The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-11-05

STOCK. lllEy LdliiC W lliC IUuIllTy DeIOTG
Abraham. Their cities were GAIA, Ger
"a and Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath and
Ekrom Josh. 1873. Then in the northern
Legion, we find the Hittites, Girgasites,
Invites, PerizzteS and Jebusites.
The capital of the Jebustes was Jebus,
afterwards Jurusalum.
Lastly, the natives at the time of the
conquest were the Amorltes, Moabites,
Ammonites; the last two descended from
Lot, see Gen. 10. Lot was their grand
father, and double kinsman generally.
Beersheba was the extreme southern
city of PALESTINE, one hundred and sixty
| miles from Dan, and situated on small
stream near Balah, south of GAIA and
twenty miles south of Hebron on the rich
pasture land lying between the hill coun-
| try of Judea and the Desert, is one of the
oldest cities and land marks, defining the
southern boundary of Palestine. Abra-
ham removed here from Hebron soon
after the destruction of the cities of the
plain. 1t was here he planted grove
and dug the celebrated WE'LL that still
bears his name. This well is over twelve
| feet in diameter and not less than fifty
feet deep, mostly hewn out of solid rock,
with many deep grooves in its coping,
worn by the friction of the ropes IN draw
| ing water through SO many centuries.
There are other wells and cisterns in
the vicinity, but the two principal ones,
supposed to be the same dug by Abra
ham and Isaac, are still in good condition,
containing an abundant supply of water,
abiding witnesses to the eventful lives of
those great men of God. This is still
nomadic country. Just what it was IN
the days of Abraham, and the wandering
| Arabs may still be seen watering their
flocks and herds out of old stone troughs
| that stand around these ancient wells, an
tique enough in appearance to have been
used by the patriarchs themselves.
Abraham was living here when God
tried him by calling upon him to offer his
''only son" as a sacrifice on Marian. This
was likely the birthplace of Isaac, and here
Isaac married his beautiful Rebekah, and
here her twin boys, Esau and Jacob were
born; from here also Hagar and her boy
Ishmed were sent away. And the histo
ry of this woman, which still lives in
tradition of the country, is another illus
tration of the truthfulness of the scriptur-
es. lshmael, her discarded son, has be-
come "a great nation" His defendants
are wild men still, their hand against
every man, and every man S hand against
Them" dwelling in the precincts of thier
brethren, yet repelllng every effort to
civiize them.
The name Beersheba means the swell of
the oath" and from the following circum-
stances. And it came to pass at that
time,( B. c. 1893 years. that Abielenich
and Phichol the chief captain of his host,
spake unto Abraham saying, God is with
thee in all that thou doeSt: now Therefore
swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt
not deal falsely with me, nor with my son.
nor with my sons son: but according to
the kindness, that have done unto thee
thou shalt do unto me and to the land,
wherein thou hast sojourned.
And Abraham said, ! will swear. XXX
And Abr aham took sheep and oxen and
/ gave them unto Abinielech and both of
them made a Covenant wherefore he
called that place Beersheba, because there
they swear both of them," Gen. 2I:22-3I
/ "And Abraham planted a grove in Beer
sheba, and called there on the name of
the Lord, the everlasting God"
And Abraham Sojourned in the Phiis
tines land many days" Tvs. 33)
| will now close this letter, and in doing
~ my ilIllQ uiiS UdSh 3/OO yCdIS W llllleS
of the patriarchS.
can imagine see Abraham and Sarah
as they sit under the bough of his great
oak" known as Abraham's oak, while
Isaac plays around in the shade, and
looks out on the fertile plains and sees
| the great flocks and herds.
Abraham is thinking of the great
pomiSe God had made to him and his
descendants, and as helooks into the beam
| ing eyes of Isaac, he sees the first fruits
of its fulfIlment. abraham believed
God and twas counted to him for right
euosness. , Oh. what has Sod
wrought in these 1900 years; look at
the rise and fall of Empires, the
changes of governments, the bloody wars,
which have SO often cast their sable m an
| tie over the hearts of the nations, Of
the low and dispensation, the COM
| ing of Christ, the development, of the
churches, civil institutions, inventions,
educational, present environments, etc.
CuEpTE nc, q ar n no I, ErSy Irf,TrdrTflN