Page 192 - Bible History

THE ISRAELITES IN THE PROMISED LAND 165
plague of mice which caused the death of many of the people.
The chiefs of the Philistines decided to move the Ark from one city to another, but the people of all the cities to which the Ark was taken were a icted with painful boils. The city of Accaron would not allow the Ark to be placed within its walls. After several months, the Philistines decided to return the Ark to the Israelites. Placing it on a cart, they laid beside it ten vessels of gold as an o ering to take away the guilt of their crime. Two oxen ich had never been yoked were hitched to the cart. The oxen, without a guide, left the city of Accaron and carried the Ark north to Bethsames, where they stopped in the elds of a priest. The priest broke up the wood of the cart, and, piling it on a stone in his eld, o ered the oxen as a sacri ce of thanksgiving for the return of the Ark to the Israelites.
Some of the people of the city, prompted by curi­ osity, raised the coverings which were over the Ark. Fifty thousand died in punishment for their act of irreverence. The rest were frightened and they sent the Ark to Cariathiarim, a city known for its holiness.
After the capture of the Ark, Samuel had lived at Rama. The attacks of Samson and the punishments that followed the capture of the Ark had put fear into the hearts of the Philistines. Samuel thought it was now time to wage war against them. He preached to the people and urged them to return to the worship of God. He gathered an ar at Masphath and of-
Samuel a ks t Ph ­ istin