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Now Abraham thought that it was not right to disobey God in any thing,
but that he was obliged to serve him in every circumstance of life, since
all creatures that live enjoy their life by his providence, and the kindness
he bestows on them. Accordingly he concealed this command of God, and his
own intentions about the slaughter of his son, from his wife, as also from
every one of his servants, otherwise he should have been hindered from
his obedience to God; and he took Isaac, together with two of his servants,
and laying what things were necessary for a sacrifice upon an ass, he went
away to the mountain. Now the two servants went along with him two days;
but on the third day, as soon as he saw the mountain, he left those servants
that were with him till then in the plain, and, having his son alone with
him, he came to the mountain. It was that mountain upon which king David
afterwards built the temple. 1
Now they had brought with them every thing necessary for a sacrifice, excepting
the animal that was to be offered only. Now Isaac was twenty-five years
old. And as he was building the altar, he asked his father what he was
about to offer, since there was no animal there for an oblation : - to
which it was answered, "That God would provide himself an oblation,
he being able to make a plentiful provision for men out of what they have
not, and to deprive others of what they already have, when they put too
much trust therein; that therefore, if God pleased to be present and propitious
at this sacrifice, he would provide himself an oblation."
1 Here is a plain error in the copies which say that king David afterwards built the temple on this Mount Moriah, while it was certainly no other than king Solomon who built that temple, as indeed Procopius cites it from Josephus. For it was for certain David, and not Solomon, who built the first altar there, as we learn, 2 Samuel 24:18, etc.; 1 Chronicles 21:22, etc.; and Antiq. B. VII. ch. 13. sect. 4.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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