22

HELPS TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE.

AQUATIC ANIMALS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE-Continued.'

REMARKS.

"frankincense" were obtained. Many species of it are found in the Red Sea, and shells of the largest kind are familiar to us as old-fashioned chimney ornaments. R.

Only once named in the old Testament, often in New Testament; always as a jewel. The pearl oyster is abundant in the Persian Gulf, and Red Sea. Its shell ("mother of pearl") is still a commodity of general traffic in Palestine, being carved by the peasants into religious ornaments.

A valuable dye (which Lydia sold), traditionally said to come from a small vessel in the throat of a shell-fish. Tyrian purple (or fiery red) was of two kinds, one light (i. e.. scarlet), the other dark (i. e., crimson); and probably, by admixture with other colors, various shades of purple, and even blue, may have been subsequently invented. The art of extracting it, known to the Phoenicians, is lost. It was so costly, as to be one of the peculiar insignia of royalty, or official distinction.

The Hebrew word means a monster" in animal life. In Gen. i. 21, "great whale" is generic of all monsters created out of water; Serpent ().but in Lam. iv. 3 the "whale" is specifically mentioned by one who knew its habits, and its classification among mammalia. Two species of dolphin have been found in the Mediterranean, and another in the Red Sea; but true whales are also to be found in the former. R. Sec LEVIATHAN.

Some sea-
monster.

Crocodilu (1).

GEOLOGY OF

The Sinaitic range is formed of granite and plutonic rocks, without any volcanic signs, such as lava, basalt, etc. The granite is bright red from base to summit, often intersected with veins of greenstone and porphyry. Mount Sinai is coarse granite at the base, graduating in fineness to the peak. Advancing northward, dykes of porphyry intersect the granite, and this in turn is intersected by greenstone, while at the northeastern extremity syenite supplants them. Tending towards Suez, sandstone overlays the syenite, and the sandstone belt of the Tûr fringes the granite group.

BIBLE LANDS.

Through the Judæan wilderness a limestone plateau extends almost to Hebron. The whole central Syrian range is limestone, equivalent to the green sand underlying the chalk formation still prevailing about Beer-sheba; the few exceptions being near the Jordan Valley.

Occasionally on hill-tops (such as Olivet) is found a layer of white chalk mixed with flint. These are the remains of a vast chalk deposit, which once covered the whole country with an even surface, and was the groundwork of its fertility, but which has long ago been washed away by the heavy

HELPS TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE.

23

GEOLOGY OF BIBLE LANDS-Continued.

rains and torrents, leaving the now sterile limestone rock covered with the loose flints. There are two distinct groups of limestone: 1. Necomian, with fossils like those in our green sand, and intermingled with dolomite. It predominates in Galilee, (from the Lebanons and Hermon to Safed and Samaria) running on to the east of Jerusalem beyond Olivet. 2. A lower substratum of chalk, underlying the whole country from Lebanon to south of Mountains of Moab, seldom coming to the surface.

In Galilee, near the Lake, are large

dykes of basalt, and fields of lava, overflowing the limestone, from some extinct volcanoes (near Safed, Horns of Hattin, and Ard el Hamma); and the scoria has enriched the cultivation of those hillsides and valleys, down to Little Hermon and the edge of Esdraelon. This is the only volcanic tract at present discovered.

East of Jordan the formation is similar to that of the west side, but without the upper chalk that once encrusted the hills. The Jordan gorge that cleaves these formations is a geological phenomenon.

SOME OF THE RIVERS AND LAKES OF THE SCRIPTURES.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.

HELPS TO THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOOKS OF
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS- Continued.

Hosea. Prophecies relating to Christ and the latter days.

Joel. Prediction of woes upon Judah, and of the favor with which God will receive the penitent people.

Amos. Prediction that Israel and other neighboring nations will be punished by conquerors from the north, and of the fulfilment of the Messiah's kingdom.

Obadiah. Prediction of the desolation of Edom.

Jonah. Prophecies relating to Nineveh. Micah. Predictions relating to the invasions of Shalmaneser and Sennacherib, the Babylonish captivity, the establishment of a theocratic kingdom in Jerusalem, and the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem.

Nahum. Prediction of the downfall of Assyria.

Habakkuk. A prediction of the doom of the Chaldeans.

Zephaniah. A prediction of the overthrow of Judah for its idolatry and wickedness.

Haggai. Prophecies concerning the rebuilding of the Temple.

Zechariah. Prophecies relating to the rebuilding of the Temple and the Messiah. Malachi. Prophecies relating to the calling of the Gentiles and the coming of Christ.

NEW TESTAMENT.

Gospel of St. Matthew. A brief history of the life of Christ.;

Gospel of St. Mark. A brief history of the life of Christ, supplying some incidents omitted by St. Matthew.

Gospel of St. Luke. The history of the life of Christ, with especial reference to His most important acts and discourses. Gospel of St. John. The life of Christ, giving important discourses not related by the other Evangelists.

Acts of the Apostles. The history of the
labors of the Apostles and of the founda-
tion of the Christian Church.

Epistle to the Romans. A treatise by St.
Paul on the doctrine of Justification by
Christ.

ter from St. Paul to the Corinthians, cor-
recting errors into which they had fallen.

Second Epistle to the Corinthians. St.
and vindicates his own character.
Paul confirms his disciples in their faith,

Epistle to the Galatians. St. Paul main-
tains that we are justified by faith and not
by Rites.

Epistle to the Ephesians. A treatise by
St. Paul on the power of Divine Grace.
Epistle to the Philippians. St. Paul sets
forth the beauty of Christian kindness.

Epistle to the Colossians. St. Paul warns
his disciples against errors, and exhorts to
certain duties.

First Epistle to the Thessalonians. St. Paul exhorts his disciples to continue in the faith and in holy conversation.

Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. St. Paul corrects an error concerning the speedy coming of Christ the second time.

First and Second Epistles to Timothy. St. Paul instructs Timothy in the duty of of the ministry. a Pastor, and encourages him in the work

Epistle to Titus. St. Paul encourages Titus in the performance of his ministerial duties.

Epistle to Philemon. An appeal to a converted master to receive a converted escaped slave with kindness.

Epistle to the Hebrews. St. Paul maintains that Christ is the substance of the ceremonial law.

Epistle of St. James. A treatise on the efficacy of faith united with good works.

First and Second Epistles of St. Peter. Exhortations to a Christian life, with various warnings and predictions.

First Epistle of St. John. Respecting the person of our Lord, and an exhortation to Christian love and conduct.

Second Epistle of St. John. St. John warns a converted lady against false teachers.

Third Epistle of St. John. A letter to Gaius, praising him for his hospitality. Epistle of St. Jude. Warnings against deceivers.

The Revelation.

First Epistle to the Corinthians. A let- Church foretold.

The future of the

THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION

CONTAINING PREDICTIONS OF THE CHARACTER, OFFICES AND SACRIFICIAL WORK OF CHRIST,

Ps. xxii. 10; Ixix. 8; lxxxvi. 16; cxvi. 16; Isa. Matt. i. 23; Luke i. 26-35. vii. 14; xlix. 1; Jer. xxxi. 22; Mic. v. 3.

Ps. xvi. 10; xvii. 15; xlix. 15; lxxiii. 24; Jon. i. 17. Matt. xii. 40; xvi. 4; xxvii. 63; John ii. 19; Acts