ing 'thwart a stormy sea; his voice
Arises 'mid the clang, and straightway calms
Th' harmonious tempest, to a solemn swell
Majestical, triumphant; for he sings
Of Arad's mighty host by Israel's arm
Subdued; of Israel through the desert led
He sings; of him who was their leader, call'd
By God himself, from keeping Jethro's flock,
To be a ruler o'er the chosen race.
Kindles the eye of Saul; his arm is poised,
Harmless the javelin quivers in the wall.

{396}

THE JEALOUSY OF SAUL.

_How Saul Was Jealous of David and Hated Him, and How
Jonathan Loved Him_.

And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the
slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities
of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with timbrels, with
joy, and with instruments of music. And the women sang one to another
in their play, and said,--

"Saul hath slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands."

And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said,
"They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have
ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?"

And Saul eyed David jealously from that day and forward.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came
mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house: and David
played upon his harp, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in
his hand. And Saul cast the spear; for he said, "I will smite David
even to the wall."

And David escaped from his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of
David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.
Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a
thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David
behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.

{397}{398}

[Illustration]
THE VALLEY OF THE KIDRON, IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA.

The building on the left is the convent of Mar Saba.

Used by special permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund

The "Wilderness of Judaea" is a wonderful place. Much of it is not a
wilderness at all in our understanding of the term. It is, on its
western edge at least, just a wild pasture land. But it was a very
wild, desolate, and solitary place. The shepherd who kept his flocks
there was in danger from the wild beasts and from raids of fierce
robbers. Below the pasture land it is