Racial and dynastic origins, 567. The land, 568. The people, 569. Character of the empire of the Achæmenides, 570. CHAPTER II THE MEDIAN OR SCYTHIAN EMPIRE (700-550 B.C.) 573 The rise and fall of the Median Empire according to Herodotus, 573. The Median Empire: a modern interpretation, 580. New light on the Medes, 583. CHAPTER III THE EARLY ACHÆMENIANS AND THE ELAMITES, CYRUS AND CAMBYSES (836-522 B.C.) 587 The death of Cyrus, 593. Character and influence of Cyrus, 596. Xenophon’s estimate of Cyrus, 596. A modern estimate of the character and importance of Cyrus, 597. Cambyses, 600. CHAPTER IV THE PERSIAN DYNASTY: DARIUS I TO DARIUS III (521-330 B.C.) 605 Darius I, 605. Organisation of Darius’ empire, 607. Later conquests of Darius, 609. Affairs in Egypt since the Persian conquest, 611. Xerxes I, 614. The successors of Xerxes, 615. Darius II, 618. Artaxerxes II, 619. Artaxerxes III, 626. The fall of the empire, 630. The old Orient at the end of the Persian Empire, 631. CHAPTER V PERSIAN CIVILISATION 634 Religion and social orders, 635. Organisation of the Persian court, 641. Administration of the provinces; financial system; satraps, 645. Military methods, 652. The fine arts, 657. BRIEF REFERENCE-LIST OF AUTHORITIES BY CHAPTERS 662 A GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PERSIAN HISTORY 663 PART IV THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL BASED CHIEFLY UPON THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITIES ERNEST BABELON, THE HOLY BIBLE, T. K. CHEYNE, MAX DUNCKER, G. H. A. EWALD, EDWARD GIBBON, F. HITZIG, J. JAHN, FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS, RUDOLF KITTEL, E. LEDRAIN, MAX LÖHR, L. MÉNARD, H. H. MILMAN, D. H. MÜLLER, SALOMON MUNK, F. W. NEWMAN, E. RENAN, A. H. SAYCE, GEORGE SMITH, BERNHARD STADE TOGETHER WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON ISRAEL AS A WORLD INFLUENCE BY BERNHARD STADE A CRITICAL SURVEY OF THE SCOPE AND SOURCES OF ISRAELITIC HISTORY BY THOMAS KELLY CHEYNE AND A STUDY OF THE PROPHETS AND THE HISTORY OF SEMITIC STYLE BY DAVID HEINRICH MÜLLER AND WITH ADDITIONAL CITATIONS FROM