Chapter 69
ciated with his wife, whom he had turned away.
26. And Jochebed his mother called his name Jekuthiel [God's obedience ], for she said, I have hoped for him to the Almighty, and God restored him unto me.
27. And Miriam his sister called him Jered [flowing down ], for she descended after him to the river to know what his end would be.
28. And his brother Aaron called his name Abi Zanuch [father of casting away ], saying, my father left my mother and returned to her on his account.
29. And Kehath, the father of Amram, called his name Abigdor [father and protector ], because on his account did God mend the breach of the house of Jacob, that they could no longer throw their male children into the water.
30. And their nurse called him Abi Socho [the father's dell ], saying, in his tabernacle was he hidden for three months on account of the children of Ham [Ham is Egypt ].
31. And all Israel called his name Shemaiah [God hears ], son of Nethanel [gift from God ], for they said, in his days God heard their cries and rescued them from their oppressors. [This verse is probably a spurious addition, taken from Rabbinical works. ]
32. Moses was in Pharaoh's house and was unto Bathia, Pharaoh's daughter, as a son; and Moses grew up amongst the king's children.
1. AND the king of Edom died in those days, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and was buried in his temple which he had built for himself as his royal residence in the land of Edom.
2. And the children of Esau sent an envoy to Pethor, which is upon the river, and they fetched from there a young man of beautiful eyes and comely aspect, whose name was Saul, and they made him king over them in the place of Samlah.
3. And Saul reigned over all the children of Esau in the land of Edom for forty years.
4. And when Pharaoh king of Egypt saw that the counsel which Balaam had advised respecting the children of Israel did not succeed, but that still they were fruitful, multiplied and increased throughout the land of Egypt,
5. then Pharaoh commanded in those days that a proclamation should be issued throughout Egypt to the children of Israel, saying: No man shall diminish anything of his daily labor.
6. And if a man shall be found deficient in his labor, which he performs daily, whether in mortar or in bricks, then his youngest son shall be put in his place.
7. And the forced labor of Egypt strengthened upon the children of Israel in those days; and behold, if one brick was deficient in any man's daily labor, the Egyptians took his youngest boy by force from his mother and put him instead into making the brick that his father had left wanting.
8. And the men of Egypt did so to all the children of Israel day by day, all the days for a long period.
9. But the tribe of Levi did not at that time work with the Israelites, their brethren, as it was from the beginning, for the children of Levi knew the cunning of the Egyptians, which they exercised at the start of the project toward the Israelites. CHAPTER
70. The Ancient Book of Jasher
1. AND in the third year from the birth of Moses, Pharaoh was sitting at a banquet, when queen Alparanith was sitting at his right and Bathia at his left, and the lad Moses was lying upon her bosom, and Balaam the son of Beor with his two sons, and all the princes of the kingdom were sitting at table in the king's presence.
2. And the lad stretched forth his hand upon the king's head, and took the crown from the king's head and placed it on his own head.
3. And when the king and princes saw the work which the boy had done, the king and princes were terrified, and one man to his neighbor expressed astonishment.
4. And the king said unto the princes who were before him at table, what speak you and what say you, O ye princes, in this matter, and what is to be judgment against the boy on account of this act?