SUMMARY OF EVENTS.

1 THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN (B. C. ABOUT 1300.)

JOSHUA, the successor of Moses, enters on his office; he sends spies to Jericho. Their report. Passing over the Jordan. Celebration of the Passover in the camp at Gilgal. Fall of Jericho. The sin and punishment of Achan. Conquest of Ai. Covenant with the Gibeonites. Defeat of the five Southern kings. Confederacy of the northern kings of Canaan. They are defeated at the waters of Merom. Division of land by lot. The unconquered territory assigned to tribes yet unprovided. The Tabernacle placed at Shiloh. Six cities of Refuge are designated, and fortyeight towns are appointed for the Levites. The two and a half tribes, Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh return to their inheritance eastwards of the Jordan. Agreement respecting the Altar built by them. Joshua's last address to the people; renewal of the covenant in Shechem. He dies aged 110, and is buried in Timnath-serah. Eleazar the high-priest dies, and is buried in Gibeah in the portion of his son and successor Phinehas.

2 THE TIME OF THE JUDGES.

The remnants of the Canaanites tempt the Israelites to idolatry. ОтHNIEL's victory over the most wicked Cushan king of Mesopotamia. EHUD, a Benjamite assassinates Eglon king of Moab who, allied with Ammon and Amalek, harrasses Israel for eighteen years, and frees Israel from the tyranny of the Moabites. SHAMGAR, the son of Anath, defeats the Philistines. Jabin, the Canaanite king in Hazor, through Sisera, the captain of his host, oppresses the Israelites for twenty years. DEBORAH, a prophetess, judges Israel at that time. She encourages BARAK of the tribe of Naphtali to take the lead. Under their joint command the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali unite with West Manasseh, Ephraim and Benjamin, and completely defeat the host of Sisera at Megiddo; he escapes by flight, but is assassinated by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Israel has rest for forty years.

Midian oppresses Israel for seven years. GIDEON (Jerubbaal) son of Joash in Ophrah in West Manasseh defeats the Midianites in the plain of Jezreel. Jealousy of the Ephraimites assuaged. Gideon's refusal to become king. He establishes a sanctuary at Ophrah. The land has rest for forty years.

ABIMELECH, the son of Gideon, conspires with the people of Shechem, is proclaimed king; he kills his brothers, of whom only Jotham, the youngest escapes. His parable of the trees. After three years Shechem rebells, and is destroyed by Abimelech; he himself falls at the siege of Thebez. TOLA, the son of Puah, of the tribe of Issachar, dwelling in Shamir,

judges Israel for twenty-three years. JAIR a Gileadite, judges Israel twenty-two years. JEPHTHAH, a Gileadite, is chosen leader in the war against the Ammonites. The Ammonites are defeated. Jephthah's vow. Jealousy of Ephraim punished. The pass-word Shiboleth. He reigns six years. ELON of the tribe of Zebulun, reigns ten years. ABDON the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, eight years. The Southern tribes are oppressed by the Philistines. SAMSON the son of Manoah of the tribe of Dan. The vow of the Nazzarite. His gigantic strength, his feats. He judges Israel for twenty years. He is betrayed by Delilah, taken prisoner, and blinded. His heroic death. A portion of the tribe of Dan emigrate, and conquer Laish (afterwards Dan) in the north of Canaan. Micah's image, and Jonathan, the priest at the sanctuary at Dan.

ELI and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas at the sanctuary in Shiloh. Samuel, the son of Elkanah and Hannah, of the tribe of Ephraim, is dedicated by his mother, and brought up by Eli for the priesthood. Defeat of the Israelites by the Philistines at Aphek. The Ark of the covenant taken by the enemy. Eli dies on hearing the news, aged ninety-eight years. The Philistines, in consequence of various plagues by which they are visited, send the Ark of the covenant back to Beth-shemesh. The men of the city of Jearim carry the Ark to the house of Abinadab in Gibeah, and sanctify his son Eleazar to keep it.

SAMUEL, Prophet and Judge in Israel. The assembly and the sacrifices in Mizpeh. The Israelites defeat the Philistines and recover the lost territory. Samuel's work. Rise of Prophetical Schools. Samuel's yearly circuits. His house and the High Place at Ramah. His sons, unlike their father. Political misfortunes cause the Israelites to demand of Samuel to appoint them a king. Samuel resists in vain; at last he anoints Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjamite and presents him to the people assembled at Mizpeh.

3 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM (B. C. 1035.)

THE FIRST THREE KINGS OF ISRAEL.

SAUL, first king of Israel, defeats the Ammonites and brings deliverance to the people of Jabesh Gilead; has a standing army of 3000 men. Successful wars of Saul and his son Jonathan against the Philistines. Ahijah the son of Ahitub of Shiloh, Saul's priest. Saul's successful wars against Moab, Ammon, Edom, Aram Gobah, and Amalek. Discord between Samuel and Saul. (David the son of Jesse of Beth-lehem in Judah at the court of Saul.) The Philistine camp in Ephes-damim. David comes to the camp, and slays the giant Goliath. Friendship of Jonathan and David. Saul gives Michal his daughter David to wife. The fame of David excites Saul's jealousy. He seeks to slay him. David's escape. Saul slays Ahimelech, and the whole priesthood of Nob for heaving provided David with weapons and ivictuals. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech escapes and flees to David. David, in the fastness of Adullam, is joined by his family, and collects a band of

400 men. He places his parents in safety with the king of Moab. His exploits in the wooded districts in the South of Judah. Joab, Abisha, and Asahel the sons of Zeruiah his sister are among the boldest warriors. David rescues Keilah in Judah from the plundering bands of the Philistines. Saul pursues David to the wilderness of Ziph, to Maon, and En-gedi; he escapes from him with the utmost difficulty, but shows twice great generosity, when Saul in turn is in his power.. David and Nabal the Carmelite; he marries Abigail the widow of Nabal. David's band of followers increases to 600 warriors. He goes over to Achish king of Gath, who assigns to him the town of Ziklag.

The Philistines go to war against Saul. David and his men called by Achish to participate, are sent home on the suspicion of the Philistine leaders. He avenges himself on the Amalekites who, in his absence had plundered Ziklag, and divides the rich spoil among the cities of Judah. Saul before the battle. Defeat and death of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. Almost the whole of the north and central part of the country is in the power of the Philistines. Abner escapes with Ish-bosheth (Ish-baal) the son of Saul, to Mahanaim on the east side of the Jordan. David's lament over the death of Saul and Jonathan. DAVID (with the consent of the Philistines) removes to Hebron and is proclaimed KING OVER THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (B. C. 1016.) Wars between the followers of Ish-bosheth and those of David. Asahel is killed by Abner. Abner, offended by Ish-bosheth, goes over to David, is murdered by Joab who avenges the death of Asahel. David's lament over Abner. After Ish-bosheth is murdered by two Benjamites, David is made KING OVER ALL ISRAEL (B. C. 1008.)

David conquers Jerusalem and makes it his capital. He is attacked by the Philistines, After many bloody battles the Philistines are driven out of the land. Tyrian workmen build David a palace at Jerusalem. The Ark of the covenant is brought from the house of Abinadab to the royal city with great rejoicing and festivity. David intends to build a temple to the Eternal the God of Israel, but is dissuaded by the prophet Nathan. (Arrangement for divine service, the Psalms of David.) Edom, Moab, and Ammon become tributary; the Syrian districts Zobah and Damascus are conquered, strong garrison placed in the conquered countries. His sovereignty extends from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. David's sin against Uriah the Hittite. Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, becomes David's wife. David's officers: Joab commander of the host; Jehoshaphat recorder; Zadok and Abiathar priests, and Benaiah commander of the king's body guard, the Axe-bearers and the Runners. Discord among David's children. Absalom causes Amnon, the firstborn son of David, to be killed. He is banished from court and is only allowed to return after several years through Joab's intercession. Absalom's conspiracy. David flees from Jerusalem to Mahanaim. Ahitophel, the counsellor, Amasa the captain of the host of Absalom. Defeat of Absalom's army in the battle of Mahanaim. Absalom's end. David's grief at the death of his rebellious son. David is brought back to Jerusalem, and pardons his

adversaries. Jealousy of the Ephramites. Sheba the son of Bichri renews the rebellion. Joab treacherously murders Amasa who had been appointed to be one of the captains of the host: then pursues after Sheba to Abel near Beth-maachah. Sheba is killed by the inhabitants of the city, and the rebellion is quenched.

David's treatment of the house of Saul. Jonathan's son is remembered; but on the occasion of a famine seven men of Saul's family are slain at Gibeah to atone for Saul's breach of faith towards the Gibeonites. David numbers the people. A pestilence breaks out among the people. David regrets his act. At the advise of the prophet Gad David buys the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite on Mount Moriah, and builds an Altar there. In his extreme old age, his son Adonijah, assisted by Joab and Abiathar attempts to seize the throne. By the advise of the prophet Nathan, Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, reminds the king of his promise that Solomon should reign after him. David immediately has his son Solomon proclaimed king by Nathan, Zadok and Benaiah. Adonijah is temporarily pardoned. David dies at the age of seventy.

SOLOMON proclaimed king of Israel (B. C. 976.) He puts to death Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei, the son of Gera, and deprives Abiathar of his office. He marries the daughter of the king of Egypt. Solomon's wisdom. (Proverbs and Songs of Solomon.) Magnificence of his court. He builds splendid palaces. His league with Hiram king of Tyre. The building of the Temple on Mount Moriah begun 973 and finished 965. Dedication of the Temple on the feast of the Tabernacles. Buildings of Solomon. His ships sail from Ezion-geber to Ophir, and bring gold. Monopoly of the government in the trade of horses and chariots brought from Egypt. The queen of Sheba visits Solomon. Solomon's numerous wives; they tempt him to idolatry. Signs of discontent. Heavy taxes and oppressive labourlevy. Disturbances in Syria; Hadad rebells in Edom. The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh and Jeroboam the son of Nebat of the tribe of Ephraim. Jeroboam, suspected of rebellion, flees to Egypt. Death of Solomon (936). Jeroboam returns from Egypt. The people demand of Rehoboam the son of Solomon to lessen their burdens. On his refusal they elect Jeroboam KING OVER ISRAEL.

4. THE DIVIDED KINGDOM.

THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH.

(936-589.)

THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.

(936-722.)

1. REHOBOAM (936–920) son of Solo- 1. JEROBOAM (936-916) fortifies mon, prepares to subdue the ten tribes, Shechem, and makes it his capital. but desists at the advise of the pro- He sets up golden calves in Dan and phet Shemaiah; fortifies many towns Beth-el; institutes a new feast, and in the southwest. Shishak, king of appoints priests not of the tribe of Egypt, attacks Judah, enters Jerusa- Levi. Warnings of an unknown lem (932) and plunders the temple prophet. Jeroboam sends his wife to