Having given these necessary orders, early the next morning, which was the tenth day of the first month, the whole army proceeded on their march. The priests with the ark went first; and as soon as they touched the river with their feet, the rapidity of the stream abated; the waters above went back, and rose on heaps for a considerable distance, while those below continued their course the contrary way, so that there was a passage opened of about sixteen miles for the Israelites to pass. The priests stood with the ark in the middle of the channel till the whole multitude had got on the other side, when, having raised the twelve stones as Joshua had commanded, they left the bed of the river, on which the waters immediately returned, and resumed their natural course.

The Israelites, having by this miraculous passage gained the plains of Jericho, encamped in a place afterward called Gilgal,* where Joshua erected the twelve stones, which had been brought from the Jordan, as a monument to posterity of the Almighty's interposition in assisting them to pass that river.

This extraordinary event being soon circulated through the adjacent parts of the country, the people were filled with the greatest amazement; and when the kings of the Amorites (who were on the west side of the Jordan) and the kings of the Canaanites (who inhabited those parts next the sea) heard of it, their hearts sunk for fear, and their courage failed them.

Soon after Joshua had encamped his army, God commanded the rite of circumcision (which had been neglected for almost forty years) to be renewed, that the people might be properly qualified to partake of the ensuing passover. This order being obeyed, the Lord said unto Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt [i. e. uncircumcision] from off you, wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal [i. e. rolling] unto this day.'

As the Israelites were now arrived in a country where there was a sufficiency of corn for unleavened bread, God insisted upon the observance of his ordinances, and resolved that all things should now go in a regular way. He therefore ceased to supply them any longer with manna, but left them for the future to enjoy the products of the promised inheritance.

Joshua, previous to his marching his army against Jericho, went from the camp alone, in order to reconnoitre the city, and to discover which would be the most advantageous way of approaching it. While he was making his observations, on a sudden there appeared before him a person resembling a man, but with a lustre in his face that indicated he was more than mortal. In his hand he held a flaming sword, and his whole appearance far surpassed anything of human nature. Undaunted at this unusual sight, Joshua advanced toward him, and demanding of what party he was, the vision replied, of the host of the Lord, of which he was captain and guardian. On this answer, Joshua immediately threw himself prostrate on the ground, when the vision, after ordering him to loose the sandals from his feet, proceeded to instruct him in what manner he would have the siege carried on, that the Canaanites might see it was not the arm of flesh alone by which they would be defeated. The instructions Joshua received were these: that for six successive days the whole army should march round the city, with seven priests before the ark, having in their hands trumpets made of rams' horns. That on the seventh day, after the army had gone round the city seven times, upon signal given, the priests were to blow their trumpets as loud as possible, and the people, on a sudden, to set up a great shout; at which instant the walls of the city should fall to the ground, and they might walk into it without the least obstruction.

Having received these orders from the Divine messenger, Joshua returned to the camp, and early the next morning marched with his whole army against Jericho.||

This place received its name from the rite of circumcision, which had been long disused, being here renewed. It lay about two miles to the northeast of Jericho, and St. Jerome tells us, that in his time it was greatly venerated by the inhabitants.

This was the third time of their celebrating that festival. The first was at their departure out of Egypt; and the second at their erecting the tabernacle at the foot of Mount Sinai.

It is the opinion of the best commentators, both ancient and modern, that the person here called the captain of the Lord's host, was no other than an angel, or messenger from God, who was pleased in this manner to appear to Joshua, both to encourage and direct him.

JERICHO, the city of palm trees" (Deut. xxxv. 3), derives all its importance from history. Though now only a miserable village, containing about thirty wretched cottages, which are inhabited by half-naked Arabs, it was one of the oldest cities in Palestine, and was the first place reduced by the Israelites on entering the Holy Land. It was rased to the ground by Joshua, who denounced a curse on the person who should rebuild it, Josh. vi. 20-26. Five hundred and thirty years afterward this malediction was literally

The place was strong, well provided, and full of inhabitants, who had retired into it, and seemed resolved to make a vigorous defence.

But Joshua had an irresistible force on his side. He strictly obeyed the orders he had received, and the promises made him were amply fulfilled; for, on the seventh day, as soon as the people shouted, after going round the city seven times, the walls suddenly fell to the ground. In consequence of this, the Israelites immediately entered the place, and put every living creature to the sword, except Rahab and her relations, who, being preserved as had been directed by Joshua, agreeably to the promise made by the spies, were placed without the camp of the army.

In the city were found great quantities of gold, silver, and brass, the whole of which was of immense value, and being gathered together as Joshua had ordered, he presented it to the priests, to be deposited in the sacred treasury.

Having destroyed all the inhabitants, Joshua ordered the city to be set on fire, which was accordingly done, and the whole reduced to a heap of ashes. He likewise denounced a heavy curse on any person who should ever after attempt to rebuild it. That whoever should take upon him to lay the first stone might be punished by the loss of his eldest son; and whoever should finish the work, his youngest.

Notwithstanding Joshua had taken the greatest precaution to prevent private plunder in the taking of Jericho, yet one Achan, of the tribe of Judah, committed a violent depredation, by taking to himself the rich cloak of the king of the Canaanites, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels. He secreted these treasures in a pit he had dug in his tent, foolishly supposing the fact would be no more noticed by God than it was known by his companions. But in this he soon found himself mistaken.

About twelve miles from Jericho (to the east of Bethel) was a small city called Ai, which Joshua knowing to be neither populous nor well defended, he detached a small body of men to take it. Bnt they did not find the conquest so easy as they had imagined; for no sooner did they approach the place than the inhabitants immediately sallied out upon them, and having slain some, the rest were so frightened that they betook themselves to flight, and were pursued by the enemy within a small distance of their own camp.

This defeat, though small, struck a universal damp on the spirits of the people; and Joshua, in particular, was so afflicted that he had recourse to the Almighty, who told him there was a latent cause of his displeasure among the people: that some of them had taken of the accursed thing, and also of those things which were devoted to the Lord, and, instead of bringing them to the treasury of God, had concealed fulfilled upon Hiel of Bethel 1 Kings xvi. 34, who rebuilt the city, which soon appears to have attained a considerable degree of importance. There was a school of the prophets here in the days of Elijah and Elisha, both of whom seemed to have resided much here. In the vicinity of Jericho there was a large but unwholesome spring, which rendered the soil unfruitful, until it was cured by the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings, ii. 21. In Ezra ii. 34, and Neh. vii. 36, we read, that three hundred and forty-five of the inhabitants of Jericho, who had been carried into captivity, returned to Judea with Zerubbabel, and in Neh. iii. 2, we find them at work upon the walls of Jerusalem.

Jericho appears to have continued in a flourishing condition during several centuries. In the time of our Saviour it was inferior only to Jerusalem in the number and splendor of its public edifices, and was one of the royal residences of Herod misnamed the Great, who died there. It was situated in the hollow or bottom of the extensive plain called the "Great Plain," (which circumstance marks the propriety of the expression "going down to Jerusalem," in Luke x. 30), and is about nineteen miles distant from the capital of Judea. In the last war of the Romans with the Jews, Jericho was sacked by Vespasian, and its inhabitants were put to the sword. Subsequently re-established by the emperor Hadrian, A. D. 138, it was doomed at no very distant period to experience new disasters: again it was repaired by the Christians, who made it an episcopal see; but in the twelfth century it was captured by the Mohammedans, and has not since emerged from its ruins. Of all its magnificent buildings there remains part of only one tower, the dwelling of the governor of the district, which is seen in the middle of our engraving, and which is traditionally said to have been the dwelling of Zaccheus the publican, who dwelt at Jericho (Luke xix. 1, 2). The steep mountainous ridge in the background of our engraving is called the mountain of Quarantania, and is supposed to have been the scene of our Saviour's temptation, Matt. iv. 1-10. Here Dr. Shaw is of opinion that the two spies of Joshua concealed themselves, Josh. ii. 16. This mountain commands a distinct and delightful view of the mountains of Arabia, and of the Dead sea, and of the extensive and fertile plain of Jericho. According to Mr. Maundrell, Quarantania is a most miserable, dry, and barren place, consisting of rocky mountains so torn and disordered, as if the earth had here suffered some great convulsion. On the left hand, looking down a steep valley, as he passed along, he saw ruins of small cells and cottages, the former habitations of hermits who had retired thither for penance and mortification; for which purpose a more comfortless and abandoned place could not be found in the whole earth. The particular mountainous precipice, whence "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" were shown to Jesus Christ, is, as the evangelist describes it, "an exceeding high mountain" Matt. iv. 8, and in its ascent not only difficult but dangerous: it has a small chapel at the top, and another about half way down, founded on a proJecting part of the rock. Near the latter are several caves and holes, excavated by the hermits, in which they kept their fast of Lent in imitation of that of Jesus Christ.

them for their own use. He likewise told Joshua that no success could attend the house of Israel till the accursed thing was removed; and discovered to him the means whereby the offender might be discovered and properly punished.

Agreeably to the Divine instructions, Joshua, early the next morning, set about the business of discovering the thief, who had brought so great an evil on the people. For this purpose, he ordered all the tribes to assemble before the altar, where, first casting lots among the tribes, it appeared the thief belonged to that of Judah. They then proceeded from tribe to family, from family to household, and from household to particular persons; when the criminal was at length discovered to be Achan, who, on Joshua's admonition, made an ample confession of the whole. "I have," says he, "sinned against the Lord God of Israel; for when I saw among the spoil a royal garment and two hundred shekels of silver, with a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, my covetousness prompted me to take them; which I did, and hid them in the earth in the midst of my tent."

On this frank confession, Joshua sent messengers to examine Achan's tent, who, finding the treasures, brought them away, and laid them before the people. The offender being thus fully convicted, they took him, together with his family (whom they considered as accomplices in his crime), his cattle, tent, and all his moveables, and conducted them to a neighboring valley (called from that time, in allusion to this man's name, the valley of Achor), where they were first stoned to death, and their bodies afterward reduced to ashes. They likewise burnt all their goods and utensils, and erected over the whole a pile of stones, to perpetuate the memory of the crime, and to deter others from committing the like offence.

The Divine vengeance being appeased by the sentence executed upon Achan, God commanded Joshua to make another attempt on the city of Ai, assuring him that he should be no less successful than he had been in the attack on Jericho. As an encouragement to the soldiers, he allowed them the plunder of the city and cattle, and, in order the more easily to facilitate the conquest, particularly enjoined Joshua to place a party of men in ambuscade near the city.

Agreeably to these instructions, Joshua selected thirty thousand men, out of which he sent away by night five thousand to conceal themselves between Bethel and Ai, who, on a signal given by him (which was to be the holding up of a spear with a banner upon it), were immediately to enter the city and set it on fire. Early the next morning, Joshua marched with his army before the north part of the city. As soon as the king of Ai perceived him, he immediately sallied out of the town with his troops, followed by the greater part of the inhabitants, all of whom had been so elated with their former success, that they did not doubt of soon making an easy conquest. They accordingly fell on the Israelites with great fury, who at the first onset gave way, and retreated a considerable distance from the city. But this was only a teint to draw the enemy into the plain; and therefore, as soon as Joshua saw that by this stratagem the city was pretty well emptied, he gave the signal to the ambuscade, who, finding it defenceless, immediately entered and set it on fire. The ascent of the smoke convinced Joshua that his men had got possession of the place; upon which he suddenly turned about and faced the enemy, who, little expecting the Israelites would rally, were so surprised that they began to think of retreating to the city. But when they saw it all in flames, and the party who had set it on fire just going to fall upon their rear, they were so dispirited that they could neither fight nor fly; in consequence of which they were all cut to pieces by the Israelites, who, immediately marching to the city, put all they found in it to the sword: the whole number, men, women, and children, slain that day, amounted to twelve thousand. The king of Ai being taken prisoner, was ordered to be hung on a gibbet till sunset; after which his body was taken down and buried under a great heap of stones near the entrance of the city. The cattle and spoil taken from the enemy were (according to the Divine appointment) divided among the soldiers, who so effectually destroyed the city as to leave it a mere heap of rubbish.

As Joshua was now but a small distance from the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, he bethought himself of the command, which had been given him by Moses, relative to the reading of the law (with the blessings and curses thereunto annexed), from those two mountains. He accordingly went to Mount Ebal, where he erected an altar, on which he offered up sacrifices to God for his late victories. He likewise caused an abridgment of the law, or some of the most remarkable parts of it, to be engraven

on stones; and afterward read the whole of it to the people, as had been commanded by Moses.

The great success of Joshua against the cities of Jericho and Ai, and the dreadful slaughter made among the inhabitants, had so alarmed the kings of the respective provinces on that side the river Jordan, that they confederated together, and entered into a league for their mutual defence. But the Gibeonites, foreseeing the destruction that awaited them, and being apprehensive that all resistance would be in vain, resolved to make a peace with the Israelites, which they effected by the following strat agem: They selected a certain number of artful men, who were instructed to feign themselves ambassadors come from a very distant country, in order to obtain a league with the people of Israel. To make this story appear plausible, they were dressed in tattered garments, with old clouted shoes on their feet; and their provision consisted of dry musty bread, which they carried in old sacks, with some wine in bottles, all tarnished and torn. In this woful-appearing plight they arrived at Gilgal, the place where the army of the Israelites was at this time encamped.

Being introduced to Joshua, they told him, that from the many miracles which God had wrought for the Israelites in the land of Egypt, and the wonderful successes wherewith he had blessed their arms against every power that had opposed them in coming to that place, their states and rulers had sent them, from a very remote country, to form a league of friendship with them, and that on such conditions as were customary with their forefathers. They then pointed to their garments, which they solemnly assured Joshua were quite new when they sat out on their journey, but that the length of it had reduced them to the state in which they then appeared.

This stratagem had the desired effect: The plausible story of these feigned ambassadors gained such credit with the Israelites, that they entered into an amicable alliance with them; and Eleazer, the high-priest, with the princes of the respective tribes, solemnly ratified the treaty, the whole multitude assenting to the oaths made by their leaders. When the business was over, the Gibeonites took their leave, and hasted home with the glad tidings of their successful expedition.

Three days after the departure of these ambassadors, the whole plot was discovered, when it appeared that the Gibeonites were inhabitants of Canaan, and that they resided at a small distance from Jerusalem. This discovery greatly alarmed Joshua, who immediately sent for their governors, and reproached them for having practised such a deception; to which they replied, that they were compelled to do it in their own defence, as they knew they should otherwise share a similar fate with the inhabitants of Jericho and Ai. Joshua was desirous of having the league cancelled; but as it was confirmed by a solemn oath, this could not be done, without incurring the divine displeasure. It was therefore resolved, in order to appease the people, that, as a punishment for the imposition, the Gibeonites should ever after be kept in a state of bondage, by being made hewers of wood and drawers of water. This seutence they received without the least murmur, humbly acquiescing in whatever was thought proper to be imposed upon them by the Israelites.

When the confederate princes (who were five in number, the principal of whom was Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem) heard of the separate treaty made by the Gibeonites, and the artful manner in which it was obtained, they resolved to be revenged on them for their desertion of the common cause. Accordingly they joined all their forces, and marched toward the city of Gibeon, with a firm resolution of totally destroying it. When they came within a small distance of the place, they pitched their tents, intending to begin the attack early the next morning. In the meantime the Gibeonites (not daring to trust to their own strength) despatched a messenger to Joshua, imploring his immediate assistance, as they must otherwise inevitably fall into the hands of the Canaanites.

Joshua lost no time in complying with their request. He immediately set out with his army, and after marching the whole night, arrived, the next morning, at the spot where the enemy were encamped. The appearance of so formidable an army, and so unexpected, had such an effect on the Canaanites, that on Joshua's making an attack they immediately gave way, and were entirely routed, many being killed, and the rest betaking themselves to a precipitate flight. God had all along encouraged Joshua by promising him success; and therefore, as the confederate forces were endeavoring to escape, there fell a most violent storm of hail, the stones of which were so large that more people were destroyed by them than what fell by the sword.