London, Christmas, 1864.
SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.
| BOOK I. From the Creation to the Dispersion of Mankind. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chap. | [I.] | The Creation |
| Chap. | [II.] | The Fall |
| Chap. | [III.] | The Flood |
| Chap. | [IV.] | The Confusion of Tongues |
| Chap. | [V.] | Rise of Idolatry. The Patriarch Job. |
| BOOK II. The Patriarchal Age. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | The Call of Abraham |
| Chap. | [II.] | Life of Abraham continued |
| Chap. | [III.] | The History of Isaac |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Life of Jacob |
| Chap. | [V.] | History of Joseph |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Jacob’s Descent into Egypt, and Death of Joseph |
| [Note.] | Survey of the Patriarchal Age | |
| BOOK III. From the Settlement of the Israelites in Egypt to the Giving of the Law. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | The Birth and Call of Moses |
| Chap. | [II.] | Signs and Wonders in Egypt |
| Chap. | [III.] | The Last Plague—The Passover—The Exodus |
| Chap. | [IV.] | The Journey from the Red Sea to Rephidim |
| Chap. | [V.] | Sinai and the Giving of the Law |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Moses in the Mount. The Construction of the Golden Calf |
| BOOK IV. The Mosaic Worship and Polity. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | The Tabernacle |
| [Note.] | History of the Tabernacle | |
| Chap. | [II.] | The Priests |
| Chap. | [III.] | The Sacrifices and Offerings |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Holy Times and Seasons |
| Chap. | [V.] | The Great Festivals—The Jewish Calendar |
| [Note.] | Laws of Purity, &c. | |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Civil and Moral Laws |
| BOOK V. From the Departure from Sinai to the Death of Moses. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Kadesh-Barnea and the Mission of the Spies |
| Chap. | [II.] | The Wanderings—Death of Miriam and Aaron |
| Chap. | [III.] | Conquest of the East of Jordan—Balaam and Balak |
| Chap. | [IV.] | War with the Midianites—Death of Moses |
| [Note.] | His Work and Character | |
| BOOK VI. Joshua and the Conquest of Western Palestine. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | The Passage of the Jordan, and Fall of Jericho |
| Chap. | [II.] | Conquest of the Southern and Central Mountains |
| Chap. | [III.] | Battle of Merom, and Division of the Land |
| BOOK VII. Period of the Judges. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Events subsequent to the Death of Joshua |
| Chap. | [II.] | Micah and the Danites—The Tribal War |
| Chap. | [III.] | Othniel and Ehud, Deborah and Barak |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Invasion of the Midianites—Gideon |
| Chap. | [V.] | Abimelech and Jephthah |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Invasion from the South-west, Samson |
| BOOK VIII. From the Time of Samuel to the Accession of David. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Eli and Samuel |
| Chap. | [II.] | Samuel’s Judgeship |
| Chap. | [III.] | Election of the First King |
| Chap. | [IV.] | The Battle of Michmash |
| Chap. | [V.] | Saul and the Amalekites—David and Goliath |
| Chap. | [VI.] | David’s Life as an Outlaw |
| Chap. | [VII.] | David at Ziklag—Battle of Mount Gilboa |
| BOOK IX. The Reigns of David and Solomon. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | David’s Reign at Hebron |
| Chap. | [II.] | David’s Reign at Jerusalem |
| Chap. | [III.] | David’s Army, his Conquests, his Sin |
| Chap. | [IV.] | The Rebellion of Absalom |
| Chap. | [V.] | Close of David’s reign |
| [Footnote.] | David’s Work and Character | |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Accession of Solomon |
| Chap. | [VII.] | The Building of the Temple |
| Chap. | [VIII.] | Solomon’s reign continued |
| BOOK X. Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. | ||
| PART I. Period of Mutual Hostility. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | The Revolt of the Ten Tribes |
| Chap. | [II.] | Rehoboam and Abijah, Jeroboam and Nadab |
| Chap. | [III.] | Asa and Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri |
| PART II. Period of Mutual Alliance, and Hostility to Syria. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Accession of Ahab—Era of Elijah |
| Chap. | [II.] | Wars of Ahab and Benhadad |
| Chap. | [III.] | Murder of Naboth—Battle of Ramoth Gilead |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Wars of Jehoshaphat. Translation of Elijah |
| Chap. | [V.] | Jehoshaphat and Jehoram—Era of Elisha |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Elisha and Naaman—Siege of Samaria |
| PART III. Renewal of Hostilities; Decline of both Kingdoms before the power of the Assyrian Empire. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Accession of Jehu |
| Chap. | [II.] | Athaliah and Joash; Death of Elisha |
| Chap. | [III.] | Amaziah and Jeroboam II.; Era of Jonah |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Decline and Captivity of the Kingdom of Israel |
| Chap. | [V.] | Reign of Hezekiah |
| Chap. | [VI.] | Reign of Manasseh—Reforms of Josiah |
| Chap. | [VII.] | Death of Josiah—Captivity of Judah |
| [Note.] | Duration, Relation, Contrasts of the Two Kingdoms | |
| BOOK XI. From the Captivity to the Close of the Canon. | ||
| Chap. | [I.] | Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar |
| Chap. | [II.] | Reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius |
| Chap. | [III.] | Rebuilding of the Temple—Esther and Ahasuerus |
| Chap. | [IV.] | Times of Ezra and Nehemiah—Close of Canon |
| [Appendix and Chronological Tables] | ||
| [Index] | ||
| MAPS. | ||
| [1.] | The Dispersion of Noah’s Descendants (Genesis x.) | |
| [2.] | A Map of Canaan, Egypt, and Sinai, to illustrate the Patriarchal History and the Exodus. With Mount Sinai enlarged | |
| [3.] | The Holy Land divided among the Twelve Tribes | |
| [4.] | Solomon’s Dominions, The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and the Lands of the Captivities | |
BOOK I.
FROM THE CREATION TO THE DISPERSION OF MANKIND.
CHAPTER I.
THE CREATION.
Gen. i. ii. B.C. 4004.
IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. With these simple but sublime words commences the History contained in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, teaching us that the Universe did not exist from all eternity, but owed its origin to the creative act of God. To us this truth appears so elementary and self-evident that we can hardly appreciate the dim and uncertain notions on this point, which the best and wisest of the heathen possessed. Certain it is, however, they were very much in the dark respecting the origin of the world. Some philosophers held that it existed from all eternity: others taught that there are two independent Causes, the one Light, and the other Darkness, and that out of the unending struggle between them the Universe had its origin; others imagined that all the marvellous order and harmony we see around us was the result of Chance; others, again, conceived that the world was an emanation from Deity, and a part of Deity. Distinct from all these guesses and conceptions is the declaration of the Scripture Narrative. It affirms that the world is not eternal; that it had itsorigin with time and in time; that it owed its beginning neither to Chance, nor Necessity, but the Creative will of a Personal God, infinitely exalted above it, the Maker and Sustainer of all things. (Comp. Joh. i. 1–3, Rom. xi. 36, 1 Cor. viii. 6, Col. i. 15, 16, Heb. i. 2, 3).
The creation, however, of the present order of things was not instantaneous, but progressive, and took place in six Days, or vast Periods of time. On the first day light was created, and divided from the darkness; on the second, the firmament, or atmosphere encircling the globe; on the third, a separation was made between the water and the land, and the surface of the earth was covered with vegetation, with the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit after its kind. On the fourth, the sun, moon and stars were bidden to give light upon the earth, and to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years. On the fifth, animal life appeared in its lowest forms, the waters brought forth the various marine tribes after their kind, and this was succeeded by the creation of every winged fowl. The sixth day was marked by the production of land animals, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth, which, like all the preceding products of Creative Power, received the Divine approval, and were pronounced to be very good.
But the work of Creation was not yet complete. A being higher than any yet created was to be called into existence. Accordingly God said, Let us make Man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over every living thing, and over all the earth; and the Lord God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Man became a living soul. Then having seen that all things He had made were very good God ended His work, and rested on the seventh day, sanctifying it as a day of Rest for man. (Gen. i. 2–26).