'254 THE PYRAMIDS. 
CHAP, remain in Egypt. The Israelites had bound 
^ themselves to him by an oath, that when they 
left the land, they would " carry his bones" with 
them \ Accordingly we find, that when a cen- 
tury and a half had elapsed from the time of liis 
burial, the sepulchre, which during all this period 
had preserved his relics in a Soros, was 
opened by the children of Israel. Their num- 
ber amounted to six hundred thousand men 
when they went out of Egypt, besides the 
mixed multitude by whom they were accom- 
panied"; a sufficient army, surely, even for the 
opening oi di pyramid if it were necessary, espe- 
cially when the persons employed for the 
undertaking were acquainted with the secret of 
its entrance; having, from the very moment of 
the patriarch's interment, been under a solemn 
engagement to remove the body which they had 
there placed. However this may be deter- 
mined, it is certain the tomb was opened; for 
no sooner is their departure mentioned, than we 
read' — " Moses took the bones oi Joseph with 
him." Here, then, we have a record in history, 
(1) " And Joseph took an oath of the children oi Israel, saying, God 
will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from hence." 
Gen. L. 25. 
(2) Exod. xii. 37, 38. 
(3) Ibid. xiii. 19. 
