A. M. 2433. A. C. 1571; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3763. A. C. 1648. EXOD. CH. i-xiji.

every thing, only to get quit of them. They therefore bribed them to be gone, and courted them with presents, so very profusely, as even to impoverish themselves. But for this the Israelites were not at all culpable, because they only accepted of what the others gave them, and what was freely given, they doubtless had a right to detain.

But suppose that the strict sense of the word was, that they really did borrow many valuable things of the Egyptians; yet it is a truth allowed on all hands, that God, who is the supreme Lord of all things, may, when be pleases, and in what manner he pleases, transfer the rights of men from one to another. Considering, then, that God was now become the king of the Israelites, in a proper and peculiar manner; and considering farther what insufferable wrongs the king and people of Egypt had done to this people of God, who were now become his peculiar subjects and proprietary lieges; this act of spoiling the Egyptians, even in the harshest sense of the word, was, according to the laws of nations, more justifiable than royal grants of letters of marque, or other such like remedies, as kings are accustomed to make use of against other powers that have wronged their subjects, or suffered them to be wronged by those that are under their command, without making a proper restitution. In short, whatever the Hebrews took from the Egyptians, they took and possessed it by the law of reprisals, that is, by virtue of a special warrant from the Lord himself, who was now become, not their God only, but their peculiar king.

That some compensation was due, in strict justice, from the Egyptians to the Hebrews, for the great services they had done them, is what can hardly be denied: but supposing this borrowing and lending between them had been without any such regard, yet if the Israelites acquired a right to these things afterwards, there was then no obligation for them to make any restitution. Now, that they acquired such a right, is manifest from the Egyptians pursuing them in a hostile manner, and with a purpose to destroy them, after they had given them free liberty to depart; by which hostility and perfidiousness they plainly forfeited their right to what they had only lent before. For this hostile attempt, which would | have warranted the Israelites to have fallen upon the Egyptians, and spoiled them of their goods, did certainly warrant them to keep them when they had them;

a In the Gemarah of the Sanhedrim, there is a memorable story concerning the transaction. In the time of Alexander the Great, the Egyptians brought an action against the Israelites, desiring that they might have the land of Canaan, in satisfac tion for all they had borrowed of them when they went out of Egypt. To this Gibean Ben Kosam, who was advocate for the Jews, replied,That before they made this demand, they must prove what they alleged, namely, that the Israelites borrowed any thing of their ancestors. To which the Egyptians thought it sufficient to say, that they found it recorded in their own books, Well then, says the advocate, look into the same books, and ye will find that the children of Israel lived four hundred and thirty years in Egypt; (Exod. xii. 40,) pay us then, said he, for all the labours and toils of so many thousand people, as you employed us all that time, and we will restore what we borrowed; to which they had not a word to answer. (Patrick's Commentary.) It is to be observed, however, that this passage in Exodus, which the advocate refers to, had respect to all the pilgrimages of Abraham and his posterity from the time of his setting out from Charran in Mesopotamia, to this their departure out of Egypt, as we shall

have occasion to show very soon.

so that now they became the rightful possessors of what they had only upon loan, and could not have detained without fraud and injustice before.

Thus, in what view soever we contemplate this fact, whether it be a voluntary donation made by the Egyptians, or an act of reprisal made by the Hebrews, or a deed of forfeiture which the former incurred by an unjust invasion upon the latter, the Hebrews will be found not so culpable as some would make them: nor can we see where the pretended ill tendency of such a precedent can be, since it is allowed on all hands, that it is in no case to be followed, unless it be evidently commanded by the same divine authority.

Miracles indeed, we own, are the seals and attestations of God, to evidence the truth of any thing that he is desirous the world should believe; but if magicians, by the assistance of evil spirits, have power to impose upon our senses, or to work such wonders, as seem altogether miraculous, we are left under a great uncertainty how to determine our judgment in this case: and therefore, to give a full solution to this part of the objection, we shall first premise something concerning the nature of magic, and how far its powers may extend towards the operation of miracles; thence proceed to inquire who the particular magicians were who pretended to oppose Moses, and upon what account it was that Pharaoh sent for them; thence to consider whether the miracles they seemingly wrought were real or fictitious, or if real, why God permitted them to perform them; and thence to examine whether this permission tended any way to prejudice the evidence of Moses' mission from God, or rather not to confirm it, seeing the difference between them and Moses, in this contest of working miracles, was so visible and conspicuous.

Those who have professedly treated of the magic art, have generally divided it into three kinds, natural, artificial, and diabolical. The first of these is no other than natural philosophy, but highly improved and advanced, whereby the person that is well skilled in the power and operation of natural bodies, is able to produce many wonderful effects, mistaken by the illiterate for diabolical performances, even though they lie perfectly within the verge of nature. Artificial magic is what we call legerdemain, or slight of hand, whose effects are far from being what they seem. They are deceptions and impostures, the very tricks of jugglers, (as we corrupt the word joculatores,) far from exceeding the power of art, and yet what many times pass with the vulgar for diabolical likewise. Diabolical magic is that which is done by the help of the devil, who having great skill in natural causes, and a large command over the air, and other elements, may assist those that are in league and covenant with him (in Scripture called wizards, sorcerers, diviners, enchanters, Chaldeans, and such as had familiar spirits) to do many strange and astonishing things. b To deny that there ever were such men as these, is to

Bishop Wilkins' Tract on Magic; and Edward's Body of Divinity, vol. 1.

6 The Scripture warrants the belief, that, in early ages, before the coming of the Messiah, God permitted, in some instances, evil demons to league with mortals, but after the divine advent, that power seems to have been restrained, and a belief in it is now altogether discarded by every intelligent Christian. In the relation given by Moses of the miracles performed before Pharaoh, to induce him to allow of the departure of the Israelites, we read that

A. M. 2433. A. C. 1571; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3763. A. C. 1648. EXOD. CH. i-xiii.

siight the authority of all history; and to guess at the probable rise and original of them, we may suppose it to be this,—1 That God being pleased to admit the holy patriarchs into conference with him, the devil endeavoured to do the same; and to retain men in their obedience to him, pretended to make discoveries of secret things; and that when God was pleased to work miracles for the truth, he in like manner directed those who were familiar with him, how to invoke his help, for the performance of such strange things as might confirm the world in their

error.

Under which of these denominations, natural, artificial, or diabolical, the magicians who set themselves in opposition to the servants of the Most High God, are to be ranked, we have no instructions from Scripture; but it seems highly probable, that neither would Pharaoh have called together those of the least capacity and repute, neither would the devil, as far as his power extended, have been backward to assist his votaries upon such a solemn and momentous occasion as this.

Who the principal of these magicians were, our sacred historian makes no mention; but several, both Jewish | and heathen authors, (from whom St Paul without doubt borrowed their names,) have informed us, that among the Egyptians they were called Jannes, and Jambres, which to give them a Latin termination, would be Johannes and Ambrosius, of whom Numenius (as he is quoted by Eusebius) has given us this remarkable account, namely," That they were the scribes in religious matters among the Egyptians; that they flourished in Egypt at the time when the Jews were driven from thence; that they did not give place to any body in the science of magical secrets; and for this reason were chosen unanimously by all Egypt to oppose Museus, (so he calls Moses,) a leader of the Jews, and whose prayers were very prevalent with God."

power of the devil to be assistant to such persons as pretend to work miracles.

46

The first is, by raising false images and appearances of things; which may be done either by affecting the brain or confusing the optic nerves, or altering the medium which is between us and the object. That he did some such thing as this to our blessed Saviour, when from the top of an high mountain he pretended to shew him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them in a moment of time,' is very plain from the convexity of the earth, which bounds the horizon, and admits of no such unlimited prospect; so that all he could be presumed capable of doing in this case (as our Saviour was not insensible what he did do) was to make fictitious representations of gay and magnificent things in the air.

Secondly, The other way wherein the devil may be supposed able to assist these magicians, is by making use of the laws of nature, in producing effects which are not above the natural power of things, though they certainly exceed what man can do. Thus to transport a body, with inconceivable rapidity, from one place to another; to bring together different productions of nature which separately have no visible effect, but when united work wonders; to make images move, walk, speak, and the like; these may come within the compass of the devil's power, because not transcending the laws of nature, though we cannot discern by what means they are effected.

Thirdly, There is a farther supposition of some learned men, namely, that, under the divine permission, wicked spirits have a power to work real miracles, of which they perceive some intimations given us in Scripture, and in the nature of the thing no reasons to the contrary; and therefore the question is, whether what the magicians here performed, were real miracles or not? Some learned writers have imagined, that there was not any real transmutation, when the rods of the Egyptian

Now, supposing that these, and whoever else accom-magicians were pretended to be changed into serpents, panied them, acted from the highest principles in magic, there are two ways wherein we may imagine it in the

'Patrick's Commentary in locum.

nor any real miracle exhibited, when the water was turned into blood, and the frogs produced; but that either the magicians played their parts well, as dexterous jugglers, or that they did it by their knowledge of some secret art; or that sonre demons assisted them, who by their power over the air, enabled them to a deceive the sight of

Mat. iv. 8.

Stillingfleet's Orig. Sacræ, p. 236. Le Clerc's Commentary. 6 Deut. xiii. 1. Matth. xxiv. 24. 2 Thess. ii. 9.

22 Tim. iii. 8. Præpar. Evang. b. 9. c. 8. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh called also the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments: for they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods,' (Exod. vii. 10, 11, 12.) The apparent miracle of the Egyptian magicians can be thus explained. The asp of Egypt when approached or disturbed, like the cobra da capello, elevates its head and body to a considerable degree, extends the sides of its neck, and appears to stand erect to attack the aggressor. That circumstance led to the employment of the asp as a dancing serpent by jugglers, either for exhibition as a source of profit, or to impose upon vulgar credulity. The asps for this purpose are carefully deprived of their fangs, which enables their owners to handle them with impunity. When they are to be exhibited, the top of their cage, commonly a wickerbasket, is taken off, and at the same moment, a flute or pipe is played. The asp immediately assumes the erect position, and the balancing motions, made during its protracted efforts to maintain this attitude, are what is called dancing. A really curious circumstance is stated, on good authority, relative to the asp, which is, that the jugglers know how to throw it into a sort of catalepsy, in which condition the muscles are rigidly contracting before Pharaoh, at the head of his other magicians, to the ed, and the whole animal becomes stiff and motionless. This is done by compressing the cervical spine between the finger and thumb. The trick is called changing the serpent into a rod or stick.'-ED.

a The Mahometans, in the account they give us of these transactions, seem to think them legerdemain tricks, rather than any real miracles in the magicians; for they tell us, that Moses having wrought some miracles before the king of Egypt, which not a little surprised him, he was advised by his council to amuse him with fair hopes, until he had sent for some of his most expert sorcerers from Thebais. Accordingly Sabour and Gadour, two brothers, renowned for their magic skill, were sent for; and before they came to Pharaoh's court, they went to consult the manes of their father about the success of their journey; acquaint ing him withal, that the two magicians which they were sent for to oppose, had a rod, which they turned into a serpent, and devoured all that made head against it: to which their father's ghost answered, that if that rod turned itself into a serpent whilst they were asleep, they must never expect to prevail against them. However, this did not hinder them from appear

number, as some say, of 70,000. All these had prepared their rods, aud cords filled with quicksilver, which, when heated by the sun, imitated the winding of a serpent: but Moses' serpent soon destroyed them, to the great surprise of all the spectators:

A. M. 2433. A. C. 1571; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3763. A. C. 1648. EXOD, CH. i-xiii.

،،

the beholders. It is to be observed, however, that in the | turned into serpents, they saw, but how that was effected, account which Moses gives us of the miracles performed they could not tell. Had they had any certain rules of by himself and Aaron, and of what the magicians did by art or science to work by, or any superior help or assisttheir enchantments, he does not hint any manner of ance to depend on, they would at once have known what difference, as to the reality of the performance of either to attempt, and what not, and not have exposed themof them. In the case of their rods being turned into selves to scorn, by not being able to produce lice, as serpents, he does not say, that they made them to appear well as frogs. If what they did was by the agency of to be such, by a deception of the sight, but that, 1 ، they evil spirits, it is plain, that that agency was under the flung down every man his rod, and they became serpents;' divine control, and could go no farther than the God of and so of the other two miracles, which Moses exhibited, Israel permitted it; and the reasons of his permitting it that the magicians did so with their enchantments.' might be these: Now, from the knowledge of natural causes and effects, The learned in Egypt thought, that miracles, prodiwhich by the help of experiment and philosophy, has of gies, and omens, were given by the planetary and elelate been introduced, we may venture to say, that no mentary influences; and that students, deeply versed in effects like what these men pretended to accomplish by the mysteries of nature, could cause them by art and enchantments, can be produced by any or all the powers incantation. Pharaoh might possibly be of this opinion; of nature. No art, no study of occult sciences, can and therefore, seeing Moses do very strange things, enable a man really to change a rod into a living and knowing that his magicians were great adepts in serpent. There are no enchantments, no rules in sor - | these sciences, he thought proper to send for them, in cery sufficient to make a living frog, or to change water order to know whether the wonders which Moses wrought into real blood; and to suppose that the magicians went about to impose upon Pharaoh, and the rest of the spectators, by mere artifice and slight of hand, was giving Moses and Aaron, whom we cannot but suppose inquisitive upon this occasion, the fairest opportunity imaginable to detect the cheat, and expose them to the contempt and derision of the whole company.

were the effect of the art of man, of the power of nature, or of the finger of God; for he seems to have argued thus-If his magicians could perform what Moses did, Moses was such an one as they, and endeavoured to delude him with artificial wonders, instead of real miracles. Fit therefore it was, that these practitioners should be suffered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses, in order to clear him from the imputation of magic, or sorcery, which, considering the prevailing notions of that age, both Hebrews and Egyptians might have been apt to entertain, had not this competition happened, and his antagonists thereupon acknowledged the superiority of the principle by which he acted, in comparison of which, all their arts and knowledge of occult

Their only recourse, in this case, can be to the assistance of devils, deluding the company with false appearances of serpents, frogs, and blood: but let any one try to give a satisfactory account, how any magician could, by his power over the air, either by himself, or by the assistance of a demon, represent to the naked view of beholders, in opposition to a true miracle, serpents, frogs, and water converted into blood; nay, and so | sciences availed nothing. represent them, as that the fictitious appearance should not be distinguishable from the real, but should bear to be seen with thern, at one and the same time, in the same light, in the same view; for so the magicians' rods turned into serpents certainly were, when Aaron's rod swallowed them up: I say, let any one try to give a reasonable account of this fancy, and he will quickly see, that he may more reasonably suppose the magicians able to perform a true and real transmutation, than to ascribe to them such imaginary powers as this supposition requires, and which (if they could be conceived) can tend only to destroy the certainty of all appearances whatever.

The Israelites, it must be owned, were a people of a very suspicious, diffident, and desponding temper. When Moses came to them with a message from God, at first they seemed to receive him gladly, and to rejoice at their approaching deliverance; and when he had shown them the credentials which God appointed him to exhibit, it is said, that the people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had looked upon their affliction, they bowed their heads, and worshipped :' but within the space of a day or two, when they saw that every thing did not answer their expectation, but that their petition, to an imperious tyrant was rejected with scorn; how If then the magicians could have no knowledge of is their tone changed to their very deliverers, and the any mystic arts, or powers of nature, whereby to work blame of all their grievances laid upon them! miracles; if they could not deceive the spectators by Lord look upon you, and judge, because you have any slight of hand, nor obtain any assistance from evil made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, spirits, sufficient to impose upon them by false appear- and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword into ances; the consequence seems to be, that the miracles |their hands to slay us : and therefore, for the confirmawhich they wrought were equally true with those which tion of the faith of these wavering and uncertain people, Moses and Aaron did. But then, as the magicians had it was highly necessary that this contest between Moses no power inherent in themselves, they could not tell, even when they set about imitating Moses, what the success of their attempt would be. Their rods were

4 ، The

and the magicians should be permitted, that the disparity of persons acting by the power of God, and by the power of Satan, in such a contraposition, might be more conspicuous.

' Exod. vii. 11, 12. Shuckford's Connection, vol. 2. b. 9. And indeed, what could more contribute to raise in whereupon Sabour and Gadour renounced their profession, and embraced the religion of Moses, which gave Pharaoh such a dis- the Israelites a confidence in God's promises, and a gust, that he had them both put to death, as holding secret cor- joyful hope of a speedy deliverance, than to see the

respondence with Moses.-Herbelot's Biblioth. Orient. p. 648, and Calmet's Dictionary, under the word Jannes.

A. M. 2433. A. C. 1571; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3763. A. C. 1648. EXOD. CH. i-xiii.

great disparity between the opposers and maintainers of | verses, under the title vooyevs, or born of the water: their cause? To see, I say, that though, by the Divine permission, the magicians could change their rods into serpents, yet, as a manifest token of superiority, Moses' rod devoured all theirs; though they could turn water into blood, yet it was above their skill to restore it to its former nature; though they made a shift to produce frogs, yet they were utterly unable to clear the Egyptian palaces and houses of them; though they did, in short, some things, which only contributed to the calamities of Egypt, yet they could do no one thing to redress them, nor even to relieve themselves against the plague of the boils? So true, and so severe withal, is that observation of the author of the book of Wisdom," As for the illusions of the art magic, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace; for they who promised to drive away terrors, and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, and worthy to be laughed at."

that the beauty and gracefulness of his person, which recommended him to every one's affection, is remembered by Justin' out of Trogus Pompeius, and that the whole fable of Venus falling in love with Adonis, in all probability arose from the story of Moses and Pharaoh's daughter: that the wonder of the burning bush is recorded by Autipanus, with a small variation, as he is cited by Eusebius; that several of the plagues upon Egypt are mentioned in the fragments of Eupolemus, preserved by the same Eusebius; and that the slaughter of their first-born, in particular, is commemorated in that mournful feast of Osiris, wherein they rise at midnight, light candles, and go about weeping and groaning: that Moses' calling the God of heaven Jao, or Jehovah, is mentioned by Diodorus Siculus: that the names of Jannes and Jambres, and the opposition they made against him, is preserved 10 in Eumenes, "Pliny, and Apuleius; and, to go no farther, that the Israelites' But now Moses not only does such miracles as the departure out of Egypt, and settling in the land of magicians never pretend to do, (the storm and hail, the Canaan, is 13 by Tacitus, who took it from some Egypthunder and lightning, and thick darkness, &c., they tian authors, thus related. "The Hebrews were denever once attempted to imitate,) but, supposing that scended from the Assyrians, and possessing a great part Pharaoh might be addicted to astrologers, who fancied of Egypt, led the life of shepherds; but afterwards being that all things here below might be governed by the burdened with hard labour, they came out of Egypt motion and influence of the stars, he very frequently under the command of Moses, with some Egyptians gives him the liberty to name the time when he would accompanying them, and went through the country of the have any plague removed, that thereby he might know Arabians, into Palestine Syria, and there set up rites that God alone was the author of them, and that conse-contrary to those of the Egyptians." So fully does the quently there was no day or hour under so ill an aspect, testimony of aliens tend to the confirmation of thy but that he could prevail with him, at whatever moment revelations, O God! he should assign, to rescue and deliver him.

Had Moses met with no opposition in working his miracles, Pharaoh had neither had so strong a conviction, nor could Moses himself have exhibited so clear a testimony of his divine mission. As the nature of the Egyptian learning then was, the king might have suspected that the prophet's miracles proceeded, if not from natural means and enchantment, at least from the influence of some planetary or elementary powers: but when men of equal skill and abilities; in all points of abstruse learning, were brought to contest the matter with him, and acknowledged their inability to proceed in a conflict where their adversary had a divine power apparently assisting him; this established the truth of Moses' pretensions, though it made the other's obstinacy and infidelity inexcusable; and a signal instance of God's wisdom it was, to permit these sorcerers to proceed for some time in their contest with his servant, which added disgrace to the one's defeat, as it did no small glory to the other's conquest.

3

Thus we have endeavoured to satisfy the objections which are usually advanced against some parts of the Scripture history comprised in this period; and for the farther satisfaction of our reader, shall conclude with the testimony of some heathen writers, who, in all ages, have more or less taken notice of the birth, life, and several adventures of Moses, so far as we have hitherto advanced. That of his being taken out of the river Nile, for instance, is sung by the author of the Orphic

Wisdom xvii. 7, 8. * Shuckford's Connection, vol. 2. b. 9.
3 Stillingfleet's Origin. Sacræ.
'Eusebius' Præp. Evang. b. 13. c. 12.

12

CHAP. III. Of the sacred chronology, and profane history, learning, religion, idolatry, and monumental works, &c., but chiefly of the Egyptians, during this period.

BEFORE we enter upon the historical matters which are contained in this period, between God's call to Abraham out of Mesopotamia, and the children of Israel's departure out of Egypt, it may not be improper to settle its chronology, and to take notice of some exceptions that may possibly be made to it.

The difference between the Hebrew, Samaritan, and Septuagint computations, in the former periods of time, ran wide; and it was some part of our care, either to determine which was most probably in the right, or to reconcile the seeming opposition between them: but in this the variation is so small, that they seem almost unanimously to agree, that 14 from the promise made to Abraham, to his posterity's exodus out of Egypt, are 43) years, which, according to the learned Usher, may very properly be divided into two halves.

1. 15 From the time of the promise, when Abraham was in the 75th year of his age, to the birth of Isaac, are 25 years; 16 from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob, 60 years; from the birth of Jacob to his descent into 3 B. 36. c. 2. "Huetius' Dem. Evang. prop. 4. c. 3. Eusebius' Præp. Evang. b. 9. c. 22. 9 B. 1. 10 Eusebius, b. 8. c. 8.

7

12 Apolog. 2.

15 Gen. xii, 4.-xxi. 5.

13 B. 5.

Ibid. "B. 30. e. l.

14 Exod. xii. 40.

16 Gen. xxv. 26.

A. M. 2433. A. C. 1571; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3763. A. C. 1648. EXOD. CH. i-xiii.

Egypt, with his whole family, 130 years; so that the | their going into Canaan to their going out of Egypt, whole of this division amounts to 215 years.

2. The other part of the division is thus reckoned up. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was 30 years old when he expounded Pharaoh's dreams: the seven years of plenty were run out, and1 the third year of famine begun, when his father came down into Egypt: so that by this time Joseph was 39. Now, 39 years taken from the 110 which Joseph lived, will make the time which the Israelites had continued in Egypt, before Joseph's death, to be 71 and as 2 from the death of Joseph to the birth of Moses, are precisely 64 years; so 3 from his birth to the time of the Israelites' departure, are 80 years. The several articles of this division, therefore, being put together, amount in like manner to 215 years; and the two gross sums make exactly 430.

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The history indeed tells us, that the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was 430 years' but it does not therefore follow that they dwelt in Egypt all that time. They came into Egypt with Jacob, A. M. 2298, according to Hales, A. M. 3548, and went out of Egypt, A. M. 2513, Ibid. 3763; so that they lived in it just 215 years. Their sojourning, therefore, must not be limited to their living in Egypt, but be taken in a more general sense, and extended equally to the time of their living in Canaan, which being added to the time of their continuance in Egypt, makes exactly the number of 430 years.

That this is the sense of the divine historian, is manifest from the authority of the Samaritan text, which has the whole verse thus: Now the inhabiting of the children of Israel, and their fathers, whereby they inhabited in the land of Canaan, and in the land of Egypt, were four hundred and thirty years; whereupon the learned Dr Prideaux has this observation, "That the additions herein do manifestly mend the text; they make it more clear and intelligible, and add nothing to the Hebrew copy, but what must be understood by the reader to make out its sense:" and upon this presumption it may very reasonably be supposed, that the ancient Hebrew text was, in this verse, the same with the present Samaritan, and that the words which the Samaritan has in this place more than the Hebrew, have been dropped by the negligence of some transcribers.

6

Again in the promise which God makes to Abraham, he tells him, That his seed should be a stranger in a land which was not theirs; that there they should serve the inhabitants, and they afflict them for four hundred years; but that, in the fourth generation, they should return to Canaan again; whereas four hundred years are not the number specified in the place just now examined, nor are four generations equivalent to the space of time wherein the Hebrews sojourned in strange countries. It is to be observed, however, that both in sacred and profane authors, a common thing it is, to mention only the large sum, and drop the less, especially when, to preserve the exactness of chronology, the precise number is in other places inserted: and that though a generation does usually denote a term of an hundred years; yet, taking the words to relate to the whole sojourning of the Hebrews, from

'Gen. xlvii. 4.

* Exod. vii. 7.

2

the odd number of thirty years may here be supposed to be omitted, to make it a round sum, as well as in the former sense: but then taking a generation to mean no more than one descent, the matter of fact is, that from the Israelites' going down into Egypt, until the time of their leaving it, in some of the sons of Jacob, (particularly in Levi, who begat Cohath, and Cohath, Amrain, and Amram, Moses, who conducted the people out of Egypt,) there were no more than four descents.

Whether, therefore, we take the word generation to denote an age of years, or a succession of lives, there is plainly no incongruity in the expression; because, bating the odd number of thirty, Abraham and his posterity sojourned in a strange land for the space of 400 years, and yet, allowing it to be meant of a descent of lives, at the Israelites' return to Canaan, from the time of their going down to Egypt, several persons of the fourth generation were not extinct.

Egypt indeed was the most considerable nation with whom the Israelites had any intercourse during this period: what dealings they had with the several parts of Canaan, will be best related when we come to treat of the history of that country. In the mean time we cannot but lament our want of the ancient records of those times, which forces us, instead of a continued history, to present our reader with nothing but a jejune catalogue of the succession of the Egyptian kings, which, as far as they relate to our present purpose, we have thought proper ato subjoin at the bottom of the page; and shall only

a In the year of the world 1849, reigned in Thebais, or the Upper Egypt, Menes, whom the Scripture calls Mizraim, 62 years: in the year 1911, Athothes, 59 years: in the year 1970, Athothes II., 32 years: in the year 2002, Diabies, 19 years: in the year 2021, Pemphos, 18 years: in the year 2039, Tegar Amachus, 79 years: in the year 2118, Stoechus, 6 years: in the year 2124, Gofermies, 30 years: in the year 2151, Mares, 26 years.

In the time of these flourished the royal shepherds in the Lower Egypt; and in the year of the world 1920, Salatis, the first pastoral king, reigned 19 years: in the year 1939, Beon, the second pastoral king, 44 years: in the year 1983, Apachnas, the third pastoral king, 36 years: in the year 2020, Apophis, the fourth pastoral king, 61 years: in the year 2081, Janias, the fifth pastoral king, 50 years and one month; and after these Herules Assis, 49 years and two months.

Then follow the Theban kings in this order. In the year of the world 2180, Anoyphes, (who by Archbishop Usher is named Tethmosis, and is said to have expelled the royal shepherds, reigned 20 years; in the year 2200, Siricius, 18 years: in the year 2218, Cneubus Cneurus, 27 years: in the year 2245, Ravosis, 13 years: in the year 2258, Biyris, 10 years: in the year 2268, Saophis, 29 years: in the year 2297 Sensaophis, 27 years: in the year 2324, Moscheris, 31 years in the year 2355, Masthis, 33 years: in the year 2388, Pamnus Archadnes, whom Usher calls Ratholis, 35 years: and in the year 2423, Apaxus pastors, in the year of the world 2205, Chebron succeeded to the Maximus, 100 years. After the expulsion of the race of the royal kingdom of the Lower Egypt, and reigned 13 years: in the year 2218, Amenophis, 20 years and 7 months: in the year 2239, Ameses, 21 years and 9 months: in the year 2261, Mephres, 12 years and 9 months: in the year 2273, Misphragmuthis, 25 years and 10 months: in the year 2299 Thmosis, 9 years and 8 months: in the year 2309, Amenophis II. 30 years and 10 months: in the year 2310, Orus, 36 years and 5 months: in the year 2376, Achenchres, 12 years and 1 month: in the year

and 5 months: in the year 2410, Acencheres II. 12 years and 2388, Rathotis, 9 years: in the year 2397, Acencheres, 12 years 3 months in the year 2422, Acmais, 4 years and 1 month: in Compare Gen. xli. 46. with xlv. 6 the year 2426, Ramesses, 1 year and 3 months: in the year Exod. xii. 40 2427, Ramesses Miamun, 66 years and 2 months; and in the year 2493, Amenophis III. 19 years and 6 months; who is the last we meet with in this period.

* Connection, vol. 2. part 1. b. 6. p. 600.
Shuckford's Connection, vol. 2. b. 9. 7 Gen. xv. 13, 16.