punishment, and the budding of Aarons rod by which the appointment of
the family of Aaron to the priesthood was attested are the important
incidents of this period.

Final Scenes at Kadesh. After about thirty-eight years had elapsed
(Dt. 2:14), and the period of wandering was nearly at an end, Israel
is again found at Kadesh (Num. 20:11) on the borders of Edom where the
spies had been sent out and they made their calamitous blunder. Here
at this time happened three important events; (1) Miriam died and was
buried, (2) Moses smote the rock and brought forth water, but because
he smote it instead of speaking to it Jehovah was angry with him and
told him he should not enter the land of promise. (3) Moses asked
permission of the King of Edom to pass peaceably through his land and
was refused. They were, therefore, compelled to take a long journey
around Edom to reach there own land.

From Kadesh to the Jordan. When they were refused passage through the
land of the Edomites, their kinsmen, (Num. 20:14-21), the Hebrews made
a long journey around. On this journey occurred three important
events. (1) The death of Aaron in Mount Hor (Num. 20:22-29). (2) The
defeat of the King of South Canaan and the laying waste of his country
to Hormah where they had been routed nearly forty years ago. (3) The
sending of the fiery serpents and the brazen serpent as a remedy. They
also passed the country of Moab and came finally to the river Arnan
(Num. 21:13), which is the boundary between Moab and the Amorites.
Here they came into conflict with Sihon the King of the Amorites, whom
they defeated, and possessed his land. (Num. 21:23-24). The overcoming
of this strong and ancient people brought Israel into contact with Og,
king of Bashan, who was himself a giant and whose country was far more
formidable than that of the Amorites. By defeating him and possessing