THRESHING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE:

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

What a strange company of animals we have here! A camel, two oxen, and a little white donkey! And is this not a hard way to thresh out the grain? This field, with its beasts at work, does not much resemble a great wheat field in the western states of America, with its wonderful machinery. It shows how little progress has been made in the East, to find the same methods employed now as in Bible times.

Then Jesus explained the story to his disciples in this way. He said, "When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the wayside. And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty."

SOME THINGS WHICH JESUS TAUGHT THE PEOPLE

At one time Jesus went up the slopes of a mountain, and many people gathered about him and he taught them these words, which are called

THE BEATITUDES.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. {131} Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

THE BOY WHO CAME WHEN HE WAS CALLED

There was once a woman who lived in the Bible land, and her name was Hannah. She had a little boy named Samuel. When Samuel was a baby, his mother made up her mind that she would give him to God, to serve in the temple. So she took him to the temple, and as soon as he was old enough he helped the good priest Eli about his work. Every year Hannah made a little coat for her boy, and gave it to him, when she came to see him at the temple. It was very hard for Hannah to have her dear little boy away from home, but she was very happy when she came to see him every year, and heard what a good boy he was. The old priest Eli was very fond of him. His own sons were very bad men, and that made him love Samuel all the more. Here is a story about Samuel and Eli, which shows what a good and obedient boy he was. Samuel grew up to be a very wise and a very great man, and served his country and God faithfully all his life.

A DRUSE FAMILY

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

The Druses are a remarkable people living on the mountains of Lebanon in the northern part of Palestine. For a thousand years they have been a separate people, preserving many of the customs and manners of living of Bible times. This makes them a very interesting people to us. Most of them are well to do, but there is occasionally a poor family like the one shown in our picture. You will notice the cow shed at the front door, and the family dog, but can you see the donkey? What looks like a great brush heap in the middle of the picture is really a little donkey loaded with brush! If you look sharply you may see his little feet. At the left of the picture, on the hilltop, are the ruins of an old castle built by the Crusaders.

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the Lord called Samuel; and he answered:--

"Here am I."

And he ran unto Eli and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."

And he said, "I called not; lie down again."

And he went and lay down.

And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel."

And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst call me."

And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again."

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst call me." And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel:-- {136}

"Go, lie down: and it shall be if he call thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.'"

So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel."

Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for thy servant heareth."

BETHLEHEM

This is a picture of the village as seen close at hand, the Church of the Nativity in the foreground.

"Seated on the summit level of the hill country of Judah, with deep gorges descending east to the Dead Sea, and west to the plains of Philistia, the shepherds of Bethlehem had to contend not only with bears and lions, but also with human enemies, the Philistines on the west, and Arab robbers on the east. They would therefore from childhood be accustomed to bear fatigue, hunger, heat and cold, both by night and by day, and also to brave every kind of danger and fight with every kind of antagonist. Thus the youthful David learned to sling stones when he led his father's flocks over the hills, and thus was he prepared to conquer Goliath; and so, too, by defending his charge against lions and bears, he learned to face lion-like men in war and conquer them."--"The Land and the Book"

STORIES OF DAVID

THE SHEPHERD BOY WHO KILLED A GIANT

Once upon a time there lived in the little village of Bethlehem among the hills of Judea, a shepherd lad whose name was David. Every day he led his flock of sheep to the greenest pasture and then watered them at the still pools of water.

This work was very pleasant when the weather was fair and warm, but sometimes it grows very cold in the hill country of Judea. The wind blows and the ground is covered with snow. Sometimes the shepherd is forced to stay out all night with his flock. Sometimes a lamb {140} is lost, and the shepherd has to search all night in the darkness, along dangerous paths in the hills. Sometimes wild beasts attack the flock and the shepherd must beat them off. Sometimes the wild people of the East try to carry off the sheep, and the shepherd is in danger of his life.

But this hard work and constant danger made David a strong, brave boy. He grew very skillful with the sling, which was a weapon much used in those days. With it even a boy could throw a stone very hard and far. Once when he was keeping the flock, a bear came to steal a lamb, and, at another time, a mountain lion, and David killed them both.

While David was still no more than a big boy, war broke out between his country and the Philistines. These people lived in the lower country to the west of Judea, and the two nations were very often at war. This time the two armies camped on opposite sides of a narrow valley.

The Philistines had a giant in their army, who used to come out every day and challenge anyone in the army of the Israelites to fight. This is how the giant is described:--

WATER WORKS IN OLD PHILISTIA

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

This unusual picture was taken at the village of Yebnah, between. Jaffa and Ashdod, in the country of old Philistia. The camel is harnessed to a pole, and, walking in a circle, turns the clumsy machinery which lifts the water from the well.

"And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders, and the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and a servant bearing a shield went before him."

Every day this great giant came out before the army and shouted out his challenge. "Choose you a man for you," he cried, "and let him come to me. If he be able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us."

What a terrible sight he must have been with the sun shining on his bright brass armor, and his great roaring voice, which echoed among the hills! It is no wonder that the whole army of the Israelites was afraid, and that no champion was brave enough to come out to meet him.

All this time David was at home taking care of the sheep. He had three older brothers who were away with the army, but David was thought too young to be a soldier. It must have {144} been very hard for such a brave boy to stay at home, but he was a good boy as well as a brave one, and he patiently did his work.

One day David's mother had made some very nice bread, and some cheese, and she remembered that the boys in camp would have very poor food. So David's father said he might go up to camp and take some roasted corn and the bread to his brothers, and he sent, too, ten cheeses to the captain of the boys' company.

David was delighted to go. He came quickly to the camp, and, leaving his bread, and corn, and cheese with a servant in the rear, went right up to the front where the line of battle was intrenched. He was just in time to see Goliath come out and shout his challenge. Just then David's oldest brother caught sight of him, and thought he had run away from home to see the battle.

"What are you doing here, David?" he shouted angrily. "Why have you left that little flock of sheep to be eaten up by wild beasts in the pastures? You are a naughty boy, and you have just come here to see the battle."

David replied, "What have I done now? Isn't there a good reason why I have come?"

AN EASTERN SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP

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

This is an exceptionally fine picture of a flock of sheep and their shepherd as they appear in the country of the Bible. This picture was taken in the springtime on the beautiful plain of Sharon which borders the seacoast from Joppa to Mt. Carmel. The prophet Isaiah says, "Sharon shall be a pasturage for flocks." The picture shows how the whole plain is carpeted with bright colored flowers.

And there was good reason, when no one in all the army was brave enough to fight Goliath.

David went to king Saul, who was the general of the army, and offered to fight the giant. The king was very much surprised, and told him he was only a boy, while the giant had been a soldier for many years.

But David told Saul how he had killed the lion and the bear, and said that the God who helped him in his fight with these wild beasts would help him in his fight with the giant.

Then Saul allowed him to try, and offered him a suit of armor. David tried it on, but it was not what the shepherd boy had been used to wear, so he would not take it.

He went down to the brook and picked out five smooth, round stones, just right for his sling. Then, with his shepherd's staff and bag and his sling, he went out of the lines of the army to meet the giant.

When the great giant saw the shepherd lad, he laughed, and then he grew very angry.

"Am I a dog," he said, "that you come to fight me with a shepherd's stick? Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field."

Then little David answered, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."

Then Goliath marched forward in all his brass armor to kill David; and David ran, too, straight toward the giant. When he was at the right distance he put a stone into his sling and took good aim. Away went the stone and struck the giant right in the middle of the forehead! Down he fell on his face with a crash.

Then David marched up and drew the giant's great sword out of its sheath and cut off his head.

What a shout arose from the army of Israel when they saw that the great giant whom they so much feared, was dead! And this is the way a brave boy killed a great boastful giant, with all his bragging words and his brass armor.

THE "TOMB OF RACHEL" WITH BETHLEHEM IN THE DISTANCE

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her kind permission.

This picture is chiefly interesting for the beautiful view it gives of Bethlehem, lying white against the hillside in the distance.

DAVID AND KING SAUL

After David had killed the giant Goliath, King Saul would not let him go back to his father's house at Bethlehem, but made him stay at the court, and gave him a high command in the army. King Saul was not well. He had a disease of the mind which made him at times almost, if not quite, insane. At such times he was very sad and gloomy. David could play very sweetly on the harp. When the king felt this trouble in his mind, he would send for David, who would play on the harp and the playing would soothe and calm the king so that he would be himself again.

David was a poet; he not only played upon the harp but he wrote some of the beautiful songs or psalms which he sang. In some of these songs he told about the love of God, who cares for his children as the shepherd cares for his flock.

The poet Browning wrote a beautiful poem about Saul and David and how the skillful playing of the shepherd had helped the king. Here {152} is a stanza of the poem. David is supposed to be telling someone about his playing to the king.

But in spite of David's playing the king's health grew worse. He became very jealous of David. David was young and strong and handsome, and a favorite with everyone. Saul at last came to hate him. Once he threw his spear at David, but missed his aim and David escaped. David was afraid that the king would kill him, so he gathered a few bold men about him, and became an outlaw. Day after day Saul and his soldiers pursued David but he always managed to escape, hiding in caves by day and marching by night.

THE CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

It was in this wild and desolate country on the eastern edge of Palestine that David hid in caves and ravines when pursued by his enemy, King Saul.

More than once David had Saul in his power and might have put him to death, but he was too brave and generous to take advantage of his weakness, and besides he felt that it was wrong to harm the nation's king. One night Saul and his soldiers had encamped near the place where David and his men were hiding. The night was dark. All the sentries were asleep. Quietly, David and one of his men stole into the camp, and came to the spot where Saul lay asleep with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. The soldier wanted David to kill his enemy, but he would not do it. He took Saul's spear and the water skin which was beside him and crept safely past the sentries and out of the camp again.

When he had gone to a safe distance, he stood on a hill and shouted and awakened the men in the camp, and told them to look for the spear and the water skin. So they knew that David had truly been in the camp and had spared the king's life.

DAVID AND JONATHAN

While David was living at the king's court his dearest friend was Jonathan, Saul's son. These two young men loved each other as soon as they met, which was after David had killed the giant. They went everywhere together. They hunted and played their games together. They were like two brothers. Jonathan was never jealous of David. He wanted him to be liked by others. He gave him the best that he had himself. He was a very kind hearted and generous young man. It made him very sad because his father was so cruel to David. He could not believe that his father really wished to kill his friend.

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.

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.

"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 friendship. This is a part of it:--

WINNOWING OF GRAIN AFTER THRESHING 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.

DAVID AND HIS THREE BRAVE SOLDIERS

Once when David was fighting against the Philistines the little town of Beth-lehem was in the hands of the enemy. David had a great longing for a drink of the cool water of the well which was near the gate of the town. It seemed to him that he would be perfectly happy if he could taste that water which he used to enjoy so much when he was a boy. He wanted it so much that he spoke out loud and said, "Oh, that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem which is near the gate!"

Some of his men overheard him as he said this to himself, and three of his brave soldiers left the cave where they were hiding, and broke through the enemy's lines and brought back a drink of the water to David. But when David saw them all bleeding from the wounds which they had received, he would not drink the water which they brought, because it had cost so much in the blood of his men.

So he poured it out upon the ground as an offering to God of something very sacred and precious, and as a way of showing his friends that he prized their love more than the water for which he longed.

HEBRON

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

It was here that perhaps the oldest city in Palestine was built. The picture shows the character of the country, the hills and valleys with the towns showing white on the hillsides or nestling in the valleys.

DAVID AND HIS SON ABSALOM

After Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle David became king. He did many brave and wise things and some foolish and evil things. For the wrong deeds he was punished by great sorrows.

He had a favorite son named Absalom. Absalom grew up to be a very bad boy. No doubt David was foolish in his affection and did not train the boy as he should.

He grew so bad at last that he gathered an army and rebelled against the king. At first he was successful and actually drove his father out of Jerusalem.

But David's army rallied and defeated Absalom and his bad friends in a great battle.

When Absalom knew that his army was defeated he tried to escape by riding away on the back of a swift mule. But as he passed under a great oak in the dark forest where the battle was fought, his long hair was caught in the low hanging branches: Here he hung helplessly {168} until the soldiers of David came up and killed him.

David was very sorrowful while the battle was being fought, because he loved the boy so much. He sat at the gate of the city and watched and waited. Suddenly the watchman on the tower called out that he saw a man running, and in a few moments he said that he saw another.

In the lands of the Bible, messengers, swift of foot and trained in running, always brought the news to the city as quickly as they could run.

When the first messenger came the king said quickly, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

"I saw a great tumult when I left the battle field," said the runner, "but I knew not what it meant."

"Stand aside here," said the king.

Then came the second man and he called out, "Tidings, my lord the king!"

"Is my boy Absalom safe?" again cried the king.

Then the messenger replied, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."

The king knew that this meant that the boy he loved so much was dead.

And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept, and as he went there he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee. O Absalom, my son, my son!"

THE STORY OF A GOOD KING

When King David died, Solomon his son became king. He was the wisest and best king the people ever had. He is often called "the wise king." One night soon after he became king he had a dream. In his dream he seemed to see the Lord, who said, "Ask what I shall give thee."

Instead of asking for great riches or honor or power, Solomon asked for wisdom.

He said, "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart."

And the Lord replied, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked for the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding, behold, I have done according to thy word; I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, and I have given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like thee all thy days."

CHILDREN AT CANA

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether and used by her kind permission.

Then Solomon awoke and knew it was a dream, but in after years the dream came true, and Solomon became the wisest and richest king in the world.

Every year his ships sailed away and brought many rare and costly things from the East. They brought gold, and silver, and precious stones, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

At one time Solomon had a visit from the Queen of Sheba, who had heard of his great wisdom and wished very much to see him. She came with a great many servants riding upon camels, and she brought him as presents, gold, and precious stones, and spices.

Many kings came also to see him and they brought as presents, gold, and silver, and costly cloths, and spices, and horses, and mules with their harnesses.

Solomon's greatest wish was to build a beautiful house in which to worship God. So he sent to King Hiram, who lived in the north country where the great cedars of Lebanon grew, and Hiram sent his woodcutters into the forest and they cut down the great cedars {174} and squared the logs into beams. Then the lumber was taken to the coast and floated on rafts in the sea along the shore and then brought over the land to Jerusalem.

There were also men working in the stone quarries hewing out the great stones for the foundation, and skillful workmen making the golden ornaments and the beautiful carving.

So carefully were the stones and timbers cut and marked that they were all put together without the sound of hammer or axe. This beautiful building was the first temple which the Israelites built and it has always been called "Solomon's Temple."

CAMEL MERCHANTS

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

These men are on the way from Palestine to sell their camels in Egypt. Every year great herds of camels are still brought from the East to sell for the carrying of merchandise in caravans, just as they were used in the days of the Bible.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN

There was once a boy whose father loved him very much indeed. The boy's name was Joseph. His father's name was Jacob. The father gave the boy a coat of many colors. It was a very fine coat and he was very proud of it. He had eleven brothers, and they hated him because he was his father's favorite. He had a dream in which he saw the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowing down before him. This made the brothers hate him still more, and even his father was none too well pleased.

One day the brothers were taking care of the sheep in a distant pasture, and Jacob sent Joseph to see how the boys were getting along.

The shepherd boys saw him while he was still a long way off, and they said, "Here comes {178} the dreamer. Let us kill him and put him into some pit, and say to father, 'Some wild beast has killed him,' and then see what will become of his dreams!" They were very bad boys indeed.

They all agreed but Reuben, who was the only one who had any pity for Joseph. He really wanted to save his brother, but in order to deceive the others he said, "Do not kill him, but put him alive into some pit, in an out-off the-way place." He said this hoping to come back and rescue Joseph when the others had gone.

They finally consented; so, when Joseph came up, they took off his coat of many colors and put him into a pit. Probably they did not handle him at all gently!

Then Reuben went away and the others calmly sat down to eat their dinner. While they were eating, they looked up and saw a long caravan with camels loaded with spices and balm and myrrh going from the East down to Egypt.

Then an idea came to Judah, one of the brothers. "Let us sell Joseph," he said, "so we shall get rid of him and no guilt of his blood will be on our hands."

ONE OF THE PYRAMIDS

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

Another one of the great pyramids which rise above the level country of Egypt, monuments to the departed greatness of her rulers. Recent explorations show that the civilization of Egypt goes back more than four thousand years before the time of Christ.

They drew Joseph, who must have been well frightened by this time, out of the pit, and sold him to the traders for twenty pieces of silver.

When Reuben came back he was very much distressed, but he did not dare to tell his father the truth. They agreed to dip Joseph's coat of many colors in blood and say that a wild beast had eaten him. Then they went home and pretended to be very sorry and told their poor old father this lie which they had made up. The father believed it because they showed him the coat of many colors which they had dipped in blood. Jacob was very sad and mourned a long time for his boy.

The traders carried Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave. He was treated badly and at last put into prison. While he was there the Pharaoh, the king of the country, had a dream. He dreamed that he saw seven fat oxen come up out of a river and feed in a meadow. Then seven lean and hungry oxen came out of the river and ate up the fat oxen. Then he saw seven fine full ears of corn on one stalk, but there grew also seven poor thin ears, which destroyed the good ears.

No one could tell the king what his dream {182} meant, until he heard that Joseph, who was in prison, was able to tell the meaning of dreams. So he called Joseph, who was very glad to come out of the dark prison. Joseph told the king at once what his dream meant. He said that there would be seven years of plenty in Egypt, when there would be great crops of grain. Then would come seven years of famine, when no crops would grow. Joseph advised the king to build great store houses and to store up the grain during the years of plenty, so that the people might not starve during the years of famine.

Pharaoh was much pleased because Joseph told him the meaning of the dream, and at once appointed him as the man to gather the grain during the years of plenty.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt."

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried before him, "Bow the knee!" and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

TEMPLE AT THEBES

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

This is another of the great Egyptian temples, built thousands of years ago, with the massive columns still standing.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without thy consent no man shall lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." So the shepherd boy, who had been sold as a slave in Egypt, became next to Pharaoh the chief man in all the country!

During the next seven years, there never had been such harvests, and Joseph went about gathering up the great loads of grain into all the storehouses.

Then came the terrible famine. No grain grew in the fields. But Joseph was ready. The people came to him and bought grain to keep them from starving.

All this time Joseph's father thought he was dead and he never ceased to mourn for his boy. By and by the famine reached the land where Joseph's father lived and he sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food, but of course they did not know that the ruler of Egypt was Joseph.

Ten of Jacob's sons, each with his donkey, went to Egypt, but the youngest boy, Benjamin, Jacob kept at home.

When they came to the palace where Joseph lived, he knew at once that they were his {186} brothers, but they did not know him. At first Joseph treated them roughly. He said they were spies. But they told him they were all brothers who lived in the land of Canaan and their youngest brother and their father they had left at home. Joseph still seemed to be very angry and put them in prison for three days.

Then he let them out and told them to go home, all but Simeon, whom he would keep as a hostage, and bring back their youngest brother, and then he would believe that they spoke the truth.

They started back, each with his donkey loaded with grain. When they stopped at an inn they found that the money which they had paid for the grain was in the top of each sack.

They reached home at last and told their father all that had happened. The story made the old man very sad. He would not let them go back to Egypt. He said that he had lost two sons, Joseph and Simeon, and he could not let Benjamin, whom he loved next to Joseph, go with them.