Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

away in an opposite direction; and that after the dry land, in the deepest part, had been seen, an extraordinary flood-tide came in, and restored the whole channel to its former state.

Respecting the locality of the Exodus, a writer in the Quarterly Review, No. CXVII., observes, "After an attentive consideration of the Scripture narrative, and of the local circumstances, we are inclined to fall in with the general opinion, that the Israelites crossed in the neighbourhood of Ayoun Mousa, either at the eight-fathom strait of the English surveyors, or more probably at the still existing ford, which is only occasionally practicable, and where though M. Laborde's camels crossed, those of Pococke and Burckhardt could not, and were therefore obliged to go round the head of the gulf.

"Pococke and Bruce do not, as we recollect, notice this ford, and seem to believe that the Jewish passage was effected at what we, after the late survey, have called the eight-fathom strait, though Bruce says it is fourteen fathoms deep. But Niebuhr and Burckhardt, and other modern authorities, argue that the passage was made at the existing ford.

"As this question is not only of great interest in itself, but has given rise to an important theological discussion, it is important to adduce the reasons which incline us to the opinion of Niebuhr.

"We are told that the short and direct road of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan would have been through the country of the Philistines; but from that they were turned on account of the superior military skill of the Philistines, and directed towards the seashore. (Exod. 13. 17; 14. 1.) Now it would have been as easy for the Almighty to have so intimidated and weakened the Philistines, or to have encouraged and strengthened the Israelites, that the latter might have been enabled to follow the direct road, as to have passed them through the Red Sea. This, however, it was not his pleasure to do, and he turned them back to the sea-shore, when Pharaoh, hearing they were entangled in the land, was induced to pursue them with his characteristic obstinacy, and so to consummate his own fate. Again, it would have been as easy for the Almighty to have passed the Israelites over the gulf per saltum, and to have consumed the Egyptians by fire, or buried them in the sands of the desert, as to have overwhelmed them in the sea; but such was not his pleasure. It seems, as far as human reason may presume to guess at the motives of Omnipotence, that he designed that Pharaoh's destruction should be, in a certain degree, his own act, one at least which, had his heart been less obdurate, he might have escaped; and it seems further to have been the Divine will that each of the whole series of miracles attending on the Exode of the Israelites, should be, as indeed all miracles whatsoever seem to have been, limited to the occasion in hand, to an adequate manifestation of the Divine power, with as little further disturbance of the general laws of nature as might be. God leads the Israelites into a barren land, whose condition, even at this day, testifies that they could not be subsisted without a miracle, into an arid desert, where water could only be obtained by the supernatural gushing of the rock.

"The Red Sea can be approached from the interior on either side only by certain valleys and passes. Unless it had pleased God to alter the whole face of nature, the Israelites, even if they had not been in such numbers, and so encumbered, could neither have reached nor left either shore but through such passes; and Bishop Pococke makes no doubt that they travelled by one of the usual roads leading from Cairo to the north part of the Red Sea.

"Across the ford, or the sandy shallows of the gulf in the neighbourhood of Suez, is comparatively smooth and practicable; while in the depths of a coralline sea, the surface would be so uneven, so tangled, so impervious, that the Israelites with their women, children, cattle, and beasts of burden, could not possibly have passed within any reasonable time; nor could the Egyptians have thought of following them with horses and chariots into such an impracticable chaos. So that if the Israelites had passed through the depths of the sea, or anywhere, indeed, but towards the head of the gulf, the whole face of nature must have been extensively changed, and a hundred miracles necessary instead of one."

Professor Robinson, in his recent valuable Biblical Researches in Palestine, &c., affords some important information on this much-discussed question, as to the probable route of the Israelites from their leaving Egypt to their crossing the Red Sea.

"We were quite satisfied, from our own observation, that they could not have passed to the Red Sea from any point near Heliopolis or Cairo in three days, the longest interval which the language of the narrative allows.

Both the distance, and the want of water on all the routes, were fatal to such an hypothesis. We read that there were six hundred thousand men of the Israelites above twenty years of age, who left Egypt on foot. There must of course have been as many women above twenty years old; and at least an equal number both of males and females under the same age; besides the mixed multitude' spoken of, and very much cattle. The whole number, therefore, probably amounted to two and a half millions, and certainly to not less than two millions. Now the usual day's march of the best appointed armies, both in ancient and modern times, is not estimated higher than fourteen English, or twelve geographical miles; and it cannot be supposed that the Israelites, encumbered with women, and children, and flocks, would be able to accomplish more. But the distance on all these routes being not less than sixty geographical miles, they could not well have travelled it, in any case, in less than five days.

"The difficulty as to water might indeed have been obviated, so far as the Israelites were concerned, by taking with them a supply from the Nile, like the caravans of modern days. But Pharaoh appears to have followed them upon the same track with all his horses, and chariots, and horsemen; and this could not have taken place upon any of the routes between Cairo and the Red Sea. Horses are indeed often taken across at the present day; but then a supply of water must be provided for them, usually about two water-skins for each horse. Six of these water-skins are a load for a camel, so that for every three horses, there must be a camel-load of water. Still they not unfrequently die; and we saw the carcasses of several which had perished during the recent passage of the Haj. Flocks of sheep and goats might pass across; but for neat cattle this would be impossible, without a like supply of water.

[ocr errors]

Many writers and travellers have assumed the passage of the Red Sea to be at the point of Wady Tawârik, south of Râs 'Atâkah; principally perhaps because it was supposed that the Israelites passed down that valley.

"But, according to the preceding views, this could not well have taken place; and therefore, if they crossed at that point, they must first have passed down around Râs 'Atâkah, and encamped in the plain at the mouth of the valley. The discussion of this question has often been embarrassed by not sufficiently attending to the circumstances narrated by the sacred historian; which

[merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small]

are, in the main point, the following. The Israelites, hemmed in on all sides,-on their left and in front the sea, on their right Jebel 'Atâkah, and behind them the Egyptians,-began to despair of escape, and to murmur against Moses. The Lord now directed Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to flow (Heb. go,) by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry; and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry (ground); and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them; and in the morning-watch the Lord troubled the host of the Egyptians. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it; and the waters returned and covered all the host of Pharaoh.

"In this narration there are two main points on which the whole question may be said to turn. The first is, the means, or instrument, with which the miracle was wrought. The Lord, it is said, caused the sea to go (or flow out) by a strong east wind. The miracle, therefore, is represented as mediate; not a direct suspension of, or interference with, the laws of nature, but a miraculous adaptation of those laws to produce a required result. It was wrought by natural means supernaturally applied. For this reason we are here entitled to look only for the natural effects arising from the operation of such a cause. In the somewhat indefinite phraseology of the Hebrew, an east wind means any wind from the eastern quarter; and would include the north-east wind which often prevails in this region. Now it will be obvious from the inspection of any good map of the gulf, that a strong north-east wind, acting here upon the ebb tide, would necessarily have the effect to drive out the waters from the small arm of the sea which runs up by Suez, and also from the end of the gulf itself, leaving the shallower portions dry; while the more northern part of the arm, which was anciently broader and deeper than at present, would still remain covered with water. Thus the waters would be divided, and be a wall (or defence) to the Israelites on the right hand and on the left. Nor will it be less obvious, from a similar inspection, that in no other part of the whole gulf would a north-east wind act in the same manner to drive out the waters. On this ground, then, the hypo

thesis of a passage through the sea opposite to Wady Tawârik would be untenable. The second main point has respect to the interval of time during which the passage was effected. It was night; for the Lord caused the sea to go (out) 'all night; and when the morning appeared, it had already returned in its strength; for the Egyptians were overwhelmed in the morning watch. If, then, as is most probable, the wind thus miraculously sent acted upon the ebb tide to drive out the waters during the night to a far greater extent than usual, we still cannot assume that this extraordinary ebb, thus brought about by natural means, would continue more than three or four hours at the most. The Israelites were probably on the alert, and entered upon the passage as soon as the way was practicable; but as the wind must have acted for some time before the required effect could be produced, we cannot well assume that they set off before the middle watch, or towards midnight. Before the morning watch, or two o'clock, they had probably completed the passage; for the Egyptians had entered after them, and were destroyed before the morning appeared. As the Israelites numbered more than two millions of persons, besides flocks and herds, they would, of course, pass but slowly. If the part left dry were broad enough to enable them to cross in a body one thousand abreast, which would require a space of more than half a mile in breadth, (and is the largest supposition admissible,) still the column would be more than two thousand persons in depth; and in all probability could not have extended less than two miles. It would then have occupied at least an hour in passing over its own length, or in entering the sea; there will then remain only time enough, under the circumstances, for the body of the Israelites to have passed, at the most, over a space of three or four miles. This circumstance is fatal to the hypothesis of their having crossed from Wady Tawârik; since the breadth of the sca, at that point, according to Niebuhr's measurement, is three German or twelve geographical miles, equal to a whole day's journey.

"All the preceding considerations tend conclusively to limit the place of passage to the neighbourhood of Suez. The part left dry might have been within the arm which sets up from the gulf, which is now twothirds of a mile wide in its narrowest part, and was probably once wider; or it might have been to the south

1138

RED SEA, PASSAGE OF THE REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN.

ward of this arm, where the broad shoals are still left bare at the ebb, and the channel is sometimes forded. If similar shoals might be supposed to have anciently existed in this part, the latter supposition would be the most probable. The Israelites would then naturally have crossed from the shore west of Suez in an oblique direction, a distance of three or four miles from shore to shore. In this case there is room for all the conditions of the miracle to be amply satisfied.

"To the former supposition, that the passage took place through the arm of the gulf above Suez, it is sometimes objected, that there could not be in that part space and depth enough of water to cause the destruction of the Egyptians in the manner related. It must, however, be remembered, that this arm was anciently both wider and deeper; and also, that the sea in its reflux would not only return with the usual power of the flood-tide, but with a far greater force and depth in consequence of having been thus extraordinarily driven out by a north-east wind. It would seem, moreover, to be implied in the triumphal song of Moses on this occasion, that on the return of the sea, the wind was also changed, and acted to drive in the flood upon the Egyptians. Even now caravans never cross the ford above Suez, and it is considered dangerous except at quite low

water.

"Our own observation on the spot led both my companion and myself to incline to the other supposition, that the passage took place across shoals adjacent to Suez on the south and south-west. But among the many changes which have occurred here in the lapse of ages, it is of course impossible to decide with certainty as to the precise spot; nor is this necessary. Either of the above suppositions satisfies the conditions of the case; on either the deliverance of the Israelites was equally great, and the arm of Jehovah alike gloriously revealed."

REDEEMER. The Hebrew word goel, respecting which we have elsewhere spoken, (see AVENGER OF BLOOD,) is, in Job 19. 25, thus rendered. The right of the institution of goel was only in a relative, to one of the same blood, and hence Our Saviour's assumption of our nature is alluded to and implied under this term. According to the Mosaic law there also existed the right of buying back the family inheritance when alienated, (Levit. 25. 25-48; Ruth 2. 20; 3. 9,) and this also is exercised by Christ, our Goel, who has purchased back the heavenly inheritance into the human family. Under these views, Job joyfully exclaims, “I know that my Goel, [or my Redeemer,] liveth." See CHRIST; JESUS; MESSIAH.

REDEMPTION. This word in our translation represents several different words both Hebrew and Greek in the Scriptures. It denotes not only the composition paid to the priests in lieu of the services of the firstborn of the Israelites, and the legal right of repurchasing alienated family possessions, but eminently "the redemption of the world by Our Lord Jesus Christ," the metaphor being in the last case derived from the former practices.

Redemption is a word derived from the Latin, and primarily signifies buying again; and the words, in the Greek of the New Testament, used regarding the glorious matter of man's redemption, all signify the obtaining of something by paying a proper price for it. Sometimes the simple verb aywpayw, to buy, is used; so the redeemed are said to be bought unto God by the blood of Christ, and to be bought from the earth, and to

be bought from among men, and to be bought with a price; that is, with the price of Christ's blood, (1Cor. 6. 20;) hence the Church of God is said to be purchased with it. (Acts 20. 28.) Sometimes the compound word eğayopayw is used, which signifies, to buy again, or out of the hands of another, as the redeemed are bought out of the hands of justice, as in Galatians 3. 13, and 4. 5. In other places XTρwo is used, or other words derived from it, which signifies the deliverance of a slave or captive from thraldom, by paying a ransom price for him; so the saints are said to be redeemed not with silver or gold, the usual ransom, but with a far greater one, the blood and life of Christ, which he came into this world to give as a ransom price for many, and even himself, which is artikuтρov, an answerable, adequate, and full price for them. (Pet. I. 18.)

The great doctrine of man's redemption has been already as fully stated (see MESSIAH) as the plan of this work will allow, and it is here only necessary to remark, that the evils from which we are redeemed or delivered are, the curse of the Law, sin, Satan, the world, death, and hell. The moving cause of redemption is the love of God, (John 3. 16;) the procuring cause, Jesus Christ. (1Pet. 1. 18,19.) The ends of redemption are, that the justice of God might be satisfied; his people reconciled, adopted, sanctified, and brought to glory. The properties of it are these: (1) it is agreeable to all the perfections of God; (2,) what a creature never could merit, and therefore of entirely free grace; (3,) it is special and particular; (4,) full and complete; and lastly, (5,) it is eternal as to its blessings.

REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN, DİD bikorim. This Jewish ceremony is founded on the following commandments. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatever openeth the womb, among the children of Israel, it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land both of man and of beast, is mine." (Exod. 13. 1.) “And of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, that thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix; and all the first-born of man amongst thy children shalt thou redeem." (Exod. 13. 11.)

me.

Thus the first-born both of man and beast was set

apart, the one as priests, the other as sacrifices: but the former having sinned in worshipping the molten calf, with the rest of the children of Israel, the Lord rejected them and chose in their stead the tribe of Levi; because they did not worship the calf, as mentioned in Exodus 32. 26: "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him." And therefore the Lord commanded that they should take the number of all the first-born of the males, among the children of Israel, and redeem them as far as the number of the Levites went; but as the number of the first exceeded the number of the Levites, the overplus were each to give five shekels to the priest for their redemption, and those that were born after that period, were to be redeemed by the priest for five shekels.

The first-born of cattle, of goats, and sheep, from eight days to a year old, were to be offered in sacrifice, and the parts designed being burnt, the remainder was left to the priests. (Numb. 18. 17,18; Levit. 27. 26.) Even in case there was any defect in the goats, sheep, or bullocks, so that they could not be legally offered in sacrifice, they were, nevertheless, allotted for the use of the priests, the same as before. (Deut. 15. 19-23.)

REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN-REFUGE, CITIES OF.

The first-born of other animals, of which in Exodus 13. 13, the ass is given as an example, were to be slain, although they could not be offered in sacrifice, unless they were redeemed by offering a lamb in their stead, or by the payment of a certain sum, fixed by the estimation of the priest, the said estimation being increased by the addition of a fifth. (Levit. 27. 13.) If they were not redeemed, they were sold, and the price was given to the priests.

The Jews now are (except in Poland and other countries of the east of Europe) but seldom the owners of cattle of any kind, and therefore the redemption of the first-born of beasts is little in use; but redemption of their children is still observed. It is thus described by two Jewish authorities. Leo of Modena says the ceremony is performed in the following manner. When the child is thirty days old, the father sends for one of the descendants of Aaron; several persons being assembled on the occasion, the father brings a cup containing several pieces of gold and silver coin. The priest then takes the child into his arms, and addressing himself to the mother, says, "Is this thy son?"-Mother. "Yes."Priest. "Hast thou never had another child, male or female, a miscarriage, or untimely birth?"-Mother. "No." -Priest. "This being the case, this child as first-born belongs to me." Then turning to the father, he says, "If it be thy desire to have this child, thou must redeem it."-Father. "I present thee with this gold and silver, for this purpose."-Priest. "Thou dost wish, therefore, to redeem the child?"-Father. “I do wish so to do." The priest then turning himself to the assembly, says, "Very well: this child as first-born is mine, as it is written in Bemidbar, (Numb. 18. 16,) 'Thou shalt redeem the first-born of a month old, for five shekels;' but I shall content myself with this in exchange." He then takes two gold crowns or thereabouts, and returns the child to his parents.

Isaac's Ceremonies of the Modern Jews, describes it as follows:-"All the guests and the priest being assembled, the father of the child goes to the priest and acquaints him that his wife, who is an Israelite, hath brought forth a male child, being her first-born; and behold I give him unto thee.' The priest then asks him, which he had rather have, either his first-born son, or five shekels which thou art obliged to give me, for the redemption of this thy first-born son? The father answers, This is my first-born, and here take unto thee the five shekels, which is thy due for his redemption.'

At the time the father gives the redemption-money to the priest, the former says the following grace :— 'Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe! who hath sanctified us with his commandments, and commanded us to perform the redemption of the son. Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe! that He hath let us live and hath subsisted us, and hath let us arrive to this season."

REDEMPTION OF LAND. This practice is expressly prescribed to the Israelites by the Mosaic law: "And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land." (Levit. 25. 24.) Michaëlis observes on this passage, "As a consequence of the principle, that the lands were to feed those to whose families they belonged, there was established a law of redemption, or right of repurchase, which put it in the power of a seller, if before the return of the year of jubilee his circumstances permitted him, to buy back the yet remaining crops, after deducting the amount of those already reaped by the purchaser, at the same price for which they were originally sold: and of this right, even

1139

| the nearest relation of the seller, or, as the Hebrews termed him, his goel, might likewise avail himself, if he had the means." (Levit. 25. 24,28.)

"The advantages of this law, if sacredly observed, would have been great. It served, in the first place, to perpetuate that equality among the citizens, which Moses at first established, and which was suitable to the spirit of the democracy, by putting it out of the power of any flourishing citizen to become, by the acquisition of exorbitant wealth, and the accumulation of extensive landed property, too formidable to the state, or, in other words, a little prince, whose influence could carry everything before it. In the second place, it rendered it impossible that any Israelite could be born to absolute poverty, for every one had his hereditary land; and if that was sold, or he himself from poverty compelled to become a servant, at the coming of the year of jubilee he recovered his property. And hence, perhaps, Moses might have been able with some justice to say, what we read in most of the versions of Deuteronomy 25. 4: There will not be a poor man among you.' I doubt, however, whether that be the true meaning of the original words. For in the 11th verse of this same chapter, he assures them that they should never be without poor; to prevent which, indeed, is impossible for any legislator, because, in spite of every precaution that laws can take, some people will become poor, either by misfortunes or misconduct. But here, if a man happened to be reduced to poverty, before the expiring of fifty years, either he himself, or his descendants, had their circumstances repaired by the legal recovery of their property, which, though indeed small, then became perfectly free and unincumbered."

REED, i agmon, (Job 40. 21,) kanah, (Isai. 37. 6,) kaλaμos, (Matt. 11. 7,) a plant with a jointed hollow stalk growing in wet grounds. See CANE; FLAG; RUSH.

The slenderness and fragility of the reed is mentioned in 2Kings 18. 28; Isaiah 37. 6; and is referred to in Matthew 12. 20, where the remark illustrating the gentleness of Our Saviour, is quoted from the prophecy of Isaiah 42. 3.

The reed was used by the ancients for writing, and is intended in the places where our translation reads "pen:" as 3John, verse 13, “I have many things to write unto thee, but I will not with pen, xaλapov, and ink;" the Alexandrian manuscript has, oxoivos, juncus, or rush. See WRITING AND WRITING MATERIALS.

The long stalk of the reed was likewise used as a measuring rod; comp. Rev. 11. 1; 21. 15,16, with Ezek. 40. 5: also for a balance, (Isai. 46. 6,) probably after the manner of the steelyard, whose arm or beam was a graduated reed.

Among the ancient Egyptians sieves were often made of string, but some of an inferior quality, and for coarse work, were constructed of small thin rushes or reeds (very similar to those used by them for writing, and frequently found in the tablets of the scribes); a specimen of which kind of sieve is preserved in the Paris Museum. The paintings also represent them made of the same materials; and, indeed, it is probable that the first they used were all of this humble quality, since the hieroglyphic indicating a sieve is evidently borrowed. from them.

REFINE. See METALS AND METALLURGY.

REFUGE, CITIES OF. See CITIES OF REfuge.

REGENERATION, παλιγγενεσία, a scriptural designation for the new birth; that work of the Holy Spirit by which we experience a change of heart, or receive a holy disposition. (Tit. 3. 5.)

The change in regeneration consists in the recovery of the moral image of God upon the heart, that is to say, so as to love Him supremely, and serve Him ultimately as our highest end, and to delight in Him superlatively as our chief good. The sum of the moral law is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, and strength, and mind; this is the duty of every rational creature; and in order to obey it perfectly, no part of our inward affection or actual service ought to be, at any time, or in the least degree, misapplied. Regeneration, then, consists in the principle being implanted, obtaining the ascendancy, and habitually prevailing over its opposite. It may be remarked, that, though the inspired writers use various terms and modes of speech in order to describe this change of mind by various terms, sometimes styling it conversion, sometimes regeneration, a new creation, or the new creature, putting off the old man with his deeds and putting on the new man, walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit, &c., yet it is all effected by the word of truth, or the gospel of salvation, gaining an entrance into the mind, through Divine teaching, so as to possess the understanding, subdue the will, and reign in the affections. In a word, it is faith working by love that constitutes the new creature, the regenerate man. (Gal. 5. 6; 1John 5. 1,5.) This is expressed in Scripture by being born again, (John 3. 7,) or born from above, as it may be rendered in John 3. 2,7,27, being quickened, (Eph. 2. 1,) Christ formed in the heart, (Gal. 4. 12,) a partaking of the Divine nature. (2Pet. 1,4.)

REGISTER. See GENEALOGIES.

I. REHOB, 77 (Numb. 13. 21; Josh. 19. 28,) a Levitical city in the tribe of Asher, in one of the valleys belonging to Libanus.

II. The name of a Syrian people who leagued against David, but were defeated, (2Sam. 10. 8;) they are likewise called Beth Rehob, in verse 6. See SYRIA.

REHOBOAM, Dyan Sept. Poßoap, (1Kings 14. 21,) the son and successor of Solomon. In his reign the kingdom of David was divided, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin retaining their allegiance to Rehoboam, while the other ten tribes became subject to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. His capital also was captured by Shishak, the Egyptian, (the Sheshonk, or Sesostris of profane history,) and Rehoboam died after a wicked reign of seventeen years, and was succeeded on the throne of Judah by his son Abijah, or Abijam, B.C. 954. One of the few allusions to Jewish history met with in the Egyptian monuments, relates to the capture of Jerusalem in the reign of this king, and it is too interesting to pass unnoticed. We read, in the 14th chapter of the Second Book of Kings, "That in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem; and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house: he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made." Of this event we have no mention in profane history, and consequently nothing to corroborate the testimony of the sacred historian; but a confirmation of this fact has recently been brought to light, after the period of near three thousand years.

Shishak, or Sheshonk, it appears from the researches of M. Champollion, was the builder of one of the magnificent palaces of ancient Thebes, the ruins of which

are still to be seen at Karnak. On one of the walls of this palace there is sculptured a grand triumphal cere mony, in which the Pharaoh is represented as dragging the chiefs of above thirty conquered nations to the feet of the idols of Thebes. Amongst these captives, is the one represented in the engraving, whose name, written in hieroglyphical letters, is plainly JoUDAHA MALEE, the King of Judah. And as Rehoboam was the only king of Judah conquered by Shishak, the figure must be intended to represent that monarch, who, for his sins, lost the protection of Jehovah, when his capital, and the treasures of his father Solomon, were suffered to fall into the hands of the Egyptian conqueror.

As the figures sculptured on the monuments of Egypt were generally portraits, it is not unreasonable to suppose that we have here the actual likeness of Rehoboam. At all events, the inscription upon the shield, together with the strongly-marked Jewish physiognomy, afford sufficient proof that it was intended to represent the

Portrait of Rehoboam. From the Monuments.

Jewish king; and it shows us the figure and features of the Jewish people, about a thousand years before the coming of that mighty Deliverer, who, "according to

the flesh," was a descendant of Rehoboam.

sacred history, may yet be discovered among the ruins Similar confirmations of still more important facts in tions of the veracity of the Bible are not indeed essenof Egyptian palaces and monuments. Such corroboratial to the Christian's faith, but they are interesting in themselves, and useful in showing the fallacy of the objections of infidel historians and philosophers.

[blocks in formation]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »