INTRODUCTION.

In recent years, woman has come to occupy a very important position in systems of philosophic and sociological thought. From her former place as a mere subordinate helper to man, she has advanced to the status of his companion and equal; in which place she has begun to look for proper recognition. And this demand for recognition extends backward, as well as forward; and past systems and productions which exert any great influence on the present, are coming to be judged very largely by their attitude on the "woman question." The Bible has not escaped this scrutiny. Severe criticism has been passed upon it by wellmeaning but enthusiastic women, because, it is alleged, it treats woman with little or no consideration, and does not ascribe to her her true importance. In accordance with this criticism, a movement has even been in contemplation, looking to the issuance of a "Woman's Bible," with the idea of placing woman in her proper sphere, and extending due recognition to her.

It seems that this criticism and the resultant movement are based upon a mistaken idea of the attitude of the Bible on the woman question. The fact is, the Bible is a book of history, prophecy, and religious instruction, and not in any sense a treatise on woman's place in society. Those who look in the Bible to find something authoritative

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on this subject will be disappointed. Not even Paul's famous declaration that woman is the glory of man, as man is the glory of God, can be construed as an opinion on this subject. Neither can his statement that it is a shame for women to speak in the church. Both of these were written in harmony with the customs and ideas of the Greeks regarding women, and Paul knew how the reputation of the Christion women would suffer if they should disregard these customs. To protect them from such adverse criticism, he advised them not to assume all the prerogatives which Christianity rightly vouchsafed to them, and not to give too much prominence to the newly-asserted fact of their equality with men.

So it would be possible to go through the Bible, both negatively and positively, and point out the fact that woman has received recognition in the sacred record equal, if not superior, to that accorded her by any profane work on similar subjects, of ancient or modern date. But it is the aim of this volume to treat the subject historically rather than philosophically, and with this idea in view, the most important female characters in the Bible will be considered.

The women of the Bible may be divided into two classes; those whose influence has been intrinsically evil, and those whose lives have been productive of good. The lives of the two classes are so clearly depicted in the Bible, that there is no difficulty in determining the status of each case.

WOMEN OF THE BIBLE.

I. SARAH AND HAGAR.

It was the golden age of idolatry in the plain of Shinar. The descendants of Nimrod, the great son of the Hamite, Cush, had commenced the development of that civilization which has rendered the memory of the Euphrates valley famous to all ages. Mingled with these great Cushites, and oppressed by them almost beyond endurance, were many descendants of Shem. Some of these, the sons of Asshur, had already fled from the hated tyranny, and had reached the upper waters of the Tigris river, where they had founded the flourishing empire of Assyria, with its capital at Nineveh. Others, descendants of Arphaxad, still remained under the oppression, but rebelled against it in their secret hearts. Among them was a patriarch named Terah, with his three sons, Abram, Nahor. and Haran. The last of these died, leaving a son. Lot. Abram had married, in his young manhood, a woman ten years younger than himself, the beautiful Sarai. This woman, afterwards known as Sarah, is the subject of this sketch.

While Abram and his wife were yet in their early prime, his father Terah, with Lot, Abram, and Sarai, escaped from the oppression and idolatry of the Cushites, and traveled northwest into upper Mesopotamia, the region of Haran. Here they made a temporary resting place; and here after a time, Terah died. Abram took his wife and his nephew Lot and went down to Canaan, there to escape the idolatry of his kinsmen. Here the wifely devotion of Sarai begins to be emphasized. Fleeing from famine, they went down into Egypt, where the king, with despotic desire, took Sarai into his harem, her beauty having been praised to him by his courtiers. No more delicate compliment to her charms could possibly have been paid by the most gallant and devoted lover, than is couched in the words of her husband: "Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon; therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife;' and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. And according to Jewish tradition, the praise was well merited. Quoting from a Jewish writer, Grace Aguilar: "This part of Sarai's history gives us information generally very interesting to young female readers-that she was very beautiful; **** endowed, as her history gives us authority to suppose, with a quiet, retiring dignity, which greatly enhanced her beauty, and rendered it yet more interesting than that of girlhood.”

Abram's fears for her were well founded; but