Volume 2

294 Life of Jesus Christ
another by movable screens. There was a boys' school in
one part of the building, and in another, young pagan
girls desirous of embracing Judaism received thorough
instruction. This school was in existence even in Jacob's
time. When Jacob was persecuted in diverse ways by
Esau, Rebecca sent him secretly to Abelmahula where he
owned herds and servant, and dwelt in tents. Rebecca established
there a school for the young Canaanite girls
and other Gentile maidens. Like Esau, his children, his
servants, and others of Isaac's family intermarried with
these Gentiles. Rebecca, who held such alliances in
abhorrence, had the young girls that desired it instructed
in this school in the customs and religion of Abraham.
The ground on which the school was built belonged to
her.
Jacob long remained hidden at Abelmahula. When
Rebecca was questioned as to his whereabouts, she used
to answer that he was far away herding flocks for
strangers. At times he returned secretly to see her, but on
Esau's account she had to keep him hidden. Jacob dug a
well near Abelmahula, the same by which Jesus had been
seated before entering the city. The people held it in
great reverence and always kept it covered. He had also
made a cistern in the neighborhood. It was long, fourcornered,
and had a flight of steps leading down into it.
Later on, Jacob's abode became known. Rebecca noticed
that, like Esau, her younger son was likely to espouse a
Canaanite wife, so she and Isaac sent him to her native
place to his Uncle Laban, where he served for Rachel
and Lia.
Rebecca had established the school so far from her
own home in the land of Heth because Isaac had so
many quarrels with the Philistines, who did all in their
power to ruin him. She had confided the direction of the
school to a man from her own country, Mesopotamia,
and to her nurse who, I think, was his wife. The young