182 The Legends of the Jews
to involve the Ten Tribes in a war against Judah and Jeru- salem. But the people of the northern kingdom refused to enter into hostilities with their brethren, and with the ruler of their brethren, a descendant of David. Jeroboam ap- pealed to the elders of the Israelites, and they referred him to the Danites, the most efficient of their warriors ; but they swore by the head of Dan, the ancestor of their tribe, that they would never consent to shed the blood of their brethren. They were even on the point of rising against Jeroboam, and the clash between them and the followers of Jeroboam was prevented only because God prompted the Danites to leave Palestine.
i Their first plan was to journey to Egypt and take posses- sion of the land. They gave it up when their princes re- minded them of the Biblical prohibition11 against dwelling in Egypt. Likewise they were restrained from attacking the Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites, for the Torah com- mands considerate treatment of them. Finally they decided to go to Egypt, but not to stay there, only to pass through to Ethiopia. The Egyptians were in great terror of the Danites, and their hardiest warriors occupied the roads trav- elled by them. Arrived in Ethiopia, the Danites slew a part of the population, and exacted tribute from the rest." i The departure of the Danites relieved Judah from the ap- prehended invasion by Jeroboam, but danger arose from an- other quarter. Shishak,18 the ruler of Egypt, who was the father-in-law of Solomon, came to Jerusalem and demanded his daughter's jointure. He carried off the throne of Solo- mon,14 and also the treasure which the Israelites had taken from the Egyptians at the time of the exodus. So the Egyp- tian money returned to its source."
