This volume contains those Old Testament stories of heroic lives, which never lose their charm. No better nor more fascinating stories were ever written than those of Abraham, and Joseph, and Gideon, and Moses. In the ordinary volume, however, they are scattered over many chapters and even books, and the reader has great difficulty in piecing them together. Here they are told as continuous narratives, with illustrations of the famous places, which enhance their charm. We believe that the old heroic figures will come, in this way, before the children, and older people as well, with a vividness and reality never before realized. {10} {11} CONTENTS PAGE THE PATRIARCHS. 1 Abraham 21 2 Isaac 49 3 Jacob 60 4 Joseph 91 THE GREAT CAPTAINS. 1 Moses 137 2 Joshua 277 THE JUDGES. 1 Ehud 315 2 Gideon 319 3 Abimelech 332 4 Samuel 338 THE GREAT KINGS. 1 Saul 349 2 David 382 3 Solomon 452 NOTES 485 MEMORY VERSES 503 {12} {13}{14} [Illustration] ON THE WEST OF JERUSALEM, LOOKING TOWARD BETHLEHEM From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., and used by special permission. [Illustration] {15} PALESTINE Blest land of Judea! thrice hallowed of song, Where the holiest of memories pilgrim-like throng; In the shade of thy palms, by the shores of thy sea, On the hills of thy beauty, my heart is with thee. With the eye of a spirit I look on that shore, Where pilgrim and prophet have lingered before; With the glide of a spirit I traverse the sod Made bright by the steps of the angels of God. Blue sea of the hills!--in my spirit I hear Thy waters, Gennesaret, chime on my ear; Where the Lowly and Just with the people sat down. And thy spray on the dust of His sandals was thrown. Beyond are Bethulia's mountains of green, And the desolate hills of the wild Gadarene; And I pause on the goat-crags of Tabor to see The gleam of thy waters, O dark Galilee! Hark, a sound in the valley! where, swollen and strong Thy river, O Kishon, is sweeping along; Where the Canaanite strove with Jehovah in vain, And thy torrent grew dark with the blood of the slain. There down from his mountains stern Zebulon came, And Naphtali's stag, with his eyeballs of flame, And the chariots of Jabin rolled harmlessly on, For the arm of the Lord was Abinoam's son! {16} There sleep the still rocks and the caverns which rang To the song which the beautiful prophetess sang, When the princes of Issachar stood by her side, And the shout of a host in its triumph replied. Lo, Bethlehem's hill-site before me is seen, With the mountains around, and the valleys between; There rested the shepherds of Judah, and there The song of the angels rose sweet on the air.