Studies in Old Testament History Part 4

What made the Israelites willing to leave Egypt?

How was their leader trained for his mission?

What were the ten plagues upon the Egyptians?

What three ideas were connected with the Pa.s.sover?

What is meant by the Exodus?

What are the three seas of the map ill.u.s.trating the wandering?

Name five deserts of this region.

In which desert were the most years pa.s.sed?

What were the two deserts on the sh.o.r.e of the Red Sea?

Where was the desert of Zin?

Which desert was between Egypt and Palestine?

Name and locate five lands of this region.

Which land was nearest to Egypt?

Which land was on the eastern arm of the Red Sea?

Which land lay east of the Dead Sea?

Which land was south of the Dead Sea?

Name three mountains in this region.

What event look place on each of these mountains?

Name two places between Egypt and the Red Sea.

Name three places on the route between the Red Sea, and an event at each place.

What place was south of Canaan and near it?

What events occurred at this place?

What two places were battlefields?

State the route of the first journey.

What was the great event of this journey?

What was the second journey?

What four events are named with this journey?

What was the third journey?

What two events took place with this journey?

What was the longest journey?

Name four places of this journey.

Name two events near its close.

What was the last journey?

What events took place at this time?

Where was the last encampment of the Israelites?

What inst.i.tutions originated during this period?

What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people?

How did it give them liberty?

What was the influence in military affairs?

What were its results upon the religion of the people?

Subjects for Special Papers.

THE PHARAOH OF THE OPPRESSION.

MOUNT SINAI.

THE GREATNESS OF MOSES.

THE MOSAIC LEGISLATION.

THE SITE OF KADESH-BARNEA.

THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS.

FOOTNOTE:

[C] The location of Kadesh-barnea is one of the great questions of the Bible geography. Robinson places it at _'Ain el-Weibeh_, north-west of Petra. Rowlands, and lately Trumbull, locates it at _Ain Gadis_, forty-five miles south of Beersheba. I think the latter is the true place, though the authorities are not agreed.

THIRD STUDY.

THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN.

I. Let us notice the =CANAANITES= before the conquest.

1. They were a =varied people=. There were from seven to ten different nations in Palestine when the Israelites entered it (Exod. 3. 17; Deut.

7. 1). Each tribe, often each city, had its own government. There was no unity of government, no combined action to resist the invasion of Israel. This made the conquest easy. If one king had ruled a united people the result might have been different.

2. These peoples were, however, of =one stock=. They belonged to the Hamite race, and were all descended from the family of Canaan (Gen. 10.

15-19). There was no reason, except the tribal spirit, for their separation into small clans and nationalities.

3. They were =idolatrous= and, as a result, grossly =immoral=. Idolatry is always a.s.sociated with immorality; for the wors.h.i.+p of idols is a deification of sensuality. Baal and Asherah (plural Ashtoreth) were the male and female divinities wors.h.i.+ped by most of these races (Judg. 2.

13).

4. They had been =weakened= before the coming of the Israelites either by war or by pestilence. The allusions in Exod. 23. 28; Deut. 7. 20; and Josh. 7. 12, have been referred to an invasion before that of Israel, or to some plague, which destroyed the native races.

II. =THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE CONQUEST.= These may be divided as follows:

1. =The campaigns east of the Jordan.= (B. C. 1451.) These were during the life-time of Moses, and gained for Israel all the territory between the brook Arnon and Mount Hermon.

1.) The conquest of Gilead was made at the battle of Jahaz, near the brook Arnon (Num. 21. 21-31). In one battle the Israelites gained the land of Gilead from the Arnon to the Hieromax.

2.) The conquest of Bashan was completed at the battle of Edrei, in the mountainous region.

3.) The conquest of Midian (Num. 31. 1-8) was led by the warrior-priest Phinehas, and by smiting the tribes on the east protected the frontier toward the desert. The land won by these three campaigns became the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Mana.s.seh (Deut. 32).

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOURNEYS OF THE CONQUEST]

2. =The campaigns west of the Jordan= (B. C. 1451) were led by Joshua, and showed great tactical skill and resistless energy of action. Joshua led his people across the Jordan and established a fortified camp, the center of operations during all his campaigns, at Gilgal (Josh. 4. 19).

1.) The first invasion was of _central Palestine_, beginning with Jericho (Josh. 6), taking Ai on the way (Josh. 8), and ending with Shechem, which apparently fell without resistance (Josh. 8. 30-33). This campaign gave to Israel the center of the land and divided their enemies into two sections.

2.) Next came the campaign against _southern Palestine_. At this time was fought the battle of Beth-horon (Josh. 10. 10), the most momentous in its results in all history, and one over which, if ever, the sun and moon might well stand still (Josh. 10. 12, 13).[D] After this great victory Joshua pursued his enemies and took the towns as far south as Hebron and Debir (Josh. 10. 29-39).

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOSHUA'S VICTORY AT BETH-HORON.]

3.) Lastly, Joshua conquered _northern Palestine_ (Josh. 11). The battle in this campaign was near Lake Merom (Josh. 11. 7), and, as before, it was followed by the capture of many cities in the north. Thus, in those marches Joshua won all the mountain region of western Palestine.

3. There were certain =supplementary campaigns=, partly in Joshua's time, partly afterward.