NOTICES
JJV
CHAPTER
EXODUS.
159
XVIII.
FURTHER NOTICES OP EGYPT IN EXODUS. IN considering the Biblical notices of Egypt contained in Book of Exodus, we have hitherto confined ourselves almost entirely to the main narrative, and indeed to such points of it as are capable of illustration from historical documents, monumental, or literary. But the full force of the illustration which profane sources are capable of lending to the scriptural accounts cannot be rightly estimated, unless we add to this some consideration of those various minor matters, incidentally touched upon, which constitutes the entourage of the main narrative, and render it altogether so graphic and life-like. These touches must be either the natural utterances of one familiar with the country at the time, as Moses, the traditional Author of Exodus would have been, or the artful imitation of such utterances by a later writer, unfamiliar with the time, and probably with the scene, drawing upon his imagination or his stock of antiquarian knowledge. In the former case, a general agreement between the Biblical portraiture and the facts as otherwise known to us might be confidently looked for in the latter, there would be sure to appear, on examination, repeated contradictions and discrepancies. It will be the object of the present chapter to show that there is a close accord between the Scriptural notices and the
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the facts as otherwise known to us in respect of almost all the minor matters of which we have spoken. These may be summed up under the following principal heads (a) the climate and productions of Egypt, (b) the dress and domestic habits of the people, (c) the ordinary food of the laboring classes, (cl) customs connected with fanning and cattle-keeping, and (#) miscellaneous customs. The climate of Egypt is touched upon mainly in confind there nection with the seventh plague, in ch. ix. :
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