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E, WALTER MAUNDER, F.R.A.S., ON 



the fortress which had commanded the pass, had been taken 

 and destroyed. But when they had returned to their head- 

 quarters, an unexpected event took place : a number of strangers, 

 purporting to be ambassadors from a very distant country, 

 presented themselves and besought a treaty of peace. 



During the interval between the destruction of Ai and the 

 return of Joshua to his headquarters at Gilgal, there had been 

 important political movements amongst the inhabitants of the 

 land. A great terror, due no doubt to the direct interposition 

 of God, had seized the Amorites, and the other tribes in the 

 country, and had kept them quiet during the religious ceremonies 

 of the Passover and the journey to and from Ebal and Gerizim. 

 But now the Amorites felt that their time was at hand. 



" And it came to pass, when all the kings which were beyond 

 Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the 

 shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, 

 and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite 

 and the Jebusite heard thereof ; that they gathered them- 

 selves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, viith 

 one accord. 



" But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua 

 had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they also did work wilily, 

 and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and 

 took old sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, old and rent 

 and bound up ; and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, 

 and old garments upon them ; and all the bread of their 

 provision was dry and was become mouldy. And they went 

 to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to 

 the men of Israel, AVe are come from a far country : now 

 therefore make ye a covenant with us. And the men of 

 Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among 

 us ; and how shall we make a covenant with you." 



(Chapter ix, 1-7, R.V.) 



You will note that the inhabitants of Gibeon are called Hivites 

 in the seventh verse, whereas just before they have been called 

 " inhabitants of Gibeon." Yet, as we read in the first verse, 

 the Hivites were at first members of the great confederacy 

 of the native tribes ; they are included amongst the nations 

 that had gathered themselves together to fight " with Joshua 

 and with Israel with one accord." 



