FINAL MARCH FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN. DEATH OF MOSES. A.M. 2552-2553. B.C. 1452-1451. 1 Last encampment at Kadesh-Death of Miriam. § 2. Water again given from the rock-The sin and sentence of Moses and Aaron. § 3. A passage refused through Edom. § 4. March from Kadesh to Mount Hor-Death of Aaron. § 5. March down the Arabah and round Mount Seir-The fiery serpents and the brazen serpent. § 6. Arrival at the brook Zered-March through the Desert of Moab-Territories of Moab and Ammon-Conquests of Sihon and Og. § 7. Defeat and destruction of Sihon and Og. § 8. Last encampment on the plains of Moab-BALAK and BALAAM-New Census-Consecration of JOSHUA-Slaughter of the Midianites. § 9. Settlement of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh east of Jordan. § 10. Final address of Moses-The Book of Deuteronomy-i. His first discourse: Review and introduction-ii. His second discourse: Repetition of the Law-iii. His third discourse: The blessing and the curse-iv. The Law rewritten-The Song of Mosesv. The Blessing of Moses.-vi. His view of the Promised Land-His death and burial. § 11. Character of Moses. § 1. In the first month of the fortieth year' from the epoch of the Exodus (April, 1452), we find the Israelites again in 1 Only the month is expressly named: we learn the year from Num xxxiii. 38. 5 3 the wilderness of Zin, at Kadesh, whither they seem to have marched up the Arabah from Ezion-gaber, at the head of the Gulf of Akabah.' The doom under which most of the old generation had by this time perished, now reached the house of Amram. MIRIAM, the elder sister of Moses and Aaron, died and was buried here. We have seen her as a young girl, watching the cradle of Moses, and aiding in his deliver ance. She is spoken of as sharing in the sacred mission of her brothers. When she leads off the song of triumph, on the shore of the Red Sea, she is expressly called "Miriam, the prophetess," and the ground on which she and Aaron rebelled against Moses implies their possession of the prophetic gift: "Hath Jehovah spoken by Moses? Hath He not also spoken by us ?" The delay of the march till she was free from the defilement of her leprosy proves her high consideration. Lastly, she bore the name of the mother of our Lord. Tradition makes her the wife of Hur and grandmother of the artist Bezaleel; and it is said that the mourning for her, as for her brothers, lasted thirty days.10 time of Jerome, her tomb was shown near Petra." 8 In the § 2. Here, too, Moses and Aaron committed the sin which brought them also under the sentence of death, without entering the promised land. The people murmured for water, as at Rephidim; and the repetition of the same scene by the new generation, even after the discipline of the thirty-eight years' wandering, is true to human nature-not theirs only, but ours, of which theirs was the type." Jehovah interposed in the same manner as before: "He clave the rocks in the wilderness.. and caused waters to run down like rivers."13 But, as the miracle had been wrought once already, He designed to show His power by a greater wonder: Moses and Aaron were to stand before the rock (or cliff) in the sight of the people; and Moses, holding the rod in his hand, was only to speak to the rock. But this time the trial was too strong, both for his patience and his humanity. Upbraiding the people as rebels, he asked, "Must we fetch you water out of 2 Num. xx. 1, xxxiii. 36. 3 Num. xx. 1. 5 Micah vi. 4. 4 Ex. ii. 4-7. 7 Num. xii. 1, 2; comp. 6-8. Num. xii. 15. 'Heb. Miriam Gr. Mapiáμ or Mapía Lat. Maria Mary. The name signifies their rebellion, by a prophetic allusion either to Num. xii. or to the rebellious spirit of the people, which afflicted her as well as her brothers. 10 Joseph. Ant. iii. 2, § 4, 6, § 1, iv. 4, § 6. Hieron. de Loc. Heb. s. v. Cades Barnea. This is one of the traditional arguments for identifying that city with Kadesh. 12 Num. xx. 2-6; comp. Ex. xvii.1 13 Ps. lxxviii. 15, 16, 20, cv. 41; Neh. ix. 15. this rock ?"—and he smote the rock twice with the rod." The water gushed out in an abundant stream, which probably fol lowed the march of the people down the Arabah.1 But at the same time the word of Jehovah came to Moses and Aaron that, because they had not believed and honored Him before the people, they should not bring them into the promised land. The place was called MERIBAH (strife), or, more fully, MERIBAH-KADAH. 16 § 3. At length the word of Jehovah came to put a term to their wanderings, by the welcome command to "turn northward," ," that is, we think, up the Ghor,18 in order to enter the promised land by the way followed by the spies round the edge of the Dead Sea. It would seem that this route was barred by the opposition of King Arad, the Canaanite." There was another way eastward, through the passes of Mount Seir, the land of the children of Esau, whom the people were enjoined not to molest, but to buy of them both food and water. While still at Kadesh, therefore, Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom, recounting what God had done for Israel, asking for a passage, and promising to keep peaceably by the highway, and to pay for the water that the people and the cattle might drink. The Edomites not only refused the request, but barred the passage with an armed force.21 20 § 4. The only way now open was down the Arabah, and accordingly" they passed by from the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the Arabah." Their first march was to MOUNT HOR (i. e., the mountain)," in the edge of the land of Edom."23 Here we once more reach certain ground; for the whole course of the narrative confirms the tradition which identifies Hor with the majestic "mountain of the prophet Aaron" (Jebel Nebi-Harn), which stands on the eastern edge of the Arabah, above which it rises 4000 feet, having Petra at its eastern foot. "In this great valley," says Dean Stanley, "there is no more question of the course of the Israelites. It is, indeed, doubtful whether they passed up it on their way to Canaan; but no one can doubt that they passed down it, when the valleys of Edom were closed against them."24 It is very probable that Hor, like Sinai, was already a sanctuary of the desert tribes. To this dignity, and its natural grandeur, was now added the solemnity of Aaron's death, which was appointed by Jehovah to take place here. This event was not only the decease of so great a personage as the colleague and elder brother of Moses, but it involved the demise of the first high-priest, and the investiture of his suc cessor. In the sight of all the congregation, Moses led up Aaron and his son Eleazar to Mount Hor, and stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar; and Aaron died in the top of the mount. Travellers have found a position on the summit well suited for the public ceremony; but we need not suppose that Aaron actually died in the sight of the people. He was buried either on the mountain, or at its foot, and the people mourned for him thirty days.2 25 Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month from the epoch of the Exodus (Ab-July and August, 1452 B.C.), at the age of 123. He was therefore born in 1575 B.C., four years before the birth of Moses. As the first-born of the house of Amram, the priesthood of that house would be a part of his birthright. His natural eloquence fitted him to be the organ of Moses in his mission to Egypt; and he not only spoke for him, but wrought the miracles at his bidding. Throughout the scenes in the desert, he is associated with Moses in leading the people; but Moses stands above him as mediator with God, and as favored with His direct and open revelations. Even when Aaron is made high-priest, he receives his authority from Moses. When left alone to govern the people, he at once yielded to their willfulness, believing probably that it was a wise concession to give them a visible symbol of God's presence; and so he became the minister of idolatry and debauchery. His feeble excuse on this occasion betrays that unstable character, which could not go alone without his brother; but, as is usual with such characters, he made a rash attempt to assert his independence, under the influence of Miriam. On all other occasions we find him sharing the cares of Moses, and joining even in his errors, as in the sin which shut them both out from the promised land. It has been well observed that 24 Sinai and Palestine, p. 84. Deut. x. 6, xxxii. 50; comp. xxxiv 25 Num. xx. 23-29, xxxiii. 38; 8. the very defects of Aaron's character, and especially his sin and repentance in the matter of the golden calf, fitted him the more for the office of a high-priest-"Who can have compassion on the ignorant and the erring, for that he him. self also is compassed with infirmity." And he could also sympathize with deep suffering, such as he felt when his sons Nadab and Abihu were slain for their sacrilege-" and Aaron held his peace. All these points are placed by the Apos tle in striking contrast to His priesthood, whose perfect and sinless human nature makes Him have sympathy without infirmity." 9927 Of his four sons, two Aaron's wife was named Elisheba." survived him- Eleazar and Ithamar. The family of the former held the high-priesthood till the time of Eli, who be longed to the house of Ithamar. The descendants of Eli retained it down to the reign of Solomon, who deposed Abiathar, and gave the office to Zadok, of the family of Eleazar." The traditional tomb of Aaron, on one of the two summits of Mount Hor, is marked by a Mohammedan chapel, the dome of which forms a white spot on the dark red sandstone." 32 § 5. The march of the Israelites was now down the Arabah, out of which they turned by way of Ezion-gaber and Elath into the wilderness of Moab. The site of Ezion-gaber (the Giant's back-bone) is uncertain: we only know that it was at the head of the Gulf of Akabah, and a great port for the commerce with the Indian Ocean, which took that route in the days of Solomon and Jehoshaphat. It was afterward eclipsed by ELATHI (the palm-trees), which still identify it with the Elana of later times, and the modern Akabah. gulf which bore its name of old, as now (Sinus Elaniticus, Gulf of Akabah), yielded its importance as a highway of commerce to the Gulf of Suez, in consequence of the building of Alexandria; but the beauties of its red shores and clear blue waters, filled with red coralline sea-weed, are still the The the hills, with three low peaks visible beyond. This is the Wady Ithm, which turns the eastern range of the Arabah, and through which the Israelites must have passed on their way to Moab. It is still one of the regular roads to Petra, and in ancient times seems to have been the main approach from Elath or Akabah, as it is the only road from the south which enters Petra through the Sik or cleft" (Sinai and Palestine, pp. 84, 85`, |