FROM the unwelcome position of the officer in our last chapter, let us proceed a little further, from Kidopo to a spot, where one can get a beautiful view of some waterfalls, falling one hundred feet into a whirlpool below; the water a little way off is quite calm. At certain seasons the water subsides and may be crossed on foot. Egypt gets some of her supply of water for the summer from this part. The Nile formerly had seven branches running into the Mediterranean Sea; now it has only two, the Rosetta and Damietta branches. The country between these two branches is called the Delta.
The waters of this remarkable river may give us the history of the greatness of the Pharaohs of Egypt. In a parable Pharaoh is referred to under the figure of a tree. The prophet Ezekiel writes: "The deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth." "Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches for his root was by great waters.”
It has been said that the Nile was everything to the Egyptian. Should the waters cease to overflow for even one week, his gardens and his fields would become a desert. His fields were fertilized by it, making his harvests good and carrying off their produce to other countries. He drank the water, went fishing in it, and traveled on it. Once he worshipped it, now he utilizes it.
The name of the Nile does not occur in scripture, but is called "The river of Egypt" many times, and there is much concerning the history of God's people connected with it. There are also many remnants of the skill and power of the early days when Abram visited the shores of the Nile. It was the Blue Nile near which Abram stood—this wonderful river Nile, and yet in one way it is only an accumulation of raindrops, like every other river, but look at its associations!
The history of man also records many scenes witnessed on the borders of the Nile: ravage and pillage by Cambyses, the luxury and ease of the queen Cleopatra, the unsuccessful expedition of the great Napoleon, the massacre of the Mamelukes. This reduced Egypt from the height of power and greatness to make it the basest of kingdoms, as foretold by divine prophecy.
The prophet Ezekiel had foretold, "I will make the land waste." Zechariah also, and about sixty-four years afterward Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, entered Egypt and there was ravage and pillage. It is said that the army of Cambyses, three hundred thousand men, perished through the effects of a whirlwind in the desert of Sahara. The sand rises up like an enormous pillar, going along at a fearful rate, winding round and round. When the pillars fall, they cover anything and everything in their way. Job knew about such winds and had experienced something of this sort, for he says, "Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance." How wonderful! how pointed! how graphic! what a picture!
Another time, a second army of Cambyses destroyed the temples about five hundred years before Christ. It is told that once Cambyses protected his army and took a seaport town at the mouth of the Nile by putting a number of cats and dogs and other animals in the front of his army, and as the Egyptians worshipped these animals, they would not shoot an arrow lest by mistake they should kill one of their sacred animals. Imagine having any faith in such a god. If they could not protect themselves, how could they protect any one?
Look on now over two thousand years, and we hear of a wonderful man whose name was Napoleon. He was a great general, and was sent by the French into Egypt to conquer the country. He was able to subdue the country, but nearly all his fleet that had brought out his army was destroyed at the Battle of the Nile by the great English commander, Admiral Nelson.
So Napoleon's army, or what remained of it, had to cross the desert into Palestine, and what befell them on the way home you must look up elsewhere, for Acre is not Egypt.
In contrast to the trials of these poor soldiers in the desert, we may hear of an extraordinary and remarkable queen, but not one to be admired, for her wickedness was great. There is one picture of her on the waters of the Nile reclining in ease and splendor, and having every indulgence in probably such a barge as is given by the following description.
Think of a gilded barge where forty and four rowers are slowly dipping their oars into the quiet waters. The head is shaded from the sun by a silken awning stretched across the top of the galley, under which the occupants recline deliciously on the softest of cushions. Ease and luxury predominate.
The extravagance of this queen, Cleopatra, was also shown on one occasion at a feast by her putting some beautiful pearl or pearls into a goblet and drinking it off at one draft to show her great riches.
I should like now to give you the experience of an old but more modern traveler. He says, "After passing through a canal which went from Alexandria to Atfeh we reached the river and got into a steamer. This canal was separated from the river Nile by locks.
“When the river is low, too low for the boats to navigate, several horses are employed to drag the boat, and if they cannot manage it, men have to do it. They jump into the river and move the boat to and fro, and thus get it along." In this case when they reached the steamer the waters were not high enough, so they had to pass an extra night on board. But about six o'clock next morning there was a glorious sun-rising, which soon raised the thermometer from 38 degrees below freezing point, to which it had fallen, to six degrees above it. If you had been there, you would have seen that the Arabs who were on board were praying and washing, as the Koran tells them. This is a book given by their prophet Mahomet, which they use much, instead of the Bible, sad to say. It tells them always to wash three times a day, at sunrise, at midday and at sunset, and five times if possible; they must wash in running water before they pray.
It was somewhere near here, at Atfeh and near Alexandria, that Abram, the father of the faithful, sought refuge from the famine of Canaan. He would probably enter the "lower region" of Egypt by the Isthmus of Suez, where the canal has since been made. But to continue the journey of our traveler at the point where this particular canal (for there are many) reaches the Nile: it is about six hundred yards wide, and the waters are not very low.
Along the banks of the Nile there were many palaces and villas where the Turkish beys and English merchants could reside. There were also sycamore trees, and, as you know, Zacchæus once climbed a similar tree in Canaan to see Jesus; there are plenty of leaves on this tree to shelter any one in hiding.
Sometimes there was a glimpse of the desert, the sand blowing about in clouds and hiding much of the view. There were also some birds. Do you know the pelican? It is a large, swimming bird, and has a pouch which can hold two gallons of water, so you may imagine it can hold many fish. There were cormorants, eagles and numerous wild ducks and geese. Our old friend Heroditus makes special mention of the Egyptian goose; it was held sacred by the Egyptians, and was a favorite dish with the priests.
During the journey some one shot an eagle and it measured seven feet from the tip of one wing to the other. The parent birds teach their offspring how to fly. They begin their flight in the eye of the sun; at first they make small circles, and the young birds imitate them; afterward they make another, and so on in larger circles, always rising towards the sun, till they are lost to sight. What an object-lesson for a Christian, always rising up towards the sun until lost to sight. Malachi speaks of the "Sun of righteousness" arising with healing in His wings.
Referring again to Abram, he first probably reached Zoan, on the eastern bank of the second river of the delta as coming from Canaan. It may have been here that the Pharaoh of Egypt then lived, or it may have been at Memphis, when his palace was at Memphis or Noph. The princes of Zoan and of Noph are referred to in Isa. 19:1313The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. (Isaiah 19:13). The latter place, Noph, was situated at the apex of the delta of the Nile, and was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. Pharaoh and his princes appear to have treated their guest with much respect. (Gen. 12:2020And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. (Genesis 12:20).)
But now shall we consider what Abram's journey was like from a description of a similar journey near the Euphrates In front the lord of the party is seated on a milk-white ass. His erect carriage and the dignity of his mien show one accustomed to command. His clothing is a long white robe, with a rich jewel in the front of his beautiful turban. Many of his companions also have white robes without the jewel which distinguishes the former. The party appears like a huge moving mass along the road, it is evidently the procession of some wealthy prince journeying with his large family and servants.
There are also many flocks and herds, and many camels with their curious humps, loaded with all the requisites of furnishing, the baggage hanging down on each side and rising some height. Nevertheless, there are men and women seated on the top and even some children. They show no fear, however, and are quite indifferent to the apparent danger. They are no doubt the slaves and inferior servants. Then there are many baggage camels which follow one behind the other.
A man on a donkey generally heads this sort of caravan, as such a procession is called. He has a rope, which is fastened round the first camel's neck; the other camels are tied to each other, the tail of one to the nose of the next, so they are bound to follow on. Sometimes there may be hundreds of camels tied to each other in this way.
Besides these baggage camels, there are many dromedaries with saddles and bridles for the different officers and superintendents of the lower servants to ride upon, each having his own camel and not being in one long string.
Dromedaries resemble camels, except that they only have one hump, but are of a lighter form and better breed, just as a carriage-horse is different from a cart-horse. An experienced servant takes the lead. Often there are asses, which carry a few of the confidential servants just behind the emir or chief, herds of oxen and kine and flocks of sheep and goats, which are very useful in providing meat and milk, for the latter can be made into butter and cheese. Naturally all these servants and animals impede the progress, so the journey goes on slowly.
There are many shepherds, who care well for the sheep and have either a rod or a staff, or perhaps a crook to assist them, and they have also dogs. Some of the young shepherds carry the young ones that are weak, sometimes in their arms, or maybe in the folds of their dress. We cannot say that this was actually Abram's caravan, but we may say this is a sample of one of his day. God had called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan, and God promised to give him the land.
We learn from the Bible, in Gen. 12:1010And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. (Genesis 12:10), that there was a famine in the land of Canaan, and that was the reason why Abram went down into Egypt; he took his wife Sarai with him. Now we read that Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram was afraid that Pharaoh the king would want to see her and make her his wife; so he called her his sister; the princes praised her beauty, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house. But God would not allow him to have her, as she was already Abram's wife, and He sent plagues on the king and on his household. Pharaoh reproved Abram because he had said Sarai was his sister, though it is true she was his half-sister, and he sent him and his wife away and all that he had.
This of course was a land journey, and here the camels were most necessary. They are called the "Ships of the Desert." When Abram went into Egypt because of the famine in Canaan, Egypt had become a great country with its princes and riches.
Two hundred and fifteen years later Abram's grandson Jacob visited Egypt, drawn thither by his son Joseph.