The Legends of the Jews, vol 3 | Page 7

had adjured his descendants
solemnly on his deathbed not to think of quitting the land until the

redeemer should appear. Their death was followed by disgrace, for
their bodies lay unburied for many years on the battlefield near Gath,
and the purpose of God in directing the Israelites to choose the longer
route from Egypt to Canaan, was to spare them the sight of those
dishonored corpses. Their courage might have deserted them, and out
of apprehension of sharing the fate of their brethren they might have
hastened back to the land of slavery. [11]
PHARAOH PURSUES THE HEBREWS
When Pharaoh permitted Israel to depart, he was under the impression
that they were going only a three days' journey into the wilderness for
the purpose of offering sacrifices. He sent officers with them, whose
duty was to bring them back at the appointed time. The exodus took
place on a Thursday. On the following Sunday the king's watchers
noticed that the Israelites, so far from preparing for a return, were
making arrangements looking to a long sojourn in the desert. They
remonstrated and urged them to go back. The Israelites maintained that
Pharaoh had dismissed them for good, but the officers would not be put
off with their mere assertions. They said, "Willy-nilly, you will have to
do as the powers that be command." To such arrogance the Israelites
would not submit, and they fell upon the officers, slaying some and
wounding others. The maimed survivors went back to Egypt, and report
the contumacy of the Israelites to Pharaoh. Meantime Moses, who did
not desire the departure of his people to have the appearance of flight
before the Egyptians, gave the signal to turn back to Pi-hahiroth. Those
of little faith among the Israelites tore their hair and their garments in
desperation, though Moses assured them that by the word of God they
were free men, and no longer slaves to Pharaoh. [12] Accordingly, they
retraced their steps to Pi-hahiroth, where two rectangular rocks form an
opening, within which the great sanctuary of Baal-zephon was situated.
The rocks are shaped like human figures, the one a man and the other a
woman, and they were not chiseled by human hands, but by the Creator
Himself. The place had been called Pithom in earlier times, but later,
on account of the idols set up there, it received the name Hahiroth. Of
set purpose God had left Baal-zephon uninjured, alone of all the
Egyptian idols. He wanted the Egyptian people to think that this idol
was possessed of exceeding might, which it exercised to prevent the
Israelites from journeying on. To confirm them in their illusory belief,

God caused wild beasts to obstruct the road to the wilderness, and they
took it for granted that their idol Baal-zephon had ordained their
appearance. [13]
Pi-hahiroth was famous, besides, on account of the treasures heaped up
there. The wealth of the world which Joseph had acquired through the
sale of corn he had stored up during the seven years of plenty, he had
divided into three parts. The first part he surrendered to Pharaoh. The
second part he concealed in the wilderness, where it was found by
Korah, though it disappeared again, not to come to view until the
Messianic time, and then it will be for the benefit of the pious. The
third part Joseph hid in the sanctuary of Baal-zephon, whence the
Hebrews carried it off as booty. [14]
When Amalek and the magicians brought the information to Pharaoh,
that the Israelites had resolved not to return to Egypt, his heart and the
heart of his whole people turned against them. The very counselors that
had persuaded him to dismiss the children of Israel spake now as
follows: " If we had only been smitten with the plaques, we could have
resigned ourselves to our fate. Or if, besides being smitten with the
plagues, we had been compelled to let the Hebrews depart from the
land, that, too, we could have been borne with patience. But to be
smitten with the plagues, to be compelled to let our slaves depart from
us, and to sit by and see them go off with our riches, that is more than
we can endure."
Now that the children of Israel had gone from them the Egyptians
recognized how valuable an element they had been in their country. In
general, the time of the exodus of Israel was disastrous for their former
masters. In addition to losing their dominion over the Israelites, the
Egyptians had to deal with mutinies that broke out among many other
nations tributary to them, for hitherto Pharaoh had been the ruler of the
whole world. The king resorted to blandishments and promises, to
induce the people to make war against the Israelites, saying,