Lands And People Of The Bible

LANDS AND PEOPLES OF THE BIBLE BY JAMES BAIKIE, F. R. A. S. AUTHOR OF THE STORY OF THE PHARAOHS PEEPS AT ANCIENT EGYPT, ETC. CONTAINING A FRONTISPIECE IN COLOUR, FORTY-EIGHT FULL PAGES OF ILLUSTRA TIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS, AND A MAP Jleto THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1923 PRINTED IN G BAT BRITAIN BY BILLING AND SONS, LTK, CttTlWHOKD ASP ESHER TO MY CLASS OF 1913-14 PREFACE THE substance of the following chapters was delivered in lecture form to a class of young men and women during the winter of 1913-14. A few minor additions and corrections have since been made, but the bulk of the material remains as originally delivered. The volume is now published in the hope that Bible students, and possibly teachers of Bible classes, may find it useful in the way of providing a background upon which to project the Scripture narrative, and of enabling the reader to form some conception of the great lands and nations with which the Chosen People had to deal. Such a volume, of course, can lay no claim to originality for its main function is to present in small compass facts for which the student might otherwise have to seek through many large and costly treatises. Accordingly the reader who is familiar with the litejature will be able to trace in each section the writers debt to the great masters of the subject which is being dwelt with a debt which is here gratefully acknowledged, just as it has been acknowledged wherever possible, in the text. It is hoped that the value of the book as a medium of instruction may be greatly enhanced by the fulness of its scheme of illustration. In the case of Palestine, it is mainly viii PREFACE the land that has been illustrated in the case of Mesopotamia and Egypt theworks of art and the historic monuments of these countries have been drawn upon. For the photographs of Palestine, my thanks are due to the Rev. W. Ewing, D. D., Edinburgh, for plates in 2, iv 1, v, vi, vii, vm, xi, xin and xiv the Rev. W. S. Matheson, M. A., Galashiels, for Plate x and Mr. T. Thomson, Ancrum, for Plates in 1 and iv 2 . CONTENTS SECTION I PALESTINE CHAP. AGE I. THE LEADING FEATURES OF THE LAND AND THEIR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE i II. SOUTHERN PALESTINE ISOLATION AND CONSER VATISM 1 6 III. SAMARIA AND GALILEE THE OPEN DOOR 37 IV. THE PEOPLES OF PALESTINE 56 SECTION II MESOPOTAMIA AND BABYLONIA V. THE HEBREWS MOTHER-LAND THE CRADLI or CIVILIZATION 75 VI. ASSYRIA, THE SCOURGI-. 01 GOD THE SECOND BABYLONIAN EMPIRE y6 VII. THE RESURRECTION OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 125 VIII. THE RELIGION OF BABYLONIA 139 SECTION III EGYPT, ETC. IX. THE HKHKEVVS FOSTER-LAND 161 X. EGYPT BEFORE THK EXODUS 178 XI. THE EGYPT OF THE EXODUS 195 XII. RELIGION IN ANCIENT EGYPT 2.12 JL x CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE XIII. A LIGHT THAT FAILED 230 XIV. THE LESS-KNOWN NATIONS HITTITES, SYRIANS, MOABITES, EDOMITES 246 APPENDIX 265 BIBLIOGRAPHY 271 COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGICAL LIST 275 INDEX - a 41 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS fLATB i. Jerusalem from the traditional spot on the Mount of Olives where Christ wept over the City Frtmttsfifie FACING PAGE ii. Mount Hermon 5 i i. Convent of ni Mar Saba 2. The Ascent of Blood j I2 The River Jordan, near Jericho Source of the River Jordan I Shore of the Dead Sea Site of Bethel 2I i. Bethany from the East VI 2. Apostles Fountain I 2B vii. Shepherd in the Wilderness of Judea 32 fi. Mosque of Omar VIIIf 2. Mosque El Aksa I 37 ix. Shishaks List of Conquests 44 f i. Ahabs Palace, Samaria IXi 2. Herods Stair, Ahabs Palace 49 fi. Herods Street, Samaria f 2. Temple of Samaria I 53 xn. Mount Carmel 60 xiii. Gideons Fountain, Gilboa 64 MV i. Horns of Hattin, Mount of Beatitudes A 2. Lake-Front, Tiberias xv. Excavating the City of Gezer 76 xvi. High Place at Gezer before and after excavation 81 xvn. Brick of Eannatum, an early Patesi of Shirpurla 85 1 - Statue of Gudea . Mace head of Sargon of Akkad 92 xix. Stele of Naram-Sin, showing that king on the field of battle 96 xx. Hammurabi Worshipping the Sun God 101 xxi...