The graphic narrative of the book of Judges places before us a most interesting and vivid picture of life, costume, and warfare among the wild desert tribes in those early ages; and the writer can testify that little change has taken place in them during the lapse of 3000 years. A few years ago he had an opportunity of witnessing a somewhat similar gathering of Arab tribes on the very same plain of Esdraclon, and a fierce battle fought by them on the northern slopes of Tabor (Handbook, p. 355). The Bedawin, from beyond Jordan—' the children of the East '—to this day cross the river periodi cally in early spring, pasture their immense droves of camels and flocks of sheep on the plain of Jez reel, and plunder the villages far and near. Their dress and trappings are the same as those of the Midianites—scarlet robes on the chiefs ; crescent shaped ornaments and chains of gold and silver round the necks of their horses and dromedaries ; necklaces, earrings, and nose-jewels on all their women (Judg. viii. 24-26).* It has been seen that Jethro was priest of Midian, and belonged to that nation. Now, in Judg. i. t6 he is called a Kenite ; and his people, the Kenites, are represented as entering Palestine with the Israelites and settling among them. There is a difficulty here which cannot now be solved in an entirely satisfactory manner. It seems most pro bable that the Kenites were a branch of the Midia nites—a sub-tribe organised and led by Jethro.
They may have remained in connection with their brethren so long as they were at peace with Israel ; but when war broke out, and the Divine vengeance was impending over Midian, then the Kenites joined the Israelites. [KENITES.] Isaiah makes a passing reference to Midian, but it seems probable that it is a mere poetical figure, having no reference to the existing state of the na tion (lx. 6). Such also is the allusion to curtains of the land of Midian' by Habakkuk (iii. 7). Eusebius and Jerome describe Madian (MaLcip.) as a city south of Arabia, on the eastern shore of the Red Sea, in the desert of the Saracens (Onomast., s. v.) This town is also mentioned by Arab geographers (Edrisi iii. 5) ; Abulfeda states that it lies on the shore of the YElanitic Gulf, five days' journey from Aila (Arab., p. 77, ed. Rom mel). It is doubtless the same place which Ptolemy calls MoSlava (vi. 7), and Josephus MaStninj (Antiq. xii. It. 1). It is now ruined and deserted, though retaining its old name, and thus bringing down the name of Abraham's son to modern times (see Winer, R. bfl, s. v. Midianiter ; Forster, Geogr. of Arabia, i. 339, seq. ; Reland, Pal. 97, seq. ; Stanley, Eastern Church, 337, seq. ; Cellarius, Ceogr. ii. 677.—J. L. P.