parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said: Thou hast saved our lives; let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be the servants of Pharaoh. And Joseph made it a law for the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; only the land of the priests became not Pharaoh's.

Now the time drew nigh that Israel must die. And he called his son Joseph, and said unto him: If now I have found grace in thy sight, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt; but I would lie with my fathers; and thou shalt carry me up from Egypt and bury me in their burying place. And he said: I will do as thou hast said. And he said: Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed down upon the head of the bed.

And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. Then Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father, and forty days were fulfilled for him, for so are fulfilled the days for those which are embalmed, and the Egyptians mourned for him three-score and ten days. And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying: If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying: My father made me swear, saying: Lo, I die; in the grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now, therefore, let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. And Pharaoh said: Go up and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house. Only their little ones, and their flocks and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great company.

And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan; and there they mourned with a very great and sore lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father for seven days. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the Floor of Atad, they said: This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians. Wherefore the name of it was called Abel-Misraim (the Mourning of the Egyptians), which is beyond Jordan.

And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after that he had buried his father.

CHAPTER II

THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT

SECTION I. From the Flight of Moses to Midian, to his last Interview with the Pharaoh, and the Institution of the Feast of the Passover. (Exodus 1, 6-14; ii, 15-22, 25a; iii, 2-4a, 5, 7-8, 16-18; iv, 1-16, 19-20, 22-26, 29-31; v, 1-3, 5-23; vii, 14, 16, 17b-18, 26, 24-28; viii, 4-6, 8-11, 16-20, 21-28; ix, 1-7, 13-21, 23c, 24b-34; x, 1-11, 13b, 14b-15a, 16-19, 24-26; xi, 4-8; xii, 24-27, 37a; xii, 20-24, 3-16.) Materials: Still largely traditions transmitted orally.

And Joseph died, and all his brethren and all that generation. Now there rose up a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph. And he said to his people: Behold, the people of the Children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, when there falleth out any war, they join also with our enemies and fight against us, and so get them out of the land.

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities, Pithom and Ramses. But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. And they feared the Children of Israel.1

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses; but Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses rose up and helped them and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel, their father, he said: How is it that ye are come so soon to-day? And they said: An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew enough for us and watered the flock. And he said to his daughters: And where is he? Why is it ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Zipporah, his daughter, to Moses. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said: A stranger have I been in a foreign land.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died. Then the Messenger of Yahweh appeared to him [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said: I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not

1 The Birth of Moses and the occasion of the Pharaoh's anger were taken by JE from E's work (pp. 196-7). The older pharaoh has been identified as Rameses II. of the XIXth dynasty. The one with whom Moses pleaded was Mer-en-Ptah (B.c. 1225-1215), his son, and possibly a school-mate of the great Leader.

consumed. And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, and He said: Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

And Yahweh said: I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry for help because of their task-masters, for I know their suffering. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and Hivite and the Jebusite. Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and say unto them: Yahweh the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob appeared unto me, saying: I have surely visited you and seen that which is done unto you in Egypt. And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites and Hittites and the Amorites and Perizzites and the Hivites and Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the King of Egypt; and ye shall say unto him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice unto Yahweh our God.

And Moses answered and said: But, behold, they will not believe me nor hearken unto my voice, for they will say: Yahweh hath not appeared unto thee. And Yahweh said unto him: What is that in thine hand? And he said: A rod. And He said: Cast it upon the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled before it. And Yahweh said unto Moses: Put forth thine hand and take it by the tail (and he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee. And Yahweh said furthermore unto him: Put now thine hand into thy bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. And He said: Put thine hand into thy bosom again; and he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his bosom; and behold, it was restored as his flesh; and it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they will not believe even these two signs neither hearken to thy voice, that thou shalt take of the waters of the river and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

And Moses said unto Yahweh: O, my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto Thy servant, for unready of speech and slow of tongue am I. And Yahweh said unto him: Who hath given man speech, or who maketh the dumb or the deaf or the open-eyed or the blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? And now, go, and I will be with thy speech, and will teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said: O, Yahweh, send, I pray thee, by the hand Thou wilt send! And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and He said: Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well; and, also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people, and verily he shall be as a mouth for thee, and thou shalt

be for him as God. And Yahweh said unto Moses in Midian: Go, return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought thy life. (And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt.) And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh: Thus saith Yahweh, Israel is My son, even My firstborn. And I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and, if you wilt not let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that Yahweh met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at his feet, and said: Surely, a bloody husband art thou to me. So He let him go. Then she said: A bloody husband art thou! (because of the circumcision).

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the Children of Israel, and Aaron spake all the words which Yahweh had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed. And when they heard that Yahweh had visited the Children of Israel and had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. And afterward, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh: Thus saith Yahweh, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said: Who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, neither will I let Israel go. And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice unto Yahweh, our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them: Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, hinder the people from their work? get ye to your tasks. And Pharaoh said: Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them cease from their tasks. And the same day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying: Ye shall not continue to give the people straw for moulding the bricks as heretofore. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them. Ye shall not diminish aught thereof, for they be idle. Therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let more work be laid upon the men that they may toil over it, and let them not regard vain words.

Then the taskmasters of the people went out and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying: Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it, but naught shall be deducted from your service therefor. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather chaff instead of straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying: Fulfil your tasks, the tale of each day, as when there was straw. And the officers of the Children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked: Wherefore have ye not finished as heretofore your tale of bricks either yesterday or to-day? And the officrs of the Children of Israel came to Pharaoh and cried for help, saying: Why dost thou act thus toward thy servants? no straw is given us, yet they say: Make brick. And behold, thy servants are beaten when it is the fault of thine own people. But he said: Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore do ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh. Go now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet ye shall deliver the full tale of brick.

And the officers of the Children of Israel saw that they were in evil case when they were told: Ye shall not lessen the daily tale of your

bricks. And they came to Moses and Aaron who had stationed themselves to meet them as they should come out from Pharaoh, and they said unto them: May Yahweh look upon you and judge you, for ye have made our savor odious in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hands to slay us. And Moses turned to Yahweh, and said: Lord, why hast Thou done evil to this people, and why is it that Thou hast sent me? for, since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath done evil to this people, and Thou hast done nothing to deliver Thy people.

Then said Yahweh to Moses: Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuseth to let the people go. Now, thou shalt say unto him: Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, sent me unto thee, saying, Let My people go that they may serve Me in the wilderness; and behold, hitherto thou wouldst not hear. Thus saith Yahweh: Behold I will smite the river; and the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink, and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the river. And the fish that was in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water from the river (and all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river). And seven days were fulfilled after that Yahweh had smitten the river. And Yahweh said unto Moses: Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Yahweh: Let My people go that they may serve Me; and if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs; and the river shall swarm with frogs, and they shall come into thy house and into thy bedchamber and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens and into thy kneading troughs; and the frogs shall come up both upon thee and upon thy people and upon all thy servants.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said: Entreat Yahweh that he take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto Yahweh. And Moses said unto Pharaoh: Tell me plainly, when shall I entreat for thee, for thy servants and for thy people, that the frogs shall be withdrawn from thee and thy house, and shall remain only in the river? And he said: To-morrow. And he said: According to thy word shall it be, that thou mayest know that there is none like unto Yahweh, our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee and from the houses and from the servants and from the people; they shall remain in the river only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried unto Yahweh because of the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages and out of the fields. And they gathered them in heaps together, and the land stank. But, when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart.

Then said Yahweh unto Moses: Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, (lo, he cometh forth to the water), and say unto him: Thus saith Yahweh: Let My people go that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I will send the gadfly upon thee and upon thy servants and upon thy people and into thy houses; and the gadflies shall fill the houses of the Egyptians and even the ground upon which they rest. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen where My people dwell, that there shall not be a gadfly there; that thou mayest know that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between My people and thy people. To-morrow shall this sign be.