Canaan, a country that God promised to his descendants. He was at this time seventyfive years of age. From this period until his death he resided, with the exception of a short time spent in Egypt, in different portions of Canaan ; but chiefly in the southern part, near to Hebron.

4. While dwelling here two sons were born to him, Ishmael and Isaac. The former became the progenitor of the Arabians, turning with his descendants from the worship of the true God to idolatry; eventually they became converts to Mohammed, the great impostor. Isaac was the father of the promised seed. Abraham died when one hundred and seventyfive years of age, and was buried near Hebron.

5. Esau, the father of the Edomites, and Jacob, the father of the twelve patriarchs, were the children of Isaac. The sale of Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, by his envious brethren, led, in the providence of God, to the removal of Jacob and his family into Egypt. This was about the year 1706 B. C., when Jacob was one hundred and thirty years old. They settled in Goshen, on the eastern side of the Nile, where Jacob died.

6. In process of time, after the death of Joseph, and after his fame had passed away from the memory of the Egyptians, a new race of kings also having obtained the throne, they commenced persecuting and enslaving the Hebrews, employing them in making brick, and building their cities.

7. At length Moses, a Hebrew, and also an adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, was raised up by God to deliver them from their bondage. In the year 1491 B. C., he led them over the Red Sea, dry shod, into the wilderness of Paran-a sandy waste stretching between the two northern arms of the sea, and extending to the southern limit of Canaan.

8. In this desert are the memorable heights, Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb, Mount Hor, and Mount Seir. On Sinai the Almighty delivered the law to Moses, while the children of Israel encamped at its foot. On Hor, Aaron, the brother of Moses, was buried. Mount Seir was the residence of the children of Esau.

9. For forty years, in order to prove, instruct, and purify his people, the Lord caused them to wander about in the desert, according to his direction, and dwelling, in the intervals of rest, in tents. In the year 1451 B. C., under the command of Joshua, Moses being dead, they crossed the Jordan on foot, its rapid waters being divided for their passage.

10. The land of Canaan was at this time inhabited by numerous powerful tribes. These had all become gross idolaters, even making their children pass through the fire to the bloody Moloch. On account of their exceeding wickedness, and in fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, God gave these nations into the hands of Israel, and their lands for a possession.

11. For a period of three hundred and fifty years, or until the time of King Saul, the tribes

of Israel formed twelve separate republics, each one having its own chief and elders. The same religion bound them together, and the national government was administered by judges providentially raised up by the Lord. Of these there were fourteen, of whom Joshua was the first, and Samuel the last. Among the others the most noted were Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.

12. Through the earnest desire of the people, and at the command of God, in the year 1095 B. C., Samuel anointed Saul king, and the government was changed into a monarchy. For disobedience Saul was set aside from the kingdom, and David was anointed in his place.

13. In the reigns of David and his illustrious son Solomon, the kingdom stretched far beyond the limits of the land of Israel. It included the whole of Syria, extending to the borders of Egypt on the south, and to the Euphrates on the east.

14. From the spoils of numerous conquered nations, David left his son an immense amount of treasure, with which to build a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem. This was the period of the highest glory enjoyed by this nation. Kings and queens, attracted by the wisdom and magnificence of Solomon, came from distant nations to pay their respects and offer their richest gifts. In the year 1003 B. C. the stupendous and splendid temple was finished, and dedicated by a solemn festival to the worship of Jehovah. 15. Shortly after the death of Solomon,

through the injudicious conduct of Rehoboam his son, ten of the tribes of Israel separated from Judah and Benjamin. The latter were styled the kingdom of Judah, the former the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam being chosen the first king of Israel. A continued civil war was carried on between these two divisions of the children of Israel.

16. The kingdom of Israel lasted two hundred and fifty-three years, being ruled by nineteen successive idolatrous and wicked kings. They were then conquered by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, and carried into captivity, seven hundred and twenty-nine years before Christ. They never returned in their national capacity, and are now spoken of as the lost ten tribes of Israel.

17. The kingdom of Judah continued in an independent state for three hundred and eighty-six years after the division, or until the year 588 B. C. At this time Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon; the city dismantled, and the inhabitants carried away as captives into Chaldea. In the company of the captives were Daniel and the three princes, 'who, for their faithful adherence to the worship of the true God, were cast into the burning fur

nace.

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE CAPTIVITY UNTIL THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

1. FOR seventy years the Jews remained in captivity in Chaldea, until the power of Babylon was humbled by the Persian Cyrus, when permission was given to them to rebuild their city and temple, and the plundered sacred vessels were returned. The first company of exiles went up from Babylon in the year 515 B. C., under the command of Zerubbabel, one of the princes of the captivity, attended by the prophet Ezra.

2. The foundations of the second temple were laid, and the work of rebuilding it and the dilapidated city was engaged in with much spirit. A stop was soon put to these labors, however, through the false representations of the Samaritans-the inveterate enemies of the Jews-to the successor of Cyrus.

3. In the second or third year of Darius Hystaspes, called in the Scriptures simply Darius, the work was again nobly forwarded by this prince, despite the malice of foes. Ezra vi. The city and the walls, however, remained in a deplorable state, until the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, when Nehemiah, his cup-bearer, was commissioned, in answer to his earnest solicitations, to build them up.

4. The devoted Jew cheerfully and bravely