jeanflop/post_ocr_correction2 huggingface dataset:
in the Transvaal in the autumn of 1903 during the Boer war. On my journey from Rustenberg to Klerksdorp, in order to avoid passing by day a spot where I had previously seen a party of Boers who had leveled their guns on me but had not fired, I drove by night, and was suddenly enveloped in Egyptian darkness with dense clouds hurrying over the Magaliesberg and pouring sleet and rain in true tropical fashion. The lightning and thunder were such as I had never seen. The reflected light from the sheet of water following on it, of the uninterrupted lightning. Twice I imagined I was struck. While the thunder as it reverberated between the Magaliesberg and the Witwatersberg was truly appalling. The small blockhouses were a mile apart but I could not go to them as the sentries had orders to fire without challenge, between sunset and sunrise. At the end of it all, I had to walk up the long slope of a constabulary post ramp, with my hands up, praying to God that the sentry would not fire. At the top of the hill, I was welcomed by Lieutenant King of the Constabulary (an old Imperial Light Horse trooper who had had four bullets inside him), and with two hot rum punches inside me, I was sent to sleep in a Boer trek wagon, as comfortable a berth as I ever had in my life. As the year advanced, and the pastures, plentiful though they were in the area surrounding Kadesh Barnea, were eaten down by the sudden influx of the Israelites with their numerous flocks and herds, the Israelites had to trek to the pastures round the other Kadesh on the other side of the Arabah. At Kadesh of Meribah was another Mount of God, on which Moses lived and communed, and had time and leisure to develop the Law of Israel. As the autumn came round, the Israelites found themselves back at Kadesh Barnea. On the return of the second September, and, with it, the quail season on the Mediterranean coast just three days’ journey
Horse trooper who had had four bullets inside him), and with two hot rum punches inside me, I was sent to sleep in a Boer trek wagon, as comfortable a berth as I ever had in my life. As the year advanced, and the pastures, plentiful though they were in the area surrounding Kadesh Barnea, were eaten down by the sudden influx of the Israelites with their numerous flocks and herds, the Israelites had to trek to the pastures round the other Kadesh on the other side of the Arabah. At Kadesh of Meribah was another Mount of God, on which Moses lived and communed, and had time and leisure to develop the Law of Israel. As the autumn came round, the Israelites found themselves back at Kadesh Barnea. On the return of the second September, and, with it, the quail season on the Mediterranean coast just three days’ journey off, the Israelites insisted on revisiting the sea shore and trapping quail as they had done on the previous September at the mouth of the Pelusiac Branch of the Nile. Moses, who knew well the danger they ran, for Egypt had had time to re-establish her authority along the Philistine road, said with a fine irony: "Ye have wept saying who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days nor twenty days; but a whole month until it comes out at your nostrils and it be loathsome to you." However, as they fell upon the quails, they neglected their encampments where a serious fire destroyed a large number of tents and caused the camp to be named Taberah or "Conflagration". As dry fuel was scarce, they must not only have eaten of the quails raw, but devoured them in such quantities that a severe plague broke out among them to which many succumbed. Calling the site of the disaster Kibroth-Hatavah or the "Gluttons’ graves", they hurried back to
road, said with a fine irony: "Ye have wept saying who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days nor twenty days; but a whole month until it comes out at your nostrils and it be loathsome to you." However, as they fell upon the quails, they neglected their encampments where a serious fire destroyed a large number of tents and caused the camp to be named Taberah or "Conflagration". As dry fuel was scarce, they must not only have eaten of the quails raw, but devoured them in such quantities that a severe plague broke out among them to which many succumbed. Calling the site of the disaster Kibroth-Hatavah or the "Gluttons’ graves", they hurried back to Kadesh, glad indeed that they had not been fallen upon by some passing Egyptian troops or marauders, for the road of the Philistines was the highway between Egypt and Palestine. In Deuteronomy, the "Temptation" of Massah, the "Conflagration" of Taberah, and the "Gluttons’ graves" of Kibroth-Hatavah are put together. They were all in the vicinity of Kadesh Barnea. The appointment of the seventy elders to act as intermediaries between Moses and the people gave Moses a fine opportunity of showing the best side of his character. Seeing them capable of exhorting and stirring up the people, Joshua asked Moses to rebuke them. And Moses said unto him, "Art thou jealous for my sake? Would God that all the people were prophets and that the spirit were put upon all of them." The Israelites journeyed to Kadesh of Meribah a second time and returned to Kadesh Barnea greatly fatigued by the journey. It must have been a year of deficient rainfall, and finding life in the wilderness very trying, Moses decided to send spies into Palestine to spy out the country and see if advantage could be taken of the drought to get a foothold in the country. As the direct
were all in the vicinity of Kadesh Barnea. The appointment of the seventy elders to act as intermediaries between Moses and the people gave Moses a fine opportunity of showing the best side of his character. Seeing them capable of exhorting and stirring up the people, Joshua asked Moses to rebuke them. And Moses said unto him, "Art thou jealous for my sake? Would God that all the people were prophets and that the spirit were put upon all of them." The Israelites journeyed to Kadesh of Meribah a second time and returned to Kadesh Barnea greatly fatigued by the journey. It must have been a year of deficient rainfall, and finding life in the wilderness very trying, Moses decided to send spies into Palestine to spy out the country and see if advantage could be taken of the drought to get a foothold in the country. As the direct advance into Palestine would have aroused the suspicions of the Canaanites, the spies went round by the desert of Zin and the eastern border of Edom, as far north as the Lebanon, and then came back to Kadesh Barnea, doubtless as Arab traveling merchants, bringing back with them bunches of grapes from near Hebron. They had spent forty days on their mission. Ten of the spies so greatly discouraged the people, that Caleb and Joshua could in no wise prevail on them to go up and attack the country. Moses passed judgment on the generation of slaves born in Egypt, and declared that Caleb and Joshua alone of the whole of that generation would enter the land of Canaan. The rest would wander in the wilderness until they had died out and were replaced by their hardy desert-born children. Furious at their condemnation, the people, without leaders, made a foolhardy advance into Canaan from the south, but they were driven back with heavy loss. Nothing remained for them but to face the inevitable and return to the wilderness. The questions of manna, of the gradual change of the country from wilderness to desert, and of the numbers of the Israelites,
grapes from near Hebron. They had spent forty days on their mission. Ten of the spies so greatly discouraged the people, that Caleb and Joshua could in no wise prevail on them to go up and attack the country. Moses passed judgment on the generation of slaves born in Egypt, and declared that Caleb and Joshua alone of the whole of that generation would enter the land of Canaan. The rest would wander in the wilderness until they had died out and were replaced by their hardy desert-born children. Furious at their condemnation, the people, without leaders, made a foolhardy advance into Canaan from the south, but they were driven back with heavy loss. Nothing remained for them but to face the inevitable and return to the wilderness. The questions of manna, of the gradual change of the country from wilderness to desert, and of the numbers of the Israelites, have already been considered in the lecture I gave on "The Ten Plagues of Egypt and the passage of the Red Sea." The Israelites were thoroughly weary of the manna before the first year was over, and doubtless fell back on it only when all else failed. They found many resources as Bedouin living in the wilderness; with their flocks and herds, whose produce they could exchange for corn in Egypt, Edom and Moab; with their hiring themselves out for transport; with the rearing of animals; and with commercial undertakings. If the Khans of the Tel-el-Amarna tablets had been Hebrews who had trekked out of the Egyptian Gosben into Palestine, it is more than probable that the Israelites during their forty years’ wanderings in the wilderness hired themselves out as free-lances ready to fight for any one making them a good offer. In this way they all of them probably learnt the art of war which served them so well in after years. The laws of Moses were modeled on the laws of Hammurabi, which were evidently the legal code of Western Asia. On my first visit to Babylon, I met Dr. Koldewey who had excavated there for years and
resources as Bedouin living in the wilderness; with their flocks and herds, whose produce they could exchange for corn in Egypt, Edom and Moab; with their hiring themselves out for transport; with the rearing of animals; and with commercial undertakings. If the Khans of the Tel-el-Amarna tablets had been Hebrews who had trekked out of the Egyptian Gosben into Palestine, it is more than probable that the Israelites during their forty years’ wanderings in the wilderness hired themselves out as free-lances ready to fight for any one making them a good offer. In this way they all of them probably learnt the art of war which served them so well in after years. The laws of Moses were modeled on the laws of Hammurabi, which were evidently the legal code of Western Asia. On my first visit to Babylon, I met Dr. Koldewey who had excavated there for years and found nothing strikingly important. He told me that M. de Morgan had only been excavating for a short time at Susa, the ancient capital of Persia, when he found the tablets containing the laws of the greatest of the Babylonian kings, and which Cyrus must probably have had transported from Babylon when he conquered the city. This was the most important find that the East has yet yielded. The laws of Hammurabi were so good that Moses showed great judgment in changing as much as he could. Some of the additions he made touched the high water mark of even Bible excellence. I give one as an example: "When thou beatest the olive tree, thou shalt not go over the bundles again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow. When thou reapest thy harvest in the field and hast forgotten a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow. And thou
Babylon when he conquered the city. This was the most important find that the East has yet yielded. The laws of Hammurabi were so good that Moses showed great judgment in changing as much as he could. Some of the additions he made touched the high water mark of even Bible excellence. I give one as an example: "When thou beatest the olive tree, thou shalt not go over the bundles again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow. When thou reapest thy harvest in the field and hast forgotten a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless and for the widow. And thou shalt remember that thou was a slave in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing." The tent of meeting, or the tabernacle, was a simple nomad tent which Moses used to take and pitch outside the camp. In the primitive sanctuary, the only attendant was Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim. According to the early regulations, the only form of altar which it was permissible to erect was one of earth or unplowed stone; the use of any metal polluted it. The tent and all its belongings were transported from place to place in four wagons. This tent had to be pitched outside the camp as within its outer walls was kept burning a fire, smothered by day to emit smoke, and bright by night to give light. (As explained in the last lecture, this was the only way in which the tribes scattered over the wilderness could be guided.) It would have been dangerous to keep it near the other tents. When, later in the wanderings, Joshua’s place was taken by Aaron and his sons; two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, signalled their entry into office by using strange fire, otherwise by treating
Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim. According to the early regulations, the only form of altar which it was permissible to erect was one of earth or unplowed stone; the use of any metal polluted it. The tent and all its belongings were transported from place to place in four wagons. This tent had to be pitched outside the camp as within its outer walls was kept burning a fire, smothered by day to emit smoke, and bright by night to give light. (As explained in the last lecture, this was the only way in which the tribes scattered over the wilderness could be guided.) It would have been dangerous to keep it near the other tents. When, later in the wanderings, Joshua’s place was taken by Aaron and his sons; two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, signalled their entry into office by using strange fire, otherwise by treating the fire unskilfully. It may be that the men were intoxicated, because in Leviticus the injunction that neither Aaron nor any of his sons was to drink strong drink when they went to the tent of meeting immediately follows this incident. Nadab and Abihu themselves were burnt to death; and as the primitive tent with its enclosure was small, they, in all probability, had set fire to it too. Its place was taken by something more ambitious, but the new tent of meeting cannot have assumed the proportions imagined by the priestly commentators; for nothing short of the railway being laid down today by General Allenby could have transferred it from place to place. Aaron’s rod that budded can only be compared to the Indian conjurer’s seed that bears leaves and fruit; and it is possible that this mystery has a hoar antiquity and has come down from ancient Egypt. It was used to gain that kind of influence which is the special preoccupation of the priestly caste, and we can see in it the handiwork, not of Moses, but of Aaron, who had not hesitated on another occasion to preserve his primacy by making a golden calf for the
as the primitive tent with its enclosure was small, they, in all probability, had set fire to it too. Its place was taken by something more ambitious, but the new tent of meeting cannot have assumed the proportions imagined by the priestly commentators; for nothing short of the railway being laid down today by General Allenby could have transferred it from place to place. Aaron’s rod that budded can only be compared to the Indian conjurer’s seed that bears leaves and fruit; and it is possible that this mystery has a hoar antiquity and has come down from ancient Egypt. It was used to gain that kind of influence which is the special preoccupation of the priestly caste, and we can see in it the handiwork, not of Moses, but of Aaron, who had not hesitated on another occasion to preserve his primacy by making a golden calf for the Israelites to worship, and then by excusing himself on the plea that he had also made the people intoxicated. The Bible records are no respecters of persons however highly they might be placed. It may seem extraordinary that sleights of hand, like the feat of changing a rod into a serpent on one occasion, and making it a bud on another, should have made such an impression on primitive peoples; but the court of the Pharaohs of the XVIIIth dynasty was a highly civilized one for those times and yet the official magicians were always present to confirm the interpretations of the priests. These prints of a very old world belief, every line in which proclaims their great antiquity, are one of the proofs that the documents with which we are dealing are as old as they profess to be. And yet those who, when these prints are absent, insist upon the documents being comparatively modern; are the first to insist, when they are present, that the documents are not modern enough to be worthy of the Bible. The writers of the documents were the children of the age in which they lived, and their beliefs were the stepping stones
serpent on one occasion, and making it a bud on another, should have made such an impression on primitive peoples; but the court of the Pharaohs of the XVIIIth dynasty was a highly civilized one for those times and yet the official magicians were always present to confirm the interpretations of the priests. These prints of a very old world belief, every line in which proclaims their great antiquity, are one of the proofs that the documents with which we are dealing are as old as they profess to be. And yet those who, when these prints are absent, insist upon the documents being comparatively modern; are the first to insist, when they are present, that the documents are not modern enough to be worthy of the Bible. The writers of the documents were the children of the age in which they lived, and their beliefs were the stepping stones on which we have arrived at the knowledge of our day. Of those who belittle all except those of their own standard, and that often a poor one, it has been well said: Who feels contempt for any living thing that has never used its faculties. And thought with him is in its infancy. During the thirty-eight years following the return of the spies, the tribe of Judah, by intermarriages, settled itself firmly south of Palestine, while Reuben, Gad and Manasseh traveled around Edom and settled in the eastern side of the Jordan. Asher apparently went still further north and settled north of Mount Carmel. The other tribes, led by Ephraim, stayed with Moses and Joshua. Towards the end of the wanderings, when Aaron was an old man and the question of the succession to the priesthood came to the front, Korah and his company disputed the right of the family of Aaron to monopolize the Priesthood. In the serious struggle between the parties, Korah was worsted, after he had apparently taken possession of the tent of meeting. This tent with its fire always burning, was a dangerous addition to an encampment, and, in the struggle, the tents of Korah’s
is in its infancy. During the thirty-eight years following the return of the spies, the tribe of Judah, by intermarriages, settled itself firmly south of Palestine, while Reuben, Gad and Manasseh traveled around Edom and settled in the eastern side of the Jordan. Asher apparently went still further north and settled north of Mount Carmel. The other tribes, led by Ephraim, stayed with Moses and Joshua. Towards the end of the wanderings, when Aaron was an old man and the question of the succession to the priesthood came to the front, Korah and his company disputed the right of the family of Aaron to monopolize the Priesthood. In the serious struggle between the parties, Korah was worsted, after he had apparently taken possession of the tent of meeting. This tent with its fire always burning, was a dangerous addition to an encampment, and, in the struggle, the tents of Korah’s party were in great part burnt down. Moses and Aaron were now very old men, and, on the last occasion on which they encamped together at Kadesh of Meribah, owing to deficient rainfall they had serious difficulties over water. Moses on this occasion, did not act with his usual resourcefulness, and stood self-condemned before the Lord at Meribah. It was evident that he no longer possessed the power of leading the people; and speaking unadvisedly with his lips, he ordered the people to go northwards to Kadesh Barnea along the western border of Edom to make a second attack on Palestine from the south. Broken-hearted, Aaron died at Mount Hor near Peor and left Moses to conduct the campaign alone. The Canaanites were ready for them; and, with heavy hearts, they had to return to Kadesh of Meribah to the extreme south of Edom. Moses had now accepted the inevitable, and, doubtless, under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites marched along the eastern border of Edom, towards the sun rising, skirted the eastern border of Moab, and fell on the Amorites who had recently crossed the Jordan and conquered the northern part of Moab opposite the northern half of the
and stood self-condemned before the Lord at Meribah. It was evident that he no longer possessed the power of leading the people; and speaking unadvisedly with his lips, he ordered the people to go northwards to Kadesh Barnea along the western border of Edom to make a second attack on Palestine from the south. Broken-hearted, Aaron died at Mount Hor near Peor and left Moses to conduct the campaign alone. The Canaanites were ready for them; and, with heavy hearts, they had to return to Kadesh of Meribah to the extreme south of Edom. Moses had now accepted the inevitable, and, doubtless, under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites marched along the eastern border of Edom, towards the sun rising, skirted the eastern border of Moab, and fell on the Amorites who had recently crossed the Jordan and conquered the northern part of Moab opposite the northern half of the Dead Sea and the town of Jericho. On the road they were greatly troubled by dangerous snakes, it was here that Moses made his bronze serpent. It is not improbable that the serpent’s head was made sufficiently hot to cauterize the bites and save the lives of those who were bitten. It is stated that it was fiery and that it was put on a pole, undoubtedly because it could not have been held in the hand. This bronze serpent remained long with the Israelites, and was eventually destroyed by living Hezekiah, because, instead of using it rationally, they foolishly began worshiping it. It was undoubtedly on the eastern side of the Jordan in the territory of the children of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, that Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben disputed Moses’ authority to appoint a successor to himself. I say this, for two reasons; one is, that it was the tribes settled on the east of the Jordan which made the revolt. The tribe of Reuben with which was incorporated the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh were evidently the offenders (Numbers, xvi and xxvii 3). The other reason is to my mind