I NTROD UCTIO N In publishing this little booklet , the author is very well aware that he is placing himself in the most unfavorable light and courting the most ad verse and abj ect criticism of so - called scientific schol arship of the Bible . But he freely acknowledges and proudly confesses his absolute rej ection of all scientific criticism of the B ible outside o f textual re search and stands squarely f or the infallibility o f Holy Scriptures . The Christ Whose words even the most rabid critics admit to be historically true : " ” The scripture cannot be broken , John Till o n e on heaven and earth pass , j ot or e tittle shall in ” no wise pass from the law , till all be fulfilled , M h a t t . was either what H e claimed to be , on o f the eternal S God , Who gladly permitted the attribute of Omniscience to be ascribed to Him , and Who in these words is a frank exponent of the i n of or fallibility Holy Scriptures , He was the most despicable hypocrite and cheat the world has ever known . And I confess that I believe it far better to stand W ith H im foursquare against all criticism o f H is eternal word , which is the revelation of H is divine Essence , than to stand on the uncertain ground o f modern Biblical criticism and degenerate into a vapid spouter of moral platitudes . Much bet ter by far to accept the inspired Scriptural account of the creation of the world and of the history of the Jewish people word for word wh ich has stood the test of the ages and endured the vain mutterings of foo lish criticism both here and abroad than to ac cept the inane theory of a so - called cosmic evolu con tion . Which is the more reasonable and more : formable with common sense the plain , unadorned Scriptural account that bears on its face the stamp of o r - u veracity , the bolstered p bombast of the forfend ers of evolutionistic doctrines ? The author ’ s stand will not be misconstrued by people that have made a study o f both sides of the question . In any ques ’ tion pertaining t o this world s wisdom I believe in - research and criticis m to the full extent , but far be it from me to profane the Holy Book of God with sacrilegious hands . So much for the spirit in which the author has used the B ible as source material . b e c a tte r So far as the s u j t m is concerned , the i n word education is here used in its widest sense , - cluding the entire bringing up of the children , at home as well as in the school . Only in this way may j ustice be done to the people whose educational history is here briefly outlined . The f or m may seem clumsy to the casual reader , but i t will certainly aid in reference work , since the ’ periods treated are those o f Hasting s Bible Dic n t io ary . The author freely acknowledges his indebtedness f . P . o to the Rev . rof . W H . T Dau , St Louis , Mo , for looking over the manuscript . P . 1 1 . S t . aul , M inn , June , 9 5 CONTENTS C H APTER P AG E TH E NATIV E PERIOD 9 From the Earliest Times to the Division m . o f . the Kingdo , 9 5 3 , B C a . B ef or e the Flood . b Th P a tr a r c a P er i od . e i h l o h ud es . c . Th e Ti m e f t e J g h m o av i a n d o o m on . d . T e Ti e f D d S l E d u ca ti on D ur i n g t he N a ti v e P er i od . H P TH E PROP ETI C ERIOD , 9 5 3 - 5 86 B. C o v H is t r i ca l S ur ey . t o t e r o E d uca i on D ur i n g th e P r ph e i c P i d . " L P — - B C 6 6 . 2 TH E E I I ERIOD , 5 8 5 3 C 4 From the Taking of the Last Band of Jews into Babylonia to the Return o f the First Exiles . H t or ca r is i l Su v ey . E c t on d u a i d ur i n g t he E xili c P er i od . S A - TH E PER I N PERIOD , 5 3 8 3 3 2 B . C B r i e H is t or i ca Sur v e f l y . E d uca ti on D ur n t e P ers a n P r i g h i e i od . CONTENTS C HAPTER PAG E - 1 6 V TH E H ELLEN IC PERIOD , 3 3 2 5 5 3 From the Conquest of Judea by Alexander the Great to the Defeat of the Syrians by Judas Maccabeus . or H i st i ca l Sur v ey . 1 6 VI TH E MACCAB EAN PERIOD , 5 - 1 6 3 B . C 6 From the Defeat of the Syrians by Judas Maccabeus to the Conquest of Jeru salem by Pompey . m m H ist or i ca l Su ary . E d u ca ti on d ur i n g the M a cca be a n P er i od . - - I I TH B . o V E ROMAN PERIOD , 6 3 c 7 A D . H ist or i ca l Su m m a ry . Th e Ta lm ud i c P er i od . BI BL IOG RAPH" Ed u cati o n Am o n g the Je ws TH E NATIVE PERIOD a w eep s, 3?q r . l t t q A I f FROM THE EARL I EST TIM ES TO TH E DI VI SI ON OF KI N DOM . THE G , 9 5 3 B . C ( a ) Bef or e the Flood of H E history the Jewish people , if we may speak of them as such at this time o f o the world , is t ld briefly in the first o f of six chapters Genesis . In this age o f the infancy of the world , there is no record any f o f of special transmittance o knowledge , any system of i education . That the history the f rst people was son handed down , by tradition , from father to , is , o f course , very evident from the preserved narra he tive . And that t moral precepts and the Gospel news of salvation were transmitted in much the " same manner , appears from Gen . Men began ” a of to proclaim the n me the Lord . That the tradi tions were discussed quite freely an d were made a o f s of basis fervent hope , is shown in the ca e Eve , 9 I o ED UCATI ON AMON G TH E JEWS Gen . I have gained ( by creative bearing ) a ” — a man the Lord , and that of L mech , who said , " after the birth of Noah : This same shall comfort be us concerning our work and toil of our hands , ” o f cause the ground which the Lord hath cursed , of Gen . 5 , 2 9 . Both these expressions have the same motive , the hope in the coming Messiah , the seed of the woman . Whether the various kinds of handicraft and arts , which had their inception in these early days , such as the music of Jubal and the - brass and ironwork of Tubalcain , were transmitted by any method but that of teaching the craft to the sons , is not apparent , although Jubal is called the father of all such as handle the harp and organ , Gen . n f 1 . o o 4 , 2 Whether Lamech , account his poetical couplets , Gen . 4 , 2 3 , 2 4 , is to be regarded as the father of poetry , is a question which has often been discussed . Owing to the meagre source material , i def nite conclusions can hardly be drawn . ( b ) The Pa tr i ar chal P er i od After the flood and the subsequent confusion of tongues , the real history of the Jewish people opens with the j ourney of Abram , afterwards Abraham , from Mesopotamia to the Land of Promise . His soj ourn there was marked by various incidents , chief of which was the birth of Isaac . The blessing TH E NATIVE PERIOD ' o o f Abraham was transmitted by Isaac t Jacob , the of w ho to second son Rebecca , thereupon had flee to Mesopotamia . The sons of Jacob became the fore f fathers o f the twelve tribes o Israel . Joseph , one s of of the e sons , became the savior his brothers dur ing the great famine and obtained for them and their children a place o f refuge in the land of Gosh m e . For several centuries the children of Israel lived in Egypt , until , with a change in the reigning f of dynasty , there came a crisis in the a fairs the peo ple . Moses became the leader of his brethren , led them out o f the house o f bondage and to the ve ry borders of Palestine .