The traditions, as is
like, contributed quite as much, if not more, to give character
to his descendants as his actual personality and that spirit of
faith which was the central fact in his history. Races and
nations often draw more inspiration from what they fancy about
their ancestry and early history than from what they know; their
fables therefore are often more illuminative than the facts.
Abraham was Ethan the Ezrahite, who is mentioned in Ps. lxxxvii. 1.
_Bava Bathra_, fol. 15, col. 1.
Abraham's mother was Amathlai, the daughter of Karnebo.
_Bava Bathra_, fol. 91, col. 1.
Abraham was the head of a seminary for youth, and kept both laws, the
written and the oral.
_Yoma_, fol. 28, col. 2.
Abraham observed the whole ceremonial law, even before it was given on
Sinai.
_Kiddushin_, fol. 82, col. 1.
From the day Abraham was compelled to leave the idolatrous
worship and country of his fathers, it is reasonable to suppose
that his tent would become a rendezvous for his neighbors who
shrunk like himself from the abominations around them. There,
from his character, by which he recommended himself as the
friend of God, he might very naturally be looked upon as a
religious teacher, and men might gather together to learn from
his lips or profit by his example.
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