orizontally striped loin-cloth of the Syrians, leaving the
arms and legs entirely bare, and the head is protected by a pointed or
conical helmet.

* Ahijah (1 Sam. xiv. 3), son of Ahitub, great-grandson of
Eli, appears to be the same as Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, who
subsequently helped David (1 Sam. xxi. 1-10), and was
massacred by order of Saul (1 Sam. xxii. 9-19). The scribe
must have been shocked by the name Melech--that of the god
Milik [Moloch]--and must have substituted Jah or Jahveh.

Saul possessed none of the iron-bound chariots which always accompanied
the Qanaanite infantry; these heavy vehicles would have been entirely
out of place in the mountain districts, which were the usual field of
operations for the Israelite force.* We are unable to ascertain whether
the king's soldiers received any regular pay, but we know that the spoil
was divided between the prince and his men, each according to his
rank and in proportion to the valour he had displayed.** In cases of
necessity, the whole of the tribes were assembled, and a selection was
made of all those capable of bearing arms. This militia, composed mainly
of a pastoral peasantry in the prime of life, capable of heroic efforts,
was nevertheless ill-disciplined, liable to sudden panics, and prone to
become disbanded on the slightest reverse.***

* With regard to the use of the bow among Saul's soldiers,
cf. 1 Sam. xx. 18-42, where we find the curious scene of the
meeting of David and Jonathan, when the latter came out of
Gibeah on the pretext of practising with bow and arrows. The
accoutrement of the Hebrews is given in the passage where
Saul lends his armour to David before meeting with Goliath
(1 Sam. xvii. 38, 39).

** Cf. the quarrel which took place between the soldiers of
David about the spoil taken from the Amalekites, and the
manner in which the strife was decided by David (1 Sam. xxx.
21-25)

*** Saul, for instance, assembles the people and makes a
selection to attack the Philistines (1 Sam. xiii. 2, 4, 7)
against the Ammonites (1 Sam. xi. 7, 8) and against the
Amalekites (1 Sam. xv. 4).

Saul had the supreme command of the whole; the members of his own family
served as lieutenants under him, including his son Jonathan, to whom
he owed some of his most brilliant victories, together with his cousin
Abner, the _sar-zaba_, who led the royal guar