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fled against it: and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

V. 29. But the children of Israel walked upon dry-land in the midst of the sea: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Ch. xv. ver. 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red-sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur: and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

V. 23. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah; for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

V. 27. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

What is in the 22d verse called the wilderness of Shur, was the same as the wilderness of Etham; as we learn from the sacred historian, when he is describing the same events in another place.

Numbers xxxiii. 1. These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt

V. 3. And they departed from Rameses in the first

month

V. 5. And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.

V. 6. And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.

V. 7. And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.

V. 8. And they departed from before Pi-hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea, into the wilderness, and went three days journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.

V. 9. And they removed from Maraḥ, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees

Concerning the Place of their Departure.

It is said, when they left Egypt, that they journeyed from Rameses, which we know to have been Goshen under another name. The regular road to Canaan was downward, by the way which led to Gaza and Philistim. But it pleased God to lead them by a different direction, through the way of the wilderness of the Red-sea, Exodus xiii. 18. Upon leaving Ra meses they passed by Latopolis, as we are informed by Josephus, and made their first encampment at Succoth, which, as we may infer from Antoninus, was little more than thir

ty miles. By the name of this place is signi fied an inclosure, consisting of pens and booths for cattle. It was probably built for a receptacle, in which the Egyptians secured and foddered their flocks and herds during the inundation of the Nile. The Grecians in Egypt called these places Μανδραι, and Σκηναι, and the Roman Scene; of which there are two mentioned by Antoninus, and other writers. The one was above Babylon in Upper Egypt, and called Scenæ Mandræ; both which words are of the same signification as Succoth. The other was stiled Scene Veteranorum; and from its situation, as well as the purport of the name, was probably the very place which the Egyptians called Succoth. For it lay directly in the road to the Red-sea, and was at a very proper distance for the Israelites to make their first station. In going this journey eastward, travellers are obliged to take a small circuit on account of a mountain, called by Herodotus the Mountain of Arabia. This mountain descends from Upper Egypt, and, after a long range, terminates in its direction downward, opposite to the pyramids and the point of Delta. It then turns eastward, but at the same

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time forms a bend to the north. Herodotus gives a very just description of its course, as it passed in respect to the ancient Heliopolis upwards towards the south, and from the same point to the east in the direction before mentioned. But the passage seems to be incorrect. Απο δε Ηλιοπολεως άνω ιοντι κείνη επί Αίγυπτος τη μεν γαρ της Αραβίης όρος παρατέταται, φέρον απ' αρκτε προς μεσημβριὴς τε και νοτε. As people pass through the country upwards Egypt appear's narrow. For the Arabian mountain extends itself all the way in a parallel direction towards the meridian and the south. All this is very plain; but he afterwards adds---are ava τεινον εις την Ερυθρήν καλεομενην θαλάσσαν---the mountain all the way upwards tending towards the Red-sea. This is by no means true; for the mountain is never so near that sea as it is at the point of Delta. It is continually receding, and at its fountains in Abyssinia is at its greatest distance,

The true reading therefore seems to be this. Instead of αιει άνω τείνον, we should read---και ανατείνον εις την Ερυθρήν καλεομένην θαλασσαν. The Arabian mountain passes from a particular point upwards to the south, but from that same

Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 5. p. 106.
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point takes another direction to the east, and to This is authenticated by the

the Red-sea.

words which follow. For the author adds, that it makes its turn, &

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loropias so, where the quarries were. He then subjoins---7αur? μεν λήγον (το ορός) ανακάμπτει ες τα ειρήται. mountain terminating at this place, immediately passes in a new direction to the part of the world before mentioned. I have taken these pains to determine the range of this mountain towards the east, as all travellers from the point above to the Red-sea are obliged to follow its direction, if they go the common and more northern road. The Israelites in particular are found to have proceeded that way.

From Succoth to the Desert of Etham.

This desert was properly a continuation of the wilderness from Egypt. But it commenced under the name of Etham at the northern extremity of the Red-sea. The distance from Babylon, and the modern Cairo, to this point is, by travellers, estimated to be about ninety miles. If then to Succoth were thirty of these, there remain sixty from thence to

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