3

ham out of Ur of the Chaldees: that Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees; and that it was the place of his nativity. With what propriety could all this be said, and reiterated, if the land was not thus denominated till the time of Chesed, who was not yet in being; or rather, till the time of his descendants, if he had any, which must have been still later? The learned Hyde tells us, that it was spoken proleptically. The Greeks indeed, who often called people, and countries by names, which were not applicable to them till many ages after the time in question, made use of a very plausible and convenient figure, by which they thought to atone for a multitude of mistakes. Yet this misapplication of terms was an error, however rhetorically they might defend it: and such as is seldom to be found in the sacred writers. Moses is ever particularly careful to certify and distinguish: and has just been giving an exact detail of the descendants of Noah, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. It is therefore injurious to imagine the sacred writer guilty of an unnecessary anticipation: and we take off greatly

3 This notion of Chesed giving name to the Chaldeans is exactly similar to the account before mentioned of Amalek the son of Eliphaz, the supposed father of the Amalekites; where, for the sake of a name, a whole series of history is set aside. There is no accounting for this infatuation, with which so many learned men have been possessed.

from the peculiar excellence of the Mosaic history, which upon examination turns out so wonderfully precise and true, by making so unfair a supposition. Besides, it would not in this place be merely a rhetorical figure: it really would not be true. The words of Moses are not at large, that Haran died in Chaldea; but descriptive, that he died in Ur of the Chaldees. And the Apostle tells us, that "he

came from the land of the Chaldees. There must therefore have been at that time people of such denomination: otherwise we have a nation referred to, which did not exist and this we can hardly suppose. In short, the Chasdim are no other than the Chusdim, the sons of Chus; who first took possession of the country, which we have been speaking of; and likewise held Babylon. All history, which treats of these early times bears evidence to this." They sent out numerous tribes

• Acts. 7. v. 4.

5 Sure there never was introduced into writing a figure so fatal as this prolepsis: there is nothing can withstand it: no evidence is so plain and positive, no authority so indisputable, but it is liable to be set aside. If any proof or authority could have had weight, I should have thought the following would have prevailed.

Abraham primam ætatem apud Chaldæos agebat. Euseb. Chron. Hieron. Interprete. pag. 9.

Οι Χαλδαίοι πρωτοι ανηγόρευσαν ἑαυτες βασιλεις· ὧν πρωτος Εύηχους. Euseb. Chron. Aoy. Пpwr. pag. 14.

and colonies, which were styled Cuseans and Arabians. Africanus and his followers did not consider this in the list, they have given of Babylonish kings. For finding those princes called sometimes Arabians, and sometimes Chaldeans; and not knowing that by these terms one and the same nation was meant, they made an unfortunate distinction and in the supposed dynasty, with which

Παρα μεν Χαλδαιοις πρωτος ὁ αρξας αυτων Αλωρος. Chron. Pasch. pag. 23.

Τῳ βψος ετει το κοσμο οι Χαλδαίοι πρωτον ανηγόρευσαν ἑαυτες βασιAts. Syncellus. pag. 90.

Ταυτα μεν ουν εγεννήθη εν γη Χαλδαίων. Theophilus ad Autol lib. 2. of the tower of Babel, and the dispersion of mankind.

Αβρααμ την πρωτην ἡλικιαν παρα Χαλδαίοις ποιειται. Euseb. Epit. Chron. pag. 228.

The same is said in the Pasch. Chron. pag. 49.

Εκ των Απολλωδωρε. Ταυτα μεν ὁ Βηρωσσος ισόρησε. πρωτον γενεσθαι βασιλιά Αλωρον εκ Βαβυλωνος Χαλδαιον. Euseb. Chron. Λογ. Πρωτ. pag. 5.

Add to these, what I have mentioned from the Scripture; that "Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees:" that "Abraham and "his family went forth from Ur of the Chaldees;" Gen. 11. v. 28. 31. "God brought Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees." Nehemiah 9. v. 7. "Abraham came out of the land of the

"Chaldeans." Acts 7. v. 4.

These are strong proofs of the most early existence of the Chaldean nation: all which are set aside for the sake of one Chesed, a person never mentioned till the 140th year of Abraham: which Chesed was born at Haran in Mesopotamia, and was never, that we know of, in Chaldea; nor had he any connection with it.

they have presented us, they have made a division to the best of their judgment, and given a share to each. Herein they were mistaken: but this does not invalidate their testimony in respect to the chief point. Babylon was certainly in the possession of the Chaldeans: and though the names of the kings, as they are transmitted by Africanus, be not genuine; yet a dynasty of kings did exist. They were moreover descended from Chus and Ham and after a succession of princes, whose duration cannot be found, they were at last ejected by the Assyrians. For this there is the evidence of the best profane history; and it is in a great degree confirmed by the Scriptures.

Such was the original of the Chaldeans. But had they been derived from any other source; yet it could never have been such, as the learned Hyde supposes. For as to Chesed being their common father, it is not only, as I have shewn, preposterous in itself; but absolutely impossible: for he was never, that we know, in Chaldea, nor had any connection with it. The Scripture itself will prove what I assert. It is said, when Terah left that part of the world, that he "took Abram his son, and "Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai "his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chal

Gen. 11. v. 31.

"dees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they 66 came unto Haran." Abram, Lot, and Sarai, together with Terah, are the only persons specified: yet there were certainly more. In the next chapter (12. v. 1.) we are informed, that 7" the Lord "said (or had said) unto Abram, Get thee out of

thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy "father's house, unto a land, that I will shew "thee:" and (v. 4.) "So Abram departed, as the "Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with "him and Abram was seventy and five years "old, when he departed out of Haran." The command given was not only to leave his country, but his kindred, and his father's house and he obeyed; that is, he went from Haran, and left them so that others besides Abram and Lot followed Terah to Haran. For unless we suppose Nahor and others to have resided there; Terah being dead, and Lot going with him, there was nothing left for Abram to quit; no kindred, no fa

7 Some difference has been observed in the interpretation of this passage. See Acts 7. v. 2. Whichever be the true reading, it affects not my argument: for whether the command were given in Chaldea, or at Haran, the completion of it was certainly at the latter place and so it was understood by Eusebius. Ews ou nadev Αβρααμ εκ Μεσοποταμίας, εκ πολεως Χαῤῥαν, και τα οικω τε πατρος αυτό, κατα κελεύσιν Θε8, εις γην Χανααν, ή εςι Παλαισινή, στη χις. Hist. Zuvaywy. pag. 373. See also Euseb. Epitome Chron. pag. 228.