Commentary on the Holy Bible

Vei-se 16. He made the vessels] See all these particularly described in the notes on chap. xnv. 29.

Verse H. He made the condtestick] See this described from the trimnplial arch of 'J'iiiis, in the note on chap. xxv. 31.

two cubits 'was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

26 And he overlaid it with pure

gold, both the top of it, and the

sides thereof round about, and the horns of

it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round

27 And he made two rings of gold for it under

Verse 29. He made the holt/ anointing oit] See tliis anil the •perfume, antl the materials out of which they were made, described at large; in the notes on chap. xxx. 23 — 25. and

the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places tor the staves to bear it withal.

28 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. ^

29 ^ And he made "the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

34 — 38. As this chapter also is a repetition of what has been mentioned in preceding chapters, the reader is desired to refer to tiiem, as noted above.

BezaJeel makes the altar of burnt offerings, 1 —?• lie makes the laicr and its foot, out of tlie mirrors given by the women, 8. Tiie court, its pillars, liangiiigs, &;c. 9 — 20. 'The whole tabernacle and its zcork finished bif Bczaleel, Ahnliab, and their assistants, 21 — 23. Tlie amount of the gold contributed, 24. Tfie amount of the silver, and how it was expended, 0,5 — 28. The amount of the brass, and how t/iis was used, 29 — 31.

AND 'he made the altar of burnt ofi'ering, of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it •was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.

3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he (f brass.

Verse 1. The altar of burnt offering] See the notes on chap, xxvii. I., and for its horns, pots, shovels, basons, &c. see the •meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, chap, xxvii. 3 — 5.

The looking-glasses] The word n^nl^ maroth, from HNI raah, he saw, signifies reflectors or mirrors of any kind. Here, metal highly polished, must certainly be meant, as glass ■was not yet in use; and had it even been in use, we are sure that looking-QhASSES could not make a BliASEN laver. The werd therefore, should be rendered mirrors, not lookirig-glasses,

4 And he made for the altar, a brasen grate of network, under the compass thereof beneath, unto the midst of it.

5 And he cast four rings for the of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

7 And he put the staves into the rings on the! sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made

8 % And lie made '' the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the ' looking glasses

which in the above verse is perfectly absurd, because from those?naroth tlie brazen laver was made. The first mirrors known among men, were the clear still fountain, and unruffled lake. The first artificial ones were apparently made of brass, afterwards of polished steel, and when luxury increased, they were made of silver, but they were made at a \ery early period, of mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best of which, as Pliny tells us, were formerly manufactured at Brundusium: Optima apud majores, fuerant Brundi.sinu, stanno et xre mixtis. Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiii. cap. 9. but according to him, the most esteemed were those made of tin: and he says, that silver mirrors became so common, that even the of the n'omen * assemblinrj, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle ol" the coiii>re2;ation. 9 ^ And he made '' the court: on

the south side soutliward, the hangings of tlie court awe o/' tine twined linen, a hundred cubits:

10 Their pillars icere twenty, and their brascn sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets zcere of silver.

1 1 And for the north side, the hangings leere a hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12 And for the west side tt'(?re hangings of jfifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

13 And for the east side eastward, fifty cubits

15 And for the other side of the ^'i.-tvom"-

14 The hangings of the one

aervant girls used them: Specula (ex stanno) Imidatissima, Brundiisii tcmperabanlur; donee argciiteis utl ccrpere et anci'he, lib. xxsiv. c. n. 'W'lien the Egyptian women went to the temples, they ahvays cairieil their mirrors with them. The Israelitish women probably did the same; and Dr. Shaw states, tliat the Arab women carry them conslantly hung' at tl)i;ir breasts. It is worthy of remark, that at first, these women freely gave lip their ornaments for this important service, and now give their very mirrors, probably as being of little further service, seeing they had already given up the principal decorations of their persons. Woman has been invidiously defined, A creature fond of dress, (though Ihis belongs to the whole human race, and not exclusively to woman.) Had this been true of the Israelitish women, in the present case wc must say, they nobly sacrificed their incentives to pride, to the service of their God. Woman, go thou and do likewise.

Of tlie women — which assembled at the door] What the employment of these women was at the door of the tabernacle, is not easily known. Some think they assembled there for purposes of devotion. Others think they kept watch there during the night, and this is the most probable opinion; for they appear to have been in the same employment, as those who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, in the days of Samuel, who were abused by the sons of the high-priest Eli. 1 Sam. ii. 22. Among the ancients, women were generally emploj'ed in the office of porters or doorkeepers. Such were employed about the house of the high-priest, in our Lord's time; for a woman is actually represented as keeping the door of the palace of the highpriest, John xviii. 11. Then sailh the VAMSEl. that KEPT IHE DOOK. wito Peter, see also Matt. xxvi. 69. In 2 Sam. iv. 6. both the Scptuagint and Vulgate, make a woman, porter, or ■door-keeper to Ishbosheth. Aristophanes mcDtions them in

hand, -were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.

17 And the sockets for the pillars -were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters q/ silver; and all the pillars of the comt were filleted wth silver.

1 8 And the hanging for the gate of the court ivas needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

19 And their pillars were four, and their sock-

the same oflTice, and calls them Scfcis Xwt;, ^ihicli seems to signify a common maidservant. Arisloph. in Vespis. p. 486.

And Euripides, in Troad. v. 197. brings in Hecuba, complaining that she who was wont to sit upon a throne, is now reduced to the miserable necessity of becoming a door-keeper, or a nurse, in order to get a morsel of bread.

Sir John Chardin observes, that women are employed to keep the gate of the palace of the Persian kings. Plautui, Curcul. Act i. Sc. 1. mentions an old woman, who was keeper of the gale.

Many other examples might be produced. It is therefore very likely, that the persons mentioned here, and in 1 Sam. ii. 22. were the women who guarded the tabernacle, and that they regularly relieved each other, a troop or company regularly keeping watch: and indeed this seems to be implied in the original, 1N*3S tsak-u, tiiey caine by troops; and these troops, successively consecrated their mirrors to the service of the tabernacle. See Calmet on John xviii. 16.

ets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. 20 And all the * pins of the taberof the court round about, were of

21 ^ This is the sum of the tabernacle, eveyi of ""the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, " by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

Verse 21. This is the suin of the tabenuiclel That i.s, the foregoing account contains a detail of all the articles which Bezaleel and Aholiab were commanded to make; and which were reckoned up by the Levites, over whom Ithamar, the son of Aaron, presided.

Verse 24. All the ^old that vjas occupied for the work, &c.] To be able to ascertain the quantum and value of the gold, silver, and brass which were employed in the tabernacle, and its different utensils, altars, &c. it will be necessary to enter into the subject in considerable detail.

In the course of my notes on this and the preceding book, I have had frequent occasion to speak of the shekel in use among the ancient Hebrews, which, following Dean Prideaux, I have always computed at 3s. English. As some Talue it at 2s. 6d. and otiiers at 2s. 4d. I think it necessary to lay before the reader, the learned Dean's mode of computation, as a proper introduction to the calculations which immediately follow.

" Among the ancients, the way of reckoning their money ■was by talents. So the Hebrnus, so the Babylonians, and so the Romans did reckon; and of these talents they had subdivisions, which were usually in minus and drachms; i. e. of their talents into minus; and their minus into drachms. The Hebrews had besides these, their shekels and half-shekels or bekas; and the Romans iheir denarii, which last were very nearly of the same value with the drachms of the Greeks. W hat was the value of a Hebrew talent appeals from Exod. xxxviii. 25, 26. for there 603,550 persons being taxed at half a shekel a head, they must have paid in the whole 301,715 shekels; and that sum is there said to amount to one hundred talents, and 1775 shekels over; if therefore, we deduct the 1775 shekels from the number 301,775, and divide the remaining sum, i. e. 300,000 by a hundred, this will prove each of those talents to contain three thousand shekels. Each of these shekels weighed about three shillijigs of our money; and sixty of them, Ezekicl tells us, chap. xlv. 12. made a mina; and therefore Jifty of those 7iiinas made a talent. And as to their drachms, it appears by the gospel of •St. Matlhew, that it was the fourth part of a shekel, that is nine pence of our money. For there (chap. xvii. 24.) the U'ibute money annually paid to the temple, by every Jew,

22 And " Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses.

23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

24 All the gold that was occupied for th& work, in all the work of the holy place, even

(which was half a shekel) Talmud in shekalim, is called Aii^axtJ^ov (i. e. the tKO drachm piece) and therefore, if half a shekel contained two drachms, a drachm must have been the quarter part of a shekel, and every shekel must have contained four of them, and so Josephus tells us it did. For he says. Ant. lib. iii. c. 9. that a shekel contained four Attic drachms, which IS not exactly to be understood according to the weight, hut according to the valuation in the currency of common payments. For according to the zveight, the heaviest Attic drachms did not exceed eight pence farthing half farthing, of our money; and a Hebrew drachm, as I have said, was nine pence; but what the Attic drachm fell short of the Hebreiv in weight, might be made up in the fneness, and its ready currency in all countries, (which last the Hebrew drachm could not have) and so might be made equivalent in common estimation among the Jeius. Allowing therefore a drachm, as well Attic as Jewish, as valued in Judaa to be equivalent to nine pence of our money, a BEKA or half shekel, will be one shilling and sixpence; a SHEKEL three shillings; a MINA nine pounds; and a TALENT /owr hundred and fifty pounds. So was it in the time of 3Ioses and Ezekiel; and so was it in the time of Josephus, among that people, for he tells us, Antiq. lib. xiv. chap. 12. that a Hebrew mina contained izvo LITRAS and a half, which comes exactly to nine pounds of our money: for a litra being the same with a Roman libra, contained twelve ounces, Troy weight, that is ninety six drachms, and therefore two litras and a half must contain two hundred and forty drachms, whicii being estimated at nine pence a drachm, accoidinfr to the Jewish valuation, comes exactly to sixty shekels, or nine pounds of our money. And this account agrees exactly with that of Alexandria. For the Alexandrian talent, contained 12,000 Attic drachms, and 12,000 Attic drachms, according to the Jewish valuation, being 12,000 of our nine pences, they amount to 450 pounds of sterling money, which is the same value with the Mosaic talent. But here it is to be observed, that though the Alexandrian talent amounted to 12,000 /J«if drachms, yet they themselves reckoned it, but at 6000 drachms, because every Alexandrian drachm contained two j4«/e drachms; and therefore the Septuagint version, being made by the Alexandrian Jews, they there render the Hebrew word shekel, by the Greek iii^axfJtov, which signi» fies two drachms, because two Alexandrian drachms made a shekel, two of them amounting to as much as four Attie the gold of the offenng, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after * the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 And the silver of them that were num- drachms. Anil therefore, computinfj the Alexandrian money according to llie same method, in vvliich we liave computed the Jewish, it will be as follows. One drachm of Alexandria, will be of our money eighteen pence; one didrachm, or shekel, consisting; of two drachms of Alexandria, or four of Attica, will be three shillings; one viina, consisting of m(y rf/rfracAm.f, or shekels, will be nine pounds; and one talent, consisting of fifty minus, will be four hundred and fifty pounds, which is tiie talent of Moses, Exod. xxxviii. 25, 26. and so also, is it the taknt of Joscphus, Antiq. lib. iii. chap. 1. For he tells us, I that a Hebrew talent contained one hundred Greek (i. e. Attic); minas. For those fifty minas, which here mike an Aleian-; ilrian taknt, would be one hundred Attic minas, in the like j method of valuation, the Alex-andrian talent containing double ' as much as the Attic talent, both in the whole, and also in all its parts, in whatever method both shall be equally distributed. Among the Greeks, the established rule was, Jul. Polluc. Onomast. lib. x. c. 6. that one hundred drachms made a mina, and sixty minus a talent. But in some difTerent states, their drachms being difTerent, accordingly their minas and talents, were within the same proportion different also. But the money of Attica was the standard by which all the rest were valued, according as they more or less differed from it. And therefore it being of most note, wherever any Greek historian speaks of talents, minas, or drachms, if tliey be simply mentioned, it is to be always understood of talents, minas, or drachms of Attica, and never of the talents, minas, or drachms of any other place, unless it be expressed. Mv. Breretcood, going by the goldsmith's weights, reckons an Attic drachm to be the same with a druchm, now in use in their shops; that is, the eighth part of an ounce, and therefore lays it at the value of seven pence halfpenny of our money, or the eighth part of a croxcn, which is, or ou<jhl to be, an ounce weight. But Dr. Bernard, going more accurately to work, lays the middle sort of Attic drachms at eight pence farthing of our money, and the minus and talents acconlingly, in the proportions above mentioned. The Babylonish talent, according to Pollux, Onomast. lib. X. c. 6. contained seven thousand of those drachms. The Roman talent (•^ee Fesius Pompeius) contained seventytwo Italic minas, which were the same with the Roman libras; and ninety-six Roman denariuses, each being of the value of ftven pence halfpenny of our money, made a Roman libra. But all the valuations 1 have hiiherto mentioned, must be understood ordy of silver money, and not of gold; for that was much higher. Tiie proportion of gold to silver, was among the ancients, commonly as ten to one: sometimes it was raised to be as eleven to ob«, sometimes as twelve, and sometime.* as thirteen to one. In the time of king Edward the first, it was liere in England, at the value of ten to one; but it is now got-

bered of the congregation, -was a hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the.shekel of the sanctuary:

ten at sixteen to one, and so I value it in all the reductions, which I make in this history of ancient sums to the present yalue. But to make the whole of this matter the easier to the reader, I will lay all of it before him for his clear view in this following table of valuations.

seven thousand Attic drachins.. j ~ A Babylonish talent in geld, sixteen to one 3500 0 O

Attic drachms, as valued by the Jews J A didrachm of Alexandria, containing twoS

26 * A bekah for ''every man, //«fl^!' pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, is, half a shekel, after the shekel of and filleted thein.

the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for " six hundred thousand, an'd three thousand, and five hundred and fifty men.

27 And of the hundred talents of silver, were cast "^ the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; a hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five sJiekels, he made hooks for the

There were twenty-nine talents se'cen hundred and thirty shekels of <jOLD: one Imndred talents one thousand seven hundred and seventy-Jive sJiekels of.SILVER: and seventy talents tivo thousand four hundred shekels of BRASS.

If with Dean Prideaux, we estimate the value of the silver shekel at three shillings English, we shall obtain the weight of tlie shekel, by making use of the following proportion. As sixty-two skillings, the value of a pound weight of silver, as settled by tlie liiitish laws, is to two hundred and forty, the number of pennyweights, in a pound troy, so is three shillings the value of a shekel of silver, to llduts. 14 grains j-j the V)eight of the shekel, required.

In the next place, to find the value of a.shekel of goldL, we must make use of the proportion following: As one ounce troy is to 3/. \ls. lO^i^. the legal value of an ounce of gold, so is 1 1 dvvts. 14 grams |j, the weight of the shekel, as found by the last proportion, to 21. 5s. 2\d. ^| the value of the shekel of gold, required. From this datum we shall soon be able to ascertain the value of all the gold, employed in the •w/)rk of tliis holy place, by the following arit!)meticai process. Reduce 2/. 5s. 2\d. -^f to the lowest term mentioned, which is 201 852 ninety third parts of a farthing. Multiply this last number by 3000, the number of shekels in a talent; and the product by 29, the number of talents; and add in, T30 times 201S52, on account of the 730 shekels, which were above the 29 talents employed in die work, and we shall have for the last product 17,708,475,960, which divided, sticcessively, by 93, 4, 12, and 20, will give 198,347/. 12^. &d. ior ihe. total value of the goldj employed in the tabernacle, &c.

Tlie value of the silver contributed by 603,550 Israelites, at half a shekel, or ei'^liteen-pence per man, may be found Ijy an easy arithmetical calculation, to amount to 45,266/. 5*.

29 And the brass of the •was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar.

31 And the " sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

The total value of all the gold, silver, and brass of the tabernacle will consequently amount to 244,127/. 145. 6d. And the total weight of all these three metals amounts to 29124 pounds troy; which reduced to avoirdupois weight, is equal to FOURTEEN TONS, 2G6 pounds! When all tiiis is considered, besides the quantity of gold which was employed in the golden calf, and which was all destroyed, it is no wonder that the Sacred Text should say, the Hebrews spoiled the Egyptians; particularly, as in those early times the precious metals were probably not very plentiful in Egypt.

Verse 26. A bekah for eveiy manl The Hebrew word i'p3 hiikd which signifies to divide, separate into two, seems to signify, not a particular coin, but a shekel, broken, or cut in two: so, anciently, our farthing was a penny divided in the midst, and then subdivided, so that each division contained the/oi(r//» part of the penny; hence its name fourthing ot fourthling, since corrupted \nio farthing.

There appear to be three particular reasons, why so much riches should be employed in the construction of the Tabernacle &c. 1. To impress the people's minds with the glory and dignity of the divine Majesty, and the importance of bis service. 2. To take out of their hands the occasion of covetousness; for as they brought much spoils out of Egypt, and could liave little if any use for gold and silver in the wilderness, where it does not appear, that they had much intercourse with any other people, and were miraculously supported, so that they did not need their riches, it was right to em- ' ploy that in the worship of God, which otherwise might have engendered that love which is the root of all evil. 3. To pre- • vent pride and vain-glory, by leading them to give up to the divine service, even the ornaments of their persons, which would have had too direct a tendency to divert their mind* from better things. Thus God's worship was rendered august and respectable, incitements to sin and low desires, removed; and the people instructed to consider nothing valuable, but as far as it might be employed to lUs glory, and in the service*

Bezakel makes the cloths of service/or the holy place, and the holy garments, 1. The ephod, 2. Gold is leatcn into plates, and cut into wires /or embioiderij, 3. He makes the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, 4. The curious girdle, 5. Cuts the onyx stones for the shoulder-pieces, G. Makes the brcastplatej its chains, ouches, rings, ^•c. 7— 21. 7V(C robe o///ie ephod, 22— 26. Coats of fne linen, dl. T/«; mitre, 28. 27;e girdle, 29- The n\ztc of the holy crown, 30,31. Tlie completion of the rvork of the tabernacle, 32. J II the z^ork is brought unto Moses, 33 — 41. Moses having examined the whole, finds evert/ thing done as the Lord had commanded, in consequence of which he blesses the people, 42, 43.

AN D of ' the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made " cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; " as the Loud commanded I\Ioses.

2 % "And he made the ephod o/'gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the piuple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, xcit/i cimning work.

4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.

5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that •was upon it, 'was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined hncn; as the Lord commanded Moses.

6 ^ And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.

7 And he put them on the siioulders of the ephod, that they shoidd be stones for a '^memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.

8 ^ ^ And he made the breastplate o/ cunning "work, like the work of the ephod; o/'gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

Verse 1. Blue, and purple, arid scarlef\ See this subject largely explained in the notes on chap. xxv. 4.

Verse.'5. Tlicy did heat the gold into thin plates'] For the purpose, as it is j;iippo=ed, of cutting it into wires ZD''?r\5 or threads; for to twin ot txuine is the common acceptation of the root ^r\D paial. I (annot suppose that the Israelites hqd act then tiie art of making gold thread, as they possessed se-

plate double: a span teas the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

10 ''And they set in it four rows of' stones: the first row xcas a ' sardius, a topaz^ and a carbuncle: this -was the first row.

12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and' a jasper: they xvcre inclosed in ouches of gold. in their inclosings.

14 And the stones "dcere according to thft names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engra\ings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

1 5 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.

Id And they made two ouches o/' gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings in the t\\ o ends of the breastplate.

17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.

18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they liistencd in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, before it.

veral ornamental arfi, much more difficult: but in the present in.stance, figures made in a more solid form than that nhich coiiid have been eftectod by gold thread, might have been r«- quired.

19 And they made two rings of gold, and put th£7n on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. r,

20 And they made tw'o other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereotj above the curious girdle of the ephod.

21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod j as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 ^ ' And he made the robe of the ephod qjwoven work, all of blue.

23 And there "was a hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend,

24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined li/ieti.

25 And they made '' bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;

26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister f;?, as the Lord commanded Moses.

27 ^ "^ And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

28 ■* And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly

Verse 23. As the hole of an habergeon'] The hahers^eon, or hauberk, ■was a small coat of mail, somethino- in form of a half shirt, made of small iron rings, curiously iiiiittd together. It covered the neck and breast, was very light, and resisted the stroke of a sword. Sometimes it went o\'er the whole head, as well as over the breast. This kind of defensive armour was used among the Asiatics, partirularly the ancient Persian?, among whom it is still worn. ]l soems to have been borrowed fr(.)m the Asiatics by the Norman crusaders.

Verse 30. The holy croivn of pure sold] On Asiatic monuments, particularly those that appear in the ruins of Pcrsepolis, and on many Egyptian monuments, the priests are represented as wearing crouns or tiaras, and.sometimes their \\.evk'S are crowned with laurel. Cuper observes, that the

29 ' And a girdle of fine twined

scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 ^ « And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on liigh upon the mitre; as the Lord commanded Moses.

32 ^ Thus \vas all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did " according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

'33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his fm'niture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets.

34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,

35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,

36 The table, ayid all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,

37 Tlie pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,

38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and ' the sweet incense, and the hanging tor the tabernacle door.

priests and priestesses, among the ancient Greeks, were stiled Titpavoipopei, or crown-bearers, becau.^^e tlity officiated, having sometimes crowns of gold, at others, crou-ns of laurel, upon their heads.

Verse 32. Did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses.] This refers to the command, given chap. xxv. 40. And Moses has taken care to repeal every thing, in the most circumstantial detail, to siiew tiiat he had conscientiously observed all the directions he had received.

The lamps to be set in order] To be trimmed and fresh oiled every day, for the purpose of being- lighted in the evening. See the note on chap, xxvii. 21.

39 The biaseii altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, tke laver and his foot,

40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, ami the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,

41 The cloths of service, to do service in tlie holy place; and the holy garments tor Aaron the

Ver.se 43. And j)foxe.i did look upon all the tt'ori] As being tlie general superiiilt-iKlaiit of the whole, nntk-r whom Rezaleel and Ahuhab were eni-ployed, as tlio other workmen were «nder them.

Thry hud done it as the Lord had commandtd] Exactly accordms^ to the pattern which Mo!.es received from the Lord, and which he laid before the workmen, to work by.

And Moses hkised thcm'\ Gave them that praise which was due to their skill, diligence, and fidelity. See this uieanin<^ cf the original word in the note on Gen. ii. 3. See also a fine in.>.tance of ancient courtesy, between masters and their servants, in the case of 15oaz and his reapers, Ruth ii. 4. Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reaper.', The Lord be with VOU! And they answered him, Tlie Lord itoTHEE! It is, however, very probable, that Moses prayed to God in their behalfj that they might be prospered in all their undertaking.s, raved from every evil, and be broii<i;ht at last to the inlieritance that fadeth not away. This blessing seems to have been given, not only to the workmen, but to all the people. The people contributed liberally, and the workmen wrought faithfully, and the blessing of God was pronounced upon ALL.

The promptitude, cordiality, and dispatch used in this business, cannot be too highly commended, and are worthy of the imitation of all, who are employed in any way, in the, service of God. The prospect of having God to dv:cll among them, inflamed every heart, because they well knew, tliat on this depended their prosperity and salvation. They therefore hastened to build him a house; and they spared no expense or skill, to make it, as far as a house made with hands could be, worthy of that divine majesty, who had promised to take up bis residence in it. This tabernacle, like the temple, vas a type of the human nature of the Lord Jesus; that was

priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's olKce.

42 According to all that the Lord commanded ftloses, so the children of Israel * made all the work.

43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as tiie Lord had commanded, even so had tliey done it: and Moses '' blessed them.

a shrine, not made with hand«, formed by God himself, and worthy of that fulnesxof the Deity, thiit dwelt in it.

It is scarcely possible to form an adequate opinion of the riches, cosily workmanship, and splendor of the tabernacle: and who can adequately conceive the glory and excellence of that human nature, in which the fulness of the godhead, bodily, dwelt } 1 hat this Uibernacle typified the human nature of Christ; and the divine sheldnah that dwelled in it. the Deity that dwelt in the man Christ Jesus, these words of St. John sufficiently prove. In the beginning ttas (he WORD, and the WOUD was with God, and the WORD v:as GOD. And the WORD was made jiesh, andjwelt among us, taKrivaa-tv ev u.ui:-, made his TABKRNACLE among tis, full qf grace and Ifuth: — i. e. possessing the true Urim and Thummim, all the lights and perfections, the truth and the grace, typified by the Mosaic oeconomy. John i. 1, 14. And hence the Evangelist adds. And we beheld his glo'y; as the Israelites beheld the glory of God, resting on the tabernacle, so did the disciples of Christ see the divine glory resting on him> and shewing itself forth in all his words, spirit, and works. And for what purpose was the tabernacle erected? That God might dwell in it among the children of Israel. And for what purpose was the human nature of Christ so miraculously produced? That the godhead might dwell in it; and that God and man might be reconciled, through this wonderful oeconomy ot divine grace; God being in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, 2 Cor. v. 19. And what was implied by this reconciliation? The union of the soul with God, and the indwelling of God in the soul. Reader, has God yet filled thy tabernacle with his glory } Does Christ dwell in thy heart by faith, and (lost thou abide in him, bringing forth fruit unto holiness? Then, thy end shall be eternal lite. Why shouldst thou not go on thy way rejoicing, with Christ in thy heart, heaven in thy eye, and tjie world, the devil, and the flesh, under thy feet?

Moses is commanded to sel vp the tahernaclc, the /list datj of the first month, of the second year of their departure from Egypt, 1,2. The ark to he put into it, 3. The table and candlestick to be brought in also, 4, with the gulden attar, 5. The.altar of burnt offering to be set up before the door, 6, and the laver hetzieen the lent and sons to be washed, 12, clothed, \o, 14, and anointed, 15. All these things are done accordingly, ]6. The tabernacle is erected, and all its utensils, 8^c. placed in it on the Jirst of the first month of the second year, 17 — 33. The cloud covers the tent, and the glori/ of the Lord fills the tabernach, 34; so that even Moses is not able to enter, 35. When they were to journey, the cloud icas taken up; when to encamp, the cloud rested on the tabernacle, 36, 37. A cloud by day and afire by night, was upon the tabernacle, in the sight of all the Israelites, through the zeliole course of the journeyings, 38.

about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate. 9 ^ And thou shalt take the oil, and " anoint the ta-

2 On the first day of the ' first month, shalt thou set up '' the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

3 And ' thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

4 And '' thou shalt bring in the table, and ^set in order ^ the things that are to be set in order upon it; ^ and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.

5 " And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense, before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

7 And ' thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

8 And thou shalt set up the court round

Verse 2. The first day of the first monlli] It is generally supposed, that the Israelites began the work of the tabernacle ibouHht sixth month, after they had left Egypt; and as the work was finished about the end of the first year of their Exodus, for it was set up the first duy of the second year, that, therefore, they had spent abo\it six rriontlis in making it; so that the tabernacle was erected one year, all but fifieen days, after they had left Egypt. Such a building, with such a profusion of curious and costly workmanship, was never got up in «o short a time. But it was the work of the Lord, and the people did service as unto the Lord. For the people had a mind to work.

Verse 4. Tkou shalt bring in the tabic, and set in order the things, &c.] That is, thou shalt place the twelve loaves u})ou the table, in the order before mentioned. See the note on chap. XXV. 30.

Verse 1 5. For their anointing shall surrly be an aerlasting priesthood} By this anointing, a right was given to Aaron

bernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and ' it shall be an altar " most holy.

1 1 And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot and sanctify it.

12 ^ " And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, " and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst

and his family, to be high-priests among the Jews for ever; ^o that all who should be born of this family, should liave a right to the priesthood, without the repetition of this unction; as they should enjoy this honour, in tlieir father's right, who had it by a particular grant from God. But it appears, that the high-priest, on his consecration, did receive the holy unction, see Lev. iv. 3. vi. 22. xxi. 10. And this continued tdl the destruction of the first temple, and the Babylonish captivity; and, according to Eusebiits, Cyril of Jerusalem, and others, this custom continued among the Jews, to tlie advent of our Lord, after which, there is no evidence, ii was ever practised. See Calmet's note on chap. xxix. 1. The Jewish high-priest was a type of Him, who is called the high-priest over the house of God, Heb. X. 21. and when he came, the functions of the other neces.^arily ceased. This case is worthy of observation. The Jewish sacrifices were never resumed after the destruclioii of their city and temple; for they hold it unlaivfitl to sacrifice any txhere out of Jerusalem: and the unction of their liigh-priests ceased from that period also: and why.? because

A.M 'ziit. anoint their father, that they may B.C. iw. ii^inister unto me in the priest's ot- 1

16 ^ Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he. A.M.2514. lY % And it came to pass in the first montla in tlie second year, on 2. the first day of the month, that the

18 And INIoses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.

19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the

of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. 2

26 % 'And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:

27 " And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the Loud commanded jMoses.

28 % ' And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

29 " And he put the altar of burnt offering, l>y the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and " offered upon it the buint offering and the meat offering; as tlie Lord commanded Moses.

30 ^ " And he set the laver between the tent

tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded of the congregation and the altar, and put water J Moses. there, to wash withal. '

i 20 ^ And he took and put "the testimony in- j 31 And Moses, and Aaron, and his sons washf to the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and cd their hands and their teet thereat: I put the mercy seat above upon the ark: ij 32 When they went into the tent of the con-

21 And he brought the ark into the taber- 1 gregation, and when they came near unto the! nacle, and '' set up the vail of the covering, and [ altar, they washed; ^ as the Lord commanded

22 % ' And he put tlie table in the tent of the i congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle

23 ' And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded

24 ^ ^ And he put the candlestick in the tent

i; true priest and the true sacrifice were come, and the types of course, were no longer necessary, after the manifestation of the antelype.

Verse 19. lie spread abroad the lent over the tabernacle] I?y the tent, in this and several other places, we are to understand the coierin<;s made of nuns' skins, floats' hair, &c. wliich >vere thrown over the building; for the tabernacle luid no other kind of roof.

Verse 20. Jle put the testimony in the ark'] That is, the two tables, on which the ten conimandaients liad been written. See chap. x.vv. 16. Tiie ark, the golden table with the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the gulden altar of incense, were all in the tabernacle, xvilhin the vail, or curtains, which served as a door, 22, 24, 26. And the altar of burnt-ofierings was by the door, ver. 29. And the biazen

33 ^ "^ And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

34 % ' Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

35 And Moses 'was not able to enter into

laver between the tent of the congregation and the brazen altar, ver. 30. Still farther outivard, that it might be ilie first thing the priests met with, when entering into the court to minister; as their hands and feet must be washed, before they could perform an}' part of the holy service, ver. 31, 32. \\'hen all these things were thus placed, then the cotirt, that surrounded the tabernacle, w bich consisted of posts and hangings, was set up, ver. 33.

Verse SI. 'J'hen a cloud covered the tent] Thus God gave his approbation of the work, and as this was visible, so it was a sign to all the people, that Jehovah was among them.

the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon; and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 56 ' And when the cloud was taken up fi-om of the glory, ver. 35. Precisely the same happened, vvlicn Solomon had dedicated his temple; for it is said, tliat the clotid filled the house of the Lord; so that tTie priests coidd nut stund to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord lad filled the house of the Lord. 1 Kings viii. 10, 11. Previously to this, the cloud of t^le divine glory had rested upon that tent, or tabernacle, which Moses had pitched without the camp, after the transgression in the matter of the molten calf; b'.it now, the cloud removed from that tabernacle, and rested \ipon this one, which was made by the command, and under the direction of God himself. And there is reason to beliei-e, that this tabernacle was pitched in the centre of the camp, all the twtlve tribes pitching their different tents in a certain order around it.

Verse 36. When the cloud ivas taken up'] The subject of these three last verses, has been very largely explained in the notes tn ch?.p. xiii. 21. to whicli, as weil as to the general remarks en that chapter, the reader is requested immediately to refer.

Verse 38. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle ly day] This daily and nightly appearance, was, at once, both a merciful providence, and a demonstrative proof of the divinity of their religion: and the-^e tokens continued with them throughout all their journies: for, notwithstanding their frequently repeated disobedience and rebellion, God never withdrew these tokens of his presence from them, till they were brought into- the premised land. When, therefore, the tabernacle became fized, because the Israelites had obtained their inheritance; this mark of the divine presence was no longer visible in the sight of all Israel, but appears to have been confined to tlie Holy of Holies, where it had its fixed residence upon the mercy seat, between the cherubim; and in this place continued, till the first temple was destroyed; after whicli, it was no more seen in Israel, till God was manifested in the ffesh.

As in the book of GENESIS, we have God's own account of the commencemenl of the WORLD, the origin of nations, and the peopling of the earth: so in the book of EX- ODUS, we have an account, from the same source of infallible truth, of the commencement of the Jewish CHURCH, and the means used by the endless mercy of God, to propagate and continue his pure and undefiled religion in the earth; af'ainst which, neither human nor diabolic power or policy tave ever been able to preyail! The presenation of this religion, which has ever been opposed by the great mass of mankind, is a standing proof of its divinity. As it has ever been in ho.stility against the corrupt passions of men, testifying against the workl, tliat its deeds were evil, these passions if tiie cloud were not taken I up, then they journeyed not till the day til at it was taken up.

38 For ^ the cloud of the Lord was upon, the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel,, throughout all their journeys.

have ever been in hostility to it. Cunning and learned men have argued, to render its authority dubious, and its tendency suspicious: whole states and empires, have exerted themselves to tlie uttermost, to oppress and destroy it; and its professed friends, by theirconduct, have often betrayed it; yet, libratnponderikts siiis, supported by the arm of God, and its own intrinsic excellence, it lives and flourishes, and the river that makes glad, the city of God, has run down with the tide of time 5800 years; and is running on with a more copious and difliisive current.

We have seen, how, by the miraculous cloud, all the movemerits of the Israelites were directed. They struck or pitched their tents, as it remo\ed or became stationary. Every thing that concerned them, was under the direction and management of God. But these things happened unto them for ensamples; and it is evident from Isai. iv. 5. that all these things typified the presence and influence of God in his church, and in the souls of his followers. His church can jiossess no sanCr tifying knowledge, no quickening power, but from the presence and influence of his Spirit. By this influence, all his followers are taught, enlightened, led, quickened, purified, and built up an their most holy faith; and without the' indwelling of his Sjiirit, light, life, and salvation, are impossible. These divine influences are necessary not only for a time, but tlirough all our journies, ver. 38. through every changing scene of providence, and through every step in life. And these the followers of Christ are to possess, not by inference, or inductive reasoi/ing, but consciously. The influence is to be felt, and the fruits of it to appear as fully as the dond of the Lord b^ day, and the fire by night, appeared in the sight of all the house of Israel. Reader, hast thou this.Spirit.? are all thy goings and coming-s ordered by its continual guidance? Does Christ, who was represented by this tabernacle, and in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, dwell in thy heart by faith }■ If t)ot, call upon God for that blessing, which, for the sake of his- Son, he is ever disposed to impart; theit shalt thou be gloriou.s, and on. all thy glcry there shall be a defence. Amen. Amen.

On the ancient division of llie law into fifty-four sections, see the notes at the end of Genesis. Of these fifty-four sections. Genesis contams twelve; and the commencement and ending of each, has been marked in the note already referred to. Of these sections, Exodus contains elevin, all denominated, as in the former case, by the words in the original, with whicli they commence. I shall point these out, us in the foi'mer^ carrying the enumeration from Genesis.

It will at once appear to the reader, that these sections have their technical names Iroin some remarkable word, cither in the first or second verse of their coinmenceme:it.

Number of VERSES in V elleh shmoih, (Exodus) 1209. The symbol of this number is d"iN; aleph N denoting 1000, rcsh T 200, and tttli 13 9.

The middle verse is vcr. 28. of chap. xxii. Thou shah noi revile God, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

Its parashioth, or larger sections, are 11. The symbol of this is the word '^{ cj. La. Ixvi. 1. WHERE is the house that t)e will build unto vie? In which aleph K- stands for 1, and yod ' for 10.

Its sedarim are 29. Tile synvbol of which is taken from Psalm xix. 3. r\Sn> ycchavch. Night unto night SHEWETII FORTH knowledge. In which word, yod ' stands for 10, clicih n for S, vau 1 for 6, and he n for 5, amounting to 29.

Its pirkey, perakim, or present cha])ters, 4C. '1 he symbol of which is "d^ybelibbo, taken from Psalm xxxvii. 31. Tho. law of God is IN FHS HEART. In this word, hth z stands for 2. kmed V for 30, beth 3 for 2, and vau vfor 6, amounting to 40^

The open sections are 69. — The close sections are 95. 'I'otal 164-. Tiiesymbolof which is ini'D»j/i'a</ec«. SrilENGTH- EN TFIEE out of Zion. In which numerical word, ain 1? stands for 70, samech D ibr 60, cajdi - for 20, yod > for ID. and dulctk 1 for 4, making together 164.

But on these subjects, nnportant to some, and trifling to others, see what is said in the concluding note ou GeNESI?-.

In the preceding notes I have had frequent occasion to refer to Dr. Sha'.v's account of the different stations of the Lraelites, of which 1 promised an abstract in this place. Thia will doubiless lie acceptable to every reader who knows that Dr. Shaw travelled ovtr the same ground; and carefully, in person, noted every spot to •.vliich reference is made in the. preceding chapters.

After having endeavoured to prove that Goshen was that part of the Heliopolitan Nomos, or of the land of Ilameses, w hich lay in the neighbourhood ofCairo, Blatla-reah and Bishbesh, and that Cairo might be Rameses, the capital of the district of that name, where the Isra-lil.s liad tlu'ir rendezvous before they departed out of Egypt, he takes up the text and proceeds thus:

" Now, lest peradienl:itre, {Kxod. xiii. 17) when the Hebrews saw war they shoidd repent and return to Esypt, God did not lead them through the way of ihe land of the Philistines, (viz. either by JJeroopolis in ihe.niiiiland road, or by Bislihe^h, Tinth, and so along the sea-coust towards Gutu and Ascalon), allhough that was the nearest, but he led them kHOVl through the way of the ■wilderness of the Red sea. 'i'here are accordingly two roads through whieh the Israelites might have been conducte<l fi'om Cairo to Pihahiroth, on the banks of t!ie Red sea. One of them lies through the valleys, as they are now called of Jendily, Rumeleah, and Baideah, bounded on each side by the mountains of the lower Thebais. The other lies higher, having the northern range of these mountains, (the mountains of Mocattec) running parallel with it on tlie right hand, and the desart oi \.]n: JL^ptian Arabia, which hes all the way open to

the land of the Philistines on the left. About the middle of this range we may turn short upon our right hand into the valley of Baideah, through a remarkable breach or discontinuation, in which we afterwards continued to the very bank of the Red sea. Suez, a small city upon the northern point of it, at the distance of thirty hours, or ninety Roman miles from Cairo lies a little to the northward of the promontory that is formed by this same range of mountains, called at present Aliackah, as that whieh bounds the valley of Baideah to the southward is called Gevvoubee. See the annexed map.

" This road then, througl) the valley of Baideah, which i* some hours longer than the other open road, which leads us directly from Cairo to Suez, was, in all ]irobability, the very road which the Israelites took to Pihahiroth, on the banks of the Re'' sea. Josephus then, and other authors who copy after him, seem to be too hasty in making the Israelites perfinn tliis journey of ninety or one hunched Roman miles in three days: by reckoning each of the stations that are recorded for one day. Whereas, the Scriptures are altogfther silent with regard to the time or distance, recording the stations only. The fatigue, likewise, would have been abundantly too great, for a nation on foot, encumbered with \he.n dough, 1\\c\t kneading troughs, their little children and cattle, to walk at the rale of thirty Runmn miles a day. Another instanee of the same kind occurs, Exod. xxxiii. 9, where Elim is mentioned as the next " station after Marah, though Elim and Maruh are further distant tiom eacb other than Cairo is from the Red sea. Several intermediate stations, therefore, as well here as in ofher place—, were omitted, the holy pcmiutn contenting himseU" with lajii: j.

D7\ Shaiv's remarhs on the

travels of the Israelites.

down such only as were the most remarkable, or attended with some notable transaction. Succoth, then, the first station from Rameses, signifying; only a place of tents, may have no fixed situation, being proliably nothing more than some considerable Dou-war of the Jshni/ielitcs or Arabs, such as we still meet Willi at fifteen or twenty miles distance from Cairn, in the road to the Red sea. The 7-endc'Zvous of the carcvun which conducted us to Suez was at one of these Dou-wurs, at the same time we saw another at about 67r miles distance, under the mountains o^ Moc-catee, or in the very same direction which the Israelites may be supposed to have taken in their marches from Goshen towards the Red sea.

" That the Israelites, before they turned towards Piha- Jiiroth, had travelled in an open country, (the same way, perhaps, which their forefathers had taken in coming into Egypt] appears to be further illustrated from the following circumstance: that upon their being ordered to remove from the edge of the wilderness, and io encamp before Pihahiroth, it imine diately follows that Phavaoli hhould then say, thei/ are entangled in the land, the wilderness (betwixt the mountains we may sup pose of Gewoiibee and Attadcah) have shut them in, Exod. xiv. 3. or, as it is in the original, (iJD seggar) viam Wis clausit, as that word is explained by Pagninus; for in these circumstances the Egyptians might well imagine that the Israelites could have no possible way to escape, inasmuch as the mountains of Gexuoubee would slop their flight or progress to the southward, as the mountains of Attackah would do the same, towards tiie land of the Philistines; the Red sea likewise lay before them to the east, whilst Pharaoh closed up the valley behind them, with his chariots and horsemen. This valley ends at the sea; in a small bay made by the eastern extremities of the mountains which I have been describing, and is called Tiah-Beni Israel, i. e. the road of the Israelites, by a tradition that is still kept up by the Arabs, of their having passed through it; so it is also called Baideuh, from the new and imheard-of miracle that was wrought near it, by dividing the Red sea, and destroying therein Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. The third notable encampment then of tlie Israelites was at this bay. It was to be before Piliahiroth, betwixt Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-tzephon, Exod. xiv. 2. and in Numb, xxxiii. 7. it was to be before Migdol, where the word li-h tiphne, {before, as we render it,) being applied to Pihahiroth and Migdol, may signify no more than that they pitched within sight of, or at a small distance from the one and the otlier of those places. Whether Buul-tzeplion then may have relation to the northern situation of the place itself, or to some watch-lower or idol temple that was eiecled upon it; we may probably take it for the eastern extremity of the mountains of Suez or Attackah, the most conspicuous of these desarts, inasmuch as it overlooks a great part of the lower Thebais, as well as the wilderness that reaches towards, or which rather makes part of the land of the Philistines. Migdol then might lie to the south, as Baaltzeplion did to the noilh of Pihahiroth; for the marches of the Israelites from the edge of the wilderness being to the seaward, that is, towards the S. E. their encampments betwixt Migdol and the sea, or i(;/'ore Migdol, as it is otherwise noted, could not well have another situation.

" Pihahiroth, or Ilhiroth, rather, without regarding the prefied part of it, may have a more general signification, and denote the valley, or that whole space of ground which extended

itselffrom the edge of the wilderness ni'Etham to the Red sea; for that particular part only, where the Israelites were oidered to encamp, appears to have been called Pilialiiroth, i.e. mvuth <f Ilhiroth; for when Pharaoh overtook them, it wa« in respect to his coming down upon them, Exod. xiv. 9. nTHn 'D71? i. e. besides or at the viouth, or the most advanced p.irl oi Hhiroth to the eastward. Likewise in Numb, xxxiii. T. where the Israelites are related to have encamped before Migdol, it follows, ver. 8. that they departed, ni'Mn '•itSO from before Hhtroth, and not from before Pihahiroth, as it is rendered in our translation.

" There are likewise other circumstances to prove that the Israelites took their departure from this valley, in their passage through the Red sea, for it could not have been to the northward of the mountains of Attackah, or in, the higher road, which I have taken notice of; because as this lies for the most part upon a level, the Israelites could not have been here, as we find they were, shut in and entangled. Neither could it have been on the other side, viz. to the south of the mountains of Gewoubey, for then, (besides the insuperable dilViciihies which the Israelites would have met widi in climbing over them, the same likewise that the Egyptians would have 'had in pursu- \ ing them) the opposite shore could not have been the desartof ■ Shur, where the Israelites landed, Exod. xv. 22. but it would, have been the desart of Maruh, that lay a great way be3'ond it. What is now called Corondel might probably be the southern portion of the desart of Marah, the shore of the Reil sea, from Suez, hitherto having continued to be low and sandy; ' but from Corondel to the port of Tor, the shore is for the most part rocky and mountainous, in the -same manner with the Egyptian coast that lies opposite to it; neither tiie one nor the other of them allbrding any convenient place, cither for the departure of a multitude from the one shore, or the reception of it upon tlie other. And besides, from Comndel to Tot, the channel of the Red sea, which ti-om Suez to Sdur is not above nine or ten miles broad, begins here to be so many leagues, too great a sjiace certainly for the Israelites m the manner they «ere encumbered, to pass over in one night. At Tor the Arabian shore begins to wind itself round about Ptolemy's promontory of P>i.ran, towards the gulph of Eloth, ■ whilst the Egyptian shore retires so far to the south-west that it can scarce be ptrceired. As the Israelites then, for these reasons, could not, according to the opinion of some authors, have landed either at Corondrl or Tor, so neither could they have landed at Ain el Mousah, according to the conjectures of others. Eor if the passage of the Israelites had been so near the extremity of the Red sea, it may be ])rcsumed that the very encampments of six hundred thousand men, besides children, and a mixed multitude, which would amount to as many more, would have spread themselves, even to the further, or the Arabian side of this na.rro\v isthmus, whereby the interposition of Providence would not have been at all necessary: because, in this case, and in diis situation, there could not have been room enough lor the luaters, after they were divided, to have stood on a heap, or to have been a xaall unto them particularly on the left hand. This, moreover, would not have been a division, but a recess o\\\y of the water to the southward. Pharaoh likewise by overtaking them as they were encamped in thfs open situation by the sea, would have easily surrciunded them on all sides. Whereas the contrary seems to be implied by the pillar of the cloud, Exod. xiv. 19, 20. whicli (divided

Dr. Shccw's remarks on ifie

travels of tJie Israelites.

or) came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and tlifreljy lefllhe Lr««/t/e« (provided this cloud should have been removed) in a situation only ofbein"- molested in the rear. For the narrow valley which I have described, and which we may presume was already occupied and filled up behind by the host of 7ii;i//)<, and /)e/o;t I >y the encainpmenls ot'tho /,?- raetiles, would not permit or leave room for the Fy^ptiuns to approach tUeni, either on the rij^ht hand or on the left. Besides if this passage was at Ain Moiisa, how can we account for that remarkable circumstance, Exod. xv. 22. where it is said, that lahen Moxes brought Isratl from the Red sea, they Kent out into (or landed in) the wilderness of Shur. I'or Shitr, a particular di>tnct of the wddemess of Ethim, lies directly fronlinsj the valley, from ^^hich I suppose they departed, but a great many miles to the southward o^ Ain 3Ioum. If they landed likewise at Ain 3Ioum, where there are several fountains, there would have been no occasion for the sacred historian to have ol)served, at the same time, that the Israelites after they went out from the sea into the wilderness of S/iur, went three days in the ivilderness, always directing their marches toward Mmnt Sinai and found 'no water; for which reason Marah is recor.led, ver. 23. to l)e the first place where they found water, as their wandering so far before they found it, seems to make Marah also their first station, after their passage through the Red sea. iSIoreover the channel over against Ain Mousu is not aliove three miles ove-r, whereas that betwixt Sluir or S( (lur and Jibliel Gewoubec and Attackah, is nine or ten, and therelbre capacious enough, as the other would have been too small, for covering or drowning therein, Exod. XV. 28. the chariots and horsemen, and all tite host of Pharaoh. And therefore, by impartially weighing all tiiese arguments together, this important point in the sacred geography, may with more authority be fixod at Sedur, over against the valley of Baideah, than at Tor, Corondel, Ain Jloitsa, or any other place.

" Over against Jibhcl Attackah and the valley of Baideah, IS the desart as it is called of Sdur, the same with Shur, Kxod. XV. 22. where the Israelites landed, after they had passed through the interjacent gulpli of the Red sea. The sitnation of this gulph which is the Jam sujih f|1D C3' the weedy sea, or the tongue oj the Egyptian sea, in the Scripture language; the gulph of Heroopolis in the Greek and Latin geography; and the Western arm, as the Arabian geographers call it, of the sea of Kolzum, stretches itself nearly North and South, and therefore lies very properly situated, to be traversed by tiiat strong ¥.ast-wind which was sent to divide it, Exod. xiv. 21. The division that was thus made in the channel; the making the waters of it to stand on a heap (Ps. Ixxviii. 13) their being a wall to the Israelites, on the right hand and on the left; Exod. xiv. 22. besides the twenty miles distance, at least, of 'his pas-sagc, from the extremity ot the gulph, are circumstances which si.ificiently vouch for the miraculou.mess of it, and no less contradict all such idle suppositions as pretend to account for it, from the nature and quality of tides, or from any such extraordinary recess of the sea, as it seems to have been too rashly compartd to, by Josephus.

" In travelling from Srfifr towards mount Sinai, we come into the desart as it is st 11 calli <1 of Marah, where the Israelites mi t with those bitter waters, or waters of Marah, (Exod. xv. 23.) And as this circumstance did not happen till after they had

wandered three days in the wilderness, we may probably fix these waters at Corondel, where there is still a small rill, which, unless it be diluted by the dews and rain, still continues to be brackish. Near this place, the sea forms itself into a large bay, called Berk el Corondel, i. e. the lake of Corondel; which is remarkable from a strong current, that sets into it from the northward, particularly at the recess of the tide. The Arabs, agreeably to the interpretation of Kolziun (the name (or this sea) preserve a tradition, that a numerous host was formerly drowned at this place, occasioned no doubt, by what is related Exod. xiv. 30. that the Israelites saw the Egyptians (icdi\ upon the sea shore, i.e. all along, as we may presume from Sdur to Corondel; and at Corondel especially, from the assistance and termination of the current as it has been already mentioned.

" There is nothing further remarkable, till we see the Israelites encamped at Elim, Exod. xv. 27. Numb, xxxiii. 9. upon the northern skirls of the desart of Sin, two leagues from Tor, and near thirty from Corondel. I saw no more than nine of the twelve wells that are mentioned by Moses; the otiier three being filled up by those drifts of sand, which are common in Arabia. Yet this loss is amply made up by the great increase of the palm trees, the seren'y having propagated themselves into more than two thousand. Under the shade of these trees is the Hammam Mousa, or bath of JMoses, particularly so called, which the inhabilants of Tor have in great esteem and veneration; acquainting us that it was here, where the household of Moses was encamped.

" ^Ve have a distinct view of mount Sinai from Elim; tlie wilderness, as it is still called, of Sin J»D lying betwixt them. We traversed the^e plains in nine hours; being all the way diverted with the sight of a variety of lizurds and vipers, that are here in great tmmbers. We were afterwai'ds near twelve hours in passing the many windings and ditTicult ways, which lie betwixt these desarts, and those of Sinai. The latter consist of a beautii'ul plain, more than a league in breadth, and nearly three in length; lying open towards the Northeast, where we enter it, but is closed up to the southward, by some of the lower eminences of mount Sinai. In this direction likewise, the higher parts of this mountain, make such encroachments upon the plain that they divide it into two, each of them capacious enough to receive the whole encampment of the Israelites. That which lies to the eastward, may be the desart of Sinai, properly so called, where Moses saw the angel of the Lord in the burning bush, w/ien he was t^uarding the flocks of Jethro, Exod. iii. 2. The convent of St. Catharine is built over the place of this divine appearance.* It is near three hundred foot square, and more than forty in height, being built partly with stone, partly with mud and mortar, mixed together. The more immediate place of the shekinah is honoured with a little chapel, which this old fraternity of St. Basil, has in such esteem and veneration, that, in imitation ot Moses, they put ojf' their shoes from off their feet, whenever tbey enter it. This, with several other chapels dedicated to particiilar saints, are included within the church, as they call it of the transfiguration; which is a large beautiful structure covered with leail, and supported by two rows of marble columns. The floor is very elegantly laid out in a variety of devices in mosaic work. Of the same tesselated workmanship likewise, are both the floor and the walls of the

2>r. Sfmic's remarks on tke

■presbi/teriiim, upon the lalter vliereof is represented the effigies of the Emperor Justinian, together with the history of the iraifjigiiralion. Upoti the partition which separates ihe preslyteriiim from the body of the church, there is placed a small marble sjirine, wherein are preserved the skull and one of the hands of St. Catharine; the rest of the sacred body having been beslowtd at dilferent times, upon such Christian princes, as have contributed to the support of this convent.

" Mount Sinni which hangs over this convent, is called by the Arabs, Jibbel Mousa, i. e. the mountain of Moses; and sometimes only, by way of eminence, El Tor, i. e. the mountain. The summit of mount Sinai is not very spacious; vhere the Blahomcdans, the Latins, and the Greeks have •each of them a small chapel.

" After we had descended, with no small difficulty, down the other, or western side -of this mount, we come into the I plain or wilderness of Kephidim, Exod. xvii. 1. where we see I that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of Mcribah, Exod. xvii. 6. which has contmued down to this day without the least injury from time or accidents. This is rightly called, from its hardness!, Deut. viii. 15. a rock of flint, a^'oVfln IIX Though from tlie purple or reddish colour of it, it may be rather' rendered the rock of:D7n or nobflX amethyst, or the amethystine, or granite rock. It is about six yards square, lying totttring as it were, and loose, near the middle of the valley, and seems to have been formerly, a part or cliff of mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over Ihis plain. The waters which gushed out, and the stream which Jioned tvitkal^ Ps. Ixxviii. 20. have hollowed across one ■comer of this rock, a channel about two inches deep, and twenty wide, all over incrustated like the inside of a tea kettle that has been long used. JBesides several mossy productions, that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this channel a great number of holes, some of them four or five inches deep, and one or two in diameter; the livelj' and demonstrative tokens of their having been formerly so many fountains. Neither could art or chance be concerned in the contrivance; in as much as every circumstance points out lo us a miracle: and, in the same manner, with the rent in the rock of mount Caharj/ in Jerusalem, never fails to produce the greatest seriousness and devotion in all who see it.

■" From mount Sinai, the Israelites directed their marches northward, toward the land of Canaan. The next remarkable encampments, therefore, were in the desart of Paran, which seems to have commenced immediately upon their departing from Hazarotk, three stations, or days' journey, i. e. thirti/ miles, as we will only compute them from Sinai, Numb. X. 33. and xii. lo. And as tradition has continued do«n to us the names of Shur, Marah, and Sin; so it has also that of Paran; the ruins of the late convent of Paran built upon the ruins of an ancient city of that name, (which might give denomination to the wliole of tliat desart) being about the half way betwixt Sinai and Corondcl, which lie at forty leagues distance. This situation of Paran, so far to the South of Kadesh, will illustrate Gen. xiv. 5, 6. where Chederlaomer, and the kings t/iat were with him, are said to have smote the Ilorites in their mount Scir unto El Paran, (i. c. unto the city, as I fake it, of that name) which is in, or by the witdernest. From ihe more advanced))art of the wilderness of Paran, (the same that Jay in the road betwixt Midiaii and

Egypt, 1 Rin. xi. 18.) Moses sent a man out of every tribe to spy out the land of Caniian, Numb, xxiii. 3. who returned to him after forty day% unto the same wilderness, to Kadesh Barnca, Numb, xxxii. 8. Deut. i. 10. and ix. 23. Josh. xiv. 7. This place or city, which in Gen. xiv. T. is called Enmiskpat (i. c. the fountain of Mishpat) is (in Numb, xx 1. xxvii. 14. xSxiii. 36.) called Tzin. Kadesh, or simply Kadesh (as in Gen. xvi. 14. xx. 1.) and being equally ascribed to the de» sart of Tzin J<X, and to the desart of Paran, we may presumethat the desart of Tzin and Paran were one and the same, p{ or C30S may be so called from the plants of divers palm grounds upon it.

" A late ingenious aathor has situated Kadesh Barnea, a place of no small consequence in Scripture history, which we are now enquiring after, at eight hours or t.venty miles distance only, from mount Sinai, which I presume, cannot be admitted for various reasons. Because several texts of Scripture insinuate, that Kadesh lay at a much greater distance. Thus in Deut. i. 9., it is said, they df|)arti:d from Horeb through that great and terrible wilderness (which supposes by far a much greater extent both of time and space) and came to Kadeth Barnea.; and in chap ix. 23. whentlte Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea to possess the land: whicil Numb. X.X. 16. is described to be a city in the uttermost parts of the border of Edom; the border of the land of Edoin and that of the land of promise being contiguous, and in fact the very same. And further, Deut. i. 2. it is expressly said, there are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea: which, from the context, cannot be otherwise understood, than of marching along the direct road. For Moses hereby intimates, how soon the Israelites might have entered upon the borders of the land of promise, if they had not been a stubborn and rebellious people. Whereas the number of their stations betwixt Sinai and Kadesh, as they are particularly enumerated, Nuaib. xxxiii. (each of which must have been at least one day's journey) appear to be near twice as many, or twenty-one, in which they are said with great truth and propriety (Ps. cvii. 4-.) lo have wandered in the icilderncss out of the luay: and in Deut. ii 1. to have compassed mount Seir, rather than to have travelled directly through It. If then we allow ten miles for each of these elevenday.s' journey (and fewer I presume cannot well be insisted upon) the distance of Kadesh from mount Sinai will be about. one hundred and ten miles. That ten miles a day (I mean in a direct line, as laid down in the map, without considering'! the deviations, which are every where, more or les-;) were equivalent to one day's journey, may be further proved from tlR' history of the spies, who searched the land (Ncmb. xiii. 21.) from Kadesh to liehob, as men come to Hamath, and returned in forty days. Reltob then, the farthest point of this expedition lo the northward, may well be conceived to have been twenty days' journey from Kadesh; and therefore to know the true position of Rehob, will be a material piiint in this disquisition. Now it appears from Josh. xix. 29, 30. and Judg. i. 31. that Rehob was one of the maritime cities of the tribe of Ashtr; and lay (in travelling, as we may supufue, by the common or nearest way along the sea coast) riDH N3> Numb. xiii. 2 1. (not, as we render it, as men come to Ilu.mtth, but) as men go towards Hamath. in going to Hamath, or in the way, or road to Ilamatli. For to have searched the land as

Dr. 8110X0*3 remarks on the

ti-avets of the Israelites.

far as Humath, and to have returned to Kadesh in forty daySi wo'ild have been altogether impossible. My^cover, as the tribe of Asker did not reacli beyond Sidon (ibr tliat was its northern boundary, Josli. xix. 28.) Reliob must have been situated to the southward of Sidon, upon, or (beinpf a derivatire perhaps from am latum esse) below in the plain, under a long chain ol mountains, that runs East and ^\'est, through the midst of that tribe. And as these mountains, called by some the mountains of Sartin, are all along, except in the narrow road, which I have mentioned, near the sea, very rugged and difficult to pass over, the spies, who could not well take another way, might imagine they would run too great a risk of being discovered, in attempting to pass through it. For in these eastern countries a watchtiil eye was always, as it is still, kept upon strangers, as we may collect tlotn the history of the two angels at Sodom, Gen. xix. 5. and of the spies at Jericho, Josh. ii. 2. and from otlier instances. If then, we fix Rehob upon the skirts of the plains of Acre, a little to the South of this narrow road, the {Scala Tj/rionwi, an it was afterwards named) somewhere near E-^dippa, the distance betwixt Kadesli and llchoh, will be about tico hundred end ten miles; whereas by placing Kiidesh iwentif miles only from Sinai OT Horeb, the distance will be three hundred and thirty nules. And instead of ten. miles a day, accordmg to J the formei' computation, the spies must ha>e travelled near Iseiiaueen, which for fortt/ days successively, seems to have •been too difficult an expedition in this hot, and consequently, 'fatiguing climate; especially as they were on foot, or footpads, a.s:D'7J'10 (their a))pLliation in the original) may))robably import. These geographical circumstances tlierefoie, tlius corresponding with what is aciually known of those countries at this time, should induce us to situate Kndesh, as I have already done, one hundred and ten miles to the northward of mount Sinai, and forty-two miles to the westward of Elnth, near Callah Nahar, i. e. the castle of the river or fountain, (probably the Ain Mishpat) a noted station of the Muhomedans in their pilgrimage to Mecca.

From Kadesh the Israelites were ordered to turn into the wilderness by the v;iiy of the Red sea, (Numb. xiv. 25. Deut. 1. 40.) i. e. they were at this time, in punishment of their Hiurmurings, infidelity, and disobedience, to advani'e no farther northward, towards tlie land of Canaan. Now, these marches are called the compassing of mount Seir, Deut. ii. 1. and the passing by from the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain of Eloth and Ezion-gubcr, ver. 8. The wandering, therefore, of the children of Israel, during the space of thirty-eight years, Deut. ii. 14. was tonfnied, in all probability, to that neck of land only which lies bounded by the gulphs of Eloth and lleroopolis. If then, I we could adjust the true position of Eloth, we should gain ', one considerable point towards the better laying down, and ' circumscribing, this mountainous tract, where the Israelites ' Wandered for so many years. Now, there is an universal consent among Geographers, that nS'P Eloth, Allah, or Aelana, as it is ditll-rently named, was situated ujjon the northern extremity of the gulph of that name, i'lokmy, indeed, places it forty-five 7ninutes to the South of lleroopolis, and \ nearly three degrees to the East; whereas Abulfeda, whose: later authority, and perhaps greater experience, should be more regarded, makes the ext*emities of tjie two gulphs to

He nearly in the same parallel, though without recording the distance between them. 1 have been often infonned by the Mahomcdan pilgrirjis, who, in their way to Mecca, pass by them both, that they direct their marches from Kairo Eastward, till they amve at Callah Accaba, or the ca»tle (situated below the mountains) of Accaba, upon the Elanitic point of the Red sea. Here they begin to travel betwixt the South and."^outll-ea5t, with their faces directly toward.i Mecca, which lay hitherto upon their right l>pnd; having ' made III all, from Adjcroute, ten miles to the North Northwest of ^'ut•^, to this castle, a journey of seventy l\o»n. But as this whole tract is very mountainous, the road must consequently be attended with gieat variety o( windings and turnings, which would hinder them from making any greater progress, than at the rate, we will suppose, of about half a league an hour. Eloih, then, (which is the place of a Turkish garrison at present, as it was a presidium of the Romans in former time,) will lie. according to this calculation, about otwt hundred and forty rniles from Adjeroute, in an East by South direction; a position which will likewi>e receive farther confirmation, from the distance that is assigned to it from Gaza, 111 the old geography. For, as this distance was one hundred and fifty Roman iniles, according to Pliny, or one hundred and ffiy-seven, according to other authors, Eloth could not have had a more southern situation than latitude twenty-nine degrees, forty minutes; neither Could it have bad a more northern latitude, insomuch as this would have so far invalidated a just observation of Straho's, who makes Heroopolis and reltt.sium to be much nearer each other than Eloth and Orizu. And, besides, as Gaza is well known to lie in latitude, thirty-one degrees forty minutes, (as we have placed Eloth in latitude twenty-nine degreesforty minutes,) the dlfl'erence of latitude betwixt thcni will be two degrees or one hundred and menty geographical miles; which converted into Roman miles, (seventy-jiie auii a Aa//" of which make one degree) wc have the very distance (especially as they lie nearly under the same meridian), that is ascribed to them above by Strabo and Pliny. Yet, notwithstanding this point may be gained, it would be too daring an attempt, even to pretend to trace out above two or three of the encampments mentioned. Numb. xxxlii. though the greatest part of them was, in all probability, confined to this tract of Arabia I'etraa, which I have bounded to the East by the meridian of Eloth, and to the West by that of lleroopolis; Kadesh lying near, or upon, the skirts of it to the northward.

" However, one of their more southern stations, after thev had left mount Sinai, and Paran, seems to have been at Ezion-gaber; which being tlie place from whence Solomon's navy went for gold to Ojhir, 1 Kings ijf. 26. 2 Chron. viii. J 7. we may be induced to take it for the present, Meennh el Dsahub, i.e. the pan of gold. According lo the account I had of this place from the monies of St. Catharire, it lies in the gulph of Eloth, betwixt two and ilirec days' journey from them, — enjoying a.spacioii.s harbour; from whtnce they are sometimes supplied, as I have already mentioned, with plenty of lobsteis and shell fish. Mccr.ah el Dsaliah, therefore, trom this circumstance, may be nearly at the same distance Iroin Snicz with Tor; from whence thev are likewise furnished with the same provisions, which, unlrs* they are brought with the utmost expedition, frequently?. O

Dr. Shcm's remarks on the

travels of the Israelites.

corrupt and putrify, I have ilrfady given the distance between the North-west part of the desart of Sin, and mount Sinai to be tv:en!y-ont liours; and if we farther add three hours, (the distance betwixt the desart of Sin and the port of Tor, fium whence these fish are obtained), we shall have, in all, iiventij-fnur hours; i. e. in round numbers, about si.\ty miles. Ezion-guber, consequently may he a little more or less at l!>9t distance fri;m Sinai; because the days' journeys which the monks speak of, are not, perhaps, to be considered as ordinary and common ones; but such as are made in hastp, that the fish may arrive in good condition.

" In the description of the East, p. 1 57, Ezion-gaber is placed to the South-east of Elotk, and at two or three miles only from it; which, I presuuie, cannot be admitted. For, as Eloth itself is situated upon the very point of tlie gulph, Ezion gaber, by lying to the South-east of it, would belong to the land of Midian; whereas Ezion-guber was, undoubtedly a sea-port in the land of Edorn; as we learn from the authorities above related, viz. where king Solomon is said to have made a navy of sliips in Ezion-gaber, which is rh^V nx beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Eilom. Here it may be observed, thai the word ns which we render beside (viz.) Eloth, should be rendered, together iviih Eloth; not denoting any vicinity between them, but that they were both of tliem ports of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.

" From Ezion-gaber the Israelites turned back again to Kadcsh, with an intent to direct their marches that way into the land of Canaan. But upon Edom's refusing to give Israel passage through his border, (Numb. xx. 18.) they turned OMMy front him to the right hand, as I suppose, towards mount Hor, (Numb xx. 21.) which might lie to the eastward of Kadesh, in the road from thence to the Red sea; and as the soul of the children of Israel is said to have been here 7nuch discouraged because of the uay, it is very probable tliat mount Hor was the same chain of mountains that are now called Accaba by the Arabs, and were the eastermost range, as we may take them to be, of Ptolemy's /nfMva ofn above described. Here, from the badness of the road, and the many rugged

passes that are to be surmounted, the Mahomedan pilgriva lose a number of camels, and are no less fatigued than the Israelites were formerly in getting over them. I have already hinted, that this chain of mountains, the /yitXana ojn of Ptolemy, leached from Varan to Judea. Pctra, therefore, according to its later name, the metropolis of this part of Arabia, may well be supposed to lie among them, and to have been left by t!ie Israelites, on their lefl hand, in journeying toward BJoab. Yet it will be difficult to determine the situation of this city, for want of a sufficient number of geographical data to proceed upon. In the old geography, Pctra is placed one hundred and thirty-five miles to the eastward of Gaza, and four days journey from Jericho, to the southward. But neither of these distances can be any ways accounted for; the first being too great, the other too deficient. For, as we may well suppose Petra to lie near, or upon the border o( 3Ioab, seven days' journey would be the least; the same that the three kings took thither, 2 Kings iii. 9. (by fetching a compass, as we imagine), from Jerusalem, vvhich was nearer to that border than Jericho. However, at a medium, Peira lay, in all probability, about the half way betwixt the South extremity of the Asphaltic lake, and the gulph of Eloth, and may be therefore fixed near the confines of the country of the Midianites and Moabites, at seventy miles distance from Kadesh, towards the North-east; aixl eighty-five from Gaza, to the South. According to Joseplivs, it was formerly called jirce, which Bochart supposes to be a corruption of Rekem, the true and ancient name. The Ainalekites, so frequently mentioned in.Scripture, were once seated in the neighbourhood of this place, who were succee<led by the Nabathccans, a people no less famous in profane history. From mount Hor, the direction of their marches through Zahnona, Punon, &c. seems to have been between the North and Nortli-ea.st. For it does not appear, that they icnndered any more in the ivildeniess out of the direct ■txay that was to conduct them through the country of Moah^ (Numb. xiii.."^8, 49.) into the land of promise." SUAW'S Travels, chap. v. p. 304, &c. 4to. edition.

It may be necessary to inform the reader, that the map which accompanies this book, has been constructed from the very best authorities, and mitch pains have been taken to make it correct. Great difficulty however, has occurred in laying down the different places; no two travellers agreeing in their accounts of the positions, bearings, and distances of the towns, villages, mountains, &e. which they mention. The confusion here is indescribable, and 1 am far from supposing that every difficulty is removed, by the pains that have been taken to correct and reconcile others. Several embarrassments still rcinaiii, but they are not such as affect the general accuracy of the map. The position of Egypt, the Nile, Mediterranean sea, Red sea, with its Heroopolitic and Elanitic gulphs, the Desart or Stony Arabia, Mount Sinai, and the Promised Land, are, 1 hope, sufficiently correct.

Though I have inserted the preceding remarks fiom Dr. Shaw, yet, as many respectable writers differ from him in some ])ositions and distances, 1 could not construct the map so as to tally with his account, much less with his map, which is obviously incorrect: therefore the reader must not be surprized if he find some stations, not exactly in the places in which Dr. Shaw lays them down. The difficulty of placing these correctly in a tMctless wilderness, which has never been accurately measured, will at once plead both his excuse and mine.

The track of the jouruof of the hmelites, 1 have laid down exactly from Dr. Shaw's map: but this difiers widely from Calniet and others. The fortif-treo stations, mentioned Numb, xxxiii. I could not pretend to lay down v/i'.h any degree of correctness, as most that has been said on the subject, appears to me to be founded rather on coj-jecture than facts.

V, batever errata may be discovered in tins book, on a close revision, shall be noticed in a subsequent part of the work.

rSi WHAT VKAIt OF THE WOULD, IN WFIAT YEAfl BEFORE CHRIST, IN WHAT. YEAR FROM THE DELUGE, AND W WHAT YEAR rUOM THEIR DKPARTURE VROM EGYPT, EACH EVENT HAPPENED;