It is believed by the Author that a knowledge of the simple facts of the history, geography and chronology of the Bible is essential to a liberal education and that to be familiar with the prophecies, poetry, and ethics of the scripture is as essential to the educated man of today as was a "knowledge of Greek history in the time of Pericles or of English history in the reign of Henry the VIII." And, in order that such knowledge may be gained, effort has been made to put into the book only a minimum of matter calculated to take the student away from the Bible itself to a discussion about it and to put into it amaximum of such matter as will require him to study the scripture at first hand.