The Bible Story Part 152

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LOWER FORDS OF THE JORDAN

From a photograph in the possession of Rev. Louis F. Giroux of the International College, Springfield, Ma.s.s., and used by his kind permission.

Jordan river is a narrow, winding stream flowing down on the eastern border of the "Promised Land." When not in flood its width does not average over two hundred feet and it is rarely over five feet deep at such times; in flood it becomes in places a mile broad. It is so winding that in sixty-five miles direct course it covers a distance of two hundred miles. There are some fifty fords across the river, and in Roman times it was spanned by bridges. This picture shows the "lower fords." At this point, or near here, the Israelites crossed.

"There are hundreds of other streams more large, more useful, or more beautiful; there is none which has been more spoken about by mankind"

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And she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

And they went, and came to the mountain, and hid there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and pa.s.sed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. And they said unto Joshua, "Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us."

THE Pa.s.sAGE OF THE JORDAN.

_The Israelites Leave the Jordan Behind Them as They Left the Red Sea_.

And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and they marched from s.h.i.+ttim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they pa.s.sed over. And it came to pa.s.s after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, "When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your G.o.d, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall advance from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a s.p.a.ce between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not pa.s.sed this way heretofore."

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And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves: for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pa.s.s over before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When ye are come to the brink of the waters of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.'"

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your G.o.d."

And Joshua said, "Hereby ye shall know that the living G.o.d is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and all the people of the land. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth pa.s.seth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. And it shall come to pa.s.s, when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."

And it came to pa.s.s, when the people removed from their tents, to pa.s.s over Jordan, the priests that bore the ark of the covenant being before the people; and when they {287} that bore the ark were come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (for Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest), that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan: and those that went down toward the Salt Sea were wholly cut off: and the people pa.s.sed over right opposite Jericho.

And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all Israel pa.s.sed over on dry ground, until all the nation were pa.s.sed wholly over Jordan.

SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF JERICHO.

_How the Walls of the City Fell Down_.

And it came to pa.s.s, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went to him, and said to him, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?"

And he said, "Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come."

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and wors.h.i.+ped, and said to him, "What saith my Lord to his servant?" And the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy."

And Joshua did so.

(Now Jericho was closely besieged by the children {288} of Israel: none went out, and none came in.) And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. And ye shall march around the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him."

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord."

And they said unto the people, "Pa.s.s on, and march around the city, and let the armed men pa.s.s on before the ark of the Lord."

And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord pa.s.sed on, and blew the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And the armed men went before the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went after the ark, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went.

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THE PLAIN OF JERICHO, LOOKING TOWARD THE JORDAN FROM THE HILLS TO THE WEST.

From a photograph taken by Prof. H. G. Mitch.e.l.l and used by his kind permission.

A view of the Jordan plain, showing the desolate nature of the country.

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And Joshua commanded the people, saying, "Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout."

So he caused the ark of the Lord to pa.s.s around the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams'

horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went.

And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. And it came to pa.s.s on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city after the same manner seven times. And it came to pa.s.s at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! for the Lord hath given you the city. And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to the Lord: only Rahab shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, be sure to keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so should ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of bra.s.s and iron, are holy {292} unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."

So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets: and it came to pa.s.s, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and a.s.s, with the edge of the sword.

And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, "Go into Rahab's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye swore unto her." And the young men who were the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, all her kindred also they brought out; and they set them without the camp of Israel.

And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of bra.s.s and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

But Rahab and her father's household, and all that she had, did Joshua save alive; and she dwelt in the midst of Israel, to this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

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THE FALL OF JERICHO

Sound, sound for ever, Clarions of Thought!

When Joshua 'gainst the high-walled city fought, He marched around it with his banners high.

His troops in serried order following nigh.

But not a sword was drawn, no shaft outsprang, Only the trumpets the shrill onset rang.