3. After this, there arose the kingdom of Damascus, which comprised the greatest portion of Syria, the kings in the other cities becoming tributary to Damascus. The boundaries of the empire, too, were extended, and particularly at the expense of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. The kings, whose names are taken from the books of Chronicles, were: Rezon, about 980. Benhadad I. about 900. Hazael, about 850. Benhadad II. about 830. Rezin. Under this last, the kingdom of Damascus was overthrown by the Assyrian conqueror Tiglath-Pileser, about 740. _Contemporary_ in Inner Asia: Assyrian kingdom. Jews: kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Greeks: settlement of the Asiatic colonies.--Lycurgus. VII. _Jews._ The history of the Jewish people, begins with Abraham the father of their race; that of the Jewish state does not commence till after the conquest of Palestine. It is divided into three periods. I. History of the Jews, as a nomad horde, from Abraham till their settlement in Palestine, B. C. 2000-1500. II. History of the Jewish state as a federative republic under the high priests and judges, from B. C. 1500-1100. III. History of the Jewish state under a monarchical government, from B. C. 1100-600, first in one kingdom,--975; afterwards as two separate kingdoms, Israel and Judah, until the downfall of the latter, 588. Sources of the Jewish history.--Their annals:--Books of Judges, Samuel, Chronicles, Kings. How those books were composed, and whether their authors may be considered as contemporary with the events they relate? How far the Hebrew poets, the prophets in particular, may be considered as historical authority?--JOSEPHUS, as an antiquarian in his _Archaeologia_, and as a contemporary historian in his _Historia Belli Romani_. Unfortunately there is not at present any satisfactory treatise on the Jewish history previous to the Babylonian captivity; nor one written in an impartial spirit, without credulity or scepticism. The work of BERRUYER, _Histoire du Peuple de Dieu, depuis son origine jusqu'a la Naissance de J. C._ Paris, 1742, 10 vols. 8vo.; and the continuation, _depuis la Naissance de J. C._ 10 vols.; and others of the same kind do not answer this description. RELANDI _Antiquit. Sacr. Heb._ The writings of J. D. MICHAELIS, particularly his # Remarks on the Translation of the Old Testament, and his # _Mosaic Law_; together with # HERDER, _On the Spirit of Hebrew Poesy_, furnish many excellent materials.