XX THE MIGRATION OF DAN

HE Children of Israel were divided into thirteen tribes, as the American people before the Revolution were divided into thirteen colonies. For each of the twelve sons of Jacob became the founder of a tribe, except Joseph, who became the founder of two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. The Promised Land was divided among these thirteen tribes or colonies. But the tribe of Dan was not satisfied. They thought that the land which was given them was not large enough.

So the tribe of Dan sent five men to find another place for them to live in, and away they went into the north to find it; as if, in the early days, the colony of Rhode Island had sent men to find them a new country in the woods of Maine. And on the way, they came to the house of a man named Micah.

Now Micah had stolen some money which belonged to his mother. He had taken eleven hundred pieces of silver. But afterwards he was very sorry for the wrong thing which he had done, and he brought back the silver. And his mother took some of the silver and had it made into two images, to look like God: though nobody knows how God looks. And they built a little church, which they called the House of God, and in the church they put the images so that they might look at them while they said their prayers. And the neighbors used to come to Micah’s church; and Micah’s son conducted the service till they could get a regular minister.

One day, there came walking along the road by Micah’s house a young man named Jonathan, who was out in the world in search of his fortune. And he stopped to speak to Micah. He told Micah that his name was Jonathan, and that he was a grandson of Moses, and that he was a regular minister.

And Micah said, “Where are you going, Jonathan?”

And Jonathan said, “Oh, I am just wandering around looking for a good place in which to stay.”

And Micah said, “Stay here with me, and take the service in my little church, and be a father and a priest to me and my family, and I will give you a salary. Every year you shall have ten pieces of silver and your board and clothes.” That satisfied Jonathan, and he became the minister of Micah’s church.

Now Jonathan, in his wanderings, had become acquainted with the tribe of Dan, so that the five men who were looking for a new country knew him well. And they came to the house of Micah just at church time, and heard the priest saying the service. And they said one to another, “That is a familiar voice. It sounds like the voice of Jonathan.” So they went in and found Jonathan. And they said, “Jonathan, who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? How much wages do you get?” And Jonathan answered all their questions. And the spies said, “Pray for us, that we may have a prosperous journey.”

Then on they went, and presently they came to a little town called Laish. It stood beside the sources of the Jordan, and all around was a fair and fertile country. Moreover, the people were so far away from any neighbors that they had no walls, but lived quiet and secure, and never thought of danger. The five spies agreed that this was the very spot for which they were looking. So they went back to the tribe of Dan and said, “We have found the very place. It is a wide and beautiful land, with woods and water, and the people know nothing about war. Come, let us go, and take the place away from them.” For this, you remember, was so long ago that people thought that some things were right which we now know to be wrong.

So six hundred bold men of the tribe of Dan took weapons of war in their hands and started on the march for Laish. And as they went, they passed the house of Micah. And the five spies said, “Do you know what is here? This man has images of gods, made of gold and silver. Might they not be useful for us?” So the six hundred stood at Micah’s gate, and the five went quietly into Micah’s church, and brought the images.

But Jonathan saw them, and he cried out and said, “What are you doing?”

And they said, “Hold your peace, lay your hand upon your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it not better to be the minister of a tribe than the minister of one man?”

And Jonathan, when he heard that, was very glad. He let the spies steal Micah’s images, and he himself went with them. So they all went upon the way to Laish.

Now when they had gone a good way, they heard a noise of shouting; and they looked back, and who should come running along the road but Micah and his neighbors. And they turned and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you? Why do you follow us and make all this noise?”

And Micah cried, “You have stolen both my priest and my gods, and away you go. And you say, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ”

And the men of Dan said, “Micah, take our advice: don’t talk so loud. Some of us might possibly get mad and hurt you!” So they went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too many for him, he turned and went back to his house. Then the men of Dan took Laish and settled in that country; and they built a church for Micah’s images, and Jonathan became their priest.