168 PRACTEG AE ARB ORIDC YU LP ORE 
Under the procurators, Tiberus Alexander and Cuspius ladus, A. D. 65 
to 75, there was a drought continuing several years, and many people died 
from starvation. Queen Flelena, who sympathized with the Jews, sent into 
Egypt and brought large quantities of corn for the suffering multitudes in 
Jerusalem, and also procured a cargo of dried figs from Cyprus. 
During the thirteenth year of Herod's reign, B. ©. 24 years, very great 
calamities came upon the country; there were perpetual droughts. and for that 
reason the ground was barren, and did not bring forth the same quantity of 
fruits, after which want of food caused pestilential disorders. This drought 
lasted several vears, corn being brought from Egypt to supply their food. 
Another famine occurred during the fifth, sixth and seventh years of 
Claudius, A. D. 54. This drought was foretold by Agabus, Acts XI-28. 
RESULTS OF THE CLIMATIC CHANGE. 
These historic mentions of famine enable us to see the result in the now 
rapidly changing climate of the country about Palestine, portions of which, 
however, still remained fruitful during the first century of the Christian Era. 
Flavius Josephus, A. D. 75, says of Galilee: ‘For the Galileans are inured 
to war from their infancy, and have always been very numerous, for their 
soil is universally rich and fruitful, and full of the plantations of trees of all 
sorts, inasmuch that it invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultiva- 
vation by its fruitfulness; accordingly, it is all cultivated by its inhabitants 
and no part of it lies idle. Moreover, the cities lie here very thick, and the 
very many villages there and here are everywhere so full of people, by the 
richness of their soil, that the very least of them contain about fifteen thou- 
sand inhabitants.” 
“But for Perea, the greater part of it is desert and rough: vet hath it a 
moist soil and produces all kinds of fruits and its plains are planted with trees 
of all sorts, while yet the olive tree, the vine and the palm tree areechiefly culti- 
vated there. It is also sufficiently watered with torrents which issue out of the 
mountains, and with springs that never fail to run, even when the torrents 
fail them, as they do in dog days.” 
“Now, as to Samaria, it is entirely of the same nature with Judea: for 
both countries are made up of hills and valleys, and are moist enough for 
agriculture, and are very fruitful. They have abundance of trees, and are 
full of autumnal fruit, both that which grows wild, and that which is the effect 
of cultivation. They are not naturally watered by many rivers: but derive 
their chief moisture from rain, of which they have no want. By reason of the 
excellent grass they have, their cattle vield more milk than do those in 
other places; and what is the greatest sign of excellency and of abundance, 
they each of them are very full of people.” 
Having this description by contemporary writers during the first century, 
let us contrast writers of the present day as to what Palestine now is. 
Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage says from his visit in 1889: “While Palestine of 
to-day is generally uninviting as a land sown with dragons’ teeth, choking 
out like tares the fruitfulness of the soil, until it presents that hard appear- 
