Page:Light and truth.djvu/112

110 Joktan. 4. The grandson of Abraham. All these seem to have taken up their residence in Arabia, and perhaps most of them in the south part of it. 5. The son of Bichri, a Jew who headed a revolt in the reign of David. 6. The name of a famous well, sometimes called Sheba, and sometimes Beer-sheba. (Gen. x., xxv., xxvi.)

, (1 Kings x. 1.) or the Saba of profane history A province in the northern part of Arabia, between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. It was probably settled by Sheba, a descendant of Cush, and the inhabitants are called Sabeans. (Job i. 15.) The queen of Sheba may well be supposed to have some traditional knowledge of true religion; and in the commercial intercourse of her country with that of the Hebrews, might have heard much of the wisdom and piety of Solomon, the wisest man, and one of the greatest kings that ever lived on the earth. To see and converse with him, she undertook a journey from what was then regarded as the uttermost parts of the earth. (Matt. xii. 42.) Of this journey the present Ethiopians or Abyssines, who are Christians of the Greek Church, have very ancient traditions. Among the princely presents she made to Solomon, were gold, ivory, and spices; and the Sabeans were celebrated, on account of their important commerce in these very products, among the Greeks. (Ps. lxxii. 10, 15; Isa. lx. 6; Jer. vi. 20.)

, called by the Jews, Jokteel, is probably the place called Kerek in Burckhardt's travels. In Greek authors, it is called Petra, and was the celebrated capi- tal of Arabia Petræa. (2 Kings xiv. 7.)

. (Lam. iv. 2t.) A district of Arabia, which was probably settled by the posterity of Uz, or Huz, a descendant of Shem, and distinguished as the dwelling-place of Job, whose estate was like that of a modern Bedouin sheikh. It was probably an extensive district, and perhaps subject to Idumea.

, (Gen. xxv. 25,) or Edom. (Gen. xxxvi. 1.) Son of Isaac and Rebecca, and twin brother of Jacob.