from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my god.

24. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that Adoni thy god commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

26. And so he did unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the Bene Israel, that they slew them not.

27. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Adoni, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

EXPEDITION FOR THE RELIEF OF GIBEON.-Notwithstanding the statement that the terror of the Hebrews had spread in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the confederacy was confined to five little states of the south, all within a distance of 30 miles from Gibeon, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. Of these Eglon was, probably, the most remote.

The confederates commenced the campaign, and marched upon Gibeon, the ally of the Hebrews, which called on their allies for assistance, and received it.

This story has the aspect of a legend celebrated in the song of an ancient bard with the most extravagant poetical imagery; of Adoni hurling down stones from heaven (not Jupiter hurling lightnings) and the sun standing still at the command of the leader, metaphors, which his enchanted hearers would admire rather than question; and the story has the appearance of being improved in later times by the introduction of a conversation between Joshua and Adoni.

It however as a degree of inconsistency with the story of the reduction of the Gibeonites to bondage and hewing wood and drawing water for the congregation. Joshua and the congregation had returned to Gilgal: and they returned to Gilgal again after they had relieved the city.

The composer of Joshua seems to have been apprehensive that so bold a figure as the sun standing still, however appropriate to a song of victory among a horde of savages, might startle readers in his more enlightened time, if introduced into a prose composition, he therefore gives his authority-the book of Jasher.

The mighty men of Gibeon are not described as taking any part in the war, even in the defence of their city.

Story.-Josh. x. 1. Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedec melech of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her melech so he had done to Ai and her melech; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

3. Wherefore Adoni-zedec melech of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham melech of Hebron, and unto Piram melech of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia melech of Lachish, and unto Debir melech of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon; for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the Bene Israel.

5. Therefore the five melechs of the Amorites, the melech of Jerusalem, the melech of Hebron, the melech of Jarmuth, the melech of Lachish, the melech of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.

6. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp, to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly and save us, and help us; for all the melechs of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

7. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

8. And Adoni said unto Joshua, Fear them not; for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

9. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

10. And Adoni discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

11. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that Adoni cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hail-stones than they whom the Bene Israel slew with the sword.

12. Then spake Joshua to Adoni in the day when Adoni delivered up the Amorites before the Bene Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.

13. Is not this written in the book of Jasher?

So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Adoni hearkened to the voice of a man: for Adoni fought for Israel.

15. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

STORY OF THE INVASION OF THE SOUTH.-This was a mere plundering and desolating foray, described in extravagant terms, but, leading to no conquest. Although Joshua is described as taking all the cities and destroying them, and all the souls therein, they appear as flourishing places, sufficiently peopled immediately after the death of Joshua, when some of them were conquered by the Bene Yudah under the leadership of Caleb. Jerusalem was not taken until the 7th year of the reign of David.

The description is of an irruption of savages devastating the country and murdering the entire population wherever they went, and after committing these atrocities returning to their sanctuary and their camp. The only mode of reconciling this, with subsequent scriptural descriptions, is to suppose that all who had sufficient strength fled beyond the reach of the barbarians, who murdered such as could not escape, and burnt their towns.

Story.-Josh. x. 16. But these five melechs fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua saying, The five melechs are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

18. And Joshua said, Roll great stones on the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them; and stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindermost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities, for Adoni your god hath delivered them into your hand.

20. And it came to pass, when Joshua and the Bene Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.

21. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at

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Makkedah in peace; none moved his tongue against any of the Bene Israel.

22. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five melechs unto me out of the cave. And they did so, and brought forth those five melechs unto him out of the cave, the melech of Jerusalem, the melech of Hebron, the melech of Jarmuth, the melech of Lachish, and the melech of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought out those melechs unto Joshua, that Joshua, called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these melechs. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage; for thus shall Adoni do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

26. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them and hanged them on five trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

28. And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the melech thereof, he utterly destroyed them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain; and he did to the melech of Makkedah as he did unto the melech of Jericho.

29. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah; and Adoni delivered it also, and the melech thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the melech thereof as he did unto the melech of Jericho.

31. And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it. And Adoni delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33. Then Horam melech of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

34. And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it: and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36. And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron, and they fought against it. And they took it and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the melech thereof and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

38. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it: and took it, and the melech thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein: he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the melech thereof; as he had done also to Libnah and to her melech.

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40. So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their melechs he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Adoni god of Israel commanded.

41. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

42. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because Adoni god of Israel fought for Israel.

43. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

Review of the Leadership of Joshua.-Here terminated the wars of Joshua.

After the marauding expedition among the mountains of Judah, and probably into the plains of Philistia, until he was compelled, or deemed it prudent, to turn back, he was again with the camp. at Gilgal.

Joshua x. 42, says, And all these melechs and their land did Joshua take at one time, because Adoni god of Israel was with him.

This is an assertion contradicted by all the subsequent stories, indeed by the immediately following sentence, "he returned and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal." Was ever such a thing heard of in history as the substantial acquisition of a considerable territory by a horde of pastors, or, indeed, of any people in search