Page:Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, 1842.djvu/65

33 pened that  these  two,  Jacob  and  Eli,  were  brothers;  and  moreover, how  the  fathers  of  these,  Matthan  and  Melchi,  being  of different  families,  are  proved  to  be  the  grandfathers  of  Joseph.

Matthan and  Melchi. having married  in  succession  the  same woman, had  children,  who  were  brothers  by  the  same  mother,  as the  law  did  not  prohibit  a  widow,  whether  she  became  such  by divorce,  or  by  the  death  of  her  husband,  to  marry  again. Matthan, therefore, who  traces  his  lineage  from  Solomon,  first  had Jacob, by  Estha,  for  this  is  her  name  as  handed  down  by  tradition. Matthan dying,  and  Melchi,  who  traces  his  descent  from  Nathan, though he  was  of  the  same  tribe,  but  of  another  family,  having as before  said,  married  her,  had  a  son  Eli. Thus, then,  we  shall find the  two  of  different  families,  Jacob  and  Eli,  brothers  by  the same mother. Of these,  the  one  Jacob,  on  the  death  of  his  brother, marrying  his  widow,  became  the  father  of  a  third,  viz. Joseph; his  son  both  by  nature  and  calculation. Wherefore, it  is written,  Jacob  begat  Joseph. But according  to  the  law,  he  was the son  of  Eli,  for  Jacob  being  his  brother,  raised  up  seed  to  him. Wherefore, the  genealogy  traced  also  through  him,  will  not  be rendered  void,  which,  according  to  Matthew,  is  given  thus — "  but Jacob  begat  Joseph." But Luke,  on  the  other  hand,  says,  "  who  was the  son,  as  was  supposed,  (for  this  he  also  adds,)  the  son  of  Joseph, the  son  of  Eli,  the  son  of  Melchi." For it  was  not  possible  to  express the  legal  genealogy  more  distinctly,  so  that  he  entirely  omits the expression,  "  he  begat,"  in  a  generation  like  this,  until  the  end; having traced  it  back  as  far  as  Adam,  "  who  was  the  son  of  God," he resolves  the  whole  series  by  referring  back  to  God. Neither is this  incapable  of  proof,  nor  is  it  an  idle  conjecture. For the  relatives of  our  Lord,  according  to  the  flesh,  whether  to  display their own  illustrious  origin,  or  simply  to  show  the  fact,  but  at  any rate adhering  strictly  to  the  truth,  have  also  handed  down  the following accounts:  That  robbers  of  Idumea,  attacking  Ascalon, a city  of  Palestine,  led  Antipater  away  captive  together  with other booty,  from  the  temple of Apollo,  which  was  built  close  to  the walls. He was  the  son  of  one  Herod,  a  minister  of  the  temple. The priest,  however,  not  being  able  to  pay  the  ransom  for  Ins  son, Antipater was  trained  up  in  the  practices  of  the  Idumeans,  and