THE BIBLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH WITH THE SANCTION AND BY PHILIP H. WICKSTEED, M.A. BY DR. H. OORT, PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, ETC., At Amsterdam, 14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON ; BOOK II. FROM MOSES TO DAVID. AT CHAPTER I. THE YOUTH OF MOSES. Ex. I. 1. II. 22. T the head of Israel's history stands the mighty figure of Moses. He lived in times when his people were as yet in a state of barbarism, and for many centuries afterwards no historian appeared amongst them; so it is not surprising that we know but little of his life. Legend plays a greater part than history in the accounts which we possess of him, and it is impossible to give a sketch of his life and character which we can confidently declare to be true. But Israel never lost the memory of the man who was considered the spiritual father of his people. A grateful posterity named him and to a large extent with justice-the founder of Israel's national existence and of the worship of Yahweh. As such, then, he may claim a place of honour amongst the men whose lives have moulded the history of the world. The book of Exodus opens with an account of his birth and early life, which runs as follows: The youth of Moses fell in evil days, for his people were in great distress, on account of the fear with which they were regarded by the Egyptian king. Nor was the monarch's alarm without good cause, for after the death of Joseph and B |