the antiquities of the jews-1-第28章

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virtue；　he　said　that　Moses　had　bestowed　such　his　assistance　on
persons　not　insensible　of　benefits；　but　where　they　were　both　able
and　willing　to　return　the　kindness；　and　even　to　exceed　the
measure　of　his　generosity。　So　he　made　him　his　son；　and　gave　him
one　of　his　daughters　in　marriage；　and　appointed　him　to　be　the
guardian　and　superintendent　over　his　cattle；　for　of　old；　all　the
wealth　of　the　barbarians　was　in　those　cattle。

CHAPTER　12。

Concerning　The　Burning　Bush　And　The　Rod　Of　Moses。

1。　Now　Moses；　when　he　had　obtained　the　favor　of　Jethro；　for　that
was　one　of　the　names　of　Raguel；　staid　there　and　fed　his　flock；
but　some　time　afterward；　taking　his　station　at　the　mountain
called　Sinai；　he　drove　his　flocks　thither　to　feed　them。　Now　this
is　the　highest　of　all　the　mountains　thereabout；　and　the　best　for
pasturage；　the　herbage　being　there　good；　and　it　had　not　been
before　fed　upon；　because　of　the　opinion　men　had　that　God　dwelt
there；　the　shepherds　not　daring　to　ascend　up　to　it；　and　here　it
was　that　a　wonderful　prodigy　happened　to　Moses；　for　a　fire　fed
upon　a　thorn　bush；　yet　did　the　green　leaves　and　the　flowers
continue　untouched；　and　the　fire　did　not　at　all　consume　the　fruit
branches；　although　the　flame　was　great　and　fierce。　Moses　was
aftrighted　at　this　strange　sight；　as　it　was　to　him；　but　he　was
still　more　astonished　when　the　fire　uttered　a　voice；　and　called
to　him　by　name；　and　spake　words　to　him；　by　which　it　signified　how
bold　he　had　been　in　venturing　to　come　into　a　place　whither　no　man
had　ever　come　before；　because　the　place　was　divine；　and　advised
him　to　remove　a　great　way　off　from　the　flame；　and　to　be　contented
with　what　he　had　seen；　and　though　he　were　himself　a　good　man；　and
the　offspring　of　great　men；　yet　that　he　should　not　pry　any
further；　and　he　foretold　to　him；　that　he　should　have　glory　and
honor　among　men；　by　the　blessing　of　God　upon　him。　He　also
commanded　him　to　go　away　thence　with　confidence　to　Egypt；　in
order　to　his　being　the　commander　and　conductor　of　the　body　of　the
Hebrews；　and　to　his　delivering　his　own　people　from　the　injuries
they　suffered　there：　〃For；〃　said　God；　〃they　shall　inhabit　this
happy　land　which　your　forefather　Abraham　inhabited；　and　shall
have　the　enjoyment　of　all　good　things。〃　But　still　he　enjoined
them；　when　he　brought　the　Hebrews　out　of　the　land　of　Egypt；　to
come　to　that　place；　and　to　offer　sacrifices　of　thanksgiving
there；　Such　were　the　divine　oracles　which　were　delivered　out　of
the　fire。

2。　But　Moses　was　astonished　at　what　he　saw；　and　much　more　at　what
he　heard；　and　he　said；　〃I　think　it　would　be　an　instance　of　too
great　madness；　O　Lord；　for　one　of　that　regard　I　bear　to　thee；　to
distrust　thy　power；　since　I　myself　adore　it；　and　know　that　it　has
been　made　manifest　to　my　progenitors：　but　I　am　still　in　doubt　how
I；　who　am　a　private　man；　and　one　of　no　abilities；　should　either
persuade　my　own　countrymen　to　leave　the　country　they　now　inhabit；
and　to　follow　me　to　a　land　whither　I　lead　them；　or；　if　they
should　be　persuaded；　how　can　I　force　Pharaoh　to　permit　them　to
depart；　since　they　augment　their　own　wealth　and　prosperity　by　the
labors　and　works　they　put　upon　them　？〃

3。　But　God　persuaded　him　to　be　courageous　on　all　occasions；　and
promised　to　be　with　him；　and　to　assist　him　in　his　words；　when　he
was　to　persuade　men；　and　in　his　deeds；　when　he　was　to　perform
wonders。　He　bid　him　also　to　take　a　signal　of　the　truth　of　what　he
said；　by　throwing　his　rod　upon　the　ground；　which；　when　he　had
done；　it　crept　along；　and　was　become　a　serpent；　and　rolled　itself
round　in　its　folds；　and　erected　its　head；　as　ready　to　revenge
itself　on　such　as　should　assault　it；　after　which　it　become　a　rod
again　as　it　was　before。　After　this　God　bid　Moses　to　put　his　right
hand　into　his　bosom：　he　obeyed；　and　when　he　took　it　out　it　was
white；　and　in　color　like　to　chalk；　but　afterward　it　returned　to
its　wonted　color　again。　He　also；　upon　God's　command；　took　some　of
the　water　that　was　near　him；　and　poured　it　upon　the　ground；　and
saw　the　color　was　that　of　blood。　Upon　the　wonder　that　Moses
showed　at　these　signs；　God　exhorted　him　to　be　of　good　courage；
and　to　be　assured　that　he　would　be　the　greatest　support　to　him；
and　bid　him　make　use　of　those　signs；　in　order　to　obtain　belief
among　all　men；　that　〃thou　art　sent　by　me；　and　dost　all　things
according　to　my　commands。　Accordingly　I　enjoin　thee　to　make　no
more　delays；　but　to　make　haste　to　Egypt；　and　to　travel　night　and
day；　and　not　to　draw　out　the　time；　and　so　make　the　slavery　of　the
Hebrews　and　their　sufferings　to　last　the　longer。〃

4。　Moses　having　now　seen　and　heard　these　wonders　that　assured　him
of　the　truth　of　these　promises　of　God；　had　no　room　left　him　to
disbelieve　them：　he　entreated　him　to　grant　him　that　power　when　he
should　be　in　Egypt；　and　besought　him　to　vouchsafe　him　the
knowledge　of　his　own　name；　and　since　he　had　heard　and　seen　him；
that　he　would　also　tell　him　his　name；　that　when　he　offered
sacrifice　he　might　invoke　him　by　such　his　name　in　his　oblations。
Whereupon　God　declared　to　him　his　holy　name；　which　had　never　been
discovered　to　men　before；　concerning　which　it　is　not　lawful　for
me　to　say　any　more　（24）　Now　these　signs　accompanied　Moses；　not
then　only；　but　always　when　he　prayed　for　them：　of　all　which　signs
he　attributed　the　firmest　assent　to　the　fire　in　the　bush；　and
believing　that　God　would　be　a　gracious　supporter　to　him；　he　hoped
he　should　be　able　to　deliver　his　own　nation；　and　bring　calamities
on　the　Egyptians。

CHAPTER　13。

How　Moses　And　Aaron　Returned　Into　Egypt　To　Pharaoh。

1。　So　Moses；　when　he　understood　that　the　Pharaoh；　in　whose　reign
he　fled　away；　was　dead；　asked　leave　of　Raguel　to　go　to　Egypt；　for
the　benefit　of　his　own　people。　And　he　took　with　him　Zipporah；　the
daughter　of　Raguel；　whom　he　had　married；　and　the　children　he　had
by　her；　Gersom　and　Eleazer；　and　made　haste　into　Egypt。　Now　the
former　of　those　names；　Gersom；　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　signifies
that　he　was　in　a　strange　land；　and　Eleazer；　that；　by　the
assistance　of　the　God　of　his　fathers；　he　had　escaped　from　the
Egyptians。　Now　when　they　were　near　the　borders；　Aaron　his
brother；　by　the　command　of　God；　met　him；　to　whom　he　declared　what
had　befallen　him　at　the　mountain；　and　the　commands　that　God　had
given　him。　But　as　they　were　going　forward；　the　chief　men　among
the　Hebrews；　having　learned　that　they　were　coming；　met　them：　to
whom　Moses　declared　the　signs　he　had　seen；　and　while　they　could
not　believe　them；　he　made　them　see　them；　So　they　took　courage　at
these　surprising　and　unexpected　sights；　and　hoped　well　of　their
entire　deliverance；　as　believing　now　that　God　took　care　of　their
preservation。

2。　Since　then　Moses　found　that　the　Hebrews　would　be　obedient　to
whatsoever　he　should　direct；　as　they　promised　to　be；　and　were　in
love　with　liberty；　he　came　to　the　king；　who　had　indeed　but　lately
received　the　government；　and　told　him　how　much　he　had　done　for
the　good　of　the　Egyptians；　when　they　were　despised　by　the
Ethiopians；　and　their　country　laid　waste　by　them；　and　how　he　had
been　the　commander　of　their　forces；　and　had　labored　for　them；　as
if　they　had　been　his　own　people　and　he　informed　him　in　what
danger　he　had　been　during　that　expedition；　without　having　any
proper　returns　made　him　as　he　had　deserved。　He　also　informed　him
distinctly　what　things　happened　to　him　at　Mount　Sinai；　and　what
God　said　to　him；　and　the　signs　that　were　done　by　God；　in　order　to
assure　him　of　the　authority　of　those　commands　which　he　had　given
him。　He　also　exhorted　him　not　to　disbelieve　what　he　told　him；　nor
to　oppose　the　will　of　God。

3。　But　when　the　king　derided　Moses；　he　made　him　in　earnest　see
the　signs　that　were　done　at　Mount　Sinai。　Yet　was　the　king　very
angry　with　him　and　called　him　an　ill　man；　who　had　formerly　run
away　from　his　Egyptian　slavery；　and　came　now　back　with　deceitful
tricks；　and　wonders；　and　magical　arts；　to　astonish　him。　And　when
he　had　said　this；　he　commanded　the　priests　to　let　him　see　the
same　wonderful　sights；　as　knowing　that　the　Egyptians　were
skillful　in　this　kind　of　learning；　and　that　he　was　not　the　only
person　who　knew　them；　and　pretended　them　to　be　divine；　as　also　he
told　him；　that　when　he　brought　such　wonderful　sig