{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_36444/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_36444","id":"gutenberg_36444","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36444","summary":null,"tags":["Bible. Old Testament -- History of Biblical events","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education"],"text":"</pre>\n\n\n\nProduced by Emmy, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed\nProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Transcriber's Note: Italic text is set apart by _underscores_ and bold\ntext by =equal signs=.]\n\n\n\n\nSTUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY\n\nBy Rev. Jesse L. Hurlbut, D.D.,\n\n          AUTHOR OF\n\n  \"A MANUAL OF BIBLE GEOGRAPHY,\" \"REVISED NORMAL LESSONS,\"\n  \"SUPPLEMENTAL LESSONS FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL,\" and\n  \"STUDIES IN THE FOUR GOSPELS.\"\n\n\n          New York: HUNT & EATON.      Cincinnati: CRANSTON & CURTS.\n\n\n\n\nFor All Sunday-School Workers.\n\n\n[Sidenote: FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.]\n\n=OUR SUPERINTENDENT.= By J. H. VINCENT. 10 cents.\n\n=THE MODERN SUNDAY-SCHOOL.= By J. H. VINCENT. 90\n\nThe first of these is an inspiring talk with the superintendent upon the\nduties of his office and how to perform them. The second is a thorough\nexplanation of the best methods of conducting a Sunday-school.\n\nThe Sunday-school experience of one hundred years has proved that\nwithout well trained teachers success is only partial. Our list of\nbooks, adapted both for private use and for normal teaching, is\nunsurpassed:\n\n          =SUNDAY-SCHOOL SCIENCE.= By R. S. HOLMES. 20\n          cents.\n\n          =REVISED NORMAL LESSONS.= By J. L. HURLBUT. 25\n          cents.\n\n          =STUDIES IN THE FOUR GOSPELS.= By J. L. HURLBUT.\n          25 cents.\n\n          =OPEN LETTERS TO PRIMARY TEACHERS.= By Mrs. W. F.\n          CRAFTS. 40 cents.\n\n\n[Sidenote: FOR TEACHERS AND NORMAL CLASSES.]\n\n=NORMAL OUTLINE SERIES:=\n\n          Bible History. By J. F. HURST. 40 cents.\n          Christian Evidences. By JOSEPH ALDEN. 35 cents.\n          Church History. By JOHN F. HURST. 40 cents.\n          On Teaching. By JOSEPH ALDEN. 35 cents.\n          English Bible. By J. M. FREEMAN. 40 cents.\n\n=CHAUTAUQUA TEXT-BOOKS.= Price, 10 cents each.\n\n          No. 22. On Biblical Biology.\n          No. 28. Manners and Customs of Bible Times.\n          No. 36. Assembly Bible Outlines.\n          No. 37. Assembly Normal Outlines.\n          No. 39. The Normal Class.\n          No. 41. The Teacher Before his Class.\n          No. 42. Outlines of Methodism.\n          No. 49. Palestine.\n\nFor the many earnest teachers who desire to give their scholars a more\ncomprehensive course than that of the International Lesson Series a\nseries of Supplemental Lessons has been prepared. These are not intended\nto displace the regular lesson, but to fill out its deficiencies, to\nsupplement it with other studies with which young people should be\nacquainted:\n\n=SUPPLEMENTAL LESSONS.= By J. L. HURLBUT. 25 cents.\n\n[Sidenote: FOR THE SCHOLARS.]\n\n          =GRADED LESSONS FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL.= By H. A.\n          STRONG. Seven numbers. Sample set, 40 cents.\n\n          =PALESTINE CLASS.= By J. H. VINCENT. Four\n          leaflets. 2 cents each; 6 cents per set.\n\n          =YOUNG TRAVELERS' CLASS.= By Mrs. M. G. KENNEDY.\n          Seven numbers. 2 cents each; 6 cents per set.\n\n          =YOUNG FOLKS' WALKS AND TALKS WITH JESUS.= By Mrs.\n          M. G. KENNEDY. Eight numbers. 2 cents each; 10\n          cents per set.\n\n\n  New York: HUNT & EATON.      Cincinnati: CRANSTON & CURTS.\n\n[Illustration: THE EMPIRE OF DAVID AND SOLOMON.]\n\n\n\n\n\nSTUDIES\n\nIN\n\nOLD TESTAMENT HISTORY\n\nBY\n\nREV. JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D.\n\n          AUTHOR OF\n\n   \"_A Manual of Bible Geography_,\" \"_Outline Normal Lessons_,\"\n    \"_Supplemental Lessons for the Sunday-School_,\" and \"_Studies\n    in the Four Gospels_.\"\n\n\n          NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON\n          CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS\n\n\n\n\n          Copyright, 1890, by\n          HUNT & EATON,\n          NEW YORK.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n                                                    PAGE\n  PREFACE                                              5\n  CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE                                  9\n  HINTS TO STUDENTS                                   11\n  HINTS TO TEACHERS                                   13\n  THE COURSE DIVIDED INTO LESSONS                     14\n  FIRST STUDY.--The Beginnings of Bible History       17\n  SECOND STUDY.--The Wandering in the Wilderness      25\n  THIRD STUDY.--The Conquest of Canaan                34\n  FOURTH STUDY.--The Age of the Heroes                41\n  FIFTH STUDY.--The Rise of the Israelite Empire      49\n  SIXTH STUDY.--The Golden Age of Israel              56\n  SEVENTH STUDY.--The Rival Thrones--Israel           63\n  EIGHTH STUDY.--The Rival Thrones--Judah             71\n  NINTH STUDY.--The Captivity of Judah                77\n  TENTH STUDY.--The Jewish Province                   88\n\n\nFULL-PAGE MAPS.\n\n  Empire of David and Solomon         _Facing title-page._\n  Canaan                                              16\n  Old Testament World                                 19\n  Modern Jerusalem                                    48\n  The Divisions of Solomon's Empire                   62\n  Solomon's Dominions                                 76\n  Alexander's Empire                                  90\n\n\n\n\nCHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.\n\n\nThese dates are taken from the common chronology, and those earlier than\nthe Exodus are probably inaccurate. (See foot-note on page 22.) The\nstudent will find that to commit this table to memory will give him\ncommand of the most important facts of Bible history.\n\n           1. The Deluge                       B. C. 2348\n           2. The Dispersion of the Races        \"   2247\n           3. The Rise of the Empires            \"   2200\n           4. The Migration of Abraham           \"   1921\n           5. The Descent into Egypt             \"   1706\n           6. The Exodus from Egypt              \"   1491\n           7. The Battle of Beth-horon           \"   1451\n           8. The Death of Joshua                \"   1426\n           9. The Victory of Gideon              \"   1245\n          10. The Coronation of Saul             \"   1095\n          11. The Accession of David             \"   1055\n          12. The Division of the Kingdom        \"    975\n          13. The Fall of Samaria                \"    721\n          14. The Captivity at Babylon           \"    587\n          15. The Return from Captivity          \"    536\n          16. The Reforms of Ezra                \"    450\n          17. The Empire of Alexander            \"    330\n          18. The Maccabean Independence         \"    166\n          19. The Accession of Herod             \"     40\n          20. The Birth of Christ                \"      4\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nTHE New Testament is the outgrowth and development of the Old. There is\nno revelation in the gospels or the epistles which is not in its essence\ncontained in the elder Scripture; though to make it manifest required\nthe incarnation of God's Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit.\nTherefore, to understand the New Testament it is necessary to study the\nOld Testament. We cannot appreciate Matthew's point of view of Christ as\nthe Messiah until we have looked upon the throne of David, and Solomon\nin all his glory; the theology of Paul is blind until read in the light\nof Moses and Isaiah; and Hebrews will obtain a new meaning when placed\nside by side with Leviticus. Every chapter in the New Testament has its\nreferences to parallel passages in the Old Testament.\n\nWhen we open the Old Testament we find it, first of all, a book of\nhistory. We are apt to look upon the Bible as a dictionary of doctrine,\nwherein we are to search for sentences as proof-texts. But instead it\ncontains the story of redemption in the form of a history. We see how\nGod chose a family and pruned off its dead branches and caused it to\ngrow into a nation; then, how he trained and disciplined that nation\nthrough fifteen centuries, until upon it blossomed the Divine Man. The\nhistory of the Bible is the history of humanity, of literature, of\nethics, of religion, of doctrine; and no one who studies it carefully\nwill fail of an abundant reward for his endeavor.\n\nIn most works upon Bible history the purpose of the author seems to be\nmerely to arrange in chronological order a series of events without much\nregard to their importance or their relations to each other. The\nsuccessive reigns of kings, the chronicles of courts, the reports of\nbattles form the contents of most histories, whether sacred or secular.\nWorks like these have their value in the statement of those facts which\nform the basis and working material of history. But mere facts\nchronologically arranged do not constitute a history, any more than\nwords alphabetically arranged constitute a literature. True history\nrecords processes, the relation of cause and effect, the formative\ninfluences and their result in national life. The true history of\nEngland shows not annals of kings and achievements of warriors, but the\ndevelopment of a mighty people. The true history of Greece gives the\nsecret springs of that intense activity which in two centuries called\nforth more great men in more departments of life than all the rest of\nthe world could produce in a thousand years. The true history of\nIsrael--which is the history of the Old Testament--shows how a little\npeople in their mountain-eyrie grew up to a destiny more glorious than\nthat of the proudest empire of all the earth, the honor of giving\nreligion to mankind.\n\nThe aim of this little book is to present the outlines of that\nremarkable history of the chosen people. What their mission was, how\nthey were trained for it, and how the world was prepared to receive it\ntogether constitute the three threads woven together in this work. It is\na book of outlines to be studied, not of chapters to be read. The reader\nwill doubtless find the paragraphs somewhat disconnected, but we trust\nthat the student may receive from them suggestions for thought.\n\nIn the preparation of this book many works have been read and examined;\nbut it is not my purpose to give a catalogue of them. I would name,\nhowever, a very few books which will be of service to the student, and\nwill be almost a necessity for the teacher who expects to use these\noutlines in the class, for one secret of successful teaching is for the\nteacher to have at his command a fund of knowledge vastly greater than\nthat contained in the text-book. For this purpose the following works\nare named, none of which are too abstruse or difficult for the average\nreader:\n\n1. _Outline of Bible History._ Bishop J. F. Hurst. A small book,\ncontaining merely the facts of the subject.\n\n2. _Old Testament History._ William Smith. A larger work and valuable,\nbut ending with the Old Testament canon. An additional chapter on the\ninterval between Old and New Testament history would greatly improve the\nbook.\n\n3. _Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church._ Dean A. P. Stanley.\nThree large volumes, in a brilliant but diffuse style, advanced to the\nknowledge of twenty years ago; not altogether sound in its critical\npoint of view, yet to be read by all who would understand the subject.\n\n4. _Hours with the Bible._ Cunningham Geikie. Six volumes, discussing\nBible history in all of its aspects, particularly in its relations with\nsecular history. Perhaps this is the best work on the subject for the\nreader who is not a specialist. But it is prolix, and could be\ncompressed to advantage.\n\nThere is need, in my opinion, of a good semi-popular Bible history, in\none volume or two, to present results rather than processes of thought,\nand to embody all the latest knowledge from the study of the Scriptures\nand the monuments of the ancient world.\n\nIt is needless to urge upon the student that the best book for the\nstudy of Bible history is the Bible itself. The historical books should\nbe read with great care, even to their details of genealogical tables.\nThe most valuable document in the study of the origin of races is the\ntenth chapter of Genesis; and a catalogue of names in the opening of\nChronicles will give a clew to the chronology of the sojourn in Egypt.\nThe prophetical books will aid the student, and the Psalms will\nirradiate certain dark periods. Whoever undertakes to use these outlines\nshould examine every text cited for its suggestion upon the subject.\n\nThis book is commended to Bible students, to Sunday-school normal\nclasses, and to all who love the word, with a hope that it may be of\nservice in calling attention to the Old Testament, and that it may lead\nsome through the Old to enter into a better spiritual understanding of\nthe New.\n\n                                                   JESSE L. HURLBUT.\n\n\n\n\nHINTS TO STUDENTS.\n\n\nThose who desire merely to _read_ this book or to look it over will not\nfind it interesting. Those who already know how to study will not need\nthese hints, and can use the book in their own way. But there are many\nwho desire to study these subjects carefully, and yet do not know\nprecisely how to do the work. For these students, earnest but untrained,\nthe hints are given.\n\n1. These studies should be pursued with the Bible close at hand, so that\nevery Scripture reference may be at once searched out and read.\n\n2. Begin each lesson by a general view; reading it through carefully,\nand memorizing the leading divisions of the outline, which are indicated\nby the Roman numerals I, II, III, etc. This will give the general plan\nof the lesson.\n\n3. Now take up Part I of the lesson in detail; notice and memorize its\nsubdivisions, indicated by 1, 2, 3, etc., and search out the Scripture\nreferences cited in it. If practicable, write out on a sheet of paper\nthe reference (not the language of the text in full), and what each\nreference shows. Thus, with the references in the First Study, page 17,\nPart I:\n\nBEGINNINGS OF BIBLE HISTORY. Part I. =Deluge.=\n\n          Gen. 7. Description of the flood.\n          Gen. 6. 5-7. God punished the world for wickedness.\n          Gen. 7. 23. Covered the inhabited earth.\n\n4. It would be a good plan to write out in full, as a connected\nstatement, all the facts in the section; thus: \"The Bible says there was\na deluge and the traditions of other nations attest it. The date\ncommonly given is 2348 B. C. Its cause was God's anger with the\nwickedness of the race, and it covered the inhabited globe. God's\npurpose was to cleanse the world for a new epoch.\"\n\n5. In like manner study out and write out all the facts obtained by a\nstudy of the lesson and the texts cited in it. This will greatly aid the\nmemory in holding fast to the information gained.\n\n6. Having done this, look at the blackboard outline at the end of the\nstudy, and see if you can read the outline of the lesson by the aid of\nthe catch-words and indications which it affords. Study the lesson until\nyou can read it with the blackboard outline, and then recall it without\nthe outline.\n\n7. Now read over the questions for review, one by one, and see if you\ncan answer them. Do not cease your study until every question can be\nanswered without the aid of the text.\n\n8. Frequently review the lessons already learned. Before beginning the\nthird study review the first and the second; before the fourth, review\nthe first, second, and third, and at the completion of all the studies\nreview them all. The knowledge gained by this thorough study will more\nthan compensate for the time and trouble which it requires.\n\n\n\n\nHINTS TO TEACHERS.\n\n\nClasses may be organized on various plans and out of varied materials\nfor the study of these lessons.\n\n1. A teachers' class, composed of teachers, and also of senior scholars\nin the Sunday-school, may be formed to study the life of Christ, which\nis one of the most important subjects in the Bible. This may meet on an\nevening or an afternoon, and devote all the sessions to the study of the\nlesson, and to discussions upon it.\n\n2. In many places a teachers' meeting is held for the study of the\nInternational Lesson, as a preparation for the Sunday-school class. A\npart of the time might be taken at this meeting for the study of these\nsubjects. In that case it would be well to follow the division into\nlessons, as given on page 14.\n\n3. A normal class may be organized among the brightest scholars in the\nSunday-school, who should be trained to become teachers. This normal\nclass may meet on an afternoon or an evening, or may take a\nlesson-period in the Sunday-school session.\n\n4. These studies may be pursued by the young people's society of the\nchurch, or by a class formed under its auspices, meeting at such time\nand place as shall be found most convenient.\n\nThere are two methods in which these lessons may be taught: One is the\n_lecture method_, by which the instructor gives the lesson to the class\nin the form of a lecture, placing the outline upon the blackboard as he\nproceeds, calling upon the students to read the texts cited, and\nfrequently reviewing the outline in a concert-drill. By this method the\nstudents may or may not have the books, as they and the instructor\nprefer. While it is not necessary to supply the class with the\ntext-book, it will be a good plan to do so.\n\nThe other method, simpler and easier, is to let each student have a copy\nof the book, to expect the lesson to be prepared by the class, and to\nhave it recited, either individually or in concert. Let each student\ngain all the information that he can upon the subject of the lesson; let\neach contribute his knowledge; let all talk freely, and all will be the\ngainers.\n\nIt would be a good plan to have papers read from time to time upon\ntopics suggested by the course and parallel with it. A list of subjects\nfor such special papers is given at the close of each study.\n\n\n\n\nTHE COURSE DIVIDED INTO LESSONS.\n\n\nIN many places it will be found impracticable to give an entire evening\nto the study of these lessons. They may be taught at the close of the\nprayer-meeting, or of the young people's meeting, in short sections; or\nthey may occupy a part of the hour at the weekly teachers' meeting for\nthe study of the Sunday-school lesson; or they may be taught to the\nNormal class in the Sunday-school at the lesson hour. In the latter\ncase, the regular lesson should receive some attention; and the members\nof the class should be expected to prepare it, and should be questioned\nupon it.\n\nOften from twenty to thirty minutes is all that can be given in a class\nto studies like these. We have, therefore, divided the studies into\nshort sections, each of which may be taught in about twenty minutes, if\nproperly prepared by both teacher and students. Thus arranged, the\ncourse will be included in thirty-two lessons, as follows:\n\n=Lesson I.=--_The Beginnings of Bible History._ The deluge and the\ndispersion. (First Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson II.=--_The Beginnings of Bible History._ Rise of the empires,\nmigration of Abraham, and journeys of the patriarchs. (First Study, III,\nIV, and V.)\n\n=Lesson III.=--_The Beginnings of Bible History._ Sojourn in Egypt.\n(First Study, VI.) Also review First Study.\n\n=Lesson IV.=--_The Wandering in the Wilderness._ Events leading to the\nwandering in the wilderness. (Second Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson V.=--_The Wandering in the Wilderness._ Journeys of the\nwandering. (Second Study, III.)\n\n=Lesson VI.=--_The Wandering in the Wilderness._ Results of the\nwandering. (Second Study IV.) Also review Second Study.\n\n=Lesson VII.=--_The Conquest of Canaan._ Canaanites and campaigns of the\nconquest. (Third Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson VIII.=--_The Conquest of Canaan._ Aspect of Israel after\nconquest. (Third Study, IV.) Also review Third Study.\n\n=Lesson IX.=--_The Age of the Heroes._ Condition of Israel and the\njudges of Israel. (Fourth Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson X.=--_The Age of the Heroes._ The oppressions and deliverers.\n(Fourth Study, III.)\n\n=Lesson XI.=--_The Age of the Heroes._ General aspects of the period.\n(Fourth Study, IV.) Also review Fourth Study.\n\n=Lesson XII.=--_The Rise of the Israelite Empire._ Causes leading to the\nmonarchy, and character of the Israelite kingdom. (Fifth Study, I and\nII.)\n\n=Lesson XIII.=--_The Rise of the Israelite Empire._ The reign of Saul.\n(Fifth Study, III.)\n\n=Lesson XIV.=--_The Rise of the Israelite Empire._ The reign of David.\n(Fifth Study, IV.) Also review Fifth Study.\n\n=Lesson XV.=--_The Golden Age of Israel._ Reign of Solomon. (Sixth\nStudy, I.)\n\n=Lesson XVI.=--_The Golden Age of Israel._ General aspect of Israel and\ndangers of the period. (Sixth Study, II and III.)\n\n=Lesson XVII.=--_The Empire of Israel._ Review the reigns of Saul,\nDavid, and Solomon. (Fifth Study, III, IV, and Sixth Study, I, II, III.)\n\n=Lesson XVIII.=--_Israel._ Causes and results of division. (Seventh\nStudy, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson XIX.=--_Israel._ Kingdom of Israel. (Seventh Study, III.)\n\n=Lesson XX.=--_Israel._ Fate of ten tribes. (Seventh Study, IV.) Also\nreview Seventh Study.\n\n=Lesson XXI.=--_Judah._ General aspects and duration of the kingdom.\n(Eighth Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson XXII.=--_Judah._ Periods in its history. (Eighth Study, III.)\nAlso review Seventh and Eighth Studies.\n\n=Lesson XXIII.=--_The Captivity of Judah._ Captivities of Judah and\nIsrael, and three captivities of Judah. (Ninth Study, I and II.)\n\n=Lesson XXIV.=--_The Captivity of Judah._ Causes of captivity. (Ninth\nStudy, III.)\n\n=Lesson XXV.=--_The Captivity of Judah._ Condition of the captives.\n(Ninth Study, IV.)\n\n=Lesson XXVI.=--_The Captivity of Judah._ Results of the captivity.\n(Ninth Study, V.)\n\n=Lesson XXVII.=--_The Captivity of Judah._ Review of Ninth Study.\n\n=Lesson XXVIII.=--_The Jewish Province._ Persian. (Tenth Study, I, II.)\n\n=Lesson XXIX.=--_The Jewish Province._ Greek periods. (Tenth Study, II.)\n\n=Lesson XXX.=--_The Jewish Province._ Maccabean and Roman periods.\n(Tenth Study, III, IV.)\n\n=Lesson XXXI.=--_The Jewish Province._ Preparation for the temple.\n(Tenth Study, V.)\n\n=Lesson XXXII.=--Review of Tenth Study.\n\n[Illustration: RADIAL KEY MAP OF CANAAN]\n\n\n\n\nSTUDIES IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY.\n\n\n\n\nFIRST STUDY.\n\nTHE BEGINNINGS OF BIBLE HISTORY.\n\n\nIt is our purpose in this series of studies to trace the progress of\nevents as related in the Bible from the dawn of history down to the\nopening of the New Testament era. The aim will be not to give a mere\ncatalogue of facts, but rather to show the relation of cause and effect,\nand to unfold the development of the divine purpose which extends\nthrough all the history in the Bible. We recommend the student, first of\nall, to read the preface to this book.\n\nTurning back to the beginnings of Bible history we notice =six events=\nbetween the Deluge and the Exodus. We begin with the Deluge as the\nstarting-point of history. Back of that event is a land of shadows. We\nhave so little knowledge of the world before the flood that its history\ncannot be written. But since that fact we tread upon firm ground, having\nboth the Bible and secular history to confirm each other.\n\nI. =THE DELUGE.= With regard to this event we note:\n\n1. The =fact= of a general deluge is stated in Scripture (Gen. 7.), and\nattested by the traditions of nearly all nations. Compare the story of\nXisuthros in Berosus; the record in the Chaldean tablets; the Greek myth\nof Deucalion; the Mexican tradition; and the legends of the North\nAmerican Indians.[A]\n\n2. The =date= is given in reference Bibles (following Archbishop Ussher)\nas B. C. 2348. This is probably incorrect. It may have been a thousand\nyears earlier. But as archaeologists are not yet agreed, we give Ussher's\nchronology, here and elsewhere, merely as a convenience in the\narrangement, not as accurate.\n\n3. Its =cause= was the wickedness of the human race (Gen. 6. 5-7).\nBefore this event all the population of the world was massed together,\nforming one vast family and speaking one language. Under these\nconditions the good were overborne by evil surroundings, and general\ncorruption followed.\n\n4. Its =extent= was undoubtedly not the entire globe, but so much of it\nas was occupied by the human race (Gen. 7. 23), probably the Euphrates\nvalley. Many Christian scholars, however, hold to the view that the Book\nof Genesis relates the history of but one family of races, and not all\nthe race; consequently, that the flood may have been partial, as far as\nmankind is concerned.\n\n5. Its =purpose= was: 1.) To destroy the evil in the world. 2.) To open\na new epoch under better conditions for social, national, and individual\nlife.\n\nII. =THE DISPERSION OF THE RACES.= (B.C. 2247?) 1. Very soon after the\ndeluge a new =instinct=, that =of migration=, took possession of the\nhuman family. Hitherto all mankind had lived together; from this time\nthey began to scatter. As a result came tribes, nations, languages, and\nvarieties of civilization. \"The confusion of tongues\" was not the cause,\nbut the result of this spirit, and was not sudden, but gradual (Gen. 11.\n2, 7).\n\n[Illustration: MAP OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD.]\n\n2. =Evidences of this migration= are given: 1.) In the Bible (Gen. 9.\n19; 11. 8). 2.) The records and traditions of nearly all nations point\nto it. 3.) Language gives a certain proof; for example, showing that the\nancestors of the English, Greeks, Romans, Medes, and Hindus--races now\nwidely dispersed--once slept under the same roof. At an early period\nstreams of migration poured forth from the highlands of Asia in every\ndirection and to great distances.\n\nIII. =THE RISE OF THE EMPIRES.= In the Bible world three centers of\nnational life arose, not far apart in time, each of which became a\npowerful kingdom, and in turn ruled all the Oriental lands. The strifes\nof these three nations, their rise and fall, constitute the matter of\nancient Oriental history, which is closely connected with that of the\nBible. These three centers were Egypt (called in the Bible Mizraim, Gen.\n10. 6, 13), of which the capital was Memphis; Chaldea, of which the\ncapital was Babel or Babylon (Gen. 10. 10; 11. 2-9); and Assyria, of\nwhich the capital was Nineveh (Gen. 10. 11). We might add to these the\nCanaanite or Phenician city of Sidon (Gen. 10. 15, 19), and its daughter\nTyre, the great commercial centers of the ancient world, whose empire\nwas not the land, but the sea. Note that all of these early kingdoms\nwere established by the Hamitic race.\n\nIV. =THE MIGRATION OF ABRAHAM.= (B. C. 1921?) No other journey in\nhistory has the _importance_ of that transfer of the little clan of\nAbraham from the plain of Shinar to the mountains of Palestine in view\nof its results to the world. Compare with it the voyage of the\n_Mayflower_. Its causes were: 1. Probably the migratory instinct of the\nage, for it was the epoch of tribal movements. 2. The political cause\nmay have been the desire for liberty from the rule of the Accadian\ndynasty that had become dominant in Chaldea. 3. But the deepest motive\nwas religious, a purpose to escape from the idolatrous influences of\nChaldea, and to find a home for the worship of God in what was then \"the\nnew West,\" where population was thin. It was by the call of God that\nAbraham set forth on his journey (Gen. 12. 1-3).\n\nV. =THE JOURNEYS OF THE PATRIARCHS.= (B. C. 1921-1706?) For two\ncenturies the little clan of Abraham's family lived in Palestine as\nstrangers, pitching their tents in various localities, wherever\npasturage was abundant, for at this time they were shepherds and\nherdsmen (Gen. 13. 2; 46. 34). Their home was generally in the southern\npart of the country, west of the Dead Sea, and their relations with the\nAmorites, Canaanites, and Philistines on the soil were generally\nfriendly (Gen. 20. 14; 26. 26-31).\n\n[Illustration: PALESTINE IN THE TIMES OF THE PATRIARCHS]\n\n[Illustration: Goshen]\n\nVI. =THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT.= (B. C. 1706-1491?) After three generations\nthe branch of Abraham's family belonging to his grandson Jacob or Israel\nremoved to Egypt (Deut. 26. 5), where they remained either two hundred\nor four hundred years, according to different opinions.[B] This stay in\nEgypt is always called \"the sojourn.\" The event which led directly to\nthe descent into Egypt was the selling of Joseph (Gen. 37. 28). But we\ncan trace a providential purpose in the transfer. Its objects were:\n\n1. =Preservation.= The frequent famines in Palestine (Gen. 12. 10; 26.\n1;42. 1-3) showed that as shepherds the Israelites could not be\nsupported in the land. On the fertile soil of Egypt, with three crops\neach year, they would find food in abundance.\n\n2. =Growth.= At the end of the stay in Canaan the Israelites counted\nonly seventy souls (Gen. 46. 27); but at the close of the sojourn in\nEgypt they had increased to nearly two millions (Exod. 12. 37; Num. 1.\n45, 46). The hot climate and cheap food of Egypt has always caused an\nabundant population. In Egypt Israel grew from a family to a nation.\n\n3. =Isolation.= There was great danger to the morals and religion of the\nIsraelites in the land of Canaan. Abraham had sent to his own relatives\nat Haran for a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24. 3, 4) in order to keep both the\nrace and the faith pure. One of Isaac's sons married Canaanite wives,\nand as a result his descendants, the Edomites, lost the faith and became\nidolaters (Gen. 26. 34, 35). Jacob sought his wives among his own\nrelatives (Gen. 28. 1, 2). We note a dangerous tendency in Jacob's\nfamily to ally themselves with the Canaanites (Gen. 34. 8-10; 38. 1, 2).\nIf they had stayed in Canaan the chosen family would have become lost\namong the heathen. But in Egypt they lived apart, and were kept by the\ncaste system from union with the people (Gen. 46. 34; 43. 32). It was a\nnecessary element in the divine plan that Israel should dwell apart from\nother nations (Num. 23. 9).\n\n4. =Civilization.= The Egyptians were far in advance of all other\nnations of that age in intelligence, in the organization of society, and\nin government. Though the Israelites lived apart from them, they were\namong them, and learned much of their knowledge. Whatever may have been\ntheir condition at the beginning of the sojourn, at the end of it they\nhad a written language (Exod. 24. 7), a system of worship (Exod. 19. 22;\n33. 7), and a leader who had received the highest culture of his age\n(Acts 7. 22). As one result of the sojourn the Israelites were\ntransformed from shepherds and herdsmen to tillers of the soil--a higher\nmanner of living.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =Six Ev.= =I. Del.= 1. Fac. Scrip. Trad. 2. Dat. 2348? 3. Cau. Wick.\n        rac. 4. Ext. par. 5. Pur. 1.) Des. ev. 2.) New ep.\n  =II. Disp. Rac.= 1. Inst. mig. 2. Evid. Bib. Trad. Lang.\n  =III. Rise Emp.= 1. Eg. 2. Chal. 3. Ass. 4. Sid. and Tyr.\n  =IV. Mig. Abr.= Causes. 1. Mig. inst. 2. Pol. cau. 3. Rel. mot.\n  =V. Jour. Patr.= Str. in Pal. Shep. Hom. Relat.\n  =VI. Soj. in Eg.= Obj. 1. Pres. 2. Gro. 3. Isol. 4. Civ.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  What is the purpose in this series of studies?\n  At what point does history begin?\n  Name the six great events in early Bible history.\n  How is the fact of a deluge attested?\n  What date is commonly given to this event?\n  What was the moral cause of the flood?\n  What was its extent?\n  What was its purpose in the plan of God?\n  What new spirit took possession of men soon after the flood?\n  To what results did this lead?\n  What was the relation of this fact to the confusion of tongues?\n  What evidences of these migrations are found?\n  What were the three great centers of national life in the Oriental\n      world?\n  What city became the center of commercial life?\n  To what race did the earliest empires belong?\n  What was the most important journey, in its results, in all history?\n  What three causes are given for this migration?\n  What was especially the religious motive of this journey?\n  How long did Abraham's descendants remain in Palestine?\n  In what part of the country did they live?\n  What were their relations with the native peoples in Palestine?\n  What is meant by \"the sojourn?\"\n  What was its immediate cause?\n  What four providential results came to Israel through this sojourn?\n  How long was the time of the sojourn?\n  How were the Israelites protected from corruption through this sojourn?\n  What was the effect of the sojourn upon their civilization?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE PYRAMIDS.\n          THE CITY OF BABYLON.\n          THE GREAT RACES.\n          TRADITIONS OF THE DELUGE.\n          THE CHARACTER OF ABRAHAM.\n          EGYPT IN THE TIME OF JOSEPH.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[A] See Geikie's _Hours with the Bible_, vol. 1, chap. xiii; _Bible\nCommentary_, note at the end of Gen. 8.\n\n[B] From the fact that in several genealogies four generations are given\nto the sojourn in Egypt, the shorter period, from 1706 to 1491, has been\ngenerally assumed. But it is almost impossible that seventy people could\nbecome two million in four generations by natural increase alone.\nMoreover, the genealogy of Joshua (1 Chron. 7. 22-27) gives either ten\nor eleven generations to this period. It is probable that the other\ntables name only sufficient links to show the line, and omit many of the\ngenerations. This was frequently the case with Jewish records. (See the\ngenealogy of Jesus Christ in Matt. 1, where several names are omitted.)\nWe conclude that the sojourn began about 1900 B. C., and the call of\nAbraham was about 2100 B. C., or earlier; but we give in the text the\nusual chronology.\n\n\n\n\nSECOND STUDY.\n\nTHE WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS.\n\n\nI. Let us notice briefly the =EVENTS LEADING TO THE WANDERING.=\n\n1. =The Oppression of the Israelites.= (B. C. 1635.) (Exod. 1. 8-13.)\nThis was an important link in the chain of events. If the Israelites had\nbeen prosperous and happy in Egypt they would have remained there, and\nthe destiny of the chosen people would have been forgotten. Therefore,\nwhen Egypt had given to Israel all that it could, the wrath of man was\nmade to praise God; and by suffering the Israelites were made willing to\nleave the land of their sojourn and seek the land of promise. The nest\nwas stirred up, and the young eaglet was compelled to fly (Deut. 32. 11,\n12).\n\n2. =The Training of Moses.= (Born B. C. 1571.) There was another element\nof preparation. No common man could have wrought the great work of\nliberation, of legislation, and of training which Israel needed. Notice,\n1.) Moses was an _Israelite in birth_, of the consecrated tribe of Levi\n(Exod. 2. 1, 2). 2.) But he was _educated in the palace_, and in the\nhighest culture, as a prince in Egypt (Exod. 2. 10). If he had been\ndoomed to a slave's life he could never have accomplished his mission.\n3.) At full age Moses made _choice of his people_, because they were the\npeople of God (Heb. 11. 24-26). 4.) Then came the _training of forty\nyears_ in the desert, giving him knowledge of the land, experience of\nhardships, and maturity of thought. 5.) Lastly, there was the _call of\nGod_ (Exod. 3. 2), with its revelation of God's name and power,\nimparting strength for his work.\n\n3. =The Ten Plagues.= There was a special significance in these plagues,\nfor each was a blow at some form of idol-worship among the Egyptians.\nThey were: 1.) The river turned to blood (Exod. 7. 20, 21). 2.) Frogs\n(Exod. 8. 6). 3.) Lice (Exod. 8. 17). 4.) Flies, probably including\nbeetles and other winged pests (Exod. 8. 24). 5.) Murrain, or pestilence\namong domestic animals (Exod. 9. 3, 4). 6.) Boils (Exod. 9. 10). 7.)\nHail (Exod. 9. 23). 8.) Locusts (Exod. 10. 14, 15). 9.) Darkness (Exod.\n10. 22, 23). 10.) Death of the first-born (Exod. 12. 29).\n\n4. =The Passover.= (Exod. 12. 21-28.) This service represented three\nideas. 1.) It was the spring-tide festival. 2.) It commemorated the\nsudden departure from Egypt, when there was not even time to \"raise the\nbread\" before leaving (Exod. 12. 34-39). 3.) It was an impressive\nprophecy of Christ, the slain Lamb of God (Exod. 12. 21, 22).\n\n[Illustration: JOURNEYS OF THE ISRAELITES]\n\n5. =The Exodus.= (B. C. 1491.) (Exod. 12. 40, 41.) The word means \"going\nout.\" This was the birthday of a nation, the hour when the Israelites\nrose from being merely a mass of men to become a people.\n\nII. =THE WILDERNESS OF THE WANDERING.= Let the student note carefully\nupon a good map the following locations, and then draw a map containing\nthem:\n\n1. Draw the coast-lines and note =three Seas=. 1.) The \"great sea,\" or\n_Mediterranean_ (Josh. 1. 4). 2.) The _Red Sea_ (Exod. 13. 18), (Gulfs\nof Suez and Akaba). 3.) The _Dead Sea_.\n\n2. Draw the mountain ranges, and note =five Deserts=. 1.) The _Desert of\nShur_ (Exod. 15. 22), between Goshen and Canaan. 2.) The _Desert of\nParan_, in the center of the Sinaitic triangle (Num. 10. 12). This is\nthe wilderness in which thirty-eight of the forty years were passed\n(Deut. 1. 19). 3.) The _Desert of E'ham_ (Num. 33. 8), on the shore of\nthe Gulf of Suez. 4.) The _Desert of Sin_, near Mount Sinai (Exod. 16.\n1). 5.) The _Desert of Zin_, the desolate valley between the Gulf of\nAkaba and the Dead Sea, now called the Arabah (Num. 13. 21).\n\n3. Locate also the =five Lands= of this region. 1.) _Goshen_, the land\nof the sojourn (Exod. 9. 26). 2.) _Midian_, the land of Moses's shepherd\nlife (Exod. 2. 15), on both sides of the Gulf of Akaba. 3.) _Edom_, the\nland of Esau's descendants, south of the Dead Sea (Num. 21. 4). 4.)\n_Moab_, the land of Lot's descendants, east of the Dead Sea (Num. 21.\n13). 5.) _Canaan_, the land of promise (Gen. 12. 7).\n\n4. Fix also the location of =three Mountains=. 1.) _Mount Sinai_, where\nthe law was given (Exod. 19. 20). 2.) _Mount Hor_, where Aaron died\n(Num. 20. 23-28). 3.) _Mount Nebo_ (Pisgah), where Moses died (Deut. 34.\n1).\n\n5. Notice also =seven Places=, some of which are clearly, others not so\ndefinitely, identified. 1.) _Rameses_, the starting-point of the\nIsraelites (Exod. 12. 37). 2.) _Baal-zephon_, the place of crossing the\nRed Sea (Exod. 14. 2). 3.) _Marah_, where the bitter waters were\nsweetened (Exod. 15. 22-25). 4.) _Elim_, the place of rest (Exod. 15.\n27). 5.) _Rephidim_, the place of the first battle, near Mount Sinai\n(Exod. 17. 8-16). 6.) _Kadesh-barnea_,[C] whence the spies were sent\nforth (Num. 13. 26). 7.) _Jahaz_, in the land of Moab, south of the\nbrook Arnon, the place of a victory over the Amorites (Num. 21. 23, 24).\n\nIII. =THE JOURNEYS OF THE WANDERING.= These, with the =EVENTS= connected\nwith them, may be arranged in order as follows:\n\n1. From Rameses to the Red Sea (Exod. 12. 37; 14. 9). With this note:\n1.) _The crossing of the Red Sea._\n\n[Illustration: VICINITY OF MT. SINAI]\n\n2. From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. Events: 2.) _The Waters of Marah._\n3.) _The repulse of the Amalekites._ 4.) _The giving of the law._ 5.)\n_The worship of the golden calf._ At Mount Sinai the camp was kept for\nnearly a year, and the organization of the people was effected.\n\n3. From Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea (B. C. 1490). At the latter place\noccurred, 6.) _The sending out of the spies_ (Num. 13. 1-26). 7.) _The\ndefeat at Hormah_ (Num. 14. 40-45). It was the purpose of Moses to lead\nthe people at once from Kadesh up to Canaan. But their fear of the\nCanaanite and Amorite inhabitants made them weak; they were defeated and\ndriven back into the desert of Paran, where they wandered thirty-eight\nyears, until the generation of slavish souls should die off, and a new\nIsrael, the young people, trained in the spirit of Moses and Aaron, and\nfitted for conquest, should arise in their places.\n\n4. From Kadesh-barnea through the desert of Paran and return. This was\nthe long wandering of thirty-eight years. We trace the route from\nKadesh, around the desert of Paran, to Mount Hor, to Ezion-geber at the\nhead of the Gulf of Akaba, and at last to Kadesh once more (Num. 20. 1).\nThere occurred, 8.) _The water from the rock at Kadesh_, and Moses's\ndisobedience (Num. 20. 10-12). 9.) _The repulse of Arad_ (Num. 21. 1).\nIt would seem that the Israelites made a second attempt to enter Canaan\non the south, and were again defeated, though not so severely as before.\n\n5. From Kadesh-barnea around Edom to the river Jordan. After this second\ndefeat Moses desired to lead the people through the land of the\nEdomites, and to enter Canaan by crossing the Jordan (Num. 20. 14). But\nthe Edomites refused to permit such an army to pass through their land\n(Num. 20. 18-21). Hence the Israelites were compelled to go down the\ndesert of Zin, past Edom, as far as the Red Sea, then east of Edom, a\nvery long and toilsome journey (Num. 21. 4). Note with this journey:\n10.) _The brazen serpent_ (Num. 21. 6-9; John 3. 14, 15). 11.) _The\nvictory over the Amorites_ (Num. 21. 23, 24). This victory gave to the\nIsraelites control of the country from Amon to Jabbok, and was the first\ncampaign of the conquest. The long journey was now ended in the\nencampment of the Israelites at the foot of Mount Nebo, on the eastern\nbank of the Jordan, near the head of the Dead Sea. 12.) The last event\nof the period was _the death of Moses_ (Deut. 34. 5-8) (B. C. 1451).\n\nIV. =THE RESULTS OF THE WANDERING.= These forty years of wilderness life\nmade a deep impress upon the Israelite people, and wrought great changes\nin their character.\n\n1. It gave them certain =Institutions=. From the wilderness they brought\ntheir tabernacle and all its rites and services, out of which grew the\nmagnificent ritual of the temple. The Feast of Passover commemorated the\nExodus, the Feast of Pentecost, the giving of the law; the Feast of\nTabernacles (during which for a week the people lived in huts and\nbooths), the outdoor life in the desert.\n\n2. Another result was =National Unity=. When the Israelites left Egypt\nthey were twelve unorganized tribes, without a distinct national life.\nForty years in the wilderness, meeting adversities together, fighting\nenemies, marching as one host, made them a nation. They emerged from the\nwilderness a distinct people, with one hope and aim, with patriotic\nself-respect, ready to take their place among the nations of the earth.\n\n3. =Individual Liberty.= They had just been set free from the tyranny of\nthe most complete governmental machine on the face of the earth. In\nEgypt the man was nothing, the state was every thing. The Israelite\nsystem was an absolute contrast to the Egyptian. For four centuries\nafter the Exodus the Israelites lived with almost no government, each\nman doing what was right in his own eyes. They were the freest people on\nearth, far more so than the Greeks or the Romans during their republican\nepochs. Moses trained them not to look to the government for their care,\nbut to be a self-reliant people, able to take care of themselves. If\nthey had passed this initial stage of their history surrounded by\nkingdoms they would have become a kingdom. But they learned their first\nlessons of national life in the wilderness, untrammeled by environment\nand under a wise leader, who sought to train up a nation of kings\ninstead of a kingdom.\n\n4. =Military Training.= We trace in the history of those forty years a\ngreat advance in military discipline. After crossing the Red Sea Moses\ndid not care to lead them by the direct route to Canaan, lest they\nshould \"see war\" (Exod. 13. 17, 18). Attacked by the Amalekites soon\nafter the Exodus, the Israelites were almost helpless (Exod. 17. 8-16;\nDeut. 25. 17-19). A year later they were the easy prey of the Canaanites\nat Hormah (Num. 14. 40-45). Forty years after they crossed the Jordan\nand entered Canaan, a drilled and trained host, a conquering army. This\ndiscipline and spirit of conquest they gained under Moses and Joshua in\nthe wilderness.\n\n5. =Religious Education.= This was the greatest of all the benefits\ngained in the wilderness. They were brought back from the idolatries of\nEgypt to the faith of their fathers. They received God's law, the system\nof worship, and the ritual which brought them by its services into a\nknowledge of God. Moreover, their experience of God's care taught them\nto trust in Jehovah, who had chosen them for his own people. Even though\nthe mass of the people might worship idols, there was always from this\ntime an Israel of the heart that sought and obeyed God.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Eve. le. Wan.= 1. Opp. Isr.\n  2. Tra. Mos. 1.) Bir. 2.) Edu. 3.) Cho. 4.) Tra. 5.) Cal.\n  3. Ten Pla. 1.) Bl. 2.) Fr. 3.) Li. 4.) Fl. 5.) Mur. 6.) Boi.\n        7.) Hai. 8.) Loc. 9.) Dar. 10.) Dea. fir. bo.\n  4. Pass.\n  5. Exod.\n\n  =II. Wil. Wan.= 1. Seas. 1.) M. S. 2.) R. S. [G, S., G. A.]\n        3.) D. S.\n  2. Des. 1.) D. Sh. 2.) D. Par. 3.) D. Eth. 4.) D. Si. 5.) D. Zi.\n  3. Lan. 1.) Gos. 2.) Mid. 3.) Ed. 4.) Mo. 5.) Can.\n  4. Mts. 1.) Mt. Sin. 2.) Mt. H. 3.) Mt. Neb.\n  5. Pla. 1.) Ram. 2.) B.-zep. 3.) Mar. 4.) El. 5.) Rep. 6.) Kad.-bar\n        7.) Jah.\n\n  =III. Jour. and Even.= Jour. 1. Ram.--R. S., Ev. 1.) Cr. R. S.\n  Jour. 2. R. S.--Mt. Sin. 2.) Wat. Mar. 3.) Rep. Am. 4.) Giv. L. 5.)\n        Wor. gol. cal.\n  Jour. 3. Mt. Sin.--Kad.-bar. 6.) Sen. Sp. 7.) Del. Hor.\n  Jour. 4. Kad.-bar.--Des. Par.--Ret. 8.) Wat. roc. Kad. 9.) Rep. Ar.\n  Jour. 5. Kad.-bar.--Ed.--Riv. Jor. 10.) Bra. Ser. 11.) Vic. ov. Amo.\n        12.) Dea. Mos.\n\n  =IV. Res. Wan.= 1. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. Tra. 5. Rel.\n        Ed.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  Name five events which were preparatory to the wandering.\n  What made the Israelites willing to leave Egypt?\n  How was their leader trained for his mission?\n  What were the ten plagues upon the Egyptians?\n  What three ideas were connected with the Passover?\n  What is meant by the Exodus?\n  What are the three seas of the map illustrating the wandering?\n  Name five deserts of this region.\n  In which desert were the most years passed?\n  What were the two deserts on the shore of the Red Sea?\n  Where was the desert of Zin?\n  Which desert was between Egypt and Palestine?\n  Name and locate five lands of this region.\n  Which land was nearest to Egypt?\n  Which land was on the eastern arm of the Red Sea?\n  Which land lay east of the Dead Sea?\n  Which land was south of the Dead Sea?\n  Name three mountains in this region.\n  What event look place on each of these mountains?\n  Name two places between Egypt and the Red Sea.\n  Name three places on the route between the Red Sea, and an event at\n      each place.\n  What place was south of Canaan and near it?\n  What events occurred at this place?\n  What two places were battlefields?\n  State the route of the first journey.\n  What was the great event of this journey?\n  What was the second journey?\n  What four events are named with this journey?\n  What was the third journey?\n  What two events took place with this journey?\n  What was the longest journey?\n  Name four places of this journey.\n  Name two events near its close.\n  What was the last journey?\n  What events took place at this time?\n  Where was the last encampment of the Israelites?\n  What institutions originated during this period?\n  What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people?\n  How did it give them liberty?\n  What was the influence in military affairs?\n  What were its results upon the religion of the people?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE PHARAOH OF THE OPPRESSION.\n          MOUNT SINAI.\n          THE GREATNESS OF MOSES.\n          THE MOSAIC LEGISLATION.\n          THE SITE OF KADESH-BARNEA.\n          THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS.\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[C] The location of Kadesh-barnea is one of the great questions of the\nBible geography. Robinson places it at _'Ain el-Weibeh_, north-west of\nPetra. Rowlands, and lately Trumbull, locates it at _Ain Gadis_,\nforty-five miles south of Beersheba. I think the latter is the true\nplace, though the authorities are not agreed.\n\n\n\n\nTHIRD STUDY.\n\nTHE CONQUEST OF CANAAN.\n\n\nI. Let us notice the =CANAANITES= before the conquest.\n\n1. They were a =varied people=. There were from seven to ten different\nnations in Palestine when the Israelites entered it (Exod. 3. 17; Deut.\n7. 1). Each tribe, often each city, had its own government. There was no\nunity of government, no combined action to resist the invasion of\nIsrael. This made the conquest easy. If one king had ruled a united\npeople the result might have been different.\n\n2. These peoples were, however, of =one stock=. They belonged to the\nHamite race, and were all descended from the family of Canaan (Gen. 10.\n15-19). There was no reason, except the tribal spirit, for their\nseparation into small clans and nationalities.\n\n3. They were =idolatrous= and, as a result, grossly =immoral=. Idolatry\nis always associated with immorality; for the worship of idols is a\ndeification of sensuality. Baal and Asherah (plural Ashtoreth) were the\nmale and female divinities worshiped by most of these races (Judg. 2.\n13).\n\n4. They had been =weakened= before the coming of the Israelites either\nby war or by pestilence. The allusions in Exod. 23. 28; Deut. 7. 20; and\nJosh. 7. 12, have been referred to an invasion before that of Israel, or\nto some plague, which destroyed the native races.\n\nII. =THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE CONQUEST.= These may be divided as follows:\n\n1. =The campaigns east of the Jordan.= (B. C. 1451.) These were during\nthe life-time of Moses, and gained for Israel all the territory between\nthe brook Arnon and Mount Hermon.\n\n1.) The conquest of Gilead was made at the battle of Jahaz, near the\nbrook Arnon (Num. 21. 21-31). In one battle the Israelites gained the\nland of Gilead from the Arnon to the Hieromax.\n\n2.) The conquest of Bashan was completed at the battle of Edrei, in the\nmountainous region.\n\n3.) The conquest of Midian (Num. 31. 1-8) was led by the warrior-priest\nPhinehas, and by smiting the tribes on the east protected the frontier\ntoward the desert. The land won by these three campaigns became the\nterritory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh\n(Deut. 32).\n\n[Illustration: JOURNEYS OF THE CONQUEST]\n\n2. =The campaigns west of the Jordan= (B. C. 1451) were led by Joshua,\nand showed great tactical skill and resistless energy of action. Joshua\nled his people across the Jordan and established a fortified camp, the\ncenter of operations during all his campaigns, at Gilgal (Josh. 4. 19).\n\n1.) The first invasion was of _central Palestine_, beginning with\nJericho (Josh. 6), taking Ai on the way (Josh. 8), and ending with\nShechem, which apparently fell without resistance (Josh. 8. 30-33). This\ncampaign gave to Israel the center of the land and divided their enemies\ninto two sections.\n\n2.) Next came the campaign against _southern Palestine_. At this time\nwas fought the battle of Beth-horon (Josh. 10. 10), the most momentous\nin its results in all history, and one over which, if ever, the sun and\nmoon might well stand still (Josh. 10. 12, 13).[D] After this great\nvictory Joshua pursued his enemies and took the towns as far south as\nHebron and Debir (Josh. 10. 29-39).\n\n[Illustration: JOSHUA'S VICTORY AT BETH-HORON.]\n\n3.) Lastly, Joshua conquered _northern Palestine_ (Josh. 11). The battle\nin this campaign was near Lake Merom (Josh. 11. 7), and, as before, it\nwas followed by the capture of many cities in the north. Thus, in those\nmarches Joshua won all the mountain region of western Palestine.\n\n3. There were certain =supplementary campaigns=, partly in Joshua's\ntime, partly afterward.\n\n1.) Caleb's rapture of Hebron, which had been re-occupied by the\nAmorites (Josh. 14; Judg. 1. 10-15).\n\n2.) The Judahites' capture of Bezek, an unknown place between Jerusalem\nand the Philistine plain (Judg. 1. 1-8).\n\n3.) The Danites' capture of Laish, in the extreme north, which afterward\nbore the name of Dan (Judg. 18).\n\nBut, after all these campaigns, a large part of the land was still\nunsubdued, and the war of the conquest did not end until the days of\nDavid, by whom every foe was finally placed under foot.\n\nIII. =GENERAL ASPECTS OF ISRAEL AT THE CLOSE OF THE CONQUEST.=\n\n1. With regard to =the native races=. They were not destroyed nor driven\naway, as had been commanded.[E] They remained as subject people in some\nplaces, as the ruling race on the sea-coast and in the Jordan valley. We\nsee their influence, always injurious, throughout all Israel's history\n(Exod. 23. 31-33; Deut. 7. 1-5); and some think that the present\ninhabitants of the country belong to the original Canaanite stock.\n\n2. =The Israelites= did not occupy all the country. They possessed most\nof the mountain region, but none of the sea-coast plain on the Jordan\nvalley. They were like the Swiss in modern times, living among the\nmountains. Even in the New Testament period the lowlands were occupied\nmainly by Gentiles.\n\n3. =The landed system= was peculiar. Estates were inalienable. They\nmight be leased, but not sold; and on the year of Jubilee (every\nfiftieth year) all land reverted to the family originally owning it.\nThus every family had its ancestral home, the poor were protected, and\nriches were kept within bounds.\n\n4. =The government= was a republic of families without an executive\nhead, except when a judge was raised up to meet special needs. Each\ntribe had its own rulers, but there was no central authority after\nJoshua (Judg. 21. 25). This had its evils, for it led to national\nweakness; but it had its benefits: 1.) It kept Israel from becoming a\ngreat worldly kingdom like Egypt and Assyria, which would have thwarted\nthe divine purpose. 2.) It promoted individuality and personal energy of\ncharacter. There would have been no \"age of heroes\" if Israel had been a\nkingdom like Egypt.\n\n5. The =religious system= was simple. There was but one altar at Shiloh\nfor all the land and for all the tribes, and the people were required to\nvisit it for the three great feasts (Deut. 12. 11, 14; Josh. 18. 1).\nThis was the religious bond which united the people. If it had been\nmaintained they would have needed no other constitution, and even its\npartial observance kept the people one nation.\n\n6. The =character= of the people was diverse. Throughout the history we\ntrace the working of two distinct elements. There was the true\nIsrael--the earnest, religious, God-worshiping section, the Israel of\nJoshua and Gideon and Samuel. Then there was the underlying mass of the\npeople--secular, ignorant, prone to idolatry, the Israel that worshiped\nBaal and Ashtoreth, and sought alliance with the heathen. One element\nwas the hope of the nation, the other was its bane.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Canaanites.= 1. Var. 2. Ham. rac. 3. Idol. 4. Weak.\n\n  =II. Camp. Conq.= 1. Camp. Eas. Jor. 1.) Gil. Jah. 2) Bash. Ed.\n        3.) Mid.\n  2. Camp. Wes. Jor. 1.) Cent. Pal. Jer. Ai. She. 2) Sou. Pal. Beth-hor.\n        3.) Nor. Pal. L. Mer.\n  3. Supp. Camp. 1.) Cal. cap. Heb. 2.) Jud. cap. Bez. 3.) Dan. cap.\n        Lai.\n\n  =III. Gen. Asp. Isr. at Clo. Conq.= 1. Nat. rac. sub. 2. Isr. in mtn.\n        reg. 3. Land. sys. 4. Gov. rep. fam. 5. Rel. sys. 6. Char. peo.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  What was the political system of the Canaanites before the conquest?\n  How did this condition affect the result of the war?\n  To what race did the Canaanite tribes belong?\n  What was their religion?\n  What was the effect of their worship on their character?\n  What had taken place shortly before the coming of the Israelites?\n  What campaigns of conquest were made before the death of Moses?\n  What battles were fought in these campaigns?\n  What tribes took possession of this territory?\n  On which side of the Jordan were Joshua's campaigns?\n  What traits as a military leader did he show?\n  What places were captured on the first of Joshua's campaigns?\n  What was the effect of this campaign on the enemies?\n  Against what section was Joshua's second campaign?\n  Where was the great battle fought?\n  What is said to have taken place at this battle?\n  What cities were captured at this time?\n  Where was the third campaign of Joshua directed?\n  Where was the battle fought in this campaign?\n  What were the three supplementary campaigns?\n  What city was conquered by Caleb?\n  What city was occupied by the tribe of Dan?\n  What king, long after Joshua, completed the conquest of Canaan?\n  What was the condition of the native races after the conquest?\n  What was the result of their continuance in the land?\n  What portion of the country was occupied by the Israelites?\n  What modern analogy is given to them?\n  What was the system of land-tenure among the Israelites?\n  What were some of its benefits?\n  What was the form of government?\n  Wherein was this system defective?\n  What were its excellences?\n  What was the religious system of the Israelites?\n  What was the effect of this system?\n  What was the religious character of the people?\n  What was the condition of the mass of the Israelites?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          JOSHUA AS A GENERAL.\n          BETH-HORON AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST BATTLES.\n          THE MORAL ASPECTS OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CANAANITES.\n          THE RIVER JORDAN.\n          THE HISTORY OF JERICHO.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[D] The account of the sun and moon standing still is an extract from an\nancient poem, and is so printed in the Revised Version. The subject is\ndiscussed in Geikie's _Hours With the Bible_, foot-note with chapter\nxiii.\n\n[E] With regard to the destruction of the Canaanites: 1. Such\ndestruction was the almost universal custom of the ancient world. 2. It\nwas deserved by the Canaanites, who were among the most wicked of\nancient peoples. 3. It was necessary, if Israel was to be kept from the\ncorruption of their morals, and upon Israel's character depended the\nworld in after ages. 4. As a result of failing to extirpate the\nCanaanites a vastly greater number of the Israelites were destroyed\nduring the succeeding centuries.\n\n\n\n\nFOURTH STUDY.\n\nTHE AGE OF THE HEROES.\n\n\nFrom the death of Joshua (about B. C. 1426) to the coronation of Saul\n(B. C. 1095) the twelve tribes of Israel were without a central\ngovernment, except as from time to time men of ability rose up among\nthem. It was not as some have supposed, \"an age of anarchy,\" for anarchy\nis confusion; and during most of the three hundred and thirty years\nthere were peace and order in Israel. It was rather an age of heroes,\nfor its rulers were neither hereditary nor elective, but men called\nforth by the needs of the hour and their own qualities of leadership.\n\nI. =THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL DURING THIS PERIOD.= This was partly\nfavorable, and partly unfavorable. The favorable elements were:\n\n1. =The mountain location= of Israel. The tribes were perched like\nSwitzerland in the Alps. There was a desert on the south and on the\neast, while on the west lay the plain by the sea, the great route of\ntravel between Egypt and the Euphrates. Great armies passed and repassed\nover this plain, and great battles were fought by Egyptians, Hittites,\nand Assyrians, while Israel on her mountain peaks was unmolested. This\nmountain home left Israel generally unnoticed, and, when attacked,\nalmost inaccessible.\n\n2. =The racial unity= of Israel. The two finest races of the world, the\nGreek and the Israelite, were both of pure blood. The Israelites were\none in origin, in language, in traditions, in aspirations. This national\nunity often brought the tribes together in times of distress; though not\nalways when their union was needed.\n\n3. =The religious institutions.= In Greece every town had its own god\nand its own religion; hence the many parties and petty nationalities.\nBut in Israel there was in theory but one altar, one house of God, one\nsystem of worship, with its annual pilgrimage to the religious capital\n(1 Sam. 1. 3). Just to the measure in which these institutions were\nobserved, Israel was strong against all foes, and as they were neglected\nthe land became the prey of oppressors (Judg. 2. 7-14; 1. Sam. 7. 3).\n\nBut there were also unfavorable elements in the condition of Israel,\nwhich threatened its very existence. These were:\n\n1. =The native races.= These were of two kinds: the subject peoples left\non the soil, more or less under the domination of the conquerors, and\nthe surrounding nations, Ammon, Moab, Syria, and the Philistines. There\nwas danger from their enmity, a rebellion of the subject tribes, allied\nwith the enemies around, for the destruction of Israel. And there was\nfar greater danger from their friendship, which would lead to\nintermarriage, to idolatry, to corruption of morals, and to ruin (Judg.\n3. 1-7).\n\n2. =Lack of a central government.= Israel was in the condition of the\nUnited States at the close of the Revolution, from 1783 to 1789, a loose\nconfederation with no central authority. There were twelve tribes, but\neach governed itself. Only under some great chieftain like Gideon or\nSamuel were all the twelve tribes united. Most of the judges ruled only\nover their own district of a few adjoining tribes. Often the northern\ntribes were in peril, but we never read of Judah going to their\nassistance; and in Judah's wars with the Philistines the northern tribes\nstood aloof.\n\n3. =Tribal jealousy.= Until the establishment of the American republic\nthe world never saw, for any length of time, a league of states on an\nequal footing. In Greece the strongest state claimed the _hegemony_, or\nleadership, and oppressed its allies. In Italy the Romans reduced all\ntheir neighbors to subjection. In Europe it now requires an army of more\nthan a million men to maintain the \"balance of power.\" So in Israel\nthere was a constant struggle for the leadership between the two great\ntribes of Judah and Ephraim. During the period of the judges Ephraim was\nconstantly asserting its right to rule the other tribes (Judg. 8. 1-3;\n12. 1-6). We trace this rivalry through all the reign of David; and at\nlast it led to the division of the empire under Rehoboam.\n\n4. =Idolatrous tendencies.= We note constantly \"the two Israels\"--a\nspiritual minority and an irreligious, idolatrous mass. For ten\ncenturies the greatest evil of Israelite history was the tendency to the\nworship of idols. Causes which operated to promote it were: 1.) The\nnatural craving for a visible object of worship, not altogether\neradicated from even the Christian heart; for example, Romish images and\nritualistic bowing toward the altar. 2.) The association of Israel with\nidolaters on the soil or as neighbors. 3.) The opportunity which\nidol-worship gives to gratify lust under the guise of religion. As a\nresult of these forces we find idol-worship the crying sin of the\nIsraelites down to the captivity in Babylon.\n\nII. =THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL.= These were the heroes of that age, the men\nwho in turn led the tribes, freed them from their enemies, and restored\nthem to the service of God.\n\n1. =Their office.= It was not generally to try legal cases between man\nand man, or between tribe and tribe. It might be regarded as a military\ndictatorship blended with a religious authority. The judge was a union\nof the warrior and the religious reformer.\n\n2. =Their appointment=; not by election, nor the votes of the people.\nThe Orientals have never chosen their rulers by suffrage. The judges\nwere men whom the people recognized as called of God to their office\n(Judg. 2. 16; 3. 9; 6. 11-13).\n\n3. =Their authority= rested not on law, nor on armies, but on the\npersonal elements of integrity and leadership in the men, and on the\ngeneral belief in their inspiration. They spoke to the people with the\nauthority of a messenger from God. They arose in some hour of great\nneed, and after the immediate danger was over held their power until the\nend of their lives.\n\n4. =The extent of their rule= was generally local, over a few tribes in\none section. Deborah ruled in the north (Judg. 5. 14-18); Jephthah\ngoverned the east of the Jordan only (Judg. 11. 29). Often more than one\njudge was ruling at the same time; probably Samson and Eli were\ncontemporaneous. Gideon and Samuel alone ruled all the twelve tribes.\n\nIII. =THE OPPRESSIONS AND DELIVERERS.= During these three centuries the\ninfluences already named brought Israel many times under the domination\nof foreign power. The story was always the same, forsaking God,\nfollowing idols, subjection, reformation, victory, and temporary\nprosperity. We notice the seven oppressions. Some of these were\nundoubtedly contemporaneous.\n\n1. =The Mesopotamian Oppression.= (Judg. 3. 7-11.) Probably this was\nover the southern portion, and the invaders came by the east and around\nthe Dead Sea, as earlier invaders from the same land had come (Gen. 14.\n1-7). The deliverer was Othniel, the first judge, and the only judge of\nthe tribe of Judah.\n\n2. =The Moabite Oppression.= (Judg. 3. 12-30.) Over the eastern and\ncentral section, including Ephraim (verse 27); deliverer, Ehud, the\nsecond judge; battle fought at the ford of the river Jordan (verse 28).\n\n3. =The Early Philistine Oppression.= (Judg. 3. 31.) Over the\nsouth-west, on the frontier of Judah; deliverer, Shamgar.\n\n4. =The Canaanite Oppression.= (Judg. 4.) Over the northern tribes;\ndeliverer, Deborah, the woman judge; battle at Mount Tabor.\n\n5. =The Midianite Oppression.= (Judg. 6. 1-6.) Over the northern center,\nespecially Manasseh-east; the most severe of all; deliverer, Gideon, the\ngreatest of the judges (Judg. 6. 11, 12); battle, on Mount Gilboa\n(Judg. 7), followed by other victories (Judg. 8).\n\n6. =The Ammonite Oppression.= (Judg. 10. 7-9.) Note an alliance between\nthe Amorites and Philistines, which is suggestive; mainly over the\ntribes on the east of Jordan; deliverer, Jephthah[F] (Judg. 11); victory\nat Aroer (verse 33).\n\n7. =The Philistine Oppression.= (Judg. 13) This was the most protracted\nof all, for it extended, with intervals of freedom, for a hundred years;\nembraced all the land, but was most heavily felt south of Mounts Carmel\nand Gilboa. The liberation was begun by Samson (Judg. 13. 5), but he was\nled astray by sensual lusts and became a failure. Freedom was later won\nby Samuel at the battle of Ebenezer (1 Sam. 7. 7-14); but the oppression\nwas renewed in the time of Saul, and became heavier than ever (1 Sam.\n13. 17-20). Finally the yoke was broken by David, in a succession of\nvictories, ending with the capture of Gath, the Philistine capital (2\nSam. 5. 17-25; 1 Chron. 18. 1).\n\nNote with each oppression: 1.) The oppressor. 2.) The section oppressed.\n3.) The deliverer. 4.) The battlefield.\n\nIV. =THE GENERAL ASPECTS OF THE PERIOD.=\n\n1. It was an age of =individuality=. There was no strong government to\noppress the people, to concentrate all the life of the nation at the\ncourt, and to repress individuality. Contrast Persia with Greece; Rome\nunder the emperors with Rome as a republic. As men were needed they were\nraised up, for there was opportunity for character. Hence it was an age\nof heroes--Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Samuel,\netc. Free institutions bring strong men to the front.\n\n2. It was an age of =neglect of the law=. During all this period there\nis no allusion to the law of Moses. Its regulations were ignored, except\nso far as they belonged to the common law of conscience and right. The\nlaws of Moses were not deliberately disobeyed, but were ignorantly\nneglected. Even good men, as Gideon and Samuel, built altars and offered\nsacrifices (Judg. 6. 24; 1 Sam. 7. 9) contrary to the letter of the law\nof Moses, but obeying its spirit.\n\n3. Nevertheless, it was an age of =progress=. There were alternate\nadvancements and retrogressions; yet we see a people with energy, rising\nin spite of their hindrances. By degrees government became more settled\n(1 Sam. 7. 15-17), foreign relations arose (1 Sam. 7. 14; Ruth 1. 1),\nand the people began to look toward a more stable system (1 Sam. 8.\n4-6).\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Cond. Isr.= _Fav._ 1. Mtn. Loc. 2. Rac. Un. 3. Rel. Ins.\n                  _Unfav._ 1. Nat. Rac. 2. Lac. cent. gov. 3. Tri.\n                          jeal. 4. Idol. ten.\n\n  =II. Jud. Isr.= 1. Off. 2. App. 3. Auth. 4. Ext. ru.\n\n  =III. Opp. and Deliv.=\n        _Opp._     _Sec._     _Deliv._     _Batt.-fie._\n      1. Mes.       Sou.       Oth.\n      2. Moab.      Ea. cen.   Ehu.         For. Jor.\n      3. Ea. Phil.  So.-wes.   Sham.\n      4. Can.       Nor.       Deb.         Mt. Tab.\n      5. Mid.       Nor. cen.  Gid.         Mt. Gil.\n      6. Amm.       East.      Jeph.        Aro.\n      7. Phil.      All.       Sams. Saml.  Eben.\n                               Dav.         Gath.\n\n  =IV. Gen. Asp. Per.= 1. Ind. 2. Neg. Law. 3. Prog.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\nHow long was this period? What were its traits? What were the conditions\nfavorable to Israel during this period? How did their location aid the\nIsraelites? Wherein were the Israelites one people? How did their\nreligious institutions keep them together?\n\nWhat were the unfavorable and dangerous elements in the condition of\nIsrael? How were they in danger from the native races? What was lacking\nin the government of Israel? What two tribes were in rivalry? What was\nthe effect of this jealousy? What analogy is found in ancient history?\nHow is the same principle illustrated in modern times? What evil\ntendency was manifested in Israel through nearly all its history? What\ncauses are assigned for this tendency?\n\nWhat was the office of a judge in Israel? How were the judges appointed?\nWhat was their authority? How widely did their rule extend?\n\nWhat resulted from these evil tendencies in Israel? How many oppressors\nwere there? Who were the first oppressors? Over what part of the country\nwas the first oppression? Who delivered Israel from it? What was the\nsecond oppression? What part of the country suffered from it? Who was\nthe deliverer? Where was the battle fought? What was the third\noppression, and where? Who delivered Israel? What was the fourth\noppression? Where was it? Who was the deliverer? Where was the victory\nwon? What was the fifth oppression? Over what part of the country was\nit? Who delivered Israel from it? What was the sixth oppression? Over\nwhat part of the land was it? Who delivered from it? What was the last\noppression? How did it differ from the others? What three names are\nassociated in the deliverance from its power?\n\nWhat are the three general aspects of this period?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE ISRAELITE REPUBLIC.\n          THE CAREER OF GIDEON.\n          THE VOW OF JEPHTHAH.\n          THE FAILURE OF SAMSON.\n          SHILOH AND THE TABERNACLE.\n          FAMILY LIFE DURING THE AGE OF THE JUDGES.\n\n[Illustration: MODERN JERUSALEM.]\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[F] With Jephthah is associated the only instance of human sacrifice\noffered to Jehovah in all Bible history; and this was by an ignorant\nfreebooter, in a part of the land farthest from the instructions of the\ntabernacle and the priesthood. When we consider that the practice of\nhuman sacrifice was universal in the ancient world, and that not only\ncaptives taken in war but also the children of the worshipers were\noffered (2 Kings 3. 26, 27; Mic. 6. 7), this fact is a remarkable\nevidence of the elevating power of the Israelite worship.\n\n\n\n\nFIFTH STUDY.\n\nTHE RISE OF THE ISRAELITE EMPIRE.\n\n\nThe coronation of Saul (B. C. 1095) marks an epoch in the history of\nIsrael. From that point, for five hundred years, the chosen people were\nunder the rule of kings.\n\nI. =THE CAUSES LEADING TO THE MONARCHY.= The kingdom was not an\naccidental nor a sudden event. There had been a gradual preparation for\nit through all the period of the judges.\n\n1. Note the =tendency toward settled government=. In the time of Gideon\nthe people desired him to become a king (Judg. 8. 22, 23). His son\nattempted to make himself a king, but failed (Judg. 9). We find judges\nsetting up a semi-royal state, and making marriages for their children\noutside of their tribe (Judg. 12. 9, 13, 14). Judges associating their\nsons with themselves (Judg. 10. 4; 1 Sam. 8. 1, 2). All these show a\nmonarchical trend in the time.\n\n2. Another cause was the =consolidation of the surrounding nations=. In\nthe days of the conquest there were few kings in the lands neighboring\nPalestine. We read of \"lords\" and \"elders,\" but no kings, among the\nPhilistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Phenicians (Judg. 3.\n3; 1 Sam. 5. 8; Num. 22. 7). But a wave of revolution swept over all\nthose lands, as about the same time over Greece; and very soon we find\nthat every nation around Israel had its king (1 Sam. 21. 10; 11. 1; 22.\n3; 2 Sam. 5. 11). The movement of Israel toward monarchy was in\naccordance with this spirit.\n\n3. There was a =danger of invasion=, which impelled the Israelites to\nseek for a stronger government (1 Sam. 12. 12). They felt themselves\nweak, while other nations were organized for conquest, and desired a\nking for leader in war.\n\n4. Then, too, the =rule of Samuel= led the Israelites to desire a\nbetter organization of the government. For twenty years they had enjoyed\nthe benefit of a wise, strong, and steady rule. They felt unwilling to\nrisk the dangers of tribal dissension after the death of Samuel, and\ntherefore they sought for a king.\n\n5. But underlying all was the =worldly ambition= of the people. They\nwere not willing to remain the people of God, and work out a peculiar\ndestiny. They wished to be like the nations around, to establish a\nsecular state, to conquer an empire for themselves (1 Sam. 8. 5-20). It\nwas this worldly spirit, whose results Samuel saw, which made him\nunwilling to accede to the wish of the Israelites. But the very things\nagainst which he warned them (1 Sam. 8. 11-18) were just what they\ndesired.\n\nII. =THE CHARACTER OF THE ISRAELITE KINGDOM.= When men change their\nplans God changes his. He desired Israel to remain a republic, and not\nto enter into worldly relations and aims. When, however, the Israelites\nwere determined, God gave them a king (1 Sam. 8. 22); but his rule was\nnot to be like that of the nations around Israel. We ascertain the\ndivine ideal of a kingdom for his chosen people:\n\n1. =It was a theocratic kingdom.= That is, it recognized God as the\nsupreme ruler, and the king as his representative, to rule in accordance\nwith his will, and not by his own right. Only as people and king\nconformed to this principle could the true aims of the kingdom be\naccomplished (1 Sam. 12. 13-15). And if the king should deviate from\nthis order, he should lose his throne. Disobedience to the divine will\ncaused the kingdom to pass from the family of Saul to that of David (1\nSam. 13. 13, 14; 15. 26).\n\n2. =It was a constitutional kingdom.= The rights of the people were\ncarefully guaranteed, and there was a written constitution (1 Sam. 10.\n25). Nearly all the Oriental countries have always been governed by\nabsolute monarchs; but Israel was an exception to this rule. The people\ncould demand their rights from Rehoboam (1 Kings 12. 3, 4). Ahab could\nnot take away nor even buy Naboth's vineyard against its owner's will (1\nKings 21. 1-3). No doubt the rights of the people were often violated;\nbut the violation was contrary to the spirit of the monarchy.\n\n3. =It was regulated by the prophets.= The order of prophets had a\nregular standing in the Israelite state. The prophet was a check upon\nthe power of the king, as a representative both of God's will and the\npeople's rights. He spoke not only of his own opinions, but by the\nauthority of God. Notice instances of the boldness of prophets in\nrebuking kings (1 Sam. 15. 16-23; 2 Sam. 12. 1-7; 1 Kings 13. 1-6; 17.\n1; 22. 7-17). The order of prophets was like the House of Commons,\nbetween the king and the people.\n\nIII. =THE REIGN OF SAUL.= (B. C. 1095-1055.) 1. This may be divided into\ntwo parts: 1.) _a period of prosperity_, during which Saul ruled well,\nand freed Israel from its oppressors on every side (1 Sam. 14. 47, 48);\n2.) then a _period of decline_, in which Saul's kingdom seems to be\nfalling in pieces, and only preserved by the prowess and ability of\nDavid. After David's exile the Philistines again overran Israel, and\nSaul's reign ended in defeat and death.\n\n2. We observe that Saul's reign was =a failure=, and left the tribes in\nworse condition than it found them. 1.) He failed _in uniting the\ntribes_; for tribal jealousies continued (1 Sam. 10. 27), and at the\nclose of his reign broke out anew in the establishment of rival thrones\n(2 Sam. 2. 4, 8, 9). 2.) He failed _in making friends_. He alienated\nSamuel, and with him the order of prophets (1 Sam. 15. 35); he alienated\nDavid, the ablest young man of his age, and the rising hope of Israel,\nand drove him into exile (1 Sam. 21. 10); he alienated the entire order\nof the priests, and caused many of them to be massacred (1 Sam. 22. 18).\n3.) He failed _to advance religion_; left the tabernacle in ruins; left\nthe ark in seclusion; broke up the service; and drove the priests whom\nhe did not murder into exile (1 Sam. 22. 20-23). 4.) He failed _to\nliberate Israel_; at his death the yoke of the Philistines was more\nsevere than ever before (1 Sam. 31. 1-7). The most charitable view of\nSaul was that he was insane during the latter years of his life. The\ncause of his failure was a desire to reign as an absolute monarch, and\nan unwillingness to submit to the constitution of the realm.\n\nIV. =THE REIGN OF DAVID.= (B. C. 1055-1015.) This was a brilliant\nperiod; for it was led by a great man, in nearly every respect the\ngreatest after Moses in Israelite history.\n\n1. Notice the =condition of Israel at his accession=. This will throw\ninto relief the greatness of his character and his achievements.\n\n1.) It was a _subject people_; under Philistine yoke; its warriors\nslain; many of its cities deserted; David himself probably at first\ntributary to the King of Gath.\n\n2.) It was a _disorganized people_. The tribes were divided; national\nunity was lost; and two thrones were set up, one at Hebron, the other at\nMahanaim (2 Sam. 2. 4-9).\n\n3.) It was a _people without religion_. The tabernacle was gone; the ark\nwas in neglect; there was no altar and no sacrifice; the priests had\nbeen slain.\n\nWe can scarcely imagine Israel at a lower ebb than when David was called\nto the throne.\n\n2. We ascertain =David's achievements=; the results of his reign. 1.)\n_He united the tribes._ At first crowned king by Judah only, later he\nwas made king over all the tribes, by the desire of all (2 Sam. 5. 1-5).\nDuring his reign we find but little trace of the old feud between\nEphraim and Judah, though it was not dead, and destined yet to rend the\nkingdom asunder.\n\n2.) _He subjugated the land._ The conquest of Palestine, left\nincomplete by Joshua, and delayed for three hundred years, was finished\nat last by David in the capture of Jebus or Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5. 6, 7),\nin the overthrow of the Philistines (2 Sam. 5. 17-25), and in the final\ncapture of their capital city (1 Chron. 18. 1). At last Israel was\npossessor of its own land.\n\n[Illustration: EMPIRE OF DAVID]\n\n3.) _He organized the government._ He established a capital (2 Sam. 5.\n9). He built a palace (2 Sam. 5. 11). Notice that the builders were from\nTyre, showing that the Israelites were not advanced in the arts. He\nestablished a system of government, with officers in the court and\nthroughout the realm (1 Chron. 27. 25-34). Contrast all this with Saul,\nwho ruled from his tent, like a Bedouin sheik.\n\n4.) _He established an army._ There was a royal body-guard, probably of\nforeigners, like that of many European kings in modern times (2 Sam. 8.\n18; 15. 18). There was a band of heroes, like Arthur's Round Table (2\nSam. 23. 8-39). There was \"the host,\" the available military force,\ndivided into twelve divisions, one on duty each month (1 Chron. 27.\n1-15).\n\n5.) _He established religion._ No sooner was David on the throne than he\nbrought the ark out of its hiding-place, and gave it a new home in his\ncapital (1 Chron. 16. 1). The priesthood was organized, and divided into\ncourses for the service of the tabernacle (1 Chron. 23. 27-32; 24.\n1-19). He wrote many psalms, and caused others to be written, for the\nworship of God. Two prophets stood by his throne (1 Chron. 29. 29), and\ntwo high-priests stood by the altar (1 Chron. 24. 3). This organization\nand uplifting of the public worship had a great effect upon the kingdom.\n\n6.) _He conquered all the surrounding nations._ These wars were largely\nforced upon David by the jealousy of the neighboring kingdoms. In turn\nhis armies conquered and annexed to his dominions the land of the\nPhilistines (1 Chron. 18. 1), Moab (2 Sam. 8. 2), Syria, even to the\ngreat river Euphrates (2 Sam. 8. 3-6); Edom (2 Sam. 8. 14), Ammon, and\nthe country east of Palestine (2 Sam. 10. 1-14; 12. 26-31). The empire\nof David thus extended from the frontier of Egypt to the Euphrates\nRiver, fulfilling the promise of Josh 1. 4. It was at least six times\nthe area of the twelve tribes.\n\n7.) We may add that _he reigned as a theocratic king_. He realized more\nthan any other monarch the divine ideal of a ruler, and so was \"the man\nafter God's own heart\" (1 Sam. 13. 14); if not altogether in personal\ncharacter, yet in the principles of his government. He respected the\nrights of his subjects, had a sympathy for all people, obeyed the voice\nof the prophets, and sought the interests of God's cause.[G]\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Cau. lea. Mon.= 1. Ten. tow. set. gov. 2. Con. sur. nat. 3. Dan.\n        inv. 4. Ru. Sam. 5. Wor. am. peo.\n\n  =II. Char. Isr. Kin.= 1. Theo. kin. 2. Cons. kin. 3. Reg. by pro.\n\n  =III. Rei. Sau.= 1. Pros. and Dec. 2. Fai. 1.) Un. tri. 2.) Mak.\n        fri. 3.) Adv. rel. 4.) Lib. Isr.\n\n  =IV. Rei. Dav.= 1. Con. Isr. acc. 1.) Sub. 2.) Dis. 3.) Wit. rel.\n        2. Dav. Achiev. 1.) Uni. tri. 2.) Sub. la. 3.) Org. gov.\n        4.) Est. ar. 5.) Est. rel. 6.) Conq. surr. nat. 7.) Rei. theo.\n        kin.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\nWhat event marks an epoch in Israelite history? What were the causes\nleading to the monarchy? What events in the period of the judges show a\ntendency toward settled government? What changes in government in the\nsurrounding nations helped to bring on the monarchy in Israel? From what\nsource did external danger lead the Israelites to desire a king? How had\nSamuel unconsciously helped to prepare the way for a kingdom? What\nworldly spirit promoted the same result?\n\nWhat kind of a kingdom did God intend for Israel? What is a theocratic\nkingdom? Wherein was Israel an exception among Oriental kingdoms? By\nwhat institution was the kingdom regulated? Name some instances of\nprophets rebuking kings.\n\nInto what two parts may Saul's reign be divided? Wherein was Saul a\nfailure? How did he fail in gaining and holding friends?\n\nWhat was the condition of Israel when David came to the throne? What\nwere the achievements of David? What great incomplete work did David\nfinish? What did he do in the organization of his kingdom? What was the\narrangement of his army? What were his services to the cause of\nreligion? What nations did he conquer? What was the extent of his\nempire? In what spirit did he rule?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          HOW THE REPUBLIC BECAME A MONARCHY.\n          THE EARLY LIFE OF DAVID.\n          DAVID AS HERO, STATESMAN, AND POET.\n          DAVID'S TRAINING FOR THE THRONE.\n          SAMUEL, THE FOUNDER OF THE PROPHETIC ORDER.\n          THE CAUSES AND RESULTS OF ABSALOM'S REBELLION.\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[G] With regard to David's crimes against Uriah and his wife, note that\nno other ancient monarch would have hesitated to commit such an act, or\nwould have cared for it afterward; while David submitted to the\nprophet's rebuke, publicly confessed his sin, and showed every token of\na true repentance.\n\n\n\n\nSIXTH STUDY.\n\nTHE GOLDEN AGE OF ISRAEL.\n\n\nThe reign of Solomon (B. C. 1015-975) may be regarded as the culminating\nperiod in the history of Israel. But, strictly speaking, the latter part\nof David's reign and only the former part of Solomon's constitute \"the\ngolden age of Israel;\" for Solomon's later years manifested a decline,\nwhich after his death rapidly grew to a fall.\n\nI. =THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.=\n\n1. =His claim to the throne.= He was one of the youngest of David's\nsons, the second child of Bath-sheba, born during the culmination of\nDavid's reign (1 Chron. 22. 7-9). He obtained the throne by the decree\nof David, by the choice of God, as the one among David's children best\nfitted to reign (1 Chron. 28. 5, 6). The principle of primogeniture, or\nthe special right of the eldest son, was not fixed in those times.\n\n2. =His accession= was marked by the execution of three men, Adonijah (1\nKings 2. 24, 25), Joab (1 Kings 2. 28-34), and Shimei (1 Kings 2.\n36-46). Two of these had conspired against him, and the third was the\nlast survivor of the house of Saul, and a possible rival for the throne.\nTheir death was dictated by policy, and probably by justice. His throne\nwould not be secure while these men lived.\n\n3. =His empire= embraced all the lands from the Red Sea to the\nEuphrates, and from the Mediterranean to the Syrian desert, except\nPhenicia, which was isolated by the Lebanon Mountains. 1.) Besides\nPalestine he ruled over Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria (here referring to the\ndistrict having Damascus as its capital), Zobah, and Hamath. 2.) On the\nGulf of Akaba, Ezion-geber was his southern port (1 Kings 9. 26); on the\nMediterranean, Gaza (Azzah) was his limit; in the extreme north,\nTiphsah, by the Euphrates (1 Kings 4. 24); in the desert, Tadmor,\nafterward Palmyra (1 Kings 9. 18).\n\n4. =His foreign relations= were extensive, for the first and only time\nin the history of Israel. 1.) His earliest treaty was _with Tyre_\n(Phenicia), whose king had been his father's friend (1 Kings 5. 1). What\nthis alliance brought to Solomon (1 Kings 5. 6-10; 2 Chron. 2. 3-14).\n2.) His relations _with Egypt_; in commerce (1 Kings 10. 28, 29); in\nmarriage, a bold departure from Israelite customs (1 Kings 3. 1).\nProbably Psalm 45 was written upon this event. 3.) _With Arabia_, the\nland bordering on the southern end of the Red Sea (1 Kings 10. 1-10, 14,\n15). 4.) _With India_, which is probably referred to in 1 Kings 9.\n26-28. 5.) _With Spain_, probably meant in 1 Kings 10. 22.\n\n5. =His buildings.= 1.) Of these the greatest, the most costly, and the\nmost famous was _the temple_ (1 Kings 6. 1). With this building notice:\n(_a_) The courts and open square, with an inner court inside for the\npriests only (2 Chron 4. 9). (_b_) The porch (2 Chron 3. 4). (_c_) The\nholy place (2 Chron. 3. 8; 1 Kings 6. 17). (_d_) The holy of holies (1\nKings 6. 19, 20). (_e_) The chambers for the priests (1 Kings 6. 5, 6).\n2.) _His own palace_, situated south of the temple precincts, in the\ndistrict called Ophel. Its name derived from its columned entrance (1\nKings 7. 1, 2). 3.) _His fortified cities_ (1 Kings 9. 17-19). 4.) _His\naqueducts_, some of which may still be seen (Eccl. 2. 4-6). No King of\nIsrael ever built so many public works as did Solomon.\n\n6. But all was not bright in the reign of Solomon. We must notice also\n=his sins=, for they wrought great results of evil in the after years.\n1.) That which led to all his other sins was _foreign marriages_ (1\nKings 11. 1-4). These were the natural and inevitable result of his\nforeign relations, and were probably effected for political reasons as\nwell as to add to the splendor of his court. 2.) His _toleration of\nidolatry_, perhaps actual participation in it (1 Kings 11. 5-8). We\ncannot over-estimate the harm of Solomon's influence in this direction.\nAt once it allied him with the lower and evil elements in the nation,\nand lost to him the sympathy of all the earnest souls.[H] 3.) Another of\nSolomon's sins, not named in Scripture, but referred to in many legends\nof the East, was his _devotion to magical arts_. He appears in Oriental\ntraditions as the great master of forces in the invisible world,\nengaging in practices forbidden by the law of Moses (Lev. 19. 31; Deut.\n18. 10, 11).\n\nII. =GENERAL ASPECTS OF ISRAEL IN THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.=\n\n1. =It was a period of peace.= For sixty years there were no wars. This\ngave opportunity for development, for wealth, and for culture.\n\n2. =It was a period of strong government.= The age of individual and\ntribal energy was ended, and now all the life of the nation was gathered\naround the throne. All the tribes were held under one strong hand;\ntribal lines were ignored in the government of the empire (1 Kings 4.\n7-19); every department was organized.\n\n3. =It was a period of wide empire.= It was Israel's opportunity for\npower in the East; for the old Chaldean empire had broken up, the new\nAssyrian empire had not arisen, and Egypt was passing through a change\nof rulers and was weak. For one generation Israel held the supremacy in\nthe Oriental world.\n\n4. =It was a period of abundant wealth.= (1 Kings 3. 12, 13; 4. 20; 10.\n23, 27.) The sources of this wealth were: 1.) The _conquests_ of David,\nwho had plundered many nations and left his accumulated riches to\nSolomon (1 Chron. 22. 14-16). 2.) The _tribute_ of the subject kingdoms,\ndoubtless heavy (1 Kings 10. 25). 3.) _Commerce_ with foreign countries,\nEgypt, Arabia, Tarshish, and Ophir, in ancient times was not carried on\nby private enterprise, but by the government. The _trade_ of the East\nfrom Egypt and Tyre passed through Solomon's dominions, enriching the\nland. 4.) There were also _taxes_ laid upon the people (1 Kings 4. 7;\n12. 4). 5.) The erection of _public buildings_ must have enriched many\nprivate citizens and made money plenty.\n\n5. =It was a period of literary activity.= The books written during this\nepoch were Samuel, Psalms (in part), Proverbs (in part), and perhaps\nEcclesiastes and Solomon's Song. Not all the writings of Solomon have\nbeen preserved (1 Kings 4. 32, 33).\n\nIII. =DANGERS OF THE PERIOD.= There was an Arabian tradition that in\nSolomon's staff, on which he leaned, there was a worm secretly gnawing\nit asunder. So there were elements of destruction under all the splendor\nof Solomon's throne.\n\n1. =The absolute power of the king.= David had maintained the theocratic\nconstitution of the state; Solomon set it aside and ruled with absolute\npower in all departments. He assumed priestly functions (1 Kings 8. 22,\n54, 64); he abolished tribal boundaries in his administration (1 Kings\n4. 7-19); he ignored both priests and prophets, and concentrated all\nrule in his own person.\n\n2. =The formal character of the worship.= There was a magnificent temple\nand a gorgeous ritual, but none of the warmth and personal devotion\nwhich characterized the worship of David. The fervor of the Davidic\npsalms is wanting in the literature of Solomon's age.\n\n3. =Luxury and corruption of morals.= These are the inevitable results\nof abundant riches and worldly association. We do not need the warnings\nin Prov. 2. 16-19; 5. 3-6, etc., to know that a flood of immorality\nswept over Jerusalem and Israel.\n\n4. =The burden of taxation.= With a splendid court, an immense harem,\nand a wealthy nobility came high prices and high taxes; the rich growing\nricher rapidly, the poor becoming poorer. The events of the next reign\nshow how heavy and unendurable these burdens grew.\n\n5. =Heathen customs.= With the foreign peoples came the toleration of\nidolatry, its encouragement, and all the abominations connected with it.\nJeroboam could not have established his new religion (1 Kings 12. 28) if\nSolomon had not already patronized idol-worship.\n\n6. Underlying all was the old =tribal jealousy= of Ephraim and Judah,\nfostered by an able leader (1 Kings 11. 26), ready to break out in due\ntime, and to destroy the empire.\n\nAfter all, it is uncertain whether the reign of Solomon was a golden or\nonly a gilded age.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Rei. Sol.= 1. Cl. thr. 2. Acc. 3. Emp. [Lands. Cities] 4. For.\n        rel. 1.) Ty. 2.) Eg. 3.) Ar. 4.) Ind. 5.) Sp. 5. Buil. 1.)\n        Tem. 2.) Pal. 3.) For. cit. 4.) Aque. 6. Sins 1.) For. mar.\n        2.) Tol. idol. 3.) Mag.\n\n  =II. Gen. Asp. Isr.= 1. Pea. 2. Str. gov. 3. Abun. weal. 1.) Conq.\n        2.) Trib. 3.) Com. 4.) Tax. 5). Pub. build. 5. Lit. art.\n\n  =III. Dan. Per.= 1. Abs. pow. 2. For. wor. 3. Lux. cor. mor. 4.\n        Bur. tax. 5. Hea. cus. 6. Tri. jeal.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  What is meant by the Golden Age of Israel?\n  Who was Solomon?\n  How did Solomon obtain the throne?\n  What events marked his accession?\n  What lands were included in his empire?\n  What were the frontier cities of the empire?\n  With what foreign countries did Solomon have relations?\n  What resulted from his alliance with Tyre?\n  What innovation came from Egypt?\n  Who visited Solomon from Arabia?\n  What were the early names of Spain and India?\n  What four classes of buildings were erected by Solomon?\n  What were the different parts of his temple?\n  What was the name given to Solomon's palace?\n  Name some of the cities which he built and fortified.\n  What other public works did he build?\n  What three kinds of sin did Solomon commit?\n  What was his motive in seeking foreign marriages?\n  Name five general aspects of Israel in Solomon's reign.\n  What were the benefits of the peace at that time?\n  What was the characteristic of Solomon's administration?\n  What opportunity did the age give to a great empire for Israel?\n  What were the sources of the wealth in Solomon's age?\n  How was it a period of literary activity?\n  What ancient legend illustrates the dangers of Solomon's age?\n  What were some of these dangers?\n  Wherein did Solomon set aside the Israelite constitution?\n  What was the defect in the religion of Solomon's time?\n  What evils resulted from the wealth of that time?\n  What caused heavy taxation?\n  What heathen customs were introduced?\n  What showed that tribal jealousy was still existing?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE CHARACTER OF SOLOMON.\n          WAS AN EMPIRE FOR ISRAEL DESIRABLE?\n          THE WRITINGS OF SOLOMON.\n          TARSHISH AND OPHIR.\n          THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON.\n          SOLOMON IN ORIENTAL LEGENDS.\n\n[Illustration: THE DIVISION OF SOLOMON'S EMPIRE.]\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[H] Notice that while the prophets had been friendly to David, they were\nstrongly opposed to Solomon, and gave aid to his enemy Jeroboam (1 Kings\n11. 29-39).\n\n\n\n\nSEVENTH STUDY.\n\nTHE RIVAL THRONES.--ISRAEL.\n\n\nThe splendors of Solomon's reign passed away even more suddenly than\nthey arose. In less than a year after his death his empire was broken\nup, and two quarreling principalities were all that was left of Israel.\n\nI. Let us ascertain the =CAUSES OF THE DIVISION OF ISRAEL=. These were:\n\n1. =The oppressive government of Solomon.= (1 Kings 12. 3, 4.) How far\nthe complaints of the people were just, and to what degree they were the\npretexts of an ambitious demagogue, we have no means of knowing. But it\nis evident that the government of Solomon, with its court, its palaces,\nits buildings, and its splendor, must have borne heavily upon the\npeople. Probably, also, the luxury of living among the upper classes, so\nsuddenly introduced, led to financial crises and stringency of money,\nfor which the government was held responsible by the discontented\npeople.\n\n2. =The opposition of the prophets.= (1 Kings 11. 11-13, 29-33.) It is a\nsuggestive fact that the prophets were opposed to Solomon and friendly\nto Jeroboam. Their reason was a strong resentment to the foreign\nalliances, foreign customs, and especially to the foreign idolatries\nwhich Solomon introduced.\n\n3. =Foreign intrigues=, especially in Egypt. The old kingdoms were not\nfriendly to this Israelite empire, which loomed up so suddenly, and\nthreatened to conquer all the East. Solomon's attempt to win the favor\nof Egypt by a royal marriage (1 Kings 3. 1) was a failure, for two\nenemies of Solomon, driven out of his dominions, found refuge in Egypt,\nwere admitted to the court, married relatives of the king, and stirred\nup conspiracies against Solomon's throne (1 Kings 11. 14-22, 40).\nAnother center of conspiracy was Damascus, where Rezon kept up a\nsemi-independent relation to Solomon's empire (1 Kings 11. 23-25).\n\n4. =Tribal jealousy=; the old sore broken out again. Notice that\nJeroboam belonged to the haughty tribe of Ephraim (1 Kings 11. 26),\nalways envious of Judah, and restless under the throne of David. The\nkingdom of the ten tribes was established mainly through the influence\nof this tribe.\n\n5. =The ambition of Jeroboam= was another force in the disruption. It\nwas unfortunate for Solomon's kingdom that the ablest young man of that\ntime in Israel, a wily political leader and an unscrupulous partisan,\nbelonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and from his environment was an enemy\nof the then existing government. The fact that he was sent for from\nEgypt to the assembly at Shechem showed collusion and preparation of the\nscheme (1 Kings 12. 2, 3).\n\n6. But even all these causes might have been insufficient but for =the\nfolly of Rehoboam= (1 Kings 12. 13, 14). If David had been on the throne\nthat day an empire might have been saved. But Rehoboam, brought up in\nthe purple, was without sympathy with the people, tried to act the part\nof a tyrant, and lost his ancestral realm (1 Kings 12. 16).\n\nII. =THE RESULTS OF THE DIVISION.= These were partly political, partly\nreligious, and were neither of unmixed good nor unmixed evil.\n\n1. The =political results= were: 1.) The entire _disruption_ of\nSolomon's empire. Five kingdoms took the place of one; Syria on the\nnorth, Israel in the center, Judah west of the Dead Sea, Moab east of\nthe Dead Sea, and Edom on the extreme south. Moab was nominally subject\nto Israel, and Edom to Judah; but only strong kings, like Ahab in Israel\nand Jehoshaphat in Judah, could exact the tribute (2 Kings 3. 4; 1 Kings\n22. 47). 2.) With the loss of empire came _rivalry_, and consequent\n_weakness_. For fifty years Israel and Judah were at war, and spent\ntheir strength in civil strife, while Syria was growing powerful, and\nafar in the north-east Assyria was threatening. 3.) As a natural result\ncame at last _foreign domination_. Both Israel and Judah fell under the\npower of other nations, and were swept into captivity as the final\nresult of the disruption wrought by Jeroboam.\n\n2. =The religious results= of the division were more favorable. They\nwere: 1.) _Preservation of the true religion._ A great empire would\ninevitably have been the spiritual ruin of Israel, for it must have been\nworldly, secular, and, in the end, idolatrous. The disruption broke off\nrelation with the world, put an end to schemes of secular empire, and\nplaced Israel and Judah once more alone among their mountains. In this\nsense the event was from the Lord, who had higher and more enduring\npurposes than an earthly empire (1 Kings 12. 15-24). 2.) _Protection of\nthe true religion._ Israel on the north stood as a \"buffer,\" warding off\nthe world from Judah on the south. It was neither wholly idolatrous nor\nwholly religious, but was a debatable land for centuries. It fell at\nlast, but it saved Judah; and in Judah was the unconscious hope of the\nworld. 3.) _Concentration of the true religion._ The departure of Israel\nfrom the true faith led to the gathering of the priests, Levites and\nworshiping element of the people in Judah (2 Chron. 11. 13-16). Thus the\nJewish kingdom was far more devoted to Jehovah than it might otherwise\nhave been.\n\nIII. =THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.= From the division the name _Israel_ was\napplied to the northern kingdom and _Judah_ to the southern. We notice\nthe general aspects of Israel during its history, from B. C. 975 to 721.\n\n1. =Its extent.= It embraced all the territory of the twelve tribes\nexcept Judah and a part of Benjamin (1 Kings 12. 19-21), held a nominal\nsupremacy over Moab east of the Dead Sea, and embraced about 9,375\nsquare miles, while Judah included only 3,435. Israel was about equal in\narea to Massachusetts and Rhode Island together.\n\n2. =Its capital= was at first _Shechem_, in the center of the land (1\nKings 12. 25); then, during several reigns, at _Tirzah_ (1 Kings 15. 33;\n16. 23); then at _Samaria_ (1 Kings 16. 24), where it remained until the\nend of the kingdom. That city after a time gave its name to the kingdom\n(1 Kings 21. 1), and after the fall of the kingdom to the province in\nthe center of Palestine (John 4. 3, 4).\n\n3. =Its religion.= 1.) Very soon after the institution of the new\nkingdom Jeroboam established a national religion, the _worship of the\ncalves_ (1 Kings 12. 26-33). This was not a new form of worship, but had\nbeen maintained in Israel ever since the Exodus (Exod. 32. 1-4). In\ncharacter it was a modified idolatry, half-way between the pure religion\nand the abominations of the heathen. 2.) Ahab and his house introduced\nthe Phenician _worship of Baal_, an idolatry of the most abominable and\nimmoral sort (1 Kings 16. 30-33), but it never gained control in Israel,\nand was doubtless one cause of the revolution which placed another\nfamily on the throne. 3.) Through the history of Israel there remained a\nremnant of _worshipers of Jehovah_, who were watched over by a noble\narray of prophets, and though often persecuted remained faithful (1\nKings 19. 14, 18).\n\n4. =Its rulers.= During two hundred and fifty years Israel was governed\nby nineteen kings, with intervals of anarchy. Five houses in turn held\nsway, each established by a usurper, generally a soldier, and each\ndynasty ending in a murder.\n\n1.) _The House of Jeroboam_ (B. C. 974 to 953), with two kings, followed\nby a general massacre of Jeroboam's family (1 Kings 15. 29, 30).\n\n2.) _The House of Baasha_ (B. C. 953-929), two kings, followed by a\ncivil war (1 Kings 16. 16-22).\n\n3.) _The House of Omri_ (B. C. 929-884), four kings, of whom Omri and\nAhab were the most powerful. This was the age of the prophet Elijah and\nthe great struggle between the worship of Jehovah and of Baal (1 Kings\n18. 4-21).\n\n4.) _The House of Jehu_ (B. C. 884-772), five kings, under whom were\ngreat changes of fortune. The reign of Jehoahaz saw Israel reduced to a\nmere province of Syria (2 Kings 13. 1-9). His son Joash threw off the\nSyrian yoke, and _his_ son, Jeroboam II., raised Israel almost to its\ncondition of empire in the days of Solomon (2 Kings 14. 23-29). His\nreign is called \"the Indian summer of Israel.\"\n\n5.) _The House of Menahem_ (B. C. 772-759), two reigns. Israel had by\nthis time fallen under the power of Assyria, now dominant over the East,\nand its history is the story of kings rising and falling in rapid\nsuccession, with long intervals of anarchy. From the fall of this\ndynasty there was only the semblance of a state until the final\ndestruction of Samaria, B. C. 721.\n\n5. =Its foreign relations.= During the period of the Israelite kingdom\nwe see lands struggling for the dominion of the East. The history of\nIsrael is interwoven with that of Syria and Assyria, which may now be\nread from the monuments.\n\n1.) There was a _Period of Division_ (B. C. 975-929). During the reign\nof the houses of Jeroboam and Baasha there were constant wars between\nIsrael, Syria, and Judah; and as a result all were kept weak, and \"a\nbalance of power\" was maintained.\n\n2.) Then followed a _Period of Alliance_ (B. C. 929-884)--that is,\nbetween Israel and Judah, during the sway of the House of Omri. The two\nlands were in friendly relations, and the two thrones were connected by\nmarriages. As a result both Israel and Judah were strong, Moab and Edom\nwere kept under control, and Syria was held in check.\n\n3.) Next came the _Period of Syrian Ascendency_ (B. C. 884-840). During\nthe first two reigns of the House of Jehu Syria rose to great power\ntinder Hazael, and overran both Israel and Judah. At one time Israel was\nin danger of utter destruction, but was preserved. Near the close of\nthese periods the dying prophecy of Elisha was uttered (2 Kings 13.\n14-25).\n\n4.) _The Period of Israelite Ascendency_ (B. C. 840-772). Israel under\nJeroboam II. took its turn of power, and for a brief period was again\ndominant to the Euphrates, as in the days of Solomon.\n\n5.) _The Period of Assyrian Ascendency_ (B. C. 772-721). But its glory\nsoon faded away before that of Assyria, which was now rapidly becoming\nthe empire of the East. Its rise meant the fall of Israel; and under the\nunfortunate Hoshea Samaria was taken, what was left of the ten tribes\nwere carried captive, and the kingdom of Israel was extinguished (2\nKings 17. 1-6).\n\nIV. =THE FATE OF THE TEN TRIBES.= There has been much idle discussion\nover this subject and some absurd claims set up; for example, that the\nAnglo-Saxon race are descended from the ten lost tribes--a statement\nopposed to all history, to ethnology, and to every evidence of language.\n\n1. After their deposition nearly all the Israelites, having lost their\nnational religion and having no bond of union, =mingled with the\nGentiles= around them and lost their identity, just as hundreds of other\nraces have done. The only bond which will keep a nation long alive is\nthat of religion.\n\n2. Some remained in Palestine, others returned thither and formed the\n=nucleus of the Samaritan people=, a race of mingled origin (2 Kings 17.\n24-29).\n\n3. Some of those who remained in the East retained their religion, or\nwere revived in it, and later became a part of the =Jews of the\ndispersion=; though \"the dispersion\" was mainly Jewish, and not\nIsraelite.\n\n4. A few =families united with the Jews= returned with them to Palestine\nafter the exile, yet retained their tribal relationship; for example,\nAnna (Luke 2. 36).\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Cau. Div.= 1. Opp. gov. 2. Opp. pro. 3. For. int. 4. Tri. jeal.\n        5. Am. Jer. 6. Fol. Re.\n\n  =II. Res. Div.= 1. Pol. res. 1.) Dis. emp. 2.) Riv. and weak.\n        3.) For. dom.\n  2. Rel. res. 1.) Pres. rel. 2.) Pro. rel. 3.) Conc. rel.\n\n  =III. Kin. Isr.= 1. Ext. 9,375.\n  2. Cap. 1.) Sh. 2.) Tir. 3.) Sam.\n  3. Rel. 1.) Wor. cal. 2.) Wor. Ba. 3.) Wor. Jeh.\n  4. Rul. 1.) Hou. Jer. 2.) Hou. Ra. 3.) Hou. Om. 4.) Hou. Je.\n        5.) Hou. Men.\n  5. For. Rel. 1.) Per. Div. 2.) Per. All. 3.) Per. Syr. Asc.\n        4.) Per. Isr. Asc. 5.) Per. Ass. Asc.\n\n  =IV. Fat. Ten. Tri.= 1. Min. Gen. 2. Sam. peo. 3. Disp.\n        4. Jews.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\nWhat causes may be assigned for the division of Israel? How far was\nSolomon's government responsible? What was the relation of the prophets\nto the revolution? What foreign intrigues contributed to break up the\nkingdom? Who were connected with these intrigues? What ancient jealousy\naided, and how? What man led in the breaking up of the kingdom? Whose\nfolly enabled the plot to succeed?\n\nWhat were the political results of the division? What were its religious\nresults? How was this event from the Lord?\n\nHow long did the new kingdom of Israel last? What was its extent? What\nwere its three successive capitals? What three forms of religion were\nfound in it? Who was the first king of the ten tribes? What family\nintroduced foreign idolatry? How many kings ruled over the ten tribes?\nWhat were the five royal houses? Which house raised Israel almost to its\nancient power? What is this period of prosperity called? Who was the\ngreatest King of Israel? With what other history is that of Israel\ninterwoven? What were the five periods in the foreign relations of\nIsrael? By what kingdom was Israel destroyed? Who was its last king?\nWhat finally became of the ten tribes?\n\n\nCHART OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL,\n\nFrom the DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM TO THE CAPTIVITY Together with the\nContemporaneous PROPHETS AND KINGS OF JUDAH\n\n\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE HISTORY AND TRAITS OF THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM.\n          SHECHEM, AND EVENTS CONNECTED WITH IT.\n          THE RELIGION OF THE TEN TRIBES.\n          QUEEN JEZEBEL AND HER INFLUENCE.\n          THE MISSION OF ELIJAH.\n          ELISHA AND HIS INFLUENCE.\n\n\n\nCHART OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL,\n\n  From the DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM TO THE CAPTIVITY\n  Together wiht the Contemporaneous PROPHETS AND KINGS OF JUDAH\n\n   Years B.C.   975   970       960       950       940       930       920       910       900\n\n  DIVISION\n     OF\n      KINGDOM       _Dynasty of Jeroboam_\n    ---            .......................>   _Dynasty of Baasha_\n                   Jeroboam I.[1]          <......................>    _Dynasty of Omri_\n                  ------------+ Nadab[1]                           <............................\n   KINGS }                    ++           Baasha[1]             Elah Zimri\n    OF   }                     +-------------------------------+ Tibni\n  ISRAEL }                                                     +-----\n                                                                  Omri[1]\n    ---                                                        ------------+      Ahab[1]\n                                                                           +-------------------\n\n   KINGS }           Rehoboam[1]\n    OF   }        -----------------+ Abijam[1]\n   JUDAH }                         +-+                 Asa[2]\n                                     +------------------------------------------+ Jehoshaphat[2]\n                                                                                +-------------\n    ---\n                      Iddo\n                  -------------\n                        Ahijah                    Azariah                            Elijah\n  Prophets        --------------------             ----       Jehu                 -----------\n                                                            --------\n                    Shemaiah                      Hanani                                Elisha\n                  ---------------                  ----                                  -----\n\n\n    900       890       880       870       860       850       840       830       820       810\n\n\n\n\n    _Dynasty of Omri_\n  ....................>\n\n\n                                  _Dynasty of Jehu_\n                       <.........................................................................\n    Ahab[1]\n    ---+ Ahaziah II.[1]\n        +-+ Jehoram I.[1]\n  ISRAEL  +----------+        Jehu[2][1]\n                     +----------------------------+ Jehoahaz I.[2]\n                                                  +---------------+ Jehoash II.[1]\n     Jehosaphat[2]                                            [3]-+-------------+ Jeroboam II.[1]\n     -----------+ Jehoiam II.[1]                                     [3]--------+---------------\n  JUDAH  -------+---+ Ahaziah II.[1]\n                    ++ Athaliah[1]\n                     +-----+             Jehoash I.[2]\n    Elijah                 +----------------------------------------+       Amaziah[2][1]\n     -----                                                          +---------------------------\n    Micaiah                                     Zechariah\n     -----                     Elisha            ------\n     --------------------------------------------------------------\n           Jehaziel                                          Jonah\n           --------                         -------------------------------------\n\n  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n   810       800       790       780       770       760       750       740       730       720\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n           _Dynasty of Jehu_\n  ........................................>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n          Jeroboam II.[1]                 Zachariah[1]\n    --------------------------- _Anarchy_ + Shallum\n                                            Menakeu[1]\n                                           +---------+ Pekahiah[1]\n  ISRAEL                                             +-+      Pekah[1]              Hoshea[1] _Captivity_\n                                                       +---------------------       --------\n                    Azariah or Uzziah[2]\n    ----------------------------------------------------    Jotham[2]\n  JUDAH                                                 ---------------+    Ahaz[1]\n                                                                       +---------------+ Hez.[2]\n                                                        Hosea                          +------\n                      Joel    -----------------------------------------------------------\n  PROPHETS     --------------------------------------            Isaiah\n                     Amos          -----------------------------------------------------------\n                  ----------                                                  Micah\n                                                                 -----------------------------\n                                                                      Oded\n                                                                      -----\n  _Fish and See, N.Y._\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[1] Did evil in the sight of the Lord\n\n[2] Did right in the sight of the Lord\n\n[3] Viceroy with his father\n\n\n\n\nEIGHTH STUDY.\n\nTHE RIVAL THRONES--JUDAH.\n\n\nI. =GENERAL ASPECTS OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH.=\n\n1. =Its territory.= It embraced the mountain portion of the tribe of\nJudah, from the Dead Sea to the Philistine plain; a part of Benjamin, in\nwhich tribe the larger part of Jerusalem stood; and also a part of Dan\n(2 Chron. 11. 10). Simeon was nominally within its border, but was\npractically given up to the Arabians of the desert; Edom was tributary,\nthough often in rebellion, and finally independent (1 Kings 22. 47; 2\nKings 8. 20); Philistia was outside of its boundary. Its extent was\nabout 3,435 square miles, about half the area of Massachusetts.\n\n[Illustration: JUDAH.]\n\n2. =Its government= was a monarchy, with but one family on the throne,\nthe line of David, in direct succession, with the exception of\nAthaliah's usurpation (2 Kings 11. 1-3), through nineteen reigns.\n\n3. =Its religion.= Through all the history we find two forms of worship\nstrongly opposed to each other, yet both rooted in the nation. 1.) The\nworship of Jehovah through the temple, the priesthood, and the prophets.\n2.) But side by side with this pure religion was the worship of idols\nupon \"high places,\" probably begun as a form of worshiping Jehovah, but\ndegenerating into gross and immoral idolatry. There was a struggle going\non constantly between these two elements in the state, the spiritual and\nthe material. Notwithstanding the efforts of reforming kings like\nJehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, the general tendency was downward.\n\nII. =THE DURATION OF THE KINGDOM.= The kingdom lasted from B. C. 975 to\n587--more than one hundred and thirty years longer than Israel. Reasons\nfor its endurance may have been:\n\n1. =Its retired situation=: hemmed in by mountains and deserts; at a\ndistance from the ordinary lines of travel; not in the direct path of\nconquest from any other nation. Judah had few foreign wars as compared\nwith Israel.\n\n2. =The unity of its people.= They were not ten tribes loosely\nconnected, but one tribe, with a passionate love of their nation and a\npride in their blood.\n\n3. =Its concentration at Jerusalem.= Through all its history there was\nbut one capital, where the palace of the king and the temple of the Lord\nwere standing together.\n\n4. =The reverence for the House of David= also kept the people together.\nThere was no change in dynasty, and the loyalty of the people grew\nstronger through the generations toward the family on the throne. There\nbeing no usurpers, the throne was permanent until destroyed by foreign\npower.\n\n5. =The purity of its religion= tended to keep the nation united, and to\nkeep it in existence. No bond of self-interest or of blood will hold a\npeople together as strongly as the tie of religion. Judah's strength was\nin the measure of her service of God, and when she renounced Jehovah her\ndoom came speedily.\n\nIII. =PERIODS IN THE HISTORY.= Though Judah was not without political\ncontact with other nations, yet its history is the record of internal\nevents rather than external relations. We may divide its history into\nfour epochs:\n\n1. =The first decline and revival.= (B. C. 975-889.) 1.) The reigns of\nRehoboam and Abijah marked a decline indicated by the Egyptian invasion\nand the growth of idolatry. 2.) The reign of Asa and Jehoshaphat showed\na revival in reformation, progress, and power. Under Jehoshaphat Judah\nwas at the height of prosperity. This was the time of peace with Israel,\nand of strength at home and abroad (2 Chron. 17. 5; 20. 30).\n\n2. =The second decline and revival.= (B. C. 889-682.) 1.) For nearly two\nhundred years after the death of Jehoshaphat the course of Judah was\ndownward. Edom was lost under Jehoram (2 Chron. 21. 8); the Baalite\nidolatry was introduced by the usurping queen, Athaliah (2 Kings 11.\n18); the land was again and again invaded under Joash and Amaziah, and\nJerusalem itself was taken and plundered. 2.) But a great reformation\nwas wrought under Hezekiah, who was the best and wisest of the kings of\nJudah, and the kingdom again rose to power, even daring to throw off the\nAssyrian yoke and defy the anger of the mightiest king then on the\nearth. At this time came the great event of the destruction of the\nAssyrian host (2 Kings 19. 30).\n\n3. =The third decline and revival.= (B. C. 682-610.) 1.) The reforms of\nHezekiah were short lived, for his son Manasseh was both the longest in\nreigning and the wickedest of the kings, and his late repentance did not\nstay the tide of corruption which he had let loose (2 Kings 21. 10-17; 2\nChron. 33. 1-18). The wickedness of Manasseh's reign was the great\nmoral cause of the kingdom's destruction, for from it no reform\nafterward could lift the mass of the people. 2.) Josiah, the young\nreformer, attempted the task, but his efforts, though earnest, were only\nmeasurably successful, and after his untimely death the kingdom hastened\nto its fall (2 Kings 23. 29).\n\n4. =The final decline and fall.= (B. C. 610-587.) 1.) The political\ncause of the destruction of the kingdom was the rise of Babylon. The old\nAssyrian empire went down about 625 B. C., and a struggle followed\nbetween Babylon and Egypt for the supremacy. Judah took the side of\nEgypt, which proved to be the losing side. 2.) After several\nchastisements and repeated rebellions Jerusalem was finally destroyed by\nNebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and the kingdom of Judah was\nextinguished, B. C. 587.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Gen. Asp. Kin. Jud.= 1. Terr. Tri. Jud. 3,435 m. 2. Gov. mon.\n        3. Rel. 1.) Jeh. 2.) Idol.\n\n  =II. Dur. Kin.= 1. Ret. sit. 2. Un. peo. 3. Conc. Jer. 4. Rev. Ho.\n        Dav. 5. Pur. rel.\n\n  =III. Per. Hist.= 1. Fir. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Reho. Abi. 2.) Rev.\n        As. Jehosh.\n  2. Sec. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. 200 y. 2.) Rev. Hez.\n  3. Thi. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Man. 2.) Rev. Jos.\n  4. Fin. dec. fal. 1.) Ris. Bab. 2.) Des. Jer.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  What was embraced in the kingdom of Judah?\n  What was its area?\n  How was it governed?\n  What was its religion?\n  What was associated with the worship of Jehovah?\n  What was the religious tendency of the people?\n  How long did the kingdom of Judah last?\n  What were the causes of this duration?\n  What were the periods in its history?\n  Under what kings was the first decline?\n  Who led in a revival and reformation?\n  Who was the greatest of the kings of Judah?\n  What took place during the second decline?\n  Who was the usurping queen?\n  What did this queen try to do?\n  Who wrought the second great reformation?\n  What was the character of this king?\n  What great destruction of Judah's enemies took place at this time?\n  Which reign was both longest, wickedest, and most evil in its results?\n  Who attempted a third reformation?\n  What was the result of his endeavor?\n  What was the political cause of the fall of Judah?\n  By what nation and by what king was Jerusalem finally destroyed?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          HISTORY OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.\n          THE HOUSE OF DAVID.\n          THE RELIGION OF JUDAH.\n          THE PROPHETS OF JUDAH.\n          ANCIENT JERUSALEM.\n          THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH IN RELATION TO EGYPT AND ASSYRIA.\n\n[Illustration: SOLOMON'S DOMINIONS, THE KINGDOMS OF JUDAH & ISRAEL AND\nTHE LANDS of the CAPTIVITIES]\n\n\n\n\nNINTH STUDY.\n\nTHE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH.\n\n\nI. We must distinguish between the =CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL=, or the ten\ntribes, and =THAT OF JUDAH=.\n\n1. The captivity of Israel took place B. C. 721, that of Judah B. C.\n587. The southern kingdom lasted one hundred and thirty-four years\nlonger than the northern.\n\n2. Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians under Sargon; Judah by the\nChaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar.\n\n3. Israel was taken to the lands south of the Caspian Sea (2 Kings 17.\n6); Judah to Chaldea, by the river Euphrates (Psa. 137. 1).\n\n4. Israel never returned from its captivity, which was the end of its\nhistory; but Judah was brought back from its captivity and again became\na flourishing state, though subject to foreign nations during most of\nits after history.\n\nII. There were =THREE CAPTIVITIES= of Judah, all in one generation and\nall under one Chaldean king, Nebuchadnezzar:\n\n1. =Jehoiakim's captivity.= (B. C. 607.) Jehoiakim was the son of\nJosiah, placed upon the throne after the battle of Megiddo, in which\nJosiah perished (2 Kings 23. 34). In the war between Pharaoh-nechoh of\nEgypt and Nebuchadnezzar (then joint king of Babylon with his father\nNabopolassar) Jehoiakim, as a vassal of Nechoh, aided the Egyptians.\nAfter the defeat of Nechoh, Nebuchadnezzar marched to punish Jehoiakim.\nHe was called away from the siege of Jerusalem by the death of his\nfather and the necessity of hastening to Babylon to assume the\ngovernment. Jehoiakim was spared, but a number of the nobles of Judah\nwere taken to Babylon, perhaps as hostages for the king's good conduct.\nFor three years Jehoiakim obeyed Nebuchadnezzar; then he rebelled, but\nwas speedily reduced to subjection, and many of the leading people\namong the Jews were carried captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24. 1, 2). Among\nthese captives was Daniel the prophet (Dan. 1. 1-6). From this event the\n_seventy years_ of the captivity were dated (Jer. 27. 22; 29. 10),\nthough the kingdom of Judah remained for twenty years longer. Jehoiakim,\nthe king, was not taken away, though bound in chains for that purpose (2\nChron. 36. 6); he reigned several years after this event, but under\nsuspicion of the Chaldeans, and his end was ignoble (Jer. 22. 18, 19;\n36. 30).\n\n2. =Jehoiachin's captivity.= (B. C. 598.) Jehoiachin was the son of\nJehoiakim (called Jeconiah, 1 Chron 3. 16; Jer. 24. 1; and Coniah, Jer.\n22. 24). He reigned only three months, and was then deposed by\nNebuchadnezzar and carried to Babylon. With the young king and the royal\nfamily were taken thousands of the people of the middle classes, whom\nthe land could ill spare (2 Kings 24. 8-16). Among these captives was\nEzekiel, the prophet-priest (Ezek. 1. 1-3).\n\n3. =Zedekiah's captivity.= (B. C. 587.) He was the uncle of Jehoiachin,\nand the son of the good Josiah (2 Kings 24. 17), and had been made king\nby Nebuchadnezzar. But he too rebelled against his master, to whom he\nhad taken a solemn oath of fidelity (2 Chron. 36. 13). The Chaldeans\nwere greatly incensed by these frequent insurrections, and determined\nupon a final destruction of the rebellious city. After a long siege\nJerusalem was taken, and the king was captured while attempting flight.\nHe was blinded and carried away to Babylon, the city was destroyed, and\nnearly all the people left alive were also taken to the land of Chaldea\n(2 Kings 25. 1-11). After this captivity the city lay desolate for fifty\nyears, until the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus (B. C. 536).\n\nIII. Let us ascertain the =CAUSES OF THE CAPTIVITY=; why the Jews were\ntaken up bodily from their own land and deported to a distant country.\n\n1. Such deportations were a frequent =policy of Oriental conquerors=.\nThe Orientals had three ways of dealing with a conquered people: that\nof extermination or wholesale butchery, which is frequently described\nupon the Assyrian monuments; that of leaving them in the land under\ntribute, as subjects of the conqueror; and that of deporting them _en\nmasse_ to a distant land. Frequently, when the interests of the empire\nwould be served by changing the population of a province, this plan was\ncarried out. Thus the ten tribes were carried to a land near the Caspian\nSea, and other people were brought to Samaria in their place (2 Kings\n17. 6, 24). A similar plan with respect to Judah was proposed by\nSennacherib (2 Kings 18. 31, 32), but was thwarted by the destruction of\nthe Assyrian host.\n\n2. We have already noticed another cause of the captivity in the\nfrequent =rebellions of the kings of Judah= against the authority of\nBabylon. The old spirit of independence, which had made Judah the leader\nof the twelve tribes, was still strong, and it was fostered by the hope\nof universal rule, which had been predicted through centuries, even\nwhile the kingdom was declining. The prophets, however, favored\nsubmission to Babylon; but the nobles urged rebellion and independence.\nTheir policy was pursued, and the unequal strife was taken up more than\nonce. The rebellions always failed; but after several attempts the\npatience of Nebuchadnezzar was exhausted, and the destruction of the\nrebellious city and the deportation of the population was ordered.\n\n3. But underneath was another and a deeper cause--in =the rivalry of\nEgypt and Babylon=. Whenever in history one nation has been dominant\nthere has been another nation, next in strength, as its rival to check\nits supremacy. Thus Greece stood in the way of Persia, Carthage in the\nway of republican Rome, and Parthia in the way of imperial Rome. In the\nearlier days Assyria (and after Assyria Babylon) was the controlling\npower in the East; but it was always opposed by Egypt, which, though\nless powerful, was yet strong enough to be dangerous to Assyrian or\nChaldean supremacy. Palestine stood on the border of the Assyrian\nEmpire toward Egypt; and in Palestine there were two parties, the\nAssyrian and the Egyptian; one counseling submission to Assyria, the\nother seeking alliance with Egypt against Assyria (Isa. 31. 1-3; 37. 6).\nAfter Babylon took the place of Nineveh the Chaldean party took the\nplace of the Assyrian, as the Chaldean Empire was the successor of the\nAssyrian Empire. The prophets, led by Jeremiah, always counseled\nsubmission to Babylon, and warned against trusting to Egypt, which had\nnever given any thing more than promises; but the nobles were of the\nEgyptian party, and constantly influenced the kings to renounce the yoke\nof Babylon, and to strike for independence by the aid of Egypt. Under\nEgyptian influence the later kings of Judah made attempt after attempt\nto rebel against the Chaldean Empire. But the expected help from Egypt\nnever came, and Judah was left again and again to suffer the wrath of\nBabylon (Jer. 37. 5-9). The necessity of making the frontier of the\nChaldean Empire safe on the side toward Egypt was the political cause\nfor the deportation of the tribe of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar dared not to\nleave a people on the soil who would constantly endanger the entrance to\nhis dominions by plotting with the Egyptians. He therefore took up the\nJews bodily, placed them in the center of his empire, and turned the\nland of Judah into a desolation.\n\n4. There was underlying all these political reasons a moral cause in\n=the divine purpose to discipline the nation=. The captivity was a\nweeding-out process, to separate the precious from the vile, the false\nfrom the true, the \"remnant\" from the mass. There had always been two\ndistinct elements in Israel and Judah--the spiritual, God-fearing few,\nand the worldly, idol-worshiping many. The worldly and irreligious took\npart in the resistance to the King of Babylon; and the worshipers of\nJehovah, led by the prophets, urged submission. As a result, the nobles\nand the warriors, for the most part, perished; while the better part,\nthe strength and hope of the nation, were carried away captive. Notice\nthat the captives were mainly of the middle class, the working element\n(2 Kings 24. 14-16). Those who had submitted to the Chaldeans were also\ntaken away (2 Kings 25. 11). The prophet expressed greater hope for\nthose taken away than for those left behind (Jer. 24. 1-10). The\ncaptives were the root of Judah, out of which in due time a new nation\nshould rise.\n\nIV. =THE CONDITION OF THE CAPTIVES IN CHALDEA= was far better than we\nare apt to suppose.\n\n1. They received =kind treatment=; were regarded not as slaves or\nprisoners, but as colonists. At a later captivity by the Romans the Jews\nwere sold as slaves and dispersed throughout the empire. Such wholesale\nenslavement was common after a conquest. For some reason the Chaldeans\ndid not enslave the Jews at the time of their conquest, but colonized\nthem as free people. This may have been because the captives as a class\nwere of the \"Chaldean party\" among the Jews, and hence were treated in a\nmeasure as friends. The letter of Jeremiah to the exiles (Jer. 29. 1-7)\nshows that they were kindly dealt with in Chaldea. Some of them were\nreceived at the court and rose to high station in the realm (Dan. 1.\n1-6).\n\n2. =Their organization was maintained.= The exiles were not merged into\nthe mass of the people where they were living, but retained their own\nsystem, and were recognized as a separate colony. Their dethroned kings\nhad a semi-royal state, and at death an honorable burial (Jer. 52.\n31-34; 34. 4, 5). The captives were governed by elders, rulers of their\nown nation (Ezek. 8. 1; 14. 1; 20. 1). Such a system is still pursued in\nthe East, where the government is according to race as well as according\nto locality; that is, the different races in one province will each have\nseparate rulers. There was a \"prince of Judah\" at the close of the\ncaptivity (Ezra 1. 8). This fact of a national organization was a\nfortunate one for the exiles. If they had been dispersed as slaves\nthroughout the empire, or even had been scattered as individuals, they\nwould soon have been merged among the Gentiles, and would have lost\ntheir identity as a people. But maintaining as a separate race, and in\nJewish communities, they were readily gathered for a return to their own\nland when the opportunity came.\n\n3. =Their law and worship were observed.= There were no sacrifices, for\nthese could be offered only at Jerusalem in the temple. But the people\ngathered for worship and for the study of the law far more faithfully\nthan before the exile; for adversity is a school of religious character\nfar more than prosperity. The exile would naturally exert an influence\nin the direction of religion. While the irreligious and idolatrous among\nthe captives would soon drop out of the nation and be lost among the\nGentiles, the earnest, the spiritual, and the God-fearing would grow\nmore intense in their devotion. The institutions which date from the\ncaptivity (noticed below, under \"Results of Captivity\") are an evidence\nof this fact.\n\n4. =They were instructed by prophets and teachers.= Jeremiah lived for\nsome time after the beginning of the captivity, made a visit to Babylon,\nand wrote at least one letter to the exiles (Jer. 13. 4-7; 29. 1-3).\nDaniel lived during the captivity, and, though in the court, maintained\na deep interest in his people, and comforted them by his prophecies.\nEzekiel was himself one of the captives, and all his teachings were\naddressed to them (Ezek. 1. 1-3). Many evangelical and eminent Bible\nscholars are of the opinion that the latter part of Isaiah, from the\nfortieth chapter to the end, was given by a \"later Isaiah\" during the\nexile; but whether written at that time or earlier, it must have\ncirculated among the captives and given them new hope and inspiration.\nThe radical change in the character of the Jews which took place during\nthis period shows that a great revival swept over the captive people and\nbrought them back to the earnest religion of their noblest ancestors.\n\n5. =Their literature was preserved and enlarged.= Internal evidence\nshows that the Books of the Kings were finished and the Books of the\nChronicles written at this time or soon afterward; the Books of Daniel,\nEzekiel, Habakkuk, and other of the minor prophets were given; and a\nnumber of the best psalms were composed during this epoch, as such poems\nare likely to be written in periods of trial and sorrow. Out of the many\npsalms we cite Psalms 124, 126, 129, 130, 137, as manifestly written\nduring the captivity. The exile was an age of life and vigor to Hebrew\nliterature.\n\nV. =THE RESULTS OF THE CAPTIVITY.= In the year 536 B. C. the city of\nBabylon was taken by Cyrus, King of the combined Medes and Persians. One\nof his first acts was to issue an edict permitting the exiled Jews to\nreturn to their own country and rebuild their city. Not all the Jews\navailed themselves of the privilege, for many were already rooted in\ntheir new homes, where they had been for two generations. But a large\nnumber returned (Ezra 2. 64), and re-established the city and state of\nthe Jews. The captivity, however, left its impress upon the people down\nto the end of their national history, and even to the present time.\n\n1. =There was a change in language=, from Hebrew to Aramaic or Chaldaic.\nThe books of the Old Testament written after the restoration are in a\ndifferent language from the earlier writings. After the captivity the\nJews needed an interpreter in order to understand their own earlier\nScriptures. Allusion to this fact is given in Neh. 8. 7. The Chaldee of\nBabylon and the Hebrew were sufficiently alike to cause the people\nduring two generations to glide imperceptibly from one to the other,\nuntil the knowledge of their ancient tongue was lost to all but the\nscholars.\n\n2. =There was a change in habits.= Before the captivity the Jews were a\nsecluded people, having scarcely any relation with the world. The\ncaptivity brought them into contact with other nations, and greatly\nmodified their manner of living. Hitherto they had been mostly farmers,\nliving on their own fields; now they became merchants and traders, and\nfilled the world with their commerce. Rarely now do we find a Jew who\ncultivates the ground for his support. They are in the cities, buying\nand selling. This tendency began with the Babylonian captivity, and has\nsince been strengthened by the varied experiences, especially by the\npersecutions of the Jews during the centuries.\n\n3. =There was a change in character.= This was the most radical of all.\nBefore the captivity the crying sin of Judah, as well as of Israel, was\nits tendency to idolatry. Every prophet had warned against it and\nrebuked it; reformers had risen up; kings had endeavored to extirpate,\nbut all in vain; the worshipers of God were the few, the worshipers of\nidols were the many. After the captivity there was a wonderful\ntransformation. From that time we never read of a Jew bowing his knee\nbefore an idol. The entire nation was a unit in the service of Jehovah.\nAmong all the warnings of the later prophets, and the reforms of Ezra\nand Nehemiah, there is no allusion to idolatry. That crime was utterly\nand forever eradicated; from the captivity until to-day the Jews have\nbeen the people of the one, invisible God, and intense in their hatred\nof idols. We may not know all the causes of this change, but some of\nthem were: 1.) The fact that the idolatrous element largely perished,\nand the spiritual element formed the bulk of the captives. 2.) The\nidol-worshipers among the captives would naturally be less loyal to the\nnational ideas, and would more readily assimilate with the heathen;\nwhile the religious among the exiles would grow all the more devoted to\ntheir religion as their only hope in trial. 3.) The most ardent lovers\nof their country and their religion would be the most eager to return\nafter the exile; hence, the new state was founded by zealous Jews, who\ngave it religious spirit. So in modern times the spirit of the Pilgrims\nand the Puritans gave tone to New England, and through New England to\nAmerica.\n\n4. =There were new institutions= as the result of the captivity. Two\ngreat institutions arose during the captivity:\n\n1.) The _synagogue_, which grew up among the exiles, was carried back to\nPalestine, and was established throughout the Jewish world. This was a\nmeeting of Jews for worship, for reading the law, and for religious\ninstruction. It had far greater influence than the temple after the\ncaptivity; for while there was but one temple in all the Jewish world,\nthere was a synagogue in every city and village where Jews lived; and\nwhile the temple was the seat of a priestly and ritualistic service, the\nsynagogue promoted freedom of religious thought and utterance. Out of\nthe synagogue, far more than the temple, grew the Christian Church.\n\n2.) _The order of scribes_ was also a result of the captivity. The days\nof direct inspiration through prophets were passing away, and those of\nthe written Scripture, with a class of men to study and interpret it,\ncame in their place. During the captivity the devout Jews studied the\nbooks of their literature, the law, the psalms, the histories, and the\nprophets. After the captivity arose a series of scholars who were the\nexpounders of the Scriptures. Their founder was Ezra, at once a priest,\na scribe, and a prophet (Ezra 7. 1-10), who arranged the books and in a\nmeasure completed the canon of Old Testament Scripture.\n\n5. =There was a new hope, that of a Messiah.= From the time of the\ncaptivity the Jewish people looked forward with eager expectation to the\ncoming of a Deliverer, the Consolation of Israel, the \"Anointed One\"\n(the word Messiah means \"anointed\"), who should lift up his people from\nthe dust, exalt the throne of David, and establish an empire over all\nthe nations. This had been promised by prophets for centuries before the\nexile, but only then did it begin to shine as the great hope of the\npeople. It grew brighter with each generation, and finally appeared in\nthe coming of Jesus Christ, the King of Israel.\n\n6. From the captivity there =were two parts of the Jewish people=; the\nJews of Palestine, and the Jews of the dispersion. 1.) The Jews of\nPalestine, sometimes called Hebrews (Acts 6. 1), were the lesser in\nnumber, who lived in their own land and maintained the Jewish state. 2.)\nThe Jews of the dispersion were the descendants of those who did not\nreturn after the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1. 1), but remained in foreign\nlands and gradually formed Jewish \"quarters\" in all the cities of the\nancient world. They were the larger in number, and later were called\n\"Grecian Jews,\" or Hellenists, from the language which they used (Acts\n6. 1). Between these two bodies there was a close relation. The Jews of\nthe dispersion had synagogues in every city (Acts 15. 1), were devoted\nto the law, made constant pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and were recognized\nas having one hope with the Jews of Palestine. The traits of the two\nbodies were different, but each contributed its own element toward the\nmaking of a great people.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Cap. Isr. Jud.= 1. Isr. 721. Jud. 587. 2. Ass. Sar.--Chal. Neb.\n        3. Cas. Sea.--Riv. Eup. 4. Nev. ret.--Bro. b.\n\n  =II. Thr. Cap. Jud.= 1. Jeh. cap. 607. 2. Jehn. cap. 598. 3. Zed.\n        cap. 587.\n\n  =III. Caus. Cap.= 1. Pol. Or. conq. 2. Reb. kgs. Jud. 3. Riv. Eg.\n        Bab. 4. Div. pur. dis.\n\n  =IV. Con. Cap.= 1. Kin. tre. 2. Org. main. 3. La. wor. obs. 4. Ins.\n        pro. tea. 5. Lit. pre. enl.\n\n  =V. Res. Cap.= 1. Ch. lan. 2. Ch. hab. 3. Ch. char. 4. Ne. ins.\n        (syn. scr.) 5. Hop. Mess. 6. Two. par. peo.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  From what earlier captivity must that of Judah be distinguished?\n  What were the dates of these two captivities?\n  By whom was each nation taken captive?\n  Where was each nation carried captive?\n  What followed the captivity in each nation?\n  What were the three captivities of Judah?\n  What were the events of the first captivity of Judah?\n  Who were carried away at this time?\n  What date is connected with this captivity?\n  What were the events of the second captivity of Judah?\n  Who were then taken away?\n  What were the events of the third captivity?\n  How long was Jerusalem left in ruins?\n  By whom, and when, were the Jews permitted to return from captivity?\n  What causes may be assigned for the carrying away of the Jews?\n  What were the customs of ancient Oriental conquerors?\n  How did the conduct of the kings of Judah bring on the captivity?\n  What rivalry between nations was a cause of the captivity?\n  What were the two parties in the kingdom of Judah?\n  How was the carrying away of the Jews a political necessity?\n  What was the moral cause of the captivity?\n  How were the captive Jews treated?\n  What evidences show that their national organization was continued\n      during the captivity?\n  Why was this fact a fortunate one for the exiles?\n  What customs of the Jews were observed during the captivity?\n  What instructors did the Jews have during this period?\n  What was the condition of Jewish literature during the captivity?\n  What events followed the decree of Cyrus?\n  Did all the exiles of the Jews return?\n  What change in language was wrought by the captivity?\n  What change in habits followed the captivity?\n  What great change in religion came as the result of the captivity?\n  How can that change be accounted for?\n  What two institutions arose during the captivity?\n  What new hope arose at this time?\n  How were the Jews divided after the captivity?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          THE GREAT ORIENTAL EMPIRES.\n          THE CITY OF BABYLON.\n          THE PROPHETS OF THE CAPTIVITY.\n          THE PSALMS OF THE CAPTIVITY.\n          THE REIGN OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.\n          THE FALL OF BABYLON.\n\n\n\n\nTENTH STUDY.\n\nThe Jewish Province.\n\n\nFrom the return of the exiles, B. C. 536, to the final destruction of\nthe Jewish state by the Romans, A. D. 70, the history of the chosen\npeople is closely interwoven with that of the East in general. During\nmost of this time Judea was a subject province, belonging to the great\nempires which rose and fell in succession. For a brief but brilliant\nperiod it was an independent state, with its own rulers. As most of this\nperiod comes between the Old and New Testaments its events are less\nfamiliar to Bible readers than the other portions of Israelite history.\nWe therefore give more space than usual to the facts, only selecting the\nmost important, and omitting all that have no direct relation with the\ndevelopment of the divine plan in the Jewish people.\n\nI. The history divides itself into =FOUR PERIODS=, as follows:\n\n1. =The Persian period=, B. C. 536 to 330, from Cyrus to Alexander,\nwhile the Jewish province was a part of the Persian Empire. Very few\nevents of these two centuries have been recorded, but it appears to have\nbeen a period of quiet prosperity and growth. The Jews were governed by\ntheir high-priests under the general control of the Persian government.\nThe principal events of this period were:\n\n1.) _The second temple._ (B. C. 535-515.) This was begun soon after the\nreturn from exile (Ezra 3. 1, 2, 8), but was not completed until\ntwenty-one years afterward (Ezra 6. 15, 16). It was smaller and less\nsplendid than that of Solomon, but was built upon the same plan.\n\n2.) _Queen Esther's deliverance._ (B. C. 474.) This took place, not in\nJudea, but in Shushan (Susa), the capital of the Persian Empire. The\nking referred to as Ahasuerus was probably Xerxes, and the events of\nEsther's elevation and intercession took place after the defeat of his\ninvasion of Greece. The whole story is in accord with both Persian\ncustoms and the character of Xerxes.\n\n3.) _Ezra's reformation._ (B. C. 450.) The coming to Jerusalem of Ezra\nthe scribe was a great event in Israelite history; for, aided by\nNehemiah, he led in a great reformation of the people. He found them\nneglecting their law and following foreign customs. He awakened an\nenthusiasm for the Mosaic law, aroused the patriotism of the people, and\nrenewed the ancient faith. His work gave him the title of \"the second\nfounder of Israel.\"\n\n4.) _The separation of the Samaritans._ (B. C. 409.) For the origin of\nthe Samaritans, see 2 Kings 17. 22-34. They were a mingled people, both\nin race and religion; but until the captivity were permitted to worship\nin the temple at Jerusalem. After the return from Babylon the Samaritans\nand the Jews grew further and further apart. The Samaritans opposed the\nrebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4. 9-24), and delayed it for many years;\nand a century later strove to prevent Nehemiah from building the wall of\nJerusalem (Neh. 4. 2). Finally they established a rival temple on Mount\nGerizim, and thenceforth the two races were in bitter enmity (John 4.\n9).\n\n5.) _The completion of the Old Testament canon._ The prophets after the\nrestoration were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; but the author of most\nof the latest books was Ezra, who also arranged the Old Testament\nnearly, perhaps fully, in its present form. Thenceforward no more books\nwere added, and the scribe or interpreter took the place of the prophet.\n\n[Illustration: ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE.]\n\n2. =The Greek period.= (B. C. 330-166.) In the year 330 B. C. Alexander\nthe Great won the empire of Persia in the great battle of Arbela, by\nwhich the sovereignty of the East was transferred from Asia to Europe,\nand a new chapter in the history of the world was opened. Alexander died\nat the hour when his conquests were completed, and before they could be\norganized and assimilated; but the kingdoms into which his empire was\ndivided were all under Greek kings, and were all Greek in language and\ncivilization. Judea was on the border between Syria and Egypt, and\nbelonged alternately to each kingdom. We divide this period into three\nsubdivisions.\n\n1.) _The reign of Alexander._ (B. C. 330-321.) The Jews had been well\ntreated by the Persian kings and remained faithful to Darius, the last\nKing of Persia, in his useless struggle. Alexander marched against\nJerusalem, determined to visit upon it heavy punishment for its\nopposition, but (according to tradition) was met by Jaddua, the\nhigh-priest, and turned from an enemy to a friend of the Jews.\n\n2.) _The Egyptian supremacy._ (B. C. 311-198.) In the division of\nAlexander's conquests Judea was annexed to Syria, but it soon fell into\nthe hands of Egypt, and was governed by the Ptolemies (Greek kings of\nEgypt) until 198 B. C. The only important events of this period were the\nrule of Simon the Just, an exceptionally able high-priest, about 300 B.\nC., and the translation of the Old Testament into the Greek language for\nthe use of the Jews of Alexandria, who had lost the use of Hebrew or\nChaldee. This translation was made about 286 B. C., according to Jewish\ntradition, and is known as the Septuagint version. It was regarded as an\nact of sacrilege by the Palestinian Jews to translate their Holy\nScriptures into the language of heathens, and for centuries the\nanniversary of the completion of the Septuagint was observed as a day of\nhumiliation and prayer.\n\n3.) _The Syrian supremacy._ (B. C. 198-166.) About the year 198 B. C.\nJudea fell into the hands of the Syrian kingdom, also ruled by a Greek\ndynasty, the Seleucidae, or descendants of Seleucus. This change of\nrulers brought to the Jews a change of treatment. Hitherto they had been\npermitted to live undisturbed upon their mountains, and to enjoy a\nmeasure of liberty, both in civil and ecclesiastical matters. But now\nthe Syrian kings not only robbed them of their freedom, but also\nundertook to compel them to renounce their religion by one of the most\ncruel persecutions in all history. The temple was desecrated and left to\nruin, and the worshipers of Jehovah were tortured and slain, in the vain\nendeavor to introduce the Greek and Syrian forms of idolatry among the\nJews. Heb. 11, 33-40, is supposed to refer to this persecution. When\nAntiochus, the Syrian king, found that the Jews could not be driven from\ntheir faith, he deliberately determined to exterminate the whole nation.\nUncounted thousands of Jews were slaughtered, other thousands were sold\nas slaves, Jerusalem was well nigh destroyed, the temple was dedicated\nto Jupiter Olympius, and the orgies of the Bacchanalia were substituted\nfor the Feast of Tabernacles. The religion of Jehovah and the race of\nthe Jews seemed on the verge of utter annihilation in their own land.\n\n3. =The Maccabean period.= (B. C. 166-40.) But the darkest hour precedes\nthe day; the cruelties of the Syrians caused a new and splendid epoch to\nrise upon Israel.\n\n1.) _The revolt of Mattathias._ In the year 170 B. C. an aged priest,\nMattathias, unfurled the banner of independence from the Syrian yoke. He\ndid not at first aim for political freedom, but religious liberty; but\nafter winning a few victories over the Syrian armies he began to dream\nof a free Jewish state. He died in the beginning of the war, but was\nsucceeded by his greater son, Judas Maccabeus.[L]\n\n2.) _Judas Maccabeus_ gained a greater success than had been dreamed at\nthe beginning of the revolt. Within four years the Jews recaptured\nJerusalem and reconsecrated the temple. (The anniversary of this event\nwas ever after celebrated in the Feast of Dedication, John 10. 22.)\nJudas ranks in history as one of the noblest of the Jewish heroes, and\ndeserves a place beside Joshua, Gideon, and Samuel as a liberator and\nreformer.\n\n3.) _The Maccabean dynasty._ Judas refused the title of king, but his\nfamily established a line of rulers who by degrees assumed a royal\nstate, and finally the royal title. In the year 143 B. C. Jewish liberty\nwas formally recognized, and the Maccabean princes ruled for a time over\nan independent state. Between 130 and 110 B. C. Edom, Samaria, and\nGalilee were added to Judea. The latter province had been known as\n\"Galilee of the Gentiles\" (Isa. 9. 1); but by degrees the foreigners\nwithdrew, and the province was occupied by Jews who were as devoted and\nloyal as those of Jerusalem.\n\n[Illustration: ROMAN EMPIRE]\n\n4.) _The rise of the sects._ About B. C. 100 the two sects, or schools\nof thought, the Pharisees and Sadducees, began to appear, though their\nprinciples had long been working. The Pharisees (\"separatists\") sought\nfor absolute separation from the Gentile world and a strict construction\nof the law of Moses, while the Sadducees (\"moralists\") were liberal in\ntheir their theories and in their lives.\n\n4. =The Roman period.= (B. C. 40-A. D. 70.) It is not easy to name a\ndate for the beginning of the Roman supremacy in Palestine. It began in\nB. C. 63, when Pompey the Great (afterward the antagonist of Julius\nCaesar) was asked to intervene between two claimants for the Jewish\nthrone, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Pompey decided for Hyrcanus, and aided\nhim by a Roman army. In his interest he besieged and took Jerusalem, and\nthen placed Hyrcanus in power, but without the title of king. From this\ntime the Romans were practically, though not nominally, in control of\naffairs.\n\n1.) _Herod the Great._ We assign as the date of the Roman rule 40 B. C.,\nwhen Herod (son of Antipater, an Edomite, who had been the general of\nHyrcanus) received the title of king from the Roman Senate. From this\ntime Palestine was regarded as a part of the Roman Empire. Herod was the\nablest man of his age, and one of the most unscrupulous. He ruled over\nall Palestine, Idumea (ancient Edom), and the lands south of Damascus.\n\n[Illustration: PALESTINE IN THE TIME OF CHRIST]\n\n2.) _Herod's temple._ Herod was thoroughly hated by the Jews, less for\nhis character than for his foreign birth. To gain their favor he began\nrebuilding the temple upon a magnificent scale. It was not completed\nuntil long after his death, which took place at Jericho about the time\nwhen Jesus Christ, the true King of the Jews, was born (Matt. 2. 1, 2).\n\n3.) _The tetrarchies._ By Herod's will his dominions were divided into\nfour tetrarchies (\"quarter-rulings,\" a title for a fourth part of a\nkingdom). Three of these were in Palestine--Archelaus receiving Judea,\nIdumea, and Samaria; Antipas (the Herod of Luke 4. 19, 20; 23. 7-11)\nreceiving Galilee and Perea; and Philip (Luke 3. 1) having the district\nof Bashan. About A. D. 6 Archelaus was deposed, and a Roman, Coponius,\nwas appointed the first Procurator of Judea, which was made a part of\nthe prefecture of Syria. The rest of Jewish annals belongs properly to\nthe New Testament history.\n\nII. Through these periods we notice the gradual =PREPARATION FOR THE\nGOSPEL=, which was steadily advancing.\n\n1. =There was a political preparation.= Six centuries before Christ the\nworld around the Mediterranean was divided into states, whose normal\ncondition was war. At no time was peace prevalent over all the world at\nonce. If Christ had come at that time it would have been impossible to\nestablish the Gospel except through war and conquest. But kingdoms were\nabsorbed into empires, empires rose and fell by turns, each with a\nlarger conception of the nation than its predecessor. From the crude\ncombination of undigested states in the Assyrian Empire to the orderly,\nassimilated, systematic condition of the Roman world was a great\nadvance. Christ appeared at the only point in the world's history when\nthe great nations of the world were under one government, with a system\nof roads such that a traveler could pass from Mesopotamia to Spain and\ncould sail the Mediterranean Sea in perfect safety.\n\n2. =There was a preparation of language.= The conquests of Alexander,\nthough accomplished in ten years, left a deeper impress upon the world\nthan any other two centuries of history. They gave to the whole of that\nworld one language, the noblest tongue ever spoken by human lips, \"a\nlanguage fit for the gods,\" as men said. Through Alexander Greek cities\nwere founded every-where in the East, Greek kingdoms were established,\nthe Greek literature and the Greek civilization covered all the lands.\nThat was the language in which Paul preached the Gospel, and in which\nthe New Testament was written--the only language of the ancient world in\nwhich the thoughts of the Gospel could be readily expressed. While each\nland had its own tongue, the Greek tongue was common in all lands.\n\n3. While these preparations were going on there was another in progress\nat the same time, =the preparation of a race=. We might point to the\nhistory of the Israelites from the migration of Abraham as a training;\nbut we refer now to their special preparation for their mission after\nthe restoration, B. C. 536. There was a divine purpose in the division\nof Judaism into two streams; one a little fountain in Palestine, the\nother a river dispersed over all the lands. Each branch had its part in\nthe divine plan. One was to concentrate its energies upon the divine\nreligion, to study the sacred books, to maintain a chosen people, whose\nbigotry, narrowness, and intolerance kept them from destruction; the\nother branch was out in the world, where every Jewish synagogue in a\nheathen city kept alive the knowledge of God, and disseminated that\nknowledge, drawing around it the thoughtful, spiritual minds who were\nlooking for something better than heathenism. Palestine gave the Gospel,\nbut the Jews of the dispersion carried it to the Gentiles, and each\nsynagogue in the foreign world became the nucleus of a Christian Church,\nwhere for the first time Jew and Gentile met as equals.\n\n4. Finally, there was the =preparation of a religion=. The Gospel of\nChrist was not a new religion; it was the new development of an old\nreligion. As we study the Old Testament we see that each epoch stands\nupon a higher religious plane. There is an enlargement of spiritual\nvision between Abraham and Moses; between Moses and David; between David\nand Isaiah; between Isaiah and John the Baptist. Pharisee and Sadducee\neach held a share of the truth which embraced the best thought of both\nsects. The work of many scribes prepared the way for the coming of the\nLord, and just when revelation was brought up to the highest level, when\na race was trained to apprehend and proclaim it, when a language had\nbeen created and diffused to express it, when the world was united in\none great brotherhood of states, ready to receive it--then, in the\nfullness of times, the Christ was manifested, who is over all, God\nblessed forever.\n\n\nBlackboard Outline.\n\n  =I. Four Per.= 1. Per. per. 1.) Sec. tem. 2.) Q. Es. del. 3.) Ez.\n        ref. 4.) Sep. Sam. 5.) Com. O. T. can.\n  2. Gk. per. 1.) Rei. Alex. 2.) Eg. sup. 3.) Syr. sup.\n  3. Macc. per. 1.) Rev. Mat. 2.) Jud. Macc. 3.) Macc. dyn. 4.) Ri.\n        sec.\n  4. Rom. per. 1.) Her. Cr. 2.) Her. tem. 3.) Tetr.\n\n  =II. Prep. Gosp.= 1. Pol. prep. 2. Prep. lan. 3. Prep. rac. 4. Prep.\n        rel.\n\n\nQUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.\n\n  With what history is that of the Jews interwoven during this period?\n  What was the political condition of the Jews at this time?\n  What are the four periods of this history?\n  Who were the rulers of the Jews during the first period?\n  What building was erected after the return from captivity?\n  What great deliverance was effected by a woman?\n  What great reforms were effected by a scribe?\n  What title has been given to him?\n  What were the events connected with the separation of the Samaritans?\n  Who were the prophets of the restoration?\n  By whom was the Old Testament canon arranged?\n  What brought on the Greek period?\n  What events of Jewish history were connected with Alexander the Great?\n  Under what people did the Jews fall afterward?\n  What were the events of the Egyptian rule?\n  What is the Septuagint?\n  How was its translation regarded by the Jews of Palestine?\n  In what kingdom, after Egypt, did Judea fall?\n  How was it governed by its new masters?\n  Who instituted a great persecution?\n  What was the effect of this persecution?\n  Who led the Jews in revolt?\n  What great hero arose at this time?\n  What line of rulers arose in his family?\n  What was the growth of the Jewish state at this time?\n  What sects of the Jews arose?\n  How did Judea fall under the Roman power?\n  Whom did the Romans establish as king?\n  What were his dominions?\n  What building did he erect?\n  How was his kingdom divided after his death?\n  What finally became of Judea?\n\n\nSubjects for Special Papers.\n\n          CYRUS THE EMANCIPATOR.\n          THE CONQUESTS OF ALEXANDER.\n          JUDAS MACCABEUS.\n          THE JEWISH SECTS.\n          HEROD THE GREAT.\n          THE JEWS OF THE DISPERSION.\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[L] The origin of this title is obscure. Some regard it as meaning \"the\nhammer,\" like a similar name in the Middle Ages, Charles Martel. Others\nsay that it was a part of the Hebrew inscription on the banner of Judas,\n\"Micamo Ka Baalim Jehovah,\" \"Who is like unto thee among the gods, O\nJehovah?\" Still others that it was made up as a sort of charm from the\nlast letters of the words Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. The Maccabean princes\nwere also called Asmoneans.\n\n\n\n\n          THE\n          Ten Minute Series OF\n          Supplemental Lessons\n          --FOR--\n          The Sunday School,\n          --BY--\n          LORANUS E. HITCHCOCK.\n\n[Illustration: T]HE necessity of some instruction in the Bible, in order\nto supply the deficiencies which are unavoidable to any system of\nuniform lessons, is realized in every Sunday school. The International\nLessons can only give detached portions of Scripture, and a supplemental\nlesson must be added to impart a general knowledge of the book as a\nwhole.\n\nThe full course of study includes five series of lessons, adapted to be\nused in any denomination.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n          =I. The Life of Jesus.=\n          =II. Studies about the Bible.=\n          =III. Bible Geography.=\n          =IV. Bible History.=\n          =V. History of the Christian Church.=\n\nTwo additional series of special interest to the Methodist Episcopal\nChurch have been prepared, namely:\n\n          =VI. History of the Methodist Episcopal Church.=\n          =VII. Government of the Methodist Episcopal Church.=\n\nThese lessons are arranged for use as graded studies for scholars ten\nyears of age and upward.\n\nEach series contains thirty-six lessons, which can easily be learned in\nthe course of a year, even if the study be suspended during the summer\nmonths.\n\n  =Sample Set, 7 numbers, 35 cents.=\n  =Price of each, per dozen, 50 cents; by mail, 60 cents.=\n\n  _New York: Hunt & Eaton._      _Cincinnati: Cranston & Curts._\n\n\n\n\nBOOKS BY REV. JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D.\n\n  =Life of Christ.= Chautauqua Text-book, No. 38               $0 10\n\n  =Illustrative Notes on the Sunday-School Lesson.= Published\n      yearly. With maps and blackboard lessons. Size, 8vo,\n      bound in cloth                                            1 25\n\n  =Revised Normal Lessons.= Paper, 25 cents. Cloth, flexible      40\n\n  =Scripture Selections for Daily Bible Headings.= A Portion\n      of the Bible for Every Day. Crown 8vo. Cloth. Gilt top,\n      $1.50. 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Life of the Apostle\n          Paul. Per set, postpaid                            03\n\n\nPALESTINE CLASS.\n\nBy Bishop J. H. Vincent.\n\nNo. 1. Pilgrim Grade. No. 2. Resident Grade. No. 3. Explorer Grade. No.\n4. Jerusalem Grade.\n\n          _Each, 2 cents. The four numbers for 6 cents._\n\n\nYOUNG TRAVELERS' CLASS.\n\nBY MRS. M. G. KENNEDY.\n\nNo. 1. The Journey. No. 2. Land and Kingdom. No. 3. By Hills and Waters.\nNo. 4. Guided Through the Land. No. 5. In the City. No. 6. Young\nTravelers by the Sea-side. No. 7. Footsteps in the Holy Land.\n\n          _Each, 2 cents. The seven numbers for 10 cents._\n\n\nYOUNG FOLKS' WALKS AND TALKS WITH JESUS.\n\nBY MRS. M. G. KENNEDY.\n\n1. Introductory, the Bible. 2. The Child and the Man. 3. The Chosen\nTwelve. 4. The Spreading Gospel Light. 5. Teaching by Parables. 6. A\nLittle Talk with Jesus. 7. The Last Week. 8. Resurrection and Ascension.\n\n          _Each, 2 cents. The eight numbers for 10 cents._\n\n\n          NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON.\n          CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nObvious punctuation errors have been repaired.\n\nThe table of contents did not exactly match the numeration of the pages.\nIt stated that the Preface began on page 5 when in actuality it began on\npage 7. The Chronological Table was shown to be on page 9 but that is\nthe middle of the preface. It is actually located on page 6. In the HTML\nversion, the links will take the reader to the actual place indexed\ninstead of the page written.\n\nThe rest of the table of contents appears accurate.\n\nThe first four lessons have the questions for review in a list format.\nBeginning with lesson five this changes to paragraphs.\n\nText uses both post-paid and postpaid.\n\nPage 46, \"hinderances\" changed to \"hindrances\" (spite of their\nhindrances)\n\nPage 51, repeated word \"of\" deleted. Original read (by the authority of\nof God)\n\nPage 77, \"seige\" changed to \"siege\" (from the siege of Jerusalem)\n\n\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"pg-footer\">","title":"Studies in Old Testament History","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":26995}