e
it had cost so much in the blood of his men.

{164}

So he poured it out upon the ground as an offering to God of something
very sacred and precious, and as a way of showing his friends that he
prized their love more than the water for which he longed.

{165}{166}

[Illustration]
HEBRON

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.

It was here that perhaps the oldest city in Palestine was built. The
picture shows the character of the country, the hills and valleys
with the towns showing white on the hillsides or nestling in the
valleys.
[End illustration]

{167}

DAVID AND HIS SON ABSALOM

After Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle David became king.
He did many brave and wise things and some foolish and evil things.
For the wrong deeds he was punished by great sorrows.

He had a favorite son named Absalom. Absalom grew up to be a very bad
boy. No doubt David was foolish in his affection and did not train the
boy as he should.

He grew so bad at last that he gathered an army and rebelled against
the king. At first he was successful and actually drove his father out
of Jerusalem.

But David's army rallied and defeated Absalom and his bad friends in a
great battle.

When Absalom knew that his army was defeated he tried to escape by
riding away on the back of a swift mule. But as he passed under a
great oak in the dark forest where the battle was fought, his long
hair was caught in the low hanging branches: Here he hung helplessly
until the soldiers of David came up and killed him.

{169}

David was very sorrowful while the battle was being fought, because he
loved the boy so much. He sat at the gate of the city and watched and
waited. Suddenly the watchman on the tower called out that he saw a
man running, and in a few moments he said that he saw another.

In the lands of the Bible, messengers, swift of foot and trained in
running, always brought the news to the city as quickly as they could
run.

When the first messenger came the king said quickly, "Is the young man
Absalom safe?"

"I saw a great tumult when I left the battle field," said the runner,
"but I knew not what it meant."

"Stand aside here," said the king.

Then came the second man and he called out, "Tidings, my lord the
king!"

"Is my boy Absalom safe?" again cried the king.

Then the messenger replied, "The enemies of my lord the king, and