of the ascent, good cisterns, and especially near the top, a fair and good one. The third or most easterly summit, is called by the religious in those parts, Mount Catherine; on the top of which there is a dome, under which they say was interred the body of this saint, brought thither by angels after she was beheaded at Alexandria." One may judge of the height of St. Catherine's Mount, which certainly is not so high as that of Moses by a third part, from this circumstance, that Thevenot found much snow on both, when he was there, which was in February. The monastery of St. Catherine is from Cairo some eight days' journey over the desarts, according to Sandys, p. 96. See Wells, Vol. II. p. 105; and Niebuhr has given a drawing of the convent of St. Catherine, and of the rugged precipices of Sinai behind it. Plate XLVII. Tom. I. p. 197.

ran.

In one of the roads from the convent of Sinai to Suez, there is exactly such another stone as the rock of Massah, with the same sort of openings all down, and the signs where the water "I was desirous to pass by it on my return (says Pococke), but unfortunately was led another way. I asked the Arabs about it, who told me that it was likewise called the stone of Moses.""The way to it is by the valley of Sheik Salem, being about sixteen miles from the convent, to the north-west," p. 147. Afterwards, he says, that Kadesh was about eight hours north or north-west of Mount Sinai, p. 157. The reason, says he, why I am so particular, is because it is said, that this must be the rock Meribah Kadesh, Deut. xxxii. 51. which Moses smote twice, and the waters came out abundantly, after they had returned into these parts, from Eziongeber.

This rock of Meribah Kadesh, therefore, furnishes an additional land-mark for determining the important station of Kadesh Barnea with geographical accuracy.

When thirty-eight years were expired from the time of the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, or thirty-nine and a half from the Exode, the LORD said unto Moses, "Ye have compassed this mountain (Hor or Seir) long enough; turn you northward." Deut. ii. 2, 3.

From inspection of the map, it appears that the Israelites were at this time encamped at Zalmonah, (No. 41.) their farthest station in the south-west direction; where the murmurers were destroyed by fiery flying serpents, and the faithful saved or cured by looking at the brazen serpent, that wondrous emblem of

CHRIST crucified, to which our Lord himself alludes:-" As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must THE SON OF MAN be lifted up:"-" And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me," John iii. 14; xii. 32; so finely foretold by Isaiah, "Lift up a standard to the nations! Lo, the Lord hath proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Sion, Lo, thy Saviour cometh!" Isa. lxii. 10.

In marching northwards, they were ordered not to molest the kindred nations of the Edomites and Moabites, through whose territories they were obliged to pass. Deut. ii. 4—9. At first, indeed, the Edomites refused them a passage, and actually came out to oppose them by force, whereupon "Israel turned away from them." Numb. xx. 14-21. The Moabites also probably refused them at this time, for both refusals are noticed together, Judg. xi. 17. Afterwards, however, the Lord interposed, and made them afraid of the Israelites, for the Edomites did not obstruct their passage through the several stations of Punon (No. 42.) and Oboth, (No. 43.) by the way of the plains of Eloth and Eziongeber*, or by the way of the Red Sea, not far from the head of the Elanitic gulph. Numb. xxi. 4-10; Deut. ii. 29.

66

At the next station, Jim, or Jie Abarim, (No. 44.) they reached the borders of Moab, and next passed the valley and brook Zered, (No. 45.) and went quietly on through Ar, in the territory of Moab, and pitched over against the children of Ammon, on the other side of Arnon, (No. 46.) Numb. xxi. 12—15; Deut. ii. 13-19. The other side of Arnon," was the south side of the river Arnon, which they did not pass over till after the prohibition not to molest the Ammonites, Deut. ii. 19-24. Moses, therefore, wrote the book of Numbers on the north side of the river, after the conquest of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had refused them a peaceable passage through his territories, Deut. ii. 26-34. as judiciously observed by Clayton, p. 422.

Their next station was Beer, (No. 47.) or Beer Elim, "the well of the princes," as it is called by Isaiah, xv. 8; because there God supplied them with water. "Then Israel "Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles digged it with their staves, by [the direction of] the lawgiver," (Moses.) Numb. xxi. 16-18.

At the next station, Jahaz, (No. 48.) they overthrew Sihon,

* Exiongeber was two days' journey from Mount Sinai, according to Shaw; but three days' journey, according to Pococke.

and all his people, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and took all his cities from Aroer, which is by the brink of the river Arnon (southwards) and Heshbon, his capital city, in the valley between Arnon and Jabbok, even unto Gilead (northwards). Numb. xxi. 23—32; Deut. ii. 32-36.

It was now indeed that "God began to put the dread and fear of the Israelites" upon all the neighbouring nations, Deut. ii. 25. and that he hardened the spirit of Sihon, and made his heart obstinate to refuse them a passage. For this whole territory of his was an usurpation, he having subdued the Moabites, the original possessors, and seized all their lands and cities, Heshbon, Ar, Dibon, from Arnon even to Medeba, as recorded in a proverb, or popular song. Numb. xxi. 26—30; Deut. ii. 30, 31.

Then the Israelites turned away from the Ammonites, eastwards, to attack Og, the king of Bashan, who had joined Sihon against them, Deut. xxix. 7. and defeated him and all his people at Edrei, (No.51.) "And they took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites (Sihon and Og), all their land on this (the eastern) side of Jordan, from the river Arnon (southwards) unto Mount Hermon" (northwards), Deut. iii. 8. which was bounded eastwards by the wilderness of Kedemoth (signifying eastern"), that great wilderness which reached to the river Euphrates, Deut. ii. 26; Judg. xi. 22. and westwards, by the land of the Ammonites, and the remnant of the land of the Moabites; from which it was separated by a great chain of mountains, which formed, " a strong border," or barrier, which Sihon could not force, Numb. xxi. 24. This mountainous border, therefore, separated these eastern Amorites from the western, beyond Jordan, and also from the plains of Moab, on the coasts of Jordan, which belonged to the Moabites, Midianites, and Ammonites conjointly; according to the judicious interpretation of this detached part of their journey, which is not noticed in the Itinerary by Clayton. P. 425-429.

These conquered lands, and "cities of the plain,” being fit for pasturage, were allotted, at their own request, to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, which abounded in cattle, on the condition of their assisting the other tribes in the conquest of the promised land, westwards of the Jordan. Numb. xxxii. 1–42; Deut. iii. 8—20.

Hence the fifty-second station is called in the Itinerary,

Dibon Gad, as belonging to that tribe, in order to distinguish it from another Dibon, belonging to the Reubenites, Josh. xiii. 7.

Dibon Gad was on the northern border of the territories of Sihon, Numb. xxi. 30. thence they turned back again to Almon Diblathaim, (No. 53.) or Diblath, on the edge of the wilderness of Kedemoth, Ezek. vi. 14. from thence they proceeded southwards to Mattanah, (No. 54.) from thence westwards to Nahaleel, (No. 55.) from thence, in the same direction, to Bamoth, (No. 56.) in the valley belonging to Moab, into which they entered peaceably, and proceeded northwards again to the top of Pisgah, (No. 57.) which looked towards the wilderness, eastwards. N. B. These last three stations lay in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo, Numb. xxxiii. 47. From thence they crossed the mountains, westward, and pitched in the plains of Moab, on this side Jordan (or the eastern), opposite to Jericho, and abode in Shittim, or, as it was afterwards called, Abel Shittim, or "the mourning of Shittim," from the slaughter of the Israelites there for their whoredoms and idolatry with the daughters of Moab and Midian, in the matter of Baal Peor; which was the same as Chemosh, the obscene divinity of the Moabites, the Lingam of the Hindus, the Phallus of the Egyp-tians and Greeks, and the Priapus of the Romans; representing the generative powers of nature residing principally in Baal, the Sun.

To punish the Moabites and Midianites for seducing the Israelites, a severe retaliation was inflicted: a party of twelve thousand men was sent under the conduct of the zealous Phineas, who slew all their males of the age of puberty, and all their women that were not virgins, burnt their cities, and spoiled their goods, Numb. xxxi. 6-18. And now their lands also were distributed among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, Josh. xiii. 32. which, before their transgressions, had been reserved; and a law was made, that no Moabite or Ammonite should be admitted into the magistracy, or the freedom of the congregation of Israel, until the tenth generation. Deut. xxiii. 10.

PASSAGE OF THE RIVER JORDAN BY THE

ISRAELITES.

This miraculous passage was performed on the tenth day of the first month, wanting only five days to complete forty years from the day the Israelites left Egypt, on the fifteenth day of the first month. Numb. xxxiii. 3; Josh. iv. 19.

The circumstances attending it were as follows:

The Ark of the Covenant, by the Divine direction, was borne by the priests before the body of the people on their march, about 2000 cubits, or 1000 yards. As soon as the feet of the priests had touched the brim of the waters of the river, which then was swollen, and overflowed its banks, about "barley harvest," or about the vernal equinox, from the melting of the snows on Hermon, Antilibanus, and the mountains of Syria; immediately the waters recoiled upwards, stood on heaps, and went backwards a considerable way, while the lower waters pursued their course to the Dead Sea, leaving the channel dry.

Then the priests, bearing the Ark, entered the bed of the river, and stood still when they had reached the middle, while the congregation hastily passed over below them, at the same distance of 2000 cubits; and as soon as the people had all passed over, then the priests proceeded also with the Ark to the further bank. And immediately, when the soles of their feet touched the dry land, the suspended waters of the river above returned to their place, and overflowed the banks as usual. Josh. iii. 6-17.

The passage of this deep and rapid, though not wide river, at the most unfavourable season, was more manifestly miraculous, if possible, than that of the Red Sea; because here was no natural agency whatsoever employed; no mighty wind to sweep a passage, as in the former case; no reflux of the tide, on which minute philosophers might fasten to depreciate the miracle. It seems, therefore, to have been providentially designed to silence cavils respecting the former; and it was done in the noon-day, in the face of the sun, and in the presence, we may be sure, of the neighbouring inhabitants; and struck terror into the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites, westwards of the river," whose hearts melted, neither was there any spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.” Josh. v. 1.