File:The home of God's people (1874) (14761805224).jpg

Identifier: homeofgodspeople00gage (find matches)
Title: The home of God's people
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Gage, William Leonard, 1832-1889
Subjects: Bible Palestine -- Description and travel
Publisher: Hartford, Conn. : Dustin, Gilman & Co.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Heidelburg, which once con-tained space enough to harbor some thousands of people, cangive us a not unworthy idea of what Zion was when Davidconquered it. After the young king, then a little under forty years of age,had gained possession of the Jebusite tower, the Philistinesmade a great bid for continued sovereignty over Israel. Thetaking of Jerusalem must have been a complete surprise tothem, as to all the nation, for the Jebusites had such confidejicein their power to hold the hill on which they Hved, as to ven-ture on the insolent step of putting blind and lame men onthe walls, as a sufficient garrison. But after the gallant Joabhad climbed the rocky hights and taken the place by storm,the Philistines swarmed up from their fruitful plain, bringingtheir idols with them, as the Israelites had once carried theirark with them, when they ventured down into the Philistinescountry. Twice the Philistines assayed to take Mt. Zion, thenew City of David; they swarmed over the valley of Rep-
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232 ONE OF Davids mistakes. haira, a locality not certainly known to us, and twice theywere repelled, the first time with the loss of their gods, andthe second time, completely routed and broken up. All at-tacks on the Philistines previously to this had effected butlittle beyond annoying them; but this was a positive and de-cided victory. And yet it was not what it ought to havebeen. Among the few mistakes which we can see were com-mitted by David was his stopj)ing as he did, after merely driv-ing the Philistines back to their own fortress; he ought tohave then marched victoriously into their cities, and reducedthem to subjection, and utterly broken up the nation. ForPhilistia was a most important part of the whole land. Ly-ing almost contiguous to Egypt as it did, and being largelydepended upon for supplies of grain when Egyptian monarchsmarched into Asia for warlike purposes, it was a matter ofreal military necessity for the Israelites to hold that fertileregion. We shall see in the

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