Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Three
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.
5. By this means Moses pacified the people, and restrained them
from stoning him, and brought them to repent of what they were
going to do. And because he thought the necessity they were
under made their passion less unjustifiable, he thought he ought
to apply himself to God by prayer and supplication; and going up
to an eminence, he requested of God for some succor for the
people, and some way of deliverance from the want they were in,
because in him, and in him alone, was their hope of salvation;
and he desired that he would forgive what necessity had forced
the people to do, since such was the nature of mankind, hard to
please, and very complaining under adversities. Accordingly God
promised he would take care of them, and afford them the succor
they were desirous of. Now when Moses had heard this from God,
he came down to the multitude. But as soon as they saw him
joyful at the promises he had received from God, they changed
their sad countenances into gladness. So he placed himself in
the midst of them, and told them he came to bring them from God
a deliverance from their present distresses. Accordingly a
little after came a vast number of quails, which is a bird more
plentiful in this Arabian Gulf than any where else, flying over
the sea, and hovered over them, till wearied with their
laborious flight, and, indeed, as usual, flying very near to the
earth, they fell down upon the Hebrews, who caught them, and
satisfied their hunger with them, and supposed that this was the
method whereby God meant to supply them with food. Upon which
Moses returned thanks to God for affording them his assistance
so suddenly, and sooner than he had promised them.
6. But presently after this first supply of food, he sent them a
second; for as Moses was lifting up his hands in prayer, a dew
fell down; and Moses, when he found it stick to his hands,
supposed this was also come for food from God to them. He tasted
it; and perceiving that the people knew not what it was, and
thought it snowed, and that it was what usually fell at that
time of the year, he informed them that this dew did not fall
from heaven after the manner they imagined, but came for their
preservation and sustenance. So he tasted it, and gave them some
of it, that they might be satisfied about what he told them.
They also imitated their conductor, and were pleased with the
food, for it was like honey in sweetness and pleasant taste, but
like in its body to bdellium, one of the sweet spices, and in
bigness equal to coriander seed. And very earnest they were in
gathering it; but they were enjoined to gather it equally (3)
the measure of an omer for each one every day, because this food
should not come in too small a quantity, lest the weaker might
not be able to get their share, by reason of the overbearing of
the strong in collecting it. However, these strong men, when
they had gathered more than the measure appointed for them, had
no more than others, but only tired themselves more in gathering
it, for they found no more than an omer apiece; and the
advantage they got by what was superfluous was none at all, it
corrupting, both by the worms breeding in it, and by its
bitterness. So divine and wonderful a food was this! It also
supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that fed on
it. And even now, in all that place, this manna comes down in
rain, (4) according to what Moses then obtained of God, to send
it to the people for their sustenance. Now the Hebrews call this
food manna: for the particle man, in our language, is the asking
of a question. What is this ? So the Hebrews were very joyful at
what was sent them from heaven. Now they made use of this food
for forty years, or as long as they were in the wilderness.
7. As soon as they were removed thence, they came to Rephidim,
being distressed to the last degree by thirst; and while in the
foregoing days they had lit on a few small fountains, but now
found the earth entirely destitute of water, they were in an
evil case. They again turned their anger against Moses; but he
at first avoided the fury of the multitude, and then betook
himself to prayer to God, beseeching him, that as he had given
them food when they were in the greatest want of it, so he would
give them drink, since the favor of giving them food was of no
value to them while they had nothing to drink. And God did not
long delay to give it them, but promised Moses that he would
procure them a fountain, and plenty of water, from a place they
did not expect any. So he commanded him to smite the rock which
they saw lying there, (5) with his rod, and out of it to receive
plenty of what they wanted; for he had taken care that drink
should come to them without any labor or pains-taking. When
Moses had received this command from God, he came to the people,
who waited for him, and looked upon him, for they saw already
that he was coming apace from his eminence. As soon as he was
come, he told them that God would deliver them from their
present distress, and had granted them an unexpected favor; and
informed them, that a river should run for their sakes out of
the rock. But they were amazed at that hearing, supposing they
were of necessity to cut the rock in pieces, now they were
distressed by their thirst and by their journey; while Moses
only smiting the rock with his rod, opened a passage, and out of
it burst water, and that in great abundance, and very clear. But
they were astonished at this wonderful effect; and, as it were,
quenched their thirst by the very sight of it. So they drank
this pleasant, this sweet water; and such it seemed to be, as
might well be expected where God was the donor. They were also
in admiration how Moses was honored by God; and they made
grateful returns of sacrifices to God for his providence towards
them. Now that Scripture, which is laid up in the temple, (6)
informs us, how God foretold to Moses, that water timid in this
manner be derived out of the rock.'
Continue on to
Book
Three,
Chapter 2,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
Return to the
Christians Standing with Israel
*******************************************************************
Christians Standing with Israel
About Christians Standing with Israel
Israel Resources
Israel Media
Israel News
Israel Blog
Israel Pictures
Friends of Israel
Contact Christians Standing with Israel
site map
http://www.christiansstandingwithisrael.com/