The Bible Story Part 174

_Mizpah_. A town on the east of Jordan. Probably the same place that is mentioned in the story of Jacob.

_Ramah_, "hill." A common name of places in Palestine.

_Vial_. A vessel in which was carried a sacred oil. A common way to honor a guest was to pour a little oil on his head. Kings and priests were set apart for their office by anointing with oil.

_Jabesh_. A city east of the Jordan. The people of the city did not forget the good deed of Saul. Many years later, when Saul was defeated and killed, brave men from this city traveled all night, took his body from the battlefield, and gave it an honorable funeral at Jabesh.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

JERUSALEM, FROM THE NORTHEAST

Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.

The view is taken from Mount Scopus, the northward extension of the Mount of Olives. The valley between is the head of the Kidron.

This fine picture gives a distinct view of the modern city with its walls and towers, and the valley which lies between.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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_Ammonites_. A people who lived on the east of the Jordan, with whom the Hebrews had made war.

_Michmash_. A small town about seven miles north of Jerusalem, on the edge of a deep ravine going down toward the Jordan.

_Eating with the blood_. The blood was not eaten by the Hebrews. They thought of it as the seat of life, and, since life belonged to G.o.d, man ought not to eat it.

_Familiar Spirit_. "Familiar" is here connected with "family,"

household. It means a spirit which is ready to serve one, like one of his servants. The woman with a "familiar spirit" was a "medium," who was supposed to be able to summon spirits.

DAVID.

_Cubit_. See Weights and Measures. Span. The half of a cubit, about nine inches.

_Gath_. A Philistine city on the plain west of the hills of Judaea.

_Armor_. The helmet of bra.s.s was not uncommon. The "coat of mail" was a close-fitting cloak, covered with bra.s.s scales, so as to allow free movement. The greaves were coverings for the shins and the knees. The armor of the Bible times was much simpler than that in Europe in the middle ages.

SOLOMON.

_Tyre_. A city on the coast of the Mediterranean, north of Palestine, for a long time the center of much commerce between Egypt, Asia, Greece, and the lands farther west. Its inhabitants were Phoenicians.

_Zidon_, like Tyre, a Phoenician coast city, rich and commercial.

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_Sheba_. A land in southern Arabia, which got wealth by trading between Egypt and the countries on the Mediterranean, and the distant south and east.

_Ophir_. A land about which there have been many opinions. Some have thought it in East Africa, some in the far east--India or the Malay Peninsula,--some in Southeast Arabia. Perhaps the last opinion is as probable as any.

_Almug_. A wood evidently valued for its rarity and beauty. What the wood was is not known, nor where it came from.

_Ezion-Geber_. A town at the head of the Eastern gulf, now called the Gulf of Akabah, of the Red Sea. In ancient times it was a port of commerce, but now there is no trade anywhere on this gulf.

_Red Sea_. Between Egypt and Arabia. In the time of Solomon there was commerce on it with Southern Arabia, Eastern Africa, and perhaps with 'Countries still farther away. Part of Solomon's wealth came from his share in this commerce.

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TABLE OF MEASURES.

Palm Span Cubit Value in Inches Palm. 1 3

Span. 3 1 9

Cubit 6 2 1 18

WEIGHTS.

_A shekel_. The English equivalent of this weight is not known. It varied at different times in the history of Israel. According to our estimate a shekel was about 0.3 of an avoirdupois ounce. Probably the earliest standard of weight was a grain of wheat and the early Babylonian shekel was equal to 180 grains of wheat. According to this estimate the weight of Goliath's coat of bra.s.s was about 90 pounds and the weight of his spearhead about 10 pounds.

_A mina_. A weight equal to 60 shekels.

_A talent_. A weight equal to 60 minas.

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MEMORY VERSES

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MEMORY VERSES.

_One for Each Week of the Year_.

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art G.o.d.--_Psalms 90:1,2_.

If G.o.d be for us, who can be against us?--_Romans 8:31_.