The Old Testament Alphabet

      The following illustrated alphabet ( u is missing) is from "The Child's Colored Scripture Book," 1866. The plates have been restored by Kathy Grimm for teachers and parents to reprint freely.

Aaron, the High Priest of the
Jews, within the Temple pray'd,
And offer'd sacrifices, which were on the
altar laid.

Balaam the Prophet, on an ass,
a visit went to pay
To Balak; but an Angel stood to meet
him on the way.

Cain, the first son of Adam, full of
jealousy and pride,
Fiercely kill'd his brother Abel, and was
wretched till he died.

Daniel, faithful, brave, and pious,
was shut in the lion's den,
By the heathen King Darius, but came
safely out again;
For God, who made the lions, watches
over righteous men.

Elijah, when he hid himself, had
nothing left to eat,
But the Lord's ravens daily brought the
Prophet bread and meat.

Finding the infant Moses; who,
left at the river's side,
Was lying in a little ark, with fresh
bulrushed tied;
Great Pharoah's daughter pitied as the
child looked up and cried.

Goliath, of the Philistines the
leader and the pride,
Came forth and laugh'd while all the
host of Israel he defied;
But David, with a sling and stone, so
smote him that he died.

Hagar and Ishmael, her son,
out to the desert fled,
With water in a bottle, and a little loaf
of bread:
But, when they both had called to God,
in safety they were led.

Job suffer'd many sorrows, but was
patient to the end;
Knowing, in all his troubles, that the
Lord was still his friend.

King David, once a shepherd boy,
to Israel's throne was raised,
And, singing to his harp, in sweetest
Psalms he pray'd and praised.

Lot, with his wife and daughters,
left the Cities of the Plain,
Which, for their wickedness, God smote
with storms of fiery rain;
But Lot's wife was destroy'd, because
she would look back again.

Miriam, the Prophetess, was
Aaron's sister: she
Led forth the Jewish women, who
escaped from the Red Sea,
And danced and sang for joy that all her
nation was set free.

Noah alone, of all the people,
hated evil and loved good,
And when the earth was drown'd, by rain
from heaven, in a flood,
God taught him how to build a ship, or
ark, of gopher-wood.

Obadiah sought, from wicked
men, Elijah's life to save;
It was he who fed, and hid, a hundred
prophets in a cave.

Pharaoah, the King of Egypt,

Queen of Sheba. You have heard
how she from her own country came,
And brought rich gifts to Solomon, whose
wisdom, skill and fame,
Caused Kings and Princes to bow down
in homage to his name.

Ruth was the youthful widow, of
the tender, loving heart,
Who refused, in spite of poverty, from
Naomi to part.

Samson, the man of mighty strength,
who blind and captive lay
Within a house, in which his foes had
come to drink and play,
Pull'd down the pillars, and the house
fell on them all that day.

Tubal-Cain was first of workmen,
who for useful metals sought,
And brass and iron into shape, at the
smith's anvil wrought.

Vashti, the Queen, refused to go
at her proud King's command,
And so was sent away, while Esther sat
at his right hand.

Widowed, and poor, and hungry,
the woman was who fed
Elijah, Prophet of the Lord, with a small
cake of bread;
But God returned a hundred-fold, and
kept her table spread.

Xis the letter which is used, to show
is the number ten,
And Ten Commandments Moses gave,
from God to sinful men.

Young Joash, when a little child,
was hidden from the sight
Of those who sought to slay him, and
was kept, both day and night,
Till priests and captains claimed for him
his own true kingly right.

Zedekiah, King of Judah, lived
to see his sons both slain,
Then blind and captive went away,
never to see again:
For he led an evil life, which brings
both misery and pain