a station of the Israelites, to which they returned again
after thirty-eight years, is said to be in the wilderness of Zin, Num.
xiii, 21; xx, 1; Deut. xxxii, 51; but in the wilderness of Paran, Num.
xii, 16. In the Itinerary it is simply called Rithmah, “the wilderness.”
Dr. Hales observes, that Wells, Shaw, the authors of the “Universal
History,” &c, have greatly perplexed and obscured the geography of this
Itinerary, by supposing that there were two places of this name distinct
from each other. They consider the latter of them as situated on the
western side of Mount Hor, toward the land of Canaan, and thus confound
it with that Kadesh in the land of the Philistines, where Abraham
sojourned, Gen. xvi, 13; xx, 1. But that it lay on the east side of
Mount Hor, is evident; for why should Moses send messengers from Kadesh
to the king of Edom, requesting permission to pass through his
territories in the way to Canaan, if they were already at the verge of
Palestine, Num. xx, 14? This application, however, was necessary if his
territories were situated between Canaan and the Israelites. The true
situation of Kadesh is ascertained beyond a doubt, from its lying
between Mount Hor and Ezion-Geber, on the Elanitic Gulf, Num. xxxiii,
35–37.
after thirty-eight years, is said to be in the wilderness of Zin, Num.
xiii, 21; xx, 1; Deut. xxxii, 51; but in the wilderness of Paran, Num.
xii, 16. In the Itinerary it is simply called Rithmah, “the wilderness.”
Dr. Hales observes, that Wells, Shaw, the authors of the “Universal
History,” &c, have greatly perplexed and obscured the geography of this
Itinerary, by supposing that there were two places of this name distinct
from each other. They consider the latter of them as situated on the
western side of Mount Hor, toward the land of Canaan, and thus confound
it with that Kadesh in the land of the Philistines, where Abraham
sojourned, Gen. xvi, 13; xx, 1. But that it lay on the east side of
Mount Hor, is evident; for why should Moses send messengers from Kadesh
to the king of Edom, requesting permission to pass through his
territories in the way to Canaan, if they were already at the verge of
Palestine, Num. xx, 14? This application, however, was necessary if his
territories were situated between Canaan and the Israelites. The true
situation of Kadesh is ascertained beyond a doubt, from its lying
between Mount Hor and Ezion-Geber, on the Elanitic Gulf, Num. xxxiii,
35–37.