DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0055
SECT. I.]
Introduction.
3
and wrote to those that dwelt in the villages that are toward the open country . . ,
charging them to keep the passages of the hill country ; for by them there was an
entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the
passage was straight, for two men at the most.... Then was it declared to Holo-
fernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, that the children of Israel had pre-
pared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified
all the tops of the high hills, and had laid impediments in the champaign countries :
wherewith he was very angry b.”
We read elsewhere :—
‘ ‘ And we took all his cities at that time . . . threescore cities, all the region
of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fenced with high
walls, gates, and bars ; beside unwalled towns a great manyc.”
It appears evident that we should now call these cities and towns
villages only, as the extent of the country of Bashan does not admit
of such a number of towns in the modem sense of the word. The
fenced cities were fortified villages, and the unwalled towns, hamlets.
That the walls and gates were of wood only, upon earthworks, is
also more probable than that they were of stone, unless in a district
where stone is more abundant than wood, as is sometimes the case,
but comparatively seldom. The trenches and earth-works made to
attack a city, or to subdue it by blockade and starvation, were of the
same material and construction as those used for the defence : there-
fore a description of the one applies equally to the other, and the
instructions given for the attack would apply equally to the defence.
That wood was abundantly used in connection with the earthworks,
both for the attack and for the defence, is evident from the notices
we have from the earliest period, and at all periods, even including
their castles, keeps, or citadels, as appears from other passages in
the Book of Numbers.
“ And they burnt all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their goodly castles
with fire d.”
These wooden walls and wooden towers are mentioned also in
other parts of the Old Testament history. We must bear in mind
that stone walls will not burn. We do not hear of these cities
being afterwards rebuilt, but of new cities being made of earth-
work and wood; such earth-works remain everywhere, but the
wooden walls and wooden towers have perished for centuries.
“ I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces
of Benhadad e.”
b Judith iv. I—7; and v. I, 2.
c Deut. iii. 4, 5.
B 2
d Numb. xxxi. 10.
e J eremiah xlix.
Introduction.
3
and wrote to those that dwelt in the villages that are toward the open country . . ,
charging them to keep the passages of the hill country ; for by them there was an
entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the
passage was straight, for two men at the most.... Then was it declared to Holo-
fernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, that the children of Israel had pre-
pared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified
all the tops of the high hills, and had laid impediments in the champaign countries :
wherewith he was very angry b.”
We read elsewhere :—
‘ ‘ And we took all his cities at that time . . . threescore cities, all the region
of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fenced with high
walls, gates, and bars ; beside unwalled towns a great manyc.”
It appears evident that we should now call these cities and towns
villages only, as the extent of the country of Bashan does not admit
of such a number of towns in the modem sense of the word. The
fenced cities were fortified villages, and the unwalled towns, hamlets.
That the walls and gates were of wood only, upon earthworks, is
also more probable than that they were of stone, unless in a district
where stone is more abundant than wood, as is sometimes the case,
but comparatively seldom. The trenches and earth-works made to
attack a city, or to subdue it by blockade and starvation, were of the
same material and construction as those used for the defence : there-
fore a description of the one applies equally to the other, and the
instructions given for the attack would apply equally to the defence.
That wood was abundantly used in connection with the earthworks,
both for the attack and for the defence, is evident from the notices
we have from the earliest period, and at all periods, even including
their castles, keeps, or citadels, as appears from other passages in
the Book of Numbers.
“ And they burnt all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their goodly castles
with fire d.”
These wooden walls and wooden towers are mentioned also in
other parts of the Old Testament history. We must bear in mind
that stone walls will not burn. We do not hear of these cities
being afterwards rebuilt, but of new cities being made of earth-
work and wood; such earth-works remain everywhere, but the
wooden walls and wooden towers have perished for centuries.
“ I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces
of Benhadad e.”
b Judith iv. I—7; and v. I, 2.
c Deut. iii. 4, 5.
B 2
d Numb. xxxi. 10.
e J eremiah xlix.