1439 B.C. Thirty-second Medal.

The Chart of

the Travels of the Children of Israel.

On the same day, Joshua utterly destroyed the city of Makkedah, in Judah; and, afterwards, the cities of Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Hebron, Debir, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gaza, and then returned to the camp at Gilgal. And divers other cities, even the great city of Hazor, and the Anakims, and all the country round, save the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon, which Moses, in his day, took. And Joshua took thirty-one kings on the other side of Jordan, and divided the countries, and gave them to the tribes of Israel for a possession; namely, to nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites having received their inheritance from Moses. The children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and forty-eight cities were given by ballot to the Levites and priests.

Joshua called all the children of Israel together, and said, Behold this day I am going the way of all the earth, and the Lord's anger will be kindled against you, if you bow down and serve other gods. Joshua made a covenant with the people, and set up a statute and ordinance at Shechem, and placed a stone as a witness. He died at the age of 110 years, and was buried at Mount Ephraim; at the same place they buried the bones of Joseph, which they brought out of Egypt. At this time, Eleazar, the son of Aaron, died, and was buried at Mount Ephraim.

The people then asked the Lord, Who shall go up to fight against the Canaanites? And the Lord said, Judah. Now Jacob, on his death-bed, gave to Judah, his fourth son, a pre-eminent blessing, saying, Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies ; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Jacob also foretold that the regal power or sceptre should not pass out of his hands, and that the Messiah should derive his birth from his tribe. Indeed, it was Judah who advised his brethren to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelitish merchants sooner than imbue their hands in his blood.

Judah invited Simeon his brother to go up with him and fight against the Canaanites, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands; and they took Bezek (a city about seven miles from Shechem), and caught the king, Adoni-bezek, and cut off his thumbs and his great And Adoni-bezek said, God hath requited me, because I captured threescore and ten kings,

toes.

1425 B. C.

1409 B. C.

who gathered meat under my table, and whose thumbs and toes I cut off.

They next took Jerusalem, and burned the city. Hebron was taken and destroyed. Next Debir, Hamah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron were taken; and Judah gave Ekron to Caleb. Caleb was he who was sent with Joshua, by Moses, to view the land of Canaan.

The children of Benjamin, however, did not drive out the Jebusites from the city of Jerusalem, but allowed them to dwell with them in the city. The house of Joseph was allowed to hold Bethel and when Israel got strong, they put the Canaanites that remained under tribute.

Instead of Judah and Simeon, with the Israelites, destroying the whole of the inhabitants of Canaan, or driving them into another country, as the Lord had commanded, they formed leagues with them; and the Angel of the Lord rebuked the people at Bochim for their wickedness, for they forsook the Lord, and served Baal, and the Canaanites became as thorns in their sides, as a punishment for serving other gods. The Canaanites were superior in number, and left to prove Israel, whether they would keep the way of the Lord or not.

With the Canaanites there were five lords of the Philistines, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon; but the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served other gods; therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and they were sold to the King of Mesopotamia, who held them in slavery for eight years; when they cried unto the Lord,

who delivered them over to Caleb's youngest brother, and the land had rest for forty years.

They again cried unto the Lord, and he raised up for them a deliverer named Ehud, who was made a judge in Israel; and after him, Shamgar, the son of Anath, who, in defending Israel, killed six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad.

The children of Israel again did evil, and the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, king of Hazor, in Canaan, the captain of whose armies was Sisera; and the Hazorites oppressed them twenty years, for they possessed nine hundred chariots of iron. They again cried unto the Lord, and there was at this time a Prophetess, named Deborah, who judged Israel; and she called Barak, and sent him, with ten thousand men, against Sisera. Sisera. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera fled away to the tent of Jael, and asked for water to drink, for he was thirsty; and he said to Jael, Should any man enquire if I am here, say No. Sisera fell asleep, and Jael took a nail and a hammer, and smote the nail into his temple, and fastened it to the ground.

1316 B. C.

Thirty-third
Medal.

Jael driving the
nail through
the temple of
Sisera.

JAEL DRIVING THE NAIL

THROUGH

THE

TEMPLE OF SISERA.

1249 B. C.

The land had now rest for forty years, but the children of Israel did evil again, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Midianites during seven years.

Israel was, however, greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and they cried unto the Lord. An Angel appeared to a man named Gideon (the son of Joash, of Manasseh), and said, The Lord is with thee. But Gideon said, To convince me, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor, which is quite dry; when in the morning should I find it wringing wet, I shall believe it. And it came to pass.

And Gideon destroyed the altars of Baal, and went forth with twelve thousand men; but the Lord said they were too many. Take them all with thee to the water's edge, and those only