A Class-Book of Biblical History and Geography / with numerous maps

by H. S. Osborn

1. Isaac, as appears from sacred history, towards the close of his father’s life, dwelt in the “south country,” a term given to the large district far to the south of Hebron, where also Abraham was probably living at the same time.

The exact place called Beer-lahai-roi, or “the spring of Lahai-roi,” is not known, but it was that spring, called a “well,” which was mentioned in connection with the first departure of Hagar, and it was evidently on the way towards Egypt, between Kadesh and Bered, some thirty miles nearly south of Beersheba.

2. The pastures were excellent here, and Isaac, now about 40 years of age, had come into possession of large herds whose care devolved upon him. It was here that he received his wife, whom his father Abraham had selected for him from among his kindred in the far-off land of Mesopotamia in preference to the people of the land where he dwelt, who were Hittites, and descendants of Canaan the son of Ham, Abraham being a descendant of Shem. The Philistines who dwelt on the southwest coast of Canaan and of whom the Abimelech of the text was king, were formerly a mixed race. In this age they areconsidered to be the immediate descendants of a tribe which took possession of the dry, salt region stretching from the Delta of the Nile on the coast around towards Canaan. Here, in early times, they became the great salt producers and of great importance to the salt fisheries which supplied various surrounding countries. The Mt. Casios in their territory was the “Kas-lokh,” or “dry” “burnt up hill” of the ancient Egyptians, hence the name of Casluhim, of the Hebrew text, as that of the people from whom the Philistines were derived, Gen. 10:14.

3. They seem many years before to have left the Phœnician shores and settled near the coast of the Egyptian Delta. Thence they moved to the salt regions, but they adapted themselves fully to the Egyptian method of life and literature, as appears from their history gathered from the ancient records.These records have fully corroborated the statement of Genesis.[57]

4. In the time of Abram they had taken possession of the southwestern part of Palestine and had largely modified their habits of life. They are represented on the monuments of Egypt as fine-looking warriors, wearing a head-dress of peculiar and very ornamental form, with the back of the neck protected, and when marching, moving in great order, using the javelin and the short sword for close combat.

5. At this time, about B. C. 1800, the Philistines had not arrived at that condition of power and wealth which they possessed in later centuries. They afterward became most formidable enemies of the Israelites, and possessed at least five grand cities. In this era of their history Gerar seems to be the residence of the king, Abimelech, as it was of his father of the same name in the time of Abraham, 90 years before. Being a small tribe, its king was anxious to form an alliance with Isaac, whose household and possessions had become very great, and, judging from the context, his retinue of servants and his wealth exceeded all that Abraham had possessed before him.

6. There are, at present, two wells at Beersheba of the same general architecture, and both seem to be very ancient. The one about 300 feet off from the large one, spoken of before, is only about five feet in diameter. As the men of Gerar, at Abraham’s death, filled up “all the wells” built by the patriarch, it is probable that the second well was dug by the servants of Isaac and called also Beersheba as commemorative of the second oath of treaty made by Abimelech, the second of that same name mentioned in Scripture, and his commander-in-chief, as Phicol means.

The life of Isaac seems to have been spent chiefly in the region of Beersheba, but he died at Hebron, at the age of 180 years. Esau and Jacob are his only sons named in the sacred history.

JACOB.

7. Jacob was a native of Beersheba, and, having incurred the displeasure of his brother Esau by the practice of a deceitful act towards his father, as narrated in the text, Gen. 27, fled to the same region whence his father obtained his own wife, and there found his wives Leah and Rachel in Mesopotamia.