Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/172

 The Book of Genesis

154

This primitive conception

of

local

paratively early period of

its

religious

gods

investigate this subject in greater detail

The Religion of

the

Bered consult the

Dictionary

The exact

Semites (2nd edition).

the well can not be determined.

and

outgrew at a comThose wishing to may consult Robertson-Smith, Israel

evolution.

articles

location of

For the probable locations of Kadesh under

of the Bible, and also

the

these

headings

biblical

in Hastings' geographies cited in

the bibliography, pp. 35f. 19. "And God opened her eyes", i. e. caused her to see the which had been there constantly, but which she had somehow not noticed. It does not mean that God suddenly created this well. V. 20. The Ishmaelites were supposedly renowned archers. V. 21. The Wilderness of Paran was the ancient name for the

V.

well,

desert

of

the

Sinaitic

Peninsula.

The

Bible

represents

it

as

the

wandering ground of the Ishmaelite tribes. Actually, however, these tribes wandered over the northern half or two thirds of the vast Arabian Peninsula. The Mohammedan Arabs claim descent from Ishmael. and Mohammedan tradition holds that the well which God revealed to Hagar was the sacred well of Zemzem at Mecca, the holy city of the Mohammedans.

traditional

scholars that XT and XXI contain, not two separate Hights of Hagar irom Sarah's household, but two independent versions of one and the same eent. This is clear from the fact that the same incidents, such as the announcement of the glorious future of Ishmael and his descendants, It

is

now recognized by

the accounts of

are found in each version.

A

few discrepancies and anachronisms are readily apparent, such

XX Ishmael is represented as a lad and therefore practically grown to man's estate, according to Oriental standards, whereas in the story proper lie is still an infant, unable to care for himself, and cast away, helplessly, to die under a bush. Of course these two passages are the work of two different writers and belong to two originally distinct versions of the Ishmael story. In presenting the story the teacher must use judgment in avoiding all such difficulties. as that in the opening verses of

of thirteen

years,