wanted to pass on the problem to some other city. It took seven months before the Philistine authorities could come to terms with the fact that their problems would be solved only by returning the ark to Israel. Their hesitation is understandable. The return of the ark would undoubtedly be seen as an acknowledgment of the power of Israel’s God—as indeed it was. It could also be seen as an admission of weakness and even as an encouragement to the Israelite army to attack—a consequence which would