phath_, a village on a promontory by the shore, about eight miles
south of Zidon.

_Zidon_. One of the great cities of commerce in the ancient world. It
traded with Egypt, Greece, Carthage, and even distant Spain. It is
still a town of some importance, with ruins of the ancient walls and
towers about the harbor.

_Baal and Asherah_. Symbols of the Canaanite and Phoenician gods. The
people had worshiped the Canaanite gods, or Baals, ever since they
came to Palestine, and the prophets had tried to get them to worship
only Jehovah, but without entire success. In the time of Elijah the
wicked Jezebel was queen. She had come from Phoenicia, the land of
Tyre and Zidon, and did all she could to increase the Baal worship.
How Elijah fought against it is told in one of these stories.

_Jezreel_. A beautiful town northeast of Samaria, for a time a royal
residence.

_Samaria_. The capital of Northern Israel during the latter part of
its history. It was situated on a hill at the head of a beautiful
valley, and was an important town for a long time.

_Gilgal_. The name of several places in Palestine. This Gilgal seems
to have been not far from Bethel.

_Shunem_. A village not far from Jezreel, near Mount Tabor.

_Mount Carmel_. The only mountain that runs out to the Mediterranean
in the land of Israel. From its top one can look in all directions
over the land and the sea, for it stands with the sea on the west and
a great plain on all other sides.

{491}{492}

[Illustration]
BETHLEHEM.

This picture shows the outer walls of the famous Church of the Nativity.
[End illustration]

{493}

_Syria_ was for a time a kingdom stronger than Israel. Its
capital was at the famous old city of Damascus.

_Abana and Pharpar_ are rivers which flow from the mountains past
Damascus, giving it water and fertility in the midst of a plain that
is almost a desert. So the people of Damascus are very proud of their
rivers.

_Rimmon_. The god that Naaman's king worshiped, and to whom Naaman had
to bow down when he attended the king in the temple.

TALES OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE.

JONAH.

_Nineveh_. The greatest, most hated city in the ancient world. It was
the center of more barbaric cruelty in both war and peace than any
other place. This story shows that God cares even for the people of a
wicked place like Nineveh.

_Tarshish_. Probably in Spain.

SAMSON.

_Timnah_. On the south side of the valley of