4.) As-syr´i-a, on the north (2 Kings 15. 19; 17. 3).
5.) E´lam, on the south (Gen. 10. 22; 14. 1).
(b) Between the rivers Ti´gris and Eu-phra´tes:
6.) Mes-o-po-ta´mi-a, on the north (Gen. 24. 10; Deut. 23. 4).
7.) Chal-de´a, on the south (Jer. 51. 24; Ezra 5. 12).
(c) Between the river Eu-phra´tes and the Leb´a-non range:
8.) The great desert of A-ra´bi-a (2 Chron. 17. 11; 26. 7).
3. On the western slope we find:
9.) Syr´i-a, extending from the Eu-phra´tes to Pal´es-tine (2 Sam. 8. 6; 1 Kings 22. 1).
10.) Phœ-ni´cia, a narrow strip between Mount Leb´a-non and the sea, north of Pal´es-tine.
11.) Pal´es-tine, "the Holy Land," south of Syr´i-a and north of the Si-na-it´ic wilderness. Note its ancient name in Gen. 12. 5.
12.) The Wilderness, a desert south of Pal´es-tine, between the two arms of the Red Sea (Exod. 13. 18; Deut. 1. 19).
13.) E´gypt, on the northeast corner of Af´ri-ca (Gen. 12. 10; 37. 28).
VII. In these lands out of many Places we name and locate only the most important.
1. E´den, the original home of the human race, probably at the junction of the Ti´gris and Eu-phra´tes (Gen. 2. 8).
2. Shu´shan, or Su´sa, the capital of the Per´sian empire, in the province of E´lam (Esth. 1. 2).
3. Bab´y-lon, the capital of Chal-de´a, on the Eu-phra´tes (Gen. 10. 10; 2 Kings 25. 1).
4. Nin´e-veh, the capital of As-syr´i-a, on the Ti´gris (Gen. 10. 11; Jonah 3. 3).
5. Ha´ran, a home of A´bra-ham, in Mes-o-po-ta´mi-a (Gen. 11. 31).
6. Da-mas´cus, the capital of Syr´i-a, in the southern part of that province (Gen. 15. 2).
7. Tyre, the commercial metropolis of Phœ-ni´cia (Ezek. 27. 3).
8. Je-ru´sa-lem, the capital of Pal´es-tine (Judg. 1. 8).
9. Mem´phis, the early capital of E´gypt, on the Nile (Hos. 9. 6).
Other names of places might be given indefinitely, but it is desirable not to require the student to burden his memory with lists of names, and therefore the most important only are given.
Hints to the Teacher
Have a good blackboard for the map drawing, and see that each scholar is supplied with a tablet or pad of paper.
1. Let the teacher first draw on the board in presence of the class the boundaries of the Seas, and require the class to draw them also on tablet or pad, holding the pad so that its longest side will be from right to left. Inspect each pupil's design, and see that it is fairly correct, but do not seek for finished drawing. A rough sketch is all that should be desired.
2. Next draw the lines representing Mountain Ranges, and require the class to do the same. Review the names of the Seas, and also of the Mountain Ranges.
3. Place on the board the lines representing the Rivers, and let the pupils do the same, and review Seas, Mountains, and Rivers.
4. Show the three Natural Divisions; indicate on the map the Lands in the order given, and let the pupils do the same. See that the pupils know the name and location of each Land, and review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, and Lands.
5. Indicate on the blackboard the Places named in the lesson, and have the pupils also locate and name them. Review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, Lands, and Places.
6. Let the pupils redraw the map at home from copy, and at the next session of the class call upon five pupils to go in turn to the board—the first to draw the Seas, and then receive criticism from the class, the second the Mountains, the third the Rivers, the fourth the Lands, and the fifth the Places.
7. If another review could be given it would be an excellent plan to call for the reading of the Bible references in the lesson, and require a student to name and locate on the blackboard the Sea or Mountain or River or Land or Place named in the reference. It will abundantly reward the teacher to occupy three or four sessions of the class on this map and its reviews.
8. Let the pupils read all the facts of the lesson from the hints given in the following Blackboard Outline and answer all the Review Questions.
Blackboard Outline
I. Loc. Ex. N.—P. G. R. S.—Cas. 1,400. 900. 1,110,000. II. Se. Cas. Per. G. R. S. Med. S. D. S. L. Ch. III. Mtn. Ran. Ar. Cas. Zag. Leb. Tau. IV. Riv. Ar. Tig. Eup. Jor. Ni. V. Nat. Div. Ea. Sl. Cen. Pl. Wes. Sl. VI. La. 1. Ar. Me. Per. 2. Ass. El. Mes. Chal. Ar. 3. Syr. Phœ. Pal. Wil. Eg. VII. Pla. Ed. Sh. Bab. Nin. Har. Dam. Ty. Jer. Mem.
Review Questions
How large was the Old Testament world? Between what bodies of water was it located? What were its dimensions? Name its six important bodies of water. Locate each of these bodies of water. Name and describe its mountain ranges. Name and locate its five important rivers. State and describe its three natural divisions. Name and locate the lands of the eastern slope. Name and locate the lands of the central plain. Name and locate the lands of the western slope. Name its nine important places. Locate each of the nine places.
SECOND STUDY
Old Testament History
The divine revelation which the Bible contains is given in the form of a history. God revealed his plan of saving men not in a system of doctrine, but in the record of his dealings with the world at large, and especially with one people. To understand this revelation it is necessary for us to view the great stream of history contained in the Bible. Our study on this subject will include the principal events from the creation of man, at a date unknown, to the birth of Christ.[1]
Part One
We begin by dividing the entire field of time to the opening of the New Testament into five periods. Each of these we write at the head of a column. (See the Blackboard Outline.)
| I. | The Period of the Human Race. |
| II. | The Period of the Chosen Family. |
| III. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite People. |
| IV. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite Kingdom. |
| V. | The Period of the Jew´ish Province. |
I. We find in the opening of the Bible that the Human Race is the subject of the history. This theme extends through the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which narrate the history of much more than half of the time included in the Bible. During this long period no one tribe or nation or family is selected; but the story