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The Future of Palestine as a Problem of International Policy [
The Future of Palestine as a Problem of International Policy Author:B. Walker General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1881 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. SECULAR HISTORY-continued. FROM TriE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONARcHY TO THE RETURN OF THE JEWS FROM cAPTIVITY. Although the people had actually no option in the appointment of Saul, he was, in a sense, virtually the man of the people's choice -- the very one they would have chosen, had he been freely placed before them as a candidate. They admired him for his stately mien, and, after his victory over the Ammonites, for his warlike prowess. He had right kingly qualities, in a worldly sense, and was just the man, under favouring circumstances, to have surrounded himself with much of the imposing glory of worldly power. As it was, he furnished the Hebrews with their first experience of, and implanted in them a liking for, that kind of earthly dominion which is, in fact, only another species of idolatry, wherein the idol is man, the worship of those in high station. By the number of his servants and officials, and his bodyguard of soldiers, he secured obedience and respect; and by his lavish munificence he spread a taste for luxury and contentment with that order of things which was favourable to its gratification. In these respects his reign might have been more successful than it was, but for his Jewish training, and the fact of hisindependent action being fettered by the special conditions on which he received the throne. It was because he showed a disposition to break through these restrictions, and rule in accordance with his own will and judgment, that the succession was not continued in the line of his descendants, and a new king was sought for in another family and another tribe. Dav...« less