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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book One
Chapter 18
Concerning The Sons Of Isaac, Esau And Jacob;
Of Their Nativity And Education.
1. Now Isaac's wife proved with child, after the death of
Abraham; (30) and when her belly was greatly burdened, Isaac was
very anxious, and inquired of God; who answered, that Rebeka
should bear twins; and that two nations should take the names of
those sons; and that he who appeared the second should excel the
elder. Accordingly she, in a little time, as God had foretold,
bare twins; the elder of whom, from his head to his feet, was
very rough and hairy; but the younger took hold of his heel as
they were in the birth. Now the father loved the elder, who was
called Esau, a name agreeable to his roughness, for the Hebrews
call such a hairy roughness [Esau, (31) or] Seir; but Jacob the
younger was best beloved by his mother.
2. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go
into Egypt, the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as
God
commanded him. Here Abimelech the king received him, because
Abraham had formerly lived with him, and had been his friend.
And
as in the beginning he treated him exceeding kindly, so he was
hindered from continuing in the same disposition to the end, by
his envy at him; for when he saw that God was with Isaac, and
took such great care of him, he drove him away from him. But
Isaac, when he saw how envy had changed the temper of Abimelech
retired to a place called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as
he was digging a well, the shepherds fell upon him, and began to
fight, in order to hinder the work; and because he did not
desire
to contend, the shepherds seemed to get the him, so he still
retired, and dug another and when certain other shepherds of
Abimelech began to offer him violence, he left that also, still
retired, thus purchasing security to himself a rational and
prudent conduct. At length the gave him leave to dig a well
without disturbance. He named this well Rehoboth, which denotes
a
large space; but of the former wells, one was called Escon,
which denotes strife, the other Sitenna, name signifies enmity.
3. It was now that Isaac's affairs increased, and in a
flourishing condition; and this his great riches. But Abimelech,
thinking in opposition to him, while their living made them
suspicious of each other, and retiring showing a secret enmity
also, he afraid that his former friendship with Isaac would not
secure him, if Isaac should endeavor the injuries he had
formerly
offered him; he therefore renewed his friendship with him,
Philoc, one of his generals. And when he had obtained every
thing
he desired, by reason of Isaac's good nature, who preferred the
earlier friendship Abimelech had shown to himself and his father
to his later wrath against him, he returned home.
4. Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father
principally loved, was now come to the age of forty years, he
married Adah, the daughter of Helon, and Aholibamah, the
daughter of Esebeon; which Helon and Esebeon were great lords
among the Canaanites: thereby taking upon himself the authority,
and pretending to have dominion over his own marriages, without
so
much as asking the advice of his father; for had Isaac been the
arbitrator, he had not given him leave to marry thus, for he was
not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of
that country; but not caring to be uneasy to his son by
commanding him
to put away these wives, he resolved to be silent.
5. But when he was old, and could not see at all, he called Esau
to him, and told him, that besides his blindness, and the
disorder of his eyes, his very old age hindered him from his
worship of God [by sacrifice]; he bid him therefore to go out a
hunting, and when he had caught as much venison as he could, to
prepare him a supper (32) that after this he might make
supplication to God, to be to him a supporter and an assister
during the whole time of his life; saying, that it was uncertain
when he should die, and that he was desirous, by prayers for
him, to procure, beforehand, God to be merciful to him.
6. Accordingly, Esau went out a hunting. But Rebeka (33)
thinking it proper to have the supplication made for obtaining
the favor
of God to Jacob, and that without the consent of Isaac, bid him
kill kids of the goats, and prepare a supper. So Jacob obeyed
his
mother, according to all her instructions. Now when the supper
was got ready, he took a goat's skin, and put it about his arm,
that by reason of its hairy roughness, he might by his father be
believed to be Esau; for they being twins, and in all things
else
alike, differed only in this thing. This was done out of his
fear, that before his father had made his supplications, he
should be caught in his evil practice, and lest he should, on
the contrary, provoke his father to curse him. So he brought in
the
supper to his father. Isaac perceivest to be Esau." So
suspecting no deceit, he ate the supper, and betook himself to
his prayers
and intercessions with God; and said, "O Lord of all ages, and
Creator of all substance; for it was thou that didst propose to
my father great plenty of good things, and hast vouchsafed to
bestow on me what I have; and hast promised to my posterity to
be
their kind supporter, and to bestow on them still greater
blessings; do thou therefore confirm these thy promises, and do
not overlook me, because of my present weak condition, on
account of which I most earnestly pray to thee. Be gracious to
this my
son; and preserve him and keep him from every thing that is
evil. Give him a happy life, and the possession of as many good
things
as thy power is able to bestow. Make him terrible to his
enemies, and honorable and beloved among his friends."
7. Thus did Isaac pray to God, thinking his prayers had been
made for Esau. He had but just finished them, when Esau came in
from
hunting. And when Isaac perceived his mistake, he was silent:
but Esau required that he might be made partaker of the like
blessing
from his father that his brother had partook of; but his father
refused it, because all his prayers had been spent upon Jacob:
so
Esau lamented the mistake. However, his father being grieved at
his weeping, said, that "he should excel in hunting and strength
of body, in arms, and all such sorts of work; and should obtain
glory for ever on those accounts, he and his posterity after
him;
but still should serve his brother."
8. Now the mother delivered Jacob, when she was afraid that his
brother would inflict some punishment upon him because of the
mistake about the prayers of Isaac; for she persuaded her
husband to take a wife for Jacob out of Mesopotamia, of her own
kindred,
Esau having married already Basemmath, the daughter of Ismael,
without his father's consent; for Isaac did not like the
Canaanites, so that he disapproved of Esau's former marriages,
which made him take Basemmath to wife, in order to please him;
and indeed he had a great affection for her.
Continue on to
Book One,
Chapter 19, The Antiquities of the Jews by
Flavius Josephus
Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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