The religion[1] of the Samaritans was a mixture of Judaism and Paganism; hence they hated the two tribes of Juda and Benjamin, who had remained true to the old religion.
Those who were taken captive to Assyria never returned to their own country. Still God did not fail to give numerous proofs of His watchful care over those unhappy exiles. One of the most remarkable of these instances is found in the history of the good Tobias[2]. When he was in his own country and in his earliest years, Tobias never associated with the wicked; never went to adore the golden calf[3], but kept the law of the Lord exactly.
Hence God protected him in the land of captivity, and caused him to find favour in the sight of Salmanazar, who allowed him to go wherever he wished. He went accordingly to all his fellow-captives, consoling and encouraging them. He shared with them all he possessed, fed them when they were hungry, and clothed them when naked. His life was spent in such works of charity.
King Salmanazar being dead, Sennacherib (Fig. 52)[4], his son, who succeeded him on the throne, was not so favourable to Tobias and put many of the Israelites to death. But Tobias, fearing God more than the king, hid the bodies of his brethren in his house, and buried them by night. The king, having heard this, sentenced Tobias to death, and took away all his property.
Tobias fled with his wife and son, and remained concealed in a place of safety, till the death of the wicked king, who forty
- ↑ The religion . They worshipped false gods at the same time that they worshipped the Almighty. It was only later that they abandoned idolatry and built a temple to the Lord on Mount Garizim, near Sichar.
- ↑ Tobias . He lived in Ninive, the capital of Assyria.
- ↑ Golden calf. Although he lived in Israel, and not in Juda, he did not go to Bethel to worship the golden calf, as did most of his fellow-countrymen. He faithfully observed all the rules laid down for the worship of God and for the offering of sacrifices.
- ↑ Sennacherib. In revenge for a great defeat he had suffered before Jerusalem (as will be told in chapter LXXIII). When Sennacherib learnt that Tobias buried the dead, he gave orders for him to be put to death. Tobias, however, hid himself and continued to bury the dead.
