a song unto God, containing his praises, and a thanksgiving for his kindness, in hexameter

verse.

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 through itself, when they had no other way to go; I mean, when it was the will

* Take here the original passages of the four old authors that still remain, as to the transit of Alexander the Great over the Pamphylian Sea, (for most of the oldest authors, seen by Josephus, are entirely lost,) I mean of Callisthenes, Strabo, Arrian, and Appian. As to Callisthenes, who himself accompanied Alexander in this expedition, Eustatius, in his notes upon the third Iliad of Homer, tells us, that "this Callisthenes wrote how the Pamphylian Sea did not only open a passage for Alexander, but by rising and elevating its waters did pay him homage as its king.' Strabo's account is this, Geog. XIV. page 666, "Now about Phaselis is that narrow passage by the seaside, through which Alexander led his army. There is a mountain called Climax, which adjoins to the sea of Pamphylia, leaving a narrow passage on the shore; which in calm weather is bare, so as to be passable by travellers; but when the sea overflows, it is covered to a great degree by the waves. Now the ascent by the mountains being round about, and steep, in still weather they make use of the road along the coast. But Alexander fell into the winter season, and committing himself chiefly to fortune, he marched on before the waves retired; and so it happened that they were a whole day journeying over it, and were under water up to the navel." Arrian's account is this, I. page 72, 73, "When Alexander removed from Phaselis, he sent some part of his army over the mountains to Perga, which road the Thracians shewed him. A difficult way it was, but short. However, he himself conducted those that were with him by the seashore. The road is impassable at any other time than when the north wind blows; but if the south wind prevail, there is no passing by the shore. Now at this time, after strong south winds, a north wind blew, and that not without the Divine providence, as both he and they that were

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 onc determine as he pleases.

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 assisting 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 had been previously commanded. with him supposed, and afforded him an easy and quick passage. Appian, when he compares Cæsar and Alexander together, (De Bell. Civil. II. page 522,) says, "That they both depended on their boldness and fortune, as much as on their skill in war. As an instance of which, Alexander journeyed over a country without water, in the heat of summer, to the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon; and quickly passed over the bay of Pamphylia, when by Divine providence the sea was cut off; this Providence restraining the sea on his account, as it had sent him rain when he travelled over the desert."

N. B. Since, in the days of Josephus, as he here assures us, all the more numerous original historians of Alexander gave the account he has here set down, as to the providential going back of the waters of the Pamphylian Sea, when he was going with his army to destroy the Persian monarchy, which the afore-named authors now remaining fully confirm; it is without any foundation that Josephus is here blamed, by some late writers, for quoting those ancient authors upon the present occasion. Nor can the reflections of Plutarch, or any other author later than Josephus, be in the least here alledged to contradict him. Josephus went by all the evidence he then had, and that evidence of the most authentic sort. So that whatever the moderns may think of the thing itself, there is hence not the least colour for finding fault with Josephus. He had rather been to blame had he omitted these quotations. However, since the pretended epistles of Alexander omitted what all the ancient historians asserted about this matter, and which I know no sufficient grounds to contradict, as Plutarch informs us, De Vit. Alexand. page 674 there will be reason to question those Epistles, whether they were genuine, or at least to think they were an imperfect collection of them.

CHAP. I.

OF THE VICISSITUDES EXPERIENCED BY THE HEBREWS IN THEIR JOURNEY TO MOUNT SINAI.

W

THEN the Hebrews had obtained such a wonderful deliverance, the country was a great trouble to them, for it was entirely a desert, and had not water enough to suffice any of the cattle; for it was parched up, and had not moisture that might afford nutriment to the vegetables. So they were forced to travel over this country, as having no other route. They had, indeed, carried water with them from the land over which they had travelled 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. The water thus obtained, also, was bitter, and unfit for drinking, and this in small quantities. And as they thus travelled, they came late in the evening to a place called Marah,* from the badness of its waters: for Mar denotes bitterness.† Thither they came afflicted, both by the tediousness of the journey, and by want of food; for it entirely failed them at that time. Now here was a well, which induced them to stay in the place; for although it was not sufficient to satisfy so great an army, it afforded them some comfort in such a desert place; for they heard from those who had been to search, that there was nothing to be found, if they travelled farther.

Dr. Bernard takes notice here, that this place Mar, where the waters were bitter, is called by the Syrians and Arabians, Mariri; and by the Syrians sometimes Marath, all derived from the Hebrew Mar as also he takes notice, that it is called the bitter fountain, by Pliny

The water, however, was bitter, and not fit for men to drink; and not only so, but it was intolerable even to the cattle themselves.

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; and the multitude of the children and of the women, being of too weak capacities to be persuaded by reason, blunted the courage of the men themselves; Moses was in great difficulties, and made every body's calamities to be his own; for they all ran 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, and make it fit for drinking. And when God had granted him that favour, he took the top of a stick that lay 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

himself. Which waters are bitter still, as Thevenot assures us; as there are also abundance of palm-trees. See his Travels, part I. chap xxvi page 166.

† Exod. xv. 23.

water changed for the better; he bid the strongest men among them that stood there, to draw up water; and told them that when the greatest part was drawn up, the remainder would be potable.* So they laboured at it till the water was so agitated and purged as to be fit to drink.

were zealous to stone him, as the direct occasion of their present miseries.

But while the multitude were irritated and bitterly set against him, Moses cheerfully relied upon God, and upon his consciousness of the care he had taken of his own people, and he came into the midst of them, even while they clamoured 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

ful and useful, was derived to them from the fountains, which were twelve in number; 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 also 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 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. Thus 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

*The additions here to Moses's account of the sweetening the waters at Marah, seem derived from some ancient profane author, and he such an author also, as looks less authentic than are usually followed by Josephus. Philo has not a syllable of these additions; nor any other ancient writer that we know of. Had Josephus written his Antiquities for the use of the Jews, he would hardly have given them these very improbable circumstances; but writing to Gentiles, that they might not complain of his omission of any accounts of such miracles derived from Gentiles, he did not think proper to conceal what he had met with there about this matter. Which procedure is perfectly agreeable to the character and usage of Josephus

of their memories; and he desired them by no means on account of their present uneasiness, to cast those great and wonderful favours and gifts, which they had obtained of God, out of their minds: but to expect deliverance out of their present troubles, which they could not free themselves from; and this by the means of that Divine providence which watched over them: as it was probable that God merely tried their virtue, and exercised their patience by these adversities, that it might appear what fortitude they had, and what memory they retained of his former wonderful works in their favour: and whether they would not think of them upon occasion of the miseries they now felt. 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 reupon many occasions. This is, however, barely conjectural; and since Josephus never tells us when his own copy, taken out of the temple, had such additions; or when any ancient notes supplied them; or indeed when they were derived from Jewish, and when from Gentile antiquities, we can go no farther than bare conjecture in such cases. Only the notions of Jews were generally so different from those of Gentiles, that we may sometimes make no improbable guesses to which sort such additions belong. See also somewhat like these additions in Josephus's account of Elisha's making sweet the bitter and barren spring near Jericho. Of the War, IV. 8. .

† Exod. xv. 27.