Chapter 16: The Death of Sarah
Q1 - What do you think the people of Canaan knew about the God of Abraham? Would they have known anything about Him before Abraham arrived in their land?
A1 - Everyone living since the flood was a descendant of Noah, who upon alighting from the ark, built an altar and worshipped God (Genesis 8:20). Noah then lived another 350 years after the flood (Genesis 9:28).
If you refer to the chart, “Ages of the Patriarchs,” given in the first part of this book in the lesson, “Setting the Scene,” you’ll see that Noah was still alive during the time of Terah, Abraham’s father. Noah’s son, Shem, who likewise survived the flood, was still alive during the time of both Abraham and Isaac. This meant that these two men potentially had influence for hundreds of years after the flood and on many of the people living during the time of Abraham. Certainly, the memory of what they had survived and the God who saved them should have been told from one generation to the next. The flood occurred less than 400 years before Abraham’s birth and was still recent history during the time of Abraham, particularly with so many ancestors who lived very long lives.
Also remember that the Middle East is not a very large area, and various roads and trade routes ran through Canaan. In several days, travelers could cross the whole area, so news and information reached most everyone at some point, even during Abraham’s day. The area was not isolated nor any great distance from where other ancestors lived. It’s likely that every civilization in the entire region and all the surrounding areas knew about the one true God whether they worshipped Him or not.
Q2 - Why might Abraham have indeed seemed like a prince living among them?
A2 - Abraham entered Canaan with a large number of livestock and servants, and those numbers only increased through the years. His family compound likely resembled a small city. It’s also likely that he had to spread out his animals and servants among various areas in order to find sufficient grazing for his livestock. So while he owned no land, it was obvious he had great possessions and wealth, as would be expected of a prince.
Abraham also seemed to have the demeanor of royalty. From the encounters with others that are recorded in scripture, he spoke and acted graciously. He unselfishly offered Lot his choice of grazing land, and he and Sarah treated the three strangers with kindness and saw to their needs.
When the invading kings captured Lot along with all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, someone who had escaped the melee knew who could help and ran to tell Abram, the Hebrew (Genesis 14:13). The people among whom he had settled, Mamre the Amorite and his brothers, Eshcol and Aner, thought enough of Abram to make an alliance with him and were confident enough of his abilities to go with him into battle against the invading kings (Genesis 14:24). And then, with these allies and 318 of his own men (Genesis 14:14), Abram led the charge to rout the invading kings and recover Lot and the rest of the people and property that had been taken. So considering all of his personal qualities and wealth along with his military skill, it’s no wonder Abram seemed like a prince living among the Canaanites.
Q3 - Why would a cave have made a desirable burial site? Who else was later entombed at the cave at Machpelah?
A3 - Then as now, when people die, their bodies have to be disposed of somehow. Some cultures, such as the ancient Greeks, burned the bodies of their loved ones. One example of cremation in the Bible is in 1 Samuel 31:11–13. After King Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines, their bodies were fastened to the wall of Beth Shan. Valiant men from Jabesh Gilead retrieved the bodies, burned them, and then buried their bones.
However, it seems that most of the time in the Old Testament, bodies were buried in the earth. God buried Moses in a valley in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 34:6). Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin, and Jacob buried her on the way to Ephrath, or Bethlehem, and set a stone pillar there to mark her grave (Genesis 35:19–20).
In places where they are available, caves have been used for burial sites for many centuries. When sealed off, they provide a secure place for the body to naturally decompose away from the weather and predators. Recall that Jesus’s body was placed in a cave that had been intentionally hewn out of rock and a stone was rolled across the entrance to seal it (Luke 23:53).
Abraham knew the area around Hebron and chose a natural cave to purchase for Sarah’s burial site. His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, later buried him in the same cave (Genesis 25:9–10). Isaac and Rebekah were also buried there, and then Jacob and Leah (Genesis 49:29–32).