the antiquities of the jews-1-第20章

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his　sagacity；　for　when　the　ground　was　difficult　to　be　passed
over；　because　of　the　multitude　of　serpents；　（which　it　produces　in
vast　numbers；　and；　indeed；　is　singular　in　some　of　those
productions；　which　other　countries　do　not　breed；　and　yet　such　as
are　worse　than　others　in　power　and　mischief；　and　an　unusual
fierceness　of　sight；　some　of　which　ascend　out　of　the　ground
unseen；　and　also　fly　in　the　air；　and　so　come　upon　men　at
unawares；　and　do　them　a　mischief；）　Moses　invented　a　wonderful
stratagem　to　preserve　the　army　safe；　and　without　hurt；　for　he
made　baskets；　like　unto　arks；　of　sedge；　and　filled　them　with
ibes；　（23）　and　carried　them　along　with　them；　which　animal　is　the
greatest　enemy　to　serpents　imaginable；　for　they　fly　from　them
when　they　come　near　them；　and　as　they　fly　they　are　caught　and
devoured　by　them；　as　if　it　were　done　by　the　harts；　but　the　ibes
are　tame　creatures；　and　only　enemies　to　the　serpentine　kind：　but
about　these　ibes　I　say　no　more　at　present；　since　the　Greeks
themselves　are　not　unacquainted　with　this　sort　of　bird。　As　soon；
therefore；　as　Moses　was　come　to　the　land　which　was　the　breeder　of
these　serpents；　he　let　loose　the　ibes；　and　by　their　means
repelled　the　serpentine　kind；　and　used　them　for　his　assistants
before　the　army　came　upon　that　ground。　When　he　had　therefore
proceeded　thus　on　his　journey；　he　came　upon　the　Ethiopians　before
they　expected　him；　and；　joining　battle　with　them；　he　beat　them；
and　deprived　them　of　the　hopes　they　had　of　success　against　the
Egyptians；　and　went　on　in　overthrowing　their　cities；　and　indeed
made　a　great　slaughter　of　these　Ethiopians。　Now　when　the　Egyptian
army　had　once　tasted　of　this　prosperous　success；　by　the　means　of
Moses；　they　did　not　slacken　their　diligence；　insomuch　that　the
Ethiopians　were　in　danger　of　being　reduced　to　slavery；　and　all
sorts　of　destruction；　and　at　length　they　retired　to　Saba；　which
was　a　royal　city　of　Ethiopia；　which　Cambyses　afterwards　named
Mero；　after　the　name　of　his　own　sister。　The　place　was　to　be
besieged　with　very　great　difficulty；　since　it　was　both
encompassed　by　the　Nile　quite　round；　and　the　other　rivers；
Astapus　and　Astaboras；　made　it　a　very　difficult　thing　for　such　as
attempted　to　pass　over　them；　for　the　city　was　situate　in　a
retired　place；　and　was　inhabited　after　the　manner　of　an　island；
being　encompassed　with　a　strong　wall；　and　having　the　rivers　to
guard　them　from　their　enemies；　and　having　great　ramparts　between
the　wall　and　the　rivers；　insomuch；　that　when　the　waters　come　with
the　greatest　violence；　it　can　never　be　drowned；　which　ramparts
make　it　next　to　impossible　for　even　such　as　are　gotten　over　the
rivers　to　take　the　city。　However；　while　Moses　was　uneasy　at　the
army's　lying　idle；　（for　the　enemies　durst　not　come　to　a　battle；）
this　accident　happened：　…　Tharbis　was　the　daughter　of　the　king　of
the　Ethiopians：　she　happened　to　see　Moses　as　he　led　the　army　near
the　walls；　and　fought　with　great　courage；　and　admiring　the
subtility　of　his　undertakings；　and　believing　him　to　be　the　author
of　the　Egyptians'　success；　when　they　had　before　despaired　of
recovering　their　liberty；　and　to　be　the　occasion　of　the　great
danger　the　Ethiopians　were　in；　when　they　had　before　boasted　of
their　great　achievements；　she　fell　deeply　in　love　with　him；　and
upon　the　prevalency　of　that　passion；　sent　to　him　the　most
faithful　of　all　her　servants　to　discourse　with　him　about　their
marriage。　He　thereupon　accepted　the　offer；　on　condition　she　would
procure　the　delivering　up　of　the　city；　and　gave　her　the　assurance
of　an　oath　to　take　her　to　his　wife；　and　that　when　he　had　once
taken　possession　of　the　city；　he　would　not　break　his　oath　to　her。
No　sooner　was　the　agreement　made；　but　it　took　effect　immediately；
and　when　Moses　had　cut　off　the　Ethiopians；　he　gave　thanks　to　God；
and　consummated　his　marriage；　and　led　the　Egyptians　back　to　their
own　land。

CHAPTER　11。

How　Moses　Fled　Out　Of　Egypt　Into　Midian。

1。　Now　the　Egyptians；　after　they　had　been　preserved　by　Moses；
entertained　a　hatred　to　him；　and　were　very　eager　in　compassing
their　designs　against　him；　as　suspecting　that　he　would　take
occasion；　from　his　good　success；　to　raise　a　sedition；　and　bring
innovations　into　Egypt；　and　told　the　king　he　ought　to　be　slain。
The　king　had　also　some　intentions　of　himself　to　the　same　purpose；
and　this　as　well　out　of　envy　at　his　glorious　expedition　at　the
head　of　his　army；　as　out　of　fear　of　being　brought　low　by　him　and
being　instigated　by　the　sacred　scribes；　he　was　ready　to　undertake
to　kill　Moses：　but　when　he　had　learned　beforehand　what　plots
there　were　against　him；　he　went　away　privately；　and　because　the
public　roads　were　watched；　he　took　his　flight　through　the
deserts；　and　where　his　enemies　could　not　suspect　he　would　travel；
and；　though　he　was　destitute　of　food；　he　went　on；　and　despised
that　difficulty　courageously；　and　when　he　came　to　the　city
Midian；　which　lay　upon　the　Red　Sea；　and　was　so　denominated　from
one　of　Abraham's　sons　by　Keturah；　he　sat　upon　a　certain　well；　and
rested　himself　there　after　his　laborious　journey；　and　the
affliction　he　had　been　in。　It　was　not　far　from　the　city；　and　the
time　of　the　day　was　noon；　where　he　had　an　occasion　offered　him　by
the　custom　of　the　country　of　doing　what　recommended　his　virtue；
and　afforded　him　an　opportunity　of　bettering　his　circumstances。

2。　For　that　country　having　but　little　water；　the　shepherds　used
to　seize　on　the　wells　before　others　came；　lest　their　flocks
should　want　water；　and　lest　it　should　be　spent　by　others　before
they　came。　There　were　now　come；　therefore；　to　this　well　seven
sisters　that　were　virgins；　the　daughters　of　Raguel；　a　priest；　and
one　thought　worthy　by　the　people　of　the　country　of　great　honor。
These　virgins；　who　took　care　of　their　father's　flocks；　which　sort
of　work　it　was　customary　and　very　familiar　for　women　to　do　in　the
country　of　the　Troglodytes；　they　came　first　of　all；　and　drew
water　out　of　the　well　in　a　quantity　sufficient　for　their　flocks；
into　troughs；　which　were　made　for　the　reception　of　that　water；
but　when　the　shepherds　came　upon　the　maidens；　and　drove　them
away；　that　they　might　have　the　command　of　the　water　themselves；
Moses；　thinking　it　would　be　a　terrible　reproach　upon　him　if　he
overlooked　the　young　women　under　unjust　oppression；　and　should
suffer　the　violence　of　the　men　to　prevail　over　the　right　of　the
maidens；　he　drove　away　the　men；　who　had　a　mind　to　more　than　their
share；　and　afforded　a　proper　assistance　to　the　women；　who；　when
they　had　received　such　a　benefit　from　him；　came　to　their　father；
and　told　him　how　they　had　been　affronted　by　the　shepherds；　and
assisted　by　a　stranger；　and　entreated　that　he　would　not　let　this
generous　action　be　done　in　vain；　nor　go　without　a　reward。　Now　the
father　took　it　well　from　his　daughters　that　they　were　so　desirous
to　reward　their　benefactor；　and　bid　them　bring　Moses　into　his
presence；　that　he　might　be　rewarded　as　he　deserved。　And　when
Moses　came；　he　told　him　what　testimony　his　daughters　bare　to　him；
that　he　had　assisted　them；　and　that；　as　he　admired　him　for　his
virtue；　he　said　that　Moses　had　bestowed　such　his　assistance　on
persons　not　insensible　of　benefits；　but　where　they　were　both　able
and　willing　to　return　the　kindness；　and　even　to　exceed　the
measure　of　his　generosity。　So　he　made　him　his　son；　and　gave　him
one　of　his　daughters　in　marriage；　and　appointed　him　to　be　the
guardian　and　superintendent　over　his　cattle；　for　of　old；　all　the
wealth　of　the　barbarians　was　in　those　cattle。

CHAPTER　12。

Concerning　The　Burning　Bush　And　The　Rod　Of　Moses。

1。　Now　Moses；　when　he　had　obtained　the　favor　of　Jethro；　for　that
was　one　of　the　names　of　Raguel；　staid　there　and　fed　his　flock；
but　some　time　afterward；　taking　his　station　at　the　mountain
called　Sinai；　he　drove　his　flocks　thither　to　feed　them。　Now　this
is　the　highest　of　all　the　mountains　thereabout；　and　the　best　for
pasturage；　the　herbage　being　there　good；　and　it　had　not　been
before　fed　upon；　because　of　the　opinion　men　had　that　God　dwelt
there；　the　shepherds　not　daring　to　ascend　up　to　it；　and　here　it
was　that　a　wonderful　prodigy　happened　to　Moses；　for　a　fire　fed
upon　a　thorn　bush；　yet　did　the　green　leaves　and　the　flowers
continue　untouched；　and　the　fire　did　not　at　all　consume　the　fruit
branches；　although　the　flame　was　great　and　fierce。　Moses　was
aftrighted　at　this　strange　sight；　as　it　was　to　him；　but　he　was
still　more　astonished　when　the　fire　uttered　a　voice；　and　called
to　him　by　name；　and　spake　words　to　him；　by　which　it　signified　how
bold　he　had　been　in　venturing　to　come　into　a　place　whither　no　man
had　ever　come　before；　because　the　place　was　divine；　and　advised
him　to　remove　a　great　way　off　from　the　flame；　and　to　be　contented
with　what　he　had　seen；　and　though　he　were　himself　a　good　man；　and
the　offspring　of　great　men；　yet　that　he　should　not　pry　any
further；　and　he　foretold　to　him；　that　he　should　have　glory　and
honor　among　men；　by　the　blessing　of　God　upon　him。　He　also
commanded　him　to　go　away　thence　with　confidence　to　Egypt；　in
order　to　his　being　the　commander　and　conductor　of　the　body　of　the
Hebrews；　and　to　his　delivering　his　own　people　from　the　injuries
they　suffered　there：　〃For；〃　said　God；　〃they　shall　inhabit　this
happy　land　which　your　forefather　Abraham　inhabited；　and　shall
have　the　enjoyment　of　all　good　things。〃　But　still　he　enjoined
them；　when　he　brought　the　Hebrews　out　of　the　land　of　Egypt；　to
come　to　that　place；　and　to　offer　sacrifices　of　thanksgiving
there；　Such　were　the　divine　oracles　which　were　delivered　out　of
the　fire。

2。　But　Moses　was　astonished　at　what　he　saw；　and　much　more　at　what
he　heard；　and　he　said；　〃I　think　it　would　be　an　instance　of　too
great　madness；　O　Lord；　for　one　of　that　regard　I　bear　to　thee；　to
distrust　thy　power；　since　I　myself　adore　it；　and　know　that　it　has
been　made　manifest　to　my　progenitors：　but　I　am　still　in　doubt　how
I；　who　am　a　private　man；　and　one　of　no　abilities；　should　either
persuade　my　own　countrymen　to　leave　the　country　they　now　inhabit；
and　to　follow　me　to　a　land　whither　I　lead　them；　or；　if　they
should　be　persuaded；　how　can　I　force　Pharaoh　to　permit　them　to
depart；　since　they　augment　their　own　wealth　and　prosperity　by　the
labors　and　works　they　put　upon　them　？〃

3。　But　God　persuaded　him　to　be　courageous　on　all　occasions；　and
promised　to　be　with　him；　and　to　assist　him　in　his　words；　when　he
was　to　persuade　men；　and　in　his　deeds；　when　he　was　to　perform
wonders。　He　bid　him　also　to　take　a　signal　of　the　truth　of　what　he
said；　by　throwing　his　rod　upon　the　ground；　which；　when　he　had
done；　it　crept　along；　and　was　become　a　serpent；　and　rolled　itself
round　in　its　folds；　and　erected　its　head；　as　ready　to　revenge
itself　on　such　as　should　assault　it；　after　which　it　become　a　rod
again　as　it　was　before。　After　this　God　bid　Moses　to　put　his　right
hand　into　his　bosom：　he　obeyed；　and　when　he　took　it　out　it　was
white；　and　in　color　like　to　chalk；　but　afterward　it　returned　to
its　wonted　color　again。　He　also；　upon　God's　command；　took　some　of
the　water　that　was　near　him；　and　poured　it　upon　the　ground；　and
saw　the　color　was　that　of　blood。　Upon　the　wonder　that　Moses
showed　at　these　signs；　God　exhorted　him　to　be　of　good　courage；
and　to　be　assured　that　he　would　be　the　greatest　suppor