The greatness of David may be shown by a comparison of our last map with the present one, keeping in mind the difference of scale between them. David succeeded to the throne of Israel when it represented about 6,000 square miles of territory, more or less, under control; he left to his successor, Solomon, an empire embracing an area of 60,000 square miles. See the comparative diagram on page 70. The map now before us being upon a scale greatly reduced from that of Saul's kingdom, it will be impossible to represent upon it all the localities mentioned in the history of David and Solomon. Those in the neighborhood of Jerusalem will be found on the map of the Environs of Jerusalem, page 83, and those of minor importance in the land of Israel may be found on the map of Palestine Among the Tribes, page 58.

We present the events and localities under the following outline: 1. David's Reign over Judah. 2. The Union of Palestine. 3. David's Foreign Conquests. 4. David's Calamities. 5. The Closing Events. 6. The Reign of Solomon.

I. David's Reign over Judah. (2 Sam. 1-4.) After the death of Saul, David went from Ziklag to Hebron, and was there accepted as king over the tribe of Judah. His reign lasted for seven years, from 1010 to 1003 B.C. During a part of this time, Ishbosheth, the only remaining son of Saul, was also nominally reigning over a large part of the land, the real power being held by Abner, Saul's general, and the ablest man of his time. War naturally arose, and many battles were doubtless fought, of which but one, at Gibeon, is related. At last, Abner and Ishbosheth were both murdered, though not by David's desire nor with his approbation; and, with one consent, David was accepted as king over all the Twelve Tribes.

II. The Union of Palestine. (2 Sam. 5-7.) David was now ruler over the mountain region only, as Saul had been before him, and in various places were garrisons of the Philistines, and cities held by the Canaanite races. He began by a siege of Jebus, or Jebusi, a fortress of the Jebusites, on the border of Judah and Benjamin. Though deemed impregnable by the natives, it was taken by storm, and, under its new name, Jerusalem, became the capital of the kingdom. The Philistines had been friendly with David in the past, and were perhaps recognized as the "lords paramount" during his reign over Judah; but now they were jealous of his growing power, and, as of old, entered the mountain region with their armies. But in David they met an enemy of a different character from either Samson or Saul. Two battles were fought, both near Jerusalem, at a place called "the Valley [or plain] of the Rephaim"; and in each the Philistines were utterly routed.

David followed up his advantage, after the second victory, by marching down upon the Shefelah and the plain. He took Gath (called Methegammah, "the bridle of the metropolis," in 2 Sam. 8:1), and subjugated the entire Philistine confederacy so completely that thenceforward they ceased to trouble Israel for centuries.

The land was now united, and David turned his attention to the religious reformation of the people, brought the ark from Baale, or Kirjath-jearim, to Jerusalem, planned for the Temple to be built by his successor, and organized the worship on a magnificent scale. (2 Sam. 6, 7.)

III. David's Foreign Conquests. These were not altogether inspired by ambition, but were necessary for the safety of Israel, and to keep its people from the contamination of the idolatry of the surrounding nations. These conquests are indicated by flags on the map, though the precise locations of the battles are not known in all cases. The lands conquered by David were as follows:

1. Moab. (2 Sam. 8:2.) It is stated by Josephus, that the cruel treatment of the Moabites (though fully in accord with the customs of Oriental war in that day) was in revenge for the slaughter of David's parents by the king of Moab, an event not mentioned in the Bible.

2. Zobah (2 Sam. 8:3, 4), at that time the principal state between Damascus and the Euphrates.

3. Damascus (2 Sam. 8:5-12), in alliance with Zobah, and the largest city in Syria.

4. Edom (2 Sam. 8:13, 14), south of the Dead Sea. The word "Syrians," in verse 13, should undoubtedly be "Edomites." The battle was fought at the "valley of salt," an unknown place, but probably near Sela, or Petra, the capital of Edom.

5. Ammon. (2 Sam. 10-13.) This was the longest of David's wars, and was waged not against the Ammonites only, but against the allied forces of several small Syrian kingdoms, as Zobah (already conquered, but not subjugated), Maachah, Rehob and Tob, districts on the north and east of Israel. Three great battles were fought; the first near Medeba; the second at Helam, an uncertain locality (if it be the name of a place, which is questioned, as the word means "host," or "army"); and the third, the siege and capture of Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, which ended the war. During this war occurred the crime of David with Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah. (2 Sam. 11.) This completed the series of conquests, and made the throne of David supreme from the Red Sea to the Euphrates. One fact which made these conquests possible was that the tribes around Israel were not united into strong nations, as afterward in the cases of Syria and Assyria, but were independent principalities, easily overcome in turn by the trained warriors of David.

As a result of these wars the kingdom of David, which he transmitted to his son Solomon, was the largest in the Oriental world at that time. The Assyrian empire had not arisen, the great kings of Egypt had passed away, and the East was broken up into small principalities, among which Israel easily rose to power.

IV. The Calamities of David's Reign. (2 Sam. 12-20, 24.) Three great troubles befell David and his kingdom as the result of his sins.

1. The first and greatest was the Rebellion of Absalom. We can only mention the places referred to in the history, not relate its events. Geshur, where Absalom was in exile, was a small kingdom under the rule of Absalom's maternal grandfather. Tekoa, whence came the "wise woman," was near Bethlehem. The places near Jerusalem named in David's flight, may be seen on the map of the Environs of Jerusalem, page 83. David's resting place was at Mahanaim, east of the Jordan, and south of the Hieromax. Absalom was defeated and killed at "the wood of Ephraim," a locality not in the tribe of that name, but east of the Jordan, perhaps where the Ephraimites sustained a great defeat from Jephthah. (Judges 12.)

2. The second calamity was the Rebellion of Sheba, following soon after Absalom's, and arising from the same disaffection. It was ended at Abel-beth-maachah, in the extreme north, by the death of Sheba. (2 Sam. 20.)

3. The third calamity was the Pestilence, after the numbering of the people, an enumeration with a view either to heavy levies of assessment, or to foreign conquest; either of which was contrary to the spirit of the Hebrew constitution. (2 Sam. 24.) The places named will be found upon the map, except the inexplicable Tahtim-hodshi, which may mean "the land newly inhabited," but whose location is unknown. The sacrifice of David at Araunah's threshing-floor gave the location to the great altar of the Temple, probably the rude rock which now rises from the floor of the Mosque of Omar, in Jerusalem.

V. The Close of David's Reign (1 Kings 1, 2; 1 Chron. 22-29) was occupied in the organization of his empire, and in preparation for the building of the Temple. There are but few localities named with this period, and they may be easily found upon the maps, those near Jerusalem being upon the map of its Environs.

VI. The Reign of Solomon was a period of peace, with few incidents to mark its even tenor. Its principal event was the building of the Temple. We insert here a plan of Solomon's Temple, largely conjectural, as neither of the descriptions is sufficiently exact for a complete knowledge. The Temple, as it afterward stood in the time of Christ, may be found described on page 139.

Upon the map are noted most of the battle-fields, which may be enumerated as follows: 1. At Gibeon, the victory over Abner and the adherents of Ishbosheth. 2. At Jerusalem, its capture from the Jebusites. 3, 4. Near Jerusalem, not indicated upon the map; two decisive victories over the Philistines. 5. Gath, the capture of the Philistine capital. 6. The victory over the Moabites, probably near Ar. 7. The conquest of Zobah, north of Damascus. 8. The conquest of Damascus and its dependent places. 9. The conquest of Edom, near Sela. 10. The victory at Medeba, over the Ammonites. 11. The victory at Helam, near the Euphrates, over the Syrian allies of the Ammonites. 12. The siege and capture of Rabbah. 13. The defeat of Absalom's army in the wood of Ephraim, east of the Jordan.

I. Draw a rough map of the country from the Red Sea to the Euphrates, as in the map of the kingdom of David and Solomon, and locate upon it the land of Israel proper, showing the dominion of Saul.

II. Draw the boundary line to show the kingdom of David at Hebron, and that of Ishbosheth at Mahanaim; mention and locate the battle of Gibeon.

III. Show in order the conquests of David, writing upon the board the names of the lands conquered in order, and indicating the battles by flags.

IV. Show the dimensions of David's kingdom, by another map of the Oriental World in the time of David. Locate and drill upon the leading lands and capitals.

V. Give an account of the calamities in David's reign, show the flight of David, and locate the battle with Absalom.