Forty Years in the Land of the Midian

The persecution of the children of Israel by the Egyptians. Now there arose up a new king in Egypt. And he said unto his people. Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Let us set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. (Exodus, chapter I.) The first scenes show the Egyptian court and King Pharaoh commanding the slave drivers to beat the Hebrew toilers who show signs of rebellion. Pharaoh notices this and, calling his scribes, orders that a decree be published that every man-child born to the Hebrews be killed. The parchment is prepared and is read in Pharaohs court in the presence of Pharaohs daughter, who hears and pleads in vain for his clemency. Pharaohs Decree: Every male child that is born to the Hebrews shall be cast into the river. The Egyptians ruthlessly proceed to carry out the decree and seize the male children from the arms of the Hebrew mothers. Here we are shown the interior of a Hebrew dwelling. The child Moses is in a cradle and his mother is bending over him, utterly unconscious of the cruel edict of King Pharaoh. The sister of Moses is shown attending to household duties and she takes a pitcher and goes to the well to draw water. There she learns of the slaughter of the innocents and hastens back and tells the mother of the cruel scenes she has witnessed. They decide to hide the child Moses by the river, and the cradle or ark is covered and carried between them to a marsh, where they plaster the outside with soft mud to keep out the water, and placing the child therein, his sister remains nearby to watch what will become of him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the rivers edge; and when she saw the ark among the flags she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it she saw the child; and, behold, the babe wept, and she had compassion on him. Pharaohs daughter fondles and pets the crying child and decides that she will keep him for her own. The sister of Moses approaches and suggests that she call a nurse of the Hebrew women and she, of course, called the childs mother. And Pharaohs daughter said unto her, Take this child away and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed it. Pharaoh is informed of his daughters caprice and demands to see the child. He orders it away, but his daughter embraces him and pleads so hard for the life of the child that he consents and gi