So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father.

SAMSON

O wherefore was my birth from heaven foretold
Twice by an angel, who at last, in sight

Of both my parents, all in flames ascended
From off the altar, where an offering burned,
As in a fiery column charioting

His godlike presence, and from some great act
Or benefit revealed to Abraham's race?
Why was my breeding ordered and prescribed
As of a person separate to God,

Destined for great exploits, if I must die

Betrayed, captive, and both my eyes put out,

Made of my enemies the scorn and gaze;

To grind in brazen fetters under task,

With this Heaven-gifted strength? O glorious strength,

Put to the labor of a beast, debased

Lower than bondslave! Promise was, that I
Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver;
Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him
Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves,
Himself in bonds under Philistine yoke.

-From "Samson Agonistes," by Milton

MICAH

This narrative of the emigration of the Danites in the days of the Judges describes a type of character familiar in all times. The man thinks he can make up for his misdeeds by giving money, and believes that a priest can be religious in his stead; and when things that have to do with outward ceremonies and observances are taken away, he has no faith or comfort left. In this story, we can see, also, some of the primitive ideas and observances which characterized the religious life of the Hebrew colonists in Canaan, before the days of kingly rule when worship became more highly centralized and the evils of idolatry became more apparent.

T

THE SANCTUARY OF MICAH

HE MULTIPLIES HIS IDOLS

HERE was a man of the hill country of Ephraim,

whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spokest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me: I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my

son."

And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, "I had wholly dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to thee."

Yet he restored the money to his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image. And they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod, and teraphim [idols] and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Now there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

And Micah said to him, "Whence comest thou?"

He said to him, "I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place."

And Micah said to him, "Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals."

So the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

Then said Micah, "Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest."

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SANCTUARY AT DAN

THE DANITES RECONNOITER

In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day all their inheritance had not been allotted to them among the tribes of Israel. And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, search the land": and they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said to him, "Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?”

He said to them, "Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest."

And they said to him, "Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous." And the priest said to them, "Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go."

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in anything; and they were far from the Sidonians,18 and had no business with any man.

Then they came to their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said to them, "What say ye?"

And they said, "Rise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good. And