approximates as much as possible in his own language to the form of which it is question. The assertion that the name signifies Liberator has no ground either in history or philology. : Although the word seems to have a Semitic root, and to be applicable to a river in general, yet it is a remarkable fact that in the Pentateuch it is used only of the Nile and its canals. The reason is apparent when we consider that the river's Egyptian name was 18 (Aur); in Coptic, &po. www If to all this we add the names of Egyptian cities, we shall see that in the Pentateuch there is found a considerable sprinkling of Egyptian names, titles, and words, which, when we remember that the orthography is in conformity with the comparative alphabets of Lepsius, Brugsch, De Rougé, or Chabas, argue on the part of the writer a good knowledge of the language. § 2.-Historian of the Pentateuch intimately acquainted with the Arabian Desert. The acquaintance displayed by our author with the topography, productions, and other peculiarities of the Arabian desert, forms another point of identification between the historian and the lawgiver. It is such as no Hebrew could have mastered except as one of the wanderers of the Exodus. For it does not show itself in mere general notices of wild scenery, barren plains, rugged mountains, of the want of water, or its brackish taste, of the deficiency in food, whether animal or vegetable. There is never any attempt to describe such features. But they enter so simply into the incidental details of the journey, and are exhibited with such truthfulness to nature, such harmony with the scenery, such specification of locality, and such individuality of outline, that they form a living picture of reality caught at the instant, and photographed on the spot. The Sinaitic peninsula is not of such a nature as to bear the colouring that might have been borrowed from any other place of the globe. Invention could not have supplied the details. Even now, with all the accumulated information about it that we have, it would be impossible to frame an original picture so varied and lifelike as that presented to us in the Pentateuch. Modern travellers are invariably struck with its accuracy; and each one has generally something new to record concerning some overlooked correspondence of the author's narrative with the features of the place. The very minuteness with which the different stations of the journey, even of those which were utterly devoid of interest whether local or historical, are laid down in Num. xxxiii., shows a note-book in requisition on the spot. There must of necessity be places there marked down which never can be traced again. For some of the names took their rise from events occurring at the time, and were probably not known beyond the circle of the Hebrew camp. And as none of the Israelites came back, after the incidents recorded, to perpetuate in the country itself the names thus given, we could hardly expect the sparse native population to retain or even know the fugitive appellations bestowed by the strangers on mountains, wadys, or encampments. Yet there is a considerable number of places that may still be identified, with more or less probability, by the names and features described in the text, while others by their very etymology allude to peculiarities which suit with various localities in the desert. To illustrate this, let us follow a little in the track of the Israelites as they advance on Sinai. The Red Sea is crossed; and after journeying for three days into the desert without a fresh supply of water, they come at length to Marah, where the waters were bitter (Ex. xv. 22-24). Just about that distance from the shore, where Israel must have crossed the Red Sea, is still to be found the fountain of Hawârah, which the Arabs pronounce to be bitter, and consider the worst water in all these regions.'1After having passed the Red Sea, the Israelites would naturally supply themselves from the fountains of Nâba and Ayun Musa; and from the latter to Hawârah is a distance of about sixteen and a half hours, or thirty-three geographical miles; which, as we have seen above, was for them a good three days' journey. On the route itself there is no water; but near the sea is now the small fountain Abu Suweirah, which may then have been dry, or not have existed; and in the mountains on the left is the "Cup of Sudr," several hours from the road and probably unknown to the Israelites. I see, therefore, no valid objection to the above hypothesis (that identifies Hawarah with Marah). The fountain lies at the specified distance, and on their direct route; for there is no probability that they passed by the lower and longer road along the sea-shore.' Robinson listened in vain for an echo of the Biblical Marah. It is not to be wondered at that he was unsuccessful. For it was a name given by the Israelites in addition to its local one, and was just as transient as their visit. And yet it may perhaps be found in El-Amâra, lying somewhat south of Hawârah. The spring is so bitter that neither men nor camels could drink of it.' So it is described by Dr. Graul, quoted in a note by Stanley.3 6 The next station is Elim (Ex. xv. 27; Num. xxxiii. 9), 1 Robinson, Bib. Researches in Palestine, i. p. 66. 2 Rob. ib. p. 67. 3 Sinai and Pal. p. 37. See also the art. Wilderness of the Wanderings, p. 1755, in Smith's Dict. of the Bible. 'where there were twelve springs of water and threescore and ten palm trees.' The Wady Gharandel, making allow ance for the changes of 3,000 years, suits in direction, in distance, and in features. The fountains of Wady Ghurundel are two and a half hours, or nearly half-a-day's journey for the Israelites, distant from Hawârah, and are still one of the chief watering places of the Arabs.'1 'Straggling trees of various kinds are found in it; the most common of which is the Turfa, a species of tamarisk, Tamarix Gallica mannifera of Ehrenberg, on which our camels broused freely, and also mimosas or acacias, called by the Arabs, Tulh and Seyal. A few palm trees were scattered through the valley. . . . About half an hour below our encampment, the Arabs procured water, as they said, from fountains with a running brook. When the rains fail for two or three years, the brook ceases to flow; but water is always to be found by digging a little below the surface.' 2 3 The encampment by the Red Sea, immediately following that at Elim (Num. xxxiii. 10), was a source of perplexity to ancient commentators; and even yet Wogue does not understand how it came about. The difficulty was to understand how, after leaving the Red Sea, the Israelites should come back upon it on their road to Sinai, which lay in the heart of the peninsula. And yet modern travellers show that, at this point, it was a necessity in their line of march. Robinson says: "It has been already remarked, that the Israelites must have passed from Ghurundel, inside of Jebel Hammâm, to the head of Wady-et-Taiyibeh; and it must also have been on the plain at the mouth of this valley, that they again. 1 Rob. ib. p. 69. 2 Rob. ib. pp. 68, 69. 3 See Macdonald's Introduction to the Pentateuch, i. p. 296. 1 encamped by the Red Sea. The nature of the country shows conclusively that, if they passed through this region at all, they must necessarily have taken this course, and had their encampment at this place. From Ghurundel to the head of Taiyibeh we found the distance to be six hours.' Of the same locality another traveller remarks: About two hours after leaving the mouth of Wadi Teiyibah, we reached the centre of the extensive triangular plain called Wadi-el-Markhah, or the "Valley of Ease," where we "encamped by the Red Sea," exactly like the Israelites at their first station after they removed from Elim (Num. xxxiii. 10). We were all much struck with the indirect but remarkable coincidence of Holy Scripture with the topography of this day's march. No person but a writer well acquainted with the geography of these parts would, like Moses, have brought the Israelites again upon the Red Sea, by a line of march so devious, but so necessary on account of the mountains and wadis, as that which we have to-day pursued.'2 Dophkah and Alush (Num. xxxiii. 12, 13) are the next stations; and these are still traceable, in all likelihood— the one in Wady-es-Seih, where there is water and a reminiscence of the old name in Tabbaccha; the other in the Wady Osch, which, with the Arabic article, represents the Alush of Numbers.3 Rephidim is the only station left between Alush and Sinai, where Israel lay encamped for so long a time before the Mount of God. The great plain Er-Râha lying spread out beneath what is now called Mount Horeb, which descends sheer upon it so as to be touched by the hand, leaves little doubt that here was the sacred encampment. All the scenery is in exact correspondence with the scrip 1 Rob. ib. P 72. 3 See Knobel on Ex. xvii. 1. 2 Wilson, Lands of the Bible, i. 180. |