The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARand their wives and their sons and their daughtersall taken captives and carried away by the Amalekites.David went at once in pursuit and soon overtookthem, where he found them scattered about,"eating and drinking and dancing, because of allthe spoil that they had taken out of the land of thePhilistines, and out of the land of Judah." Davidfought them from twilight even unto the evening ofthe next day; and all that escaped were four hundredyoung men who rode away on camels. Davidrecovered all that the Amalekites had carried awaywives, sons, daughters, and all the spoil they hadtaken. On his return to Ziklag David sent a partof the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to hisfriends, at Hebron, and to all the places where heand his men were wont to haunt, saying, "Beholda present for you of the spoil of the enemies of theLord." (In later days this would have been consideredpolitical shrewdness.)The engagement between the Philistines and theIsraelites resulted in a complete victory for the Philistines.The Israelites fled to Mt. Gilboa, where allthe sons of King Saul were slain but one, and Saulhimself, being severely wounded, took his own lifeby falling upon his sword. The death of Saulopened the way for David to the promised throne.le was at once chosen king over the tribe of Judah,Ireigning at Hebron for seven years, while Ishbosheth.Saul's only remaining son, was recognized asking of Israel, and in power on the east side of theJordan, and for two years was obeyed by all thetribes except Judah. In 1048 B. C, Ishbosheth was^sinated, and David became king over all Israel(I. Sam. xvi.; IT. Sam. i.-v.)38