Sarah died at the age of 120 years, being then at or near Hebron, B.C. 2027. This loss first taught Abra- ham the necessity of acquiring possession of a family sepulchre in the land of his sojourning (see J. S. Sem- ler, De patriarcharum ut in Palcstina sepelirentur de- siderio, Hal. 175G). His choice fell on the cave of Machpelah (q. v.), and, after a striking negotiation [see Bargain] with the owner in the gate of He- bron, he purchased it, and had it legally secured to him, with the field in which it stood and the trees that grew thereon (see Thomson's Land am! Book, ii, S81 sq.). This was the only possession he ever had in the Land of Promise (Gen. xxiii). The next care of Abraham was to provide a suitable wife for his son Isaac. It has always been the practice among pas- toral tribes to keep up the family ties by intermarriages of blood-relations (Burckhardt, Notes, p. 154); and now Abraham had a further inducement in the desire to maintain the purity of the separated race from for- eign and idolatrous connections. He therefore sent his aged and confidential steward Eliezer (q. v.), under tl e bond of a solemn oath to discharge his mission faith- fully, to renew the intercourse between his family and
that of his brother Nahor, whom he had left behind in Charran. He prospered in his important mission, and in due time returned, bringing with him Rebekah (q. v.), the daughter of Nahor's son Bethuel, who be- came the wife of Isaac, and was installed as chief lady of the camp, in the separate tent which Sarah had oc- cupied (Gen. xxiv). Some time after Abraham him- self took a wife named Keturah, by whom he bad sev- eral children. See Keturah. These, together with Ishmael, seem to have been portioned off by their fa- ther in his lifetime, and sent into the east and south- east, that there might lie no danger of their interfer- ence with Isaac, the divinely appointed heir. There was time for this; for Abraham lived to the age of 175 years, 100 of which he had spent in the land of Canaan. He died B.C. 1989, and was buried by his two eldest sons in the family sepulchre which lie had purchased of the Hittites (Gen. xxv, 1-10).— Kitto, s. v. II. Traditions and Literature. — The Orientals, as well Christians and Mohammedans", have preserved some knowledge of Abraham, and highly commend his character; indeed, a history of his life, though it would be highly fanciful, might easily be compiled from their traditions. Arabic accounts name his fa-
\ ther Azar (Abulfeda, Hist. Anteisl. p. 21), with which some have compared the contemporary Adores, king of Damascus (Justin, xxxvi, 2; see Josephus, Ant. i, 7, 2 ; Bertheau, Lsrael. Gesch. p. 217). His mother's
| name is given as Adna (Herbelot, Bib. Orient, s. v. Abraham). The Persian magi believe him to have been the same with their founder, Zerdoust, or Zoro- nster; while the Zabians, their rivals and opponents, lay claim to a similar honor (Hyde, Iv I. /'< rsar. p. 28 sq.). Some have affirmed that he reigned at Damas- cus (Nicol. Damasc. apud Josephus, Ant. i, 7, 2; Justin, xxxvi), that he dwelt long in Kgypt ( Artapan.et Eupo- lem. apud Euseb. Prospar. ix, 17, 18), that lie taught the Egyptians astronomy and arithmetic (Joseph. Ant. i, 8, 2), that he invented letters and the Hebrew language (Suidas in Abraham'), or the characters of the Syrians and Chaldeans (Isidor. Hispal. Ori'jg. i, 3), that he was the author of several works, among others of the fa- mous book entitled Jezira, or the Creation — a work mentioned in the Talmud, and greatly valued by some. rabbins"; but those who have examined it without prejudice speak of it with contempt. See Cabala. In the first ages of Christian^', the heretics called Sethians published "Abraham's Revelations" (Epi- phan. Hares, xxxix, 5). Athanasius, in his Synop- sis, speaks of the " Assumption of Abraham ;" and Origen (in Luc. Homil. 35) notices an apocryphal book of Abraham's, wherein two angels, one good, the oth- er bad, dispute concerning his damnation or salvation. The Jews (I.'ab. Selem, in Baba Bdthra, c. i) attribute to him the Morning Prayer, the 89th Psalm, a Treat- ise on Idolatry, and other works. The authorities on all these points, and for still other traditions respect- ing Abraham, may be found collected in Fabricii Cod. J'.-i udepigr. I '. 7'. i, 344 sq. ; Eisenmenger, Entd. J»- denth. i, 490; Otho, Lex. liabb. p. 2 sq. ; Beck, ad Targ. Chron. ii, 2G7 ; Stanley, Jewish Church, \>. 2 sq. We are informed (D'Herbelot, ut sup.) that, A.D. 1119, Abraham's tomb was discovered near Hebron, in which Jacob, likewise, and Isaac were interred. The bodies were found entire, and many gold and sil- ver lamps were found in the place. The Mohamme- dans have BO great a respect for his tomb, that they make it their fourth pil rimage (the three others Icing
Mi a, Medina, and Jerusalem). Sec Hebron: The
Christians built a church over the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham was buried, which the Turks have changed into a mosque, and forbidden Christians from approaching (Quaresm. Elmid. ii. 772). The supposed oak of Mamre, where Abraham received the three angels, was likewise honored by Christians, as also by the Jews am. Pagans (see above), lie Koran (iv, 124) entitles him "the friend of God" (see Michaelis,