small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying: They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said: Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place that it slay not us and our people; for there was a deadly pestilence throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Then the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? tell us wherewith we shall send it to its place. And they said: If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty, but in any wise return Him a trespassoffering; then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you. Then said they: What shall be the trespass-offering which we must return to Him? They answered: Five golden emerods and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all and on your lords. Wherefore do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

Now, therefore, take a new cart, and take two milch kine on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart and bring their calves home from them; and take the ark of Yahweh and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, the trespass-offering which ye return Him, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away that it may go. And see if it goeth up by the way of His own border to Bethshemesh; then He hath done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that hath smitten us; it was a chance that happened to us.

And the men did so. They took two milch kine and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; and they laid the ark of Yahweh upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and with the images of the emerods. And the kine took the straight way by the road to Beth-shemesh, and they went along the highway, lowing as they went. They turned not away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley: and thy lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came to the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, where was a great stone; and it stood there; and they cleaved the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto Yahweh. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

And Yahweh smote of the men of Beth-shemesh three score and ten men, because they looked into the ark of Yahweh; and the people mourned because He had smitten so many of the people. And the men of Beth-shemesh said: Who is able to stand before this holy God, Yahweh? And to whom shall He go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying: The Philistines have brought back the ark of Yahweh; come ye down and fetch it up to you. And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and fetched up the ark of Yahweh, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazer his son to keep the ark of Yahweh.

CHAPTER IV

THE KINGSHIP OF SAUL, THE BENJAMITE

SECTION I.-The Israelites demand a king. Saul, seeking his father's asses, appears before Samuel the Seer. Samuel anoints him king. Saul saves Jabesh-Gilead from the Ammonites. The people hail him as king in Gilgal. He orders his forces for an attack upon the Philistines. His son Jonathan makes the first foray upon their garrison. The great exploit of Jonathan, followed by an earthquake and the rout of the Philistines. Saul builds his first altar to Yahweh. (1 Samuel, ix-x, 7, 9-16; xi, 1-7, 9-11, 15; xiii, 1-5a, 7a, 16-18, 25; xiv, 1-4.)

Materials: Oral traditions, the "Book of Jashar", the "Wars of
Yahweh", Priestly Records, "Acts of Samuel the Seer".

Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zerar, the son of Bechereth, the son of Aphiah; a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and a goodly; and there was not among the Children of Israel a goodlier person than he; for from his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

And the asses of Saul's father, Kish, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son: Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalim, and passed through the land of the Benjamites, and found them not. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. And he answered him: Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, an honorable man; all that he saith cometh to pass. Now let us go thither; peradventure he can show us the way that we should go.

Then said Saul to his servant: But behold, if we go, what shall we bring to the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to bring to the man of God. What have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; that will I give to the man of God to tell us our way. (Aforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said: Come let us go to the Seer; for he that is now called a prophet was aforetime called a Seer.) Then said Saul to his servant: Well said, let us go. So they went into the city where the man of God was.

And as they went up to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them: Is the Seer here? And they answered them and said: He is; behold, he is ahead of you; make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to-day in the high place; as soon as ye be come into the city ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat;

for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are bidden.

And they went up into the city; and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them to go up unto the high place.1

Now Yahweh had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying: To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him captain over My people Israel, that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry hath come unto Me. And when Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said unto him: Behold the man of whom I spake unto thee; this same shall reign over My people. Then Saul drew near unto Samuel in the gate, and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. And Samuel answered Saul, and said: I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day, and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. As for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them, for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

And Saul answered and said: Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook : Bring the portion that I gave thee, of which I said: Set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: Behold that which was left; set it before thee and eat; for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said: I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul on the top of the house. And they arose early. And it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying: Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose; and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: Bid the servant pass on (and he passed on), but stand thou still awhile, that I may show thee the word of God.

Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Is it not because Yahweh hath anointed thee to be prince over His inheritance? When thou art departed from me to-day, thou shalt find two men by Rachel's tomb in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee: The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and lo, thy father hath left off caring for the asses, and is sorrowing for you, saying: What shall I do for my son? Then thou shalt go forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves

In this version, the introduction of Samuel is as abrupt as that of Melchizedek; but it is improbable that J had given no account of his origin and early history. We may rather infer that JE preferred the fuller and more romantic account of E; and, as has happened before, no later editor seems to have thought a connecting link necessary. E left Samuel a judge in a small circuit of four cities only, but of considerable importance. He appears here as a revered Seer, exercising priestly functions, whose verdict is accepted in the highest civic affairs.

of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine; and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou shalt receive at their hands. After that, thou shalt come to the hill of God where is the garrison of the Philistines. And it shall come to pass when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a tabret and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy. And the Spirit of Yahweh shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied with them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him aforetime saw that he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another: What is this that hath come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said: But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant: Whither went ye? And he said: To seek the asses; and when we saw them nowhere, we went to Samuel. And Saul's uncle said: Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto thee? And Saul said unto his uncle: He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against JabeshGilead; and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash: Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them: On this will I make it with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach to all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto him: Give us seven days 'respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel; and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee. Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people; and all the pople lifted up their voices and wept.

And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said: What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying. Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of Yahweh fell upon the people, and they came out with one consent.

And they said unto the messengers that came: Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said: To-morrow we will come out to you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

And it was so, that on the morrow Saul put the people into three companies, and they came into the midst of the host in the morning

watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and it came to pass that they which remained were scattered so that two of them were not left together. And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

'Now when Saul had reigned two years over Israel, he chose him three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people who were with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual; another company turned the way of Beth-horon; and another turned the way of the border that looketh down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. And the garrison of the Philistines went out unto the pass of Michmash.

Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bare his armor: Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Saul was tarrying in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate-tree which is in Migron; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahiah the son of Ahitub (Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli who had been the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh), wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan had gone.

Now between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The fore-front of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other eastward over against Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor: Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that Yahweh will work for us, for to Yahweh there is no restraint to save by many or by few. And his armor-bearer said unto him: Do all that is in thine heart; turn thee; behold, I am with thee, according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan: Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves to them. If they say thus unto us: Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus: Come up unto us,then we will go up; for Yahweh hath delivered them unto us; and this shall be the sign unto us.

And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said: Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said: Come up, and we will show you a thing.

And Jonathan said unto his armor-bearer: Come up after me; for Yahweh hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer

1 Chapter xii is interpolated by a Deuteronomist. The style and manner of Samuel's address are out of harmony with the simple account of the selection and grateful acceptance of the first king, given by J. It is therefore omitted.