Joshua conquered to Lebanon, but not from Lebanon in the other direction. "The Sidonians." The same remark again.

The Geshuri, mentioned in connection with the Philistines, appear to have been a tribe we read of in the time of David. He fought them, and took much spoil from them. Their country was south of the Philistines and near to Egypt. It is not claimed that they were conquered.

The Avites are mentioned. This probably is the same exception which is made in the history under the name of Hivites, meaning the Gibeonites, who obtained a league by fraud. This is a reasonable inference from the fact, that among the cities of Benjamin, and in the same neighborhood with the Gibeonites, there was a city Avim, which is another name for Avites. But if this explanation is not the true one, we have the obvious fact that no claim is made that can possibly conflict with the exception of the Avites from the conquests of the Hebrew leader.

We have devoted so much attention to this subject, because it is made quite prominent in the work of Mr. De Wette, that treats of this and kindred subjects--one of the best books extant, to any man who knows how to use it.

SECTION II.—THE PORTION OF THE TWO TRIBES AND A HALF

EAST OF THE Jordan.

JOS. XIII.

8. With whom the Reubenites | and all mount Hermon, and all Baand the Gadites have received their shan unto Salcah; inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them;

9. From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;

10. And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

11. And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites,

12. All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

13. Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites; but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

14. Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance: the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.

The account here is very much the same as that in Numbers and Deuteronomy, and requires but little reremark. See Num. xxi. 21–35; xxxii. 33 - 42; Deut. ii. 24-37; iii. 6-20.

"On the bank of the river-in the midst of the river." It is doubtful whether there is a reference here to one city or two. The word for river has also the meaning of valley. It is not common for a city to be in the midst of a river, but one is often found in the midst of a valley. Valley is the rendering in the Septuagint; and the same rendering is found in the Vulgate.

The Geshurites. The city of Geshur is sometimes put down as Gesher. The Septuagint gives the name of the people Geseri, though in Deut. iii. 14, it calls the same people Gargazi. This is like many absurdities found in the English version. It should be roticed that the Geshuri mentioned in verse 2d are a different people from those alluded to in verse 11th. The former had their residence south of Philistia, and were enemies of the Israelites; while the latter occupied the country east of the Jordan, in the direction of Assyria, and were friends and allies, so that David married the daughter of Talmai, the king of that nation.

Unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance. The tribe was devoted wholly to the services of religion, and were therefore supported by a tythe or tenth part of the produce of the land, as cultivated by the other tribes. They had forty-eight cities to reside in, and a tract of land around each for gardens and pasturage. No Priesthood was ever better supported than the Jewish. See Vol. III. on this subject.

JOS. XIII.

15. And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.

16. And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

17. Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamoth baal, and Beth-baal-meon,

18. And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

19. And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley,

20. And Beth-peor, and Ashdoth-pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth, 21. And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon dwelling in the country.

22. Balaam also the son of Beor, the sooth-sayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

23. And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after the familie, the cities and the villages thereof.

The cities and towns of Reuben are noticed in another part of this volume, which may be consulted by the reader. Moses smote the princes of Midian. These passages inform us that these princes were the dukes of Sihon. It would seem that the Midianites were at that time sub ject to Sihon the Amorite king.

The towns of Reuben, as given in Numbers, are Heshbon, Elealeh, Kirjathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon and Shibmah. The passage before us has all these but Elealeh and Nebo; and it is probable that Ashdoth-pizgah is the same as Nebo; for Nebo and Pisgah were certainly the same. That Baal-meon and Beth-baal-meon are the same, we presume no one will doubt. The others mentioned in Joshua, and not in Numbers, may be new towns, or old towns omitted on the earlier list. But as

the towns mentioned in Numbers are said to have been built by Reuben, it may be that the other towns existed then, but were not named, because Reuben did not build them. Again, as it is expressly stated that the Israelites changed the names of some of the cities, it may be that the same place is given under different names.

JOS. XIII.

24. And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad, according to their families:

25. And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer, that is before Rabbah;

27. And in the valley, Beth-aram, and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth, on the other side Jordan eastward.

28. This is the inheritance of 26. And from Heshbon unto Ra- the children of Gad after their math-mizpeh and Betonim: and from families, the cities, and their vil Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; | lages.

The list of towns belonging to Gad in Joshua, as compared with the one in Numbers, is not exactly the same. Only two names are precisely the same in both passages. These are Aroer and Beth-nimrah. Several are named that are nearly alike, and probably denote the same places. These are Dibon, for Debir, Jaazer for Jazer, Shophan for Zaphon, Beth-haran for Beth- aram. Those found in Numbers, but not in Joshua, are Ataroth, Atroth, Jogbehah. Those in Joshua, but not in Numbers, are Ramoth-mizpeh, Betonim, Mahanaim and Succoth. The last two are ancient towns; and why they are not named on the first list, as well as the last, we can not conjecture.

Half the land of the children of Ammon. This was included in the inheritance of Gad. It appears that Sihon, the Amorite king, had dispossessed Ammon of a part of his inheritance, and held it when the Israelites conquered the country. Of course, when Sihon was subdued, and his land taken by the Israelites, this tract came into their possession with the rest. The king of Ammon undertook to reclaim the country in the time of Jephthah; but he was overcome by the Gileadite judge, both in argument and in arms. See Jud. xi. 12-32.

"Unto Aroer that is before Rabbah." This can not be the Aroer that was on the bank of the river Arnon; for that was the south border of Reuben, while the Aroer, here mentioned as before Rabbah, was on the border of Gad north of Reuben. Rabbah was the capital of Ammon, and is understood to have been situated in the valley of the Jabbok. Probably this Aroer on the border of Gad, and "before Rabbah," was located, one side of the Jabbok, and Rabbah, the other side. In this way Aroer was "before," or "opposite to " Rabbah.

The sea of Chinnereth. The sea to distinguish it from a town of the same name.

It has several names in the Bible. It is called lake Gennesereth, see of Galilee, and sea of Tiberias.

JOS. XIII.

29. And Moses gave inheritance | ing unto the children of Machir, the unto the half-tribe of Manasseh: son of Manasseh, even to the one and this was the possession of the half of the children of Machir by half-tribe of the children of Ma- their families. nasseh: by their families.

30. And their coast was from Mahanaim; all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities;

32. These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.

33. But unto the tribe of Levi, Moses gave not any inheritance: 31. And half Gilead, and Ashta- the Lord God of Israel was their roth, and Edrei, cities of the king-inheritance, as he said unto them. dom of Og in Bashan, were pertain

The account is slightly different in Numbers; but there the record is evidently incomplete. Besides, that some changes should be made, when the boundaries of the tribes were fairly adjusted, is a rational conclusion. In Numbers, "all Gilead" is given to Machir of Manasseh; but in the final adjustment, half of Gilead is given to Gad, and the rest to Manasseh. See Num. xxxii. 34-42.

CONCLUDING REMARKS TO SECTION II.

The river Jordan. The Jordan is generally spoken of as the eastern boundary of Palestine; and so it is of Palestine Proper; but as two tribes and a half settled east of the river, the term is sometimes extended so as to embrace them.

This is the most important river mentioned in the Bible—not the largest; for the Euphrates and the River of Egypt or Nile, are larger and longer- but most important, as being associated with the most interesting and important events recorded in that book. It has of ten been described, and the description need not be repeated, except in general terms, and so as to touch upon its most interesting peculiarities.

The Jordan takes its rise from the mountains of Lebanon, being formed, some say of two, others of four, and others of still more streams. Josephus says that Panium