The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
Then Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah, and she bore him
Zimram, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. But
Isaac had grown a man, and Abraham said to his servant, the oldest in
his house, Eliezer of Damascus: Lay thy hand under my thigh; I charge
thee that thou take not to my son a wife from the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom we dwell; to my fatherland and my home thou shalt
go, and there seek a wife for Isaac. Then the servant took ten camels
from the camels of his master, and goods of every kind, and passed over
the Euphrates towards Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, the brother of
Abraham. To Nahor his wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, had borne
eight sons. The youngest was Bethuel, and Bethuel's son was Laban, and
his daughter Rebekah. Eliezer came to the city of Nahor at evening, and
halted his camels at the well outside the city. Then came a maiden, fair
to behold, with her pitcher on her shoulder, to the well. When she had
filled her pitcher and come up from the well, the servant went to her
and said: Bend down thy pitcher and let me drink a little water. Drink,
my lord, she answered, and quickly took the pitcher in her hand, and
gave him to drink. Then she said: I will draw also for thy camels, and
stepped down again to the well. Eliezer marvelled at her; and when all
the camels had drunk, he took a golden ring, half a shekel in weight,
and two golden bracelets, ten shekels in weight, and put the ring in her
nose, and the bracelets on her arm, and then inquired whose daughter she
was, and whether there was room in her father's house to shelter him and
the camels. And she answered: I am Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the
son of Nahor; straw and fodder is in abundance with us, and room for the
camels. And her brother Laban came to the well, and led Eliezer to the
house, and Laban took the saddles from the camels, spread straw for
them, and gave them fodder and brought water for his guest to wash his
feet, and food. But Eliezer said: I will not eat till I have given my
message. I am the servant of Abraham, and Jehovah has blessed my master,
so that he has become great, and he has given him sheep and oxen, and
silver and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels and
asses. And Sarah has borne a son to my master in his old age, and I have
sworn to seek a wife for his son from his home and his own people; and
Jehovah led me in the right path in order to take the granddaughter of
the brother of my master for his son. If ye are willing to plight troth
and love with Abraham, say it. Then said Bethuel, Rebekah's father, and
Laban her brother: Behold, the maiden stands before thee, take her and
go. Then Eliezer brought forth gold and silver ornaments, and garments,
and gave them to Rebekah; to her brother also and her mother he gave
gifts. And when Laban and his mother sent away Rebekah with her nurse
Deborah, and Abraham's servant Eliezer, they blessed Rebekah, and said:
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