UR, a City of Chaldea, the Country of Terah, and of Abraham. God ordered Gen. xi. 28.Abraham to leave the City of Ur, that he might bring him into the Land of Canaan, which he intended to give him, and his Posterity for an Inheritance. But as he was going thither, along with Terah his Father, and Lot his Nephew, when they were come as far as Haran, a City of Mesopotamia, Terah fell sick, and died there. After Abraham had paid his last Duties to him, he continued his Journey, and went into the Land of Canaan. This Calling of Abraham happened in the Year of the World 2082, before Christ 1918, before the Vulgar Æra 1922.
The City of Ur was in Chaldea, as the Scripture assures us in more Places than one; but its true Situation is unknown. Some1 think it to be the same as Camarina in Babylonia. Others confound it with Orcha, or Orchoe, in Chaldea, according to Ptolemy and Strabo. Others take it to be Ura, or Sura, in Syria, upon the Euphrates. Bochart and Grotius maintain, that it is Ura in Mesopotamia, two Days Ammian. l. 25. c.26.Journey from Nisibe. ‘Tis observed, that Chaldea and Mesopotamia are often confounded together, and that it is said indifferently, that this City is in one or the other of these two Provinces.
The Word Ur in Hebrew signifies Fire;2 and some Authors have pretended, that when Moses says God brought Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, he only intends to say, that God delivered him out of the Fire wherein the Chaldees had cast him, for shewing Contempt to their Idols, and reproaching them with Idolatry. See what has been said upon the Articles ABRAHAM and TERAH. St. Jerome gave in to this Opinion, when he thus translated Nehem. ix. 7. Thou broughtest Abraham out of the fire of the Chaldees, instead of saying, out of Ur of the Chaldees. But in his Hebraical Questions,3 he looks upon that as a mere Fable; which the Jews tell of Abraham’s pretended Deliverance from the Fire of the Chaldees. See the Commentators upon Gen. xi. 31.
‘Tis pretended that the Name Ur, which signifies Fire, was given to this City, because the Element of Fire was worshipped therein. Fire was the Symbol of the Sun, and it is known that this Luminary was adored through all the Eastern Countries. They kept a sacred and perpetual Fire to his honour in certain Temples or Enclosures, which were shut up on every side, but were not covered at the top. We have spoke of them under the Articles CHAMANIM and PYRÆIA; as also of the Manner in which the ancient Persians kept up these Fires, and sacrificed to the Sun.
Rufinus relates,4 that the Chaldeans heretofore used to carry Fire, which was their Deity, through all the Provinces where they came, to fight with all the other Gods worshipped therein; that which ever should have the Superiority in this Conflict might be esteemed the true God. The Gods of Brass, Gold, Silver, Wood, and Stone, were easily overcome by the Fire, which every where obtained the Victory. A Priest of Canopus in Egypt bethought himself of this Stratagem. The Egyptians have certain earthen Vessels with little Holes on all sides, intended to filtrate the Water of the Nile: He filled one of these Vessels with Water, and stopt up all the Holes with Wax. He fastened a Head to it, which was said to be the Head of Menelas, and set it up for a God. The Chaldeans had a mind to make a Trial of the Power of their God Canopus; they lighted a Fire about Canopus, that these two Deities might contend with each other. But no sooner had the Fire melted the Wax that stopt up the Holes of the Pitcher, than the Water gushed out, and quenched the Fire. So that the Priest of Canopus obtained the Victory.
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