310 



I asked my uncle at what season these plagues 

 had happened, and why the injury to flax and 

 barley were particularly mentioned. 



" The season," said he, " is not expressly 

 stated ; but as the departure of the Israelites 

 was on the 15th of the month of Abib, which 

 corresponds with the beginning of April, we may 

 suppose that the seventh plague (of hail) was 

 sent about the beginning of March, so as to leave 

 time for the three succeeding plagues. This idea 

 is confirmed by travellers, from whom we learn 

 that the barley harvest in Egypt is reaped in 

 March, and the wheat in April ; and it explains 

 why ' the barley was in ear,' though not yet fit 

 for reaping ; and ' the wheat and the rye were 

 not grown up."* Abib means the month of the 

 young ears of corn. 



" Their barley must have been a grievous loss, 

 as the principal beverage of the Egyptians was 

 made from it ; but scarcely any thing could have 

 distressed them more than the loss of their flax, 

 because the whole nation wore linen garments, 

 and the priests never put on any other kind of 

 clothing. This linen was manufactured from 

 that fine flax for which the valley of the 

 Nile was famous, and was in great request in 

 other countries also ; for though the Egyptians 

 did not trade abroad themselves, yet they rea- 

 dily disposed of it to foreign merchants. 



28th. A question of mine this morning, 



