Chapter 15
The king’s palace and pyramids were surrounded by a wall of stone; with twelve gates, made of wood and iron. The wall was sufficiently wide for twelve men to walk abreast on it, and the height of the wall was equivalent to twelve squares. On the summit of the wall were twelve houses for the accommodation of the soldiers who patrolled the walls. And in each and every gateway were houses for the keepers of the gates. So that no man, woman or child could come into the palace or palace grounds without permission.
And it came to pass that when Leotonas, the king’s daughter, walked near the river, accompanied by her maids, she saw a child in a basket among the bulrushes. Leotonas commanded her maids to fetch it to her; and when she looked upon it, and saw it was an Israelitish child, she said: The Gods have sent him to me, and he shall be my child.
And they carried the child into the palace, and Leotonas said to the king: Behold, a wonder of wonders! I have found an Israelitish child in a basket in the rushes, and only Gods know how it came, or how it scaled the walls. The king said: Keep the child, and it shall be both a brother and a son to you. Nevertheless, my guards shall find the way my grounds are entered, or blood will be upon them.
Now after some days, and when the search had been completed, and no way discovered as to the manner of the child’s ingress, the king issued a decree commanding a thousand Israelitish male children to be put to death, Moses among the rest, unless the mother of the child, Moses, came and confessed as to the manner of ingress. The king allotted three days in which time the matter should culminate; but nevertheless the mother did not come and confess.
And the king called his daughter, and said to her: What shall be done? Leotonas said: The king’s word must not be broken; nevertheless, you gave the child to me, saying: Keep it, and it shall be a brother and a son to you. And immediately I sent my maids and procured an Israelitish woman as nurse for the child. And I set my heart upon the child, nor can I part with it and live. Last night I consulted the oracle concerning the matter, for I saw that your mandate must be fulfilled.
The king said: And what did the oracle say? Leotonas said: Proclaim word abroad that the nurse of the child is its mother. Now I beseech you, O king, let it be heralded abroad that all is confessed.
The king, seeing the child, relented; and word was proclaimed as Leotonas had desired. And, moreover, the matter was entered in the recorder’s house that the mother of the child had made the basket and placed it where it was found, though no reason was assigned for the action. Such, then, was the Eguptian explanation.
Now the truth of the matter was, the angels of Jehovih came to Yokebed and said: Your son’s name shall be Moses, signifying, a leader-forth, for he shall deliver the Israelites out of bondage. But he shall be taken from you, and you will not find him. For the angels of Jehovih will deliver him into Leotonas’ hands. And she shall adopt him as her brother and son, and bestow upon him the education of a prince.
Yokebed feared, for in those days male children of Israelitish parentage were outlawed, nor could any man be punished for slaying them. And Yokebed prayed to Jehovih, saying: Your will be done, O Jehovih, for I know Your hand is upon my son. But I ask of You, O Father, that I may come to the princess and be her nurse for the child. The angel of Jehovih said: Swear before Jehovih you will not tell the child that you are his mother!
Yokebed said: Though I am commanded by the king, yet I will not admit that I am the mother, and it is Your will, O Jehovih!
And Jehovih’s angels fashioned a basket; and carried the child and placed it where it was found by Leotonas and her maids. And Leotonas, seeing it was a Hebrew child, commanded one of her maids to go and bring an Israelitish woman to nurse it. And the maid went out beyond the Utak gate and found and brought Yokebed, the child’s mother, but no one knew she was its mother.
And when Yokebed had come before the princess, the latter said to her: Nurse the child, for I will be its mother and its sister, for the Gods have delivered it into my hands. And Yokebed said: It is a goodly child; I will nurse it for you.
Moses grew and became a large man, being a pure I’huan, copper-colored and of great strength. And Pharaoh, having no son, bestowed his heart on Moses, and raised him as a prince, having provided him with men of great learning to teach him. Moses was master of many languages, and also made acquainted with kings and queens and governors, far and near. And he espoused the cause of the king, whose dominions held seven kingdoms beyond Egupt as tributary kingdoms, which paid taxes to Pharaoh.
So Pharaoh made Moses ambassador to the foreign kingdoms, in which capacity he served twelve years. But because of the prejudice against him, for being of Israelitish blood, the court of Pharaoh importuned the king for his removal, and so Moses was removed from office under the king.
The king said to Moses: My son, this is a double infliction on me in my old age; in the first place, it is as a sword-thrust, to cut off my love to you, lest you someday become king; and in the second place, it is hard for a Pharaoh to be dictated to by his own court.
Moses replied: Fear not, O king, that my love and yours can be severed. Often it happens that men are tried in a way they do not know the wisdom of, but which, afterward, we realize to be the best thing that could have taken place.
As for myself, I think this rebuke is put upon me by Jehovih because I did not labor for my own people.
The king said: How so? Moses replied: For many days a great heaviness has come upon me; it is as if the wind of heaven bore down on my heart, saying: Moses, Moses, lift up your voice for your people. For, behold, the king, your father, will favor you!
Pharaoh said: What would you ask, my son? And if it is possible it shall be done.
Moses answered: Until I have gone among them and ascertained their grievances, I do not know how to answer you. The king said: Go, and keep your counsel to yourself till you are returned.
So Moses departed and traveled over the land of Egupt, and was four months absent, and then returned to Pharaoh. And Moses related to him all the grievances of the Israelites; explaining the tasks put upon them; their denial before the courts; their forbiddance to education; but also extolled them highly for being a peaceful and virtuous people.
The king said: It is a pity; it is a great pity. But what can I do, O Moses? You see how even you yourself are chastised by the king’s court. If I demand the repeal of the laws, the court will heap coals of fire on your head and on mine.
Moses said: Neither do I know, O king, what to do. And Moses was greatly troubled in his soul; and after he waited a while for his thoughts to come to him, he said: O king, tonight you and Leotonas shall reason with me, for I feel it incumbent because of the pressure on my soul.
When the three were alone that night, lo and behold, it was the beginning of the dawn of light. And Moses’ ears were opened, and he heard the Voice of Jehovih (through His angels), saying:
Behold, O king, and you, Leotonas, and you, Moses, now is the beginning of My power on the face of the earth. Moses, My son, you shall take your people out of the land of Egupt; and I will bestow upon them the lands of the ancients, even where I will lead you. Do not change your laws, O king; let Egupt have her way; and let the Israelites have their way also.
The king said: To deliver four million people! O what a labor!
The next day Moses walked out, going into the woods to be alone, for heavy trouble was upon him. And an angel of Jehovih appeared in a flame of fire in a bush, calling: Moses, Moses, My son! And Moses saw that the bush was not burnt, and he said: Here I am, and I heard Your Voice.
The Voice said: I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac and Jacob. Moses said: What may I do for You?
The Voice said: Go once more among your people, and say: I, Moses, have come to deliver you out of the land of Egupt, and into an inheritance which shall be your own.
Moses said: My people will ask of me: By whose authority do you speak? What, then, shall I answer them? The Voice said: Say to them: The I AM sent me. And if they question further, saying: You have a deceiving spirit, like the Eguptians, then you shall say to them: How can you distinguish one spirit from another? And they will say: Whoever labors for himself will deceive us. And you shall say to them: Whoever has faith in Jehovih, let him give up all, even as I do; and let them follow me; for if a multitude goes forth in Faith in the Father, then the Father will provide for them. (For this is the meaning of Faith, from which you were named Israelites.)
So Moses and his brother, Aaron, traveled about in the land of Egupt, calling together Raban families, explaining to them, and urging the people to get ready for departure out of Egupt. For three years they labored thus, and it became known far and near that the project was on foot.
And the oracles of the Eguptians prophesied that when the Israelites were once out of the country they would unite with the kingdoms where Moses had been ambassador, and then return and overpower the Eguptians.
And in order to stigmatize Moses they said he fled away from Pharaoh’s palace because he had seen two men, an Eguptian and an Israelite, fighting, and that Moses slew the Eguptian and buried him in the sand. And the recorders thus entered the report in the Recorder’s House.
Moses was of tender heart and he inquired of the Great Spirit, saying: Will a voice of justice ever speak on my behalf? Jehovih, through His angel, answered Moses, saying: Suffer your enemies to put on record what they will, for the time will surely come when the truth shall be revealed to men. Pursue your course; for it shall be shown that you do still visit the king; yet, had you fled as the records state, you would not have returned, with the report hanging over your head.
In those days Egupt was a land of glory and of misery. Hardly is it possible for words to describe the splendor in which the nobles lived. Of their palaces and chariots a thousand books might be written, and yet not reveal all. And as to the members of the king’s court, so grand were they that many of them did not stand on the ground from one year’s end to the other; but caused carpets to be spread wherever they desired to walk. And as to their chariots, they were bound with silver and gold, and set with precious stones.
Of the royal court and the nobles, there were two thousand four hundred and eighty, and they owned and possessed everything in Egupt, which was the richest country in the world.
The next in rank were the masters, who were servants and tenants to the courtiers and nobles; and the third in rank were the Faithists, called Israelites, who were servants under the masters.
And it was against the law for anyone to call a meeting of Israelites, or to incite them against servitude to the masters; for which reason Moses and Aaron violated the law of the land, nor did any man dare to arrest them, because Moses carried with him the king’s seal.
Of the miseries of the land of Egupt, half has never been told, nor ever shall be; for they were of the nature of the flesh, and of such kind that one may not mention them fully, for the history would also involve the beasts of the fields, and dogs, male and female, and goats also.
Suffice it to say that the people were victims of evil spirits, and had descended to such unnatural practices as poisoned the flesh, which became inhabited with vermin; and they had running sores; and only evil practices alleviated the pains. The people were subject to entrancement by evil spirits, and the latter appeared among the people, taking to themselves corporeal forms for evil’s sake, also eating and drinking with mortals daily.
When Moses saw these things he prayed to Jehovih for wisdom and strength; for thousands and thousands of the Israelites were becoming afflicted in the same way. Jehovih answered Moses, saying: Because of the abundance of evil angels in this land it is impossible for My chosen to dwell here and escape affliction. Moses explained this matter to the Israelites.
Jehovih said: Moses, you and your brother shall return to the king, for he is worried concerning you and your labors. Behold, the nobles have complained before the king against you.
Moses visited the king, who was sick with a fever; and the king was on his divan at the fountain in the palace grounds, and the men servants were forcing water. When the king saw it was Moses, he raised up, rejoicing, and called Moses to come and sit with him. And servants ran in and told Leotonas that Moses had returned, and Leotonas came also and rejoiced to see Moses. Now while they were talking the king was overcome and fell in a faint, at which, Moses raised him up and restored him; and then in his arms he carried the king to the palace.
Leotonas said: Moses, my son and brother, you shall not leave us alone anymore? Behold, my father is old, and he gave his heart to you when you were a child. Be to him his son. Behold how he revives in your strong hands!
Then spoke the king, saying: My son, with all your wisdom, can you understand a woman? Moses said: Alas, O king, except the princess, I have not studied them. But why do you ask?
The king replied: Leotonas has not said one word about the affairs of the kingdom! What is uppermost in a woman’s heart, that she speaks first; but as to man, he speaks first that which lies at the bottom of his heart. I love you, Moses, and delight in your presence; but my kingdom concerns me deeply. The nobles have complained against you for meddling with their slaves, and for this reason I have desired to see you.
Moses said: The Voice came to me, informing me of what you say, and then commanded me to come to you, for you were ill with fever. And the king replied, saying: If I should die before you have accomplished the migration of your people, I fear my successor, Nu-ghan, will make it hard for you. Tell me, therefore, how matters stand with you?
Moses said: Jehovih has planned this migration; it cannot fail. For, witness what proof I have found: The Israelites were looking for a leader-forth, even as I was named in the basket. And wherever I have gone, the rab’bahs and their families are acquainted with the matter as if it were born in their souls.
The king said: Everywhere the oracles declare against you and Jehovih; saying you are in the hands of evil spirits.
Moses said: What are the oracles to me? To feel assured one is in a good work; this is better than oracles.