besides hooks of different forms, and other instruments of a similar kind.

Calmet describes "an engine used for throwing very heavy stones, by means of a strong bow, whose circular arms are tightly held by two vertical beams, nearly upright; the cord of the bow is drawn back by means of a windlass, placed between two beams also, behind the former, but uniting with them at top; in the centre is an arm, capable of swinging backward and forward; round this arm the bowstring passes; at the bottom of this arm is placed the stone, in a kind of seat. The bowstring being drawn backward, by the power of the windlass drawing the moving arm, the rope is suddenly let go from this arm by a kind of cock, when the bowstring, recovering its natural situation, with all its power violently swings forwards the moving arm, and with it the stone, thereby projecting the stone with great force and velocity."

"Another machine for throwing stones, consists of two arms of a bow, which are strengthened by coils of rope, sinews, or hair, (women's hair was reckoned the best for the purpose.) These arms being drawn backward as tight as possible, by a windlass placed at some distance behind the machine, the string of the bow is attached to a kind of cock, and the stone to be discharged being placed immediately before it, on touching the cock, the violent effort of the bow threw off the stone to a great distance." The arms of this bow were of iron; which was the same as the balista of the Romans.

"Besides these kinds of instruments that were extremely powerful, others of smaller size, and inferior powers, were constructed for the purpose of being carried about; these were somewhat like our ancient cross-bows; and the bow

string was drawn back by various contrivances, often merely by strength of arm, or by reducing the board that carried the arrow to its station, backwards, by pressing it against the ground."

To a bow of this latter kind, our author with great probability supposes, Jacob refers in his description of his son Joseph: "But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands,” rather, alluding to the compound arms of the bow, the arms of its handles, "were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." As the arms of a bow of steel are strengthened by the coil of rope or hair, which augments their powers; whose elasticityspring, is the very strength of the instrument, and on whose retention of this elastic power, depends the action of the whole machine; so God, by enduing Joseph with patience and self-possession under calamity and rough usage, (compared to many discharges of the bow, which are calculated to diminish or exhaust its elasticity), supported him, maintained his piety, and at length rewarded it by prosperity."

The bow whose arms have been newly bound with rope or hair, but not with sufficient firmness to prevent the pieces of which they are made from slipping aside, would effectually prevent an archer from hitting the mark at which he aimed. "Such a bow might well be called deceitful not to be trusted." To such an instrument the prophet Hosea seems to refer, in his complaint of Israel's apostacy: "Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me." They turn, but not forward ()," they are like a deceitful bow."

* Gen. xxix, 24.

* See Taylor's Calmet, vol. iii.

Before quitting this part of the subject, it is necessary to direct the reader's attention to a body of soldiers among the Jews, that were distinguished by the name of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. These formed two distinct bands, whose duty it was to guard the person of the king. They were light armed troops; the Cherethites archers, and the Pelethites spearmen and slingers. Each of these two bodies had its own commander; and by being constantly near the king's person, they possessed great authority. They seem to have been the first soldiers among the Jews who served for pay.a

Under the commander-in-chief of the army were tribunes, who had each the command of a thousand men; these had under them ten centurions, each, as their name imports, commanding a hundred men; the next in rank were the commanders of fifties; and the lowest rank in the army were the commanders of ten. A secretary of war took an account of the number of troops in the army; and heralds attended the general for the purpose of declaring war, or treating of peace. The Hebrews employed spies to examine the country which they meant to invade, or the state of the army they were preparing to attack. It was in those days not less honourable to go as a spy into the camp of an enemy, than in modern times to reconnoitre the position of a hostile army; and the perilous duty was commonly undertaken by the commander-in-chief, or some officer of high rank. Gideon, raised up by Jehovah himself, to lead the Hebrew forces to battle, went down, by the divine command, to the camp of Midian to examine their position, and procure the necessary information before he made his ata Lewis Antiq. vol. i, p. 50.

tack. Homer likewise represents Tydides as thus answering a command to penetrate the Trojan camp:

Νεστορ εμ' οτρύνει κραδιη και θυμος αγηνος, ε Il. lib. x, 1. 260. "Nestor, the heart and generous soul of a hero, prompts me to enter the hostile camp of the Trojans in our neighbourhood. But if any other hero will accompany me, it would inspire me with greater confidence and boldness; for when two go together, one perceives before another what is proper to be done; but one that is alone, though he should perceive, yet his purpose is more tardy, and his measures weaker and more indecisive."

The choice of an associate was accordingly left to Dio. medes himself, who selected Ulysses, a leader equally famed for prudence and valour, with whom he instantly proceeded to execute his purpose. The similarity between this scene and the one in the book of Judges, must strike the mind of every reader: "And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, arise, get thee down unto the host, for I have delivered it unto thine hand; but if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host, and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host: then went he down with Phurah, his servant, unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host."

Nor were the Hebrew soldiers unskilled in the stratagems of war. Every reader of the sacred volume must be familiarly acquainted with the admirable contrivance of Gideon, which, by the favour of heaven, led to one of the most complete victories ever gained over the innumerable hosts of a proud invader. A modern piece of Arab b Judg. vii, 9.

history greatly illustrates the defeat of the Midianites by that renowned captain. Achmed, an Arabian prince, contested with Bel Arab the imamship of Oman; but finding himself too weak at first to risk the issue of a battle, he threw himself, with a few soldiers, into a little fortress, built in a mountain, where he had deposited his treasures. His rival, at the head of four or five thousand men, invested the place, and would have forced the new imam to surrender, had he not quitted the fortress with two of his domestics; all three disguised like poor Arabs, who were in search of grass for their camels. Achmed withdrew to a town, a good day's journey from the besieged fortress, where he was much beloved; he found no difficulty in collecting some hundreds of the inhabitants, with whom he marched against his enemy. Bel Arab had placed his camp between some high mountains near the fortress. Achmed having ordered a coloured string to be tied round the heads of his soldiers, that they might be distinguished from their enemies, sent several small detachments to seize the passes of those mountains. He gave each detachment an Arab trumpet, to sound an alarm on all sides, as soon as the principal party should give the signal; measures being thus taken, the imam's son gave the signal at day break, and the trumpets sounded on every side. The whole army of Bel Arab being thrown into a panic at finding all the passes guarded, and judging the number of the army to be proportionate to the noise they made, was put to the rout. Bel Arab himself marched with a party to the place where the son of the new imam was keeping guard; he knew Bel Arab, fell upon him, killed him, and, according to the custom of the Arabs, cut off his head, which he carried to his father."

Niebuhr's Arabia, p. 263.