226 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

raised. There did Joab, going up to him under pre-
tence of friendship, most basely and treacherously murder
him.

Marianne. What a bad man Joab was. Why did he
murder Amasa ?

Grandfather. He was sete of him, because he had
been appointed general in his place. When he had
succeeded in ridding himself of his rival, he led the
army on against Sheba. That rebel had taken refuge
in Abel Bethmaachah, a city in the north of Canaan,
in the lot of Naphtali/ The men of Judah marched
up to this city, and began to batter the wall to throw it
down. A woman within perceived that if this were
suffered to go on nothing else was to be looked for but
destruction to the city, and death to its inhabitants.
Their only hope was in making a treaty. So she went
to the wall and asked to speak with Joab. The general
drew near to her, and she reasoned with him upon the
impropriety of attacking a city of the Israelites, inha-
bited by a peaceable people, without first offering terms
of accommodation. Joab said that he had no wish to
destroy the city ; he only sought Sheba, the son of Bichri.
“ Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.”
“ His head shall be thrown to thee over the wall,” the
woman boldly replied; and she was as good as her
word ; for, by her wisdom, she prevailed upon the inha-
bitants of the city to cut off the head of the traitor, and
cast it out to Joab. Then the general disbanded his
army and returned to Jerusalem.