The Sacred Plains, by J H [Sic] Headley

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE PLAIN OF MA.MRE. Abram and Lot having separated, and Lot chosen the Plains of Jordan as his future residence, Abram removed his tent and pitched it in the Plains of Mature, so called from Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eschol and Aner, who, it appears, were confederates of Abram. These...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE PLAIN OF MA.MRE. Abram and Lot having separated, and Lot chosen the Plains of Jordan as his future residence, Abram removed his tent and pitched it in the Plains of Mature, so called from Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eschol and Aner, who, it appears, were confederates of Abram. These plains lie about seven leagues south of Jerusalem, between the two parallel ridges of hills known as the Mountains of Judah. The land was of extraordinary fertility, particularly in the production of grapes. It was here the spies sent by Joshua to view the land of Canaan gathered the grapes of Eschol, with pomegranates and figs, as a specimen of the exceeding goodness of the land which they were invited to go up and possess; and it was here they saw the sons of Anak the giant, in whose eyes they were accounted but as grasshoppers. It was here the patriarchs lived; here they communed with God and received the promises; here they died, and were buried. In all Palestine, nay, in all the world, there is no locality whose history and identity we can so clearly trace back through the dark labyrinth of the past as the Plains of Mamre, and the sacred events connected with them. Forty Centuries have rolled their waves over them in vain. Abram having pitched his tent in the Plains of Mamre, built an altar unto the Lord, on which he offered the morning and evening sacrifice. One day, a messenger who had escaped from the battle brought him tidings of the overthrow of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, with all their confederates, and the capture of Lot and all his household. At once he armed his servants, born in his own house, whose number, all told, amounted to only three hundred and eighteen, and pursued after the captors. What a striking instance of moral courage and unwavering re...