SIA was the cradle of the human race. The exact date of the Creation and Fall of man cannot be determined with any degree of certainty, neither can the interval between the Creation and the Deluge be ascertained. On these facts chronologists are absurdly at variance; but the difficulty of assigning the exact time of those events does not in any way diminish the evidence of their actual occurrence. It is supposed that the descendants of Shem, the eldest of Noah's sons, after the dispersion of mankind at Babel, went to the East, and populated Asia; those of Ham, with few exceptions, passing into Africa, and those of Japhet journeying to the West, where they occupied different parts of Europe.

The oldest monarchies of which history gives us any account are those of Babylonia and Assyria in Asia, and Egypt and Ethiopia in Africa.

The fertile regions watered by the Euphrates and Tigris were formerly inhabited by Semitic tribes, including the Babylonians and Syrians. Nimrod, "a mighty hunter before the Lord," is named as the founder of the Babylonian Empire, and of its chief city, Babylon. This city was built in the form of a square, and about 22 centuries B.C. The river Euphrates flowed through it. A century later, Ninus is said to have built the great city of Nineveh, on the banks of the Tigris, and to have subjected the Babylonians.

Semiramis, the wife and successor of Ninus, is accredited with having embellished Babylon with magnificent works-the famous hanging gardens raised on terraces-and with having constructed roads, canals, and buildings of every description.

The Assyrian Empire fell gradually into such decay that the warlike rulers of the Medes took possession of Nineveh, and reduced the last king, the sensual Sardanapalus, to such straits, that he burnt himself in his palace, together with his wives and treasure, B.C. 888. One hundred and twenty-five years after the reign of Salmanasser, B. c. 605, Ninevah was taken and destroyed by the Medes and Chaldeans, and the victors divided the land amongst themselves. Babylon fell to the lot of the Chaldeans. But the splendor of Babylon soon passed away, though for a time it flourished under Nebuchadnezzar. After the Medes, B.C. 600, came the Persians. The Chaldeans made Babylon a wondrous and beautiful city. Its architecture was noble, and it was surrounded by a broad and lofty wall, said to have had a length of sixty miles. ten Imperial palaces on the banks of the Euphrates, the square and lofty temple of Baal, the god of the sun, magnificently adorned with statues and ornaments of gold, together with the hanging gardens, formed the most conspicuous objects. The Chaldeans, in building, made use of burnt bricks, and their buildings were of remarkable beauty and solidity. To the Chaldeans we owe much astronomical observation, the division of weights and measures, and the elements of geometry and medicine. It was during the reign of Belshazzar that Cyrus took this remarkable city, of which nothing now remains but masses of ruin and mounds of rubbish.

EGYPT.

The

Egypt, or the "black earth," so named by the old inhabitants, to distinguish it from the dazzling Lybian desert, is a long fruitful valley, which the Greeks called "a gift of the Nile," since

it owes its very existence to that celebrated and tortuous river. The valley of the Nile was divided, even at a remote period, into three parts. First, Upper Egypt, "where the vast and striking ruins of Thebes, with their gigantic fragments of statues and columns, their colossal sphinxes (lions with women's heads), the tombs of kings hewn in the bare rock, the subterranean catacombs, and the colossal statue of Memnon, that uttered musical sounds at the rising of the sun, yet testify to the former splendor and magnificence of the priestly city." Secondly, Middle Egypt, with its capital, Memphis, the vicinity of which is also distinguished by the magnificent remains of an historical antiquity. Among them are the ruins of the Labyrinth, and the Pyramids, which to this hour are gazed upon with amazed awe, as the very miracles of architectural science. Thirdly, Lower Egypt, with its ancient metropolis, Heliopolis, which was afterwards eclipsed by Alexandria. Two branches of the Nile inclose Lower Egypt, and, together with the sea, give it the triangular form wherein it derives its name, Delta.

The early history of Egypt is involved in fable, but it is conceded that the first king was called Menes, and that he founded the famous city of Memphis, probably about 2,700 years B.C. Sesostris, B.C. 1500, who reduced the Ethiopians to tribute, and who is said to have reigned over a considerable portion of Asia and Africa, is particularly mentioned as one of Egypt's most fighting monarchs. After him, Moeris and Cheops are the most renowned kingly names. The first, on account of the lake that he constructed, and which was named after him, and which appears to have served the purpose of regulating the inundations of the Nile; the second, as the builder of the largest of the Pyramids. This marvellous monument is four hundred and fifty feet high, and it took the labor of 100,000 men for forty years. The lives and actions of these ancient kings are enveloped in the mist of ages. About the middle of the 7th century, some light begins to play upon them, at the date when the royal house of Sais, in Lower Egypt, assumed the sovereignty in the person of Psammeticus. With a view to emasculating the power of the priests, Psammeticus entered into an alliance with the Greeks, and received Greek soldiers and colonists into Egypt. Egyptians, to the number of 240,000,

were so dissatisfied at this proceeding, that they migrated into Nubia, where they founded a state of their own. Among the successors of Psammeticus, Necho, B.C. 600, the founder of the Egyptian naval and maritime power, and the fighting Amasis, are particularly worthy of mention. At the bloody battle of Pelusiun (Suez), the son of Amasis lost his kingdom to the Persians. For two hundred years subsequent to this victory, the Persians reigned over Egypt, the Egyptians, however, refusing to become amalgamated with their conquerors, and steadfastly retaining their own language, manners, institutions and customs. Since its final conquest by the Persians, the prophecy of Ezekiel, that "there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt," has been literally fulfilled, for not one native ruler has ever occupied the throne for a period of over 2,000 years.

THE PHOENICIANS.

The people of Phoenicia dwelt on the narrow strip of coast between the Mediterranean and Lebanon, and in many populous towns, the foremost being Tyre and Sidon. The favorable situation of their country made them sailors, and the cedar of Lebanon supplied the material for ship-building. Not only did the Phoenicians navigate the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, but they are said to have doubled the Cape of Good Hope, in a voyage of three years' duration taken at the instance of Necho, King of Egypt. They established colonies on Crete and Cyprus, in Northern Africa, notably Carthage. Sidon was brought completely under the dominion of Tyre, when the country was invaded by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria. Having revolted against the Persians in 351 B.C., Sidon was fired by its own inhabitants and entirely destroyed. It was, however, afterwards rebuilt and both cities, in 332 B.C., were compelled to submit to Alexander the Great.

SYRIA AND PALESTINE.

Syria was the name given to an enormous region east of the Mediterranean, and Damascus was its oldest and most important city, important even in the times of Abraham. King David defeated the Syrians and reduced Damascus, which later on was successively reduced by the Assyrians, Persians, Macedonians, and Romans. Pales

tine lay between the Mediterranean and the Valley of the River Jordan, extending one hundred and forty-five miles from north to south, with an average breadth of fifty miles. Within this small area were enacted the most momentous events in the world's history. While the whole world recognized and venerated the Invisible Being in the forces and phenomena of nature and the heavens, one nation of shepherds, of Semitic descent, dwelling in Mesopotamia, held to the belief in one God. Abram (Abraham), one of the ancestors of this nomadic race, left his native pastures at the command of Jehovah, and settled himself with his family and cattle in "the promised land," Cánaan (Palestine), where they received from the inhabitants the name of the "Strangers from the other side." Isaac, who was born to Abraham by Sarah, continued the race, whilst Ishmael, Abraham's son by Hagar, is regarded as the progenitor of the Arabs. By Rebekah, Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, B.C. 1750, of whom Joseph was the most distinguished. His brothers becoming jealous of him sold him to some travelling merchants who took him with them into Egypt. Joseph was rewarded with prosperity by God on account of his virtue and his integrity in the face of temptation. He attained high degree, saved Egypt from famine, and was permitted to bring his father and brethren into the fertile pasture lands of Goshen.

The Hebrews were called Israelites from Jacob's surname of Israel. Of the twelve tribes of Israel nine and a half occupied the west, and two and a half the east of the Jordan. At first they were prosperous in Goshen, but evil times came to them, they became disliked, and Pharaoh, alarmed at their superior numbers, gave orders that all their newlyborn male children should be drowned in the Nile, B.C. 1500. Luckily for the infant Moses, who was exposed in a basket amongst the bulrushes on the river's bank, he was espied by the daughter of Pharaoh, who taking pity on him caused him to be saved and brought up at the Egyptian court. At the age of forty he fled to the deserts of Arabia, having become inspired with the lofty purpose of becoming the deliverer of his people from Egyptian bondage. The ten plagues sent over the land caused Pharaoh to consent to the departure of the Israelites, and the attempt to bring them back by

force, after their passage of the Red Sea, proved the destruction of their pursuers.

During the forty years that Moses led a discontented people, who pined after the flesh-pots of Egypt, the Ten Commandments were delivered to him on Mount Sinai. These, with divine laws, were preserved in the ark of the Covenant. Moses did not lead his people into the promised land. He gazed from the top of Mount Nebo on the beauteous plains of Jordan and then died, B.C. 1450, leaving Joshua as his successor.

After the death of Joshua followed the periods of the Judges, which lasted about five centuries. The most renowned among them are Gideon, Jephtha, Samson, and Deborah. The last of the Judges was Samuel, B.C. 1095, who overthrew the Philistines and founded the schools whence proceeded those inspired oracles of the people, distinguished in the Bible by the name of Prophets.

Samuel, B.C. 1095, anointed Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be king, and subsequently, as Saul did not abide by the Commandments, the shepherd lad, David, of the tribe of Judah, whose harp playing was the soother of Saul's melancholy. When Saul threw himself in despair upon his sword, David was recognized as king.

The reign of David lasted from 1055 to 1019 B.C., and is the glorious period of Jewish history. He conquered Zion, and ordered that the ark of the Covenant be brought there. The kingdom of Israel now stretched from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, and from Syria to the Red Sea. David was a great poet, and his "Psalms" will live for all time.

After David came Solomon the Wise, for whom was reserved the honor of erecting the great Temple of Jehovah on Mount Moriah. He formed alliances with the surrounding nations, and built a superb navy, B.C. 975. The history of his wisdom and his folly, his prosperity and wealth, and his fall into idolatry and sin should be sought in 1 Kings, ii.-xi.

When Solomon had departed, the kingdom was divided, in consequence of the tyranny of his son Re-ho-boam, against whom ten tribes revolted. Two tribes remained true, forming the Kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem, containing the ark of the Covenant, as its capital. When the land was threatened by the Babylonians and Assyrians, Isaiah referred to the coming Messiah as the only Saviour.

B.C. 722, foreigners entered the land, and their intermixture with the remaining Israelites gave rise to the Samaritans. Judah after holding out for over one hundred and thirty years subsequent to the fall of Israel, became tributary to Assyria. Jerusalem was besieged by Sennacherib, but the pious Hezekiah sat upon the throne, and the host of the Assyrians was almost entirely destroyed in a single night. It was on this occasion that the shadow on the sun-dial was made to move back to confirm the waning faith of Hezekiah (2 Kings, xx., 5).

To Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon fell Jerusalem, B.C. 600. He took the city, plundered the temple, and carried away the king and the chief inhabitants, oppressing them with a heavy hand. The last king, Zedekiah, tried the chances of war with Nebuchadnezzar, but was routed, and borne away with the greater part of his people into the seventy years' Babylonian captivity. One of the prisoners, the prophet Daniel, arrived at high honor. The restoration of the Jews took place B.C. 536, in pursuance of an edict of Cyrus, the great Persian monarch.

MEDES AND PERSIANS.

Media and Persia possessed a remarkable religion founded by the ancient sage Zoroaster. They worshipped fire under priests called Magi, and believed in the Spirit of Good, and the Spirit of Evil, each having an army of minor spirits at command. Media had its foot on the neck of Persia till Cyrus rose up to free his country. In the short space of twenty-nine years, B.C. 558-529, he created for Persia a vast Empire, extending from the Egean Sea, beyond the Euphrates, including the conquered countries of Media, Assyria, Babylonia, Asia Minor and Syria. Croesus, who possessed such enormous wealth that his name has become proverbial, reigned in Sardis, the principal city of Lydia. city of Lydia. Cyrus overthrew him, took the city, and ordered him to be burnt alive. Croesus, as he waited for this agonizing sentence to be carried out, bethought him of what Solon the Sage had once said to him, that "no man could be considered happy before death." These words occurring to the condemned king, he cried out "Oh! Solon! Solon!" Cyrus asking what these words meant, had the story related to him, and was so much struck by the truth of Solon's words that he instantly set Croesus at liberty.

Cyrus overthrew the empire of Babylon. As the Babylonians, in full security of the inpregnability of their city, were celebrating a festival, and their voluptuous king, Belshazzar, was irreverently defiling the sacred vessels of the Jews, the Persians entered the town by an arm of the Euphrates, the waters of which they had drained off, killing the king, and subduing the entire country. Not long afterward Cyrus, in war with the Massageto, was made prisoner. He was decapitated and his head. flung into a vessel filled with blood.

Cambyses, the victorious and tyrannical son of Cyrus, succeeded his father, B.C. 529. The chief event of his reign was the invasion and conquest of Egypt, B.C. 525. Two of his mighty armies, however, found their graves in the sandy deserts of Libya. Cambyses died of a wound accidently received from his own sword.

After his death, seven illustrious Persians agreed to ride in the direction of the rising sun, and to make king of him whose horse was the first to neigh. To Darius fell the throne and sceptre. During the thirty-six years of his reign he perfected the organization of the empire, dividing it into twenty provinces, over which he placed governors called "satraps," and selected Susa as his capital in the spring, Ecbatana in summer, and Babylon in the winter.

Darius with an immense army crossed the Bosphorus by means of a bridge of boats, to advance against the Scythians, a barbarous race dwelling in what is now known as Turkey in Europe. In this expedition he was unsuccessful, the then formidable General "famine" coming to the rescue of the Scythians. The Ionians, a Grecian colony located on the western coast of Asia Minor, having revolted, and having been assisted by some of the Greeks, Darius resolved upon bringing the whole of Greece under the Persian yoke. Of the great battle of Marathon, one of the decisive battles of the world, full details are given further on in the history of Greece. Darius died B.C. 485, to be succeeded by his son Xerxes, who also attempted to bring Greece into subjection, failing, however, most disastrously; the famous three hundred Spartans under Leonidas, in the Pass of Thermopylae, dying to a man in defence of the gates of their country. The son and successor of Xerxes, Artaxerxes, received as a legacy the task of subjecting Greece. He was finally compelled to make peace after the war had continued fifty years, B.C. 449.

The subsequent history of Persia is of no importance except as it is connected with that of Greece. Alexander the Great conquered the last king, Darius III., and Persia became a part of the Macedonian Empire (B.c. 329), having lasted a few years over two centuries.