Egyptian Necklaces. Gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and Assyrian armlets. 1, 2, 3, from Nineveh marbles; 4, 5, iron. jasper. (From originals in British Museum.) received, the ultimate effect is, that in this final settlement, the Hebrews received something like wages-though, as such, inadequate for the long services they had rendered to the Egyptians.* So eager were the Egyptians to get them * There has been much discussion in respect to the morality of the transaction of the Hebrews in borrowing jewels and other valuable articles of the Egyptians. Borrowing implies a promise to return what is borrowed, which in this case was not done. But it is alleged by critics, that the word translated "borrow," in the account of this Egyptian Armlets. (Description de l'Égypte.) transaction, signifies to ask, demand, request. The Hebrews were encouraged to follow the lead of Moses in the avowed purpose of going forth from Egypt, by the assurance that God would give (From originals in Brit, Mus.) might be offered by their first halt. Hurried as they were, they forgot not the bones of Joseph, which they had kept at hand, and now bore away with them. On they marched, driving before them their cattle and their beasts of burden, laden with their movables them favor in sight of the Egyptians, who would be ready to treat them at last with clemency and generosity. And they were instructed to borrow, i. e. ask or request, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment; and it was added, "Ye shall spoil the Egyptians." They did not take these things by virtual stealth, but as spoils voluntary given up to them by the Egyptians on their request. They were not therefore chargeable with dishonesty. The Hebrews were expecting to go three days' journey into the wilderness, that they might hold a festival in honor of their God. In accordance with oriental usage, they would want rich jewelry and raiment for such a sacred occasion. The masses of the people might have expected to return, as nothing was proposed by Moses further than the celebration of this feast in the wilderness. With this understanding, it would be easy to obtain from the Egyptians these valuable ornaments for such a purpose. It was foretold that "they should come out with great substance." The spoils with which they were laden were but the well-earned reward of the labors of many years in the service of their oppressors, and there was no wrong done in the course adopted to obtain this reward.—A. B. conclude that a much smaller number would amply justify the promises of God, and would render many circumstances in the ensuing portion of their history more easy to be understood. Besides this, the ancient manner of notation afforded temptations and facilities for the corruption of numbers, whence it happens that the most disputed texts of Scripture, and those in which, as the copies now stand, there are palpable contradictions, are those which contain numerical statements. We are not insensible to these considerations, and have endeavored to assign them all the weight which they are entitled to bear. But seeing that the present number, high as it is, has some support from collateral evidence, and from the considerations to which we have already adverted, and, above all, reflecting that the present number is a positive circumstance, whereas all alteration could only be conjectural, we deem it the best and safest course to take the number as we find it in the present copies of the Pentateuch. But besides the descendants of Jacob, there was a large mixed multitude," which went out of Egypt on this occasion. Who they were is not clearly stated; but it would appear that the mass was formed of foreign slaves, belonging to the principal persons among the Hebrews, with a good number, probably, belonging to the Egyptians, who were glad to take the opportunity of escaping with the Israelites. Besides this, there were manifestly a considerable number of Egyptians of the poorer class, who perhaps expected to better their condition in some way, or had other very good reasons for leaving Egypt; indeed, as it did not turn out that the Israelites were any thing the better for their presence, we are free to confess that we think it likely they were chiefly such thieves, vagabonds, adventurers, and debtors, as could no longer stay safely in Egypt. The circumstance that Moses was so well acquainted with the number of the Israelites before they left Egypt, intimates that an account of their numbers had not long before been taken by the Egyptians. That ingenious people employed very early, if they did not invent, the practice of taking a census of what is called the effective part of the population; and from them, unquestionably, the Israelites, under the direction of Moses, adopted this useful custom. In all such enumerations, in ancient times, the women and children were not included, and their number is never stated. But probably they were able to form an estimate of the proportion which the numbered part of the population bore to the whole; although their conclusions in this matter must have been more uncertain than our own, which have been found on repeated actual enumerations of portions of the entire population which were never included in the ancient enumerations.* The point from which the Hebrew host started on their march was Rameses, one of the "treasure cities" which they had built for Pharaoh in the land of Goshen, and which seems to have become the chief place in the territory they occupied. The difficulties in tracing their march begin at the very first stage. There are two preliminary questions, satisfactory information on which would much assist us in understanding the early part of their journey. The first is, the situation of Rameses, from which they started; and the second, the point to which their journey was, in the first instance, directed. On the first point no very satisfactory information can be obtained. It is, indeed, not quite clear that any particular locality is intended, or whether the land of Goshen, in the large indefinite sense, may not be denoted by the land of Rameses." the land of Rameses." But some information is reflected upon the first by the answer to the second of these questions, which answer is, that the destination which was in the first instance contemplated, was doubtless the wilderness of Sinai. The land of Goshen appears most evidently to have bordered on, if it did not include, part of the tract over which the nearest and most convenient road to the peninsula of Sinai from the banks of the Nile has always passed. This is nearly the line in which, in after ages, a canal was made connecting the Nile with the Gulf of Suez; and that, while it is the nearest route, it is the only one which offers a supply of water, is a consideration which doubtless as much recommended it in ancient times to those going from Egypt to Sinai or Arabia, as it does now recommend it to the great caravan of pilgrimage which yearly journeys from Cairo to Mecca. The route of this caravan is the same, as far as the head of the Gulf of Suez, as one would take which proceeds to the Desert of Sinai. We * The exact number of men is given in Exod. xxxviii. 26, and Num. i. 46. shall therefore presume that this was the route taken. If the Hebrews were to have gone direct to take possession of the Promised Land, their nearest road would have been "by the way of the Philistines;" that is, by the usual route from Egypt to Gaza. But the Philistines were unquestionably the most powerful and warlike people then in Palestine, and there was already some ill blood between them and the Israelites, and they would be likely to offer a most formidable opposition to them at the very first step of their progress. The Hebrews were in fact altogether unfit to face such enemies, or any enemies whatever : they were not yet even fit to be a nation and therefore, instead of being at once led to their promised heritage, it was the divine will that they should be conducted into the desert, there to be trained, disciplined, and instructed, so as to fit them for their future destinies. Moses knew that their first destination was the wilderness of Sinai; for when the Lord appeared to him in Horeb, it was announced that the bondaged children of Abraham should be brought to worship God in that very mountain. The Hebrews left Rameses and proceeded on their way. And now it appeared that the Lord provided against their going astray, by placing a miraculous column of cloud to go before them by day and mark out their road; while by night it became a column of fire, and gave light to all the camp. This was important, also, as evincing that Moses was not acting by his own authority, and that, however highly he was entitled to their confidence and respect, they had a more unerring Guide and a more exalted Protector. Their first day's journey brought them to Succoth. We relinquish the notion which we once entertained that Succoth may have been at or near the place (Birket el Hadj, or Pilgrim's Pool) where the great pilgrim caravan encamps and makes its final arrangements for its journey. We think it, upon desert regions so much determined by the presence of wells, that, in connection with the circumstance of its being situated "on the edge of the wilderness," there is not much difficulty in concluding that Etham is represented by the modern Adjeroud, which forms the third stage of the pilgrim's caravan, and where there is an old fortress, a small village, and a copious well of indifferent water. This place is about eleven miles to the north-west of Suez. The neighborhood seems indeed to be on the edge of the wilderness: for what M. du Bois-Ayme says of Bir-Suez (which he identifies with Etham) is true also of Adjeroud, that, in effect, it appears to be toward the extremity of the desert: for hence the sea is seen to make a bend to the west, and by joining the high chain of Mount Attaka to terminate the desert to the south. The journey to this point had been for the most part over a desert, the surface of which is composed of hard gravel, often strewed with pebbles. They had now arrived near the head of the Red Sea, and also, as we suppose, at the limit of the three days' journey into the wilderness for which they had applied. It unexpected to all parties, and which could is therefore evident that their next move not to any indifferent spectator but have must decide their future course, and convey seemed the result of the most gross and fatal to the Egyptians a clear and decisive intima- infatuation. tion of their intentions. If they designed About the head of the Gulf of Suez a to do as they had all along declared to be desert plain extends for ten or twelve miles their only wish, they would stay at this place, to the west and north of the city of that and proceed to celebrate the feast to name. On the west this plain is bounded by Jehovah, of which so much had been said: the chain of Attaka, which comes down tobut, if they intended to escape altogether, ward the sea in a north-easterly direction. Opthey would resume their journey, and, pass-posite Suez this chain is seen at a considering by the head of the Red Sea, strike off able distance, but, as we advance southinto the desert. And here God, who knew ward, the mountains rapidly approach the that the king of Egypt had so far recovered sea, and proportionately contract the breadth his consternation that he was determined to pursue and drive them back, if they made any move indicating an intention to escape, directed a move which must have been most of the valley; and the chain terminates at the sea, and seems, in the distant view, to shut up the valley at Ras-el-Attaka, or Cape Attaka, twelve miles below Suez. But, on |