serving us
in Babylon. Now, at last, there is an end of this proud Jewish nation,
for all that they most valued is in our hands.'

So said the heathen Babylonians, mocking the poor captives. How little
they dreamt that the Jews' most precious possession was with them still!

More valued than jewels or gold, sweeter than the milk and honey of
their own land, was the Book of the Law--the Book which told them all
they knew of God.

Indeed, not until the people were forced to live in a heathen city did
they really learn to understand how great a treasure their nation
possessed in the written words of God.

But in Babylon, with its huge heathen temples blazing with jewels and
gold, its scores of cunning idol-priests, who deceived the people by
pretending to tell fortunes and make charms, and its countless images,
here, at last, God's chosen people began to see the greatness of the
gift with which the Lord had blessed them, when He gave them the words
which have now become the first books of our Bible.

Nebuchadnezzar might break down the wall of their city, he could not
break down the spiritual wall which God Himself had built round His
people. Scattered through many lands, forced to serve heathen masters
as they were, the Book of God's Law was a living gift which bound the
Jewish people together.

As we have seen, the Psalms were written by different writers, and one
of the later Psalms, the 137th, gives us a vivid picture of those sad
days: '_By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when
we remembered Zion._' (Verse 1.)

Babylon was famous for its great rivers; and the poor captives watched
the flowing water, and the great wind-swept beds of reeds and giant
rushes. '_We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof._'
(Verse 2.)

[Illustration: 'LED AWAY CAPTIVE.'--ASSYRIAN PICTURE OF THE INHABITANTS
FROM A CONQUERED CITY BEING LED AWAY INTO SLAVERY]

But their Babylonian masters had heard of the sweet psalms of the
Lord's people. 'Sing to us,' they said; 'sing us a merry song. _Sing
us one of the songs of Zion._' (Verse 3.)

'Sing to these cruel heathen who have wasted our country, and carried
us away into slavery! Sing one of the holy songs of Israel, the songs
which King David wrote, that they may laugh and mock at us! _How shall
we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?_' (Verse 4.)

No, they could not sing; their hearts were breaking with grief. Never,
never could th