It will appear, from the opinion we have | traditions, it would be wrong entirely to disbeen induced to entertain respecting the regard them when they support or illustrate place in which the Israelites encamped, and conclusions otherwise probable. We shall, from which they departed, on the western however, content ourselves with adding, deshore of the gulf, that we concur with those scriptively, that a number of green shrubs, who regard Ain Mousa* as the place, on the springing from numerous hillocks, mark the eastern shore, where they came up from the landward approach to this place. Here are bed of the sea, and where they witnessed also a number of neglected palm-trees grown the overthrow of their oppressors. That the thick and bushy for want of pruning. The site is thus distinguished in the local tradi- springs which here rise out of the ground in tions of the inhabitants of Sinai, the name various places, and give name to the spot, alone suffices to indicate; and, although un- are soon lost in the sands. The water is of due weight should not be attached to such a brackish quality, in consequence, probably,

of the springs being so near the sea; but it is, nevertheless, cool and refreshing, and in these waterless deserts affords a desirable resting-place. The view from this place, looking westward, is very beautiful, and most interesting from its association with the wonderful events which it has been our duty to relate. The mountain chains of Attaka, each running into a long promontory, stretch along the shore of Africa; and nearly opposite our station we view the opening-the Pi-ha-hiroth the 'mouth of the ridge," formed by the valley in the mouth of which the Hebrews were encamped before they

* The Fountains of Moses.

† As Egypt has been the grand scene of the very important transactions related in this chapter, it may not be improper to close it with a few

crossed the sea. On the side where we stand, the access to the shore from the bed of the gulf would have been easy. And it deserves to be mentioned, that not only do the springs bear the name of Moses, but the projecting head-land below them, toward the sea, bears the name of Ras Mousa. Thus do the Cape of Moses and the Cape of Deliverance look toward each other from the opposite shores of the Arabian Gulf, and unite their abiding and unshaken testimony to the judgments and wonders of that day in which the right hand of Jehovah was so abundantly "glorified in might." †

observations on its learning, language, religion, idolatry, &c. Egypt (that binds or troubles), an ancient country of Africa, peopled by Mizraim, a son of Ham, the son of Noah, from whom it re

CHAPTER IX.

ISRAELITES IN THE WILDERNESS.

SINAI.

TABERNACLE.

SACRIFICES.

THE Israelites having acknowledged their | Red Sea into the desert of Shur or Etham. thankfulness to God for his beneficent pro- Here they travelled three days without findtection in delivering them out of Egyptian ing any water, which, to so great a number bondage, Moses conducted them from the of people, and in so hot a country, must north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by the isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea, which divide it from Asia, on the south by Abyssinia, and on the west by Libya. Egypt was divided

ceived its name; and the Arabs still call it Mesr. Egypt is about six hundred miles long, and from one hundred to three hundred broad: it lies at the north-east corner of Africa, bounded on the

into two districts, Upper Egypt, or Thebias, and only of the sun and moon, but of their various Lower Egypt, or the Delta. The river Nile, run- beasts, oxen, sheep, goats, and cats, and even of ning through the whole length of the land, from leeks, onions, and diseases, and of monsters havnorth to south, abounds with fish, crocodiles, and ing no existence, except in their own disordered hippopotami; and, by its annual overflowing, imaginations. Divine prophecy has been strikthe country became one of the most fruitful in the ingly illustrated in the history of Egypt, Ezek. world, so that its majestic waters formed the glory xxix. 8-15, xxx. 10–13. Nebuchadnezzar conof the king of Egypt, Ezek. xxix. 3-5. Egypt quered it, as foretold by the prophet; then it bewas, at an early period, famous above every other came subject to Persia; and in succession to the country, for its progress in the arts and sciences, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Mamaluke-slaves, and Acts vii. 22; 1 Kings iv. 29, 30, attracting thither Turks. Napoleon Bonaparte conquered it in the most celebrated philosophers and historians 1798, in the hope of acquiring India; but the of Greece, to complete their studies. Pythagoras, French were expelled by the British, who deHerodotus, Plato, and many others, sought in-livered it up to the Turks.. It has, therefore, struction in Egypt, among its celebrated sages; had no prince of its own; and it has been "the the decrees of Heaven yet idolatry was carried to such a height, by the basest of kingdoms: wisest instructors of that country, that the Egyp- have been accomplished, and they will yet be fultians made gods for their religious worship, not filled, in the triumphs of Christianity, Isa. xi.

:

have been very afflicting. At length, they | of Egypt, where we had plenty of bread and came to a place called Marah, where they meat; for now ye have brought us into this found some water; but, on tasting it, they desert, where we must perish with famine.' could not drink it, on account of its being so exceeding bitter. This disappointment inflamed their thirst, and increased their dissatisfaction, insomuch that they began to murmur against Moses, asking him what they should drink? Moses was sensible of the calamity under which they labored; and, fearful lest they should, by their future murmurings, provoke the Almighty to punish them, he addressed himself to God in their behalf, who no sooner heard the complaint than he was pleased to remove it. He ordered Moses to make use of the wood of a certain tree, which, as soon as it was thrown into the water, changed its offensive quality and became sweet.

From Marah the Israelites proceeded to Elim, where they found not only plenty of water, but also great numbers of palm or date trees,* the fruit of which being ripe supplied them with food. Here it may be supposed they made some stay; for when they left the place it was the fifteenth day of the second month, which was just a month from the day of their departure from Egypt. On their removal from Elim they proceeded to the Wilderness † of Sin, situated between Elim and Mount Sinai. Here again they fell into a general murmur against Moses and Aaron, on account of the barrenness of the place, and the scarcity of provisions. "Would to God," cried they, "we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land

9-16. Egypt still abounds with vast monuments of its former grandeur: the ruins of its ancient cities and temples attest its magnificence, riches, and populousness. The tombs of its kings, the stupendous pyramids alone, evince these things: the largest of three of them, situated a few leagues from Cairo, the site of the celebrated Memphis, according to the recent measurement of a French engineer, forms a square, each side of whose base is seven hundred and forty-six feet, covering more than thirteen acres of land: the perpendicular height of it is five hundred and forty-six feet; and it contains 6,000,000 of tons of stone, sufficient to build a wall ten feet high, and one foot thick, eighteen hundred miles in length! These prodigious monuments of the ancient glory of Egypt, at once confirm and illustrate the truth and divinity of the Holy Scriptures.

* PALM TREE (see Engraving), a tall, fruitbearing, shadowy tree, whose fruit is the date: it arrives at perfection in about thirty years, and thus continues about seventy years, bearing fifteen or twenty clusters of dates, each cluster weighing

The Almighty, to convince these murmuring people of his divine power and protection, was pleased to inform them by the mouth of Moses, that he would take care to supply them with food from heaven, and it was not long before his beneficent promise was fulfilled. On that very evening he caused such a number of quails to fall among them, as almost covered their camp, by which they were plentifully supplied with the article of flesh. The next morning, as soon as the dew was gone, they found the surface of the earth covered with little white round things, resembling, in shape, the coriander seed. The Israelites, astonished at so singular a circumstance, said one to another, "What is this?" Upon which Moses answered, "It is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. And thence they gave it the name of Manna.

As this was the bread designed by the Almighty for the Israelites during their stay in the wilderness, and as they were strangers to its qualities, he was pleased to give them the following directions in what manner they were to manage it for the intended purposes.

That it was to be gathered by measure, an omer for every head, according to the number of each family; but this direction some persons slighting, and gathering above the portion allowed, found their quantity miraculously lessened, while the more moderate had theirs increased.

from fifteen to twenty pounds. Exod. xv. 27. The palm-tree is held in great estimation by the inhabitants of Arabia, Egypt, and Persia, on account of its adaptation to various valuable purposes. The Arabs celebrate its three hundred and sixty uses to which the different parts may be applied: they used the leaves for making ropes, sacks, mats, hats, sandals, and other things; and many people subsist almost entirely on its fruit. Palm-branches were carried as tokens of victory or joy (Lev. xxiii. 40, John xii. 13); and the beauty of this tree is made an emblem of the active virtues of a Christian. Ps. xcii. 12.

† WILDERNESS, a desert, or uncultivated tract of land. Exod. xiv. 3, 1 Kings xix. 15, Acts xxi. 38. The north-western part of Arabia was almost wholly uncultivated; and hence Moses calls it “a terrible and a waste-howling wilderness." Deut. i. 19, xxxii. 10. Paran, Sin, and Sinai, were deserts in that dangerous country. Several wildernesses or small deserts existed in Canaan; as "the wilderness of Judæa," famous for the ministry of John the Baptist. Matt. iii. 1.

the Israelites for the use of this miraculous of the discontented Israelites in the most bread, on which they were chiefly supported ample manner; and further to convince them for forty years. And in order to perpetuate of his peculiar favor and regard, directed the remembrance of it, and that their pos- their marches from place to place, and apterity might see on what God had fed them pointed their respective encampments. while in the wilderness, he appointed an omer of it to be put into a pot, and to be carefully preserved for that purpose.

Thus did the Almighty supply the wants

Leaving the desert of Sin, and proceeding on their journey, they came to a place called Rephidim, where they struck their tents and encamped. Here they were again distressed