I. =The Condition of Is'ra-el during This Period.= This was partly favorable and partly unfavorable. The _favorable_ elements were: 1. =The Mountain Location= of Is'ra-el. The tribes were perched like Switzerland in the Alps. There was a desert on the south and on the east, while on the west lay the plain by the sea, the great route of travel between E'gypt and the Eu-phra'tes. Great armies passed and repassed over this plain, and great battles were fought by E-gyp'tians, Hit'tites, and As-syr'i-ans, while Is'ra-el on her mountain peaks was unmolested. This mountain home left Is'ra-el generally unnoticed, and, when attacked, almost inaccessible. 2. =The Racial Unity= of Is'ra-el. The two finest races of the world, the Greek and the Is'ra-el-ite, were both of pure blood. The Is'rael-ites were one in origin, in language, in traditions, in aspirations. This national unity often brought the tribes together in times of distress, though not always when the union was needed. 3. =The Religious Institutions.= In Greece every town had its own god and its own religion; hence the many parties and petty nationalities. But in Is'ra-el there was in theory but one altar, one house of God, one system of worship, with its annual pilgrimage to the religious capital (1 Sam. 1. 3). Just to the measure in which these institutions were observed Is'ra-el was strong against all foes, and as they were neglected the land became the prey of oppressors (Judg. 2. 7-14; 1 Sam. 7. 3). But there were also _unfavorable_ elements in the condition of Is'ra-el, which threatened its very existence. These were: 1. =The Native Races.= These were of two kinds: the subject people left on the soil, more or less under the domination of the conquerors; and the surrounding nations, Am'mon, Mo'ab, Syr'i-a, and the Phi-lis'tines. There was danger from their enmity, a rebellion of the subject tribes, allied with the enemies around, for the destruction of Is'ra-el. And there was far greater danger from their friendship, which would lead to intermarriage, to idolatry, to corruption of morals, and to ruin (Judg. 3. 1-7). 2. =Lack of a Central Government.= Is'ra-el was in the condition of the United States at the close of the Revolution, from 1783 to 1789, a loose confederation with no central authority. There were twelve tribes, but each governed itself. Only under some great chieftain like Gid'e-on or Sam'u-el were all the twelve tribes united. Most of the judges ruled only over their own district of a few adjoining tribes. Often the northern tribes were in peril, but we never read of Ju'dah going to their assistance; and in Ju'dah's wars with the Phi-lis'tines the northern tribes stood aloof.