whom the high priesthood belonged, because he was the elder
brother; and died while the multitude looked upon him. He died in
the same year wherein he lost his sister, having lived in all a
hundred twenty and three years. He died on the first day of that
lunar month which is called by the Athenians Hecatombaeon, by the
Macedonians Lous, but by the Hebrews Abba.

CHAPTER 5.

How Moses Conquered Sihon And Og Kings Of The Amorites, And
Destroyed Their Whole Army And Then Divided Their Land By Lot To
Two Tribes And A Half Of The Hebrews.

1. The people mourned for Aaron thirty days, and when this
mourning was over, Moses removed the army from that place, and
came to the river Arnon, which, issuing out of the mountains of
Arabia, and running through all that wilderness, falls into the
lake Asphaltitis, and becomes the limit between the land of the
Moabites and the land of the Amorites. This land is fruitful, and
sufficient to maintain a great number of men, with the good
things it produces. Moses therefore sent messengers to Sihon, the
king of this country, desiring that he would grant his army a
passage, upon what security he should please to require; he
promised that he should be no way injured, neither as to that
country which Sihon governed, nor as to its inhabitants; and that
he would buy his provisions at such a price as should be to their
advantage, even though he should desire to sell them their very
water. But Sihon refused his offer, and put his army into battle
array, and was preparing every thing in order to hinder their
passing over Arnon.