113
[Whiston sect. 1] [sect. 334] WHEN Moses had said this, he led them to the sea, while the Egyptians
looked on; for they were within sight. Now these were so distressed by
the toil of their pursuit, that they thought proper to put off fighting
till the next day. But when Moses was come to the sea-shore, he took his
rod, and made supplication to God, and called upon him to be their helper
and assistant; and said "Thou art not ignorant, O Lord, that it is
beyond human strength and human contrivance to avoid the difficulties we
are now under; but it must be thy work altogether to procure deliverance
to this army, which has left Egypt at thy appointment. We despair of any
other assistance or contrivance, and have recourse only to that hope we
have in thee; and if there be any method that can promise us an escape
by thy providence, we look up to thee for it. And let it come quickly,
and manifest thy power to us; and do thou raise up this people unto good
courage and hope of deliverance, who are deeply sunk into a disconsolate
state of mind. We are in a helpless place, but still it is a place that
thou possessest; still the sea is thine, the mountains also that enclose
us are thine; so that these mountains will open themselves if thou commandest
them, and the sea also, if thou commandest it, will become dry land. Nay,
we might escape by a flight through the air, if thou shouldst determine
we should have that way of salvation."
[Whiston sect. 2] [sect. 338] When Moses had thus addressed himself to God, he smote the sea with
his rod, which parted asunder at the stroke, and receiving those waters
into itself, left the ground dry, as a road and a place of flight for the
Hebrews. Now when Moses saw this appearance of God, and that the sea went
out of its own place, and left dry land, he went first of all into it,
and bid the Hebrews to follow him along that divine road, and to rejoice
at the danger their enemies that followed them were in; and gave thanks
to God for this so surprising a deliverance which appeared from him.
[Whiston sect. 3] [sect. 340] Now, while these Hebrews made no stay, but went on earnestly, as
led by God's presence with them, the Egyptians supposed first that they
were distracted, and were going rashly upon manifest destruction. But when
they saw that they were going a great way without any harm, and that no
obstacle or difficulty fell in their journey, they made haste to pursue
them, hoping that the sea would be calm for them also. They put their horse
foremost, and went down themselves into the sea. Now the Hebrews, while
these were putting on their armor, and therein spending their time, were
beforehand with them, and escaped them, and got first over to the land
on the other side without any hurt. Whence the others were encouraged,
and more courageously pursued them, as hoping no harm would come to them
neither: but the Egyptians were not aware that they went into a road made
for the Hebrews, and not for others; that this road was made for the deliverance
of those in danger, but not for those that were earnest to make use of
it for the others' destruction. As soon, therefore, as ever the whole Egyptian
army was within it, the sea flowed to its own place, and came down with
a torrent raised by storms of wind, 114
and encompassed the Egyptians. Showers of rain also came down from the
sky, and dreadful thunders and lightning, with flashes of fire. Thunderbolts
also were darted upon them. Nor was there any thing which used to be sent
by God upon men, as indications of his wrath, which did not happen at this
time, for a dark and dismal night oppressed them. And thus did all these
men perish, so that there was not one man left to be a messenger of this
calamity to the rest of the Egyptians.
[Whiston sect. 4] [sect. 345] But the Hebrews were not able to contain themselves for joy at their
wonderful deliverance, and destruction of their enemies; now indeed supposing
themselves firmly delivered, when those that would have forced them into
slavery were destroyed, and when they found they had God so evidently for
their protector. And now these Hebrews having escaped the danger they were
in, after this manner, and besides that, seeing their enemies punished
in such a way as is never recorded of any other men whomsoever, were all
the night employed in singing of hymns, and in mirth. 115
Moses also composed a song unto God, containing his praises, and a thanksgiving
for his kindness, in hexameter verse. 116
[Whiston sect. 5] [sect. 347] As for myself, I have delivered every part of this history as I found
it in the sacred books; nor let any one wonder at the strangeness of
the narration if a way were discovered to those men of old time, who were
free from the wickedness of the modern ages, whether it happened by the
will of God or whether it happened of its own accord; - while, for the
sake of those that accompanied Alexander, king of Macedonia, who yet lived,
comparatively but a little while ago, the Pamphylian Sea retired and afforded
them a passage 117
through itself, had no other way to go; I mean, when it was the will of
God to destroy the monarchy of the Persians: and this is confessed to be
true by all that have written about the actions of Alexander. But as to
these events, let every one determine as he pleases.
[Whiston sect. 6] [sect. 349] On the next day Moses gathered together the weapons of the Egyptians,
which were brought to the camp of the Hebrews by the current of the sea,
and the force of the winds resisting it; and he conjectured that this also
happened by Divine Providence, that so they might not be destitute of weapons.
So when he had ordered the Hebrews to arm themselves with them, he led
them to Mount Sinai, in order to offer sacrifice to God, and to render
oblations for the salvation of the multitude, as he was charged to do beforehand.
Book 3 Book III
CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF TWO YEARS.
FROM THE EXODUS OUT OF EGYPT, TO THE REJECTION OF THAT
GENERATION.
Ch. 1