CHAPTER I. The New Testament the best commentary on the Old. The promise of the Angel Gabriel to Zacharias and Elisabeth. The announcement by Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. Birth of John. Bethlehem. Birth of Christ. The joy of the aged Simeon and Herod's bloody purpose. Flight of Joseph to Egypt. Death of Herod. Return of Joseph and Mary. Naza- reth. John the Baptist. Baptism of Christ. His fast of forty days. His temptation. Testimony of John. Christ's miracle at Cana. Descrip- tion of Cana. _Cleansing the Temple. Nicodemus. Death of John. Christ CHAPTER II. Raising the widow's son at Nain. Christ precious ointment. Description of Tiberias. The stilling of the tem- ing of the daughter of Jairus. Feed- ing of the multitude. The storm walk upon the water. Second mira- culous supply of food to the multitude. the lunatic. Paying tribute. Teach- the Scribes. Jericho. Land in the time of Christ, with map. Parable of the Prodigal. The rich man and Lazarus. Restoring sight to the blind. Christ blesses CHAPTER III. The Passover at Jerusalem. Description The agony. Peter's fall. His re- CHAPTER IV. Jesus at the bar of Pilate. His condem- nation. Mocking. Scourging. Crown- ing with thorns. Crucifixion. The two thieves. Description of the cross, and the mode of execution. Christ's filial affection. The darkness. Rend- ing of the veil of the Temple. Rend- ing of the rocks. Opening of the graves. Piercing of the body. Christ's burial by Joseph. Closing the tomb. The guard. The constancy of the women. The Resurrection. Absurd falsehood of the chief priests. Christ's appearance to Mary to Thomas The to the two disciples on the way to CHAPTER V. From the Ascension to the full establish- ment of Christianity. Choice of Matthias as successor to Judas. Pen- tecost. The gift of tongues. Preach- ing of Peter. Conversion of three thousand people. Healing of the cripple at the beautiful gate. Peter. CHAPTER VI. Philip flees from Jerusalem. His success- ful preaching in Samaria. Philip and the Eunuch. Saul's persecution of Christians. His miraculous con- version. Cæsarea. Damascus. His powerful preaching. Description of Joppa. Peter raises Tabitha. His vision and commission to the Gen- tiles. Cornelius. Peter's discourse. Persecutions under Herod Agrippa. He kills James. Peter imprisoned. He 543 557 is delivered by an angel in answer to prayer. Death of Herod. Barna- bas and Saul journey to Cyprus, ing. Paul's discourse in the syna- gogue in Pisidia. He is invited to preach again. He proclaims the doctrine that salvation is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. He is driven out of the city. He heals the cripple at Lystra. The people wish Paul and Silas make an extensive tour to Conversion of some persons of rank. city. Paul writes his second letter Description of Ephesus. Disorderly con- falsely accused and dragged from the Temple. He is allowed by the Roman commander to speak. He gives a detailed account of his conversion. They dare not scourge him, because he is a Roman citizen. The plot to kill him. It is frustrated. He is speaks against him. Paul's defence. Paul speaks again before Felix and his wife, Drusilla, upon the doctrines of Christianity. Paul is kept in prison two years. He is brought before the new governor, Festus. Paul's defence and appeal to Cæsar. His speech before Agrippa. He is Paul's vision. He foretells the safety of all. They land on the island of heals the governor's father. Performs many other cures. They remain three months on the island. Arrival at Rome. Paul assembles the rulers and explains the doctrines of the Gospel. He preaches two years at Rome. Description of the city. Colossæ. Paul writes his letter to Philemon also an epistle to the Ephesians also to the Colossians. After two years Paul is set at liberty. He writes his epistle to the Hebrews. He, with Timothy, travels into Spain. Visits Sicily and Greece. Peter also set at liberty. He visits Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Britain, preaching the Christian faith. He returns to Rome. Nero orders the persecution of the Jews. Burning of Rome by Nero. Paul returns to Rome. Paul and Peter instruct the Jews in the syna- gogues. They are thrown into prison. Here Peter writes his second epistle, and Paul his second letter to Timothy. taught the people while hanging upon the cross. St. James the Great. Beheaded. St. John the Evangelist. Thrown into a caldron of boiling oil. Miraculously saved. Banished to 604 tion. Account of Patmos. St. John, the only Apostle who escaped a vio- lent death. St. Philip, crucified. St. Bartholomew, beaten and cruci- fied. St. Matthew. Thought to have been slain with a halberd. St. Thomas. Pierced with a lance. St. Simon the Zealot. Crucified. St. Jude. Cruelly put to death. St. Mat- thias. Stoned. St. Mark. Bound and dragged through rough places till he died. St. Luke. Hung on an olive-tree. St. Barnabas. Stoned. Timothy. Beaten to death. Titus Account of the final destruction of Jeru- Siege of Jerusalem by Cestius. His repulse. Vespasian assumes com- slaughter of the Jews. Siege of Jotapata. Its reduction. Capture of Josephus, the Jewish general. He foretells the elevation of Vespasian to the Empire. Death of Nero. Civil war at Rome. Vespasian proclaimed Josephus at liberty. He commits the war against the Jews to his son. Titus. Titus lays siege to Jerusalem. Josephus in vain entreats the Jews to surrender. Famine in the city. Plunder and burning of the temple. AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE HOLY BIBLE. TH HISTORIC AND LITERARY INTRODUCTION. ing than that of mere historical elucidation. It is perceived that the whole train of events recorded, the whole of those lofty, impassioned strains of poetry which distinguish the volume, are precursory and prophetic of a great change, which, at a future period, was to be wrought on the moral properties and fate of mankind, by the coming to the earth of a Messiah. HE BIBLE of the Christians is, with- |tory genealogically, through a series of strikout exception, the most remarkable ing vicissitudes and changes of situation. work now in existence. In the libraries of But when we examine the narrative minutethe learned, there are frequently seen books ly, it is found that there is another meanof an extraordinary antiquity, and curious and interesting from the nature of their contents; but none approach the Bible, taken in its complete sense, in point of age, while certainly no production whatever has any pretension to rival it in the dignity of composition, or the important nature of the subjects treated of in its pages. The word Bible is of Greek origin, and, in signifying simply The Book, is expressive of its superiority over all other literary productions. The origin and nature of this every way singular work, how it was preserved during the most remote ages, and how it became known to the modern world in its present shape, form a highly interesting chapter of literary history. The authorship of the Old Testament has been universally ascribed, by both Jews and Christians, to God himself, though not by direct composition, but by spiritually influencing the minds of certain sages to accomplish the work, or, in ordinary phraseology, by inspiring or endowing them with a perfect knowledge of the transactions to The Bible comprehends the entire founda- be recorded and predicted, in a way suitable tion of the religious belief of the Jews and to the great end in view. The Bible is Christians, and is divided into two distinct hence usually termed the Sacred Scriptures. portions, entitled the Old and New Testa- The periods when the act of writing all or ments, the former being that which is es- most part of the Scriptures took place, as teemed by the Jewish nation, but both being well as most of the names of those who were essential in forming the faith of the Chris-instrumental in forming the work, have been tian. The Old Testament is the largest de- ascertained with surprising accuracy, both partment of the work, and appears a collec- from written evidence in the narratives themtion of detached histories, moral essays, and selves, and from the well-preserved traditions pious poetical effusions, all placed together of the Jews. At whatever time the differin the order of time, or, as they may serve, ent books were written, they were not colfor the purpose of mutual illustration. On lected and put into a connected form till taking a glance at the contents, the principal long after their immediate authors were subject of narration seems the history of the deceased; and their present arrangement, as Jews, commencing with an account of the we shall afterward fully explain, is of comcreation of the world, and tracing their his-paratively modern date. 21 to the service of the Divinity. This book comprises the history of 145 years, from the death of Joseph till the building of the tabernacle. The Hebrews call it Velle Shemoth, that is, in English, "These are the names, which are the words with which it begins. According to the order in which the books of the Old Testament now stand, those of an historical nature are appropriately placed at the beginning. The first five books, having a chain of connection throughout, are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These are styled the Penta- The third book of Moses is called Levititeuch, such being the Greek compound for cus, because it contains the laws which God five books. They are likewise entitled the commanded should be observed by those of Books of Moses, from the belief that that the tribe of Levi who ministered at the altar. enlightened Jewish leader composed them. It treats at large of all the functions of the The Jews, or Hebrews, take the name of Levites; of the ceremonial of religion; of the sacred books from the first word with the different sorts of sacrifices; of the diswhich each begins; but the Greeks, whom tinction of clean and unclean beasts; of the our translators generally follow, take the different festivals; and of the year of jubilee, names from the subject-matter of them. or continued holyday. It likewise presents Thus, the first book is called by the He- us with an account of what happened to the brews, Bereshith, which signifies "In the Jews during the space of one month and a beginning," these being the first words: but half; that is, from the time the tabernacle the Greeks call it Genesis, which signifies was erected, which was the first day of the "production," because the creation of the first month of the second year after the world is the first thing of which it gives an Israelites came out of Egypt, till the second account. It likewise contains an account of month of the same year, when God comthe increase of mankind; of their corruption manded the people to be numbered. The of manners, and its cause; of their punish- Hebrews called this book Vayicre, that is, ment by the deluge (an event which, by" And he called,' these being the first scientific investigation and historical research, words; they call it also The Law of the is placed beyond a doubt); of the origin of Priests. the Jewish people from Abraham; of the In the fourth book, which we call Nummanner in which God was pleased to have bers, Moses numbers the Israelites, and that, them governed; and, particularly, of the too, in the beginning of the book, which nature of the special superintendence vouch- shows whence it had its name. The Hesafed to the Jewish nation by the Creator. brews call it Vayeḍavber, that is, "And he This comprehensive narrative reaches from spake. This book contains the history of the creation of the world till the death of all that passed from the second month of the Joseph, or a period of 2,369 years. In second year after the Israelites came out of another part of the Scriptures, reference is Egypt, till the beginning of the eleventh made to the Book of Jasher, and it is be- month of the fortieth year; that is, it conlieved that Genesis is there meant; for tains the history of thirty-nine years, or Jasher signifies "the Just," and, according thereabouts. In it we have also the history to St. Jerome, a learned Christian writer, the name of the Book of the Just, or the Authentic Book, was applied to it from its containing the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. of the prophet Balaam, whom the king of the Midianites brought to curse the people of God, and who, on the contrary, heaped blessings upon the Israelites, and foretold the coming of the Messiah. It particularly mentions, also, the two-and-forty encamp ments of the Israelites in the wilderness. Exodus, the title of the second book of Moses, signifies in the Greek, The going out," and was applied from the account The fifth book is called Deuteronomy, a which it gives of the Israelites going out of Greek term which signifies, "The second Egypt. In it are related the cruel Egyptian law," or, rather, "The repetition of the slavery under which the Jews groaned; law," because it does not contain a law diftheir delivery by flight and passage through ferent from that which was given on Mount the Red sea; the history of the establishment Sinai; but it repeats the same law, for the of their very peculiar law, and many remark- sake of the children of those who had reable transactions; concluding with the build-ceived it there, and were since dead in the ing of the tabernacle, or place appropriated | wilderness. The Hebrews call it Elle-had |