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the antiquities of the jews-1-第31章

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themselves are not unacquainted with this sort of bird。 As soon;
therefore; as Moses was come to the land which was the breeder of
these serpents; he let loose the ibes; and by their means
repelled the serpentine kind; and used them for his assistants
before the army came upon that ground。 When he had therefore
proceeded thus on his journey; he came upon the Ethiopians before
they expected him; and; joining battle with them; he beat them;
and deprived them of the hopes they had of success against the
Egyptians; and went on in overthrowing their cities; and indeed
made a great slaughter of these Ethiopians。 Now when the Egyptian
army had once tasted of this prosperous success; by the means of
Moses; they did not slacken their diligence; insomuch that the
Ethiopians were in danger of being reduced to slavery; and all
sorts of destruction; and at length they retired to Saba; which
was a royal city of Ethiopia; which Cambyses afterwards named
Mero; after the name of his own sister。 The place was to be
besieged with very great difficulty; since it was both
encompassed by the Nile quite round; and the other rivers;
Astapus and Astaboras; made it a very difficult thing for such as
attempted to pass over them; for the city was situate in a
retired place; and was inhabited after the manner of an island;
being encompassed with a strong wall; and having the rivers to
guard them from their enemies; and having great ramparts between
the wall and the rivers; insomuch; that when the waters come with
the greatest violence; it can never be drowned; which ramparts
make it next to impossible for even such as are gotten over the
rivers to take the city。 However; while Moses was uneasy at the
army's lying idle; (for the enemies durst not come to a battle;)
this accident happened: … Tharbis was the daughter of the king of
the Ethiopians: she happened to see Moses as he led the army near
the walls; and fought with great courage; and admiring the
subtility of his undertakings; and believing him to be the author
of the Egyptians' success; when they had before despaired of
recovering their liberty; and to be the occasion of the great
danger the Ethiopians were in; when they had before boasted of
their great achievements; she fell deeply in love with him; and
upon the prevalency of that passion; sent to him the most
faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their
marriage。 He thereupon accepted the offer; on condition she would
procure the delivering up of the city; and gave her the assurance
of an oath to take her to his wife; and that when he had once
taken possession of the city; he would not break his oath to her。
No sooner was the agreement made; but it took effect immediately;
and when Moses had cut off the Ethiopians; he gave thanks to God;
and consummated his marriage; and led the Egyptians back to their
own land。

CHAPTER 11。

How Moses Fled Out Of Egypt Into Midian。

1。 Now the Egyptians; after they had been preserved by Moses;
entertained a hatred to him; and were very eager in compassing
their designs against him; as suspecting that he would take
occasion; from his good success; to raise a sedition; and bring
innovations into Egypt; and told the king he ought to be slain。
The king had also some intentions of himself to the same purpose;
and this as well out of envy at his glorious expedition at the
head of his army; as out of fear of being brought low by him and
being instigated by the sacred scribes; he was ready to undertake
to kill Moses: but when he had learned beforehand what plots
there were against him; he went away privately; and because the
public roads were watched; he took his flight through the
deserts; and where his enemies could not suspect he would travel;
and; though he was destitute of food; he went on; and despised
that difficulty courageously; and when he came to the city
Midian; which lay upon the Red Sea; and was so denominated from
one of Abraham's sons by Keturah; he sat upon a certain well; and
rested himself there after his laborious journey; and the
affliction he had been in。 It was not far from the city; and the
time of the day was noon; where he had an occasion offered him by
the custom of the country of doing what recommended his virtue;
and afforded him an opportunity of bettering his circumstances。

2。 For that country having but little water; the shepherds used
to seize on the wells before others came; lest their flocks
should want water; and lest it should be spent by others before
they came。 There were now come; therefore; to this well seven
sisters that were virgins; the daughters of Raguel; a priest; and
one thought worthy by the people of the country of great honor。
These virgins; who took care of their father's flocks; which sort
of work it was customary and very familiar for women to do in the
country of the Troglodytes; they came first of all; and drew
water out of the well in a quantity sufficient for their flocks;
into troughs; which were made for the reception of that water;
but when the shepherds came upon the maidens; and drove them
away; that they might have the command of the water themselves;
Moses; thinking it would be a terrible reproach upon him if he
overlooked the young women under unjust oppression; and should
suffer the violence of the men to prevail over the right of the
maidens; he drove away the men; who had a mind to more than their
share; and afforded a proper assistance to the women; who; when
they had received such a benefit from him; came to their father;
and told him how they had been affronted by the shepherds; and
assisted by a stranger; and entreated that he would not let this
generous action be done in vain; nor go without a reward。 Now the
father took it well from his daughters that they were so desirous
to reward their benefactor; and bid them bring Moses into his
presence; that he might be rewarded as he deserved。 And when
Moses came; he told him what testimony his daughters bare to him;
that he had assisted them; and that; as he admired him for his
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 fl
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