• Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 24:1-67
• Prophets (P): Judges 19:16-21; Isaiah 12:3 – 14:2
• Apostolic (A): John 4:3-29; Ephesians 5:22-33
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 19:10

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14-15 (T)
• Genesis 47:29-31 (T)
• Ezra 9:1-2 (T)
• Matthew 15:21-28 (T)
• Galatians 3:16 (T)
• Exodus 14:19; Exodus 23:20-23; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:1-3 (T)
• Daniel 3:28; Daniel 6:22 (T)
• Exodus 2:15-21 (T)
• Genesis 29:1-12 (T)
• Proverbs 5:15-23; Proverbs 23:26-28 (T)
• Numbers 20:14-18; Numbers 21:21-23 + Targums (T)
• Genesis 19:4-8 (P)
• Genesis 48:21-22 (A)
• Genesis 31:24-29 (T)
• Genesis 22:15-18 (T)
• Nehemiah 9:21-25 (T)
• Genesis 16:13-14; Genesis 25:11 (T)
• Deuteronomy 20:7 (T)
• Hosea 2:19-20 (T)
• Luke 1:26-27 (T)
• 2 Corinthians 11:2 (T)
• Ephesians 5:25-27 (T)
• Lamentations 2:18-19 LXX (T)
• 1 Corinthians 11:1-15 (T)
• Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:1-8 (T, A)
• Exodus 21:7-11 (T, A)

RELATED WRITINGS

• Jubilees 11:1-15; Jubilees 11:16-24 (T)
• Jubilees 9:4; Jubilees 14-15 (T)
• Jubilees 10:28-36 (T)
• Tobit 4:12-13 (T)
• Jubilees 34:1-9 (A)
• Testament of Judah 1:16-51 (A)
• Genesis 24:1-67 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.16.1-3 (T)

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

24:1 Abraham was old, and well advanced in age. YHWH had blessed Abraham in all. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my loin. 3 I will make you swear by [the Elohim of the heavens and the land],^(LXX) that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?” 6 Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don't bring my son there again. 7 The [Elohim]^(LXX)(mss) of the heavens—who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your seed—he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.” 9 The servant put his hand under the loin of Abraham his lord, and swore to him concerning this word. 10 The servant took ten of his lord's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his lord's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 He said, “The [Elohim]^(LXX)(mss) of my lord Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my lord Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' then she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'—let her be the one you have proven for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my lord.” 15 Before he had finished speaking [in his mind],^(LXX) behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether [Elohim]^(mss) had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 As the camels had done drinking, the man took a golden ring weighing a beqa, [which he put on her nose,]^(LXX)(mss) and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to stay?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She said moreover to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.” 26 The man bowed his head, and did bow down to [Elohim].^(mss) 27 He said, “Blessed be [the Elohim]^(LXX) of my lord Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my lord. As for me, [He]^(mss) has led me on the way to the house of my lord's relatives.” 28 The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words. 29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. [He]^(LXX)(mss) ran out to the man, to the spring. 30 When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, you blessed of [Elohim].^(mss) Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.” 32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my message.” Laban said, “Speak on.” 34 He said, “I am Abraham's servant. 35 [The Lord]^(mss) has blessed my lord greatly. He has become great. [He]^(mss) has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my lord's wife, bore a son to my lord when she was old. He has given all that he has to him. 37 My lord made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' 39 I asked my lord, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?' 40 He said to me, ‘[Elohim],^(LXX)(mss) before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my relatives, and of my father's house. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.' 42 I came today to the spring, and said, ‘[Elohim]^(mss) of my lord Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go— 43 behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 then she tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom is proven for my lord's son.' 45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.' 46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?' She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 I bowed my head, and did bow down to [Elohim],^(LXX)(mss) and blessed the [Elohim]^(LXX)(mss) of my lord Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my lord's brother's daughter for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my lord, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.” 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from [Elohim].^(mss) We can't speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your lord's son's wife, as [Elohim]^(mss) has spoken.” 52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the land before the LORD.^(LXX)(mss) 53 The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my lord.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.” 56 He said to them, “Don't hinder me, [seeing that he]^(LXX)(mss) has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my lord.” 57 They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.” 58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.” 61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South. 63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked. Behold, there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my lord.” She took her veil, and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Prophets Portion (P)

Judges 19:16 Behold, a bearded man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were of Benjamin. 17 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the bearded man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” 18 He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to [my home];^(LXX) and there is no one who has taken me into his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.” 20 The bearded man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.” 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say, “Give thanks to YHWH! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! 5 Sing to YHWH, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the land! 6 Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion; for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!” 13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2 Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my holy ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. 4 The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the reigns of the nations gathered together! YHWH of Armies is mustering the army for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of the heavens, even YHWH, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 6 Wail, for the day of YHWH is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt. 8 They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame. 9 Behold, the day of YHWH comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and its constellation [Orion]^(LXX) will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the land will be shaken out of its place in YHWH of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare sons. 19 Babylon, the glory of reigns, the beauty of the Kasdim’ pride, will be like when Elohim overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. 21 But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there. 22 Wolves will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged. 14:1 For YHWH will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The sojourner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob. 2 The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in the land of YHWH for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they will rule over their oppressors.

Apostolic Portion (A)

John 4:3 He left Judea and departed into Galilee. 4 He needed to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Yeshua therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Yeshua said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew the gift of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?” 13 Yeshua answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Yeshua said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.” 19 The woman said [to him],^(mss) “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Yeshua said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. 22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. 24 Elohim is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Messiah. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.” 26 Yeshua said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.” 27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Messiah?

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Messiah also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. 24 But as the assembly is subject to Messiah, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. 28 Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as [Messiah]^(mss) also does the assembly, 30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. 31 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.” (cf. Genesis 2:24) 32 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Messiah and the assembly. 33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself, so that she may fear her husband.

Additional Portion (ADD)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

19:10. And in the fourth year thereof [2020 A.M.] he took a woman for his son Isaac and her name was Rebecca the sister of Laban and daughter of Bethuel; and Bethuel was the son of Mêlcâ, who was the woman of Nahor, the brother of Abraham.

Related Scriptures

31:24 Elohim came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.” 25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp; 28 and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly. 29 It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the Elohim of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

Genesis 22:15-18 (T)

22:15 The angel of YHWH called to Abraham a second time out of the heavens, 16 and said, I have sworn by myself,’ says YHWH, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your [beloved], [from me]^(LXX) 17 I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. 18 All the nations of the land will be blessed by your seed, because you have obeyed my voice.’ ”

Nehemiah 9:21-25 (T)

9:21 “Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn’t grow old, and their feet didn’t swell. 22 Moreover you gave them reigns and peoples, which you allotted according to their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You also multiplied their sons as the stars of the heavens, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers that they should go in to possess it. 24 “So the sons went in and possessed the land; and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they pleased. 25 They took fortified cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns dug out, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

Genesis 16:13-14; Genesis 25:11 (T)

Genesis 16:13 She called the name of YHWH who spoke to her, “You are El Roi,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Be’er Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 25:11 After the death of Abraham, Elohim blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

20:7 What man is there who has betrothed to a woman, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.”

2:19 I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. 20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you will know YHWH.

1:26 Now in the sixth new moon, the angel Gabriel was sent from Elohim to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Miriam.

11:2 For I am zealous over you with a zeal of Elohim. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Messiah.

2:18 Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief. Don’t let your eyes rest. 19 Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches! Pour out your heart like water before the face of [YHWH].^(mss) Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your infants, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

2:18 Their heart yelled out to the LORD, saying, O walls of Zion, lead down tears as a rushing stream day and night! And give soberness to yourself; neither let the pupil of your eye keep quiet! 19 Rise up to meditate in the night! At the beginnings of your watch pour out your heart as water before the face if the LORD! Lift to him your hands for the lives of your infants, of the ones fainting from hunger at the corner of all the streets!

1 Corinthians 11:1-15 (T)

11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Messiah. 2 Now I praise you, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Messiah, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Messiah is Elohim. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head veiled, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not veiled, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be veiled. 7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, because he is the image and glory of Elohim, but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man; 9 for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. 12 For as wife came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from Elohim. 13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to Elohim unveiled? 14 Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a veil.

Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:1-8 (T, A)

Colossians 3:18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.

Titus 2:1 But say the things which fit sound doctrine, 2 that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance, 3 and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, 4 that they may train the young wives to be fond of their husbands, to be fond of their children, 5 to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded. 7 In all things show yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility, 8 and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

Exodus 21:7-11 (T, A)

21:7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a maid, she will not go out as the male servants do. 8 If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he will let her be redeemed. He will have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9 If he marries her to his son, he will deal with her as a daughter. 10 If he takes another, he will not diminish her [remains], her clothing, and her habitation. 11 If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

Related Writings

Jubilees 11:1 And in the thirty-fifth jubilee, in the third week, in the first year thereof, [1681 A.M.] Reu took to himself a woman, and her name was ‘Ôrâ, the daughter of ‘Ûr, the son of Kêsêd, and she bare him a son, and he called his name Sêrôḫ, in the seventh year of this week in this jubilee. [1687 A.M.] 2. And the sons of Noaḥ began to war on each other, to take captive and to slay each other, and to shed the blood of men on the land, and to eat blood, and to build strong cities, and walls, and towers, and individuals (began) to exalt themselves above the nation, and to found the beginnings of reigns, and to go to war people against people, and nation against nation, and city against city, and all (began) to do evil, and to acquire arms, and to teach their sons war, and they began to capture cities, and to sell male and female slaves. 3. And ‘Ûr, the son of Kêsêd, built the city of ‘Arâ of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father. 4. And they made for themselves molten images, and they worshipped each the idol, the molten image which they had made for themselves, and they began to make graven images and unclean simulacra, and malignant spirits assisted and seduced (them) into committing transgression and uncleanness. 5. And the prince Mastema exerted himself to do all this, and he sent forth other spirits, those which were put under his hand, to do all manner of wrong and sin, and all manner of transgression, to corrupt and destroy, and to shed blood upon the land. 6. For this reason he called the name of Sêrôḫ, Serug, for every one turned to do all manner of sin and transgression. 7. And he grew up, and dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, near to the father of his wife’s mother, and he worshipped idols, and he took to himself a woman in the thirty-sixth jubilee, in the fifth week, in the first year thereof, [1744 A.M.] and her name was Mêlkâ, the daughter of Kâbêr, the daughter of his father’s brother. 8. And she bare him Nahor, in the first year of this week, and he grew and dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, and his father taught him the researches of the Chaldees to divine and augur, according to the signs of the heavens. 9. And in the thirty-seventh jubilee, in the sixth week, in the first year thereof, [1800 A.M.] he took to himself a woman, and her name was ‘Îjâskâ, the daughter of Nêstâg of the Chaldees. 10. And she bare him Terah in the seventh year of this week. [1806 A.M.] 11. And the prince Mastema sent ravens and birds to devour the seed which was sown in the land, in order to destroy the land, and rob the children of men of their labours. Before they could plough in the seed, the ravens picked (it) from the surface of the ground. 12. And for this reason he called his name Terah, because the ravens and the birds reduced them to destitution and devoured their seed. 13. And the years began to be barren, owing to the birds, and they devoured all the fruit of the trees from the trees: it was only with great effort that they could save a little of all the fruit of the land in their days. 14. And in this thirty-ninth jubilee, in the second week in the first year, [1870 A.M.] Terah took to himself a woman, and her name was ‘Êdnâ, the daughter of ‘Abrâm the daughter of his father’s sister. 15. And in the seventh year of this week [1876 A.M.] she bare him a son, and he called his name Abram, by the name of the father of his mother; for he had died before his daughter had conceived a son.

Jubilees 11:16 And the child began to understand the errors of the land that all went astray after graven images and after uncleanness, and his father taught him writing, and he was two weeks of years old, [1890 A.M.] and he separated himself from his father that he might not worship idols with him. 17. And he began to pray to the Creator of all things that He might save him from the errors of the children of men, and that his portion should not fall into error after uncleanness and vileness. 18. And the seed time came for the sowing of seed upon the land, and they all went forth together to protect their seed against the ravens, and Abram went forth with those that went, and the child was a lad of fourteen years. 19. And a cloud of ravens came to devour the seed, and Abram ran to meet them before they settled on the ground, and cried to them before they settled on the ground to devour the seed, and said, “Descend not: return to the place whence ye came,” and they proceeded to turn back. 20. And he caused the clouds of ravens to turn back that day seventy times, and of all the ravens throughout all the land where Abram was there settled there not so much as one. 21. And all who were with him throughout all the land saw him cry out, and all the ravens turn back, and his name became great in all the land of the Chaldees. 22. And there came to him this year all those that wished to sow, and he went with them until the time of sowing ceased: and they sowed their land, and that year they brought enough grain home and ate and were satisfied. 23. And in the first year of the fifth week [1891 A.M.] Abram taught those who made implements for oxen, the artificers in wood, and they made a vessel above the ground, facing the frame of the plough, 1 in order to put the seed thereon, and the seed fell down therefrom upon the share of the plough, and was hidden in the land, and they no longer feared the ravens. 24. And after this manner they made (vessels) above the ground on all the frames of the ploughs, and they sowed and tilled all the land, according as Abram commanded them, and they no longer feared the birds.

Jubilees 9:4 And for Arpachshad came forth the third portion, all the land of the region of the Chaldees to the east of the Euphrates, bordering on the Sea of Reeds, and all the waters of the desert close to the tongue of the sea which looketh towards Egypt, all the land of Lebanon and Sanîr and ‘Amânâ to the border of the Euphrates.

Jubilees 9:14 And thus the sons of Noaḥ divided unto their sons in the face of Noaḥ their father, and he bound them all by an oath, imprecating a curse on every one that sought to seize the portion which had not fallen (to him) by his lot. 15. And they all said, “So be it; so be it,” for themselves and their sons for ever throughout their generations till the day of judgment, on which the Lord Elohim will judge them with a sword and with fire, for all the unclean wickedness of their errors, wherewith they have filled the land with transgression and uncleanness and fornication and sin.

10:28 And Ham and his sons went into the land which he was to occupy, which he acquired as his portion in the land of the south. 29. And Canaan saw the land of Lebanon to the river of Egypt that it was very good, and he went not into the land of his inheritance to the west (that is to) the sea, and he dwelt in the land of Lebanon, eastward and westward from the border of Jordan and from the border of the sea. 30. And Ham, his father, and Cush and Mizraim, his brothers, said unto him: “Thou hast settled in a land which is not thine, and which did not fall to us by lot: do not do so; for if thou dost do so, thou and thy sons will fall in the land and (be) accursed through sedition; for by sedition ye have settled, and by sedition will thy children fall, and thou shalt be rooted out for ever. 31. Dwell not in the dwelling of Shem; for to Shem and to his sons did it come by their lot. 32. Cursed art thou, and cursed shalt thou be beyond all the sons of Noaḥ, by the curse by which we bound ourselves by an oath in the face of the holy judge, and in the face of Noaḥ our father.” 33. But he did not hearken unto them, and dwelt in the land of Lebanon from Hamath to the entering of Egypt, he and his sons until this day. 34. And for this reason that land is named Canaan.

Tobit, also called The Book of Tobias, found its way into the Roman Catholic canon via the Septuagint. Before the 1952 discovery of Aramaic and Hebrew fragments of Tobit among the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave at Qumran, scholars believed Tobit was not included in the Jewish canon because of late authorship, estimated to 100 A.D. Qumran fragments of the text, which were copied between 100 B.C. to 25 A.D., evidence a much earlier origin than previously thought. These fragments evidence authorship no later than the 2nd century B.C. and, likely, contemporary with the date ascribed, by modern scholars, to the final compilation of the Book of Daniel, which did attain canonical status.

4:12 Beware, my child, of all whoredom, and take first a woman of the seed of your fathers. Don’t take a strange woman, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the descendants of the prophets. Remember, my child, that Noaḥ, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old time, all took wives of their kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed will inherit the land. 13 And now, my child, love your kindred, and don’t scorn your kindred and the sons and the daughters of your people in your heart, to take a woman of them; for in scornfulness is destruction and much trouble, and in naughtiness is decay and great lack; for naughtiness is the mother of famine.

34:1 And in the sixth year of this week of this forty-fourth jubilee [2148 A.M.] Jacob sent his sons to pasture their sheep, and his servants with them, to the pastures of Shechem. 2. And the seven kings of the Amorites assembled themselves together against them, to slay them, hiding themselves under the trees, and to take their cattle as a prey. 3. And Jacob and Levi and Judah and Joseph were in the house with Isaac their father; for his spirit was sorrowful, and they could not leave him: and Benjamin was the youngest, and for this reason remained with his father. 4. And there came the king[s] of Tâphû, and the king[s] of †’Arêsa,† and the king[s] of Sêragân, and the king[s] of Sêlô, and the king[s] of Gâ’as, and the king of Bêthôrôn, and the king of †Ma’anîsâkîr,† and all those who dwell in these mountains (and) who dwell in the woods in the land of Canaan. 5. And they announced this to Jacob saying: “Behold, the kings of the Amorites have surrounded thy sons, and plundered their herds.” 6. And he arose from his house he and his three sons and all the servants of his father, and his own servants, and he went against them with six thousand men, who carried swords. 7. And he slew them in the pastures of Shechem, and pursued those who fled, and he slew them with the edge of the sword, and he slew †’Arêsa † and Tâphû and Sarêgân and Sêlô and †’Amânîsakîr† and Gâ[gâ]’as, and he recovered his herds. 8. And he prevailed over them, and imposed tribute on them that they should pay him tribute, five fruit products of their land, and he built Rôbêl 10 and Tamnâtârês 9. And he returned in peace, and made peace with them, and they became his servants, until the day that he and his sons went down into Egypt. And in the seventh year of this week [2149 A.M.] he sent Joseph to learn about the welfare of his brothers from his house to the land of Shechem, and he found them in the land of Dothan.

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is  comprised of the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666. Fragments of similar writings were found at Qumran, but opinions are divided as to whether these are the same texts.

The Testament of Judah (a portion of which is shown below) is primarily concerned with courage, monetary greed, and fornication. It begins by portraying Judah as idealistically courageous, involving bravery in front of wild beasts, as well as successful military expeditions, sometimes basing the narrative on acts that the canonical bible attributes to Jacob.

1:16 And when the two kings of the Canaanites came sheathed, in armour against our flocks, and much people with them, single handed I rushed upon the king of Hazor, and smote him on the grieves and dragged him down, and so I slew him. 17 And the other, the king of Tappuah, as he sat upon his horse, I slew, and so I scattered all his people. 18 Achor, the king, a man of giant stature, I found, hurling javelins before and behind as he sat on horseback, and I took up a stone of sixty pounds weight, and hurled it and smote his horse, and killed it. 19 And I fought with this other for two hours; and I clave his shield in twain, and I chopped off his feet, and killed him. 20 And as I was stripping off his breastplate, behold nine men his companions began to fight with me, 21 And I wound my garment on my hand; and I slung stones at them, and killed four of them, and the rest fled. 22 And Jacob my father slew Beelesath, king of all the kings, a giant in strength, twelve cubits high. 23 And fear fell upon them, and they ceased warring against us. 24 Therefore my father was free from anxiety in the wars when I was with my brethren. 25 For he saw in a vision concerning me that an angel of might followed me everywhere, that I should not be overcome. 26 And in the south there came upon us a greater war than that in Shechem; and I joined in battle array with my brethren, and pursued a thousand men, and slew of them two hundred men and four kings. 27 And I went up upon the wall, and I slew four mighty men. 28 And so we captured Hazor, and took all the spoil. 29 And the next day we departed to Aretan, a city strong and walled and inaccessible, threatening us with death. 30 But I and Gad approached on the east side of the city, and Reuben and Levi on the west. 31 And they that were upon the wall, thinking that we were alone, were drawn down against us. 32 And so my brothers secretly climbed up the wall on both sides by stakes, and entered the city, while the men knew it not. 33 And we took it with the edge of the sword. 34 And as for those who had taken refuge in the tower, we set fire to the tower and took both it and, them. 35 And as we were departing the men of Tappuah seized our spoil, and seeing this we fought with them. 36 And we slew them. all and recovered our spoil. 37 And when I was at the waters of Kozeba, the men of Jobel came against us to battle. 38 And we fought with them and routed them; and their allies from Shiloh we slew, and we did not leave them power to come in against us. 39 And the men of Makir came upon us the fifth day, to seize our spoil; and we attacked them and overcame them in fierce battle: for there was a host of mighty men amongst them, and we slew them before they had gone up the ascent. 40 And when we came to their city their women rolled upon us stones from the brow of the hill on which the city stood. 41 And I and Shimon had ourselves behind the town, and seized upon the heights, and destroyed this city also. 42 And the next day it was told us that the king of the city of Gaash with. a mighty host was coming against us. 43 I, therefore, and Dan feigned ourselves to be Amorites, and as allies went into their city. 44 And in the depth of night our brethren came and we opened to them the gates; and we destroyed all the men and their substance, and we took for a prey all that was theirs, and their three walls we cast down. 45 And we drew near to Thamna, where was all the substance of the hostile kings. 46 Then being insulted by them, I was therefore wroth, and rushed against them to the summit; and they kept slinging against me stones and darts. 47 And had not Dan my brother aided me, they would have slain me. 48 We came upon them, therefore, with wrath, and they all fled; and passing by another way, they fought my father, and he made peace with them. 49 And we did to them no hurt, and they became tributary to us, and we restored to them their spoil. 50 And I built Thamna, and my father built Pabael. 51 I was twenty years old when this war befell. And the Canaanites feared me and my brethren.

Genesis 24:1-67 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 AD). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum (translation) of the Torah (Pentateuch) from the land of Israel (as opposed to the eastern Babylonian Targum Onkelos). Its correct title was originally Targum Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Targum), which is how it was known in medieval times. But because of a printer’s mistake it was later labeled Targum Jonathan, in reference to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Some editions of the Pentateuch continue to call it Targum Jonathan to this day. Most scholars refer to the text as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This targum is more than a mere translation. It includes much Aggadic material collected from various sources as late as the Midrash Rabbah as well as earlier material from the Talmud. It is effectively a combination of a commentary and a translation. In the portions where it is pure translation, it often agrees with the Targum Onkelos. The date of its composition is disputed. It cannot have been completed before the Arabic conquest as it refers to Mohammad’s wife Fatimah, but might have been initially composed in the 4th Century AD. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 24 And Abraham was old with days, and the Word of the Lord had blessed Abraham with every kind of blessing. And Abraham said to Eliezer his servant, the senior of his house, who had rule over all his property, Put now thy hand upon the section of my circumcision. [JERUSALEM. And Abraham said to his servant, the ruler who had rule over all that was his, Put now thy hand under the thigh of my covenant.] And swear to me in the name of the Word of the Lord God, whose habitation is in the heavens on high, the Elohim whose dominion is over the earth, that thou wilt not take a woman for my son from the daughters of the Kenaanites among whom I dwell; but that thou wilt go to the land and the house of my kindred, and take a woman for my son, for Izhak. And the domestic said to him, the woman may not be willing to come after me to this land; will I, returning make thy son return to the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said to him, Beware, lest thou make my some return thither! The Lord God, whose seat is in the heavens on high, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth; and who spake to me, and sware to me, saying, To thy son will I give this land; He will seasonably send His angel, and thou shalt take a woman for my sone from thence. But if the woman be not willing to come after thee, thou shalt be innocent from this my oath; only make not my son return thither. And the servant put his hand upon the circumcised part of Abraham his lord, and sware to him according to this thing.

And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his lord, and went: for all the goodly treasures of his lord were in his hand; and he arose and went unto Aram, which was by the Pherat, to the city of Nachor. [JERUSALEM. And all the goodly treasures of his lord were in his hand; and he arose and went to Aram, which is by Pherat Naharaim.] And he made the camels lie down without the city by the fountain of waters, at the time of evening, the time when the fillers (of water) come forth. And he said, Lord Elohim of my master Abraham, prepare thou a proper woman before me to-day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham. Behold I stand at the well of waters, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming forth to fill waters. Let the damsel to whom I say, Reach me now thy pitcher, that I may drink, and she say, Drink, and I will also make my camels drink, be she whom thou hast provided to go to thy servant Izhak; and herein will I know that Thou hast dealt graciously with my master. And it was in that little hour, while he had not ceased to speak, that, behold, Rivekah came forth, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcha, the woman of Nachor, the brother of Abraham, and her pitcher was upon her shoulder. And the damsel was a virgin, very beautiful to behold, and she descended to the fountain and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me taste now a little water from thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord; and hastened to let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And she finished giving him drink, and said, Also for thy camels I will fill until they be satisfied with drinking. And she hastened and emptied the pitcher into the canal, the place of drinking, and ran again to the well to fill; and she filled for all his camels. [JERUSALEM. And she made haste, and poured out her vase into the midst of the trough, and filled, and gave drink to all the camels.] But the man waited, and was silent, to know whether the Lord had prospered his way or not. And it was when the camels had been satisfied with drink, that the man took an earring of gold, of a drachma in weight, the counterpart of the drachma of the head (money) which her children presented for the work of the sanctuary; and he set two golden bracelets upon her hands, in weight ten sileen of gold; the sum of their weight being the counterpart of the two tables on which were inscribed the Ten Words. And he said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me now, if in thy father’s house there be room for us to lodge. And she said, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcha, whom she bare to Nachor. And she told him, saying, There is also straw and provender in plenty with us, as also proper room to lodge. And the man bowed and worshipped before the Lord, who had thus prepared before him a suitable woman. And he said, Blessed be the Name of the Lord, the Elohim of my master Abraham, who hath not restrained His mercy and His truth from my master; for the sake of his righteousness in the right way hath the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brother.

And Rivekah had a brother whose name was Laban. And Laban ran towards the man without at the fountain. And when Lamban saw the ring and the bracelets upon the hands of his sister, and heard the words of Rivekah his sister, saying, Thus hath the man spoken with me; he came to the man, and behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain. And Laban thought that this was Abraham, and said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord: wherefore standest thou without, when I have purified the house from strange worship, and have prepared a place for the camels?

And the man entered the house, and Laban undid the gear of the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender; and water (to Eliezer) to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him. And he set in order before him to eat, prepared food in which was poison to kill; but he objected to it, and said, I will not eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak. And he said, I am the servant of Abraham. And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and hath increased, and given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, servants and handmaids, and camels and donkeys. And Sarah; my master’s wife, bare a son after she was old, and he hath given to him all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a woman for my son from the daughters of the Kenaanites in whose land I dwell, but will go to my kindred, and take a woman for my son. But I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not come after me. And he said to me, The Lord before whom I worship will appoint His angel to be with thee, and will prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a woman for my son from my household, from the race of my father’s house. Then shalt thou be free from my oath: if, when thou art come to the house of my kindred, they give not to thee, thou shalt be free from thy oath.

And I came to-day to the fountain, and said, Lord Elohim of my master Abraham, if now Thou hast prospered the journey upon which I have come, behold, I stand at the fountain of water,–let the damsel who may come forth to fill, to whom I will say, Give me now a little water to drink from thy pitcher, and she say, Drink, and for thy camels also will I draw, be the woman whom the Lord hath prepared by His decree for my master’s son.

I had not yet finished speaking in the thoughts of my heart, when, behold, Rivekah came forth with the pitcher upon (her) shoulder, and went down to the fountain, and filled. And I said, Let me now drink. And she hastened and let down her pitcher from her, and said, Drink, and I will also give thy camels drink. And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nachor, whom Milcha bare to him. And I set the jewel upon her brow, and the bracelets on her hand, and bowed and worshipped before the Lord; and I blessed the Lord, the Elohim of my master Abraham, who had led me in the true way to take the daughter of master’s brother for his son.

And now, if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the south or to the north. And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing hath come forth from before the Lord that Rivekah should be given to Izhak, and we cannot say to thee either evil or good. Behold, Rivekah is before thee, take and go, and let her be the woman of thy master’s son, as the Lord hath spoken.

And when Abraham’s servant heard these words, he worshipped on the ground before the Lord. And the servant brought forth vessels of silver and of gold, and vestments, and gave them to Rivekah; and presents give he to her brother and to her mother. And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and passed the night. And he arose in the morning, and said, Send me away to my master. But as they were talking in the evening, Bethuel had eaten of that prepared food; and in the morning they found that he was dead. And the brother and mother said therefore, Let the damsel dwell with us the days of one year or ten new moons, and then she will go. And he said, Hinder me not, when the Lord hath prospered my way; let me depart, and I will go to my master. And they said, We will call Rivekah, and hear what she says. And they called Rivekah, and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

And they let Rivekah their sister go, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham, and his men. And they blessed Rivekah, and said to her, Hitherto thou wast our sister; and now thou art going and art wedded to the righteous; so prosper thou, that from thee may come thousands of myriads; and may thy sons inherit the cities of those who hate them.

And Rivekah arose, and her damsel, and they rode upon camels, and went after the man. And the servant took Rivekah with him and journeyed. And as the way was shortened to him in his journey to Padan Aram, so was it shortened to him in his return, that in one day he went, and in one day he returned.

And Izhak was coming from the school of the Rabba Shem, by the way of the fountain where had been revealed to him the Living and Eternal One, who seeth, and is not seen; and he resided in the land of the south. [JERUSALEM. And Izhak was coming from the school of the Rabba Shem, at the fountain where had been revealed to him the Shekinah of the Lord; and he dwelt in the land of the south.] And Izhak went forth to pray upon the face of the field at the time of evening; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were approaching.

And Rivekah lifted up her eyes, and saw Izhak, and she bowed upon the camel. And she said to the servant, Who is the man (so) majestic and graceful, who walks in the field before us? And the servant said, He is my master. And she took a veil and covered herself. [JERUSALEM. And she took a veil, and wrapped herself in it.]

And the servant related to Izhak everything he had done. And Izhak introduced her into the tabernacle of Sarah his mother, and thereupon the light (again) shined which had gone out at the time of Sarah’s death. And he took Rivekah, and she was his wife, and he loved her; for he saw her works that they were upright as the works of his mother. And Izhak was consoled after his mother’s death.

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

1.16.1. Now when Abraham, the father of Isaac, had resolved to take Rebeka, who was grand-daughter to his brother Nahor, for a woman to his son Isaac, who was then about forty years old, he sent the most ancient of his servants to betroth her, after he had obliged him to give him the strongest assurances of his fidelity; which assurances were given after the manner following:—They put each other’s hands under each other’s thighs; then they called upon Elohim as the witness of what was to be done. He also sent such presents to those that were there as were in esteem, on account that that they either rarely or never were seen in that country, The servant got thither not under a considerable time; for it requires much time to pass through Mesopotamia, in which it is tedious traveling, both in the winter for the depth of the clay, and in summer for want of water; and, besides this, for the robberies there committed, which are not to be avoided by travelers but by caution beforehand. However, the servant came to Haran; and when he was in the suburbs, he met a considerable number of maidens going to the water; he therefore prayed to Elohim that Rebeka might be found among them, or her whom Abraham sent him as his servant to espouse to his son, in case his will were that this marriage should be consummated, and that she might be made known to him by the sign, That while others denied him water to drink, she might give it him.

1.16.2. With this intention he went to the well, and desired the maidens to give him some water to drink: but while the others refused, on pretense that they wanted it all at home, and could spare none for him, one only of the company rebuked them for their peevish behavior towards the stranger; and said, What is there that you will ever communicate to anybody, who have not so much as given the man some water? She then offered him water in an obliging manner. And now he began to hope that his grand affair would succeed; but desiring still to know the truth, he commended her for her generosity and good nature, that she did not scruple to afford a sufficiency of water to those that wanted it, though it cost her some pains to draw it; and asked who were her parents, and wished them joy of such a daughter. “And mayst thou be espoused,” said he, “to their satisfaction, into the family of an agreeable husband, and bring him legitimate children.” Nor did she disdain to satisfy his inquiries, but told him her family. “They,” says she, “call me Rebeka; my father was Bethuel, but he is dead; and Laban is my brother; and, together with my mother, takes care of all our family affairs, and is the guardian of my virginity.” When the servant heard this, he was very glad at what had happened, and at what was told him, as perceiving that Elohim had thus plainly directed his journey; and producing his bracelets, and some other ornaments which it was esteemed decent for virgins to wear, he gave them to the damsel, by way of acknowledgment, and as a reward for her kindness in giving him water to drink; saying, it was but just that she should have them, because she was so much more obliging than any of the rest. She desired also that he would come and lodge with them, since the approach of the night gave him not time to proceed farther. And producing his precious ornaments for women, he said he desired to trust them to none more safely than to such as she had shown herself to be; and that he believed he might guess at the humanity of her mother and brother, that they would not be displeased, from the virtue he found in her; for he would not be burdensome, but would pay the hire for his entertainment, and spend his own money. To which she replied, that he guessed right as to the humanity of her parents; but complained that he should think them so parsimonious as to take money, for that he should have all on free cost. But she said she would first inform her brother Laban, and, if he gave her leave, she would conduct him in.

1.16.3. As soon then as this was over, she introduced the stranger; and for the camels, the servants of Laban brought them in, and took care of them; and he was himself brought in to supper by Laban. And, after supper, he says to him, and to the mother of the damsel, addressing himself to her, “Abraham is the son of Terah, and a kinsman of yours; for Nahor, the grandfather of these children, was the brother of Abraham, by both father and mother; upon which account he hath sent me to you, being desirous to take this damsel for his son to wife. He is his legitimate son, and is brought up as his only heir. He could indeed have had the most happy of all the women in that country for him, but he would not have his son marry any of them; but, out of regard to his own relations, he desired him to match here, whose affection and inclination I would not have you despise; for it was by the good pleasure of Elohim that other accidents fell out in my journey, and that thereby I lighted upon your daughter and your house; for when I was near to the city, I saw a great many maidens coming to a well, and I prayed that I might meet with this damsel, which has come to pass accordingly. Do you therefore confirm that marriage, whose espousals have been already made by a Divine appearance; and show the respect you have for Abraham, who hath sent me with so much solicitude, in giving your consent to the marriage of this damsel.” Upon this they understood it to be the will of Elohim, and greatly approved of the offer, and sent their daughter, as was desired. Accordingly Isaac married her, the inheritance being now come to him; for the children by Keturah were gone to their own remote habitations.