The Legends of the Jews, vol 3 | Page 5

IMPENDING DEATH AARON'S DEATH THE GENERAL MOURNING FOR AARON THE FAI.SE FRIENDS THE BRAZEN SERPENT AT ARNON SIHON, THE KING OF THE AMORITFS THE GIANT OG MOSES SPEECH OF ADMONITION BALAK, KING OF MOAB BALAAM, THE HEATHEN PROPHET BALAK'S MESSENGERS TO BALAAM BALAAM ACCEPTS BALAK'S INVITATION BALAAM'S ASS BALAAM RUNS INTO HIS OWN DESTRUCTION BALAAM WITH BALAK BALAAM'S SACRIFICES REFUSED BALAAM EXTOLS ISRAEL BALAAM'S HOPES DISAPPOINTED CURSES TURNED TO BLESSINGS BALAAM'S WICKED COUNSEL PHINEHAS, ZEALOUS FOR GOD TWELVE MIRACLES PHINEHAS REWARDED THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD THE APPOINTMENT OF JOSHUA MOSES' LEGACY TO JOSHUA MOSES LAST CAMPAIGN TIlE COMPLETE ANNIHILATION OF MIDIAN THE GRUSOME END OF BALAAM THE VICTORIOUS RETURN FROM TIlE WAR WEALTH THAT BRINGETH DESTRUCTION MOSES' DEATH IRREVOCABLY DOOMED MOSES PRAYER FOR SUSPENSION OF JUDGMENT GOD TRIES TO COMFORT MOSES CONCERING HIS DEATH THE INTERCESSIONS FOR MOSES MOSES SERVES JOSHUA THE LAST DAY OF MOSES' LIFE MOSES BEHOLDS THE FUTURE MOSES MEETS THE MESSIAH IN HEAVEN THE LAST HOURS OF MOSES THE BLESSING OF MOSES MOSES PRAYS FOR DEATH SAMAEL CHASTISED BY MOSES GOD KISSES MOSES' SOUL THE MOURNING FOR MOSES SAMAEL'S VAIN SEARCH MOSES EXCELS ALL PIOUS MEN
The Legends of the Jews Volume III Bible Times and Characters from the Exodus to the Death of Moses
THE LONG ROUTE
The exodus would have been impossible if Joseph's bones had remained behind. Therefore Moses made it his concern to seek their resting-place, while the people had but the one thought of gathering in the treasures of the Egyptians. [1] But it was not an easy matter to find Joseph's body. Moses knew that he had been interred in the mausoleum of the Egyptian kings, but there were so many other bodies there that it was impossible to identify it. Moses' mother Jochebed came to his aid. She led him to the very spot where Joseph's bones lay. As soon as he came near them, he knew them to be what he was seeking, by the fragrance they exhaled and spread around. [2] But his difficulties were not at an end. The question arose, how he was to secure possession of the remains. Joseph's coffin had been sunk far down into the ground, and he knew not how to raise it from the depths. Standing at the edge of the grave, he spoke these words. "Joseph, the time hath come whereof thou didst say, 'God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.'" No sooner had this reminder dropped from his lips than the coffin stirred and rose to the surface.
And even yet the difficulties in Moses' way were not removed wholly. The Egyptian magicians had stationed two golden dogs at Joseph's coffin, to keep watch,. and they barked vehemently if anyone ventured close to it. The noise they made was so loud it could be heard throughout the land, from end to end, a distance equal to a forty day's journey. When Moses came near the coffin, the dogs emitted their warning sound, but he silenced them at once with words, "Come, ye people, and behold the miracle! The real, live dogs did not bark, and these counterfeit dogs produced by magic attempt it!" [3] What he said about real, live dogs and their refraining from barking had reference to the fact that the dogs of the Egyptians did not move their tongues against any of the children of Israel, through they had barked all the time the people were engaged in burying the bodies of their smitten first-born. As a reward God gave the Israelites the law, to cast to the dogs the flesh they themselves are forbidden to eat, for the Lord withholds due recompense from none of His creatures. [4] Indeed, the dogs received a double reward, for their excrements are used in tanning the hides from which the Torah scrolls are made, as well as the Mezuzot and the phylacteries. [5]
Joseph's coffin in the possession of Moses, the march of the Israelites could begin. The Egyptians put no manner of obstacle in their way. Pharaoh himself accompanied them, to make sure that they were actually leaving the land, [6] and now he was so angry at his counselors for having advised against letting the Israelites depart that he slew them. [7]
For several reasons God did not permit the Israelites to travel along the straight route to the promised land. He desired them to go to Sinai first and take the law upon themselves there, and, besides, the time divinely appointed for the occupation of the land by the Gentiles had not yet elapsed. Over and above all this, the long sojourn in the wilderness was fraught with profit for the Israelites, spiritually and materially. If they had reached Palestine directly after leaving Egypt, they would have devoted themselves entirely each to the