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that into the foreign land, and Eleazar, and he shows that he would use the God of his fathers as an ally, he set out for Egypt. And as he drew near, his brother Aaron met him. Therefore both came to Pharaoh, and after speaking the things commanded by God, they requested that he not act against the divine will. But when he mocked, they showed the signs in deed, and the staff, being thrown down, became a snake. And when the Egyptian enchanters had done the same and changed their own staffs into serpents, Moses threw his staff again upon the ground, and having been changed into a snake, it ate up the staffs of the Egyptians, which seemed to be serpents; then he picks it up after it had changed back into its own form. But as Pharaoh's heart was hardened, the waters were changed into blood. Then frogs covered all the land of Egypt. After these things lice came forth from the earth. Therefore the enchanters of Pharaoh seemed to perform the other wonders, but they were not able to produce lice. Therefore they said to Pharaoh that "This is the finger of God;" but he was still unyielding. And the dog-fly came, and after this, a destruction of the cattle. Then when Moses scattered soot from a furnace into the air, boils and blisters broke out on both the cattle and the men, and again hail rained down, and after it came the locust, and after these, darkness covered the Egyptians for three days, and last, the destruction of the firstborn was brought upon them. For as Pharaoh's heart was hardened, God commanded Moses to prepare a sacrifice for the fourteenth of the month which is called Nisan by the Hebrews, but Pharmouthi by the Egyptians, and Xanthikos by the Macedonians, and Aprilis by the Greeks. And when the fourteenth arrived, all sacrificed and with the blood of the victim they anointed the doorposts of the houses, and after dining on the meats, they burned the leftovers. From that time, therefore, the Hebrews celebrate a feast at this time and sacrifice, calling the feast Passover. Some say Passover means 'crossing over', but Josephus, 'a passing over', because on that night God, having passed over the Hebrews, inflicted upon the Egyptians the destruction of the firstborn. Therefore, the Egyptians, having gathered together, begged Pharaoh to release the Hebrews; and he ordered them to go away. And they went out. And the number of those departing, those of military age alone, was sixty myriads. They went out on the fifteenth of the month Xanthikos, according to the moon, four hundred and thirty years after Abraham came into Canaan, and after two hundred and fifteen years from Jacob's sojourning in Egypt. And it was then the eightieth year of Moses' life, and Aaron was older by three. And they also carried with them the bones of Joseph, fulfilling the command of the man. Therefore, they went away, but the Egyptians repented and taking up arms, pursued them. And they had six hundred chariots, and fifty thousand horsemen, and twenty myriads of hoplites. But their affairs, having come into a narrow place, led the Hebrews to despair, and they were about to stone Moses. But he exhorted them to follow him, and led them to the sea, and standing beside it and calling upon God, he strikes the sea with the staff; and it was driven back and left the land bare for the Hebrews, and they crossed over, hurrying. But the Egyptians, seeing these things, they too, sending their cavalry ahead, pursued. And when the Hebrews had already been saved on the opposite shore, the sea poured down upon the Egyptians, as Moses again struck the water with the staff to make it return and united its parts. Therefore all the Egyptians in the waters perished. And the Hebrews were singing hymns and rejoicing, and an ode to God was composed by Moses, set in hexameter verse, as Josephus says. And the Hebrews took the weapons of the Egyptians along with their bodies, which had been cast out of the sea by the wind, and were armed with them. And Moses led them to Mount Sinai, to offer there the sacrifices of deliverance, as he had been commanded. But as they were being led there, the lack of food and the scarcity of water grieved them. and being in this state they arrived at a place in which a well

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οτι εἰς τὴν ξένην, καὶ ̓Ελεάζαρ, δηλοῖ δὲ ὡς συμμάχῳ χρήσαιτο τῷ πατρῴῳ θεῷ, ωρμησεν εἰς Αιγυπτον. πλησιάσαντι δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑπήντησεν ̓Ααρών. παραγίνονται ουν αμφω πρὸς Φαραώ, καὶ τὰ ἐκ θεοῦ προστεταγμένα εἰπόντες ἠξίουν μὴ ἀντιπράττειν τῇ θείᾳ βουλῇ. χλευάσαντος δ' ἐκείνου, εργῳ τὰ σημεῖα ἐδείκνυον, καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος οφις ῥιφεῖσα ἐγένετο. τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐπαοιδῶν πεποιηκότων καὶ τὰς σφετέρας βακτηρίας μεταβαλόντων εἰς δράκοντας, Μωυσῆς τὴν βακτηρίαν αυθις ῥιπτεῖ κατὰ γῆς, καὶ εἰς οφιν μεταβληθεῖσα τὰς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων βακτηρίας, αι δράκοντες ἐδόκουν, κατέφαγεν· ειτα εἰς τὸ ἑαυτῆς σχῆμα μετα1.45 πεσοῦσαν αὐτὴν κομίζεται. σκληρυνομένου δὲ Φαραώ, εἰς αιμα τὰ υδατα μετεβέβλητο. ειτα βάτραχοι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλυψαν. ἐπὶ τούτοις σκνῖπες ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνεδόθησαν. τὰ μὲν ουν αλλα τεράστια καὶ οἱ ἐπαοιδοὶ Φαραὼ ἐδόκουν ποιεῖν, σκνῖπας δὲ φαντάσαι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. ειπον ουν πρὸς Φαραὼ οτι δάκτυλος θεοῦ τοῦτό ἐστιν· ὁ δ' ετι ἀνένδοτος ην. καὶ ἐγένετο κυνόμυια, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ φθορὰ τῶν κτηνῶν. επειτα τοῦ Μωυσέως καμινιαίαν αἰθάλην τοῦ ἀέρος κατασκεδάσαντος, ελκη καὶ φλυκτίδες εν τε τοῖς κτήνεσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀνέζεσαν, καὶ αυθις χάλαζα υσθη, καὶ μετ' αὐτὴν ἐπῆλθεν ἀκρίς, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύταις σκότος τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐκάλυψε, τελευταῖον δ' ἐπήνεκτο τούτοις ἡ τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀπώλεια. σκληρυνομένου γὰρ Φαραὼ ἐκέλευσεν ὁ θεὸς Μωυσῇ θυσίαν παρασκευάσαι εἰς τὴν τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην τοῦ μηνὸς ος παρὰ μὲν ̔Εβραίοις Νισὰν καλεῖται, παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις δὲ Φαρμουθί, παρὰ Μακεδόσι δὲ Ξανθικός, καὶ παρ' Ελλησιν ̓Απρίλλιος. ἐνστάσης δὲ τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης απαντες εθυον καὶ τῷ τοῦ θύματος αιματι τὰς φλιὰς τῶν οἰκιῶν εχριον, καὶ δειπνήσαντες τῶν κρεῶν τὰ περιττὰ εκαυσαν. οθεν εκτοτε ἑορτὴν αγουσιν ̔Εβραῖοι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον καὶ θύουσι, πάσχα τὴν ἑορτὴν καλοῦντες. τὸ δὲ πάσχα αλλοι μὲν διάβασιν σημαίνειν φασίν, ̓Ιώσηπος δὲ ὑπερβασίαν, οτι κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν νύκτα τοὺς ̔Εβραίους ὁ θεὸς ὑπερβὰς Αἰγυπτίοις ἐνέσκηψε τὴν τῶν πρωτοτόκων φθοράν. οθεν συνελθόντες Αἰγύπτιοι ἐδέοντο Φαραὼ ἀπολύειν τοὺς ̔Εβραίους· ὁ δὲ ἀπιέναι προσέταξεν. οἱ δ' ἐξῄεσαν. ην δὲ τὸ τῶν μετανισταμένων πλῆθος τὸ στρατεύσιμον ἡλικίαν εχον μόνον μυριάδες 1.46 ἑξήκοντα. ἐξῆλθον δὲ μηνὸς Ξανθικοῦ πέμπτῃ καὶ δεκάτῃ κατὰ σελήνην, μετὰ ετη τετρακόσια τριάκοντα τοῦ τὸν ̓Αβραὰμ εἰς Χαναναίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς ̓Ιακὼβ εἰς Αιγυπτον παροικίας μετὰ ἐνιαυτοὺς διακοσίους καὶ πεντεκαίδεκα. ην δὲ Μωυσῇ τότε τῆς ζωῆς ετος ὀγδοηκοστόν, ̓Ααρὼν δὲ τρισὶν ὑπερεῖχε. συνεπήγοντο δὲ καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ ̓Ιωσήφ, πληροῦντες τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ ἀνδρός. Οἱ μὲν ουν ἀπῄεσαν, Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ μετεμέλοντο καὶ λαβόντες οπλα ἐδίωκον. ἑξακόσια δ' ησαν αὐτοῖς αρματα, ἱππεῖς τε πεντακισμύριοι, καὶ μυριάδες εικοσιν ὁπλιτῶν. ̔Εβραίους δ' εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ηγον ἐν στενῷ γεγονότα τὰ πράγματα, καὶ λίθοις βάλλειν τὸν Μωυσῆν εμελλον. ὁ δὲ παρεκάλει αὐτῷ επεσθαι, καὶ ηγεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ θάλασσαν, καὶ στὰς παρ' αὐτῇ καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπιβοησάμενος τύπτει τὴν θάλασσαν τῇ βακτηρίᾳ· ἡ δὲ ἀνεκόπη καὶ γυμνὴν ἀφῆκε τοῖς ̔Εβραίοις τὴν γῆν, κἀκεῖνοι διέβαινον σπεύδοντες. ὁρῶντες δὲ ταῦτα Αἰγύπτιοι, καὶ αὐτοὶ προτάξαντες τὴν ιππον ἐδίωκον. ηδη δ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἀντιπέραν γῆν τῶν ̔Εβραίων διασωθέντων ἐπιχεῖται τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἡ θάλασσα, τοῦ Μωυσέως τῇ ῥάβδῳ ἐπιστρεπτικῶς αυθις τὸ υδωρ πατάξαντος καὶ τὰ τούτου ἑνώσαντος τμήματα. ἀπώλοντο ουν οἱ ἐν τοῖς υδασιν Αἰγύπτιοι ξύμπαντες. καὶ οἱ μὲν ̔Εβραῖοι ἐν υμνοις ησαν καὶ εχαιρον, Μωυσῇ δὲ ᾠδὴ πεποίηται πρὸς θεὸν ἐν ἑξαμέτρῳ τόνῳ συντεθειμένη, ως φησιν ̓Ιώσηπος. τὰ δ' οπλα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων σὺν τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτῶν ἐκβρασθέντα τῆς θαλάσσης ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος λα1.47 βόντες ̔Εβραῖοι, τούτοις ὡπλίσθησαν. καὶ ηγεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Μωυσῆς εἰς τὸ ορος Σινᾶ, θύσων ἐκεῖ τὰ σῶστρα, ὡς αὐτῷ ἐνετέταλτο. ἀγομένους δ' ἐκεῖ ἡ τῶν τροφῶν ἐλύπει σπάνις καὶ ἡ τοῦ υδατος ενδεια. καὶ ουτως εχοντες εἰς τόπον ἀφικνοῦνται ἐν ῳ φρέαρ