Part 149 (1/2)
”Come ye to Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and established: For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon.
It hath devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of Arnon.
Woe to thee, Moab!
Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: He hath given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto Sihon king of the Amorites. {255} We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, And we have laid waste even unto Nophah, Which reacheth unto Medeba.”
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. And the Lord said to Moses, ”Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.”
So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.
BALAAM AND BALAK.
_The Story of the Prophet Who Was Tempted by a Bribe and of the a.s.s Which Knew More Than His Master_.
And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, ”Now shall this mult.i.tude lick {256} up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the gra.s.s of the field.”
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, ”Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.”
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with bribes in their hands; and they came unto Balaam, and spoke unto him the words of Balak.
And he said unto them, ”Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me.”
And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. And G.o.d came unto Balaam, and said, ”What men are these with thee?”
And Balaam said unto G.o.d, ”Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 'Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.'”
And G.o.d said unto Balaam, ”Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.”
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
VIEW OF THE DEAD SEA
From a photograph taken by Mr. Louis L. Tribus, Consulting Engineer and Commissioner of Public Works of the Borough of Richmond, City of New York.
An interesting fact in connection with this picture of the Dead Sea concerns the boat which is floating upon it. The owner succeeded in securing a concession from the Turkish Government to put a steamboat upon the Dead Sea. When he started to run it he was advised that the concession had not included the operation of the boat and a considerable further sum of money was desired by the officials. This being beyond the power of the man to raise, the boat has not been operated and remains as the picture shows it.
The water of the Dead Sea contains about 25 per cent. of solid substances. There are common salt, chloride of calcium, chloride of magnesium, and other ingredients, and it is not to be wondered at that the human body floats easily on the surface.
The area of the sea is 360 square miles. Its length is 47-1/2 miles; its greatest width, 10 miles. The surface is about 1295 feet below sea level.
Scientific observation justifies the estimate that a daily average of 6,500,000 tons of water is received into the Dead Sea from the Jordan and other sources during the year. During the rainy season the amount is very much greater; during the dry season it is, of course, very much less, but this average will be maintained year after year.
There is no outlet, and the level is kept down by evaporation only, which is very rapid because of the intense heat, the dry atmosphere and the dry winds which are constantly blowing down the gorges between the mountains.
The waters of the Jordan, when they reach the sea, are as brown as the earth through which they flow--a thick solution of mud--but the instant they mingle with the salt water of the lake the particles of soil are precipitated and they become as clear as crystal, with an intensely green tint.