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Aleph, The Chaldean;
OR,
THE MESSIAH AS SEEN FROM ALEXANDRIA.

BY
E. F. BURR, D.D., LL.D.,
AUTHOR OF “ECCE CŒLUM,” “PATER MUNDI,” ETC.

NEW YORK:
WILBUR B. KETCHAM,
2 Cooper Union.

Copyright, 1891,
By Wilbur B. Ketcham.

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[i]

PREFACE.

Two facts, at least, should be remembered by thereaders of this book.

1. It was not uncommon in the times of the Christfor Hebrew men, in imitation of Joseph and Moses andBoaz, to marry outside of their own people.

2. It is a great mistake to suppose that women in theRoman Empire of the First Century were secluded afterthe current oriental fashion. They had about as muchfreedom on most lines of social intercourse as women haveamong us. The New Testament shows this in regard toPalestine and such contiguous countries as appear in theActs of the Apostles. But it was the same wherever theRoman authority and influence extended.

“Tradition was in favor of restriction, but by a concurrenceof circumstances women had been liberatedfrom the enslaving fetters of the old legal forms, and enjoyedfreedom of intercourse in society; they walked anddrove in the public thoroughfares with veils that did not[ii]conceal their faces; they dined in the company of men;they studied literature and philosophy; they took partin political movements; they were allowed to defendtheir own law cases if they liked; and they helped theirhusbands in the government of provinces and the writingof books.”

Lyme, Conn., U. S. A.

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[3]

I.
DOWN THE NILE.