wrote the book, and the Assyrians who copied it, were
all descended from Noah, and therefore some dim remembrance of God's
dealings with the world still lingered in their hearts; but as the time
passed they had grown farther from the truth. That is why the oldest
copies of these books are always the best; the heathen had not had time
to separate themselves so completely from God.

'In the old, old days,' they said, 'there were not so many gods as
there are now'; and some of the most learned heathen even believed that
in the beginning there was but one God. 'Afterwards many others sprang
up,' they declared.

'_In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth._' (Genesis i.
1.) Oh, how far the nations had wandered already from the greatest,
deepest truth which the world can know! How sad to think that horrible
nightmare stories of evil spirits and cruel gods should have come
between men's souls and the loving Father and Creator of all!

Yes; it was time, indeed, that the first words of the Bible should be
written, and that a stream of pure truth should begin to flow through
the world.

But Moses had much to do for God before he could write one word of his
part of the Bible.

We know how his life of learning and splendour came to a sudden end; he
fled from Egypt, and became a shepherd in the land of Midian; and there
in Midian God called him to the great work of leading the Children of
Israel out of Egypt towards the Promised Land.

Terrible troubles had come upon God's people in the land of Goshen.[1]
For the most selfish and cruel Pharaoh who ever reigned over Egypt had
determined to treat the people who had come to live in Egypt, at the
invitation of a former Pharaoh, just as though they were captives taken
in battle.

Many of the old ruins in Egypt are covered with writings describing his
cruelties. He killed all who rebelled against him, and condemned whole
nations to wear out their lives by working for him in the gold mines,
or granite quarries, or by making endless stores of bricks; he cared
for no man's life if only he could be called the richest king in the
world.

'_And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses,_'
(Exodus i. 11) that is, store-cities. In Egypt many store-cities were
needed because corn was more plentiful there than in any other country.

'Pithom--where was Pithom?' So people were asking a few years ago, and
because there was no answer to that question they