34 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

George. But twelve thousand was a very small army.

Grandfather. But the God of armies was with them,
and they killed the whole host of the Midianites; the
five kings of Midian were killed, and it was at this time
that Balaam, the son of Beor, was slain. Whatever was
the cause of his being there, he deserved the death he
met with. Had he believed what he himself said about
the happy death of the righteous, he would not have
gone among the wicked to die their death. The Israelites
then burnt the Midianites’ cities, and their goodly castles,
which some think were their idol temples. They took
the women and children, the cattle and goods, to their
camp. Moses was much displeased with them for sav-
ing the lives of the women, because they were the in-
struments who had been used to seduce the people to
idolatry, so he gave orders that they should be’ killed.
The spoil was then divided into two parts: one part was
given to the twelve thousand who had gone to the battle,
the other was given to the whole congregation.

Marianne. That was not at all an equal division,
grandfather.

Grandfather. No, but it was right that those who
had run the greatest risks should receive the greatest
rewards. Out of the soldiers’ half the five-hundredth
part was to be given to the High Priest, and out of the
people’s half a fiftieth part was to be given to the Levites.
What was paid to the priests and Levites was consi-
dered as a tribute to the Lord. The people who had
staid in the camp had the larger contribution to pay,