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passed through the midst of the sea into the same wilderness. Numb. xxxiii. 7. From the place where they first halted after their passage over the sea, they marched for three days without water, and arrived upon the fourth at Marah, where the bitter waters were miraculously made sweet, but have now returned to their native bitterness. From hence they journeyed, as is generally supposed, in one day to Elim, though the time is not specified, and may have been longer. Here were the twelve wells of water, and the threescore and ten palm-trees; and they encamped by the waters. How long they staid in each place is uncertain, for they were not carried in a direct line to Sinai, but were led about, so that they did not reach the mount of God till after several encampments from Etham, which took up two months, wanting a few days. After they had removed from Elim, it is said that they encamped by the Red-sea. Indeed all their stations hitherto had been nearly upon that sea. they now came to a part of the coast in the desert of Paran, where there was no way to mark the place of their encampment but by saying it was upon the sea-shore beyond Elim, They now fronted the true Red-sea, for they

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were before only upon a bay of it; which sea extended from them in length southward not less than eleven hundred miles. The

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next course which they took was to the north and more inland; for it is said, that they removed from the Red-sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin, which was between Elim and Sinai. This happened just one month after their departure from Egypt; and it was here that manna was first afforded them from heaven. They were now very near to the place where the law was to be given to them; but this was still delayed, and they were to be farther tried. We accordingly read in the book of the Exodus, that they pitched in Rephidim, having jourueyed from the wilderness of Sin. But it is said in the book of Numbers, that there were two intermediate encampments; for they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah; and they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim. And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.

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1 Numbers xxxiii. 11.

3 Exodus xvii. 1.

This I mention

2 Exodus xvi. 1.

• Numbers xxxiii. 12, 13, 14.

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to shew how far north they must have gone to have made this circuit; for they approach

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ed to the borders of the Amalekites, who came out and pursued them to Rephidim. Here a battle was fought, and the Israelites were miraculously preserved. Here also the people murmured for want of water; when Moses was ordered to take his rod, and behold, saith the Lord, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, &c.---And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, 'Meribah, because of the chiding of

1 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Exod. xvii. 8.

Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way when ye avere come forth out of Egypt. How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Deut. xxv. 17, 18.

2 Exodus xvii. 5, 6, 7.

3 I should think, that the name Meribah has been wrongly introduced here; and was originally the marginal note of some scribe. The chiding of the people at Meribah was many years afterwards in the desert of Zin near Cadish. It was after the death of Miriam, and just before the death of Aaron in Mount Hor. The murmuring at Massah was in the second month; but the disobedience at Meribah was in

the children of Israel. From hence the Israelites were conducted to Sinai, where they abode a great while; during which time the law, amidst a wonderful display of glory and terror, was given to the people through the hands of Moses. From these circumstances, I should judge that Rephidim was to the north of Horeb, and that Horeb was in some degree to the north of Sinai. For the people in their return downwards from Amaleck came first to Rephidim, which was before Horeb, and then pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.

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Thus much I thought proper to mention concerning the journeying of the children of Israel, as far as Mount Sinai, and concerning those places through which their jour nies lay.

the first. Numb. xx. 1. Aaron seems to have participated in the guilt; for it is saidAaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah, ver. 24. and he died accordingly soon after his sister Miriam.

1 Numb. xxxiii. 15.- -Mons. D'Anville places Horeb north-west of Sinai.

Farther Observations upon the Phonicon, or Grove of Palms, as it is described by Strabo.

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One of the first persons, who gave an account of this part of Arabia, was Artemidorus Ephesius, who lived about the time of Ptolemy Lathyrus, and his mother Cleopatra. He is mentioned by many authors with great credit, and is copied particularly by Strabo and Diodorus. And in the description which he gives, he seems to have followed a prior writer, Ariston, who was sent out by one of the antecedent Ptolemies purposely to make discoveries upon the two coasts of the Red-sea. The account which is given by Artemidorus, concerning that part of Arabia Deserta with which we are chiefly concerned, has already been mentioned. But as the ancient geographers are not always sufficiently clear, and as there seems likewise to be a mistake in Strabo, or at least in the present copies of that excellent writer, it will be proper to rectify what

1 Strabo, l. 16. p. 1122.

* See Diodorus, l. 3. p. 175. He was sent in the time of Ptolemy Euergetes, as we find intimated by the same author, 1.3. p. 155.

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