to the surface of the water. Moses seized it, and in joy he
bore it off.[439] While Israel had been busy gathering gold
and silver from the Egyptians, Moses had been thinking of
nothing but Joseph's coffin, and his happiness was great
that he had been permitted to fulfil the wish of Joseph.[440]

During the forty years of wandering through the desert,
the coffin was in the midst of Israel, as a reward for Joseph's
promise to his brethren, "I will nourish you and take care
of you." God had said, "As thou livest, for forty years
they will take care of thy bones."[441]

All this time in the desert Israel carried two shrines with
them, the one the coffin containing the bones of the dead
man Joseph, the other the Ark containing the covenant of