filment of its (typical) contents. Although Prophecy had hitherto been characterized merely by zeal for the Law and its worship, and seemed to be simply the successor of Moses in the order of time, it began, in this period, to pass beyond the boundaries which Moses had reached, and enlarged and developed the work which he had commenced; it now appears, consequently, rather as the harbinger of Christ, who fulfilled all that was old, made it new, and completed a work that endures forever. In this manner the conception of the Messiah became fully distinct, and acquired a complete form. Prophecy continually furnished new views of the image of the promised Son of David, and the more gloomy the scene became which the times exhibited, the more earnestly did faith look forward to the future fulfilment of the Law and Prophecy.

OBS. — The following list of the kings of Judah and Israel may serve to give additional distinctness to the history of this period, in its chronological and synchronal aspects. The years indicate the commencement of the reign of each of the kings.

The memory may be assisted by attention to the following chronological points: Division of the kingdom, 975 years before Christ; —

Jehosaphat and Ahab, about 900;-Jehu and Athaliah, about 888;Jeroboam II. and Uzziah (and those prophets whose writings still remain as witnesses of their labors) about 800;-Hezekiah, and the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel, 722; overthrow of the kingdom of Judah, 588.-In the column of the kings of Judah, the names of those who entertained theocratical sentiments, are printed in Italic letters; in the column of the kings of Israel, the names of those with whom the successive Israelitish dynasties began, are similarly distinguished.

§ 89. Connection of the History of Israel and of the Cotemporaneous Pagan Kingdoms.

1. The history of the children of Israel begins to assume a new character; their connection with heathen nations acquires greater prominence, and becomes more ominous, than at any former period. The efforts of the pagan monarchies to gain universal empire are more plainly made, and become more comprehensive, as time advances. The land of Israel, in the centre of the commerce and political movements of the world, and partially exposed to the assaults of the great powers both of Asia and Africa, which contend with each other for universal dominion, is regarded by the latter with covetous eyes. In proportion as the chosen people become unmindful of their own peculiar vocation, and conform to the practices of pagans, they are involved in the disputes of hostile monarchs, and cannot escape an overthrow, for Israel's strength had hitherto consisted in its seclusion from the world. Thus, by a natural course of development, the kingdoms of the world become the rod with which God chastises the people who had become unfaithful to their divine calling. It is not merely the military power of these kingdoms, but also the hand of God, which opens pathways over seas and through deserts, across mountains and deep valleys, by which their armies can reach the very heart of the holy land, although its position and natural features had seemed to secure it from invasion.

2. Nevertheless, the arrogance of these pagans, and their contempt of Jehovah, the God of Israel, do not remain unpunished; divine justice overtakes the guilty. The kingdoms of the world successively rise, violate the sanctuary of God, and are over

thrown, as soon as the designs of God are fulfilled. The words which God had spoken to Abraham (§ 24. 1, OBS. 3), still retain their efficacy: "I will curse him that curseth thee." (Gen. 12:3.) Even as in earlier ages the curse had descended on Egypt, Amalek, Edom, Moab and Ammon, which these desired to bring upon the people of God, so, too, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, Greek and Roman oppressors are successively prostrated; while that kingdom proceeds from the midst of the despised and oppressed people of Israel, which the God of heaven sets up, and which shall stand for ever. (Dan. 2: 44; § 107. 1.) — Israel, although often transgressing, yet always remaining the people of God until its final rejection, was, as a people, a stone of stumbling to ancient nations, even as Christ is to the nations of modern times; and, in a certain sense, the words may be applied to Israel also: "Whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken." (Matt. 21 : 44.)

OBS.-For the purpose of avoiding any interruptions in relating afterwards the history of this period, we insert here a very brief historical sketch of those kingdoms of the world, with which the people of God came in contact during this period.

I. The first earthly kingdom which God employed, during this period, as a rod for chastising his people, was Syria, the capital of which was Damascus. This city had been taken and garrisoned by David; during Solomon's reign, however, an independent kingdom was again established here under Rezon (1 Kings 11 : 24), whose descendant, Ben-hadad I., in consideration of vast treasures which Asa gave him, turned his arms against Baasha, king of Israel, and inflicted serious injuries on him. Hostilities continued between the latter kingdom and Syria. Ben-hadad I. was succeeded by his son Ben-hadad II., who was murdered by the usurper Hazael. The latter severely afflicted Israel, and conquered the whole of the eastJordanic territory. His son, Ben-hadad III., was repeatedly defeated by the Israelitish kings Jehoash and Jeroboam II., and was compelled to relinquish all the land which his predecessors had conquered. At a later period, the two states, under Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Damascus, form an alliance against Ahaz of Judah. This alliance led to the ruin of the Syrian king, for Ahaz invoked the aid of Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, who carried the inhabitants of Syria captive to Assyria, and attached the country to his own territories.

II. The Lord provided a still heavier rod for the chastisement of his people, when he employed the far more powerful Assyrian monarchy. Assyria was a colony of Babel (Gen. 10 : 10, 11); during its most flourishing period, it included the whole region watered by the Euphrates and the Tigris; Nineveh, the metropolis, lay on the eastern side of the Tigris. The history of this kingdom is very obscure, and attended with great difficulties; we can scarcely hope that the contradictions which occur in the accounts given of it by different writers will ever be fully reconciled. Those which are furnished by the Old Testament embrace a very short period, and occur only at intervals, but they alone are perfectly reliable. The first Assyrian king who is connected with the history of Israel is Pul, to whom Menahem became tributary. Tiglath-pileser carried the inhabitants of Syria and Northern Palestine captive to Assyria. Shalmanezer completed the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, and carried away the remnant of the people. Sennacherib, on his march to Egypt, besieged Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah. Esarhaddon, his son and successor, carried Manasseh captive to Babylon. The list of Assyrian kings, according to the Greek historians, commences with Ninus, and closes as early as the year 800 before Christ, with Sardanapalus; in consequence of the revolt of two of his officers, Arbaces, governor of Media, and Belesis, governor of Babylon, he gathered around him all his women and treasures in a palace, which he set on fire, and thus perished. In order to reconcile these accounts with those contained in the Scriptures, many historians have assumed that a second or new Assyrian empire arose, which, after a subjection to Media of short duration, acquired independence under the kings mentioned in the Bible, but which was finally destroyed by Cyaxares of Media, and Nabopolassar of Babylon, about 625 years before Christ.

III. The third earthly monarchy by which the people of God were chastised and humbled, was the vast Babylonian empire. Babylonia had originally founded Assyria, but afterwards appears as a province of the latter empire, at an early period. After the death of Sardanapalus, Belesis, the Babylonian governor, acquired for the country an independence to which the new Assyrian empire soon put an end. The Babylonian Nabonassar, from whom a new era (the year 747 before Christ) derives its name, restored the independence of the country. In the year 713, the Babylonian king Berodach-baladan sent ambassadors to Hezekiah king of Judah, and established friendly relations with him. During the reign of Manasseh, Esarhaddon, the Assyrian king, appears as the ruler of Babylon; the

empire of Assyria, nevertheless, was rapidly approaching its fall. Nabopolassar, the governor of Babylon, became an independent king in the year 625, and was the founder of the new Babylonian and Chaldean dynasty, which acquired vast sway. His son, Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the kingdom of Judah, raised the power of this empire to a stupendous height, but its dissolution was equally rapid; the interval between the year 562, in which he died, and the destruction of his empire by the Medes and Persians, did not exceed twenty-three years. Nebuchadnezzar's son, Evil-merodach (Belshazzar? see 107. 3, OBS.), was murdered, after a reign of two years, by his sister's husband, Neriglissor (Darius the Mede?); and the latter lost his life, four years afterwards, in a battle between his army and the army of Cyrus. His son Laborosoarchod lost his life after a reign of only nine months, in consequence of a conspiracy against him, which enabled a Babylonian named Naboned to ascend the throne. The Chaldean monarchy ended with him, in the year 539.

NOTE. When the Scriptural accounts are compared with those of Greek writers, it frequently occurs that the names of Chaldean, Median and Persian kings do not correspond. This result may be explained partly by the circumstance that oriental names are corrupted or changed when pronounced by the Greeks, and partly by the circumstance that these royal names are rather distinctive titles of honor than personal names, and that titles are often accumulated in the case of a single person, according to the oriental usage.

IV. The influence of Egypt on the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, as far as any connection existed between them, was less important than in the former case, but nevertheless also hastened their ruin. After the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, no intercourse existed between the two nations until the reign of Solomon, who married an Egyptian princess. This friendly relation between Judah and Egypt was probably interrupted by the appearance of a new dynasty in the latter kingdom. Jeroboam fled to the Egyptian king Shishak (Sesonchis), who even came up against Jerusalem during the reign of Rehoboam, and plundered the city. Egypt made fruitless efforts to repress the growing power of the Asiatic kingdoms, and even the kingdoms of Israel and Judah supposed that the adoption of the course of policy which Egypt pursued would secure them against the same adversaries, although the prophets protested in the most positive manner against an alliance with Egypt (as, Isai. ch. 30 and 31, &c). Hosea, the last king of Israel, made an alliance with king So (Sabaco?), the first king of the Ethiopian dynasty,