tent with the condition and circumstances of a nation.

The leaders or princes of the 12 tribes, possessed a peculiar and
supreme authority over each tribe, as their chief magistrate and leader
in time of war.

The elders or rulers of cities, only exercised authority in their own
respective cities, and as well as the princes were subject to the great
council.

The Sanhedrim or great national council of the Jews was established by
Moses: it consisted of 70 persons, besides the president, who after the
time of Moses was usually the High Priest.

* * * * *

The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Bible, made at Alexandria,
when Ptolemy Philadelphus was king of Egypt. It is often signified in
books by "the LXX."

The Vulgate was a very ancient version of the Bible in Latin.

The Bible commences with an account of the creation of the world, 4004
B. C., the history of our first parents, their deviation from virtue,
and the evil consequences that ensued. To Adam and Eve were born sons
and daughters. The only three mentioned by name, are Cain, Abel and
Seth, and the sacred historian has chiefly confined himself to the
posterity of Seth, from whom Noah descended: in his time mankind became
very wicked, and to punish them, God sent a violent rain upon the earth
which caused a general deluge, and all the inhabitants of the world were
drowned, except Noah, his wife, their three sons, Shem, Ham, and
Japhet, and their wives, and a few animals of every kind. The
descendants of Noah and his sons multiplied greatly, and "they were all
of one language," after a time the whole race of men moved from their
original habitations in Armenia, and settled in the plains of Shinar
near the Euphrates. Here they determined to establish themselves, and
build a tower whose top might reach the heavens. God was displeased with
this work, which seems to have been undertaken in defiance of his power,
and he confounded the language of those who were engaged in it. This
obliged them to discontinue their labour; they soon after dispersed, and
the different parts of the world became inhabited.

Terah the father of Abraham was a descendant of Shem; he settled with
his family in Haran in Mesopotamia, where he died: God soon after
commanded Abraham to remove with his wife Sarah into the land of Canaan,
and here when they were far advanced in age, their son Isaac was born.
God made many remarkable promises t