ARBORICULTURE 



83 



in abundance for great multitudes of peo- 

 ple who occupied it for many centuries ; 

 but when the mountains became bared, 

 the rains gradually failed, severe 

 droughts occurred, the soil ceased to be 

 productive and eventually the entire re- 

 gion was depopulated, it became so bar- 

 ren as to be unhabitable. 



THE POPULATION OF CANAAN. 



"Behold ye are this day as the stars 

 of heaven for multitude." — Deut. i-io. 



For nine hundred years, prior to the 

 entrance of the Israelites, Canaan had 

 been inhabited by the degenerate sons of 

 Noah, who had become a very numerous 

 people. 



"The people are greater and better 

 than we. the cities are great and walled 

 up to heaven." — Deut. I-28. Num. XIII- 

 28. 



When the Israelites took possession 

 they also continued to increase greatly. 

 A\'hen David ordered the enumeration of 

 the people Joab found the number to be 

 1,570,000 that drew the sword. — I Chron. 

 XX] -5. 



This is equivalent to a population of 

 more than six million souls. In addition 

 to which the coast provinces, with large 

 maritime cities. Tyre, Sidon, and many 

 others, not included in David's realm, to- 

 gether with the large cities and numerous 

 people in the Lebanon Valley, brought 

 the population of Canaan up to ten mil- 

 lions. 



Both from profane and sacred historv 

 we are reminded of the vast multitudes 

 who peopled this country, and of the tem- 

 ples and works of art which they con- 

 structed. Solomon employed 153,600 la- 

 borers for twenty years in erecting his 

 various religious and state buildings. At 

 the same time he maintained a standing 

 army numbering half a million men; 

 forty thousand stalls of horses were pro- 

 vided for his chariots and twelve thou- 

 sand horsemen. While as compared 

 with D'avid's reign, his was one of peace, 

 vet that was secured h\ a strong exhibi- 

 tion of power. 



Thus "'Judah and Israel dwelt safely, 

 every man under his own vine and fig 

 tree." — I Kings I\'-25. 



David had thoroughly organized the 

 army, and subdued the neighboring na- 

 tions. ])ut the power of Israel reacl-.ed its 



i:cnith during Solomon's reign ; all na- 

 tions from Mediterranean to Euphrates 

 acknowledged his sovereigntv. 



To support a population so dense re- 

 quired an exceptionally fertile soil, in- 

 tense cultivation with a regular and 

 abundant rainfall. The land, cultivated 

 as in gardens, produced wheat, barley 

 and all manner of fruits ; the hillside's 

 were terraced and planted with grapes, 

 pt)megranates, olives and figs, horticul- 

 ture being one of the arts which was 

 thoroughly understoood and practiced by 

 the children of Israel. 



The abundant agricultural rcstnuxes 

 of the Kingdom may be better realized as 

 we read that 320,000 bushels of grain 

 were annually sent to pay the Sidonians, 

 who were making lumber for the Israel- 

 ites, while a million gallons each of wine 

 and oil were also sent for the same pur- 

 po.se, year by year, for twenty years. — 

 Chron. II-io. 



A LUMBERING NATION. 



"Hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon ; 

 for thou knowest that there is not among 

 us any that can skill to hew timber like 

 unto the Sidonians." 



The Sidonians occupied the coast from 

 Mt. Carmel northward some hundred and 

 fifty miles, the mountains of Lebanon be- 

 ing within their territory. Thev were 

 extensively engaged in cutting and hew- 

 ing timber, building ships and exi)ort- 

 ing lumber : this was a seafarintr people 

 whose trade extended to the farthermost 

 coasts of western Africa and southern 

 Europe as well as to the cities of the 

 . Mediterranean. They navigated the Nile 

 in trade with the Egyptians. Timber 

 was their chief export, for in the reeion 

 of these African ports to which thev 

 sailed forests were unknown, while the 

 skill of the Sidonians was especially di- 

 rected to wood-craft. 



Fortunately for the Orient the methods 

 of the Sidonians, lumbering solely with 

 the axe, gave some opportunity for for- 

 est renewals, and centuries were required 

 to devastate the mountains of Canaan and 

 accomplish their aridity. 



When King Solomon found it neces- 

 sary to procure a navy, it was the Sidon- 

 ians who constructed it in Ezion-geber, 

 on the Red .Sea. and manned it for the 



