The sun., 1897-01-24


trouble himself much over the escape Of band
Of serfs. Prot. Ms,pero has given his reasons
for assiEninG the Exodus TO this period In let
ter TO q. Eiehtbsi, but thor hsve been accepted
only by Wiedmann In his Egyptian History"
VI.
This much we know from the scriptural mar
rative-thst having croe.>d the Red Sea the
Israelites pu -sued their course To the northeast
on the usual road leading Into Syria aud then.
turning toward the south. at length arrived at
Sinai. WHISTLER We assign the Exodus TO tho
reign OF Menephtsh or to that of seu H., II was
q moment when the nations OF Asia were STIR
ring. To proceed straight to Canaan by the
beaten track would have been to run the risk OF
encountering their moving hordee, or or jostlinR
against the EEyrtian troops who stili eerrisoned
the outlying stronsholds on the east The fugi-
lives had therefore. to shun the great military
roads, TO avoid coming into murderous con-
hict with the barbarisns. or running Into the
teeth OF Pharaoh's pursuing armv The des-
ert offered an appropriate asylum to people OF
nomadio inciinations like themselves; they be-
took themselves to itas II By instinct, and spcnt
there wsnqering i'fo for several generations.
Prof Maspero comedies that this explanation OF
the wanderines of the lsrseiites has been doubted
W most historians bot lie submits that IL has q
eoRehcr. once We admit tho reality OF the
sojourn IN EGYPT and the Exodus It's certain
that the israsiites whom they set out from Egypt
were not yet nation They were but confused
horde. lying with their herds from their pur-
suers; with no resources. badly armed. and unht
to sustain the attack of regular troops. After
leaving Sinai. they wandered for some time
among th" solitudes OF Arabia P"tres In search
ofsoms uninhabited country where theJ could NJ
their tents. and at length settled on the borders
OF idun@a. IN the mountainous regions sur
rounding hadesh-Barnea- kadesh had from
ancient umes reputation for sanctity among
tho Bedouins OF the neirhborhood It rejoiced
In the possession OF wonderful weli-the Well
OF 1udement-to which visits were made for
the purpose OF worship and for obtaining the
Judgment" OF God. The country Is a poor one.
arid and burnt up But II contains wells which
never fall. ana wsdys. or valleys, suitable for
the culture OF sheep and for the rearing Of cat
Tie. rowing trtoe which became possessed OF
. region In which there was perennial supply
OF water was fortunate indeed. and fragment
OF thc psalmody OF Israel A. the time OF
their sojourn here still echoes In . measure the
transports OF JOY TO which the people gave way
At the discovery OF . new spring: Spring mp.
well; sinE ye unto IL: the well which the
princes diFGod. which tho noble, Of the people
delved with the sceptrs and with their staves."
The wanderers took possession OF this region
after some successful brushes with the enemy
and settled there without being further troubled
by their neighbors or By their former master.
Tho Egyptians. indeed. absorbed in their civil
discords or In warn with foreign nations.
soon forgot their rscrred slaves and never
troubled themselves for centuries over what
had become Of the poor wretches. until IN the
timss Of the Ptolsmics. whom they had
learned from the Bible something of the people
OF God. they began to seek In their own annals