sting them, the king taxed his
people heavily to pay the great tribute exacted by the Lords of the
North.)

In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem
the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in
Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he
departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
wherewith he made Israel to sin.

There came against the land Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria; and
Menahem gave Tiglath-pileser a thousand talents of silver, that his
hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem
exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of
each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So
the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. And
Menahem died; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

{405}{406}

[Illustration]
DAMASCUS

From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass.,
and used by special permission.

"In the bazars of Damascus can be found all the color and richness
of the East. In the long dusk tunnels, shot by solid shafts of life,
all is beautiful--the old walnut wood, the brown tobacco bales, the
carpets, the spotted brown scones in the bakers' shops, the tawny
sweetmeats, the golden Hauran wheat, the piles of green melons, the
tables of snow from Hermon, the armor and the rich saddlebags, the
human dresses. But even the bazars of Damascus fail to exhaust the
significance of the city. To gather more of this you must come out
upon the three great roads which go forth from her--west, south, and
east. The western travels by Galilee to the Levant and the Nile. The
southern, which leaves the city by the 'Gates of God,' takes the
pilgrims to Mecca. The eastern is the road to Bagdad, Egypt, Arabia,
Persia,--the city of the khalifs lies in the midst of the three, and
the Mediterranean is behind her."--_G. A. Smith_
[End illustration]

{407}

PEKAHIAH.

(We come now to another series of dark and bloody reigns, before the
sun of Israel set forever in blood. After Pekahiah had reigned for two
years, Pekah, the captain of his body guard, overpowered him with a
company of fifty soldiers, and succeeded to the throne.)

In the fiftieth year of Uzziah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of
Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
And he