Antiquities of the Jews — Book 3, Chapter 1

1. When the Hebrews had obtained such a wonderful deliverance, the
country was a great trouble to them, for it was entirely a desert, and
without sustenance for them; and also had exceeding little water, so
that it not only was not at all sufficient for the men, but not enough
to feed any of the cattle, for it was parched up, and had no moisture
that might afford nutriment to the vegetables; so they were forced to
travel over this country, as having no other country but this to travel
in. They had indeed carried water along with them from the land over
which they had traveled before, as their conductor had bidden them; but
when that was spent, they were obliged to draw water out of wells, with
pain, by reason of the hardness of the soil. Moreover, what water they
found was bitter, and not fit for drinking, and this in small quantities
also; and as they thus traveled, they came late in the evening to a
place called Marah, 1 which had that name from the badness of its water,
for Mar denotes bitterness. Thither they came afflicted both by the
tediousness of their journey, and by their want of food, for it entirely
failed them at that time. Now here was a well, which made them choose to
stay in the place, which, although it were not sufficient to satisfy so
great an army, did yet afford them some comfort, as found in such desert
places; for they heard from those who had been to search, that there was
nothing to be found, if they traveled on farther. Yet was this water
bitter, and not fit for men to drink; and not only so, but it was
intolerable even to the cattle themselves.

2. When Moses saw how much the people were cast down, and that the
occasion of it could not be contradicted, for the people were not in the
nature of a complete army of men, who might oppose a manly fortitude to
the necessity that distressed them; the multitude of the children, and
of the women also, being of too weak capacities to be persuaded by
reason, blunted the courage of the men themselves,—he was therefore in
great difficulties, and made everybody's calamity his own; for they ran
all of them to him, and begged of him; the women begged for their
infants, and the men for the women, that he would not overlook them, but
procure some way or other for their deliverance. He therefore betook
himself to prayer to God, that he would change the water from its
present badness, and make it fit for drinking. And when God had granted
him that favor, he took the top of a stick that lay down at his feet,
and divided it in the middle, and made the section lengthways. He then
let it down into the well, and persuaded the Hebrews that God had
hearkened to his prayers, and had promised to render the water such as
they desired it to be, in case they would be subservient to him in what
he should enjoin them to do, and this not after a remiss or negligent
manner. And when they asked what they were to do in order to have the
water changed for the better, he bid the strongest men among them that
stood there, to draw up water 2 and told them, that when the greatest
part was drawn up, the remainder would be fit to drink. So they labored
at it till the water was so agitated and purged as to be fit to drink.

3. And now removing from thence they came to Elim; which place looked
well at a distance, for there was a grove of palm-trees; but when they
came near to it, it appeared to be a bad place, for the palm-trees were
no more than seventy; and they were ill-grown and creeping trees, by the
want of water, for the country about was all parched, and no moisture
sufficient to water them, and make them hopeful and useful, was derived
to them from the fountains, which were in number twelve: they were
rather a few moist places than springs, which not breaking out of the
ground, nor running over, could not sufficiently water the trees. And
when they dug into the sand, they met with no water; and if they took a
few drops of it into their hands, they found it to be useless, on
account of its mud. The trees were too weak to bear fruit, for want of
being sufficiently cherished and enlivened by the water. So they laid
the blame on their conductor, and made heavy complaints against him; and
said that this their miserable state, and the experience they had of
adversity, were owing to him; for that they had then journeyed an entire
thirty days, and had spent all the provisions they had brought with
them; and meeting with no relief, they were in a very desponding
condition. And by fixing their attention upon nothing but their present
misfortunes, they were hindered from remembering what deliverances they
had received from God, and those by the virtue and wisdom of Moses also;
so they were very angry at their conductor, and were zealous in their
attempt to stone him, as the direct occasion of their present miseries.

4. But as for Moses himself, while the multitude were irritated and
bitterly set against him, he cheerfully relied upon God, and upon his
consciousness of the care he had taken of these his own people; and he
came into the midst of them, even while they clamored against him, and
had stones in their hands in order to despatch him. Now he was of an
agreeable presence, and very able to persuade the people by his
speeches; accordingly he began to mitigate their anger, and exhorted
them not to be over-mindful of their present adversities, lest they
should thereby suffer the benefits that had formerly been bestowed on
them to slip out of their memories; and he desired them by no means, on
account of their present uneasiness, to cast those great and wonderful
favors and gifts, which they had obtained of God, out of their minds,
but to expect deliverance out of those their present troubles which they
could not free themselves from, and this by the means of that Divine
Providence which watched over them. Seeing it is probable that God tries
their virtue, and exercises their patience by these adversities, that it
may appear what fortitude they have, and what memory they retain of his
former wonderful works in their favor, and whether they will not think
of them upon occasion of the miseries they now feel. He told them, it
appeared they were not really good men, either in patience, or in
remembering what had been successfully done for them, sometimes by
contemning God and his commands, when by those commands they left the
land of Egypt; and sometimes by behaving themselves ill towards him who
was the servant of God, and this when he had never deceived them, either
in what he said, or had ordered them to do by God's command. He also put
them in mind of all that had passed; how the Egyptians were destroyed
when they attempted to detain them, contrary to the command of God; and
after what manner the very same river was to the others bloody, and not
fit for drinking, but was to them sweet, and fit for drinking; and how
they went a new road through the sea, which fled a long way from them,
by which very means they were themselves preserved, but saw their
enemies destroyed; and that when they were in want of weapons, God gave
them plenty of them;-and so he recounted all the particular instances,
how when they were, in appearance, just going to be destroyed, God had
saved them in a surprising manner; and that he had still the same power;
and that they ought not even now to despair of his providence over them;
and accordingly he exhorted them to continue quiet, and to consider that
help would not come too late, though it come not immediately, if it be
present with them before they suffer any great misfortune; that they
ought to reason thus: that God delays to assist them, not because he has
no regard to them, but because he will first try their fortitude, and
the pleasure they take in their freedom, that he may learn whether you
have souls great enough to bear want of food, and scarcity of water, on
its account; or whether you rather love to be slaves, as cattle are
slaves to such as own them, and feed them liberally, but only in order
to make them more useful in their service. That as for himself, he shall
not be so much concerned for his own preservation; for if he die
unjustly, he shall not reckon it any affliction, but that he is
concerned for them, lest, by casting stones at him, they should be
thought to condemn God himself.

5. By this means Moses pacified the people, and restrained them from
stoning him, and brought them to repent of what they were going to do.
And because he thought the necessity they were under made their passion
less unjustifiable, he thought he ought to apply himself to God by
prayer and supplication; and going up to an eminence, he requested of
God for some succor for the people, and some way of deliverance from the
want they were in, because in him, and in him alone, was their hope of
salvation; and he desired that he would forgive what necessity had
forced the people to do, since such was the nature of mankind, hard to
please, and very complaining under adversities. Accordingly God promised
he would take care of them, and afford them the succor they were
desirous of. Now when Moses had heard this from God, he came down to the
multitude. But as soon as they saw him joyful at the promises he had
received from God, they changed their sad countenances into gladness. So
he placed himself in the midst of them, and told them he came to bring
them from God a deliverance from their present distresses. Accordingly a
little after came a vast number of quails, which is a bird more
plentiful in this Arabian Gulf than any where else, flying over the sea,
and hovered over them, till wearied with their laborious flight, and,
indeed, as usual, flying very near to the earth, they fell down upon the
Hebrews, who caught them, and satisfied their hunger with them, and
supposed that this was the method whereby God meant to supply them with
food. Upon which Moses returned thanks to God for affording them his
assistance so suddenly, and sooner than he had promised them.

6. But presently after this first supply of food, he sent them a second;
for as Moses was lifting up his hands in prayer, a dew fell down; and
Moses, when he found it stick to his hands, supposed this was also come
for food from God to them. He tasted it; and perceiving that the people
knew not what it was, and thought it snowed, and that it was what
usually fell at that time of the year, he informed them that this dew
did not fall from heaven after the manner they imagined, but came for
their preservation and sustenance. So he tasted it, and gave them some
of it, that they might be satisfied about what he told them. They also
imitated their conductor, and were pleased with the food, for it was
like honey in sweetness and pleasant taste, but like in its body to
bdellium, one of the sweet spices, and in bigness equal to coriander
seed. And very earnest they were in gathering it; but they were enjoined
to gather it equally 3—the measure of an omer for each one every day,
because this food should not come in too small a quantity, lest the
weaker might not be able to get their share, by reason of the
overbearing of the strong in collecting it. However, these strong men,
when they had gathered more than the measure appointed for them, had no
more than others, but only tired themselves more in gathering it, for
they found no more than an omer apiece; and the advantage they got by
what was superfluous was none at all, it corrupting, both by the worms
breeding in it, and by its bitterness. So divine and wonderful a food
was this! It also supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that
fed on it. And even now, in all that place, this manna comes down in
rain, 4 according to what Moses then obtained of God, to send it to the
people for their sustenance. Now the Hebrews call this food manna: for
the particle man, in our language, is the asking of a question. What is
this? So the Hebrews were very joyful at what was sent them from heaven.
Now they made use of this food for forty years, or as long as they were
in the wilderness.

7. As soon as they were removed thence, they came to Rephidim, being
distressed to the last degree by thirst; and while in the foregoing days
they had lit on a few small fountains, but now found the earth entirely
destitute of water, they were in an evil case. They again turned their
anger against Moses; but he at first avoided the fury of the multitude,
and then betook himself to prayer to God, beseeching him, that as he had
given them food when they were in the greatest want of it, so he would
give them drink, since the favor of giving them food was of no value to
them while they had nothing to drink. And God did not long delay to give
it them, but promised Moses that he would procure them a fountain, and
plenty of water, from a place they did not expect any. So he commanded
him to smite the rock which they saw lying there, 5 with his rod, and
out of it to receive plenty of what they wanted; for he had taken care
that drink should come to them without any labor or pains-taking. When
Moses had received this command from God, he came to the people, who
waited for him, and looked upon him, for they saw already that he was
coming apace from his eminence. As soon as he was come, he told them
that God would deliver them from their present distress, and had granted
them an unexpected favor; and informed them, that a river should run for
their sakes out of the rock. But they were amazed at that hearing,
supposing they were of necessity to cut the rock in pieces, now they
were distressed by their thirst and by their journey; while Moses only
smiting the rock with his rod, opened a passage, and out of it burst
water, and that in great abundance, and very clear. But they were
astonished at this wonderful effect; and, as it were, quenched their
thirst by the very sight of it. So they drank this pleasant, this sweet
water; and such it seemed to be, as might well be expected where God was
the donor. They were also in admiration how Moses was honored by God;
and they made grateful returns of sacrifices to God for his providence
towards them. Now that Scripture, which is laid up in the temple, 6
informs us, how God foretold to Moses, that water timid in this manner
be derived out of the rock.'