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Involving Arithmetical Calculations in Their Solution

(Key, Part II., page 67.]

1. A TEACHER being asked how many scholars were in his Sunday-school, replied: "If you multiply the number of Jacob's sons by the number of times which the Israelites compassed Jericho, and add to the product the number of measures of barley which Boaz gave Ruth; divide this by the number of Haman's sons; subtract the number of each kind of clean beasts that went into the ark; multiply by the number of men that went to seek Elijah after he was taken to heaven; subtract from this Joseph's age at the time he stood before Pharaoh; divide by the number of stones David selected to kill Goliath; subtract the number of furlongs that Bethany was distant from Jerusalem; multiply by the number of anchors cast out at the time of Paul's shipwreck; subtract the number of people saved in the ark, and the remainder will be the number of scholars in the school." How many were there? 188.

2. A shepherd being asked the number of sheep in his flock, replied: "If you divide the number of camels which Job had before their capture by the Chaldeans, by the number of men sent to take Jeremiah from the dungeon; add to the quotient the number of lords entertained at the feast of Belshazzar; from this amount subtract the number of righteous persons who could have saved Sodom; multiply by the age when David began to reign; divide by the number in Gideon's band; add the number of Philistines whom Samson slew with a jawbone; subtract the number of Solomon's songs; multiply by the number of days Job's friends tarried without saying a word; subtract the number of fish caught in the draft of the miracle of fishes, and the remainder will be the number of sheep in my flock." How many had he? 575, • 3. A clergyman being asked the cost of his church and the height of its spire, replied: "If you divide the talents of gold presented to Solomon in one year, by the temple tax (shekels) after the captivity; multiply this by the pieces of silver with which our Lord was betrayed; subtract from this the number of singers in the grand jubilee of the temple; add to the remainder the number of prophets hid in the cave; multiply this by the years the children of Israel were in captivity, and the product will be the cost of the church. Divide the cost of the church by the length in cubits of Noah's ark; from the quotient subtract the number of Rehoboam's children; to the remainder add the number of persons who suffered shipwreck with St. Paul; from this number subtract one fourth of the number of fingers and toes which the man of Gath had; divide the remainder by the number of years it took Solomon to build the temple; add to this the height of Solomon's temple, and the sum total will be the height of the spire." What was the cost? And what the height? $193.200-148 feet.

NOTE. The third line should read nine times the temple tax.