Outline Studies in the Old Testament for Bible Teachers

by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

SIXTH STUDY

The Land of Palestine

Part One

We have followed the history of the Is´ra-el-ites to their encampment on the border of their promised land. Before taking up the study of their conquest of Ca´naan let us obtain some conception of the country with which the greater part of Bible history is connected—the land of Pal´es-tine.

I. Let us notice its Names at different periods:

1. The earliest name was Ca´naan, "lowland," referring only to the section between the river Jor´dan and the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea, of which the inhabitants most widely known were the Ca´naan-ites, dwelling on the lowland plains (Gen. 12. 5).

2. After the conquest by Josh´u-a it was called Is´ra-el, though in later times of Old Testament history the name referred only to the northern portion, the southern kingdom being called Ju´dah (Judg. 18. 1; 1 Kings 12. 20).

3. In the New Testament period its political name was Ju-de´a, which was also the name of its most important province (Mark 1. 5).

4. Its modern name is Pal´es-tine, a form of the word "Phi-lis´tine," the name of a heathen race which in early times occupied its southwestern border (Isa. 14. 29).

II. The following are the principal Dimensions of Pal´es-tine:

1. Ca´naan, or western Pal´es-tine, has an area of about 6,600 square miles, a little less than Massachusetts.

2. Pal´es-tine Proper, the domain of the Twelve Tribes, embraces 12,000 square miles, about the area of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

3. The Coast Line, from Ga´za, the southernmost town, to Tyre, on the north, is not far from 140 miles long.

4. The Jor´dan is distant from the coast at Tyre about 25 miles; and the Dead Sea, in a line due east from Ga´za, about 60 miles.

5. The Jor´dan Line, from Dan, one of the sources of the Jor´dan, to the southern end of the Dead Sea, is 155 miles.

III. The most important Waters of Pal´es-tine are:

1. The Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea, which bounds the land on the west (Josh. 1. 4; Exod. 23. 31; Deut. 11. 24).

2. The River Jor´dan, rising in three sources in Mount Her´mon, and emptying into the Dead Sea in a direct line 105 miles long, but by its windings over 200 miles (Deut. 9. 1; Josh. 4. 1; 2 Sam. 17. 22).

3. Lake Me´rom, now called Hu´leh, a triangular sheet of water, 3 miles across, in a swamp in northern Gal´i-lee (Josh. 11. 5).

4. The Sea of Gal´i-lee,[8] a pear-shaped lake, 14 miles long by 9 wide, and nearly 700 feet below the sea level. (Note other names in Josh. 13. 27; 11. 2; Luke 5. 1; John 6. 1.)

5. The Dead Sea, 47 miles long by 10 wide, and 1,300 feet below the sea level (Gen. 14. 3; Deut. 4. 49; Joel 2. 20).

IV. The land of Pal´es-tine lies in five Natural Divisions, nearly parallel:

1. The Maritime Plain, or sandy flat, extending along the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea, from 8 to 20 miles wide.

2. The Sheph´e-lah, or foothills, from 300 to 500 feet high and very fertile.

3. The Mountain Region, the backbone of the land, consisting of mountains from 2,500 to 4,000 feet high.

4. The Jor´dan Valley, a deep ravine, the bed of the river and its three lakes, from 500 to 1,200 feet below the level of the sea, and from 2 to 14 miles wide.

5. The Eastern Table-land, a region of lofty and precipitous mountains, from whose summit a plain stretches away to the A-ra´bi-an Desert on the east.

Hints to the Teacher

1. Let the map be drawn by the teacher in presence of the class, and each part carefully taught, while the class also draw the map in their notebooks.

2. Then erase the map from the board, and call upon one scholar, in presence of the class, to draw the lines representing natural divisions: another the river and lakes, etc., etc.

3. If chalk of different colors can be used for the different departments of the map, coast line and Jordan line one color, mountain lines another, it will add to the interest.

Blackboard Outline

I.	Na. Ca. Isr. Jud. Pal.
II.	Dim. Ca. 6,600. Pal. 12,000. C. L. 140. To Jor. 25. To D. S. 60. Jor. L. 155.
III.	Wat. Med. Jor. L. Me. S. Gal. D. S.
IV.	Nat. Div. M. P. Sh. M. R. J. V. E. T.-L.

Review Questions

Why is a knowledge of the land of Pal´es-tine important? Give and explain the four different names of this land. What is meant by "Ca´naan" proper? How large is Ca´naan? How large was the domain of the Twelve Tribes? How long is the coast line? How far is the Jor´dan distant from the coast near its source? How far is the Dead Sea from the coast? What is meant by the Jor´dan line? How long is the Jor´dan line? Name the most important waters of Pal´es-tine. Describe the river Jor´dan, sources, elevations, length, etc. Describe and locate Lake Me´rom. Describe the Sea of Gal´i-lee. Describe the Dead Sea. What are the five natural divisions of Pal´es-tine?

Part Two

V. Pal´es-tine is a land of Mountains, among which we notice only a few of the most important, beginning in the north.

1. Mount Her´mon, is near the source of the Jor´dan, on the east, and is the highest mountain in Pal´es-tine.

2. Mount Leb´a-non, west of Her´mon, was famous for its cedars (1 Kings 5. 6; Psa. 29. 5).

3. Mount Ta´bor, the place of Deb´o-rah's victory, is southwest of the Sea of Gal´i-lee (Judg. 4. 6).

4. Mount Gil-bo´a, where King Saul was slain, is south of Ta´bor (1 Sam. 31. 1; 2 Sam. 1. 21).

5. Mount Car´mel, the place of E-li´jah's sacrifice, is on the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an, due west of the Sea of Gal´i-lee (1 Kings 18. 20, 42; Isa. 35. 2).

6. Mount E´bal, "the mount of cursing," lies in the center of the land (Deut. 11. 26).

7. Mount Ger´i-zim, "the mount of blessing," is south of E´bal (Josh. 8. 33; John 4. 20).

8. Mount Zi´on, on which Je-ru´sa-lem stood and still stands, is due west of the head of the Dead Sea.

9. Mount Ne´bo, where Mo´ses died, is directly opposite Zi´on, on the east of the Dead Sea (Deut. 34. 1).

VI. We note a few of the most important places, selecting only those connected with Old Testament history; and we arrange them according to the natural divisions of the land.

1. On the Seacoast Plain were:

1.) Ga´za, on the south, the scene of Sam´son's exploits and death (Judg. 16. 21).

2.) Jop´pa, principal seaport of Pal´es-tine (2 Chron. 2. 16; Jonah 1. 3).

3.) Tyre, just beyond the northern boundary of Pa´les-tine, a great commercial city of the Phœ-ni´cians (Josh. 19. 29).

2. In the Mountain Region were:

1.) Be´er-she´ba, in the southern limit of the land (Gen. 21. 31, 33; 1 Sam. 3. 20; 1 Kings 19. 3).

2.) He´bron, burial place of the patriarchs (Gen. 23. 19; 49. 29-31).

3.) Beth´le-hem, the birthplace of Da´vid (1 Sam. 17. 12).

4.) Je-ru´sa-lem, "the city of the great king," which stands due west of the northern point of the Dead Sea (2 Sam. 5. 6-9).

5.) Beth´el, nine miles north of Je-ru´sa-lem, the place of Ja´cob's vision (Gen. 28. 19).

6.) She´chem, between the twin mountains Ger´i-zim and E´bal, in the center of the land (1 Kings 12. 1).

7.) Sa-ma´ri-a, the capital of the Ten Tribes (1 Kings 16. 24).

3. In the Jor´dan Valley were:

1.) Jer´i-cho, near the head of the Dead Sea (1 Kings 16. 34).

2.) Dan, at one of the sources of the Jor´dan, the northernmost place in the land (Judg. 18. 28; 20. 1).

Blackboard Outline

I.	Na. Ca. Isr. Jud. Pal.
II.	Dim. Ca. 6,600. Pal. 12,000. C. L. 140. To Jor. 25. To D. S. 60. Jor. L. 155.
III.	Wat. Med. Jor. L. Me. S. Gal. D. S.
IV.	Nat. Div. M. P. Sh. M. R. J. V. E. T.-L.
V.	Mtns. Her. Leb. Tab. Gil. Car. Eb. Ger. Zi. Ne.
VI.	Pla. 1. Sea. Pl. Ga. Jop. Ty. 2. Mtn. Reg. Beer. Heb. Beth. Jer. Bet. She. Sam. 3. Jor. Val. Jer. Da.

Review Questions

Name nine mountains on the map of Pal´es-tine. State the location of each mountain. State a fact for which each mountain is celebrated. Name and locate three places on the Maritime Plain. Name and locate seven places in the Mountain Region. Name and locate two places in the Jor´dan Valley.

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