University of Virginia Library

5. LETTER V.
REMESES OF DAMASCUS TO SESOSTRIS.

You will see by the date that I am once more in
Egypt; and I am here under circumstances the most
wonderful and amazing. Remeses—that is, Moses, the
servant of the Most High God—is here also. My trembling
fingers can scarce form the letters legibly, so great
is the emotion under which I now write to you! But I
will not delay to give you a history of the events.

I wrote to you last, from the grotto of the shepherd-sage
of Horeb.

The following day he led a portion of his own flock,
from a distant plain, to the secluded valley on the rear
of the mountain of Horeb, away from the sea. Expecting
his return, I had gone forth to meet him, and was
descending a steep path, when I beheld him advancing
before his shepherds, and leading his flock up the
valley. He preceded them some distance, and was
quite alone, when I perceived a bright flame arise by
the side of his path. It rose above the bushes, which it
seemed to consume without smoke. At the same moment
I observed that Moses turned aside and approached

the dazzling fire. In an instant he was lost to my
gaze, and enveloped in its flame. I hastened down the
mountain-path, surprised and alarmed at what I had
seen; and, as the way was winding, it was some minutes
before I came to the valley, where I expected to fine
the venerable sage consumed by the flames, that appeared
to have surrounded him.

Upon reaching the valley, lo! I beheld the shepherds
fallen upon their faces, the man of God standing before
the burning bush, his countenance like the sun, and his
raiment shining with supernatural light! My soul was
seized with an indescribable awe at the sight! His
sandals were removed from his feet, and he seemed as if
he were standing in the presence of his God, so awful
was the majesty of his countenance. He appeared to be
holding discourse with one in the flames. I was transfixed
to the spot, and fell upon my face at the sight of
this stupendous vision, feeling the presence of the Almighty
there. Then I heard a voice utter these words
from the midst of the fire, in which I had seen appear
the form of a man, radiant with glory above the
brightness of the sun:

“I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

While the calm, divine voice spake in still, soft tones,
the earth seemed to tremble, as if its Creator stood
upon it. I looked up with fear and trembling, and, lo!
Moses was standing with his face covered by his shepherd's
mantle, for he was afraid to look upon God;
while my heart sunk within me, and I became as a dead
man.

When I returned to consciousness, I heard, without

raising my face again, Moses talking with the mighty
Angel in the flame, which I perceived rested upon the
thorn-bush like dazzling sunbeams concentrated thereon,
but without consuming or changing a leaf. It was
the radiance alone, of this celestial Person's glorious
presence, that constituted the wonderful flame of fire.

“I have surely seen,” said the Voice from the flaming
glory, “the affliction of my people which are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters;
for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver
them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to
bring them up out of that land unto a good land, and a
large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey,—the
land of the Canaanites and the Amorites.

“Now, therefore, behold, the cry of the children of
Israel is come up before me; and I have also seen the
oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh,
that thou mayest bring forth my people, the
children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Here the holy and divine Voice ceased. How did its
words thrill my heart! Had the mighty God of the
Hebrews come down from heaven at last to deliver His
people, fulfil His promise to Abram, and also make
Moses the servant of His power? My soul was overpowered
with the thought.

Then Moses spake, in accents of the profoundest
humility and fear, and said—

“Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and
that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of
Egypt?”

And the Voice replied—

“Certainly I will be with thoe; and this shall be a
token unto thee, that I have sent thee,—lo! when thou
hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye and they
shall serve God upon this mountain.”

Then Moses answered the Angel of the flame, with that
meekness and humbleness of heart which characterizes
him—

“Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, `The God of your fathers hath
sent me unto you;' and they shall say unto me, `What
is His name?' what shall I say unto them?”

The inquiry was made by him with the profoundest
homage in the tones of his reverent voice, not as if he
doubted God, but his brethren. Moreover, he now beheld,
as it were face to face, the Lord God of heaven
and earth, whom he had so long worshipped, and whose
name to men, neither he nor any man knew. And I
heard the Voice answer—with majesty inconceivable, so
that my spirit failed before it—and say unto Moses—

“I am that I am. Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, `I AM hath sent me unto you!”'

Then after a brief silence, during which Moses fell
upon his face and worshipped, the Voice from the
midst of the fire said:

“Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, `The
Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto
you. This is my NAME forever; and this is my memorial
unto all generations!' Go, and gather the elders of
Israel together and say unto them, `The Lord God of
your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Jacob, appeared unto me, saying—

“`I have surely visited you, and seen that which is
done to you in Egypt; and I have said, I will bring you
out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the
Canaanites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey!'
And the children of Israel shall hearken to thy voice;
and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto
the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him—

“`The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us;
and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey
into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord
our God.' And I am sure that the king of Egypt will
not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand; and I will
stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders
which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that
he will let you go: and when ye go, ye shall not go
empty, but ye shall spoil the Egyptians.”

When the Voice had ceased, I heard Moses answer,
and say with modest diffidence:

“But, behold, the elders and people of my brethren,
the Hebrews, will not believe me nor hearken to my
voice; for they will say, `The Lord hath not appeared
unto thee.”'

How extraordinary, O my father, this humility of the
wisest of men! How impiously vain some sages and
seers would have been, at such an infinite honor as the appearance
of God to them, to talk with them, face to face,
as He did now to Moses,—veiling the ineffable splendor
of His glory under the form of an angel enveloped
in a mantle of dazzling sunbeams,—His presence a flame
of fire! But see this great and holy man modestly declining
the service, considering himself mean and powerless
when compared with the mighty Pharaoh, and

utterly unable to do any thing for the Hebrew nation.
Forty years ago, he had, indeed, felt a divine motion in
himself to deliver them, which he then believed was an
indication that God would use him as an instrument for
that purpose: but forty years an exile, forgotten by the
children of Israel, and being only a ruler of shepherds,
and guardian of the flocks of a small province, he felt
the humility and insignificance of his position, as well as
his total want of means and power to do what God now
commanded him to do. But, lo! God condescends to
inspire him with the confidence and resolution, the
magnanimity and fortitude, that his sublime errand demanded.

The voice of the Lord spake and said:

“What is that in thine hand?”

He answered, “A rod.”

This was the staff with which he climbed the sides of
Horeb, and guided his flock, and upon which he often
leaned his head when he stood and worshipped.

And the Voice said, with authority:

“Cast it on the ground.”

As Moses obeyed, I heard first the rod strike the
ground, then a sharp hissing, as of a serpent, and lastly,
a cry of surprise from Moses; when, raising my face
from the earth, upon which I had remained prostrate,
fearing to look upon the glory before me, I perceived,
with horror, a serpent rearing its head angrily into the
air, and Moses flying from before it. Then the Voice
from the ineffable light said to him, “Put forth thy
hand and take it by the tail.” Moses, with hesitating
obedience, obeyed, put forth his hand and caught it,
when, lo! it became a rod again in his hand.

“This shall be a sign to them, that they may believe
that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared
unto thee,” was again spoken.

I had risen, and stood upon my feet in terror, at beholding
the serpent, and would have fled, but had no
power to move. I now heard the Voice command Moses
to thrust his hand into his bosom; and he put his
hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold,
it was as leprous as snow. Then the Voice said—for I
heard only, not daring to behold the Angel more—“Put
thy hand into thy bosom again.” And he put his hand
into his bosom again; and when he had plucked it out
of his bosom, it was turned again as it was before, like
his other flesh.

Then I heard the Angel of God, who was God himself,
say to him:

“It shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee,
neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they
will believe the voice of the latter sign. If they will
not believe, also, these two signs, neither hearken unto
thy voice, then thou shalt take of the water of the river
of Egypt and pour it upon the dry land, and it shall become
blood.”

Then Moses looked troubled in spirit, and said unto
the Lord—

“O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore,
nor since Thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am
slow of speech and of a slow tongue.”

This embarrassment of speech, my dear father, which
existed in a slight degree, as I have heard you say, when
you knew him, and which proceeded from modesty and

diffidence when expressing himself in intercourse with
others (though with his pen he is powerful and eloquent
beyond all men), has, no doubt, been increased by his
long retirement as a shepherd, and his love of solitude;
yet, nevertheless, he is the most interesting teacher of
wisdom to whom I ever listened. But no one save himself
would accuse him of being slow of speech and slow
of tongue.

Then the voice of the Lord said, with a rebuke in its
tones—

“Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh the
dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have
not I the Lord? Now, therefore, go, and I will be with
thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say!”

Notwithstanding all this, the heart of Moses failed
him. He trembled at being an ambassador of God to
his people, and said, with great fear and dread visible
in his countenance—

“Send, I pray Thee; but not by me, but by the hand
of him whom Thou wilt send.”

Thus speaking, he fell prostrate before the Lord and
covered his face.

Then the anger of the Angel of the Lord seemed to be
kindled against Moses, for the flames were agitated and
spread abroad, and shot forth fiery tongues, and I looked
to see him consumed. But from their midst I heard the
Voice demand—

“Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? I know that
he can speak well; and also, he cometh forth to meet
thee, and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his
heart. And thou shalt speak unto him” (the dread
Voice was no longer in anger), “and put words in his

mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his
mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. And he
shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he shall
be, even he shall be unto thee instead of a mouth, and
thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt
take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do
signs.”

Then Moses rose from the ground, and bowed his head
low in submission and obedience to the voice of the
Lord. The flame had already begun to fade slowly,
until it appeared like a golden cloud, which now rapidly
melted away like a mist touched with the setting sun.
The next moment it was invisible, leaving the sacred
bush as before, green with leaves and brilliant with
wild-flowers; and as I gazed, a pair of snow-white doves
lighted upon it.

Then Moses, lifting up his eyes to heaven, said: “O
Lord God, who is like unto Thee among the gods? Who is
like unto Thee, glorious and fearful, doing wonders? The
Lord shall reign forever, great in power and holiness!
He is my God, and I will praise Him; my fathers' God,
and I will magnify His holy name forever! He hath
remembered His covenant with Abraham, and His vengeance
against the nation that oppresseth His people.”

At this moment I beheld Aaron advancing along the
defile. When he beheld Moses, whose person yet
seemed bright with the lingering glory of the divine
Presence, he ran to him, and kissing him, said—

“Thus did I behold thee in my vision, brother!”

“Hast thou also seen God face to face?” demanded
Moses, regarding him with affectionate earnestness,
“that thou art come hither from Egypt so soon?”

“I was at prayer fourteen days ago, in Goshen, when
a vision stood before me!—such a form, doubtless, as
our father Abraham beheld. It said to me, `Go into
the wilderness to meet Moses.' Then, in the vision, I
beheld thee standing in the mount of God, and the glory
of the Lord shone upon thee, and thou wast talking with
one who seemed like an angel of God, and I knew that
thou wast ordained of Him, with authority to deliver
Israel out of Egypt. Therefore, delaying not, I am come
hither according to the command of the angel of the
Lord. My heart is glad at beholding thee! Speak
now, O my brother, for the angel said to me, `He shall
tell thee all the words of the Lord, and all the signs
which He hath commanded him.”'

Moses then told Aaron all the words which God had
spoken unto him, and how the Lord had sent him to
deliver Israel, and had given him courage and power
to obey, removing his fears and confirming his faith.
Thereupon he showed Aaron the rod in his hand, and
said, “If this rod becomes a serpent, as it did before
the Lord, then wilt thou know that He hath sent me,
and is with me! for this is His sign.”

As he spoke, he cast the rod far from him upon the
ground, which it no sooner struck than it became a serpent,
and ran swiftly towards Moses, who reached forth,
and grasping it by the head without fear, lo! it became
again a rod of almond-wood, as before! The other sign
also Moses showed to his brother, who then answered
and said—

“Thou shalt deliver Israel, and I will be thy servant,
and bear thy rod before thee!”

I had already, by the invitation of Moses, drawn near

to these holy and great men, and walked with them,
feeling, prince that I am, the deepest sense of inferiority
and humility. I felt that I could be the servant of
both, and that I was honored when taking up the sandals
which Moses had put off his feet. I knelt before
him to put them on; but, in his modesty, this prince
appointed of God would not suffer me.

The two venerable brothers—one eighty years of age,
and the other eighty-three—now walked together towards
the shepherd's cave on the mountain-side, discoursing
of the wonderful and joyful events which had
just passed, of the promised deliverance of Israel, and
how God would accomplish it, and by what sort of exercise
of power and majesty.

The next day Moses returned to Jethro, and said to
him—

“I pray thee let me go, and return unto my people
which are in Egypt, and see how they fare, and if my
brethren of the family of Levi be yet alive—for the
Lord hath shown me that all the men are dead which
sought my life.” And his venerable father-in-law said—

“Go in peace.”

Therefore, my dear father, three days afterwards,
Moses, accompanied by his brother and myself, took
leave of Jethro, and taking his wife and son, and holding
the “rod of God” in his hand, left Midian. The
next day we fell in with a caravan from the East, and
after many days I once more reached Egypt. In sight
of On, I parted from Moses, who went with his family
to that part of the land of Goshen where his tribe

dwells, which is not far from the treasure-city of Raamses.

The first hours I could command, after reaching the
palace of the Governor of On, with whom I dwell as a
guest, I have devoted, my dear father, to a recital of
these extraordinary events. Moses seems to be a different
man! calm majesty sits enthroned upon his brow,
and he is profoundly impressed with the sublime mission
which Heaven has intrusted to him.

Aaron, who has, from time to time, revisited Egypt,
and is well known to the elders of his people, will be a
great support and aid to Moses, in his intercourse with
the Hebrews. The two mighty brothers are now assembling
the elders together, though it is but two days
since they returned to Egypt. Secretly, messengers
have been going by night throughout the land of
Goshen, calling an assembly, in the name of the God of
Abraham, to meet, two nights hence, at the ruined
fountain of Jacob.

I shall also be present, dear father, by permission of
the inspired Moses. What infinite issues will grow out
of that midnight meeting of these “sons of God,” for
such, though in bondage, are these Hebrews shown to
be! How little Thothmes-Amosis, who calls himself
also, vainly, after Amunophis, the Great, and assumes
the style, “Upholder of worlds,” “Lord of the Diadem
of Heaven,” and “Beloved of the Sun,” upon his
cartouch,—how little, I repeat, he dreams that One
mightier than he, the Upholder of the universe, very
Lord of heaven and earth, and Creator of the sun, is
armed with vengeance against him, and will presently
bring him into judgment for the bondage of the Hebrews!

I saw him this morning in his palace, for he is
now in his palace at On, having hastened to pay him
my homage after my absence. He was in gay humor,
for news had reached him that his “lord of the mines”
had opened a new vein of silver, in the southern mountains
near Ethiopia.

“I will send one hundred thousand of these Hebrews
to work it, O prince,” he said. “I will, to-morrow, give
orders to all the governors, and chief captains, and
officers over them, to choose me the strongest and most
dangerous, and assemble them in companies of thousands,
and, under strong guard, march them to the Thebaïd.
By the gods! yesterday I was planning some
new device to destroy their children, male and female;
but the mines come happily to my aid!”

Thus does this proud, weak, luxurious, and cruel
monarch, confident of power, and sitting as a god upon
his throne, acknowledging no power above his own,
dream of wealth, and rejoice in dominion!

Did policy prompt me to give him warning? I feared
the God of Moses more than I sympathized with a
contemporaneous prince, albeit Tyre was his ally.

Farewell, my dear father.

My next letter will, no doubt, convey to you startling
tidings.