2) Abraham already gifted all his possessions to Isaac before his marriage to Rebbekah. In other words, by the time Abraham married Keturah, he had no possessions left to bequeath. He did, however, give her children a large amount of money as a gift before he passed away.
The Sforno explains that Keturah’s sons were not actually Abraham’s children, but Keturah’s from a previous marriage. If so, no inheritance was expected. This is also consistent with Rashi’s opinion that Keturah’s descendants aren’t required to have a brit. We noted, though, that the Rambam would not agree, since he maintains that Keturah’s descendants are required to have a brit.
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Interestingly, the Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 12:25) states that since all the nations were interspersed by Sennaherib, king of Assyria, those who live in Egypt are not the original Egyptians and the same is true of all other peoples. Therefore, anyone who wants to convert to Judaism and marry a Jew may do so immediately (despite the restrictions placed by the Torah on the members of certain nations).
Yet the Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 10:7), as we noted earlier, writes that the sons of Keturah were interspersed with the sons of Ishmael, which suggests that perhaps they still remain a distinct people. Unlike other peoples, they weren’t dispersed around the globe. They were only dispersed among one other people – the people of Ishmael. Perhaps, then, they are included in the Arab nations. The source for my hypothesis is that the Rambam lived among Arabs, which might have given him some insight as to their origins, enough to support his making such a statement.
Regarding the nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom and Egypt, the Rambam maintains that their identities are no longer verifiable so members of those people may convert to Judaism and marry into the Jewish people. Not everyone agrees, though. The Rosh (cited by his son, the Tur, Even Ha’ezer 4:12) states that the rule is that an Egyptian may not “enter the assembly” until the third generation. Therefore, after an Egyptian converts, neither he nor his son may marry a Jew. Only his grandchild may.
The Rosh accepts that Sennaherib, king of Assyria, interspersed all the nations, but regarding Egypt, the prophet Ezekiel states: “Ki koh amar Hashem Elokim miketz arbaim shanah akabetz et mitzrayim min ha’amim asher nafotzu shomoh. V’shavti et shevut mitzrayim v’hashivoti otam eretz patrom al eretz mechuratam v’hayu shom mamlacha shefalah – For thus said G-d: At the end of 40 years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they were scattered. And I will return the captivity of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, upon their native land, and they will be a lowly kingdom there” (Ezekiel 29:13). This verse offers a specific time frame regarding their period of exile; it relates that G-d will return them to their land after 40 years. Thus, an Egyptian who appears before a Jewish court to convert is subject to the Biblical restrictions regarding converts from Egypt. (This is also the view of the Ramban. See the Beit Yosef’s commentary to the Tur ad loc.)
Why, then, does the Rambam rule otherwise – that we may accept an Egyptian into the assembly immediately? Presumably he would offer the same answer that R. Joshua does in Tractate Yadayim, “[For behold, days are coming – the word of G-d – when] I will return the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, [said G-d, and I will return them to the land that I gave their forefathers, and they will possess it].” Yet the Jews have not returned, and, therefore, if the Jewish people have not returned, then surely no others have returned.