=2. It is probable= that during this long period =Moses had written= out much, if not all, of the Scriptures usually attributed to him under the title of “the books of Moses.” Although there is no definite statement in Scripture that all of these books, called the Pentateuch, are the composition of Moses, certain parts are spoken of as those of his personal writing. But of the five books the parts spoken of are only in the closing chapters of the last book, namely, Deuteronomy, and as the five have never been known except as forming one roll or volume, the general belief and tradition attribute the whole five to Moses as author. The impression that Moses was the author of Genesis, and that this book of Genesis was the beginning of “The Law,” is apparent in the writings of Longinus, the Greek author, A. D. 270, who quotes Gen. 1:3 as “the beginning of Moses’ law.”[66] =3. The census of the nation= at this time shows that nearly 2,000 men had disappeared, and perhaps this lessening of the population was due to the deaths of the strangers and aliens who had become mixed in the vast crowd at the time of their departure from Egypt. The first census was taken at Sinai in the second year after the crossing of the Red Sea, Num. 1:46, and was 603,550. The second census was taken nearly 40 years afterwards, just before the entrance into the promised land, Num. 26:51, and was 601,730, the difference being 1,820. The census included only the able-bodied men fit for war and over 20 years of age. =4. Moses died= upon Mt. Pisgah without crossing the Jordan, Aaron died on Mt. Hor, and Miriam died at Kadesh. These leaders being dead, the authority to take charge was vested in Joshua. MT. HOR, MT. NEBO, MT. PISGAH. =5. Mt. Hor= is 45 miles south of the Dead Sea, having the ruins of the city Petra near its eastern base. Wandering Arab tribes control all access to these two places, but a small chapel marks the spot, according to tradition, where Aaron died on the top of the mountain. =Pisgah= is supposed to be a high plateau ten miles east of the mouth of the Jordan, and Mt. Nebo a higher portion of the same general range, but it is at a short distance east of that part where the high table-land of Moab begins to descend to the Dead Sea. From this elevation very extensive views of the land west of the Jordan may be had. THE ERA OF JOSHUA. =6. From the high table-land= of Moab the Israelites descended to the eastern Jordan plains a few miles north of the Dead Sea, and soon crossed the river and landed upon the wide plain west of the banks. The crossing must have occupied the bed of the river for a long distance. On entrance upon the land of Canaan proper the hosts of Israel renewedly consecrated themselves to the service of Jehovah at Gilgal. They accepted Joshua as their commander, and began their first attempt at subduing the Canaanites by an attack on Jericho.