t they had previously held.

* 2 Sam. xxiii. 13-17; cf. 1 Ghron. xi. 15-19. Popular
tradition furnishes many incidents of a similar type; cf.
Alexander in the desert of Gedrosia, Godfrey de Bouillon in
Asia Minor, etc.

** The Hebrew text gives "from Geba [or Gibeah] to Gezer"
(2 Sam. v. 25); the Septuagint, "from Gibeon to Gezer." This
latter reading [which is that of 1 Chron. xiv. 16.--Tr.] is
more in accordance with the geographical facts, and I have
therefore adopted it. Jahveh had shown by a continual
rustling in the leaves of the mulberry trees that He was on
David's side.

*** In 2 Sam. viii. 1 we are told that David humiliated the
Philistines, and took "the bridle of the mother city" out of
their hands, or, in other words, destroyed the supremacy
which they had exercised over Israel; he probably did no
more than this, and failed to secure any part of their
territory. The passage in 1 Chron. xviii. 1, which
attributes to him the conquest of Gath and its dependencies,
is probably an amplification of the somewhat obscure wording
employed in 2 Sam. viii. 1.

But though they suffered no loss of territory, their position was in
reality much inferior to what it was before. Their control of the plain
of Jezreel was lost to them for ever, and with it the revenue which they
had levied from passing caravans: the Hebrews transferred to themselves
this right of their former masters, and were so much the richer at their
expense. To the five cities this was a more damaging blow than twenty
reverses would have been to Benjamin or Judah. The military spirit had
not died out among the Philistines, and they were still capable of any
action which did not require sustained effort; but lack of resources
prevented them from entering on a campaign of any length, and any chance
they may at one time have had of exercising a dominant influence in the
affairs of Southern Syria had passed away. Under the restraining hand
of Egypt they returned to the rank of a second-rate power, just strong
enough to inspire its neighbours with respect, but too weak to extend
its territory by annexing that of others. Though they might still, at
times, give David trouble by contesting at intervals the possession of
some outlying citadel, or by making an occasional raid on one of
the districts which lay close to the frontier, they were no longer a
permane