II Among the Bedawis of the Sinaitic Peninsula, for instance, at the ai^-e of 8 (Palmer, in the Ordnance Samey o/ the Fen. of Sinai, p. 59); among those of Arabia at the age of 5-6, but sometimes ten years later (Burton, I.e. iii. 81). Ibn Athir says that amonji the ancient Arabians the age was from 10 to 15 years (Pococke, .Spec. Hist. Arab. 319).
i, Kuenen ('/'AT', May 1871, p. 290 f.) and others regard Hagar and Ishmael as simply the eponymous ancestors of the tribei known as ' Hagarkxks,' and ' sons of Ishmael ' or * Ishmaelites,' the narratives of Hajjar's fliirht and expulsion being suggested l>V the meaning of the names (cf. Arab, hajara, to flee ; hejrah, flight). Cf. p. 534, notes.
ISHMAEL
ISHSECHEL
!505
St. Paul sees foresliadowed the conflict in the history of the nascent Church, the defeat of the spirit ■which clung to carnal ordinances, and tlie triumph of the spirit of freedom, which had the faith and the insight to see that such ordinances must pass away. The practical conclusion follows: let the Galatian convert-s ' stand fast ' in the freedom in which Christ had set them, and not ' be en- tangled again in a yoke ' of Jewish ordinances.
S. 1{. DltlVKR.
ISHMAEL.— 1. See preceding article. 2. One of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul through Merib-baal (Mepliibosheth), 1 Ch 8»« 9". 3. The father or ancestor of the Zebadiah who was ruler (Tjj) of the house of Jndah in the reign of Jeho- Bhanhat, 2Ch 19". i. The son of Jehohanan, one of tlie' captains of hundreds,' who assisted Jehoiada in restoring Jehoash to the throne of Judah, 2 Ch 23'. S. A priest of tlie family of Pashhur, who was forced Ijy Ezra to put away his foreign wife, Ezr 10-^ In 1 Es 9=» Ismael.
6. Ishmacl, the son of Ncthaniah, the son of Elishama, a member of the royal house of David. See Jer 40-42, and the brief summary in 2 K25^-''°. After the fall of Jerusalem, Ishmael was a com- mander of one of the bodies of Jewish troops which maintained their independence in the country districts. Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedaliah (wh. see), the son of Aliikam the protector of Jeremiah (Jer 26*"), as governor of the remnants of the Jewish state, with liis residence at Mizpah ; and one of his tirst cares was to attempt to restore confidence among the scattered inhabitants of the land, and to induce the remains of Zedekiah's army to submit to the Babylonian conquerors. At first Gedaliah's efi'orts met with a certain success. The captains of the Jewish forces, and Ishmael among the number, came to Mizpah, and made their 8ubmis.sion to the new governor. Gedaliah, promLsing to use his influence with the Babylonians on their behalf, exliorted them to settle quietly in the cities they had occupied, and to gatlier in the harvest, wliich was then standing neglected in the fields (Jer 40'""). But the restoration of peace and good order in the desolated country of Judah was not in accordance with the wishes of Baalis, the king of Ammon, who doubtless saw an opportunity of extending his territory at the expense of his neighbours on the west. He found a willing tool in Ishmael, whom he commissioned to assassinate Gedaliah. Islimael may have been actuated by a fanatical hatred against a fellow-countryman who had consented to acknowledge the Chaldtean supremacy, or by jealousy of the preference given to Gedaliah over a member of the royal house. His designs, however, were not unknown ; and Jolianan the son of Kareah, and the other otlicers who had formerly acted with Ishmael but now supported Gedaliah, warned the latter of his danger. Gedaliah, unfortunately, would not listen to their warnings ; and when Jolianan, seeing how disastrous the death of (iedaliah would be for all the Jews, offered to kill Ishmael privately, the governor refused to consent to the proposal, and declared that the charges made against Ishmael were only calumnies (ii.'-'").
In the seventh month, that is, about three months after the fall of Jcrus. and two months after the destruction of the city, Ishmael with ten confederates came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.* Here they were hospitably entertained ; Imt during the meal rose up against their hosts, and murdered Gedaliah and all the Jewish and CliaKhcan soldiers in his retinue. Ishmacl must after this have gained i>os.Hession of the town, for he succeeiloti in preventmg any news of what had taken place from
■ In «li the word! ^^ '31] ihould tw omitted ; ao L.XX.
being published abroad. Two days later a party of eighty pilgrims from Sheche'm, ShUob, and Samaria pa-s-sed by Mizpah, with offerings which they intended to present at the ruined temple in Jerusalem. On account of the destruction of the sanctuary they were attired as mourners, with beards shaven, and clothes rent, and gashes on their face and hands. With feigned grief * Ishmael went out to meet them, and invited them to visit Gedaliah at .Mizoah. Once inside the city, they were put to death by Ishmael and his men. Ten of them, however, were able to ransom their lives by promising to deliver up the stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey which they had hidden in the fields. The corpses of the seventy murdered men were thrown into a great pit or cistern, which had been made by Asa at the time of his war with Baaslia (cf. 1 K lo"""^). The people of Miz|iah, together with the roj-al princes.ses, who had been left bj' Nebuchadnezzar in charge of (iedaliah, Ishmael now treated as his prisoners, and attempted to carry them oH" to the country of the Ammonites (Jer 41'""'). But tidings of the events at Mizpah had reached Jolianan ben- Kareah and his companions. They collected their troops and pursued after the fugitives, whom they overtook by the great pool of Glbeon, the scene of the fight between the men of Joab and of Abner (2 .S 2'-""). The captives, among whom were the prophet Jeremiah and his scribe liaruch (cf. Jer4(/ 42"'- 43'), gladly went over to the pursuing forces ; but Ishmael with eight of his men escaped to the Ammonites. The Jewish leaders, having failed to capture Ishmael, were now afraid of suli'ering the vengeance of the kinj; of Babylon for the murder of his vassal Gedaliah. Accordingly they did not venture to return to Mizpah, but moveil to the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, whence they sub- sequently fled to Egj-pt, in spite of the advice and warnings of Jeremiah (Jer 41"— 13**). A reference in .Jer .52** to 745 persons who were carried captive to Babylon in the twenty-third year of Nebuchad- nezzar, I.e. four years after the fall of Jerus., is perhaps to be connected with fresh measures taken against the Jews in consequence of the outrage of Ishmael. The murder oi Gedaliah was kept in memory by a fast instituted in the seventh month (Zee 7°"8"), which is celebrated on the 3rd day of Tisri (Sept.-Oct.) H. \. Wunk