4 o6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



it, that Aaron and Miriam had quarrelled with Mofes, be- 

 caufe he had married a negro, or black-moor, the reproach was 

 evident ; whatever intrinlic merit Zipporah might have been 

 found to have polleiled afterwards, fire mult have appear- 

 ed before the people, at firft light, as a Jlrange woman, or 

 Gentile, whom it was prohibited tomarry. Befides, the in- 

 nate deformity of the complexion, negroes were, at all times, 

 rather coveted for companions of men of luxury or pleamre, 

 than fought after for wives of fober legillators, and gover- 

 nors of a people. 



The next inftance I mall give is, Zerah of Gerar*, who 

 came out to fight Afa king of Ilrael with an army of a 

 million of men, and three hundred chariots, whilft both 

 the quarrel and the decifion are reprefented as immedi- 

 ate. 



Gerar was a fmall diflricl, producing only the Acacia or 

 gum-arabic trees, from which it had its name; it had no 

 water but what came from a few wells, part of which had 

 been dug by Abraham f, after much ftriie with the people 

 of the country, who fought to deprive him of them, as of 

 a treamre. 



Abraham and his brother Lot returning from Egypt, 

 though poor fhepherds, could not fubiift there for want of 

 fooct, and water, and they feparatcd accordingly, by confent J. 



Now 



* 1 Chron. chap. xiv. ver. 9. f Gen chap. 21. ver. 30. 

 j^Gen. chap. 1 \ ver. 6. and 9. 



