them, with their families and goods. This will be a demonstration of thy power to all men; and this method of their sufferings will be an instruction of wisdom for those that entertain profound sentiments of thee. By this means I shall be found a good servant, in the precepts thou hast given by me. But if the calumnies they have raised against me be true, mayest thou preserve these men from every evil accident, and bring all that destruction on me, which I have imprecated upon them. And when thou hast inflicted punishment on those that have endeavoured to deal unjustly with this people, bestow upon them concord and peace. Save this multitude that follow thy commandments, and preserve them free from harm: and let them not partake of the punishment of those that have sinned. For thou knowest thyself, it is not just that for the wickedness of those men, the whole body of the Israelites should suffer punishment."

When Moses had said this with tears in his eyes, the ground was moved on a sudden; and the agitation that set it in motion was like that which the wind produces in waves of the sea.The people were all affrighted, and the ground that was about their tents sunk down at that terrible sound, and carried whatsoever was dear to the seditious into itself; who so entirely perished, that there was not the least appearance that any men had ever been seen there: the earth that had opened itself about them closing again, and becoming entire as it was before: insomuch, that such as saw it afterward did not perceive that any such accident had happened. Thus did these men perish,* and became a demonstration of the power of God. And truly, any one would lament them, not only on account of this calamity that befel them, which yet deserves our commiseration; but also because their kindred were pleased with their sufferings; for they forgot the relation they bare to them; and at the sight of this sad accident, approved of the judgment given against them: and because they looked upon the people about Dathan as pestilent men, they thought they perished as such, and did not grieve for them.

Moses now called for those that contended about the priesthood, that trial might be made who should be priest, and that

Numb. xvi. 33.

he whose sacrifice God was best pleased with, might be ordained to that function. So the two hundred and fifty men approached, who indeed were honoured by the people, not only on account of their ancestors, but also on account of their own power, in which they excelled the others. Aaron and Corah also came forth; and they all offered incense, in those censers which they brought with them, before the tabernacle. Hereupon, so great a fire shone out, as no one ever saw in any that is made by the hand of man; neither in those eruptions out of the earth, that are caused by subterraneous burnings; nor in such fires as arise of their own accord in the woods, when the agitation is caused by the trees rubbing one against another; but this fire was very bright, and had a terrible flame, such as is kindled at the command of God; by whose irruption on them, all the company, and Corah himself, were* destroyed so entirely, that their very bodies left no remains. Aaron alone was preserved, and not at all hurt by the fire; because it was God that sent the fire to burn those only who ought to be burned. Hereupon Moses, after these men were destroyed, was desirous that the memory of this judgment might be delivered down to posterity, and that future ages might be acquainted with it; and he commanded Eleazar, the son of Aaron, to put their censers near the brazen altar, that they might be a memorial to posterity of what these men suffered, for supposing that the power of God might be eluded. And thus Aaron was no longer esteemed to have the priesthood by the favour of Moses, but by the public judgment of God, and he and his children peaceably enjoyed that honour afterward.

* It appears here, from the Samaritan Pentateuch, and in effect from the Psal. mist, as also from the Apostolical Constitutions, from Clement's first Epistle to the Corinthians, from Ignatius's Epistle to the Magnesians, and from Eusebius, that Corah was not swallowed up with the Reubenites, but burnt with the Levites, of his own tribe.

CHAP. IV.

OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HEBREWS DURING THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS.

THE sedition, however, was so far from ceasing upon this destruction, that it grew much stronger, and became more intolerable. And the occasion of its growing worse was of that nature, as made it likely the calamity would last for a long time. For the men believing already that nothing is done without the providence of God, would have it, that these things came thus to pass not without God's favour to Moses. They therefore laid the blame upon him, that God was so angry; and that this happened not so much because of the wickedness of those that were punished, as because Moses procured the punishment: and that these men had been destroyed without any sin of theirs, only because they were zealous about the divine worship, as also that he who had been the cause of this diminution of the people, by destroying so many men, and those the most excellent of them all; besides his escaping any punishment himself, had now given the priesthood to his brother so firmly, that nobody could any longer dispute it with him; for no one else could now put in for it, since he must have seen those that first did so, to have miserably perished. Nay, besides this, the kindred of those that were destroyed, made great entreaties to the multitude to abate the arrogance of Moses, because it would be safest for them so to do.

Moses, upon his hearing that the people were tumultuous, was afraid they would attempt some other innovation; and that some great and sad calamity would be the consequence. So he called the multitude to a congregation, and patiently heard what apology they made for themselves, without opposing them; and, lest he should embitter the multitude, he only desired the heads of the tribes to bring their rods,† with the names

* Numb. xvi. 41.

+ Concerning these twelve rods of the twelve tribes of Israel, see St. Clement's account, much larger than that in our Bible. 1 Epist. § 43.

of their tribes inscribed upon them; and he should receive the priesthood in whose rod God should give a sign. This was agreed to; so the rest brought their rods, as did Aaron also; who had written the tribe of Levi on his rod. These rods Moses laid up in the tabernacle of God. On the next day he brought out the rods, which were known from one another by those who brought them; they having distinctly noted them, as had the multitude also; and as to the rest, in the same form Moses had received them, in that they saw them still: but they also saw buds and branches grown out of Aaron's rod, with ripe almonds upon them; the rod having been cut out of that tree. The people were so amazed at this strange sight, that though Moses and Aaron were before under some degree of hatred, they now laid that hatred aside, and began to admire the judgment of God concerning them. So that hereafter they applauded what God had decreed, and permitted Aaron to enjoy the priesthood peaceably. And thus God ordained him priest three several times, and he retained that honour without farther disturbance. And hereby this sedition of the Hebrews, which had lasted a great while, was at length composed.

And now Moses, because the tribe of Levi was made free from war and warlike expeditions, and was set apart for the Divine worship; lest they should want, and seek after the necessaries of life, and so neglect the temple, commanded the Hebrews, according to the will of God, that when they should gain the possession of the land of Canaan, they should assign fortyeight good cities to the Levites, and permit them to enjoy their suburbs, as far as the limit of two thousand cubits would extend from the walls of the city. And besides this, he appointed that the people should pay the tithe of their annual fruits of the ear h, both to the Levites, and to the priests. And this is what that tribe receives of the multitude. But I think it necessary to set down what is paid by all, peculiarly to the priests.

Accordingly he commanded the Levites to yield up to the priests thirteen of their forty-eight cities; and to set apart for them the tenth part of their tithe which they every year receive of the people; as also that it was but just to offer to God the first fruits of the entire product of the ground; and that they should offer the first-born of those four-footed beasts that are appointed for sacrifices, if it be a male, to the priests, to be

slain, that they and their entire families may eat them in the holy city; but that the owners of those first-born, which are not appointed for sacrifices, in the laws of our country, should bring a shekel and a half in their stead; but for the first-born of a man, five shekels: that they should also have the first-fruits out of the shearing of the sheep; and that when any baked breadcorn, and made loaves of it, they should give somewhat of what they baked to them. Moreover, when any have made a sacred vow; I mean those that are called Nazarites,* that suffer their hair to grow long, and use no wine: when they consecrate their hair, and offer it for a sacrifice, they are to allot that hair to the priests, to be thrown into the fire. Such, also, as dedicate themselves to God, as a corban, which denotes what the Greeks call a gift, when they are desirous of being freed from that ministration, are to lay down money for the priests; thirty shekels if it be a woman, and fifty if it be a man; but if any be too poor to pay the appointed sum, it shall be lawful for the priest to determine the sum, as they think fit. And if any slay a beast at home, for a private festival, but not for a religious one, they are obliged to bring the maw, and the cheek, or breast, and the right shoulder of the sacrifice, to the priests. With these Moses contrived that the priests should be plentifully maintained; besides what they had out of these offerings for sins, which the people gave them, as I have set it down in the foregoing book. He also ordered, that out of every thing allotted for the priests, their servants, their sons, their daughters, and their wives, should partake as well as themselves: excepting what came to them out of the sacrifices that were offered for sins. For of those none of the family of the priests might eat; and in the temple also; and the same day they were offered.

When Moses had made these constitutions, after the sedition was over, he removed together with the whole army, and came to the borders of Idumea. He then sent ambassadors to the *king of the Idumeans, and desired him to give him a passage through his country: and agreed to send him what hostages he should desire, to secure him from any injury. He desired also, that he would allow his army liberty to buy provisions: and if he

* Grotius observes, that the Greeks, as well as the Jews, sometimes consecrated the hair of their heads to their gods. On Numb. vi. 18.