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to come into the mountainous part of Syria, which was desert. After three generations Abraham was born, whose name is interpreted "friend of the father," who, having become wise, pursued the desert. And having taken two wives, one a native, a kinswoman, and the other an Egyptian, a servant, from the Egyptian he begat twelve sons, who, having departed into Arabia, divided the land and were the first to rule the natives. Whence even to our own time there are twelve kings of the Arabs named after them. And from his wedded wife one son was born to him, who was named Gelos in Greek. And Abraham died of old age, and of Gelos and a native wife eleven sons were born, and a twelfth, Joseph, and from this one, a third, Moses.” 9.19.4 Thus far Polyhistor; to which after other matters he adds, saying: “After no long time God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a whole burnt offering to him. And he, having led the boy up the mountain, built a pyre and placed Isaac upon it. But as he was about to slay him, he was prevented by an angel, who provided a ram for the offering. And Abraham took the boy down from the pyre and offered the ram.” 9.20.1 "Philo also says concerning this in the first book of his work *On Jerusalem*:

20. PHILO ON THE SAME SUBJECT “I heard how once the thigh-bone for primeval laws, Abraham of glorious fame with a stronger knot of bonds, all-radiant, was overflowing with high-minded thoughts, charms beloved by God. For to him who left the splendid enclosure the burnt-offering of dread plants, the praiseworthy one, holding back with a mighty call, made his own saying immortal, from the time when that man's offspring of dread birth obtained much-sung glory,” and what follows. To which after a little he adds: “ready-handed as he prepared the sword-bearer with a sharp-edged spirit, and as the throat was gathered sideways; but he on the one hand gave a horned ram into his hands,' and what follows this.” 9.20.2 These things, then, are from the aforementioned writing of Polyhistor. And Josephus also in the first book of the *Antiquities* makes mention of the same thing through these words: "And it is said that this Aphran, having campaigned against Libya, took possession of it, and his grandsons, having settled in it, named the land Africa from his name. 9.20.3 And Alexander Polyhistor bears witness to my account, saying thus: 'Cleodemus the prophet, who is also Malchas, says, in his history of the Jews, just as Moses their lawgiver also has related, that from Keturah sufficient sons were born to Abraham. And he also gives their names, 9.20.4 naming three, Apher, Assuri, Aphran. And from Assuri, Assyria was named, and from the two, Aphra and Apher, both the city of Aphra and the country of Africa were named. And these men campaigned with Heracles against Libya and Antaeus. And Heracles, having married the daughter of Aphra, begat a son from her, Diodorus. And from this man was born Sophonas, from whom the barbarians are called Sophakes.'" So much then, in brief, may be set down concerning Abraham. 9.21.1 But let us go back again to Polyhistor:

21. DEMETRIUS ON JACOB; FROM THE SAME WORK OF POLYHISTOR

WRITING "Demetrius says that Jacob, being seventy-five years old, fled to Haran of Mesopotamia, sent by his parents because of the secret enmity towards his brother Esau, because his father blessed him, thinking him to be the

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ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν τῆς Συρίας οὖσαν ἔρημον. μετὰ δὲ τρεῖς γενεὰς Ἁβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ὃν δὴ μεθερμηνεύεσθαι πατρὸς φίλον, ὃν δὴ σοφὸν γενόμενον τὴν ἐρημίαν μεταδιώκειν· λαβόντα δὲ δύο γυναῖκας, τὴν μὲν ἐντοπίαν, συγγενῆ, τὴν δὲ Αἰγυπτίαν, θεράπαιναν, ἐκ μὲν τῆς Αἰγυπτίας γεννῆσαι δώδεκα υἱούς, οὓς δὴ εἰς Ἀραβίαν ἀπαλλαγέντας διελέσθαι τὴν χώραν καὶ πρώτους βασιλεῦσαι τῶν ἐγχωρίων· ὅθεν ἕως καθ' ἡμᾶς δώδεκα εἶναι βασιλεῖς Ἀρά9.19.3 βων ὁμωνύμους ἐκείνοις. ἐκ δὲ τῆς γαμετῆς υἱὸν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι ἕνα, ὃν Ἑλληνιστὶ Γέλωτα ὀνομασθῆναι. καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἁβραὰμ γήρᾳ τελευτῆσαι, Γέλωτος δὲ καὶ γυναικὸς ἐγχωρίου υἱοὺς ἕνδεκα γενέσθαι καὶ δωδέκατον Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τρίτον Μωσῆν.» 9.19.4 Τοσαῦτα ὁ Πολυΐστωρ· οἷς μεθ' ἕτερα ἐπιφέρει λέγων· «Μετ' οὐ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον τὸν θεὸν τῷ Ἁβραὰμ προστάξαι Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν ὁλοκαρπῶσαι αὐτῷ. τὸν δὲ ἀναγαγόντα τὸν παῖδα ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος πυρὰν νῆσαι καὶ ἐπιθεῖναι τὸν Ἰσαάκ· σφάζειν δὲ μέλλοντα κωλυθῆναι ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου, κριὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν κάρπωσιν παραστήσαντος· τὸν δὲ Ἁβραὰμ τὸν μὲν παῖδα καθελεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πυρᾶς, τὸν δὲ κριὸν καρπῶσαι.» 9.20.1 «Φησὶ δὲ περὶ τούτου καὶ Φίλων ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τῶν Περὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα·

κʹ. ΦΙΛΩΝΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ «Ἔκλυον ἀρχεγόνοισι τὸ μηρίον ὥς ποτε θεσμοῖς, Ἁβραὰμ κλυτοηχὲς ὑπερτέρῳ ἅμματι δεσμῶν, παμφαές, πλήμμυρε μεγαυχήτοισι λογισμοῖς, θειοφιλῆ θέλγητρα. λιπόντι γὰρ ἀγλαὸν ἕρκος αἰνοφύτων ἔκκαυμα βριήπυος αἰνετὸς ἴσχων ἀθάνατον ποίησεν ἑὴν φάτιν, ἐξότε κείνου ἔκγονος αἰνογόνοιο πολύμνιον ἔλλαχε κῦδος,» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· οἷς μετ' ὀλίγα ἐπιφέρει· «Ἀρτίχερος θηκτοῖο ξιφηφόρον ἐντύνοντος λήματι καὶ σφαράγοιο παρακλιδὸν ἀθροισθέντος· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν χείρεσσι κερασφόρον ὤπασε κριόν,' καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα.» 9.20.2 Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἀπὸ τῆς προειρημένης τοῦ Πολυΐστορος γραφῆς. καὶ ὁ Ἰώσηπος δὲ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τῆς Ἀρχαιολογίας τοῦ αὐτοῦ μνημονεύει διὰ τούτων· «Λέγεται δὲ ὡς οὗτος ὁ Ἀφρὴν στρατεύσας ἐπὶ τὴν Λιβύην κατέσχεν αὐτὴν καὶ οἱ υἱωνοὶ αὐτοῦ κατοικήσαντες ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκείνου ὀνό 9.20.3 ματος Ἀφρικὰ προσηγόρευσαν. μαρτυρεῖ δέ μου τῷ λόγῳ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Πολυΐστωρ λέγων οὕτως· «Κλεόδημος δέ φησιν ὁ προφήτης, ὁ καὶ Μαλχᾶς, ἱστορῶν τὰ περὶ Ἰουδαίων, καθὼς καὶ Μωσῆς ἱστόρηκεν ὁ νομοθέτης αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς Χεττούρας Ἁβραάμῳ ἐγένοντο παῖδες ἱκανοί· λέγει δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα, 9.20.4 ὀνομάζων τρεῖς, Ἀφέρ, Ἀσσουρί, Ἀφράν· καὶ ἀπὸ Ἀσσουρὶ μὲν τὴν Ἀσσυρίαἀπὸ δὲ τῶν δύο, Ἀφρά τε καὶ Ἀφέρ, πόλιν τε Ἀφρὰν καὶ τὴν χώραν Ἀφρικαὀνομασθῆναι. τούτους δὲ Ἡρακλεῖ συστρατεῦσαι ἐπὶ Λιβύην καὶ Ἀνταῖον· γή μαντα δὲ τὴν Ἀφρὰ θυγατέρα Ἡρακλέα γεννῆσαι υἱὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς ∆ιόδωρον. τούτου δὲ γενέσθαι Σοφωνᾶν, ἀφ' οὗ τοὺς βαρβάρους Σοφὰς λέγεσθαι.»« Τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ὡς ἐν ὀλίγοις τοσαῦτα παρακείσθω. 9.21.1 Ἀπίωμεν δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν Πολυΐστορα·

καʹ. ∆ΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΙΑΚΩΒ· ΑΠΟ ΤΗΣ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΛΥΙΣΤΟΡΟΣ

ΓΡΑΦΗΣ «∆ημήτριός φησι τὸν Ἰακὼβ γενόμενον ἐτῶν ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε φυγεῖν εἰς Χαρρὰν τῆς Μεσοποταμίας, ἀποσταλέντα ὑπὸ τῶν γονέων διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν κρυφίαν ἔχθραν Ἡσαῦ, διὰ τὸ εὐλογῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν πατέρα δοκοῦντα 9.21.2 εἶναι τὸν