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Beacon Lights of History, Volume II: Jewish Heroes and Prophets
Beacon Lights of History Volume II Jewish Heroes and Prophets Author:John Lord Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: on the west and Hai on the east, and there he built an altar unto the Ixird. After this it would appear that he proceeded still farther to the south, probably ne... more »ar the northern part of Idumaea. Wherever Abram journeyed he found the Canaan- ites—descendants of Ham — petty tribes or nations, governed by kings no more powerful than himself. They are supposed in their invasions to have conquered the aboriginal inhabitants, whose remote origin is veiled in impenetrable obscurity, but who retained some principles of the primitive religion. It is even possible that Melchizedek, the unconquered King of Salem, who blessed Abram, belonged to those original people who were of Semitic origin.- Nevertheless the Canaanites, or Hametic tribes, were at this time the dominant inhabitants. Of these tribes or nations the Sidonians, or Phoenicians, were the most powerful. Next to them, according to Ewald, "were three nations living toward the South, — the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amo- rites; then two in the most northerly country conquered by Israel, — the Girgashites and the Hivites; then four in Phoenicia; and lastly, the most northern of all, the well known kingdom of Hamath on the Orontes." The Jebusites occupied the country around Jerusalem; the Amorites also dwelt in the mountainous regions, and were warlike and savage, like theancient Highlanders of Scotland. They intrenched themselves in strong castles. The Hittites, or children of Heth, were on the contrary peaceful, having no fortified cities, but dwelling in the valleys, and living in well-ordered communities. The Hivites dwelt in the middle of the country, and were also peaceful, having reached a considerable civilization, and being in the possession of the most nourishing inland cities. The Philistines entered the land at a...« less