^o6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



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

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

 evident ; whatever intrinfic merit Zipporah might have been 

 found to have poffened afterwards, fhe muft have appear- 

 ed before the people, at firft fight, as a Jirange woman, or 

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

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

 rather coveted for companions of men of luxury or pleafure, 

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

 nors of a people. 



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

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

 million of men, and three hundred chariots, whilft both 

 the quarrel and the decifion are represented as immedi- 

 ate. 



Gerar was a fmall diftrict, 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 ftrife with the people 

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

 a treafure. 



Abraham and his brother Lot returning from Egypt, 

 though poor mepherds, could not fubfift there for want of 

 food, and water, and they feparated accordingly, by confent J. 



Now 



* 2 Chron. chap. xiv. ver. 9. f Gen chap. 21. ver. $0. 

 J«Gen. chap. ij. ver. o, and 9. 



