Part 85 (2/2)

At last David did not dare to come to the king's court nor to take his place at the king's table. Still Jonathan did not believe that his father really meant to do harm to his friend. To test the king they planned to leave David in a hiding place in the field while Jonathan went home to see his father. When David did not take his place at the table, the king grew very gloomy. ”Where is David?” he said.

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WINNOWING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by her kind permission.

In the East, after the grain is threshed out by the trampling of cattle or by driving over it with sledges, it is tossed up in the air by a kind of fork. The wind blows the light chaff away, while the heavier grain falls in a heap. This explains many of the allusions in the Bible.

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”He asked permission to run home to Bethlehem to offer the sacrifice with his family,” replied Jonathan.

At that the king grew furious in his rage. He told his son that David wanted to steal the kingdom away from him (for Jonathan was the oldest son and would be king when Saul died).

Saul was so angry that he even threw his spear at his own son, and so Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill his friend.

David was hiding behind a great rock in the field, and, according to a plan they had made beforehand, Jonathan came out the next day with his bow and arrows and pretended to shoot at a mark. He had a little boy with him to run for the arrows.

The plan was this: If Jonathan said to the boy, ”The arrows are on this side of you,” David would know that all was safe. But if he said, ”The arrows are beyond you,” he would know that he was in great danger.

Jonathan came and shot his arrows, and cried, ”The arrows are beyond you.”

So David knew that the king intended to kill him. They waited until the boy had gone and then David came out, and Jonathan told {160} him how sorry he was that the friend he loved so much must go away. In many other ways Jonathan showed his great love for his friend.

At last both Saul and Jonathan were killed in a great battle with the Philistines. Then David mourned deeply for Jonathan and he made a song of mourning about their friends.h.i.+p. This is a part of it:--

”Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!

O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places!

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been to me, Thy love was wonderful, Pa.s.sing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!”

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WINNOWING OF GRAIN AFTER THREs.h.i.+NG IN EGYPT

Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.

After the grain was threshed it was winnowed. The mixture of grain, chaff, and broken straw was turned over and shaken with a wooden fork. It was thrown high in the air so that the wind might carry away the chaff. This work was often carried on at night to take advantage of the night wind, which was usually stronger than during the day. After the first process another was carried on by the ”fan,” a kind of shovel by which there was a still further separation of impurities. The final cleansing was accomplished by a sieve. The chaff was burned or blown away by the wind. In the picture the blurred appearance is the chaff which has just been tossed up and is being blown away.

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