It seems strange that the Israelites, when at Kadesh the second time, did not enter Palestine from the south. The reason was probably this Their approach had attracted the attention of the warlike tribes that inhabited the southern moun tains, who would naturally ally themselves with the Amalekites of the Negeb, and the Philistines. These tribes had perhaps assembled in force to de fend the difficult passes of the Arabah. This view is strengthened by the fact that as soon as the Israelites turned back from Kadesh, they were at tacked in the rear by king Arad the Canaanite, who was at first successful, but in the end com pletely destroyed (Num. xxi. 1-3 ; xxxiii. 4o). In order to penetrate Palestine at a point thought to be impracticable, and thus to give the Israelites an easy victory, God led them to the eastern frontier, and opened up a way through the waters of the Jordan.
After thirty days' mourning for Aaron the Israel ites set out once more on their long but final journey. Every stage in their course is now dis tinctly marked, and the general line is traced with ease. But even here the rate of travel was very slow. They must have lingered at places, or what is more probable they must have zigzagged throu'gh the eastern desert in search of water and pasturage. Passing down the great valley of Arabah once more, they turned eastward at Ezion-gaber (Num. mi. 4 ; Deut. ii. 8), and sweeping round the southern border of Edom entered the desert of Arabia. Even their previous experience of desert life and travel did not prepare them for the privations and horrors of this great and terrible wilderness.' From the knowledge we now possess of that bar ren and waterless waste. we can understand the words of the sacred historian, and the bitter com plaints of the suffering people And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness ? for there is no bread, neither is there any water' (Num. xxi. 4, 5). But their faithless rebellions murmurings only added to their calamities ; for fiery serpents were sent among them, and many died in agony. And here again the Lord mingled wondrous mercy with righteous judgment ; for the Brazen Serpent' was set up, which not only effected a bodily cure, but was made to the faithful Israelite the type of a far greater salvation (xxi. 7-9) At length the territory of Edom was left behind, and the people encamped in Ije-Abarim, in the border of Moab' (xxi. ; xxxiii. 44). Two more stages brought them to the banks of the Amon, on crossing which they entered the territory of the Amorites. 'It was a marked epoch in their journey tngs, when, after having crossed the watercourse or torrent, shaded or overgrown toy willows (so the word Zered signifies), that formed the first bound. ary of the desert, they passed the stream of the Arnon, the first that they had seen since the Nile, which, flowing through its deep defile of sandstone rocks, parts the cultivated land of Moab from the wild mountains of Edom' (Stanley, Lectures on 7ezoish Charch, i. 184). The wilderness' was
now left behind for ever, but the wanderings' had not yet drawn to a close. Other difficulties beset Israel immediately on crossing the border of the land they were destined to inherit. Their eyes and hearts appear to have been fixed on Canaan proper —that country west of the Jordan through which the patriarchs had roamed. They wished to pass into it by the shortest and easiest road. They con sequently asked of Silion, king of the Amorites, what they had previously asked of Edom—a pas sage through his borders. It was sternly refused ; and Sihon, collecting his warriors, went out against Israel.' A new and unexpected struggle thus arose, and resulted in the acquisition of one of the richest and most beautiful regions of Western Asia. Sihon was defeated. The green plateau of Moab and wooded hills of Gilead, which had constituted his kingdom, %A ere soon in the hands of the Ismel ites (xxi. 21-32). Og, the giant king of Bashan, was next conquered, and his great cities, most of which, deserted but not ruined, still stud the vast plain, were occupied. The settlement of the tribes now began, and the wandering drew to a close.
After the conquest of eastern Palestine the Is raelites encamped on the splendid plain at the foot of the mountains of Moab, on the east bank of the Jordan. There were enacted the closing scenes of the great journey. They were sad and solemn. The numbers of the people, and their success, struck terror into the heart of the king of Moab, and he sent for Balaam the prophet to curse them ; but the Lord changed the intended curse into a blessing (Num. xxii.-xxiv.) The wily prophet, however, seeing he could not directly curse Israel, advised the Moabites and Midianites to put temptation in their way. The wicked stratagem succeeded (Num. xxxi. 16). Many thousand of the Israelites perished in consequence by pestilence and the sword ; but a still more terrible punishment was executed upon Midian, and Balaant himself fell in the general massacre (Num. xxv. xxxi.) The eleventh month of the fortieth year of wandering' had now come. The wilderness was left behind, and the 'Land of Promise before the eyes of the people on the other side of the Jordan. As if to complete his great mission, and to leave be hind him a statistical record of its success, Moses numbered the people. They amounted to 6o1,73o males above the age of twenty, showing a decrease of only 1.82o from the time the census had been taken in Sinai thirty-nine years before. And yet, among these there were but three men remaining who had been numbered on that occasion (Num. xxvi. 63-65).