Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

20 JEWISH ORGANIZATION.later day the Jews acquired andused short, wide, curved swords andlances. But the sling always remaineda favorite weapon, and inits use they were curiously expert.In the corjis d' elite of the time ofthe Judges, which consisted of twenty-sixthousand men who drew thesword, was a body of seven hundredleft-handed slingers, who could cut ahair hung up as a target. So earlyHebrew Archer.as the time of Moses, even, the drilland discipline of the Jewish army was considerable. Themethod of battle was similar to that of other nations. Thelight troops in the van opened the battle in loose order ; theheavy infantry in deep masses followed after.They foughtunder the inspiration of horns and battle-cries. They sometimesstood in three lines, light troops, main body ten to thirtymen deep, and a reserve ofpicked troops. Martial insigniarepresenting animalswere usually carried in theranks.The Jews had great numbersto encounter.The Philistinescame against Saulwith six thousand cavalry,thirty thousand chariots, andfoot like to the sands of theSlinger.seashore in number. In thewar against Hadadeser, sonof Rehob, King of Zobah, David captured one thousand chariots,seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand infantry.