the antiquities of the jews-1-第28节

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state　of　mind。　We　are　in　a　helpless　place；　but　still　it　is　a
place　that　thou　possessest；　still　the　sea　is　thine；　the　mountains
also　that　enclose　us　are　thine；　so　that　these　mountains　will　open
themselves　if　thou　commandest　them；　and　the　sea　also；　if　thou
commandest　it；　will　become　dry　land。　Nay；　we　might　escape　by　a
flight　through　the　air；　if　thou　shouldst　determine　we　should　have
that　way　of　salvation。〃

2。　When　Moses　had　thus　addressed　himself　to　God；　he　smote　the　sea
with　his　rod；　which　parted　asunder　at　the　stroke；　and　receiving
those　waters　into　itself；　left　the　ground　dry；　as　a　road　and　a
place　of　flight　for　the　Hebrews。　Now　when　Moses　saw　this
appearance　of　God；　and　that　the　sea　went　out　of　its　own　place；
and　left　dry　land；　he　went　first　of　all　into　it；　and　bid　the
Hebrews　to　follow　him　along　that　divine　road；　and　to　rejoice　at
the　danger　their　enemies　that　followed　them　were　in；　and　gave
thanks　to　God　for　this　so　surprising　a　deliverance　which　appeared
from　him。

3。　Now；　while　these　Hebrews　made　no　stay；　but　went　on　earnestly；
as　led　by　God's　presence　with　them；　the　Egyptians　supposed　first
that　they　were　distracted；　and　were　going　rashly　upon　manifest
destruction。　But　when　they　saw　that　they　were　going　a　great　way
without　any　harm；　and　that　no　obstacle　or　difficulty　fell　in
their　journey；　they　made　haste　to　pursue　them；　hoping　that　the
sea　would　be　calm　for　them　also。　They　put　their　horse　foremost；
and　went　down　themselves　into　the　sea。　Now　the　Hebrews；　while
these　were　putting　on　their　armor；　and　therein　spending　their
time；　were　beforehand　with　them；　and　escaped　them；　and　got　first
over　to　the　land　on　the　other　side　without　any　hurt。　Whence　the
others　were　encouraged；　and　more　courageously　pursued　them；　as
hoping　no　harm　would　come　to　them　neither：　but　the　Egyptians　were
not　aware　that　they　went　into　a　road　made　for　the　Hebrews；　and
not　for　others；　that　this　road　was　made　for　the　deliverance　of
those　in　danger；　but　not　for　those　that　were　earnest　to　make　use
of　it　for　the　others'　destruction。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　ever
the　whole　Egyptian　army　was　within　it；　the　sea　flowed　to　its　own
place；　and　came　down　with　a　torrent　raised　by　storms　of　wind；
（30）　and　encompassed　the　Egyptians。　Showers　of　rain　also　came
down　from　the　sky；　and　dreadful　thunders　and　lightning；　with
flashes　of　fire。　Thunderbolts　also　were　darted　upon　them。　Nor　was
there　any　thing　which　used　to　be　sent　by　God　upon　men；　as
indications　of　his　wrath；　which　did　not　happen　at　this　time；　for
a　dark　and　dismal　night　oppressed　them。　And　thus　did　all　these
men　perish；　so　that　there　was　not　one　man　left　to　be　a　messenger
of　this　calamity　to　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians。

4。　But　the　Hebrews　were　not　able　to　contain　themselves　for　joy　at
their　wonderful　deliverance；　and　destruction　of　their　enemies；
now　indeed　supposing　themselves　firmly　delivered；　when　those　that
would　have　forced　them　into　slavery　were　destroyed；　and　when　they
found　they　had　God　so　evidently　for　their　protector。　And　now
these　Hebrews　having　escaped　the　danger　they　were　in；　after　this
manner；　and　besides　that；　seeing　their　enemies　punished　in　such　a
way　as　is　never　recorded　of　any　other　men　whomsoever；　were　all
the　night　employed　in　singing　of　hymns；　and　in　mirth。　（31）　Moses
also　composed　a　song　unto　God；　containing　his　praises；　and　a
thanksgiving　for　his　kindness；　in　hexameter　verse。　（32）

5。　As　for　myself；　I　have　delivered　every　part　of　this　history　as
I　found　it　in　the　sacred　books；　nor　let　any　one　wonder　at　the
strangeness　of　the　narration　if　a　way　were　discovered　to　those
men　of　old　time；　who　were　free　from　the　wickedness　of　the　modern
ages；　whether　it　happened　by　the　will　of　God　or　whether　it
happened　of　its　own　accord；　…　while；　for　the　sake　of　those　that
accompanied　Alexander；　king　of　Macedonia；　who　yet　lived；
comparatively　but　a　little　while　ago；　the　Pamphylian　Sea　retired
and　afforded　them　a　passage　（33）　through　itself；　had　no　other　way
to　go；　I　mean；　when　it　was　the　will　of　God　to　destroy　the
monarchy　of　the　Persians：　and　this　is　confessed　to　be　true　by　all
that　have　written　about　the　actions　of　Alexander。　But　as　to　these
events；　let　every　one　determine　as　he　pleases。

6。　On　the　next　day　Moses　gathered　together　the　weapons　of　the
Egyptians；　which　were　brought　to　the　camp　of　the　Hebrews　by　the
current　of　the　sea；　and　the　force　of　the　winds　resisting　it；　and
he　conjectured　that　this　also　happened　by　Divine　Providence；　that
so　they　might　not　be　destitute　of　weapons。　So　when　he　had　ordered
the　Hebrews　to　arm　themselves　with　them；　he　led　them　to　Mount
Sinai；　in　order　to　offer　sacrifice　to　God；　and　to　render
oblations　for　the　salvation　of　the　multitude；　as　he　was　charged
to　do　beforehand。

BOOK　III。


Containing　The　Interval　Of　Two　Years。

From　The　Exodus　Out　Of　Egypt；　To　The　Rejection　Of　That
Generation。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Moses　When　He　Had　Brought　The　People　Out　Of　Egypt　Led　Them　To
Mount　Sinai；　But　Not　Till　They　Had　Suffered　Much　In　Their
Journey。

1。　When　the　Hebrews　had　obtained　such　a　wonderful　deliverance；
the　country　was　a　great　trouble　to　them；　for　it　was　entirely　a
desert；　and　without
sustenance　for　them；　and　also　had　exceeding　little　water；　so　that
it　not　only　was　not　at　all　sufficient　for　the　men；　but　not　enough
to　feed　any　of　the　cattle；　for　it　was　parched　up；　and　had　no
moisture　that　might　afford　nutriment　to　the　vegetables；　so　they
were　forced　to　travel　over　this　country；　as　having　no　other
country　but　this　to　travel　in。　They　had　indeed　carried　water
along　with　them　from　the　land　over　which　they　had　traveled
before；　as　their　conductor　had　bidden　them；　but　when　that　was
spent；　they　were　obliged　to　draw　water　out　of　wells；　with　pain；
by　reason　of　the　hardness　of　the　soil。　Moreover；　what　water　they
found　was　bitter；　and　not　fit　for　drinking；　and　this　in　small
quantities　also；　and　as　they　thus　traveled；　they　came　late　in　the
evening　to　a　place　called　Marah；　（1）　which　had　that　name　from　the
badness　of　its　water；　for　Mar　denotes　bitterness。　Thither　they
came　afflicted　both　by　the　tediousness　of　their　journey；　and　by
their　want　of　food；　for　it　entirely　failed　them　at　that　time。　Now
here　was　a　well；　which　made　them　choose　to　stay　in　the　place；
which；　although　it　were　not　sufficient　to　satisfy　so　great　an
army；　did　yet　afford　them　some　comfort；　as　found　in　such　desert
places；　for　they　heard　from　those　who　had　been　to　search；　that
there　was　nothing　to　be　found；　if　they　traveled　on　farther。　Yet
was　this　water　bitter；　and　not　fit　for　men　to　drink；　and　not　only
so；　but　it　was　intolerable　even　to　the　cattle　themselves。

2。　When　Moses　saw　how　much　the　people　were　cast　down；　and　that
the　occasion　of　it　could　not　be　contradicted；　for　the　people　were
not　in　the　nature　of　a　complete　army　of　men；　who　might　oppose　a
manly　fortitude　to　the　necessity　that　distressed　them；　the
multitude　of　the　children；　and　of　the　women　also；　being　of　too
weak　capacities　to　be　persuaded　by　reason；　blunted　the　courage　of
the　men　themselves；　…　he　was　therefore　in　great　difficulties；　and
made　everybody's　calamity　his　own；　for　they　ran　all　of　them　to
him；　and　begged　of　him；　the　women　begged　for　their　infants；　and
the　men　for　the　women；　that　he　would　not　overlook　them；　but
procure　some　way　or　other　for　their　deliverance。　He　therefore
betook　himself　to　prayer　to　God；　that　he　would　change　the　water
from　its　present　badness；　and　make　it　fit　for　drinking。　And　when
God　had　granted　him　that　favor；　he　took　the　top　of　a　stick　that
lay　down　at　his　feet；　and　divided　it　in　the　middle；　and　made　the
section　lengthways。　He　then　let　it　down　into　the　well；　and
persuaded　the　Hebrews　that　God　had　hearkened　to　his　prayers；　and
had　promised　to　render　the　water　such　as　they　desired　it　to　be；
in　case　they　would　be　subservient　to　him　in　what　he　should　enjoin
them　to　do；　and　this　not　after　a　remiss　or　negligent　manner。　And
when　they　asked　what　they　were　to　do　in　order　to　have　the　water
changed　for　the　better；　he　bid　the　strongest　men　among　them　that
stood　there；　to　draw　up　water　（2）　and　told　them；　that　when　the
greatest　part　was　drawn　up；　the　remainder　would　be　fit　to　drink。
So　they　labored　at　it　till　the　water　was　so　agitated　and　purged
as　to　be　fit　to　drink。

3。　And　now　removing　from　thence　they　came　to　Elim；　which　place
looked　well　at　a　distance；　for　there　was　a　grove　of　palm…trees；
but　when　they　came　near　to　it；　it　appeared　to　be　a　bad　place；　for
the　palm…trees　were　no　more　than　seventy；　and　they　were　ill…grown
and　creeping　trees；　by　the　want　of　water；　for　the　country　about
was　all　parched；　and　no　moisture　sufficient　to　water　them；　and
make　them　hopeful　and　useful；　was　derived　to　them　from　the
fountains；　which　were　in　number　twelve：　they　were　rather　a　few
moist　places　than　springs；　which　not　breaking　out　of　the　ground；
nor　running　over；　could　not　sufficiently　water　the　trees。　And
when　they　dug　into　the　sand；　they　met　with　no　water；　and　if　they
took　a　few　drops　of　it　into　their　hands；　they　found　it　to　be
useless；　on　account　of　its　mud。　The　trees　were　too　weak　to　bear
fruit；　for　want　of　being　sufficiently　cherished　and　enlivened　by
the　water。　So　they　laid　the　blame　on　their　conductor；　and　made
hea