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[207]
ABRAHAM now removed to Gerar of Palestine, leading Sarah along with
him, under the notion of his sister, using the like dissimulation that
he had used before, and this out of fear: for he was afraid of Abimelech,
the king of that country, who did also himself fall in love with Sarah,
and was disposed to corrupt her; but he was restrained from satisfying
his lust by a dangerous distemper which befell him from God. Now when his
physicians despaired of curing him, he fell asleep, and saw a dream, warning
him not to abuse the stranger's wife; and when he recovered, he told his
friends that God had inflicted that disease upon him, by way of punishment,
for his injury to the stranger; and in order to preserve the chastity of
his wife, for that she did not accompany him as his sister, but as his
legitimate wife; and that God had promised to be gracious to him for the
time to come, if this person be once secure of his wife's chastity. When
he had said this, by the advice of his friends, he sent for Abraham, and
bid him not to be concerned about his wife, or fear the corruption of her
chastity; for that God took care of him, and that it was by his providence
that he received his wife again, without her suffering any abuse. And he
appealed to God, and to his wife's conscience; and said that he had not
any inclination at first to enjoy her, if he had known she was his wife;
but since, said he, thou leddest her about as thy sister, I was guilty
of no offense. He also entreated him to be at peace with him, and to make
God propitious to him; and that if he thought fit to continue with him,
he should have what he wanted in abundance; but that if he designed to
go away, he should be honorably conducted, and have whatsoever supply he
wanted when he came thither. Upon his saying this, Abraham told him that
his pretense of kindred to his wife was no lie, because she was his brother's
daughter; and that he did not think himself safe in his travels abroad,
without this sort of dissimulation; and that he was not the cause of his
distemper, but was only solicitous for his own safety: he said also, that
he was ready to stay with him. Whereupon Abimelech assigned him land and
money; and they coventanted to live together without guile, and took an
oath at a certain well called Beersheba, which may be interpreted, The
Well of the Oath: and so it is named by the people of the country unto
this day.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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