The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-03-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for March 26, 1s9S-
Quarterly Review.

AhN0rubtioual Lebgou IOr WHTcn 80, lSbo-
Quarterly Review.
GOLDEN TBxr-Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and q light unto my path.-Ps. 11e:lO5
SUGGESTIONS FOR REVIEWS.
A good review is one of the most
difficult, but also one of the most profit
able, effective and interesting lessons
of the quarter. There has of late been
no small stir about the indefiniteness of
the knowledge of the Bible in the minds
Of Sunday school scholars. Too much
attention cannot be called to the facts.
whatever they are. But the fault is not
with the international Lesson system,
for in the Quarterly review lesson 1t
gives special opportunity for definite
knowledge of the facts, and an earnest
impulse toward learning them. 1t is
folly to "burn up the barn to get rid of
the rats" particularly when in the barn
itself is the best possible way furnished
for getting rid of them.
The review must be new view, be-
cause it takes into one view the whole
period of history, with its leading facts
and tendencies and the lessons which
these teach U.S. The study of Jupiter
or Venus is one thing; the study of these
same stars as part of the planetary
system is quite another.
ApPLIANCEs.-A good map is essential
to a complete comprehension of these
lessons, giving the framework by
which the practical truths of the
history shall best be held in the
memory. Paper and pencils may be
used with great advantage in the re-
view by Sunday-school classes. "A
large chart of the leading events and
dates, whether selected for the lessons
or not, is a very great aid. 1t may be
made on blackboard or painted on
cloth. The best thing for this purpose
is a broad window shade on spring
roller secured to strip of wood, SO
that it can be hung up on the wall, and
the chart drawn down when needed. "A
map should hang by its side when
possible.
1t is we'll to have this chart made at
the beginning of the quarter and fire.
quently referred to. rThere is no way in
which the course of the history, the
crises, the turning points. the iinfu-
ences from within and without, can be
learned SO well as in so1ne such way as
this
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
EXTENT OF TIME.-The lessons-extend
over more than a century from B. c.
b36, 6,when the first exiles returned under
Zerubbabel, to b. c. 427, Nehemiah's sec
ond visit to Jerusalem. This is about
the same length of time that the IL nited
States hive been an independent nation.
PLAcEs.-The lessons center chiefly
| ~, ,;@ Dol
salem and Susa.
EMPIREs.-The short but marvellous
career of the Babylonian empire closed
about the time of our first lesson .(B. C.
b3s). It was the destruction of Neb-
uchadnezzar's kingdom and the coming
In of entirely new rulers with new
principles that made the return posi-
| BILE. Cyrus was an entirely different
man from Nebuchadnezzar the Baby
lonian. He founded the Medo-Persian
empire.
THE POPULATION of the Medo-Persiap
| empire was about one hundred million
In the time of Xerxes. It is calculated
that at the same time the jews mum.
bered about two million.
THE CHEF EVENTS were the return
Of the Jews after seventy years of exile
were completed (5s6). The completion
Of the temple (515). The story of
Esther (479-473). The return under
Ezra (45s). Nehemiah and the rebuild
ing of the wall Of Jerusalem 90. The
reforms of Nehemiah (427). The mis-
sion of three prophets.
PRoPHETs.-Haggaia and Zechariah at
the beginning Of this period, and NAL
achi at the close.
PERsoNs.-Besides the three prophets
were Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther, Haman, Mordecai, Sanballat,
Tobiah, Darius, Cyrus, Darius Hys-
taspes, Xerxes, Artaxerxes.
PsALMs.-The fifth book of the
Psalms, 107 to $50, belongs to this period.
REVISION OF THE BIBLE.-Ezra did
much toward gathering together the
books Of the Bible. He probably also
modernized the language, just as we
have done with Shakespeare and many
more ancient writers, including the
English version of our Bible; for the
Jews language had changed SO much
that it was difficult for them to read the
old forms, as il is difficult for us to read
Chaucer or Spenser, or Tyndale's New
Testament.
SECULAR HIsToRY.-This was the age
of Herodotus (4s4-424), Socrates (47O-
899), Plato (427-347), Xenophon (43O-357).
During this time occurred the battles
of Marathon (490) and of Thermopyle
and Salamis (4s0). Xerxes led his army
of five million into Greece, and returned
dafao tod with nn1u Hya Thousand (ASS.