that the true ancient reading of the LXX itself was seventy, and not seventy-five. There is one difficulty more which ought not to be passed over: în Genesis xlvi. 12., we are told that Er and Onan, the sons of Judah, died in the land of Canaan, and Hezron and Hamul, the sons of Pharez, are inserted in the catalogue of Jacob's family that came with him into Egypt. Jacob married about A. M. 2250. Judab was Jacob's fourth son, and might be born about A. M. 2254. Jacob came into Egypt A. M. 2298, so that Judah was at this time about forty-four years of age; but if he was no older, how could Hezron and Hamul, Judah's grand-children by his son Pharez, be born at this time? We cannot suppose that Judah married Shuah before he was twenty, we cannot well suppose it so carly; he must be at least twenty-one, when his son Er was born, about twenty-two at, Onan's birth, and twenty-three at the birth of Shelah;" and if he took a wife for his son Er, when Er was seventeen. then Judah was thirty-eight when Er married. Er died soon after he married; and Onan took his wife, and Onan died also; and Judah desired Tamar his daughter-in-law to remain a widow until Shelah his son should be grown. Tamar did so; but when Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife, Tamar dressed herself like a harlot, and Judah, not knowing her to be his daughter-in-law, lay with her, and she had two children by him, Pharéz and Zarab. Judah could not be less than forty-one or fortytwo when he lay with Tamar, and Pharez could not

n

See ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

P

be above two or three years old, when Jacob came into Egypt; so that it is impossible that Pharez should have any children born at this time. The most learned archbishop Usher seems to think that Jacob married, and consequently that Judah was born, earlier than I have supposed. He intimates from Gen. xxix. 21. that Jacob might perhaps marry soon after he came to Laban; but the place cited does surely prove that he served Laban seven years, and then said, give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, i. e. the time is now expired which I agreed to serve for her; but if we should even suppose that Jacob married when he first entered Laban's service, this will help us but to seven years, and can make Pharez not above ten years old when Jacob came into Egypt, so that Pharez still could have no children at this time. It must be confessed that all the versions agree exactly in this verse, and it appears to be fact that Er and Onan died in Canaan," Mistakes in numbers are easily made by even careful transcribers. I am not sensible that it is of any moment to suppose, that Jacob and his descendants when they came into Egypt were exactly seventy. Why may we not suppose that Mo es computed them but threescore and eight, and that the number ten is a corruption of the text, and names Hezron and Hamul the sons of Pharez, an interpolation? If I may not take the liberty to make this correction of the text, I must freely ac knowledge that I do not see how to clear the difficulty I have mentioned; but must leave it to the learned,"

P Gen. xxix. Sec ver. 20, 21. 4 Chap. xxxviii. I ought not to omit taking notice that the most learned

as I entirely submit to them, what I have attempted to conjecture about it. The children of Israel flourished in Egypt, and were protected and favoured by its kings on Joseph's account, until the government of Egypt was overthrown in the following manner.

In the fifth year of Concharis, whom Josephus from Manetho calls Timous," and who according to Syncellus was the twenty-fifth king of the land of Tanis or lower Egypt; there came a numerous army of unknown people, who invaded Egypt on a sudden, over-ran both the upper and the lower Egypt, fired houses and cities, killed the inhabitants, and made a terrible devastation over all the land; and having in a little time subdued all before them, they made one of

archbishop Usher has left something in a posthumous work of his, which may perhaps be thought to solve this dif ficulty. The most learned writer supposes that Judah was born A. M. 2247, and married when nineteen years old, A.M. 2266; that his son Er was born within that year; that Onan was born, A. M. 2267; Shelah 2268; that Er married when he was fifteen, i. e. A. M. 2281; that Onan married within the same year, that Shelah was grown, i. ẹ. was about fifteen, A. M. 2282; that Judah lay with Ta mar, 2283; that Pharez and Zara were born at the end of this year, That Pharez was fifteen, and married, and had twins, Hezron and Hamul at a time; and in the year 2298, to have the children carried with Jacob into Egypt. in that year. Here is certainly every thing offered that can possibly be supposed, and whether nothing more than can reasonably be allowed, I must refer to the readers' consideration. See Usher's Chronol. Sacra. c. 10. p. 170.

Josephus contra Apion. lib. 1.

their leaders their king, whose name was Salatis. Salatis being made king laid the land under tribute, made the ancient inhabitants of Egypt his slaves, garrisoned such towns as he thought proper, all over the country; established himself upon the throne, and settled his people in the land. Whence Salatis and his followers came, is only to be conjectured. They called themselves the pastors or shepherds; they took particular care to fortify the castern parts of Egypt, and seemed most afraid of a disturbance from that quarter, The government of Egypt being thus subverted, the protection and happiness which the Israelites enjoyed perished with it.. Salatis knew nothing of Joseph, nor did he regard any establishment which Joseph had settled, He made his way into Egypt with his sword, and he brought his people into the land by con quest, in such a manner and upon such terms as he thought fit, The Israelites were a rich and encreasing people, inhabiting the very parts which he thought proper to take the greatest care of, and he readily sus pected, that if any invasion should happen from the East, they would join against them. Ile therefore took a particular care to keep them low,

That this king, who oppressed the Israelites, was not an Egyptian, but some foreigner, who with his forces had over-run the country; seems very evident from the appellations which Moses gives him. He was a new king, and knew not Joseph;" both which hints strongly intimate that he was a foreigner; the word new is frequently used in this sense; new gods *

Exodus i. 10.

" Ver. 8. * Deut. xxxii. 16, 17. Judges v. S:

are strange or foreign gods; and had he been an Egyptian, he must have known Joseph, for he came to reign not long after Joseph was dead, and his brethren and that generation; and it is impossible that the kings of Egypt could in so short a time have forgotten Joseph. Some writers have endeavoured to determine whence this new king and people came. Cardinal Cajetan says, they were Assyrians, which he collects from Isaiah. The words of the Prophet are, Thus saith the LORD, my people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. If the Hebrew words had been put in such order, as that the word and in this verse might be read before there, and there the Assyrian oppressed them without cause, the cardinal's opinion founded upon this passage would be unquestionable. But as the verse is worded, the two parts of it seem to be two distinct sentences, and the design of it was to comfort the Jews against the prospect of the Babylonian captivity, by hinting to them their former deliverance out of the Egyptian bondage, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and now the Assyrian is about oppressing them without cause: Now therefore (as it follows) what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought 2-therefore my people shall know my name-when the LORD shall bring again Zion. The whole design of this passage, with what follows, was intended to hint to the Israelites that GOD would cer