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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Two
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.
Continue on to
Book Three,
Chapter One
-
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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