The Holy Land was and is a wretched country. There are no monuments, no
ruins attesting former wealth and greatness. The Jews had no commerce,
knew nothing of other nations, had no luxuries, never produced a
painter, a sculptor, architect, scientist, or statesman until after the
destruction of Jerusalem. As long as Jehovah attended to their affairs
they had nothing but civil war, plague, pestilence, and famine. After he
abandoned, and the Christians ceased to persecute them, they became the
most prosperous of people. Since Jehovah, in anger and disgust, cast
them away they have produced painters, sculptors, scientists, statesmen,
composers, and philosophers.
Fifty-ninth. I cannot admit that Hiram, the King of Tyre, wrote a letter
to Solomon in which he admitted that the "God of Israel made heaven and
earth." 1 This King was not a Jew. It seems incredible that Solomon had
eighty thousand men hewing timber for the temple, with seventy thousand
bearers of burdens, and thirty-six hundred overseers.2
Sixtieth. I cannot believe that God shuts up heaven and prevents rain,
or that he sends locusts to devour a land, or pestilence to destroy the
people.3 I cannot believe that God told Solomon that his eyes and heart
should perpetually be in the house that Solomon had built.4
Sixty-first. I cannot believe that Solomon passed all the kings of the
earth in riches; that all the kings of the earth sought his presence
and brought presents of silver and gold, raiment, harness, spices, and
mules--a rate year by year.5 Is it possible that Shishak, a King of
Egypt, invaded Palestine with seventy thousand horsemen and twelve
hundred chariots of war?6