suddenly returned to his strength at the signal of Moses stretching forth his hand over it. Exod. xiv. 24—28.

The particulars of this transaction demonstrate, that neither the host of the Israelites, nor the host of Pharaoh, could possi bly have passed at the head of the Gulph near Suez; where the sea was only "half a league" broad, according to Niebuhr's own supposition, and consequently too narrow to contain the whole host of Pharaoh at once; whose 600 chariots alone, exclusive of his cavalry and infantry, must have occupied more ground.

Manetho, and the Egyptian writers, have passed over in silence this tremendous visitation of their nation. An ancient writer, however, Artapanus, who wrote a history of the Jews, about B.C. 130, has preserved the following curious Egyptian traditions:

"The Memphites relate, that Moses, being well acquainted with the country, watched the influx of the tide, and made the multitude pass through the dry [bed of the] sea. But the Heliopolitans relate, that the king, with a great army, accompanied by the sacred animals, pursued after the Jews, who had carried off with them the substance of the Egyptians. And that Moses, having been directed by a Divine voice to strike the sea with his rod, when he heard it, touched the water with his rod; and so the fluid divided, and the host passed over through a dry way. But when the Egyptians entered along with them, and pursued them, it is said, that fire flashed against them in front, and the sea, returning back, overwhelmed the passage. Thus the Egyptians perished, both by the fire, and by the reflux of the tide." Euseb. Præp. Evang. Lib. 9, cap. 27, p. 436.

The latter account is extremely curious: it not only confirms SCRIPTURE, but it notices three additional circumstances: 1. That for their protection against THE GOD OF ISRAEL, the Egyptians brought with them the sacred animals; and by this means "GOD executed judgment upon all the [bestial] gods of Egypt," as foretold, Exod. xii. 12, who perished with their infatuated votaries; completing the destruction of both, which began with "smiting the first-born both of man and beast." 2. That the recovery of "the jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment," which they asked and obtained of the Egyptians," according to the Divine command, Exod. xii. 35, 36, was a

leading motive with the Egyptians to pursue them; as the bringing back the Israelites to slavery had been with " Pharaoh and his servants," or officers. And 3. That the destruction of the Egyptians was partly occasioned by lightning and thunderbolts, from the presence of the Lord: exactly corresponding to the Psalmist's sublime description:

66

The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee: they were afraid; the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water, the air thundered, thine arrows also went abroad :Yea he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he shot forth lightnings, hail-stones, and coals of fire-and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered, at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils." Psalm lxxvii. 16, 17; xviii. 13—15. The Red Sea derived its name from Edom, signifying " red," a title of Esau, to whom the bordering country of Edom, or Idumæa, belonged. Gen. xxv. 30; xxxvi. 31–40. It was also called Yam Suph," the weedy sea," in several passages, Numb. xxxiii. 10; Psalm cvi. 9, &c. which are improperly rendered "the Red Sea." Some learned authors have supposed that it was so named from the quantity of weeds in it. "But in contradiction to this," says Bruce, " I must confess, that I never in my life, (and I have seen the whole extent of it) saw a weed of any sort in it. And indeed, upon the slightest consideration, it will appear to any one, that a narrow Gulph, under the immediate influence of monsoons, blowing from contrary points six months each year, would have too much agitation to produce such vegetables, seldom found but in stagnant water, and seldomer, if ever, found in salt ones. My opinion then is, that it is from the large trees, or plants, of white coral, perfectly in imitation of plants on land, that the sea has taken its name. I saw one of these, which, from a root nearly central, threw out ramifications in a nearly central form, measuring twenty-six feet diameter every way." P. 247.

This seems to be the most probable solution that has been hitherto proposed of the name.

The tides in this sea are but moderate. At Suez the difference between high and low water did not exceed from three to four feet; according to Niebuhr's observations on the tides in that Gulph, during the years 1762 and 1763. Voyage en Arabie, p. 363.

Pl.II.

Vol 1. P-397

Engraved by J.Bye

Published by C.J.C. & F Rivington

STATIONS OF THE ISRAELITES IN THE

WILDERNESS.

The journey of the Israelites, for forty years, from their departure out of Egypt, till their arrival in the promised land of Canaan, is the most extraordinary ever recorded in history. Every stage of it almost is marked by a succession of miracles the most signal and astonishing. And for the instruction and admonition of posterity, Moses was directed to form a journal of their several stations and encampments; the principal of which are set down, Numb. xxxiii. 1—49; and the rest are here supplied from the tenor of the history, in the last four books of Moses; together with the leading occurrences, arranged in chronological order.

In tracing their intricate route through" the great and terrible, the waste and howling wilderness" of Arabia Petræa; I have principally followed the ingenious delineation of Bishop Clayton, in his Chronology of the Bible, 1747; and adopted the numeral references of his map; the general plan of which is taken from Shaw, Pococke, Reland, &c. It is more correct in its outline than any I have seen; though it is not professed by the author to be critically accurate as to the situation of every place. The line of larger dots represents the route of the Assyrian Confederates, until they were defeated by Abraham. Gen. xiv.