The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-06
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

N&SGS 0s Oss AA OAeh1D4AAs ~
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Dufies Taught by q Study Of the Inter.
national Sunday-sehOoI Lesson Appointed for
Dec. IT, Judges, t8;si-3i.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboye.l
SUBJECT: THE DEATH OF SAMSON.
1. Time.
There is some considerable trouble in fixing
definitely the date of Samson's DEATH from the
difficulty of determining whether the Judges
mentioned ruled suceessively in all cases, or at
times jointly. We may put-the date, as many
do, in the year 1884 A. NJ, or 1920 B. G.
2. Place
The scene of the lesson is GAIA. 1t is three
miles from the Mediterranean Sea- The sea
cannot be seen from GAIA on account of an in
teryening ridge of hills. GAIA was one of the
Eve towns which formed league and practi-
eally became a sort of nation. 1t was sur
rounded by walls 1t has population now Of
about $4,000 people.
8. SGra8oa.
The name Samson means little sun, or like
2 sun. His fathers name was Manoah; his
mothers ZelelpOni 1t is not probable he had
any brothers or sisters. His own birth was
miraculous. It was foretold az TO time of Oc-
currence and was unnatural as to manner. lie
was born at Zorah, {I3: p or Zorea, or Sarasat,
or Surah 1t is Is miles from Jerusalem, being
west of Jerusalem, and so toward the territory
of the Philistines. Samson was Jew of the
tribe of Dan. He married o woman of the
Philistnes against the wishes of his parents
aud contrary to the explicit instructions of
Moses to the IsTaelites. He belonged to the
Jewish religious Order known as the Na2arites,
taking the VOW for life, and promising, among
other things never to have his hair cut. The
VOW pledged him to special devotion to religion
and abstinence from many things which other
wise and ordinarily are right in themselves
| His special gift was strength, which he used
effectively in the interest of his nation. he
was a Judge for 20 years. At length he was
| BETRAYED by Delilah, to whom he had intrusted
the secret of his strength. He lost his strength
and was easily made captive; eyes put out;
imprisoned.
4. Dagon
Dagon was a-god. It was part human
and part fish, DiodOrus Siculus thus describes
| that object of worship: "It had the head of a
woman, but all the rest of the body resembled
a fish, The Philistines living near the sea-
shore naturally sought a sea deity. They
maintained their strength along the seacoast
against the incoming Israelites, and SO may
| have supposed that their sea-god protected
| them from the Israelitish God. who had en-
l
! terror lands.
5. Dagon's Temple
| The temple does not now exist and we can
not decide as to its architecture 1t is clear it
was so constructed that the stage or platform
| could be seen not only from the main floor, but
| also from the roof. Moreover it was so built
! that its whole weight rested in such a way and
| to such degree on two pillars near each other,
| that should said pillars be pulled down the
| entire building would collapse. Here, then, are
two facts to aid us in our conception OF the
| form of the structure. One writer says: " We
/ may suppose that this temple consisted of a
spacious hall, the roof of which rested in front
4 upon four columns, two of them standing at the
| ends, and two close together in the center
/ Under this hall the leading men of the Philis-
| tines celebrated a sacrifcial meal, while the
| people were assembled above upon the top of the
/ roof which was surrounded by balustrade."
| Our kn0wledgeo OF Phmnician architecture in
| general is quite limited. Evidently the roof Of
| Dagon's temple was fiat. 1t was probably d
| large public building for fetes, games, plays,
| acting, speaking. The roof may have had an
1 open quasi-court aperture, protected by firm
| balustrade, enabling thousands of persons to
! look over and down into the main room below,
and in particular to see ali acting on the stage.
| Thompson, in Land and Book" advances the
| theory the temple was built on one of the steep
decliYities all about GAIA, and that once falling
the temple would go to a more complete
wreckage.
Ia 1864 terrible catastrophe occurred at st.
/ Petersburg. The dome of the Church of the
1 TRANSPORTATION is supported by huge granite
\ pillars One of them broke when vast con-
! gregation was assembled. The building tum-
| bled and erumbled, and many suffered shocking
deaths
In 1888 some pillars of the Probister of Erfurt
gave way, and only King Henry and the
/ Bishops who We're sitting in niche OF the wall,
escaped.
Piiny gives account of q two theaters built
! by c. Curio, who was killed in the civil wars,
/ ON Cesar's side. They were made of wood, so
4 ample as to contain all the Roman people las
/ he speaks), and contrived with SUCH art that
! each Of them depended upon one hinge" fact
| which led him to wonder at the blindness OF
/ the people of Rome who would venture into q
| place fer their pleasure where they sat in such
an uncertain and unstable seat; for if that hinge
! had slipped, there had been greater slaughter
! than at the battle of Cannae."
g. Jubilee Of The PhiliStines OUer SaaSOn's Capt
/ ige.
Samson had been a bitter foe to the Philis-
| tines. Having made him prisoner and blinded
| him, they were in a most rejoicing mood. Joy
seeks company, bringing the masses together IN
a common feeling. The central place of meet
ing for the crowds in times of great excitement
and enthusiasm was the spacious temple OF
Dogan. Accordingly the high and low, rich
and poor, men and women, focked to that
building. The people of inferior ranks gath
cred ON the roof while probably the nobil-
ity, the rich and the official occupied the lower
floor. The great subject of interest was the
defeat of Samson. Doubtless bands played
speeches of exultation were made, the people
shouted, and excitement was rampant. They
got beside themselves. Nothing was more nat
ural than to cry for Samson. Bring him
out Let us see him. Let us make our
selves merry rs he staggers about in his blind
ness" As soon as they catch sight of him theil
feelings cannot be restrained. They cry out and
stamp with their feet and clap with their hands
Some time had elapsed since Samson was
made prisoner. Meantime his hair, the secre
: of his strength, has grown out again and begin!
to fall in waves over his shoulders. The PEG
, pie were not content with simply seeing Sam
son. They want to make sport over him.
little boy held the hand of Samson to lead hin
about Samson knew wherein lay the strength
of the temple. He had doubtless often been il
it. He asked the lad to put him between tn,
pillars which supported the roof and were neal
enough together to be clasped by the extended
arms, or at least to be pressed firmly by the