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Chapters from the Biblical Law. had into every cause he undertook. He was never again a participant in public affairs, except to contribute an occasional article of comment to the public press. During his last years, Mr. Wise wrote and published a work entitled, " Seven Decades of the Union," — a treatment of American history from 1790 to the period of the Civil War. The last year of his life he contem plated moving to a home in more rural scenes, which he preferred to city life; but his health failed, and on Sept. 12, 1876, he passed away. Various interesting sketches and memoirs have been written of Henry A. Wise, and from them all the impression is given of a rash, impulsive, generous, brave, warm hearted man; as Judge W. W. Crump says of him, " a knight-errant armed cap-a-pie
for every fray." " In his whole life he had never been found heading majorities," but was seen fighting against what seemed to him wrong. The most fascinating, as well as the most complete and just biography of him is the recent one by his grandson, Barton Haxall Wise, who departed this life, at the early age of thirty-three, Feb. 6, 1899. It is a touch ing incident that he felt keenly that, among the many tributes to his distinguished grand father, no thorough and connected record of his career has been preserved; and to the duty of supplying this deficiency he devoted himself with enthusiastic conscientiousness, sparing no pains for its completion. He waited eagerly for the result of his labors in print, and the first proofs were lying upon his desk when his brief life closed.
CHAPTERS FROM THE BIBLICAL LAW. BY DAVID WERNER AMRAM. I. THE CASE OF ZELOPHEHAD'S DAUGHTERS. THIS case is unique. It is the only reported case in the Bible in which property rights are decided by a regular judicial proceeding, and in which the parties are known. It is unique, furthermore, be cause of the re-opening of the case, upon the petition of the defendants, and the intrusion of a political question to modify the original decision. The case is reported three times, a fact which sufficiently indicates its im portance, in Numbers xxvii, I— II, xxxvi, 1-13, and in Joshua xvii, i—6. It is full of interest, not only because of the importance of the questions decided therein, but also because of the view that it gives of ancient legal procedure. In our examination of the case, we will
quote it in ipsissii/iis verbis, with such ex planations interpolated as the exigencies of the text require. The report in Numbers xxvii begins thus : — "Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir,thesonof Manasseh.of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, and Milcah and Tirzah." Here for the first time we have a record of women appearing as plaintiffs. This is the more remarkable when we consider the state of women in ancient oriental societies. "And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle
