Wilderness of Paran. The half desert country lying south of Palestine.
TESTING OF ABRAHAM.
Land of Moriah. An unknown region. The Jews later supposed that Isaac was sacrificed on the hill at Jerusalem on which Solomon built the temple, but the Bible itself does not affirm it.
Sacrifices were offered on bare rocks or on altars built of stone or earth. At first they were a way of expressing fellowship with God. The people ate part of an offering, and the rest of it was burnt, to symbolize that it was God's share. Later the offering was something given to God. This last is the idea in the story of the sacrifice of Isaac.
DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH.
Hittites and children of Heth mean the Hittites, one of the tribes of peoples in Palestine before the arrival of the Hebrews. There was a great Hittite empire north of Palestine.
Shekel. An amount of money; in early times not a coin but a weight of money. In this story Abraham "weighed" the silver.
ISAAC AND REBEKAH.