sent his woodcutters
into the forest and they cut down the great cedars {174} and squared
the logs into beams. Then the lumber was taken to the coast and
floated on rafts in the sea along the shore and then brought over the
land to Jerusalem.

There were also men working in the stone quarries hewing out the great
stones for the foundation, and skillful workmen making the golden
ornaments and the beautiful carving.

So carefully were the stones and timbers cut and marked that they were
all put together without the sound of hammer or axe. This beautiful
building was the first temple which the Israelites built and it has
always been called "Solomon's Temple."

{175}{176}
[Illustration]
CAMEL MERCHANTS

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by
her kind permission.

These men are on the way from Palestine to sell their camels in
Egypt. Every year great herds of camels are still brought from the
East to sell for the carrying of merchandise in caravans, just as
they were used in the days of the Bible.
[End illustration]

{177}

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN

Vesture
Clothing.

Famine
A time when the crops fail and there is no food,
and people often starve.

Hostage
One who is held by an enemy to be sure that promises are kept.

Myrrh and balm
Precious gums very much used in the East.

There was once a boy whose father loved him very much indeed. The
boy's name was Joseph. His father's name was Jacob. The father gave
the boy a coat of many colors. It was a very fine coat and he was very
proud of it. He had eleven brothers, and they hated him because he was
his father's favorite. He had a dream in which he saw the sun and the
moon and eleven stars bowing down before him. This made the brothers
hate him still more, and even his father was none too well pleased.

One day the brothers were taking care of the sheep in a distant
pasture, and Jacob sent Joseph to see how the boys were getting along.

The shepherd boys saw him while he was still a long way off, and they
said, "Here comes {178} the dreamer. Let us kill him and put him into
some pit, and say to father, 'Some wild beast has killed him,' and
then see what will become of his dreams!" They were very bad boys
indeed.

They all agreed but Reuben, who was the only one who had any pity for
Joseph. He really wanted to save his brother, but in order to deceive
the others he said, "Do not