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The Antiquities of the Jews

F >> Flavius Josephus >> The Antiquities of the Jews




3. Accordingly, God punished his falseness with another plague,
added to the former; for there arose out of the bodies of the
Egyptians an innumerable quantity of lice, by which, wicked as
they were, they miserably perished, as not able to destroy this
sort of vermin either with washes or with ointments. At which
terrible judgment the king of Egypt was in disorder, upon the
fear into which he reasoned himself, lest his people should be
destroyed, and that the manner of this death was also
reproachful, so that he was forced in part to recover himself
from his wicked temper to a sounder mind, for he gave leave for
the Hebrews themselves to depart. But when the plague thereupon
ceased, he thought it proper to require that they should leave
their children and wives behind them, as pledges of their return;
whereby he provoked God to be more vehemently angry at him, as if
he thought to impose on his providence, and as if it were only
Moses, and not God, who punished the Egyptians for the sake of
the Hebrews: for he filled that country full of various sorts of
pestilential creatures, with their various properties, such
indeed as had never come into the sight of men before, by whose
means the men perished themselves, and the land was destitute of
husbandmen for its cultivation; but if any thing escaped
destruction from them, it was killed by a distemper which the men
underwent also.

4. But when Pharaoh did not even then yield to the will of God,
but, while he gave leave to the husbands to take their wives with
them, yet insisted that the children should be left behind, God
presently resolved to punish his wickedness with several sorts of
calamities, and those worse than the foregoing, which yet had so
generally afflicted them; for their bodies had terrible boils,
breaking forth with blains, while they were already inwardly
consumed; and a great part of the Egyptians perished in this
manner. But when the king was not brought to reason by this
plague, hail was sent down from heaven; and such hail it was, as
the climate of Egypt had never suffered before, nor was it like
to that which falls in other climates in winter time, (26) but
was larger than that which falls in the middle of spring to those
that dwell in the northern and north-western regions. This hail
broke down their boughs laden with fruit. After this a tribe of
locusts consumed the seed which was not hurt by the hail; so that
to the Egyptians all hopes of the future fruits of the ground
were entirely lost.

5. One would think the forementioned calamities might have been
sufficient for one that was only foolish, without wickedness, to
make him wise, and to make him Sensible what was for his
advantage. But Pharaoh, led not so much by his folly as by his
wickedness, even when he saw the cause of his miseries, he still
contested with God, and willfully deserted the cause of virtue;
so he bid Moses take the Hebrews away, with their wives and
children, to leave their cattle behind, since their own cattle
were destroyed. But when Moses said that what he desired was
unjust, since they were obliged to offer sacrifices to God of
those cattle, and the time being prolonged on this account, a
thick darkness, without the least light, spread itself over the
Egyptians, whereby their sight being obstructed, and their
breathing hindered by the thickness of the air, they died
miserably, and under a terror lest they should be swallowed up by
the dark cloud. Besides this, when the darkness, after three days
and as many nights, was dissipated, and when Pharaoh did not
still repent and let the Hebrews go, Moses came to him and said,
"How long wilt thou be disobedient to the command of God? for he
enjoins thee to let the Hebrews go; nor is there any other way of
being freed from the calamities are under, unless you do so." But
the king angry at what he said, and threatened to cut off his
head if he came any more to trouble him these matters. Hereupon
Moses said he not speak to him any more about them, for he
himself, together with the principal men among the Egyptians,
should desire the Hebrews away. So when Moses had said this, he
his way.

6. But when God had signified, that with one plague he would
compel the Egyptians to let Hebrews go, he commanded Moses to
tell the people that they should have a sacrifice ready, and they
should prepare themselves on the tenth day of the month
Xanthicus, against the fourteenth, (which month is called by the
Egyptians Pharmuth, Nisan by the Hebrews; but the Macedonians
call it Xanthicus,) and that he should carry the Hebrews with all
they had. Accordingly, he having got the Hebrews ready for their
departure, and having sorted the people into tribes, he kept them
together in one place: but when the fourteenth day was come, and
all were ready to depart they offered the sacrifice, and purified
their houses with the blood, using bunches of hyssop for that
purpose; and when they had supped, they burnt the remainder of
the flesh, as just ready to depart. Whence it is that we do still
offer this sacrifice in like manner to this day, and call this
festival Pascha which signifies the feast of the passover;
because on that day God passed us over, and sent the plague upon
the Egyptians; for the destruction of the first-born came upon
the Egyptians that night, so that many of the Egyptians who lived
near the king's palace, persuaded Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go.
Accordingly he called for Moses, and bid them be gone; as
supposing, that if once the Hebrews were gone out of the country,
Egypt should be freed from its miseries. They also honored the
Hebrews with gifts; (27) some, in order to get them to depart
quickly, and others on account of their neighborhood, and the
friendship they had with them.

CHAPTER 15.

How The Hebrews Under The Conduct Of Moses Left Egypt.

1. So the Hebrews went out of Egypt, while the Egyptians wept,
and repented that they had treated them so hardly. - Now they
took their journey by Letopolis, a place at that time deserted,
but where Babylon was built afterwards, when Cambyses laid Egypt
waste: but as they went away hastily, on the third day they came
to a place called Beelzephon, on the Red Sea; and when they had
no food out of the land, because it was a desert, they eat of
loaves kneaded of flour, only warmed by a gentle heat; and this
food they made use of for thirty days; for what they brought with
them out of Egypt would not suffice them any longer time; and
this only while they dispensed it to each person, to use so much
only as would serve for necessity, but not for satiety. Whence it
is that, in memory of the want we were then in, we keep a feast
for eight days, which is called the feast of unleavened bread.
Now the entire multitude of those that went out, including the
women and children, was not easy to be numbered, but those that
were of an age fit for war, were six hundred thousand.

2. They left Egypt in the month Xanthicus, on the fifteenth day
of the lunar month; four hundred and thirty years after our
forefather Abraham came into Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen
years only after Jacob removed into Egypt. (28) It was the
eightieth year of the age of Moses, and of that of Aaron three
more. They also carried out the bones of Joesph with them, as he
had charged his sons to do.

3. But the Egyptians soon repented that the Hebrews were gone;
and the king also was mightily concerned that this had been
procured by the magic arts of Moses; so they resolved to go after
them. Accordingly they took their weapons, and other warlike
furniture, and pursued after them, in order to bring them back,
if once they overtook them, because they would now have no
pretense to pray to God against them, since they had already been
permitted to go out; and they thought they should easily overcome
them, as they had no armor, and would be weary with their
journey; so they made haste in their pursuit, and asked of every
one they met which way they were gone. And indeed that land was
difficult to be traveled over, not only by armies, but by single
persons. Now Moses led the Hebrews this way, that in case the
Egyptians should repent and be desirous to pursue after them,
they might undergo the punishment of their wickedness, and of the
breach of those promises they had made to them. As also he led
them this way on account of the Philistines, who had quarreled
with them, and hated them of old, that by all means they might
not know of their departure, for their country is near to that of
Egypt; and thence it was that Moses led them not along the road
that tended to the land of the Philistines, but he was desirous
that they should go through the desert, that so after a long
journey, and after many afflictions, they might enter upon the
land of Canaan. Another reason of this was, that God commanded
him to bring the people to Mount Sinai, that there they might
offer him sacrifices. Now when the Egyptians had overtaken the
Hebrews, they prepared to fight them, and by their multitude they
drove them into a narrow place; for the number that pursued after
them was six hundred chariots, with fifty thousand horsemen, and
two hundred thousand foot-men, all armed. They also seized on the
passages by which they imagined the Hebrews might fly, shutting
them up (29) between inaccessible precipices and the sea; for
there was [on each side] a [ridge of] mountains that terminated
at the sea, which were impassable by reason of their roughness,
and obstructed their flight; wherefore they there pressed upon
the Hebrews with their army, where [the ridges of] the mountains
were closed with the sea; which army they placed at the chops of
the mountains, that so they might deprive them of any passage
into the plain.

4. When the Hebrews, therefore, were neither able to bear up,
being thus, as it were, besieged, because they wanted provisions,
nor saw any possible way of escaping; and if they should have
thought of fighting, they had no weapons; they expected a
universal destruction, unless they delivered themselves up to the
Egyptians. So they laid the blame on Moses, and forgot all the
signs that had been wrought by God for the recovery of their
freedom; and this so far, that their incredulity prompted them to
throw stones at the prophet, while he encouraged them and
promised them deliverance; and they resolved that they would
deliver themselves up to the Egyptians. So there was sorrow and
lamentation among the women and children, who had nothing but
destruction before their eyes, while they were encompassed with
mountains, the sea, and their enemies, and discerned no way of
flying from them.

5. But Moses, though the multitude looked fiercely at him, did
not, however, give over the care of them, but despised all
dangers, out of his trust in God, who, as he had afforded them
the several steps already taken for the recovery of their
liberty, which he had foretold them, would not now suffer them to
be subdued by their enemies, to be either made slaves or be slain
by them; and, standing in midst of them, he said, "It is not just
of us to distrust even men, when they have hitherto well managed
our affairs, as if they would not be the same hereafter; but it
is no better than madness, at this time to despair of the
providence of God, by whose power all those things have been
performed he promised, when you expected no such things: I mean
all that I have been concerned in for deliverance and escape from
slavery. Nay, when we are in the utmost distress, as you see we
ought rather to hope that God will succor us, by whose operation
it is that we are now this narrow place, that he may out of such
difficulties as are otherwise insurmountable and out of which
neither you nor your enemies expect you can be delivered, and may
at once demonstrate his own power and his providence over us. Nor
does God use to give his help in small difficulties to those whom
he favors, but in such cases where no one can see how any hope in
man can better their condition. Depend, therefore, upon such a
Protector as is able to make small things great, and to show that
this mighty force against you is nothing but weakness, and be not
affrighted at the Egyptian army, nor do you despair of being
preserved, because the sea before, and the mountains behind,
afford you no opportunity for flying, for even these mountains,
if God so please, may be made plain ground for you, and the sea
become dry land."

CHAPTER 16.

How The Sea Was Divided Asunder For The Hebrews, When They Were
Pursued By The Egyptians, And So Gave Them An Opportunity Of
Escaping From Them.

1. When Moses had said this, he led them to the sea, while the
Egyptians looked on; for they were within sight. Now these were
so distressed by the toil of their pursuit, that they thought
proper to put off fighting till the next day. But when Moses was
come to the sea-shore, he took his rod, and made supplication to
God, and called upon him to be their helper and assistant; and
said "Thou art not ignorant, O Lord, that it is beyond human
strength and human contrivance to avoid the difficulties we are
now under; but it must be thy work altogether to procure
deliverance to this army, which has left Egypt at thy
appointment. We despair of any other assistance or contrivance,
and have recourse only to that hope we have in thee; and if there
be any method that can promise us an escape by thy providence, we
look up to thee for it. And let it come quickly, and manifest thy
power to us; and do thou raise up this people unto good courage
and hope of deliverance, who are deeply sunk into a disconsolate
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
heavy complaints against him; and said that this their miserable
state, and the experience they had of adversity, were owing to
him; for that they had then journeyed an entire thirty days, and
had spent all the provisions they had brought with them; and
meeting with no relief, they were in a very desponding condition.
And by fixing their attention upon nothing but their present
misfortunes, they were hindered from remembering what
deliverances they had received from God, and those by the virtue
and wisdom of Moses also; so they were very angry at their
conductor, and were zealous in their attempt to stone him, as the
direct occasion of their present miseries.

4. But as for Moses himself, while the multitude were irritated
and bitterly set against him, he cheerfully relied upon God, and
upon his consciousness of the care he had taken of these his own
people; and he came into the midst of them, even while they
clamored against him, and had stones in their hands in order to
despatch him. Now he was of an agreeable presence, and very able
to persuade the people by his speeches; accordingly he began to
mitigate their anger, and exhorted them not to be over-mindful of
their present adversities, lest they should thereby suffer the
benefits that had formerly been bestowed on them to slip out of
their memories; and he desired them by no means, on account of
their present uneasiness, to cast those great and wonderful
favors and gifts, which they had obtained of God, out of their
minds, but to expect deliverance out of those their present
troubles which they could not free themselves from, and this by
the means of that Divine Providence which watched over them.
Seeing it is probable that God tries their virtue, and exercises
their patience by these adversities, that it may appear what
fortitude they have, and what memory they retain of his former
wonderful works in their favor, and whether they will not think
of them upon occasion of the miseries they now feel. He told
them, it appeared they were not really good men, either in
patience, or in remembering what had been successfully done for
them, sometimes by contemning God and his commands, when by those
commands they left the land of Egypt; and sometimes by behaving
themselves ill towards him who was the servant of God, and this
when he had never deceived them, either in what he said, or had
ordered them to do by God's command. He also put them in mind of
all that had passed; how the Egyptians were destroyed when they
attempted to detain them, contrary to the command of God; and
after what manner the very same river was to the others bloody,
and not fit for drinking, but was to them sweet, and fit for
drinking; and how they went a new road through the sea, which
fled a long way from them, by which very means they were
themselves preserved, but saw their enemies destroyed; and that
when they were in want of weapons, God gave them plenty of them;
- and so he recounted all the particular instances, how when they
were, in appearance, just going to be destroyed, God had saved
them in a surprising manner; and that he had still the same
power; and that they ought not even now to despair of his
providence over them; and accordingly he exhorted them to
continue quiet, and to consider that help would not come too
late, though it come not immediately, if it be present with them
before they suffer any great misfortune; that they ought to
reason thus: that God delays to assist them, not because he has
no regard to them, but because he will first try their fortitude,
and the pleasure they take in their freedom, that he may learn
whether you have souls great enough to bear want of food, and
scarcity of water, on its account; or whether you rather love to
be slaves, as cattle are slaves to such as own them, and feed
them liberally, but only in order to make them more useful in
their service. That as for himself, he shall not be so much
concerned for his own preservation; for if he die unjustly, he
shall not reckon it any affliction, but that he is concerned for
them, lest, by casting stones at him, they should be thought to
condemn God himself.

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