Jericho was a city surrounded with strong walls; but the Israelites took it without sword and bow. For six days the priests with the ark and all the armed men walked around the city, once every day; but on the seventh day they went around it seven times, and the seventh time the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted, and the walls fell, and the town was taken.--After seven years Joshua had subdued 31 kings, and divided the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Levi received no separate portion of land, but 48 cities were given them among the other tribes. After many years Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel together and said to them: Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, the Lord or the gods of the heathens; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The people said: We will serve the Lord and hearken to His voice.--Joshua died 110 years old. (Book of Joshua.) 29. Gideon, Jephthah, Samson The Israelites served the Lord while Joshua lived; but when he was dead they forgot the Lord, married the daughters of the Canaanites and served strange gods. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He gave them into the hands of the heathens. They then cried unto the Lord, and he raised up men to save them. Such men were called Judges. (Judges 2.) One of these judges was Gideon. The hand of the Midianites rested heavily on Israel. Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon, as he was threshing wheat, and bade him deliver Israel. Gideon sent messengers to the tribes, and 32,000 men responded. But the Lord said: There are too many people. Israel might boast and say: My own hand hath saved me. Proclaim therefore that whoever is afraid may go home. Then 22,000 went home, and 10,000 remained. The Lord said: The people are yet too many. Choose thee 300 men. Gideon chose 300 men and divided them into three companies, and gave each man a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a torch in it. At midnight he went with them to the camp of the Midianites; they blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and held up their torches. The Midianites cried and fled, and the Lord turned every man’s sword against his neighbor, and Gideon pursued them. (Judges 6-9.) Another judge was Jephthah. When he went out against the enemy he made a vow to sacrifice to the Lord whatever first came to meet him from his house, when he returned with victory. He came home victorious, and his daughter, his only child, came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. Jephthah rent his garments, but did with her according to his vow. And the maidens of Israel lamented Jephthah’s daughter for four days every year. (Judges 11.)