Great Leaders of Hebrew History From Manasseh to John the Baptist

s time by self initiative ; by self-determination in accordance with ideals adopted or framed by the individual himself. Furthermore, the ideals of this period are concrete rather than abstract. They are embodied in individual lives, and, generally, in lives of action. Hence biog raphies of great leaders appeal strongly to the ado lescent. They furnish examples and stimulus for con duct along the higher lines. The Great Leaders Series will include a large number of volumes devo'ted to the study of some of the greatest moral and spiritual leaders of the race. Although designed primarily for use in the class-room, they will serve admirably the pur poses of a general course of reading in biography for youth. E. HERSHEY SNEATH. PREFACE The present volume, the ' third in order of The Biblical Literature Series, is designed primarily to meet the needs of students in the middle years of secondary instruction. Leading American universities and colleges are now coming to allow one or two units of credit in Biblical history and literature among the regular elective sub jects for college entrance. This fact promises to make it far easier than in the past for secondary schools to include Biblical study in the regular curriculum with the same intellectual standards that are maintained in the study of other histories and literatures. Such stand ards of work applied to the varied writings and stir ring history of the Bible enable students of high school age to secure some true understanding of the Bible's contribution to civilization. At the same time, such study gives a broader and firmer basis for the use of the Bible in the development of personal religious life. Even in advanced courses of Biblical study, much of the period covered in this volume is often neglected, although it is rich in inspiration and gives the essential background for a^ historical understanding of the New Testament. Available . text books for the period are few, and the writer hopes that this book, in addition to its primary purpose, may fill a real need for ad vii viii PREFACE vanced classes in Sunday Schools and in Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations. Possibly the general reader too may find some of the chapters opening up new fields of interest. The book is planned with the thought that, where time is limited, only the text of the chapters need be studied. If it is possible to give two lessons to each of the thirty chapters, one of these may be devoted to the mastery of the text and the other to the study of the references at the close of the chapter. When the subject is to be offered for college entrance, the latter method should certainly be followed. In general, the references give the principal sources on which the state ments of the text rest. Especially in Biblical study, where interpretations have differed so widely and where clear convictions are so vital to life and charac ter, students may well be encouraged to go to the sources and make up their own minds as to the truth or error of conclusions drawn from these. In con nection with some of the chapters, it will be practicable for each student to read all the references; where the passages are too long for this, assignments may readily be made for individual report. HENRY THATCHER FOWLER. APPENDIX BOOKS FOR STUDENT AND TEACHER Each student should be provided with a copy of the Bible, preferably the Revised Version. This both gives a more exact representation of the original than the King James Ve --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.