Esau

2 Chr. xxxiii. 12. Isai. xiii. 13. Uffer. ad an. M. 3323. ex Canone Reg. Ptolemaico. Gen. xxvi. 24, 25, 26. Esau.ESAU, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, was born in the year of the World 2168, before Jesus Christ 1832, before the Vulgar Æra 1836. When the time came of Rebekah’s delivery, she was brought to bed with twins, and the first of them which came into the world, was as hairy as an hide; for which reason he was called Esau, that is to say, a man full grown, or a man of perfect age. Some derive the word Esau from the Arabick, Gescha or Gescheva, which signifies a hair-cloth. When Esau was grown up, he exercised himself in hunting and tilling the ground; and his father Isaac had a particular tenderness for him. Upon a certain day, when Jacob had prepared a mess of porridge, Esau returning very much fatigued out of the fields, desired him to give him some of his red pottage, for he was extremely tired: this Jacob promised he would do, provided he would sell him his birth-right. Esau therefore sold it, and engaged himself by oath to resign it to him. After which, he eat up his mess, and went away, very little concerned at what he had done.

In the year of the World 2208, before J. C. 1792, before the Vulgar Æra 1796.Esau at the age of forty years married two Canaanitish women; one, whose name was Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and the other Bashemath, the daughter of Elon, of the same country. These marriages were very displeasing to Isaac and Rebekah. Now Isaac being old, and his sight extremely decay’d, he bid Esau go into the field and provide something for him to eat, and at his return he would give Gen. xxvii. 1, 2, 3.him his last blessing. Esau took his weapons and went an hunting. But in his absence, Jacob, assisted by his mother Rebekah, came to Isaac for his blessing, and being disguised, and pretending to be Esau, he obtained it. Isaac heaped many blessings on him, and declared him Lord of all his brethren. When Esau returned, and understood what had passed, he asked him, whether he had not reserved one blessing for him. Isaac moved by his tears, said, Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Esau was hereupon very much enraged against Jacob, and contracted a secret aversion to him. He considered with himself, that the days of mourning for his father were at hand, and then he determined to murder his brother Jacob. But his designs being revealed to Rebekah, she sent Jacob to his uncle Laban in Mesopotamia, there to stay till Esau’s indignation was appeased. She prevailed with Isaac to be consenting, so Jacob departed without Esau’s knowledge, and went to Haran. In the mean time Esau married several wives, as well Canaanites, as the daughter of Ishmael and Nebajoth¹, by whom he had several children. He settled in the mountains to the east of Jordan, and there became very powerful.

Jacob, at his return from Mesopotamia with his wives and children, fearing lest In the year of the World 2265, before J. C. 1735, before the Vulgar Æra 1739. Gen. xxxii. xxxiii.Esau might still have retained his resentments, sent messengers to him with presents, in order to procure his good graces, and disarm his passion. Esau received Jacob’s messengers very well, and came himself with four hundred men to meet him. Jacob believed that he was coming to put all his company to the sword; he therefore addressed himself to God, and besought him to protect him from his brother. But Esau came with peaceable intentions, and the two brothers embraced one another very tenderly. Esau received the presents which Jacob made him, offered to accompany him with his people, and be a guard to him till he got beyond Jordan. But Jacob thanked him, and Esau returned the same day to Seir. The two brothers were both present when their father died; and as they were In the year of the World 2288, before J. C. 1712, before the Vulgar Æra 1716. Gen. xxxvi. 2.very rich in cattle, and the country did not afford pasture for such numbers, they separated. Esau retired to mount Seir, and the mountains of the Horites, where he had before dwelt.

Esau had three wives; the name of the first was Judith, or Aholibamah; the name of the second was Bashemath, or Adah; and the third was Mahelath, or Bashemath. Judith was the mother of Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. Adah was the mother of Eliphaz; and Mahelath had Reuel. We know nothing certainly concerning the death of Esau. The Testament of the twelve Patriarchs, a work of some antiquity, but apocryphal, tells us, that Esau coming to attack his brother with his forces, was killed in the fortieth year of the Patriarch Judah’s age, which might be the hundred and twenty-first of Esau, of the World 2289, before Jesus Christ 1711, before the Vulgar Æra 1715. King Erythros, from whom the Red Sea is said to have taken its name, and whose tomb is shewn in the isle of Tyrina or Ogyris, is believed to be the same as Edom. Erythros in Greek signifies red, and Edom the same in Hebrew. The Testament of the twelve Patriarchs, already mentioned, says, that he was buried in mount Seir; but this piece deserves no credit. When Judah was forty years of age, Jacob had been a long time in Egypt; he died the year before.

The Mahometans call him Ais, and add some particulars to his history: for example, that Jacob having by surprize obtained the blessing which Isaac designed for Esau, the latter desired his father to beg of God, that he would be pleased out of his family to produce Kings and Conquerors, since he had made it his petition for Jacob, that Saints and Prophets should issue out of his race; this Isaac would not refuse him. In pursuance of this promise, God gave Esau a son, whose name was Roum, from whom the Greek and Roman Emperors are descended.

It is a common tradition among all the eastern nations, which have any knowledge of the sacred Writings, that in the time of Abdon, Judge of the Hebrews, a colony of Edomites transplanted themselves into Italy, where they settled; that Latinus reigned among them, and Romulus the Founder of Rome derived his original from them. This is all a fable, maliciously invented by the Jews, in order to make room for the application of every thing said in Scripture against Edom and the Edomites, to Christians, and even the sacred Person of Jesus Christ.

The most famous Rabbins obstinately maintain this impertinent tradition. The Talmud calls Italy and Rome, The cruel empire of Edom. The Jews assert, that the Edomites having embraced Christianity under Constantine, got to Rome, and into the Roman Empire; others will have it, that an Idumæan Priest brought Christianity to Rome. Some of the Cabbalists have the impiety to say, that the soul of Esau passed by transmigration into the body of Jesus Christ; for a proof of which opinion they remark, that if we read the Hebrew letters backwards which compose the names of Jesus and Esau, we shall find they are the same: they are born under the same planet, Mars. Edom signifies red; the Roman Emperors were clothed in red; the Cardinals still wear the same colour. Fine reasons indeed!

Josephus Vid.Euseb. in Jezreel, & in Arbile. & Joseph. de Bello, l. 4. c. 2. Josippos l. 1. c. 2. p. 4.Josephus the son of Gerion relates the matter otherwise. Tzepho, grandson to Esau, being detained prisoner in Egypt by Joseph, fled to Æneas King of Carthage, who made him General of his troops. Æneas went from Africk into Italy, beat Turnus the King of Beneventum twice, and forcibly carried away Junia [or Lavinia] whom he proposed to marry. Pablus, nephew to Æneas, was killed in the action, as well as Turnus, and two Towers or Mausolæums were erected for them, which he says were still to be seen between Rome and Alba, at the time when he was writing this account. The Africans, under the command of Tzepho, repassed often into Italy for the sake of plunder. In one of these expeditions having lost a young calf, he found it again in a cave, where one who was half a goat, and half a man, would have devoured it: but he killed this monster, and carried off his calf. [The Author seems to have had an eye to the fable of Cacus.] The inhabitants of this country being delivered from this monster who destroyed their flocks, honoured Tzepho as an Hero, and gave him the name of Janus. They called him likewise Saturn, from the name of the Star which was at that time adored by them. Thus you see here an Edomite King and God of Italy.

The sequel of Ben-Gorion’s history is not at all less impertinent, than that part which we have just now produced from it. He relates, that Latinus the successor of Tzepho, declared war with Asdrubal King of Carthage, to revenge himself of Æneas, who had caused a bridge or aquæduct to be built, which convey’d the waters of Italy into Africk. Part of the bridge was broken down, Asdrubal defeated, and killed. Latinus pursued his conquests as far as Germany and Burgundy. What impertinences are these! Nevertheless, some Authors have adopted them, in part at least; for there is an inscription cited, which was found at Palermo in Sicily, wherein these words were to be read: There is no other God besides the one only Fazellus de rebus Sicul. Decad. 1. l. 8. c. de Panormo.God; there is no powerful Being but the same God. The God, whom we adore, is the only one who gives victory. The governour of this tower is Shaphat, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, brother to Jacob, son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.

Abulfaragius says, that Esau made war with Jacob, and that Jacob killed him with an arrow; which has some resemblance with what we read in the Testament of the twelve Patriarchs. The Mahometans maintain, that Sennacherib was of Esau’s race; they call likewise the Greeks and Latins, red Franks, or Edomites, as descendants, according to their assertion, from Roum the son of Esau.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages