Chapter I: Preface

It is the purpose to present these Hero Studies in two books, one being the present volume which is intended as a textbook for the students, the other being the teacher's manual with fuller explanations and suggestions. The necessary prefatory statements will be found in the respective books under the titles "Foreword to the Student" and "Foreword to the Teacher".

This volume contains the text of the stories, with explanatory notes and questions intended to stimulate study. Each lesson consists of a complete story arranged in such a way as to impress the main features of the narrative clearly upon the student's mind. The explanatory material is reduced to the minimum, since the main desire is to let the stories speak for themselves and not to burden the student with wearisome details. The three reviews divide the course into the three natural parts, the first extending to Christmas, the second to the end of March, the third, which is shorter, to the middle of June, when it is usually wise for the regular courses to end.

The text of the British Revisers is used in the reprint of the stories with the consent and approval of the Oxford and Cambridge University presses. As the plan of simplifying the narratives involved certain verbal changes, it has seemed wise to go a step farther and to use the spellings which would be more familiar to American students.

For constant suggestions as to form and method I am greatly indebted to my wife, who has taught the lessons from advance sheets to a class of boys. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the valuable counsel of Professor E. D. Burton, the editor of the series, and especially that of Professor J. M. P. Smith, who at Professor Burton's request, and to my own great satisfaction, assumed the editorial responsibility of reading the manuscript, and gave me the benefit of his ripe scholarship and judgment.

T. G. S.

July 29, 1908

CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORD TO THE STUDENT xv

CHAPTER

I. ABRAHAM, THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL 1

II. ABRAHAM, THE MAGNANIMOUS 9

III. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC 16

IV. JACOB, THE CLEVER 29

V. ISRAEL, THE GODLY 41

VI. JOSEPH, THE SLAVE 51

VII. JOSEPH, THE RULER 60

VIII. JOSEPH, THE GENEROUS 70

IX. MOSES' EARLY LIFE 85

X. MOSES' COMMISSION 94

XI. MOSES, THE DELIVERER 104

XII. MOSES, THE LAWGIVER 117

XIII. REVIEW: THE HEROES OF ISRAEL'S WANDERINGS 129

XIV. JOSHUA AND CALEB 135

XV. GIDEON, THE WARRIOR 147

XVI. SAMSON, THE STRONG MAN 158

XVII. RUTH, THE FOREIGNER 171

XVIII. SAMUEL AND ELI 187

XIX. SAMUEL AND SAUL 200

XX. JONATHAN'S VICTORY 211

XXI. DAVID AND THE GIANT 223

XXII. THE HERO FRIENDS, DAVID AND JONATHAN 237

XXIII. DAVID, THE OUTLAW 247

XXIV. DAVID, THE KING 260

XXV. DAVID AND HIS REBEL SON 270

XXVI. REVIEW: TEN HEROES OF ISRAEL 283

XXVII. SOLOMON, THE WISE KING 289

XXVIII. ELIJAH, THE CHAMPION OF PURE RELIGION 303

XXIX. ELIJAH, THE CHAMPION OF JUSTICE 317

XXX. ELISHA, THE HEALER AND COUNSELOR 328

XXXI. NEHEMIAH, THE BUILDER 339

XXXII. ESTHER, THE PATRIOT QUEEN 351

XXXIII. JUDAS, THE HAMMERER 364

XXXIV. DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS 373

XXXV. REVIEW: SEVEN HEROIC NAMES 385

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

MAP OF THE SEMITIC WORLD Frontispiece

A CARAVAN IN PALESTINE 5

MAP OF CANAAN opposite 47

THE SEAL OF THE GRAND VIZIER OF RAMSES II 66

PORTRAIT STATUES OF RAMSES II 88

ORIENTAL SANDALS 95

BRICK-MAKING IN EGYPT 102

MOSES 118

WINNOWING GRAIN 179

A PHILISTINE 212

DAVID 226

CEDARS OF LEBANON 294

ESTHER'S PALACE 357