The Pyramids.
The City of Babylon.
The Great Races.
Traditions of the Deluge.
The Character of Abraham.
Egypt in the Time of Joseph.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] See Geikie's Hours with the Bible, vol. 1, chap. xiii; Bible Commentary, note at the end of Gen. 8.
[B] From the fact that in several genealogies four generations are given to the sojourn in Egypt, the shorter period, from 1706 to 1491, has been generally assumed. But it is almost impossible that seventy people could become two million in four generations by natural increase alone. Moreover, the genealogy of Joshua (1 Chron. 7. 22-27) gives either ten or eleven generations to this period. It is probable that the other tables name only sufficient links to show the line, and omit many of the generations. This was frequently the case with Jewish records. (See the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matt. 1, where several names are omitted.) We conclude that the sojourn began about 1900 B. C., and the call of Abraham was about 2100 B. C., or earlier; but we give in the text the usual chronology.
Second Study.
THE WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS.
I. Let us notice briefly the EVENTS LEADING TO THE WANDERING.
1. The Oppression of the Israelites. (B. C. 1635.) (Exod. 1. 8-13.) This was an important link in the chain of events. If the Israelites had been prosperous and happy in Egypt they would have remained there, and the destiny of the chosen people would have been forgotten. Therefore, when Egypt had given to Israel all that it could, the wrath of man was made to praise God; and by suffering the Israelites were made willing to leave the land of their sojourn and seek the land of promise. The nest was stirred up, and the young eaglet was compelled to fly (Deut. 32. 11, 12).