Page 158 - Bible History

THE WANDERINGS OF THE ISRAELITES 131
serpents was very painful and caused the death of many. Moses prayed to God for the a icted people and God heard his prayer. He said to Moses, ''Make a brazen serpent and set it up for a sign. Whoever, being struck, shall look on it shall live." Moses obeyed, and when those who were bitten looked upon the serpent of brass, their wounds. were healed.
After this punishment the Israelites were more The
b d· Th . victo
the desert and steppes and entered the territory of Israeli the Amorrhites. Moses sent messengers to the king
of the Amorrhites, asking permission to pass through
his territory. Like the king of Edom, he refused,
and sent his army to meet the Israelites. A battle was fought and the Israelites put them to ight.
Next the Israelites marched forward through the land of the Amorrhites, taking possession of their capital and many of their towns. They then marched north and conquered the king of Basan.
Moses divided the territory east of the Jordan, which the Israelites had conquered, among the tribes of Gad and Ruben and the half tribe of Manasses. These three tribes had pleaded for this land, but had promised to cross the Jordan with the other Israelites to help conquer the land west of the river.
Moses knew that the time of his leadership had M
passed. He appointed Josue, who was of the tribe of su
Ephraim, to lead the people. Josue had been the faithful t f Moses. He had gone with him into the mountain when he received the rst tablets of stone. He was also one of the twelve scouts sent
r:
o e ient. ey traveled two hundred miles through ollhe