Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions: Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity Considering also their Origin and MeaningDoane, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions: Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity Considering also their Origin and Meaning
"And it was told the king of Egypt, that the people fled. . . .
And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.
And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots
of Egypt, . . . and he pursued after the children of Israel,
and overtook them encamping beside the sea. . . . And when
Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel . . . were sore
afraid, and . . . (they) cried out unto the Lord. . . . And
the Lord said unto Moses, . . . speak unto the children of
Israel, that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod, and
stretch out thine hand over the Red Sea, and divide it, and
the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the
midst of the sea. . . . And Moses stretched out his hand over
the sea,[50:3] and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a
strong east wind that night, and made the sea dry land, and
the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into
the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; _and the waters were
a wall unto them upon the right hand, and on their left_. And
the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of
the sea, _even all Pharaoh's horses, and his chariots, and his
horse-men_."
After the children of Israel had landed on the other side of the sea,
the Lord said unto Moses:
"Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come
again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their
horse-men. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea,
and the sea returned to his strength. . . . And the Lord
overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the
waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horse-men,
and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after
them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the
children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the
sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
and on their left. . . . And Israel saw the great work which
the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the
Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant Moses."[51:1]
The writer of this story, whoever he may have been, was evidently
familiar with the legends related of the Sun-god, _Bacchus_, as he has
given Moses the credit of performing some of the miracles which were
attributed to that god.
It is related in the hymns of Orpheus,[51:2] that Bacchus had a _rod_
with which he performed miracles, and which he could change into a
_serpent_ at pleasure. _He passed the Red Sea, dry shod, at the head of
his army._ He divided the waters of the rivers Orontes and Hydaspus, by
the touch of his rod, and passed through them dry-shod.[51:3] _By the
same mighty wand, he drew water from the rock_,[51:4] and wherever they
marched, the land flowed with wine, milk and honey.[51:5]
Professor Steinthal, speaking of Dionysus (Bacchus), says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account