18 MAY 1951, Page 18

Sul,—Janus asks: " What is the most entertaining chapter in

the Bible ? " May I suggest as perhaps bracketed equal with his choice of Proverbs vu the tragi-coatedy of Judges mil and xvm ? (The two chapters are one story.) The casual yet startling confession of theft by Micah ; the setting up of a private chapel and the employment of a wandcrtng Levite, to Micah's naïve satisfaction ; then the looting by an armed band, and the Levite enticed away by promise of a higher status ; the pursuit by Micah and the most disinterested advice given to him by those armed men to keep quiet, "lest evil fellows fall upon thee and thou lose thy life "—a broad hint not lost on Micah—all this presents, with much subtle humour, a vivid picture of life among the primitive Israelites. is has not the mordant and sophisticated wit of Proverbs, and belongs to a much earlier period, but the very simplicity of the story gives it reality.

There is a darker tint at the end, and the unprovoked attack on Laish, At "a people quiet and secure," is very events nearer to our own time.

But by then Micah has passed out of the story, which is just as well for him.—Yours faithfully, C. T. thwvEs. 110 Park Grove. Barndey. Yorks.