of them alone_.
That this is the position assumed by Dr. Colenso, is also evident from
another passage, where, replying to his opponents, he asserts: "The
Scripture states that there were 600,000 warriors in the fourth
generation from Jacob's _sons_" (p. 119). It is true that, when
_proving_ his theory of "the Exodus in the fourth generation", Dr.
Colenso counts indifferently from "the _sons_ or _adult grandsons_ of
Jacob, who went down with him into Egypt" (p. 96), just as it suits his
purpose. But, when he employs this conclusion to demonstrate that the
number of the population at the time of the Exodus was impossible, he
assumes that there were only four generations from the _sons_ of Jacob.

If we now turn to the examples adduced by the same author, we shall find
that seven are counted from the _sons_ of Jacob; namely, from Levi and
Reuben; three from the _grandsons_ of Jacob; namely, from Zarah[12] and
Pharez; and lastly one, Bezaleel, in order to be brought back to the
_fourth generation_, must be counted from Hezron, the great grandson of
Jacob; consequently, upon the bishop's own showing, out of his eleven
examples only seven prove for the _fourth generation_, three prove for
the _fifth_, and one proves for the _sixth_. What must we think, then,
when he afterwards quietly assures us, "the scripture _states_ that
there were 600,000 warriors in the _fourth_ generation from Jacob's
_sons_"? We are at least justified in saying that the examples adduced,
not only fail to prove that his assertion is _true_, but demonstrate
that it is _false_.

There is another point on which these examples fail. It is plain that to
ascertain the number of generations between the Descent and the Exodus,
we must not only commence to reckon from the _first_, but we must end
with the _last_. The last generation must include all those who had
reached the age of 20 at the time of the Exodus. And it is necessary for
Dr. Colenso to prove that this last generation is counted in the
examples he lays before us. On this point, however, he is silent. When
he comes to the fourth generation he stops short, and leaves his readers
to infer that it must be the last in point of fact, because it is the
last on his list. Let us see if this assumption derives any probability
from scriptural facts. At the time of the exodus Moses was 80, Aaron,
83. Mishael, Elzaphan, and Korah were their first cousins. It is,
therefore, not improbable that they were as old