The domestic or tame animals are the ox, cow, sheep, and goat, which were used as food, as well as for labor; and the camel, ass, mule, and horse, used in labor and in war, but not eaten; and the dog, which might be useful to shepherds, but which then, as now, answered no other special purpose. Dogs, being unclean, were held in great contempt among the Jews. There was no comparison so low and mean, as a dead dog. 1 Sam. xvii. 43; xxiv. 14; 2 Sam. ix. 8; 2 K. viii. 13. Dogs were chiefly owned by foreigners, and are therefore mentioned in connection with the cities, where most foreigners resided, as they could there hold real estate but not in the country. 1 K. xiv. 11; xvi. 4; xxi. 19.

SECTION VIII. SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE.

The homes of the people were of simple construction; and had but few articles of domestic use, and these corresponded with the dwelling.

Among the household utensils, mention is made of knives, cups, basins, beds, tables, stools, bowls, boxes. Jos. v. 2, 3; 1 K. xviii. 28; Ezra i. 9; 2 Sam. xii. 3; 1 K. vii. 26; 2 Chron. iv. 5; 1 Chron. xxviii. 17; 2 Sam. iv. 5; xi. 2; 2 K. i. 4; iv. 10; Jud. vi. 38; 1 K. vii. 50; 2 K. ix. 1.

22.

They had different departments to their houses, namely the bed-chamber, parlor, &c., 2 Sam. iv. 7; 2 K. vi. 12; xi. 2; 2 Chr. xxii. 11; Jud. iii. 20, 23; 1 Sam. ix. But the word chamber appears to be used, like the French chambre, as merely denoting a room. Jud. xv. 1; xvi. 9, 12; 2 Sam. xiii. 10; 2 K. iv. 11. Hence we read of different chambers or rooms: The side chamber, inner chamber, upper chamber. Ezek. xli. 5; 1 K. xx. 30; 2 K. i. 2; xxiii. 12.

The garments alluded to are coats, shoes, robes or mantles, girdles and vails. 1 Sam. ii. 19; Jos. v. 15; 1 Sam. xviii. 4; xxviii. 14; 2 Sam. xviii. 11; xiii. 18; Ruth iii. 15. Ornaments were worn by men and women, old and young, persons and animals. We read of chains

worn about camels' necks; and others worn on the necks of persons. Jud. viii. 26; Ezek. xvi. 11. Also of bracelets for the arm, rings for the hand, ear-rings and jewels. 2 Sam. i. 10; Est. iii. 10, 12; viii. 8, 10; Jud. viii. 24; 1 Sam. vi. 8; 2 Chr. xx. 25. The opulent were clothed in scarlet, and wore ornaments of gold. The king's daughters were distinguished by garments of divers colors. 2 Sam. i. 24; xiii. 18.

Long robes were worn by men; and it was a great affront, to cut them off, half way to the ground. The robe was fastened round the waist by a girdle, the poor wearing girdles of leather or skin. They sometimes wore a sort of blanket thrown over the shoulders, in such a way that the two ends would hang down in front. These ends were called skirts. 2 Sam. x. 4; 2 K. i. 8; iv. 29; 1 Sam. xv. 27; xxiv. 4, 5, 11.

On entering a sacred place, the shoes were taken off and laid aside. Jos. v. 15.

Eastern wealth consisted partly of many garments; and hence they were given as presents, when a rich gift was intended. 2 K, v. 5.

Among kings and men of wealth, cups, bowls, and other drinking vessels were made of gold. Among the common people, nearly all liquids were kept in bottles of skin. The modern Arabs use the same, and have done so, from time immemorial.

For giving light, lamps fed by olive oil, were used. They also had torches or flambeaux. Samson put such between his foxes. Jud. vii. 16; xv. 4. They had barrels, 1 K. xvii. 12, 14; xviii. 33; and other vessels, 2 K. iv. 26. They had, moreover, many things that are implied, but not expressed. These will be conjectured in reading; but the brevity of the history prevented their being recorded.

The farming utensils are plows, axes, forks, mattocks, yokes for oxen, harnesses for horses, saddles and bridles, wagons and carts, for asses or mules. 1 Sam. xiv. 14; xiii. 20, 21. 1 K. xji. 4; xx. 1; xxii. 34; 2 Sam. xix. 26; 2 K. xix. 28; Ñum. vii. 7: 2 Sam. vi. 3.

Their weapons of war were the sword, long and short, bow and arrow, dagger, javelin and spear, sling and stones, all of them offensive. Jos. v. 13; xxiv. 12; 1 Sam. xviii. 4; 2 K. xiii. 15; Jud. iii. 16; 1 Sam. xviii. 10; xiii. 19; 2 Chr. xxvi. 14. The defensive weapons, not much used by the Hebrews, except by the highest officers; but referred to in describing the armor of Goliath, (and Saul appears to have had the same, though probably on a smaller scale,) were the helmet, coat of mail or breast-plate, greaves and shield. 1 Sam. xvii. 5-7. See also verses 38, 39. They had chariots drawn by horses, but they were not much used till the time of Solomon, when they could be employed to advantage in certain localities. 1 K. x. 26.

The community was organized to some extent, with reference to the dispensation of justice. Samuel judged the people; and to make it more convenient for them, he visited three different places, to hold his court, besides holding it at his place of residence. 1 Sam. vii. 16. 17.

In the days of the kings, justice was administered by the king himself, or by some one appointed by him. 2 Sam. xv. 3, 4; 1 Chron. xxiii. 4; xxvi. 29; 2 Chron. xix. 5-11.

The method of administering justice, adopted by Moses in the wilderness, at the suggestion of Jethro, namely, dividing the people into tens, hundreds, and thousands, with a judge for each division, was not carried out, so far as we know, in the time of the judges and kings. But in every city there were Elders, that decided all municipal affairs; and held their court at the gate of the city. Ruth iv. 2; Ezra x. 14.

Besides these, there were elders that decided matters of general interest to all the tribes. Jud. xxi. 16; 1 Sam. viii. 4. The number of these, in the time of Moses, was seventy; but there is nothing to show that this was the number in the time of Joshua, and the kings. In process of time, however, the number was fixed at sey

enty, and may have been so all the while. There is nothing to show that it was not, except the fact, patent to every reader of this history, that the people observed the regulations of Moses very imperfectly.

Josephus says there were three judges, in every city; and twenty-three other judges, between the elders of the cities, and the Sanhedrim; the Rabbins assert the same thing; and the opinion is generally adopted by expounders, but we notice that they do not append any references to the Bible, by which the theory is supported.

The army consisted of all the able-bodied men in the nation. And when called together, they were divided into companies of fifty, and of one hundred; regiments of one thousand; and legions of ten thousand. Every man was bound to leave all, and go into the army, on the simple call of the chief. 2 Sam. xviii. 1, 4; 1 Sam. viii. 12; xi. 7; xxii. 7.

There were some skillful artists, among the people in the wilderness; of which the tabernacle, and its furniture are proof. But the wars that followed the entrance into Canaan, and the necessary labor of commencing a settlement there, so occupied the attention of the people, that it would not be strange, if we did not find among them any remarkable examples, in this department.

The people lived in caves, or in tents of simple construction, or in mud huts even more simple; and here there was no demand for skill, or a knowledge of the art of building. And when the time came for building the temple, it was found necessary to send to Tyre for skillful men, to plan and superintend the work. 1 Chr. xiv. 1; xxii. 15.

At the same time, that age is not wholly without examples of skill, in some of the arts. There were cities with substantial, if not elegant buildings. Cities were surrounded with walls, with gates, and towers, and other

works, requiring men possessed of some knowledge of the constructive arts.

The musical instruments, which are often named in this part of the Bible, must have been constructed by skillful men, men understanding the principles of music, and how to produce the requisite musical sounds.

The priestly robes, and other appendages of the priesthood, required skill to reproduce them, from time to time, as they needed to be replaced.

Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed as beautifully as the lilies of the field; but his royal robes were, nevertheless, very grand exhibitions of genius, and must have been produced by skillful and artistic hands.

Implements of husbandry, though very rude and uncouth, compared with those of our day, required men of considerable skill to make them; and the weapons of war still more. The war chariots must have been made by men of genius, and experience in military affairs.

In some things the men of that age were superior to any that can be found at the present day. They could throw stones from a sling, to a considerable distance, so as to hit a hair; and could do this, as well with one hand as with the other. The killing of Goliath, with a stone thrown from a sling, is thought by some almost as incredible as the story of Jonah and the whale! But all depends on the accuracy of throwing the stone. There was but little part of Goliath's body, exposed-scarcely any part, except the place where he received the fatal stroke; and even that was protected by a shield, held in the hands of his armor-bearer. But David knew just where to throw; and he felt sure he could hit the spot. And he doubtless preceded the discharge of the sling, with some false motions, to throw the armor-bearer off his guard; after which he planted the stone deep in the skull of the giant. No one can doubt that such a blow would prostrate a man; and, if it did not kill him at once, it would render him insensible, long enough to be dispatched by other weapons. It