Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-07-07
Moses and the Red Nile.

Tho account OF the turning OF the
waters Of the n ile Into blood IL found
In Exodus vili 1925. Al the command
Of God, Moses stretched out the SYM
bOlic rod, itself a miraculous pOrtent,
over tho waters and Emote tue Milo la
tho uight Of Pharaoh, "and all the
waters that were In the river were
turned % blood. Ana the flsh that was
IN the river died; and the givur stauk,
ana the Egyptians could not drink OF
tits water OF the TivBT.h The miracle
extended 10 all tho canals anu Tesur-
voifs, and even domestic supplies Of
Egypt; ~ verse 10 says; "Upon their
streams loanalel upon their rivers
totanohes OF the Nae, anu upon their
ponds lor Lakes aud upon all their
pools Of water fosoryoiul,
and upon the water both IN vessels OF
wool ana Ia vessels OF stone"-thst ~,
the stone cisIeTns Ut tho corners
OF the streets, ana tho domestic
vessels In the houses. la this
account, may not one cay In passing
that ia the very description OF the
operation Of tho plague tho Historian
proves his intimate acquaintance with
the details OF this geography Of Egypt,
aud VI tho home llio oi itu people,
which In strongly presumptivo Of per-
snnAl observation Of what he describes?
Hut 1 do not dwell on this. | want 10
deal with the main fact OF the plague
the water turned into blood. Is there
anything ike II lousy In the phenume-
va Of tho Nil,2 That 10, IA there any
natural condition Of the Nile which
tue miracle could lay hold Of and by
naturalization produce tho plagut2
For answer lot me begin with n quota.
ton from OsbuTn's Monumental HI.
tory Of Egypt" II will lead up to the
full eXplanAuUn. "lho sum-" snya
Mr.. OsburD. "wHs just tislng over the
Arabian billie, ana | was surprised 10
sec that tho moment It's beams struck
tho water n deep rcd reflection was
caused. Tho Intensity OF the red grew
with tuO increase Of tho light, 10 that
eyen before the disk VI the sun had
risen completely above the hills the
Nile offered the appearance Of a river
OF blood. SuspeCtiug some Illusion, |
rose quickly, aud leaning over tho side
OF thu boat, found my first impression
cOuflTmeu. YnD VutlfB mass OF the
waters was opaque anu VI DARK red,
more like blood than anything ,lso o.
which could compare 1t. At the
same limo / saw that the river had
risen some inches curing tue night,
aud the Arabs came ~ tell mo II was
the Red Nile"
| DO HJt USE this common phenome.
non OF the Nile, ~ an explanation Oi
tho plague, ueoau'D the Red Nile, al
though lt bias tho appearance Of bi1od,
has none Of Tue other deadly effects OF
tho miracle.
GA the contrary, II IL said that the
waters Of tho Rsl Nlie are specially
delicious aud IelTeshiug. But yet II
does point US In the direction we must
70 for our geographical Identification
OF the natural pheunmouOn anu the
miraculous plague. For the reddeuiug
msluriul which Ia Ia tho change, Hui
which may DO healthy IN degree OF
moderation, may become fatal whou
present IN an excess such On the plague
takes for granted. Tho question IL, II
there what may be- called = hlOol ma.
,0rigl preaout In the comm N phr.
nUm0nuL? and Is there any proof thut
II can assume such deadly inteuslflc4.
ton as IL seen In the miIgcll2 The
uaturailst EhTenbUTg hHs inves.i.
gated the cause Of this blood.
rod appearance VI the Nile, anu has
shown that It aflses from the pres.