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172 bable that captives, scattered among their conquerors, should have freedom of action enough allowed them, either to take such counsel among themselves, or, at any rate, to put it into effect?

The narrative further implies, if it is really to be taken as historically true, that the Most High was pleased to show wonders on behalf of these ten tribes in their resolves, similar to those manifested on the delivery of their fathers from Egypt. But if such manifestations had in truth been afforded them, we might surely expect that some further narration of them would have been given us, such as that which was given by Moses; and the fact that we have no such narration, is of itself a sufficient argument against the probability of the supposed occurrence.

We have not, however, to rely on any mere supposition to dispute the credit due to this interpretation of the dream, inasmuch as the whole tenor of Scriptural, Apocryphal, and other history will be found to supply us with abundant proofs of its being altogether visionary.

From the Scriptures themselves we learn it was ordained, 1st, That after the period allotted for the captivity of Judah, the whole or main body of the Israelites should return into their own land; and, 2nd, That they should return as one people, with the old distinction of tribes in a great measure done away with. This is evident from the whole course of prophecy respecting them, fulfilled as it was in their subsequent history.

In the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, written in the province of Babylon, it is expressly declared, "Moreover, thou Son of Man, take thee one stick and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions; and join them one to another into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the hand upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them