Excerpt from Daily Bible Illustrations, Vol. 2: Being Original Readings for a Year, on Subjects From Sacred History, Biography, Geography, Antiquities, and Theology; Especially Designed for the Family Circle; Moses and the Judges This scene does certainly illustrate, in all points, the labors Of the Israelites, for we are told, not only that they wrought in the making of bricks - which was a government work in Egypt, and bricks bearing the royal stamp have been found - but that the king set over them task-masters to afflict them with their burdens; and that, all the service wherein they made them serve was with rigor. We also know that the bricks were compacted like these with straw; for at a later period we are told that the crown would not allow them the straw with which to compact their bricks, but left them to provide it for themselves, without the tale of bricks pre viously exacted being at all diminished - And the task masters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works - your daily tasks, as when there was straw. The straw was used to compact the mass of clay, and not as some have supposed to burn the bricks. These being only dried in the sun, which suffices in a dry climate, the straw, which would be destroyed were the bricks burned, remains perfect and undiscolored in bricks nearly 4000 years old. That the sticks of the task masters were no idle insignia of authority, is shown by the complaints of the Israelites, There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, make bricks; and behold thy servants are beaten. - See the whole passage, Exod. V. 7 - l 6. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.