the encamping of Jacob be∣yond Migdal Eder to be before his coming to the place where Rachel dyed. For thus they write: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. And Jacob departing from Bethel, pitched his tent over against the Tower Gader. And it came to pass, when he approached to Chabratha to come to Ephratha, Rachel travailed, &c.
I suspect, unless I fail in my conjecture, that they inverted the order of the history, fixing their eyes upon that Migdal Eder, which was very near Jerusalem. For when Jacob travailed from Bethel, to the place of Rachels Sepulchre, that Tower was first to be passed by, before one could come to the place; and when Jacob in his journey tra∣vailed Southward, it is very probable that Tower was on that quarter of the City.
There was indeed a Migdal Eder near Bethlehem, and this was near Jerusalem; and perhaps there were more places of that name in the Land of Israel. For as that word denotes, The Tower of a Flock, so those Towers seem to have been built for the keeping of Flocks; that Shepherds might be there ready also anights; and that they might have weapons in a readiness, to defend their Flocks, not only from wild beasts, but from robbers also. And to this sense we suppose that expression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Tower of the Keepers, is to be taken in that saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From the Tower of the Keepers to the strong City, 2. King. XVII. 9. & XVIII. 8.
Hence the Targumist Jonathan, to distinguish Migdal Eder of Bethlehem from all others, thus paraphraseth Moses words. And Israel went forward, and pitched his Ta∣bernacle beyond Migdal Eder, the place whence the Messias is to be revealed in the end of days. Which very well agree with the history, Luke II. 8. Whether Micha, Chap. IV. 8. speak of the same, enquire.