CHAP. III. 



PRECIOUS METALS. 119 



entering into the possession of their conquered 

 territory l , we find one half tribe of the Hebrews 

 was dismissed to their allotment " with much 

 cattle and silver and gold, with brass and iron 

 and much raiment ;" and there can be no reason 

 to suppose them more wealthy than the rest of 

 their brethren. 



In the period which succeeded to the govern- 

 ment of Joshua, whilst the Israelites were ruled 

 by judges, though they were often oppressed, 

 and, according to the custom of the age, plun- 

 dered by those who defeated them, yet they 

 finally came out of each conquest successfully, 

 and made those who held a temporary dominion 

 over them more than repay the precious metals 

 they had extorted. Thus Gideon 2 , when he had 

 defeated the Midianites, collected the golden 

 ear-rings of the vanquished, which amounted to 

 one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, 

 perhaps worth in our money five thousand 

 pounds. In that period, too, we find some inti- 

 mation of the precious metals in the possession 

 of private individuals. Thus 3 Abimelech, with 

 seventy shekels of silver, hired " vain and light 

 persons" to commit a massacre on his brethren ; 

 and 4 Micah took from his mother eleven hun- 



1 Joshua, cap. xxii. v. 9. 



2 Judges, cap. viii. v. 26. 



3 Idem, cap. ix. v. 4. 



4 Idem, cap. xvii. v. 2. 



