Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends
Isaac took Rebekah to wife and led her into the tent of Sarah, and the
door was once more open, and the perpetual lamp was again kindled, and
it seemed to Isaac as if all the happiness that had gone with Sarah, had
returned with Rebekah, so he was comforted for his mother.
Eliezer was rewarded for his faithful service, for Abraham gave him his
freedom, and he was taken into Paradise without having tasted of death.
13. THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM.
Abraham, after the death of Sarah, had brought back Hagar, and she was
called Keturah, which signifies “the Bond-woman,” and this she was
called because she had ever regarded herself as bound to Abraham, though
he had cast her away. But others say that Keturah was not Hagar, but was
a daughter of one of Abraham’s slaves. She bare him six sons,[342] all
strong, and men of clear understandings.
According to Mussulman traditions, she was the daughter of Jokdan, and
was a Canaanitish woman.
Abraham said to the Most High, in gratitude of heart, “Thou didst
promise me one son, Isaac, and thou hast given me many!”
All his substance he gave to Isaac; but some say he gave him a double
portion only, and the rest he made over to his other sons. And to Isaac
only he gave the right to be buried in the cave of Machpelah, and along
with that, his blessing. But others say that he did not give his
blessing to Isaac, lest it should cause jealousy to spring up between
him and his brothers. He said, “I am a mortal man; to-day here, and
to-morrow in the grave; I have done all I can do for my children, and
now I will depart when it pleases my heavenly Father.”
He sent the sons of Keturah away, that they might not dwell near Isaac,
lest his greatness should swallow them up; and he built them a city of
iron, with walls of iron. But the walls were so high that the light of
the sun could not penetrate the streets, therefore he set in them
diamonds and pearls to illumine the iron city.
Epher, a grandson of Abraham and Keturah,[343] went with an army into
Libya and conquered it, and founded there a kingdom, and the land he
called after his own name, Africa.
Abraham was alive when Rebekah, after twenty years of barrenness, bare
to Isaac his sons, Esau and Jacob; and he saw them grow up before him
till their fifteenth year, and he died on the day that Esau sold his
birthright.
The days of his life had been 175 years; he reached not the age of 180,
to which Isaac attained, because God shortened his life by five years,
lest he should know the evil deeds of Esau.
The Angel of Death did not smite him, but God kissed him, and he died by
that kiss; and because the sword of the angel touched him not, but his
soul parted to the kiss of God, his body saw no corruption.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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