ent him rain when he traveled [over the
desert]." N. B.--Since, in the days of Josephus, as he assures us, all
the more numerous original historians of Alexander gave the account he
has here set down, as to the providential going back of the waters
of the Pamphylian Sea, when he was going with his army to destroy the
Persian monarchy, which the fore-named authors now remaining fully
confirm, it is without all just foundation that Josephus is here blamed
by some late writers for quoting those ancient authors upon the present
occasion; nor can the reflections of Plutarch, or any other author later
than Josephus, be in the least here alleged to contradict him. Josephus
went by all the evidence he then had, and that evidence of the most
authentic sort also. So that whatever the moderns may think of the
thing itself, there is hence not the least color for finding fault with
Josephus: he would rather have been much to blame had he omitted these
quotations.

BOOK 3 FOOTNOTES

[1] Dr. Bernard takes notice here, that this place Mar, where the waters
were bitter, is called by the Syrians and Arabians Mariri, and by the
Syrians sometimes Morath, all derived from the Hebrew Mar. He also takes
notice, that it is called The Bitter Fountain by Pliny himself; which
waters remain there to this day, and are still bitter, as Thevenot
assures us and that there are also abundance of palm-trees. See his
Travels, Part I. ch. 26. p. 166.

[2]The additions here to Moses's account of the sweetening of the waters
at Marah, seem derived from some ancient profane author, and he such
an author also as looks less authentic than are usually followed by
Josephus. Philo has not a syllable of these additions, nor any other
ancienter writer that we know of. Had Josephus written these his
Antiquities for the use of Jews, he would hardly have given them these
very improbable circumstances; but writing to Gentiles, that they might
not complain of his omission of any accounts of such miracles derived
from Gentiles, he did not think proper to conceal what he had met with
there about this matter. Which procedure is perfectly agreeable to the
character and usage of Josephus upon many occasions. This note is, I
confess, barely conjectural; and since Josephus never tells us when
his own copy, taken out of the temple, had such additions, or when
any ancient notes supplied them; or indeed when they are derived from
Jewish, and when from Gentile antiquity,