• Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 26:1-35
• Prophets (P): Isaiah 65:23 – 66:8
• Apostolic (A): Matthew 22:29-33; Romans 9:6-18
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 24:14 – 25:23

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Genesis 26:12 LXX (T)
• Proverbs 10:22 (T)
• Genesis 10:13-14 (T)
• Exodus 13:17 (T)
• Genesis 26:32 LXX (T)
• Acts 7:44-50 (P)
• Genesis 21:12 (A)
• Genesis 18:10, 14 (A)
• Genesis 25:23 (A)
• Malachi 1:2-3 (A)
• Exodus 33:19 (A)
• Exodus 9:16 (A)
• Genesis 10:13-14, Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.6.2 (ADD)
• Jeremiah 47:4 (ADD)
• Amos 9:1-4 (ADD)
• Amos 9:7 (ADD)
• Deuteronomy 2:17-23 (ADD)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• 1 Maccabees 1:1, 8:1-5 (ADD)
• Genesis 26:12-35 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.18.2-4 (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)

26:1 There was a famine in the land, in addition to the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2 [Elohim]^(LXX) appeared to him, and said, “Don't go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about. 3 Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your seed, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and will give all these lands to your seed. In your seed all the nations of the land will be blessed, 5 because Abraham [your father]^(LXX) obeyed my voice, and guarded my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my Torot.” 6 Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “[She is]^(LXX) my wife”, lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at.” 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was dallying with Rebekah, his wife. 9 Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?' ” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.' ” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 11 Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” 12 Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped [barley]^(LXX) in the same year one hundred times what he planted. [Elohim]^(LXX) blessed him. 13 The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great. 14 He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him. 15 Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with dirt. 16 Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” 17 Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there. 18 Isaac dug again the wells of water, which [the servants of Abraham his father dug];^(LXX) for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19 Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of flowing water. 20 The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. So he called its name Sitnah. 22 He left that place, and dug another well. They didn't argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now [Elohim]^(LXX) has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.” 23 He went up from there to Be'ersheba. 24 [Elohim]^(LXX) appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the Elohim of Abraham your father. Don't be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake.” 25 He built an altar there, and called on name of YHWH, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We saw plainly that [Elohim]^(LXX) was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between us and you, and let's cut a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of [Elohim].”^(LXX)(mss) 30 He made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 They rose up some time in the morning, and swore an oath to one another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 The same day, Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We [did not]^(LXX)(mss) find water.” 33 He called it “Shibah”. Therefore the name of the city is “Be'ersheba” to this day. 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah.

Prophets Portion (P)

65:23 They will not labor in vain nor give birth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of [Elohim]^(LXX) and their seed with them. 24 It will happen that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Dust will be the food of the nachash. They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” says YHWH. 66:1 YHWH says, “The heavens are my throne, and the land is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest? 2 For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says YHWH: “but I will look to this man, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. 3 He who kills an ox is [like]^(LXX) he who kills a man; he who slaughters a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations: 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn’t listen; but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.” 5 Hear the word of YHWH, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let YHWH be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who will be disappointed. 6 A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of YHWH that repays his enemies what they deserve. 7 “Before she travailed, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a son. 8 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Will a land be born in one day? Will a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her sons.

Apostolic Portion (A)

Matthew 22:29 But Yeshua answered [the Sadducees], “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of Elohim. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of Elohim^(mss) in the heavens. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by Elohim, saying, 32 ‘I am the Elohim of Abraham, and the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob’? (cf. Exodus 3:6) Elohim is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living.” 33 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of Elohim has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. 7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “your seed will be accounted as from Isaac.” (cf. Genesis 21:12) 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs. 9 For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” (cf. Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:14) 10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. 11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of Elohim according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” (cf. Genesis 25:23) 13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (cf. Malachi 1:2-3) 14 What will we say then? Is there unrighteousness with Elohim? May it never be! 15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  (cf. Exodus 33:19) 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of Elohim who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the land.” (cf. Exodus 9:16) 18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

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.

24:14 And Isaac waxed strong among the Philistines, and he got many possessions, oxen and sheep and camels and donkeys and a great household. 15. And he sowed in the land of the Philistines and brought in a hundred-fold, and Isaac became exceedingly great, and the Philistines envied him. 16. Now all the wells which the servants of Abraham had dug during the life of Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and filled them with dirt. 17. And Abimelech said unto Isaac: “Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we”; and Isaac departed thence in the first year of the seventh week, [2101 A.M.] and sojourned in the valleys of Gerar. 18. And they dug again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham, his father, had dug, and which the Philistines had closed after the death of Abraham his father, and he called their names as Abraham his father had named them. 19. And the servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley, and found living water, and the shepherds of Gerar strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying: “The water is ours; ” and Isaac called the name of the well “Perversity,” because they had been perverse with us. 20. And they dug a second well, and they strove for that also, and he called its name “Enmity.” And he arose from thence and they dug another well, and for that they strove not, and he called the name of it “Room,” and Isaac said: “Now the Lord hath made room for us, and we have increased in the land.” 21. And he went up from thence to the Well of the Oath in the first year of the first week in the forty-fourth jubilee. 22. And the Lord appeared to him that night, on the new moon of the first new moon, [2108 A.M.] and said unto him: “I am the Elohim of Abraham thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee and will surely multiply thy seed as the sand of the land, for the sake of Abraham my servant.” 23. And he built an altar there, which Abraham his father had first built, and he called upon the name of the Lord, and he offered slaughter to the Elohim of Abraham his father. 24. And they dug a well and they found living water. 25. And the servants of Isaac dug another well and did not find water, and they went and told Isaac that they had not found water, and Isaac said: “I have sworn this day to the Philistines and this thing hath been announced to us.” 26. And he called the name of that place the “Well of the Oath”; for there he had sworn to Abimelech and Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol the prefect of his host. 27. And Isaac knew that day that under constraint he had sworn to them to make peace with them. 28. And Isaac on that day cursed the Philistines and said: “Cursed be the Philistines unto the day of wrath and indignation from the midst of all nations; may Elohim make them a derision and a curse and an object of wrath and indignation in the hands of the sinners the Nations and in the hands of the Kittim. 29. And whoever escapeth the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation root out in judgment from under the heavens; for they will be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations upon the land. 30. And no remnant will be left to them, Nor one that will be saved on the day of the wrath of judgment; For for destruction and rooting out and expulsion from the land is the whole seed of the Philistines (reserved), And there will no longer be left for these Caphtorim a name or a seed on the land. 31. For though he ascend unto the heavens, Thence will he be brought down, And though he make himself strong on land, Thence will he be dragged forth, And though he hide himself amongst the nations, Even from thence will he be rooted out; And though he descend into Sheol, There also will his condemnation be great, And there also he will have no peace. 32. And if he go into captivity, By the hands of those that seek his life will they slay him on the way, And neither name nor seed will be left to him on all the land; For into eternal malediction will he depart.” 33. And thus is it written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tables, to do unto him on the day of judgment, so that he may be rooted out of the land.

25:1 And in the second year of this week in this jubilee, [2109 A.M.] Rebecca called Jacob her son, and spake unto him, saying: “My son, do not take thee a woman of the daughters of Canaan, as Esau, thy brother, who took him two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and coveting, and there is no righteousness with them, for (their deeds) are evil. 2. And I, my son, love thee exceedingly, and my heart and my affection bless thee every hour of the day and watch of the night. 3. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and do the will of thy mother, and do not take thee a woman of the daughters of this land, but only of the house of my father, and of my father’s kindred. Thou wilt take thee a woman of the house of my father, and the Most High Elohim will bless thee, and thy children will be a righteous generation and a holy seed.” 4. And then spake Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said unto her: “Behold, mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor have I betrothed myself to any, nor even think of taking me a woman of the daughters of Canaan. 5. For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a woman of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a woman from the seed of my father’s house and from my kindred. 6. I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, thy brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a woman from amongst them. 7. And for this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to coveting and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands. 8. And, despite all that he hath commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother hath striven with me, and spoken frequently to me and said: ‘My brother, take to wife a sister of my two wives’; but I refuse to do as he hath done. 9. I swear before thee, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a woman from the daughters of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother hath done. 10. Fear not, mother; be assured that I will do thy will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways for ever.” 11. And thereupon she lifted up her face to the heavens and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High Elohim, who had created the heavens and the land, and she gave Him thanks and praise. 12. And she said: “Blessed be the Lord Elohim, and may His holy name be blessed for ever and ever, who hath given me Jacob as a pure son and a holy seed; for He is Thine, and Thine will his seed be continually and throughout all the generations for evermore. 13. Bless him, O Lord, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.” 14. And at that hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Jacob, and said: 15. “Blessed art thou, Lord of righteousness and Elohim of the ages; And may He bless thee beyond all the generations of men. May He give thee, my son, the path of righteousness, And reveal righteousness to thy seed. 16. And may He make thy sons many during thy life, And may they arise according to the number of the new moons of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of the heavens, And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea. 17. And may He give them this goodly land–as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his seed after him always — And may they hold it as a possession for ever. 18. And may I see (born) unto thee, my son, blessed children during my life, And a blessed and holy seed may all thy seed be. 19. And as thou hast refreshed thy mother’s spirit during †my† life, The womb of her that bare thee blesseth thee, [My affection] and my breasts bless thee And my mouth and my tongue praise thee greatly. 20. Increase and spread over the land, And may thy seed be perfect in the joy of the heavens and land for ever; And may thy seed rejoice, And on the great day of peace may it have peace. 21. And may thy name and thy seed endure to all the ages, And may the Most High Elohim be their Elohim, And may the Elohim of righteousness dwell with them, And by them may His sanctuary be built unto all the ages. 22. Blessed be he that blesseth thee, And all flesh that curseth thee falsely may it be cursed.” 23. And she kissed him, and said to him “May the Lord of the world love thee As the heart of thy mother and her affection rejoice in thee and bless thee.” And she ceased from blessing.

Related Scriptures

Genesis 26:12 (T) Septuagint (LXX) text as translated in the Apostolic Bible Polyglot by Charles VanderPool

26:12 And Isaac sowed in that land. And he found in that year barley bearing a hundred fold; and the LORD blessed him.

Proverbs 10:22 (T)

10:22 The blessing of YHWH brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

Genesis 10:13-14 (T)

10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim, which the Philistines descended from, and Caphtorim.

Exodus 13:17 (T)

13:17 When Pharaoh had let the people go, Elohim didn’t lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for Elohim said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt”

26:32 And it came to pass in that day, that the servants of Isaac coming, reported to him concerning the well which they dug, and said, We did not find water.

7:44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of the witness in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen; 45 which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom Elohim drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of Elohim, and asked to find a habitation for the Elohim of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him a house. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, 49 ‘the heavens is my throne, and the land a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest? 50 Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

21:12 Elohim said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your seed will be named through Isaac.

18:10 He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him…18:14 Is anything too hard for YHWH? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”

25:23 YHWH said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”

1:2 “I have loved you,” says YHWH. Yet you say, “How have you loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says YHWH, “Yet I loved Jacob; 3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.”

33:19 He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of YHWH before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

9:16 but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the land

10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.6.2 (ADD)…Now all the children of Mesraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only, the Philistim; for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludieim, and Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country from himself, Nedim, and Phethrosim, and Chesloim, and Cephthorim, we know nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war which we will describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were overthrown.

47:4 because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; for YHWH will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.

9:1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there will not one of them flee away, and there will not one of them escape. 2 Though they dig into Sheol, there my hand will take them; and though they climb up to the heavens, there I will bring them down. 3 Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out from there; and though they be hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the nachash, and it will bite them. 4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.

9:7 “Are you not like the sons of the Ethiopians to me, sons of Israel?” says YHWH. “Haven’t I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

2:17 YHWH spoke to me, saying, 18 “You are to pass over Ar, the border of Moab, today. 19 When you come near the border of the sons of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.” 20 That also is considered a land of Rephaim. Rephaim lived there in the past, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but YHWH destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place, 22 as he did for the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day. 23 Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.

Additional Readings​

1:1 It came to pass, after that Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had struck him, that he reigned in his stead, in former time, over Greece.

8:1 And Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are valiant men, and have pleasure in all that join themselves to them, and make friends with all such as come to them, 2 and that they are valiant men. And they told him of their wars and exploits which they do among the Gauls, and how that they conquered them, and brought them under tribute; 3 and what things they did in the land of Spain, that they might become masters of the mines of silver and gold which were there; 4 and how that by their policy and persistence they conquered all the place (and the place was exceedingly far from them), and the kings that came against them from the uttermost part of the land, until they had discomfited them, and struck them very sore; and how the rest give them tribute year by year: 5 and Philip, and Perseus, king of Chittim, and those who lifted up themselves against them, did they discomfit in battle, and conquered them

Genesis 26:12-35 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 26 …And Izhak sowed unto righteousness in that land, and found in that year a hundred for one, according to his measure. And the Lord blessed him, and the man increased, and went forward increasing until he was very great. And he had flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle, and great cultivation; and the Philistaee envied him. And all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistaee stopped up and filled with earth.

And Abimelek said to Izhak, Go from us; for thou art stronger than we in riches very much. And Izhak went thence, and sojourned in the vale of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Izhak dug again the wells of water which the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and which the Philistaee had stopped after Abraham was dead; and he called them by the names his father had called them. And the servants of Izhak dug in the border of the vale, and found there a well of flowing water. And the shepherds of Gerar contended with Izhak’s shepherds, saying, The water is ours. And it was the will of Heaven, and it dried. But when they returned to Izhak, it flowed. And he called the name of the well (Esek) Contention, because (etheseku) they had quarrelled with him on account of it. And they dug another well; and they contended for it also; and it dried, and did not flow again. And he called the name of it (Sitnah) Accusation. And he removed from thence and dug another well, and for that they did not contend as formerly, and he called the name of it (Ravchatha) Spaciousness; for he said, Now hath the Lord given us space to spread us abroad in the land. And he went up from thence unto Beersheba. And the Lord appeared to him that night, and said, I am the Elohim of Abraham thy father: fear not; for My Word is for thy help, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy sons for the righteousness’ sake of Abraham My servant. And he builded there an altar, and prayed in the name of the Lord. And he spread his tabernacle there, and the servants of Izhak dug there a well. And when Izhak went forth from Gerar the wells dried up, and the trees made no fruit; and they felt that it was because they had driven him away, all these things had befallen them. And Abimelek went to him from Gerar, and took his friends to go with him, and Phikol the chief of his host. And Izhak said to them, Why come you to me that I should pray for you, when you have hated me, and driven me from you? And they answered, Seeing, we have seen, that the Word of the Lord is for thy help, and for thy righteousness’ sake all good hath been to us; but when thou wentest forth from our land the wells dried up, and our trees made no fruit; then we said, We will cause him to return to us. And now let there be an oath established between us, and kindness between us and thee, and we will enter into a covenant with thee, lest thou do us evil. Forasmuch as we have not come nigh thee for evil, and as we have acted with thee only for good, and have indeed sent thee away in peace; thou art now blessed of the Lord. And they arose in the morning, each man with his brother; and he broke off from the bridle of his ass, and gave one part to them for a testimony. And Izhak prayed for them, and they were enlarged. And Izhak accompanied them, and they went from him in peace.

And on that day the servants of Izhak came and told him concerning the well they had dug, and said to him, We have found water; and he called it Sheba (the Swearing); therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

And Esau was the son of forty years; and he took to wife Yehudith daughter of Beari the Hittah, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittah. And they bowed in strange worship, and set themselves to rebel in their evil conduct against Izhak and against Rivekah. [JERUSALEM. And they were refractory, swelling in spirit with strange worship, and would not receive instruction either from Izhak or Rivekah.]

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Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.18.2-4 (T)

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.).

1.18.2. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go into Egypt, the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as Elohim commanded him. Here Abimelech the king received him, because Abraham had formerly lived with him, and had been his friend. And as in the beginning he treated him exceeding kindly, so he was hindered from continuing in the same disposition to the end, by his envy at him; for when he saw that Elohim was with Isaac, and took such great care of him, he drove him away from him. But Isaac, when he saw how envy had changed the temper of Abimelech retired to a place called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as he was digging a well, the shepherds fell upon him, and began to fight, in order to hinder the work; and because he did not desire to contend, the shepherds seemed to get the him, so he still retired, and dug another and when certain other shepherds of Abimelech began to offer him violence, he left that also, still retired, thus purchasing security to himself a rational and prudent conduct. At length the gave him leave to dig a well without disturbance. He named this well Rehoboth, which denotes a large space; but of the former wells, one was called Escon, which denotes strife, the other Sitenna, name signifies enmity.

1.18.3. It was now that Isaac’s affairs increased, and in a flourishing condition; and this his great riches. But Abimelech, thinking in opposition to him, while their living made them suspicious of each other, and retiring showing a secret enmity also, he was afraid that his former friendship with Isaac would not secure him, if Isaac should endeavor the injuries he had formerly offered him; he therefore renewed his friendship with him, Philoc, one of his generals. And when he had obtained every thing he desired, by reason of Isaac’s good nature, who preferred the earlier friendship Abimelech had shown to himself and his father to his later wrath against him, he returned home.

1.18.4. Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father principally loved, was now come to the age of forty years, he married Adah, the daughter of Helon, and Aholibamah, the daughter of Esebeon; which Helon and Esebeon were great lords among the Canaanites: thereby taking upon himself the authority, and pretending to have dominion over his own marriages, without so much as asking the advice of his father; for had Isaac been the arbitrator, he had not given him leave to marry thus, for he was not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of that country; but not caring to be uneasy to his son by commanding him to put away these wives, he resolved to be silent.