54. Then he called hastily to the young man his armour-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

Addition.-Judges ix. 56. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; and all the evil of the men of Shechem did god render upon their heads and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

TRADITION OF TOLA OF ISSACHAR.-Josephus does not mention Tola. The compiler of Judge sseems to have found some note of Tola of Issachar, as having established himself in Ephraim or the north, but there is nothing like a legend.

Judges x. 1. And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola Ben Puah Ben Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died and was buried in Shamir.

THE TRADITION of Jair of GILEAD.-The legends of Palestine are exhausted; and the collector passes across Jordan to Gilead, as to which since the time of the migrations into Palestine, we have heard nothing; except that it was in a state of subjection or subordination to the Midianite, at the time of Gideon; who, after the defeat and capture of Zebah and Zalmunna, tortured the elders of Succoth and beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

The collector then gives us a short note of Jair, with no indication of date, except the phrase "after him arose " with which he strings the legends together.

With this link he introduces Jair after Tola.

Judges x. 3. And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty-two years.

And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

Josephus says that Jair was happy in his children, who were of a good character, and skilful in riding on horses.

THE LEGEND OF JEPHTHAH THE GILEADITE.-The introduction of

this legend represents all the Bene Israel as worshippers of Baalim and Ashtaroth and the gods of Syria, of Zidon, and Moab, and the Bene Ammon, and the Philistines, and not serving Adoni-the word "forgot" is introduced as in the prophets, who represent their forefathers as having "forgotten" Adoni soon after they entered the land. The word "again" which would imply that they had previously forgotten Adoni, and afterwards worshipped him, has no antecedent. It is not stated that the Gileadites worshipped Adoni in the time of Jair.

Adoni is said to have sold all the Bene Israel that were on the other side of Jordan in the land of the Amorites, into the hands of the Philistines and of the Bene Ammon for 18 years.

Moreover, the Bene Ammon passed over Jordan, to fight also against Judah and Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim.

But the war is confined to Gilead. It is not said that Judah and Benjamin were relieved from the Philistines, or that they afforded the Gileadites any aid. And, instead of doing so, ungrateful Ephraim invaded Gilead and sustained a signal defeat.

The hero of the legend is a Gileadite, but does not appear to have had any connection with the family of his predecessor Jair, or to have derived any authority from him.

He is described as the son of Gilead (some Gileadite), by a harlot, and expelled from his paternal city by his brethren.

He appears as a brigand chief with his "vain men" in the land of Tob. His gods were the gods of his country. His El-Sabaoth was the sword consecrated on the altar of Baal. Perhaps the god or goddess to whom he vowed his daughter was Ashtaroth the Diana of the east, to whom Iphigenia was sacrificed by the Greek.

We have then a bold allegory of, not only the Gileadites, but of all the Bene Israel; holding a precatory conversation with Adoni; in which Adoni, after telling them the stereotype tale of his leading them out of Egypt, and defeating their enemies, reproaches them for serving other gods, tells them that he will deliver them no more, and to "go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." After this minatory conversation, on their putting away the strange gods, and serving him, Adoni's "soul was grieved for the misery of Israel."

Yet notwithstanding this sudden universal conversion of Israel, and the grief of Adoni's soul for their misery, the Gileadites place their reliance not upon the aid of Adoni, but on that of the brigand

chieftain and his vain men. The Bene Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the Bene Israel encamped in Mizpeh, and the people and the princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight with the Bene Ammon? It results in seeking the assistance of the famous Jephthah, and after a contract, sealed by oath, that if successful, he should be the ruler of Gilead, he joins the spiritless army with his vain men, and achieves a signal victory over the Bene Ammon. Brigand as he is, Jephthah is a grand character; there is much dignity in his treating with his countrymen, who had expelled him; and still greater dignity in his treating with the emir of Ammon and the Bene Ephraim. The descriptions of his grief for his rash vow, and the resignation and occupation of his daughter, are among the most exquisite productions of the human pen.

Jephthah's appeal to the right of possession by early conquest may have belonged to the original legend as founded on tradition.

The whole is modified and injured, by an Adonite hand, to introduce the Egyptian story and the levitical god. But yet this modification is sufficiently graceful to retain the natural character of the legend on which it is framed.

The modifier, having described Jephthah as inspired by Adoni, could not escape the difficulty of making the human sacrifice, a sacrifice to that god.

The story, when divested of its levitical colouring, cannot be rightly appealed to as proof that human sacrifices had been made to Adoni. Still the story, as altered, indicates that the collector did not feel apprehensive that his Jewish readers would be greatly shocked by attributing such a sacrifice to Adoni.

The daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. This custom bears a striking resemblance to the annual mourning for the death of Adonis or Tammuz.

He brought me to the door of the gate of the house of Adoni, which was toward the north; and, behold, there sate women weeping for Tammuz. Ezekiel viii. 14.

The men of Ephraim are represented as asserting that the Gileadites were fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh. At this the Gileadites were very indignant.

It is not said how Ephraim was governed at this time, but some of the mountain leaders seem to have thought that the Gileadites had been so much weakened in their conflict with Ammon, as to

afford an opportunity for another plundering invasion, as in the time of Gideon.

They found, or rather invented, a pretext, and passed the Jordan into Gilead, in probably considerable numbers, though 42,000 is a mere freak of imagination, and sustained a terrible defeat and were slaughtered with the usual brotherly affection of the Hebrews.

Though it is said that Jephthah judged Israel six years, it does not appear that he ever crossed the Jordan.

Introduction.-Judges x. 6. And the Bene Israel did evil again in the sight of Adoni, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the Bene Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and forsook Adoni, and served not him.

7. And the anger of Adoni was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the Bene Ammon.

8. And that year they vexed and oppressed the Bene Israel eighteen years, that were on the other side of Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9. Moreover the Bene Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore distressed.

10. And the Bene Israel cried unto Adoni, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our god, and also served Baalim.

11. And Adoni said unto the Bene Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites and from the Bene Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

15. And the Bene Israel said unto Adoni, We have sinned; do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee: deliver us only we pray thee, this day.

16. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served Adoni.

And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

Legend.-Judges x. 17. Then the Bene Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead.

And the Bene Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

18. And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the Bene Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Judges xi. 1. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead begat Jephthah.

2. And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange

woman.

3. And Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

4. And it came to pass in process of time, that the Bene Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so, that when the Bene Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: and they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the Bene Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now, when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the Bene Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the Bene Ammon, and Adoni deliver them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Adoni be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11. And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them; and Jephthah uttered all his words before Adoni in Mizpeh.

12. And Jephthah sent messengers unto the emir of the Bene Ammon saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

13. And the emir of the Bene Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.