that Mount Hor was one of the same ridge of heights is clearly shown by the text; and that it derived its name from Hori can scarcely be doubted; for we find that Aaron died "in Mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom." On an adjacent peak, Moses also died; for the sacred historian records that, "as Aaron died in Mount Hor," so the Lord spake unto Moses, "Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab; and die in the mount, whither thou goest up.”*

It is supposed that whilst Moses dwelt in

*From not comparing these Scriptural narrations, and from attention to vague Eastern traditions, much error has arisen. It is from the sacred text alone that we can obtain correct information respecting the localities of these ancient Arabian nations; for, as the Hebrew designations of those territories have, for a long course of centuries, been lost, and an Arabic nomenclature has been substituted by the Mahomedan tribes that have over-run those districts, it must be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain the exact position of the countries and places mentioned in the Bible; unless in such instances as admit of certain proof by the discovery of unquestionable remains, such as those of Nineveh, Babylon, Petra, &c.

Midian, he wrote the history of the Patriarch Job, (or Jobab);* a name that occurs

as

* The Septuagint version, which was the earliest translation of the Old Testament, its date 250 years before the Christian era, affords much light and confirmation to the history of Job, and states that "he was the Jobab of Bozrah that reigned in Dinhabah." In the "Codex Alexandrinus," we find the following: "He (Job) dwelt in the land of Ausites, in the confines of Idumea and Arabia, and his former name was Jobab." It adds, "His father's name was Zarith, one of the sons of Esau," and that "he was the fifth from Abraham;" that "he was succeeded by Assom, governor of the country of the Temanites." The Arabic version of the Old Testament says, "Job dwelt in the land of Auz, between the boundaries of Edom and Arabia; and he was at first called Jobab." It adds, "He was the son of Zara, a descendant of the children of Esau."

That Job was the Jobab, son of Zerah of Bozrah, admits of little or no doubt.-It appears clearly established by the Scripture genealogy, which we trace as follows:

Jobab-or Job, who was succeeded

by Husham, king of the Temanites-called, in the

"Codex Alexandrinus," Assom.

F

descended in the line of Shem, of whom, and of his brethren, it is said, "Their dwelling

Thus was Job cotemporary with the latter race of the enslaved Hebrews. Dr. Kennicott places him as coeval with Amram, the father of Moses; and this Jobab is proved to have lived at the same time with Eliphaz the Temanite, who was the great-grandson of Esau. The most vague conjectures, founded on no reliable data, have been hazarded in reference to the history of this great man. Neglecting the Scripture text, and the genealogical arrangement which we find in it, some have supposed him to have lived before the time of Abraham ;-assigning his age in proof; the term of which is inferred by his having lived, after his affliction, one hundred and forty years; but it should be remembered that every part of his career was extraordinary :— the perfection of his character, and the supernatural events that are recorded of his comparatively youthful days, may be considered as consistent with unusual longevity; and we perceive that this too is noticed by the inspired writer, who says, "Job died, being old and full of days." That Job was, in the time of his calamity, a young man, is proved by the speech of Eliphaz, chapter xv. 10, that Job's friends were much older than his father. Some have attempted to calculate astronomically on the time of his existence by the allusions in the book to certain stars.-Perhaps nothing could be more destitute of a solid foundation.

We may also add the testimony of the Syriac version,

was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the East." Job is said, in the

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which says, "He dwelt in the land of Ausitis, on the banks of the Euphrates, and his former name was Jobab, and his father was Zareth, who came from the East." The English translation says Jobab was the son of Zerah of Bozrah.". All these versions substantially agree with the Septuagint, which, for its great antiquity and correctness, is highly esteemed. And the authenticity of the book of Job, with the evidences that he was "Jobab the son of Zerah," one of the grandsons of Esau by Bashemath, are not in the least degree invalidated by some variation in the names of persons or places for such variation is very common in Scripture, as well as in all other ancient records ;-as may be perceived by observing that Joshua the son of Nun, is called in Numbers xiii. 16, Oshea; in Deut. xxxii. 44, Hoshea. In 1 Chron. vii. 27, he is named Jehoshua, the son of Non. In Acts vii. 45, Stephen calls him Jesus— Elijah, is called Elias; Elisha, Eliseus; Noah, Noe; Jeconiah, Coniah; Azariah, Uzziah; Hosea, Osee; Ezekiel, Ezekias; &c., &c. Places also are variously named; as Haran called also Charran; Edom, Idumea; Noph, No; Sheba, Seba; Assyria, Assur and Asshur; Chittim, Kittim; Caphtorim, Caphtor; Shechem, Sychem and also Sychar; and many similar changes. In referring to the genealogy of the earliest patriarchs and of their immediate posterity, as recorded in Gen. x. and xxxvi., and in 1 Chron. i. and ii., we may observe

Scripture record to have been "the greatest of all the men of the East;" and it is highly interesting to trace the collateral evidences, which the sacred genealogy affords, respecting the circumstances of this remarkable narrative. "The land of Uz," where Job lived, was, as we have good ground to believe, peopled by Uz, one of the grandsons of Shem; of whom it is said, Gen. x. 31, "These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations." Uz was evidently an extensive

Seth and

the frequent variations that occur in names. Enos are called in Chronicles Sheth, Enosh; Salah is called Shelah; Phut, the son of Ham is called Put; Obal, the son of Joktan, is Ebal; Mash, the son of Aram, and grandson of Shem, is called in Chronicles Meshech, with many others. Yet this circumstance does not warrant the faintest doubt of the perfect authenticity, or the divine authority of Holy Scripture; but, on the contrary, strongly attests its genuine character; because we perceive in it the entire agreement of the facts and events, as related by holy men of old who lived in different ages of the world, and whose dialects would naturally conform to the period in which they wrote-as has been the case with those who translated the Holy Bible into our language.