urnt offering, and laid it upon
Isaac, his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and
they went both of them together. And Isaac spoke unto Abraham, his
father, and said, "My father": and he said, "Here am I, my son."

And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for
a burnt offering?"

And Abraham said, "God will himself provide the lamb for a burnt
offering, my son": so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built the altar there, and laid the wood in {42} order, and bound
Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham
stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the
angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham,
Abraham."

And he said, "Here am I."

And he said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me."

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a
ram caught in the thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh (that is,
Jehovah will provide): as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the
Lord it shall be provided." And the angel of the Lord called unto
Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, "By myself have I
sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son: that I will certainly bless thee,
and I will certainly multiply thy family as the stars of the heaven,
and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy family shall
possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy family shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went
together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

{43}{44}
[Illustration]
HEBRON

Used by special permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund.

This is one of the most interesting spots in all the world; for here
is the cave of Machpelah, the one ancient burial place which has
been handed down from remote antiquity as the genuine site. The
spot, as the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah,
Jacob and Leah, has been venerated always by the adheren