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tines obtained a signal victory over Israel, and took the ark of God, after having slain the two priests who attended it: but, experiencing some severe afflictions while they retained it in their possession, they sent it back again to the Israelites, and appear to have been thoroughly sensible of the hand that chastised them. They soon, however, forgot this manifestation of the divine anger; for, about twenty years after, they marched against the chosen people, who were assembled at Mizpeh : but they were dispersed by so dreadful a storm of thunder and lightning, that the Israelites pursued them with great slaughter as far as Beth Car, and emancipated themselves from the tyrannical yoke.

1096.

The Philistines soon recovered this loss, B. C. and in a few years became more powerful than ever; for being informed that one of their fortresses had been surprised by Jonathan, the son of Saul, they assembled thirty thousand chariots of war, six thousand horse, and an incredible number of foot soldiers, to fight with the Israelites, who were at this time destitute of arms, through the political precautions of their tyrannical oppressors.

In the midst of their cruel depredations B. C. they received a check from Jonathan, 1095. who, inspired by a divine impulse, and accompanied by his armour-bearer, made a considerable slaughter of one of their out-guards; the noise of which spreading to the whole body occasioned so universal a tumult that they fell upon each other with great fury, and the earth is expressly said to have shaken beneath them. The Israelites, perceiving the confusion, sallied out against them under the command of Saul, C 2

and

and pursued them with unremitting slaughter from Michmash to Ajalon.

Notwithstanding this misfortune, visibly ef fected by the hand of Heaven, they recovered their former spirit in a few years, and resolved once more to try the strength of the Israelites in arms. They accordingly pitched their tents on an eminence in front of the Jewish camp, and sent a giant, one Goliath of Gath, to challenge any individual of their enemies to single combat. He presented himself before the intimidated tribes for forty days successively, without receiving any answer to his proposals, or his menaces; but at last he was attacked and slain by David, a ruddy youth, who used no other weapons than a sling and a smooth stone chosen from a brook. The haughty Philistine no sooner fell than David severed his head from his body, and carried it off in triumph; while the Philistines fled with the utmost precipitation, and were pursued with great slaughter to the gates of their own cities, Gath and Ekron.

Soon after this event they were overthrown in battle by David, and some great change seems to have been effected in their government; for about this time the Scripture speaks of a king, whose name was Achish, and who resided at Gath. David, being compelled by the urgency of his affairs to seek an asylum in Gath, was brought before this monarch; but he, supposing from his behaviour that he was insane, would take no further notice of him than to command that he should po more be brought into the

sence.

B. C.

1060.

pre

Achish, the son of. Maoch, afterward received David and all his followers into bis protection; allotted him Ziglag for

his particular dwelling; and proposed to entrust him with an honourable command in the army: but this design was overruled by the lords of the Philistines.

Achish and the Philistines now marched against Saul, who was encamped on mount Gilboa, and, after a sanguinary contest, obtained a complete victory. They drove the Israelites before them with great slaughter; put Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, to death; and closely pursued Saul, but he fell by his own sword before they overtook him. This conquest put them in possession of a great part of the enemy's country.

On David's accession to the throne of his deceased rival, the Philistines did not offer to disturb him; but the irreconcilable enmity which subsisted between the nations soon produced other wars, all of which terminated in favour of the Israelites. The Philistine now were made tributary to David, and are supposed to have applied themselves to commerce and the arts of peace.

Many years after this period they were B. C. harassed by Nadab, king of Israel, who 953 besieged them in the city of Gibbethon, which was again invested by Elah, king of Israel, some years afterward; but they resisted the efforts of both these princes with equal intrepi dity and success.

They are said to have courted the favour of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, by a voluntary payment of their tribute, which had been for some time neglected: but in the reign of his son Jehoram they rose in open rebellion, broke into his kingdom, plundered the royal treasury, and exterminated all his family, except Athaliah and

C 3

her

her son Ahaziah, who had the good fortune to escape their fury. This extraordinary success was probably owing to the assistance they received from the Arabians, who at the same period made war upon the Israelites; but they were soon afterward recompensed by Uzziah, king of Judah, who dismantled Ashdod, Gath, and Jabneh, and built several strong cities among them to keep them in subjection.

They are supposed to have remained B. C. peaceable under the government of Uz740. ziah and Jotham; but in the reign of Ahaz they revolted, and warred against Judah with such success that they added a considerable portion of country to their ancient territories. This acquisition was soon wrested from them by Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz; and, to add to their misfortunes, they were at the same time attacked by the Assyrians, who besieged their city Ashdod, and finally deprived them of their li berty. From this period they were tributary to the great monarchies as they succeeded each other, till their total destruction accomplished the animated predictions of the prophet Zephaniah, "Gaza shall be forsaken, and Askelon a desolation they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ěkron shall be rooted up. Wo unto the inhabitants of the sea-coasts, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you: O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant: and the sea-coasts shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and fields for flocks."

CHAP.

CHAP. I.

THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS, FROM THE BIRTH ABRAHAM TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY, INCLUDING THE GEOGRAPHY OF PALESTINE.

TH

HIS rich and beautiful tract of country was first called the Land of Canaan, from Noah's grand-son, by whom it was peopled: but in later ages it has been distinguished by other appellations; such as the Land of Promise, the Holy Land*, Palestinet, Judea, and the Land of Israel.

It was bounded on the west by the Mediterranean; on the east by the lake Asphaltites, the river Jordan, the Sammachonite fake, and the sea of Tiberias; on the north by the mountains of Antilibanus, or the province of Phoenicia; and on the south by Edom or Idumeat. Its ex

tent

*The Jews have dignified this country with the title of Holy Land on account of its metropolis, which was regarded as the centre of God's worship, and his peculiar habitation; and Christian writers have deemed it worthy of the same honour, as being the scene on which the Son of God accomplished the great work of redemption.

+ It was called Palestine from the Palestines or Philistines, who possessed a considerable share of it: and Judea, from the tribe of Judah, who inhabited the finest part of the whole. At present it is generally distinguished by the name of Palestine.

It is necessary to observe that this description is confined to the part which is properly called "the Land of Promise;" the boundaries of that part which belonged to two tribes and a half on the other side Jordan, called Peraca, and of the kingdoms of Sion, Og, &c., are not so easily ascertained,

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