124 
houses of stone which we see in Assyrian reliefs, and may sup- 
pose to have clustered there in the sight of Abram. 
53. The indications of Chaldsean worship at Kharran reach 
back as far as the times of Terach, as Mr. Sayce has shown,* 
and the city was from first to last bound up with the cultus of 
the sidereal pantheon. 
54. In the British Museum is a seal-cylinder representing a 
priest in adoration before an altar with a star above it. In 
the distance is a diminutive figure. Behind the priest is 
inscribed in cuneiform, “ the god of Kharran.” Probably the 
star is Mercury, which, as we have seen, was lord of the 
men of Kharran. Its gods are mentioned in Rabshakeh’s 
message to Hezekiah. “ In the fifth century,” says Sir H. 
Rawlinson,t “ the Sabseans of Harran worshipped the sun as 
Bel-Shamin, the lord of heaven, and at a later period they used 
the Greek name of 'HAmc ; and again Gula, under the name 
of Gadlat and Tar’ata (Atargatis or Derceto) are given by St. 
James of Seruj, as the tutelary goddesses of Harran in the 
fifth century of Christ.” Still later are records of the same 
idolatry, but in the midst of all we find that “ the Sabians had a 
chapel which was dedicated to Abraham.” J 
55. Thus the “ father’s house ” was still within an outpost 
of the old Chaldaean rule, a very imperfect approach to the 
land which Jehovah would show them. 
56. Still in the highways of the caravans and line of march 
of armies, still surrounded by the worship which they had 
renounced, they were dwelling; but Terach was well stricken 
in years, and here he was minded to abide and end his days 
without crossing the great river into the land of the stranger, 
and the unknown places of Martu, toward the sea of the setting 
sun ; and hither came Nachor and Milcali, and their house, 
and they prospered in the fertile and beautiful land where the 
tender mercy of God allowed Abraham to bury his father at 
the age of 205 years, perhaps in one of the rock-hewn tombs 
of Urfah. 
THE MIGRATION TO CANAAN. 
57. The call of Jehovah after Terach’ s death fairly launched 
Abram in his tent-life as a stranger and pilgrim. And this 
began when he was seventy-five years old. The conditions 
of this life are very well described by Dr. Kitto in his Daili/ 
f Her,, i. 503, note. 
* T. S. B. A., iii. 168, and ii. 247. 
+ Kitto, Bib. Ct/r “ITarran.” 
