VERS. II.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
To Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia.
g 1.1 ABRAHAM is like the friend of a King, who when he saw the King walking in darksome Galleries, gave light to him by a window: which when the King saw, he said unto him, because thou hast given me light through a window, come and give me light before my face. So did the Holy Blessed God say to Abraham, because thou hast given light to me, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of my Mesopotamia, and its Com∣panious, come and give light to me in the Land of Israel. Whether or no it be worth the while to enquire why God should term it my Mesopotamia, as also what should be the meaning of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 her Consorts, or Companions: yet can I not but take notice that this adjunct doth once and again occur in the writings of the Jews.h 1.2 O seed of Abra∣ham my friend I took thee from the ends of the Eurth; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 viz. from Mesopotamia and her Companions.i 1.3 Who is he among you that feareth the Lord? This is Abraham: who walketh in darkness. Who came 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of Meso∣potamia and her Consorts, and knew not whither; like the man that dwelleth in darkness. It is written indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as if it should be out of Spain, but I correct it by the authority of the Aruch, and indeed the very sense it self corrects it. The Gloss hath nothing but this trifling passage in it, I have found the interpretation of Mesopotamia, viz. that it is the name of a City in Aram Naharaim.
The Geographers do indeed distinguish betwixt Mesopotamia and Babylon, or Chaldaea; So in Ptolomys fourth Table of Asia to omit other authors, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. The Country of Babylon is bounded, on the South lieth Mesopotamia, &c. And yet Babylon may in some measure be said to be in Mesopotamia: partly because it lay between the two Rivers Euphrates and Tigris, but especially ac∣cording to the propriety of Scripture Language, because it was beyond the River. Which we may take notice was observed by the Vulgar Interpreter in Josh XXIV. 3. where what in the Hebrew is, I took your Father Abraham 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from the other side of the flood, he hath rendred it, I took your Father Abraham, De Mesopotamiae finibus, from the borders of Mesopotamia.
Josephus speaking of Abraham and his removing from his Country, hath this passage,k 1.4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. Wherefore the Chaldeans and other Mesopotamians moving tumults against him he thought fit to remove his seat, &c. Where we see the Chaldeans amongst others are called, those of Mesopotamia. Nor indeed without cause, when as Eratosthenes in Strabo tells usl 1.5 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. that Mesopotamia with the Country of Babylon, is contained in that great compass, from Euphrates and Tigris.
And so perhaps the Rabbin newly quoted, distinguisheth; that that is Mesopotamia, which he makes to be called by God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 my Mesopotamia, is Charran, where the wor∣ship of God had been kept up in the family of Nahor; and which had been the native Country and breeder up of eleven Patriarchs. And so let 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 her Consorts Babylon, and Chaldea; for in what other signification 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here can be taken in, I cannot well tell.
In that Stephen speaks of God appearing to Abraham while he was yet in Chaldea be∣fore he removed to Charran, when Moses rather ascribes that passage to Terah his Father Gen. XI. he speaks with the Vulgar, according to the commonly received opinion of his Countrymen. Who not only taught that Abraham acknowledged and worshipt the true God even while his Father Terah worshipped Idols; bur further, that Terah was so zea∣lous an Idolater, that he delivered his son Abraham to Nimrod to be cast into a fiery furnace. We have the tale in Bereshith Rabba,* 1.6 ridiculous enough.