Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/143

 History of the Israelites and their Religion. 125 with Canaanite women, who introduced in their new homes the images and cultus of their gods. Under similar circumstances, the frequent backslidings of the Israelites are not difficult to under- stand ; they were brought about by timorous anxiety and desire to propitiate local deities, lest neglect of their altars should kindle their wrath against them. Hence they sacrificed to all the gods and goddesses, to Moloch and Astarte ; but this mode of action diminished in no way their firm belief that Jehovah was mightier than all the other gods put together. Had not His thunder been heard by their forefathers on Mount Sinai ? had He not led them through the wilderness to a " land flowing with milk and honey," where every man could " sit down in peace and plenty, under his vine and fig tree " ? 1 In those early days, therefore, such infideli- ties were rather on the surface, and not viewed as unfavourably as they were afterwards by priests and prophets. Their return to the " God of .Israel " was always sure to follow ; the name by which they called upon Him distinguished them from among their neighbours, and made them the children of one Father. But for this patronymic and religious bond, they would have been confused and lost among the Canaanites. A very erroneous impression obtains for this period of Jewish history, due in part to "retouchings" of the biblical account, as well as to inattentive reading ; for it should be borne in mind that the various tribes, separated by bands of Canaanites, lived almost as strangers, and were often at war with one another, without contending against their common enemies, who hemmed them in on every side, and from whom they tried to wrest the land to bring it under cultivation, or to pasture their herds. Great mis- apprehension, too, generally prevails with regard to the chiefs, or "sheiks," called "judges," from shophet or kasim, by the Hebrew writer. No doubt that some, through their energy and intelligence, whether as champions or councillors, rose to promi- nent positions, and were regarded as leaders ; their following, however, was never large, and was confined to their native districts. When bands of roaming Arabs suddenly appeared and made a raid upon the country, the whole population gathered immediately around the chief likely to bring the expedition to a successful issue ere the foe was beyond the Jordan. Once the pursuit had been brought to a satisfactory close, peace settled once more over the 1 1 Kings iv. 25.