1. With regard to the =native races=. They were not destroyed nor driven away, as had been commanded.[10] They remained as subject people in some places, as the ruling race on the seacoast and in the Jor'dan valley. We see their influence, always injurious, throughout all Is'ra-el's history (Exod. 23. 31-33; Deut. 7. 1-5); and some think that the present inhabitants of the country belong to the original Ca'naan-ite stock. 2. The =Is'ra-el-ites= did not occupy all the country. They possessed most of the mountain region, but none of the seacoast plain on the Jor'dan valley. They were like the Swiss in modern times, living among the mountains. Even in the New Testament period the lowlands were occupied mainly by Gen'tiles. 3. The =landed system= was peculiar. =Estates= were inalienable. They might be leased, but not sold; and on the year of jubilee (every fiftieth year) all land reverted to the family originally owning it. Thus every family had its ancestral home, the poor were protected, and riches were kept within bounds. 4. The =government= was a republic of families without an executive head, except when a judge was raised up to meet special needs. Each tribe had its own rulers, but there was no central authority after Josh'u-a (Judg. 21. 25). This had its evils, for it led to national weakness; but it had its benefits: 1.) It kept Is'ra-el from becoming a great worldly kingdom like E'gypt and As-syr'i-a, which would have thwarted the divine purpose. 2.) It promoted individuality and personal energy of character. There would have been no "Age of Heroes" if Is'ra-el had been a kingdom like E'gypt. 5. The =religious system= was simple. There was but one altar at Shi'loh for all the land and for all the tribes, and the people were required to visit it for the three great feasts (Deut. 12. 11, 14; Josh. 18. 1). This was the religious bond which united the people. If it had been maintained they would have needed no other constitution, and even its partial observance kept the people one nation. 6. The =character= of the people was diverse. Throughout the history we trace the working of two distinct elements: There was the true Is'ra-el--the earnest, religious, God-worshiping section, the Is'ra-el of Josh'u-a and Gid'e-on and Sam'u-el. Then there was the underlying mass of the people--secular, ignorant, prone to idolatry, the Is'ra-el that worshiped Ba'al and Ash'to-reth, and sought alliance with the heathen. One element was the hope of the nation; the other was its bane. We shall constantly see the evidences of these two elements in the story of the Is'ra-el-ites. Blackboard Outline I. =Can.= 1. One st. 2. Var. tri. 1.) S. P. Phil. Can. Phoe. 2.) M. R. Am. Je. Hiv. Hitt. 3.) J. V. Can. 4.) E. T.-L. Mo. Am. Bash. 3. Gov. loc. 4. Idol. imm. 5. Weak.