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from the house of Laban. 121 Some are assured from the scriptural sequence that after Jacob took Rachel, Leah began to give birth. Since how is Dan, from Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, the 5th, and Naphtali the 6th, if they were born from the 1st year of Leah, then Gad, from Zilpah, the 7th, and the ones after? Josephus says that Jacob served Laban for 7 days after the wedding of Leah, and after the 7 days took Rachel, and after these things he was with Laban until his departure. It seems to me impossible, neither according to Africanus nor according to Eusebius, for Levi to have been born in the 87th year of Jacob, or in the same 87th. For if Joseph was 40 years old in the 130th year of Jacob, when he went down to him in Egypt, it is entirely necessary that Jacob begot Joseph from Rachel in his 91st year. But Levi was admittedly born 9 years before Joseph, or at least 8; thus 1) Levi, 1st year of the third son of Leah. 2) Judah after Levi, fourth son of Leah. 3) Dan from Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid. 4) Naphtali from the same Bilhah. 5) Gad from Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. 6th Asher from the same Zilpah. 7) Issachar, fifth son of Leah. 8) Zebulun, sixth son of Leah. 9) Dinah, daughter of Leah. 10) Joseph, first son of Rachel. Behold, it is indeed clear that from the 91 years of Jacob, subtracting 9, as we count back from Joseph to Levi, 82 will be left; therefore it has been well established by us that Levi was born in the 82nd year of Jacob. Generation 24. Levi, 47 years. And it was the year of the world 3555. 122 Of Africanus. From Adam, therefore, to the death of Joseph and of this book, there are 23 generations, and 3563 years. He is clearly in error by 110 years. For in the same year of the world 3563 Joseph was born, as is stated below. In the 9th year of the life of Levi, Rachel bore Joseph to Jacob. And it was the 91st year of Jacob’s life, and of the world 3563. First year of the life of Joseph, and it was the year of the world 3563. In the 93rd year of Jacob, and the 11th of Levi and 3rd of Joseph, Jacob fled from Mesopotamia, and meeting his brother, he reconciled with gifts. And it was the year of the world 3565. Jacob was renamed Israel when crossing the Jordan, and he was blessed in the 12th year of Levi. And it was the year of the world 3566. Jacob, having tithed his own possessions, appointed Levi, being 18 years old, as high priest, being the 10th from the last according to the reversed account. For Reuben, on account of his father’s concubine, was deprived of the kingdom and the priesthood, though he was the firstborn, in the cosmic year 3572. Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin, and was buried between Bethlehem and Jerusalem at the hippodrome. And it was the 21st year of Levi, and it was the year of the world 3575. I have seen her coffin, which lies above the ground, many times while passing by there on my way to Bethlehem and the so-called old lavra of the holy Chariton. Joseph was sold by his brothers out of envy, being in his seventeenth year, 5 years after the death of Rachel, being notably given dreams by God and loved by his father for his great wisdom. And it was the year of the world 3579. In the 3589th year of the world, and the 35th of Levi, Joseph was imprisoned in the jail. 123 In the 38th year of the life of Levi, the 120th of Jacob, and of the world 3592, Joseph is raised to the rule of Egypt, which was the 30th year of Joseph, as scripture says, and the 17th year of the reign of Apophis, who is also Pharaoh. Therefore, the 7 years of plenty in Egypt are from the 31st year of Joseph, the 39th of Levi, the 121st of Jacob. And in the 38th year of Joseph the famine began, and after two years Jacob went down into Egypt, in his 130th year, and the 40th of Joseph. In the 120th year of Jacob, Isaac his father died, having lived 180 years. And he was buried by Jacob and Esau, his sons. The pastoral tent of Jacob, which was preserved in Edessa, was destroyed by lightning in the time of Antoninus, emperor of the Romans, as Africanus says, having recorded events up to his own time of Antoninus. Jacob, being displeased by the things done by Simeon and Levi in Sichem on account of the defilement of their sister against the local people, having buried in Sichem the gods which he was carrying
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ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Λάβαν. 121 Τινὲς βεβαιοῦνται ὡς ἐκ τῆς γραφικῆς ἀκολουθίας ὅτι μετὰ τὸ λαβεῖν τὴν Ῥαχὴλ τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἤρξατο τίκτειν ἡ Λεία. ἐπεὶ πῶς εʹ ἔστιν ὁ ∆ὰν ἀπὸ Βαλλᾶς παιδίσκης Ῥαχήλ, καὶ ςʹ ὁ Νεφθαλείμ, ἐὰν ἀπὸ αʹ ἔτους Λείας ἐγένοντο, εἶτα ζʹ ὁ Γὰδ ἀπὸ Ζελφᾶς καὶ οἱ ἐφεξῆς; Ἰώσηππος λέγει ζʹ ἡμέρας τὸν Ἰακὼβ δουλεῦσαι τῷ Λάβαν μετὰ τὸν γάμον Λείας, καὶ μετὰ τὰς ζʹ ἡμέρας λαβεῖν τὴν Ῥαχήλ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εἶναι παρὰ τῷ Λάβαν ἕως τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως αὐτοῦ. Οὔτε κατὰ τὸν Ἀφρικανόν μοι δοκεῖ δυνατὸν εἶναι τὸν Λευὶ γεννηθῆναι τῷ πζʹ ἔτει τοῦ Ἰακὼβ οὔτε κατὰ τὸν Εὐσέβιον τῷ αὐτῷ πζʹ. εἰ γὰρ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ μʹ ἐτῶν ἦν τῷ ρλʹ ἔτει τοῦ Ἰακώβ, ἡνίκα κατῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τὸν Ἰακὼβ ζαʹ αὐτοῦ ἔτει γεννῆσαι τὸν Ἰωσὴφἐκ τῆς Ῥαχήλ. ὁ δὲ Λευὶ ὁμολογουμένως πρὸ Ἰωσὴφ θʹ ἔτεσιν, ἢ τοὐλάχιστον ηʹ προγεγενημένος ἦν οὕτως αʹ Λευὶ ἔτος αʹ τοῦ τρίτου υἱοῦ Λείας. βʹ Ἰούδας μετὰ Λευὶ τέταρτος υἱὸς Λείας. γʹ ∆ὰν ἐκ Βαλλᾶς παιδίσκης Ῥαχήλ. δʹ Νεφθαλεὶμ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς Βαλλᾶς. εʹ Γὰδ ἐκ Ζελφᾶς παιδίσκης Λείας. ςʹ Ἀσὴρ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς Ζελφᾶς. ζʹ Ἰσσάχαρ πέμπτος υἱὸς Λείας. ηʹ Ζαβουλὼν ἕκτος υἱὸς Λείας. θʹ ∆είνα θυγάτηρ Λείας. ιʹ Ἰωσὴφ πρῶτος υἱὸς Ῥαχήλ. Ἰδοὺ δὴ φανερὸν ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ζαʹ ἐτῶν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἀφαιρουμένων θʹ, ἀναστρεφόντων ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπὶ τὸν Λευὶ πβʹ ὑπολειφθήσονται· καλῶς ἄρα ἡμῖν ἐστοιχείωται ὁ Λευὶ τῷ πβʹ ἔτει τοῦ Ἰακὼβ γεννηθείς. Γενεὰ κδʹ Λευὶ ἔτη μζʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος γφνεʹ. 122 Ἀφρικανοῦ Ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὴν τελευτὴν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τῆσδε τῆς βίβλου γενεαὶ μὲν κγʹ, ἔτη δὲ γφξγʹ. ∆ιαμαρτάνει προφανῶς ἔτη ριʹ. τῷ γὰρ αὐτῷ γφξγʹ ἔτει τοῦ κόσμου ἐγεννήθη Ἰωσήφ, ὡς ὑπόκειται. τῷ θʹ ἔτει τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Λευὶ ἐγέννησε Ῥαχὴλ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τῷ Ἰακώβ. ἦν δὲ τῆς ζωῆς Ἰακὼβ ἔτος ζαʹ, κόσμοδὲ γφξγʹ. Πρῶτον ἔτος τῆς ζωῆς Ἰωσήφ, τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος γφξγʹ. Τῷ ζγʹ ἔτει Ἰακώβ, ιαʹ δὲ τοῦ Λευὶ καὶ γʹ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπέδρα Ἰακὼβἀπὸ Μεσοποταμίας, καὶ τῷ ἀδελφῷ συντυχὼν δώροις κατήλλαξε. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος γφξεʹ. Ὁ Ἰακὼβ Ἰσραὴλ μετεκλήθη διαβαίνων τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ ἐπευλογήθηιβʹ ἔτει τοῦ Λευί. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος γφξ ςʹ. Ἰακὼβ ἀποδεκατώσας τὰ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Λευὶ ιηʹ ἐτῶν ὄντα ἀρχιερέα ἀν έδειξεν, ιʹ ὄντα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐσχάτου κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς λόγον. Ῥουβὴν γὰρ διὰ τὴν παλλακὴν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστερήθη βασιλείας καὶ ἱερω σύνης, πρωτότοκος ὤν, ἔτει κοσμικῷ γφοβʹ. Ῥαχὴλ ἐν τῷ τίκτειν τὸν Βενιαμὶν ἐτελεύτησε, καὶ ἐτάφη μεταξὺ Βηθ λεὲμ καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς τὸν ἱππόδρομον. ἦν δὲ τοῦ Λευὶ ἔτος καʹ, τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος γφοεʹ. ταύτης ἐγὼ τὴν λάρνακα τῆς γῆς ὑπερκειμένην πολλάκις ἐκεῖσε παροδεύων ἐπὶ Βηθλεὲμ καὶ τὴν παλαιὰν λεγομένην λαύ ραν τοῦ ὁσίου Χαρίτωνος ἑώρακα. Ἰωσὴφ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν διὰ φθόνον ἐπράθη ἑπτακαιδέκατον ἔτος ἄγων μετὰ εʹ ἔτος τῆς τελευτῆς Ῥαχήλ, ἐπισήμως ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἐνυπνιαζό μενος καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ πολλὴν φρόνησιν ἀγαπώμενος. τοῦ δὲ κό σμου ἦν ἔτος γφοθʹ. Τῷ γφπθʹ ἔτει τοῦ κόσμου, τοῦ δὲ Λευὶ λεʹ, Ἰωσὴφ καθείρχθη ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ. 123 Τῷ ληʹ ἔτει τῆς ζωῆς Λευί, ρκʹ τοῦ Ἰακώβ, τοῦ δὲ κόσμου γφ ζβʹ, Ἰωσὴφ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀναβιβάζεται, ὅπερ ἦν τῆς μὲν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἔτος λʹ, ὥς φησιν ἡ γραφή, Ἀφώφεως δὲ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ καὶ Φαραῶ ἔτος ιζʹ. εἰσὶν οὖν τὰ τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ εὐθηνίας ἔτη ζʹ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαʹ ἔτους Ἰωσήφ, λθʹ τοῦ Λευί, ρκαʹ Ἰακώβ. τῷ δὲ ληʹ Ἰωσὴφ ἤρξατοἡ λιμὸς καὶ μετὰ δύο ἔτη κατῆλθεν Ἰακὼβ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ρλʹ ἔτει αὐτοῦ, τοῦ δὲ Ἰωσὴφ μʹ. Τῷ ρκʹ ἔτει τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ Ἰσαὰκ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ζήσας ἔτη ρπʹ. ἐτάφη δὲ ὑπὸ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἡσαῦ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ. Ἡ ποιμενικὴ σκηνὴ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐν Ἐδέσῃ σῳζομένη κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ἀντωνίνου Ῥωμαίων βασιλέως διεφθάρη κεραυνῷ, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀφρικανός, ἕως τῶν χρόνων αὐτοῦ Ἀντωνίνου ἱστορήσας. Ἰακὼβ ἀπαρεσθεὶς τοῖς ὑπὸ Συμεὼν καὶ Λευὶ πραχθεῖσιν ἐν Σικίμοις διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀδελφῆς φθορὰν εἰς τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους, θάψας ἐν Σικίμοις οὓς ἐφέρετο θεοὺς