history; I have endeavoured to give help in this way by the introductions and notes. Again, the literary charm of Scripture narrative is so great that these stories will serve where nothing more is desired than a reading book. More than this, it is the function of story to bring up persons and incidents with the vividness of present reality: they lend themselves to moral and religious comment, which thus becomes a comment on life itself. In the present case, such commenting must be left to parent or teacher: the notes of this series go no further than assisting towards the appreciation of each incident as a piece of literature. I may be permitted a word on the relation of this to other volumes of the Modern Reader's Bible. The present, and its companion volume of New Testament Stories, are intended as ground plan of Bible history: the separate sections correspond to the separate volumes of the History Series in the larger work. When, in the story form, the ground has been covered as a whole, then some particular section may be chosen for study in the full form of history, story, documents, which make up Bible history as it stands. Similarly, the volume entitled Select Masterpieces of Biblical Literature is intended to introduce to all varieties of literary form represented in Scripture, and its sections correspond to the various series History, Wisdom, Prophecy, etc.—into which the Modern Reader's Bible is divided after all forms have become familiar in type, some one series can be selected for continuous study, the volumes of the series being arranged in the proper order, while the introductions to each volume bring out the unity of the series as a whole. Thus to cover a general field by vivid selections, and then pursue a restricted part of it with fulness of detail, is the sound order of study. viii R. G. MOULTON. CONTENTS GENESIS Introduction . i. The Creation of the World ii. The Temptation in the Garden of Eden. 13 18 19 a Prime Minister vii. The Wooing of Rebekah viii. How Jacob stole the Blessing from his Brother ix. The Story of Joseph and his Brethren Joseph and his Brethren in Canaan Joseph as a Slave in Egypt How in one day Joseph passed from a Slave to Joseph and his Brethren in Egypt. 23 29 The Journey of the Children of Israel from Notes to Genesis THE EXODUS Introduction . i. Moses and the Plagues of Egypt The Wonderful Preservation of Moses as a The Ten Plagues of Egypt The Overthrow of the Egyptians at the Red Sea ii. Law of the Ten Commandments from Sinai Introduction . THE JUDGES i. The Passage of the Jordan and Siege of Jericho iv. Feats of Gideon in the Midianite War vii. The Old Man Eli and the Child Samuel. Birth of Samuel . The Child Samuel called to be Prophet PAGE 69 73 73 74 88 95 98 107 |