1 but had also a body especially from Gath2 amongst them, of whom the name of one, Ittai, is preserved. The captain of the force was, however, not only not a foreigner, but an Israelite of the highest distinction and purest descent, who outlived David, and became the chief support of the throne of his son, namely, Benaiah, son of the chief priest Jehoiada, Benaiah. representative of the eldest branch of Aaron's house. Three 4 mighty exploits appear to have gained this high place for him, as Joab's had been secured by the capture of Jerusalem. He attacked two heroes or princes of Moab. He encountered a 5 lion which a snowstorm had driven to take refuge in a cistern or pitfall, where none but Benaiah ventured to penetrate. He fought with a gigantic Egyptian, whose spear was so huge that it seemed like a tree thrown across a ravine. This the Israelite soldier forced from his hand, and, like another David, slew the giant with his own weapon. (c.) The most peculiar military institution in David's army was that which arose out of the peculiar circumstances of his early life. As the nucleus of the Russian army is the Preobajinsky regiment formed by Peter the Great out of the companions who gathered round him in the suburb of that name in Moscow, so the nucleus of what afterwards became the only standing army in David's forces was the band of 600 men who had gathered round him in his wanderings. The six hundred. The number of 600 was still preserved, with the name of Gibborim, heroes' or 'mighty men.' It became yet further subdivided into three large bands of 200 each, and small bands of twenty each. The small bands were commanded 1 A tradition in Jerome (Qu. Heb. on 1 Chr. xviii. 17) speaks of their being in the place of the seventy judges appointed by Moses. 22 Sam. xv. 19. But here the reading is doubtful (Ewald, iii. 177, note). See Lecture XXIV. * 2 Sam. viii. 18, xx. 23; 2 Kings i. 38, 44. 2 Sam. xxiii. 20, 'Sons of Ariel' Ibid. see Joseph. (Ant. vii. 12, §4). See Ewald, iii. 178, for the whole Officers of state. 4 by thirty officers, one for each band, who together formed 'the thirty,' and the three large bands by three officers, who together formed the three,' and the whole by one chief, 'the captain of the mighty men.' This commander of the whole force was Abishai, David's nephew. 'The three' were Jashobeam 3 or Adino, Eleazar, 5 and Shammah. Of 'the thirty,' some few only are known to fame elsewhere. Asahel, David's nephew; Elhanan, the victor of at least one Goliath; Joel, the brother or son of Nathan; Naharai, the armour-bearer of 10 Joab; Eliam," the son of Ahithophel; Ira, one of David's 12 priests; Uriah the Hittite.13 8 9 (3.) Side by side with this military organisation were established new social and moral institutions. Some were entirely for pastoral, agricultural, and financial purposes,14 others for judicial.15 Each tribe had its own head.16 Of these the most remarkable were Elihu, David's brother (probably Eliab) prince of Judah, and Jaasiel, son of Abner, of Benjamin. In the court or council of the King were the counsellors, Ahithophel of Giloh, and 18 Jonathan, the king's nephew, both renowned for their marvellous sagacity; the, companion or 'friend,' 19 Hushai, and, at the close of the reign, perhaps 20 Shimei; the scribe or secretary of state, 17 12 Sam. xxiii. 8-39; 1 Chr. xi. 9-47. 21 Chr. xi. 20; and comp. 2 Sam. xvi. 9. 1 Chr. xi. 11. 42 Sam. xxiii. 8. 5 1 Chr. xi. 12; 2 Sam. xxiii. 9. 1 Chr. xi. 26; 2 Sam. ii. 18. 1 Chr. xi. 38, the LXX. has 'son.' 10 Ibid. xi. 39; 2 Sam. xxiii. 37. Sheva or Seraiah, and at one time Jonathan, David's uncle; Priests. But the more peculiar of David's institutions were those directly bearing on religion. Two Prophets appear as the The king's constant advisers. Of these, Gad, who seems to have Prophets. been the elder, had been David's companion in exile; and his title, the Seer,' belongs probably to the earliest form of the Prophetic schools. Nathan, who appears for the first time after the establishment of the kingdom at Jerusalem, is distinguished both by his title of the Prophet,' and by the nature of the prophecies which he utters, as belonging to the purest type of the Prophetic dispensation, and as the hope of the new generation," which he supports in the person of Solomon. Two High Priests also appear-re- The presentatives of the two rival houses of 6 Aaron; here again, as in the case of the two Prophets, one, Abiathar, who had been the companion of David's exile, and was by his race connected with the old time of the Judges; the other Zadok, joining him after the death of Saul and becoming afterwards the support of his son, who thus became ultimately the head of the Aaronic family. Abiathar, probably for old affection's sake, attended the King at Jerusalem, Zadok still ministered by the ancient tabernacle at Gibeon." Besides these four great religious functionaries there were two classes of subordinates :-Prophets, specially instructed in singing and music, under Asaph, Heman the grandson of Samuel, and Jeduthun; 10 and Levites, or attendants on 12 Sam. xx. 25; 1 Chr. xxvii. 32. 2 Sam. xx. 24. As in the court of Xerxes (Herod. vii. 100, viii. 90) and of the modern Shah. 2 Sam. xx. 24; 1 Kings xii. 18, iv. 3, 6. 2 Sam. vii. 3, 5-17, xii. 1–14. (LXX.) 44. 5 2 Sam. xii. 25; 1 Kings i. 11 See Lecture XXVI. 61 Chr. xxiv. 3. Ibid. xxvii. 34; comp. Blunt, Ibid. xxvii. 17. Ibid. xvi. 39. 10 Ibid. xxv. 1-31. Lokman. the sanctuary, who again were subdivided into the guardians of the 'gates, and guardians of the treasures which had been accumulated, since the re-establishment of the nation, by Samuel, Saul, Abner, Joab, and David himself. One singular character is added to this group by Mussulman traditions, the half-fabulous sage Lokman-the Ethiopian slave, renowned for his wise proverbs, who, whilst seated amongst the grandees of David's court, when asked how he had attained such eminence, replied, By always speaking the 'truth, by always keeping my word, and by never meddling ' in matters that did not concern me.'3 6 The collection of these various ministers and representatives of worship round the capital must have given a concentrated aspect to the history in David's time, such as it had never borne before. But the main peculiarity of the whole must have been, that it so well harmonised with the character of him who was its centre. As his early martial life still placed him at the head of the military system which had sprung up around him, so his early education and his natural disposition placed him at the head of his own religious institutions. Himself a Prophet and Psalmist, he was one in heart with those whose Religious advice he sought, and whose arts he fostered. And, more of David. remarkably still, though not himself a Priest, he yet as sumed almost all the functions usually ascribed to the priestly office. He wore, as we have seen, the priestly dress, offered the sacrifices, gave the priestly benediction; he walked round about the altar in sacred 5 processions; and, as if to include his whole court within the same sacerdotal sanctity, Benaiah the captain of his guard was a priest by descent, and joined in the sacred' music; David himself 1 Chr. xxvi. 1-19. 2 Ibid. xxvi. 20-28. D'Herbelot, 'Locman al-hakim.' 42 Sam. vi. 14, 17, 18. Ps. xxvi. 6 (if the title may be trusted. See Perowne). • ὁ ἱερεὺς τῷ γένει (Joseph. Αnt. vii. 12, §4); 2 Sam. viii. 18. 71 Chr. xxvii. 5, xvi. 6. and the captains of the host' arranged the Prophetical duties and fixed the festivals; and his sons as well as one of his chief functionaries, Ira the Manassite,2 are actually called 'priests.'3 Such a union was never seen before or since in the Jewish history. Even Solomon fell below it in some important points. Christian sovereigns have rarely ventured on so direct a control. But the supremacy of David is a fact which cannot be overlooked. What the heathen historian Justin antedates by referring it back to Aaron, is a true description of the effect of the reign of David: Sacerdos mox rex creatur: semperque exinde hic 'mos apud Judæos fuit, ut eosdem reges et sacerdotes 'haberent; quantum justitiâ religione permixtâ, incredibile quantum coaluere.' How profound was that union of 'justice' and 'religion'-to the heathen so incredible-we have already seen. As in peace, so in war, this union of religious and secular greatness was continued. It was as Founder of the Israelitish Empire even more than as Founder of the royal dynasty or of the order of Psalmists, that David seemed in the eyes of his contemporaries to be the Light and the Splendour of 'Israel.' 5 It was as Conqueror, even more than as Ruler, that he especially appears as the Messiah, the Anointed one. It is in his order of battle, even more than in his religious processions, that the Ruler of Israel-whether David or David's descendant-appears as the Priestly King. When he is addressed as a Priest, though not of Levitical descent-a Priest bursting through all the common regulations of the |