6. Work out a parallel between the English and Hebrew nations, as developing from various constituent elements and gradually losing the sense of those differences.

7. Compare the Hebrew tribal organization with that of the American Indians.

8. Compare Hebrew city organization with that of Greece.

9.

10.

By what steps does the patriarchal form of government pass into the aristocratic form?

Consider the development of the self-governing city. How far did it exist in Israel? What is the genetic relation between our aldermen and the Hebrew elders?

CHAPTER XI

THE KINGSHIP AND THE COURT NOBILITY

§ I. THE first unified leadership of the tribes of Israel was effected by Moses. He held no official position. Appearing in a time of stress, he was accepted as the messenger of Jehovah, led the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness, and was accorded the authority which belongs to a great personality. The emergency of the conquest required a continuance of such leadership, and the authority of Moses was great enough for him to appoint his own successor. Joshua, therefore, became the war chief whom the people followed.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGSHIP

Once a settlement had been made in Canaan, and the tribes had become scattered each to its own region, the federation ceased, and there was no central authority. This condition was most unfavorable to national defense, and again and again it was necessary for conspicuous military leaders to marshal the tribes, or at least some of them, for battle. A man who had behind him the prestige of military success was naturally looked upon as fit arbiter in matters of dispute. These occasional leaders, therefore, became known as judges. It is unlikely that any of them had any definitely constituted authority other than his personal influence, and it is probable that the authority and influence were always local rather than national. The absence of

ntral government is indicated in the expressive stateat in those days "every man did that which was right own eyes" (Judg 21. 25).

en the people said, "We will have a king over us ...

that... he may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles" (1 Sam 8. 19f.), they expressed the need of a permanent political organization for the scattered population of Israel. Samuel, while, according to the later version, protesting against the kingship, according to the earlier story, actually selected the king by divine direction. The form employed was that of anointing (1 Sam 10. 1), which was the ancient usage among many peoples, probably symbolic of a divine enduement of power and authority (Judg 9. 8). The practice seems to have been followed throughout the kingship (1 Sam 16. 13; 2 Sam 2. 4; 5. 3; 1 Kings 1. 39; 2 Kings 11. 12; 23. 30). Thus the king was known as "the Messiah of Jehovah" (the Lord's anointed, 1 Sam 26. 11; Psa 2. 2).

Saul, the first king, came to his office much as the judges had come to the front-through a heroic act of martial leadership (1 Sam 11), and his conduct of the office differed little from that of the judges. He remained in his ancestral city of Gibeah (1 Sam 14. 16), where he kept a simple state, sitting among his servants and attended by a guard (1 Sam 22. 6, 17), ready to hear cases that might come before him. At the beginning of each month at the new moon he held a feast at which his officers were expected to be present (1 Sam 20. 24f.). In time of war he was commander in chief, and the record of his reign shows that he was considerably engaged in campaigns against Israel's enemies.

Under David and Solomon with the increase of territory and of wealth there was a marked development of the kingship. The institution of the harem (2 Sam 3. 3-5; 1 Kings II. 1-3) was an assimilation to the customs of the eastern emperors. David captured Jerusalem and made it the capital of the land (2 Sam 5. 6-10). Solomon built there a magnificent palace and a temple for royal worship (1 Kings 6. 37 to 7. 1). When the kingdom was divided Jeroboam set up his own capital (1 Kings 12. 25), but it remained

for Omri and Ahab to extend the institutions of the South to the Northern Kingdom. A new capital strongly fortified was built in Samaria (1 Kings 16. 24), and splendid palaces gave dignity to the king's court (1 Kings 21. 1; 22. 39).

§ 2. THE FUNCTIONS OF THE King

The first duty of the king continued to be that of leading his people in war. Already under Saul the nucleus of a standing army was formed (1 Sam 14. 52) and the "captain of the host" was appointed (1 Sam 17. 55). David during his outlaw life had gathered around him a picked band, and these continued during his reign to be his bodyguard. The exploits of the great first three heroes and of those next in valor, and then of the thirty mighty men were considered worthy of special mention in the chronicles of the king's reign (2 Sam 23. 8-39). At the time of the conspiracy of Absalom David had a guard of Philistine mercenaries of six hundred men who remained true to him through all the crisis (2 Sam 15. 18-22). The same regiment of household troops again served the king's need in the last conspiracy of his reign (1 Kings 1. 8, 10, 38), and at a later time was available to restore the Davidic line to the throne (2 Kings 11. 4). These faithful Philistine mercenaries have been compared to the famous Swiss guard who have been so conspicuous in European warfare.

In addition to the foot soldiers David kept a hundred chariots of those which he captured from his enemies (2 Sam 8. 4). This arm of the service was greatly increased by Solomon, who is said to have had fourteen hundred chariots (1 Kings 10. 26), and four thousand horses (1 Kings 4. 26; 2 Chron 9. 25). Twelve thousand horsemen are also mentioned as on his establishment, but it is never safe to give too much weight to the round numbers of ancient documents.

Besides the regular troops, the armies consisted of the

male population summoned from their homes for the emergencies of battle (1 Kings 22. 36). There was no regular system of training these men, but they were skilled in the use of the weapons of their day. At one time Benjamin could furnish "seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hairbreadth and not miss" (Judg 20. 16).

The northern army at one time at least was organized with two commanders under the king, "the captain of half the chariots" (1 Kings 16. 9) and "the captain of the host" (v. 16). This latter title seems to have belonged to one man in preeminence, but it was also applied to all generals (2 Kings 9. 5). Of the minor officers, we know particularly captains of thousands (1 Sam 8. 12), captains of hundreds (2 Kings 11. 4), and captains of fifties (1 Sam 8. 12; 2 Kings 1. 9-13; Isa 3. 3).

The king held an important place in the administration of justice which may be left for discussion in connection with the treatment of that topic. (See Chapter XIII.) As regards legislation, it is particularly to be noted that there was no idea of a legislative authority in ancient times. Law was not thought of as the result of enactment, but as the time-honored custom of the tribe or nation. It was God who gave laws. As we have noted, the prophets who produced the Book of the Covenant and the Deuteronomic Code did not think of themselves as innovators, but as expressing, in the name of Jehovah, the great duties and prohibitions, most of which had existed from time immemorial, but some of which were particularly required by the entrance into the land of Canaan. The province, then, of elders, judges, and king was to administer justice in accordance with these time-honored prescriptions.

83. THE ROYAL REVENUE

The royal revenue was not divided into personal and state expenditures. Indeed, there was no distinction between