Silence of Egyptian records. early Hyksos, and how does this agree with the time ascribed to the exodus of the Israelites ? S.-The expulsion of the early Hyksos is thought to have been about B.C. 1450,1 and the year of the exodus, according to our version of the Bible, was B.C. 1490. Prichard considers the times to correspond within a year.2 P.-Is Manetho a reliable author, and how have his writings been preserved ? S.-His account of the Hyksos has been incorporated by Josephus in his controversy with Appion. We have also an extensive table of Egyptian dynasties derived from him, on which all students of Egyptian history more or less rely. The recent discoveries of M. Mariette, perhaps the ablest and most successful of all explorers in the valley of the Nile, have conferred upon ethnology two inestimable boons. First, he has opened up a world of monuments relating to a part of Egyptian history, about which we knew nothing, and, the most interesting of all, the earliest. And secondly, he has dispelled the last shades of doubt which hung about the authenticity of Manetho's lists of kings.' "3 P.-What does Josephus say as to the connection between the Hyksos and the Israelites when in Egypt? S.-Josephus identifies the early Hyksos with the Israelites, but throws a doubt on the accuracy of the second narrative regarding the unclean people.* "Josephus and Plutarch think that the Phenician shepherds, said to be driven out of Egypt, were the Israelites."5 P.-And in the well kept records of the Egyptian nation there is no better support than the above for the wondrous history of the Israelites in Egypt recounted in the Bible! S.-I will give you some passages from authors who have made a study of the subject, which will show you the character of the Egyptian records, and their silence on this head. "It is for the three great Theban dynasties-from B.C. 1748 to B.C. 978, that the architectural remains, especially at Thebes, Historic Notes, by Samuel Sharpe, 89. 2 Egyptian Chronology, 81. 3 Man's Origin and Destiny, by J. P. Lesley, 145. Higgins' Anacalypsis, I. 392, are so abundant, and the links of mutual connection so numerous, as to afford something like a continuous monumental history, while the temples, palaces, and tombs of many of the kings of these dynasties are on so vast a scale, and their wars and conquests, and tributes recorded are so considerable, as to strike every beholder with amazement. The Egyptian chronicles take us back with specific details, and even with contemporary monuments and inscriptions, above 2000 years before Christ; and with lists of names manifestly historical, and some well marked facts 200 years higher." "There is no nation whose people have been more careful in recording the daily and yearly events which happened amongst them than the Egyptians, yet neither in writing nor in sculpture is there any representation of the seven years of plenty, when the cities were stored to overflowing with the effects of the bounteous harvest, nor yet of the years of great famine, when the people sold all they had, and themselves too, for bread to keep them alive. Having thus premised that the Egyptians did not shrink from recording their own misfortunes, we turn to their remains, and find no single evidence of the presence of such a ruler as Joseph-of such a nation of slaves as the Hebrews--of a king known as Pharaoh—of such calamities as the various plagues, nor of such an overthrow as the destruction of an army in the Red Sea. Even Ewald, with all his learning, is unable to bring one single valid witness to the truthfulness, or even the probability of the Mosaic story." "How very extraordinary a thing it is, that the destruction of the hosts of Pharaoh should not have been known to Berosus, Strabo, Diodorus, or Herodotus; that they should not have heard of these stupendous events, either from the Egyptians, or from the Syrians, Arabians, or Jews."3 P.-What was the era of the earliest of the writers you have named above? S. The earliest was Herodotus, who is so looked up to as to be called the father of history. He flourished B.C. 450.* P.-When did Manetho write, and what pretensions in literature had Thoth, from whom he derived his materials? 1 Egyptian Chronicles, by W. Palmer, I., xviii. lii. 2 Inman's Ancient Faiths, II. 95, 96, 346. Higgins' Anacalypsis, I. 633. • Palmer's Egyptian Chronicles, I. xlix. Miscellaneous miracles. S.-Manetho wrote about B.C. 276.' Thoth, according to the tables of Manetho, (as also those of Eratosthenes,) was the son of Menes the first of the historic kings of Egypt.2 He was deified after death, and called Hermes or Mercury. "To this Hermes all the science and learning of the Egyptians were attributed. He taught them the art of writing, gave them laws, and instructed them in astronomy, geometry, medicine, and other sciences.' Sanchoniatho, a still earlier historian, resorted to the same records for his materials, finding them laid up in a town called Berytus.* 113 P.-How near to the time of Manetho was Ezra's promulgation of the Book of the Law? S. That is said to have occurred B.C. 445, or about 170 years before Manetho. P.-The marvels recounted in the Bible narrative of the Exodus could not have failed to attract the historians of these parts had they really occurred, and Josephus, being a Jew, would assuredly have supported this narrative with something better than Manetho's account of the Hyksos, or eastern shepherds, had there been anything else discoverable in the Egyptian Chronicles. I cannot but presume that the Bible narrative has been based on the same materials used by Sanchoniatho and Manetho, and that the writer has superadded his astounding marvels, and put the whole into the shape he has adopted, in order to magnify his own people and show them to have been special objects of God's favour and protection. Let us pass now to other matters. Were there any results of importance from what was done in regard to Gideon's fleece, the drought caused by Elijah, the curing of Naaman, the preservation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the multiplying supplies from the widow's handful of meal and cruse of water, and the other widow's pot of oil? S. None that I can particularize. Gideon had received a visit from "the angel of the Lord," and had been assured that he was to deliver his countrymen from the oppression of the Midianites, and when he offered up a sacrifice, fire, at the touch of the angel, came out of a rock and consumed it. The Midianites and the Amalekites came out in force. Then "the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon," and he blew his trumpet and assembled his people. At this time he sought signs from God for his assurance that Israel were to be saved by him, and he proposed that a fleece he had by him should at one time be made wet with dew, and at another preserved dry. This seems to have been altogether a private testimony to Gideon. The drought by Elijah was of course nationally felt. It ended in a trial between Elijah and the priests of Baal to demonstrate with whom was the true God; and this terminating in Elijah's favour, he effected the slaughter of the priests of Baal, who numbered four hundred and fifty. This, however, brought about nothing, for the next event recorded is that Elijah had to flee for his life from the king's wife, Jezebel, who favoured the worship of Baal. The preservation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, led to a proclamation by the king of Babylon that all were to worship the God who had delivered them; but, as after a similar order issued on the occasion of Daniel's preservation in the lion's den, nothing came thereof, the people continuing as before idolaters. The other miracles you ask about, namely, the curing of Naaman, and the replenishing the stores of the two widows, were of an individual character, productive of no apparent consequences. P.-I must remark, as to the operations with Gideon's fleece, that they are of a sort unworthy to call down divine agency for their performance, and that it is inexplicable how such questionable and insignificant phenomena should have impressed Gideon with the reliability of the message communicated to him, when the more important manifestations connected with the angel had failed to satisfy him on the head. Gideon, it appears to me, should rather have been rebuked for bis distrust in God than gratified with the experiments demanded by him. suming I notice a good many instances of the acceptance of sacri- Celestial fices demonstrated by fire sent from heaven which consumed fire conthe offerings. It was so in the case of Aaron, of Gideon, of sacrifices. Manoah, of Elijah, of David, and of Solomon, and supernatural fire was exhibited also at a sacrifice of Abraham's. As this Judgments fire. happened so frequently, did the converse hold that a sacrifice. was not accepted when no such demonstration was made? S.-That does not appear so. P. Then if there was a stated priesthood, how did it happen that the sacrifices of those who were not of the priestly order were marked with divine acceptance? In other instances the divine judgment is said to have been poured out upon transgressors of this sort. The fire from heaven should have come down on the persons of Gideon, Manoah, Elijah, David, and Solomon, in lieu of upon their offerings. It would seem either that there could have been no special ordination of priests in those days, or that the visible acceptance of these sacrifices must be a fiction. S.-Certainly there would seem to be no other alternative. P. On various occasions fire was sent down to destroy by celestial people, making the exhibition therefore a channel of wrath as well as of favour. Fire burnt up Sodom and the cities adjacent. Nadab and Abihu were so destroyed; so also a number of the Israelites in the wilderness, and the two hundred and fifty associated with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two companies of fifty who came in succession after Elijah. Did these marked judgments produce any results on the survivors? S. None are recorded. P.-The walls of Jericho fell down at the sound of trumpets. Was this expedient used again by the Israelites at other sieges? S. It was not. P.-Perhaps the greatest wonders recounted are when the course of the heavenly orbs is disturbed. This is said to have happened twice, and upon occasions that appear to me quite unworthy to draw forth such magnificent demonstrations. The first was in the time of Joshua, when the Israelites were engaged with the Amorites. The enemy had been defeated in the usual way by force of arms, and were flying. Showers of stones then came down from heaven, and put an end to even more than had been disposed of by the swords of the Israelites. One would think that would have sufficed without requiring that the sun and the moon should stand still merely that the slaughter by the sword might be prolonged. Perhaps, however, the Amorites were to be exterminated for some particular |