405 
number of seventy is mentioned.* It is never said that he had a great 
number of followers. If we remember that Pharaoh promised to Joseph 
that there should be land apportioned to his father and brethren, and 
their descendants, is it likely that Pharaoh would have handed over a large 
portion of land to thousands of followers and retainers, especially when the 
Scriptures say expressly that those who came into Egypt were Jacob and his 
family ? However, there are scholars present who can go more deeply into 
these matters than I can, and therefore I will content myself with expressing 
my conviction, from a study of the Scriptural books, that the children of 
Israel must be taken to be the descendants of Jacob and his family, with a 
very few if any exceptions. It is very important that this should be so when 
we view the whole history of the children of Israel, and consider the promises 
that were made to them. If we admit that thousands of that number were 
retainers and camp-followers, then I cannot see how the promises of God to 
the children of Israel, as a distinct family descended from the loins of J acob, 
can be fulfilled. 
Rev. J. James. — I have read Dr. Thornton’s paper with very great interest, 
and I have also been much pleased with the two papers which are now before 
us, and which maintain the possible correctness of the numbers of the Exodus 
as given to us in the Old Testament. I confess to still retaining the opinion 
I avowed when Dr. Thornton’s paper was first read — a certain satisfaction in 
standing clear of vast numbers, errors in which may have arisen out of some 
misapplication of some sign or dot or letter in the earliest manuscripts. I 
could the more readily follow the arguments of Mr. Graham and others if I 
could see that instead of 600,000 it was 60,000 which they lean to ; and 
hope that it may be found at some future time that those notations found on 
coins in the time of the Maccabees, and those letters which were then in use, 
may have existed also in the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, and may account 
for the mistake of 600,000 for 60,000. This is all that is required ; for any 
less number than 60,000 would hardly justify us in thinking that the armies 
of Amalek and others would have been so readily overcome by Israel with- 
out practice in war, remembering that their adversaries were well-practised 
warriors. Any less number than 60,000 would be certainly preposterous. 
When Dr. Thornton’s, paper was read, a friend of mine hit the nail on the 
head when he protested against so small a number as 600, and maintained 
that Dr. Thornton’s theory on that point went entirely away from his argu- 
ment. I thank you for allowing me to say this much ; but I should also be 
glad to add that, if any scholars anywhere existing could trace out some 
earlier Hebrew or Chaldee manuscripts than have yet been found, it would 
be of great benefit to mankind. Meanwhile I confess I am unable to believe 
in the infallibility of the numbers in our present version (albeit in the 
Hebrew every number is written at full length in words, and there is no 
such thing as attempting to give them by letters, ciphers, dots, or other 
* All the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were three 
score and ten. — Gen. xlvi. 27. 
