123 
called on Abram’s God, as we learn incidentally from the lips 
of Laban. 
48. The early part of their way lay through the rich warm 
Chaldsean levels, and having, as we may suppose, crossed the 
great river and passed through Larsa and ancient Erech, and 
seen the ruins of great Babel, they would come to the twin 
cities of Sippara, and by-and-by, rising near the great place of 
bitumen-pits, Hit, to the higher undulating levels of the 
country already occupied by tribes who had gone out from the 
south to found the great dominion of Assur, they would leave 
the more advanced cultivation of Abram’s native plains, and 
begin to encounter greater difficulties and untried dangers. 
But through whatever vicissitudes, in due time passing up the 
fertile valley of the Belik, the caravan, ascending towards the 
highlands, entered the resting-place of many years, a second 
home which became so familiar and dear to Abram that we 
find him in his old age calling it “ my country,” and “ the 
home of my kindred.” The region was called Padan-Aram, 
the plain of the highlands, and the name Padan occurs in the 
very early Chaldsean record of Agu-kak-rimi (probably before 
Abram). 
49. Kharran was by position a very important place. Its 
name is Accadian, and means road, and also, like that English 
word,* bore the military sense of inroad, raid, and was familiar 
with the march of armies and the incidents of war. 
50. It was, in fact, a very early and a very late outpost of 
Chaldsean power. Through it Kedorlaomer and his tri- 
butaries must have marched to their distant conquests while 
yet Abram and his father were dwelling there, and Abram’s 
eyes probably looked upon the long array of Elam, Larsa, 
Sliinar, and Goim with which thirteen years later he was so 
suddenly to be engaged in conflict. 
51. The town still lies on the slope of a low hill, on which 
stand ruins of an ancient stronghold built of large blocks of 
basaltic rock. It is described by Mr. Malan,t who has given 
an interesting sketch in Churton and Jones’s edition of 
the New Testament, the only view of Kharran I have yet 
seen. 
52. The plain was irrigated in true Chaldsean style by water- 
courses from the Belik ; and to the west is the plain of Seruj, 
fertile, and thick with villages of the same ancient beehive 
* 1 Sam. xxvii. 10 : “ Whither have ye made a road to-day ? ” 
+ Phil, or Truth, 93. 
