THE SHIELD WITH CROSSED SWORDS is the symbol appropriate to HEROES AND HEROINES. The sword has always been the symbol of aggressive adventure, of warfare, of conquest. The shield is the symbol of protection, of ability to withstand every attack, of safety from the assaults of the enemy, of loyalty. The two stand for dauntless courage. The shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit are essential to every servant of God, Saint Paul believed; and they have been borne by every hero and heroine of the race, who by means of them have subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Before the shield of the mighty, swords may clash forever. It is only when the shield is vilely cast away that the enemy can sing, "How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished!"

THE BEGINNINGS

1. EDEN, meaning in Babylonian "a plain," appears to refer to the broad alluvial region of lower Babylonia. The land is extremely fertile when supplied with irrigation. The "garden," or irrigated area, of our narrative seems to have been situated in the eastern part of this region and to have been watered by a canal connected in some way with the four rivers named. Of these rivers the Hiddekel, or Tigris, and the Euphrates are well known; the identity of the other two is uncertain.

2. THE TREE OF LIFE. In connection with these Bible statements, it is interesting to note an attempt by the ancient Babylonians to express their longing for some means of averting death. In the epic of Gilgamesh, a poem composed in the days of Abraham, we read how the hero after long searching found “the plant of life," which, however, was snatched away by a serpent before he could eat it.

3. THE MORAL. The insertion here of this impressive moral lesson indicates that the purpose of the sacred writer is first of all to teach certain great social and religious truths that the Hebrews needed to learn; in this case, the sanctity of the marriage relation.

4. THE LAW OF BLOOD REVENGE. The story of Cain suggests that widespread law of primitive peoples by which, when a life is taken, the next of kin, sometimes the whole tribe, takes up the solemn duty of avenging the blood of the slain. Cain's mark appears to mean the mark of a tribe, the members of which will avenge him if any one takes his life. We have slowly outgrown this conception and now believe the execution of justice should be left to the state. When we have learned to forgive our enemies, we shall have advanced further still.

5. THE BABYLONIAN ACCOUNt of the DeluGE. The Deluge formed an era in Babylonian chronology, and there were several Babylonian accounts of it. One of these, embodied in the eleventh book of the Epic of Gilgamesh, was discovered in 1872 by George Smith. Xisuthros, the Chaldean Noah, is described in it as a native of the city of Shurippak on the Euphrates. On account of his piety he was warned by the god Ea of the approaching catastrophe and ordered to build a ship in which "the seed of life" should be preserved. Its height, as well as the length and breadth of its deck, was one hundred and twenty cubits. It was divided into six stories, with seven compartments, each containing nine rooms. It was provided with a rudder, and pitched within and without. After filling it with provisions and wine, Xisuthros is made to say:

"With all I had I filled it;

With all the silver I possessed I filled it;

With all the gold I possessed I filled it;

With all that I possessed of the seed of life of all kinds I filled it.

I brought into the ship all my slaves and handmaids,

The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, the craftsmen,

All of them I brought into it.

The Sun-god appointed the time, and said:

'In the night will I cause the heavens to rain destruction; Enter the ship, and close thy door.' . .

"When I had closed the ship, to Buzur-sadi-rabi the sailor

I intrusted the vessel with all its goods.

The waters of the morning at dawn arose from the horizon, a black cloud;

The Storm-god thundered in the midst of it;

Nebo and Merodach marched in front;

The throne bearers marched over mountain and plain;

The mighty god of death let loose the whirlwind. . .

"The violence of the Storm-god reached to heaven;

All that was light was turned to darkness.

"Brother beheld not his brother, men knew not one another.

In the heaven the gods feared the deluge,

And hastened to ascend to the heaven of Anu.

The gods cowered like a dog that crouches in a kennel;

The great goddess lifted up her voice:

"The former generation is turned to clay.

Like the spawn of the fish it fills the deep.'

"Six days and nights rages the wind; flood and storm devastate the

earth.

When the seventh day came, the flood ceased,

The storm subsided, and the tempest of the deluge was at an end

I beheld the deep and uttered a cry,

For the whole of mankind was turned to clay;

Like the trunks of trees did the bodies float.

I opened the window, and the light fell upon my face;

I stooped and sat down weeping;

Over my face ran my tears.

I beheld a shore beyond the sea.

Towards the twelfth point rose the land.

On the mountain of Nizir the ship grounded.

"For seven days the ship rested on the peak of Nizir; then,

When the seventh day came, I sent forth a dove and let it go.

The dove went and returned;

A resting place it found not, but turned back.

I sent forth a swallow and let it go; the swallow went and returned;
A resting place it found not and it turned back.

I sent forth a raven and let it go;

The raven went and beheld the going down of the waters,

And it approached, it waded, it croaked and did not turn back.

Then I sent forth [everything] to the four winds; I offered sacrifices;
Built an altar on the summit of the mountain;

Set libation vases seven by seven;

Beneath them I piled up reeds, cedar-wood and herbs.

The gods smelt the savor, the gods smelt the sweet savor,

The gods gathered like flies over the sacrifices.

But when the great goddess was come from afar

He lifted up the great [rain]bow which Anu had made for her." According to this Babylonian account, Bel, who had sent the deluge to punish the sins of mankind, was enraged at finding that any one had escaped from it. But Ea, the god of the deep, pacified him.

So Bel entered the ship, and placing Xisuthros and his wife on either side of him, he blessed and transported them without dying to the Babylonian paradise.

6. BABEL is the Hebrew form of the name of the city of Babylon.

DEEDS OF DARING AND DEVOTION

7. BALAAM. This striking story of Balaam forms an episode in the narrative of Israel's journey from Egypt through the wilderness to Canaan. Its purpose is evidently to teach that nothing can prevent the progress and success of Israel, since Jehovah is their leader.

Balaam appears to have been an Eastern seer, with a reputation for predicting future events when specially inspired by Jehovah's spirit. He lived at Pethor, at or near the Euphrates. In a later account of the wilderness journeys we learn that he encouraged the Israelites to take part in the corrupt idolatry of the Midianites, and was slain with them in an attack ordered by Moses.

8. MOABITE KINGS. Besides this Balak and Zippor his father, we know the names of a number of the kings of Moab. The king of whom we know most is Mesha, who reigned in the days of Omri, Ahab and Jehoram, kings of Israel. He has left a long inscription, telling how King Omri had conquered his land, and how by the power of Chemosh his god he was enabled to recover it.

9. BALAK'S OFFERING. In ancient sacrifices only a portion of the animal was burned on the altar. Another portion was usually taken by