ld drink. But the king was not pleased with
this embassage from Moses: nor did he allow a passage for the army, but
brought his people armed to meet Moses, and to hinder them, in case they
should endeavor to force their passage. Upon which Moses consulted God
by the oracle, who would not have him begin the war first; and so he
withdrew his forces, and traveled round about through the wilderness.

6. Then it was that Miriam, the sister of Moses, came to her end, having
completed her fortieth year [5] since she left Egypt, on the first [6]
day of the lunar month Xanthicus. They then made a public funeral for
her, at a great expense. She was buried upon a certain mountain, which
they call Sin: and when they had mourned for her thirty days, Moses
purified the people after this manner: He brought a heifer that had
never been used to the plough or to husbandry, that was complete in all
its parts, and entirely of a red color, at a little distance from the
camp, into a place perfectly clean. This heifer was slain by the high
priest, and her blood sprinkled with his finger seven times before
the tabernacle of God; after this, the entire heifer was burnt in that
state, together with its skin and entrails; and they threw cedar-wood,
and hyssop, and scarlet wool, into the midst of the fire; then a clean
man gathered all her ashes together, and laid them in a place perfectly
clean. When therefore any persons were defiled by a dead body, they put
a little of these ashes into spring water, with hyssop, and, dipping
part of these ashes in it, they sprinkled them with it, both on the
third day, and on the seventh, and after that they were clean. This
he enjoined them to do also when the tribes should come into their own
land.

7. Now when this purification, which their leader made upon the mourning
for his sister, as it has been now described, was over, he caused the
army to remove and to march through the wilderness and through Arabia;
and when he came to a place which the Arabians esteem their metropolis,
which was formerly called Arce, but has now the name of Petra, at this
place, which was encompassed with high mountains, Aaron went up one of
them in the sight of the whole army, Moses having before told him that
he was to die, for this place was over against them. He put off his
pontifical garments, and delivered them to Eleazar his son, to whom the
high priesthood belonged, because he was the elder brother; and died
while the mult