SB 373 
 

 

A HISTOEY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 FROM THEIR ORIGIN 
 
 TO THEIR DISPERSION AT THE DESTRUCTION OF 
 JERUSALEM BY THE ROMANS. 
 
 BY 
 
 ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, D. D. 
 
 LATE PROFESSOR IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 WILLIAM S. MARTIEN. 
 1853. 
 
Entered, according to the act of Congress in the year 1853 
 Br WILLIAM S. MARTIEN 
 
 In the office of the Clerk of the District Court of the Eastern District of 
 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
DS us 
 
 A3! 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 THE nature and design of the following work may be suf- 
 ficiently gathered from the Preface which follows. It might be 
 unnecessary to say another word, but for the fact that while 
 the labours of the lamented author were taking their present 
 form, it pleased God to remove him to a better world. It will 
 be observed that the materials of the publication had to a 
 certain extent appeared in separate volumes, which were well 
 received by Christian readers. But an important end is 
 attained, by throwing them into a continuous series. The 
 chasm which existed in one great period of the annals has been 
 filled by the hand of a clergyman whose learning and discre- 
 tion commended him to Dr. Alexander as remarkably fitted 
 for the task. He has performedhis part with complete suc- 
 cess ; and there can be no doubt that the History, as now pre- 
 sented, will be found eminently useful as an instrument of 
 Biblical instruction. 
 
 JAMES W. ALEXANDER. 
 
 NEW YOEK, January 1853. 
 
 -.J879 
 
PUBLISHER'S NOTICE. 
 
 THE revision of the following work was completed by its ven- 
 erable and much esteemed author only a short time previous to 
 the illness which terminated in his death. Circumstances have 
 delayed its publication until the present time. Although the 
 usual care has been taken to avoid typographical errors, yet it 
 is possible, that in passing so large a work through the press, 
 much of which was printed from manuscript, errors may have 
 occurred, which would have been prevented had the proof- 
 sheets been corrected by the author himself. It is confidently 
 hoped, however, that no material imperfection will be discov- 
 ered, and that the work will be appreciated as one of the 
 latest literary efforts of a man whose praise is in the churches. 
 It may be added that the Fifth and Sixth Parts of this work 
 contain all that is important to the Biblical Student in Pri- 
 deaux's "Connection of Sacred and Profane History." 
 
THE importance of the study of History as a branch of know- 
 ledge is universally admitted; and of all History, that con- 
 tained in the Bible is the most ancient, the most authentic, and 
 the most interesting. It gives us information of those events 
 which we can learn no where else, and with which it is most 
 necessary that we should be acquainted. Here we learn the 
 origin of our race the state in which they were created their 
 unhappy fall the revelation of God's merciful designs towards 
 them, and the remarkable dispensations of Divine Providence 
 towards a chosen generation, the descendants of Abraham, with 
 whom God entered into covenant, and to whom and his posterity 
 he made great and precious promises ; all of which were punctu- 
 
 vr 
 
 ally and literally fulfilled. In the Sacred Scriptures we have an 
 account of the first religious institutions established by divine 
 authority ; and a complete code of the laws given to the Israel- 
 ites by the hand of Moses, which, being typical, were not in- 
 tended to be perpetual, but continued to be obligatory until 
 the advent of the promised Messiah, in whom they met with 
 their accomplishment, and, of course, ceased to be any longer 
 in force. The moral law, however, clearly revealed at the same 
 time, is of perpetual obligation; and remains immutable under 
 all dispensations, although its extent and spirituality are much 
 better understood since the light of the gospel has been mani- $f 
 fested. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 The history of the Bible exhibits human nature in its true 
 colours ; and furnishes us with a wonderful variety of charac- 
 ters of men, occupying different stations, and acting under 
 different circumstances. The character of the saint, as well as 
 that of the sinner, is here portrayed; not as perfect, or free 
 from every blemish; but as in the main, sincere and upright; 
 as penitent for sins committed, and truly devoted to the ser- 
 vice of God. The inspired penmen do not conceal the faults 
 of the servants of God; but, with an impartial and faithful 
 hand, their failings as well as their virtues are exhibited. 
 
 Many of the events of the sacred history are, it is true, of a 
 marvellous kind; and as miracles do not take place in our 
 times, and before our eyes, sceptical men are disposed to call 
 in question the truth of events of this kind recorded in the 
 Bible. But the evidence by which miracles are authenticated 
 is too strong to be resisted by an impartial mind; and the 
 events which followed, and the present condition of the world, 
 cannot be accounted for on any other hypothesis, but the his- 
 toric verity of the miracles recorded in the sacred volume. 
 
 It may to some seem an unnecessary labour to draw out the 
 history contained in the Bible, as it can be better studied 
 as written in the Sacred Scriptures, than in any abridg- 
 ment. There is apparent force in this objection ; but it should 
 be remembered, that there exists a lamentable negligence of 
 the Holy Scriptures, and every thing which has any tendency 
 to make the people acquainted with the facts recorded, should 
 be made use of; and, as the sacred narrative of the Bible is 
 often interrupted by genealogies, and ritual laws and ceremo- 
 nies, it has been found, that by separating the history from other 
 matters, and exhibiting it in the concisest and simplest manner, 
 it may be made interesting to many, who otherwise would not 
 take the pains to seek for it. Such an abridgment may be 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 serviceable, especially to the young, for whose benefit chiefly 
 the vrork has been prepared. 
 
 It should be remarked, also, that this volume contains the 
 history of an important period not contained in the Bible. I 
 % mean the period between the close of the Old Testament histo- 
 ry, and the commencement of that of the New Testament. 
 For the events and transactions of this period of nearly five 
 hundred years, we have no inspired guide ; and are under the 
 necessity of resorting to mere human testimony. But it has 
 been so ordered in Providence, that for the events of this 
 period we have credible historians, on whom we can rely for 
 the principal transactions. 
 
 Without some knowledge of the events of the intervening 
 period, the reader of the Scriptures, when he has finished the 
 Old Testament and begins the New, feels himself much at a 
 loss, as here he finds a state of things for which he is not pre- 
 pared by any thing which he has read in the Old Testament. 
 There are also many- collateral events which are requisite to a 
 full understanding of the history of the New Testament; a 
 knowledge of which has a tendency to confirm his faith in the 
 authenticity of the sacred history. 
 
 There is also a very important .event, predicted indeed by 
 our Lord, but which occurred after the termination of the his- 
 tory of Christ and his Apostles. I refer to the destruction of 
 Jerusalem ; an account of which, taken chiefly from Josephus 
 a Jew, who was an eye witness, closes the history contained in 
 the present volume. 
 
 The attentive reader will no doubt remark, that the several 
 
 parts of this history are not entirely homogeneous. On this 
 
 ' subject it will be sufficient to remark, that originally it existed 
 
 in several volumes, written at different times, and for different 
 
 purposes ; but these having fallen into the hands of the pre- 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 sent publisher, he has determined to make of them a contin- 
 uous history. One important chasm, however, remained to be 
 filled, namely, from the beginning of the regal government 
 to the end of the Babylonish captivity. To fill this impor- 
 tant period, the services of a young clergyman were obtained ; 
 but his modesty does not permit us, at present, to mention his 
 name. 
 
 ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 FROM THE CREATION TO THE DEATH OF JOSEPH. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION I. Creation Garden of Eden Endowments of Man ... 1 
 
 SECT. II Fall of our First Parents, and their Punishment .... 6 
 
 SECT. III. Cain and Abel 9 
 
 SECT. IV. Seth and his Posterity . 12 
 
 SECT. V. Great corruption of Manners, the consequence of intermarriages 
 
 between the descendants of Seth and those of Cain . . .13 
 
 SECT. VI. The Deluge The Ark 14 
 
 SECT. VII. Noah and his Family leave the Ark 17 
 
 SECT. VIII. The Earth peopled again from the three sons of Noah . . 19 
 
 SECT. IX. Babel The Confusion of Tongues 20 
 
 SECT. X. Posterity of Shem 23 
 
 SECT. XI. History of Abraham 25 
 
 SECT. XII. Covenant of Circumcision God visits Abram, and promises him 
 
 a Son by Sarah Destruction of Sodom Escape of Lot . . .28 
 
 SECT. XIII. Birth of Isaac Command to Abraham to sacrifice his Son . 31 
 
 SECT. XIV. Death of Sarah Purchase of a Burying Place . . . .32 
 
 SECT. XV. Abraham sends to his kindred for a wife for Isaac Rebekah is 
 
 sent Death of Abraham 34 
 
 SECT. XVI. Esau and Jacob born Esau deprived of the blessing of the 
 
 first-born by the fraud of Rebekah and Jacob 36 
 
 SECT. XVII. Jacob goes to Padan-aram, and is entertained by Laban He is 
 deceived by Laban, and receives Leah, instead of Rachel, to wife 
 Rachel also given to him for seven year's service . ! . .40 
 
 SECT. XVIII. Jacob's return Pursued by Laban Esau comes with a host 
 
 to meet him, but God turns away his displeasure . . . .42 
 
 SECT. XIX. Jacob's residence in Canaan Dinah's misfortune The Des- 
 truction of the Shechemites Jacob goes to Bethel Deborah dies 
 God appears to him at Bethel, when he builds an altar to Jehovah . 47 
 
 SECT. XX. Reuben's Incest Death of Isaac Joseph's Dreams Jacob's 
 fondness and partiality for Joseph The envy of his Brethren He is 
 sold into Egypt 50 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION XXI. Method taken to conceal the crime from their Father His 
 Grief The Midianites sell him to Potiphar His Temptation and Con- 
 tinence Is cast into Prison 54 
 
 SECT. XXII. Dream of the Baker and Butler of Pharaoh in the Prison 
 Joseph's Interpretation The Fulfilment Dream of Pharaoh Joseph 
 sent for to interpret it His counsel to Pharaoh, and exaltation . 56 
 
 SECT. XXIII. JOSEPH'S ADMINISTRATION. The arrival of his Brothers 
 
 His treatment of them He retains Simeon and sends for Benjamin . 59 
 
 SECT. XXIV. Their money returned Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go 
 But the famine presses, and he at length consents Joseph, after 
 bringing his brothers into trouble, makes himself known, and sends 
 for his Father 62 
 
 SECT. XXV. Jacob, after asking counsel of God, goes down to Egypt to his 
 
 son .... 67 
 
 SECT. XXVI. Jacob's interview with Pharaoh Pressure of the Famine 
 
 Joseph's policy 69 
 
 SECT. XXVII. Jacob resides in Egypt seventeen years His end draws 
 
 nigh His interview with Joseph, and benediction on his Sons . . 70 
 
 SECT. XXVIII. Jacob's dying Prophecy respecting his Sons His Decease 71 
 
 SECT. XXIX. Jacob is buried according to his request in Canaan Mourn- 
 ing on account of the Patriarch 74 
 
 SECT. XXX. Joseph's brethren suspicious of his friendship Character of 
 Joseph Length of his Life His injunction respecting his bones 
 His decease 75 
 
 PART II. 
 
 FROM THE DEATH OF JOSEPH TO THE DEATH OF MOSES. 
 
 SECTION I. The continuance of the Hebrews in the Land of Egypt The cruel 
 edicts of the Egyptians against the male Hebrew children The birth, 
 concealment, exposure, and adoption of Moses Miserable bondage 
 of the Hebrews Moses kills an Egyptian, and flies to Arabia, where 
 he enters into the family of Jethro, priest of Midian, whose daughter 
 he marries 77 
 
 SECT. II. Moses sojourns in Midian forty years Receives his commission 
 from God to go and deliver the People of Israel from their cruel bond- 
 age The strong reluctance of Moses overcome He is empowered 
 to work Miracles Aaron is associated with him in the Commission . 83 
 
 SECT. III. Moses takes leave of Jethro Circumcision Aaron, his brother, 
 joins him, and receives a full account of the Message of Jehovah 
 They go to the Hebrews first, and then appear before Pharaoh, and 
 exhibit the miracles which they were directed to perform Pharaoh's 
 heart is hardened and the condition of the People is more wretched 
 God promises deliverance ......... S6 
 
 SETT. IV. Aaron's Rod becomes a Serpent The Magicians of Pharaoh 
 imitate the Miracle Moses and Aaron turn the water into Blood 
 This also imitated by the Magicians The Miracle of the Frogs This 
 also imitated by the Magicians The Dust converted into Lice Magi- 
 cians confounded S9 
 
 SECT. V. The Miracle of "Divers kinds of Flies" The Murrain The Hail 
 Pharaoh affrighted by the Thunder which accompanied the Hail 
 But his heart remains obdurate The Plague of the Locusts Of the 
 miraculous Darkness . . 91 
 
 SECT. VI. Institution of the Passover The destruction of the first-born of 
 
 all the Egyptians The Exodus 94 
 
. 
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION VII. Number of the People Time of sojourning Change of the 
 commencement of the Year Redemption of the first-born The way 
 which they were led Joseph's bones Succoth Pillar of Fire and 
 Cloud 96 
 
 SECT. VIII. Pharaoh pursues the Israelites, and overtakes them at the edge 
 of the Red Sea Alarm of the People Promise of Deliverance The 
 Sea divided by the Rod of Moses 97 
 
 SECT. IX. Israel in the Wilderness Want of Water Marah Elim Want 
 of Food Manna promised Sabbath Quails Description of the Man- 
 na Regulations for collecting it Pot of Manna to be laid up for a 
 Memorial 99 
 
 SECT. X. Rebellion of the People at Rephidim for want of Water The Rock 
 
 smitten The People assailed by the Amalekites Joshua defeats them 101 
 
 SECT. XI. Jethro's visit to Moses His wise counsel Institution of Officers 
 
 Jethro returns home .......... 103 
 
 SECT. XII. Moses called up into the Mount Communicates the words of 
 Jehovah to the People Tremendous exhibition on Mount Sinai The 
 Ten Commandments uttered in a voice of Thunder Various other Laws 105 
 
 SECT. XIII. Laws respecting Murder Lex Talionis Mischief by an Ox 
 Opening a Pit Penalty for stealing an Ox or a Sheep The killing of a 
 Thief Goods in Trust Animals borrowed Seduction Idolaters 
 Witches "... 107 
 
 SECT. XIV. Provision for the Poor, the Stranger, Widow, and Orphan 
 Loans to a Brother Pledges Speaking evil of Rulers First-fruits 
 Animals torn by Wild Beasts Slander Forbidden Duties to Enemies 
 Sabbatical Year Annual Festivals The Passover Feast of Taber- 
 nacles And Feast of Harvest of Pentecost Leaven forbidden in the 
 Sacrifices Other Laws 109 
 
 SECT. XV. The Angel of God promised to go before the People . . . Ill 
 
 SECT. XVI. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu called into the Mount Glori- 
 ous appearance of God Tables of the Law Ill 
 
 SECT. XVII. Offerings for the Tabernacle Pattern Curtains Altar Lay- 
 er Holy, and Most Holy Place, and their furniture . . . .113 
 
 SECT. XVIII. Designation of Aaron and his Sons to the Priest's office Sac- 
 erdotal Garments Materials offered freely Wisdom given to execute 
 the work Amount of Gold and Silver contributed Whence obtained 114 
 
 SECT. XIX. Erection of the Tabernacle Laws respecting Sacrifices and 
 Offerings Sm-offerings Unbloody Sacrifices Drink-offerings Flour- 
 offerings . .116 
 
 SECT. XX. Consecration of the Priests and Levites Holy Fire . . . 118 
 SECT. XXI. The Sin and fearful Punishment of Aaron's eldest Sons . . 120 
 SECT. XXII. Clean and unclean animals Leprosy, laws respecting it . . 121 
 
 SECT. XXIII. Laws of Purity and Health 122 
 
 SECT. XXIV. The Vow of the Nazarite 124 
 
 SECT. XXV. Great Day of Atonement 125 
 
 SECT. XXVI. Laws respecting the Priests and Levites Sacerdotal Benedic- 
 tion 126 
 
 SECT. XXVII. Laws respecting Incest . 128 
 
 SECT. XXVIII. Miscellaneous Laws . .129 
 
 SECT. XXIX. Daily Service of the Tabernacle 130 
 
 SECT. XXX. Tables of the Law 131 
 
 SECT. XXXI. Departure from Mount Sinai Order of march .... 133 
 SECT. XXXII. Moses' Invitation to Hobfeb 134 
 
 SECT. XXXIII. The People rebel against Moses A Burning sent among 
 
 them The Lord puts his Spirit on the Elders . . . . .135 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION XXXIV. New Troubles arise from an unexpected quarter . . 137 
 SECT. XXXV. Men sent to explore the Promised Land . . . .139 
 
 SECT. XXXVI. The People rebel against Moses again God's Displeasure 
 Declares with an oath that none but Caleb and Joshua of all that genera- 
 tion should ever possess the Promised Land 141 
 
 SECT. XXXVII. The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On, with two 
 
 hundred and fifty Princes of the Congregation 143 
 
 SECT. XXXVIII. Second murmuring on account of the want of Water . . 146 
 SECT. XXXIX. Message to the King of Edom Death of Aaron . . ..146 
 SECT. XL. Fiery Serpents infest the People on account of their rebellion . 147 
 
 SECT. XLI. Balak sends for Balaam to curse Israel 149 
 
 SECT. XLII. Balaam blesses Israel 151 
 
 SECT. XLIII. Seduction of the Israelites by the Daughters of Moab . .154 
 
 SECT. XLIV. Punishment of the Israelites 154 
 
 SECT. XLV. Second Census of the People 155 
 
 SECT..XLVI. Overthrow of the Midianites 157 
 
 SECT. XLVII. The tribes of Reuben and Gad ask permission to take their 
 inheritance on the East of Jordan Also the half tribe of Manasseh 
 Their request is granted 158 
 
 SECT. XLVIII. A retrospect of the journeyings of Israel in the wilderness 159 
 SECT. XLIX. Deuteronomy, or recapitulation of the Law .... 161 
 
 SECT. L. The Law to be inscribed on plaistered stones The blessings from 
 
 Mount Gerizim, and curses from Mount Ebal ..... 164 
 
 SECT. LI. A Prophecy of the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Captivity of the 
 
 Jews 167 
 
 SECT. LII. Covenant of Horeb renewed in the Plains of Moab . . . 168 
 
 SECT. LIII. Valedictory of Moses concluded 169 
 
 SECT. LIV. Inauguration of Joshua, and blessing of the Twelve Tribes . 171 
 
 SECT. LV. Death of Moses . 173 
 
 PART III. 
 
 FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF 
 THE REGAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 SECTION I. Entrance of the Host of Israel into the Promised Land under the 
 
 conduct of Joshua, the successor of Moses 175 
 
 SECT. II. The Passage of the Israelites over the River Jordan . . . 181 
 
 SECT. III. Circumcision of the Israelites atGilgal The Passover is observed 
 The Manna ceases The Captain of the Host of the Lord appears to 
 Joshua 183 
 
 SECT. IV. The Conquest of Jericho The curse denounced by Joshua against 
 
 the man who should rebuild this city 185 
 
 SECT. V. The transgression of Achan The Attack upon Ai, and the defeat 
 of the Israelites Joshua's Distress The Lord's communication to him 
 Achan detected and punished with all his House Righteousness of 
 God in this transaction 187 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION VI. Ai again assaulted and taken by stratagem, and utterly destroyed 
 Joshua erects an Altar in Ebal and offers Sacrifices Writes a Copy 
 of the Law on Stones From Mount Gerizim and Ebal pronounces the 
 Blessings and the Curses 191 
 
 SECT. VII. The Gibeonites deceive Joshua and the Princes, and obtain from 
 them an oath that they should not be destroyed The People would 
 have had them to violate their engagement and destroy this People 
 who had imposed on them Joshua considers the oath obligatory The 
 general subject of the Obligation of Vows 193 
 
 SECT. VIII. Powerful combination of the Kings of Canaan to destroy the 
 Gibeonites Joshua is made acquainted with their danger, and hastens 
 to their relief Combined Kings defeated Wonderful miracle of the 
 Sun standing still The execution of five Kings . . 195 
 
 SECT. IX. A new combination under Jabin Joshua defeats him, and takes 
 Hazor, his capitol Conquest of the whole hill-country Parts uncon- 
 quered 198 
 
 SECT. X. Joshua divides the Land among the nine and a half Tribes Caleb's 
 Speech and Portion Othniel conquers Kirjath-zepher, and receives 
 Caleb's daughter Achsah as his reward Lot of Judah Of Ephraim 
 Half Tribe of Manasseh The case of Zelophehad Children of Joseph 
 complain of the narrowness of their limits 200 
 
 SECT. XI. Shiloh the residence of the Ark Seven tribes yet destitute of an 
 inheritance The lots of Benjamin Of Simeon Of Zebulon Of Issa- 
 char Of Asher Of Naphtali Of Dan Joshua's inheritance . . 204 
 
 SECT. XII. Cities of Refuge appointed Cities for the Levites Suburbs to 
 
 the Cities also granted 206 
 
 SECT. XIII. The armed men of the two and a half Tribes have leave to 
 return Joshua's testimony and exhortation They build an altar near 
 Jordan Impression of this event on Israel Their deputation and sol- 
 emn message Their satisfactory answer The People rejoiced at the 
 successful issue 208 
 
 SECT. XIV. Prosperous condition of Israel Joshua's solemn address to the 
 Elders and People His Valedictory His proposal that they should 
 now choose whom they would serve Decease of Joshua and Eleazar 210 
 
 SECT. XV. Judah and Simeon directed to attack the Canaanites Though 
 successful they could not expel the Canaanites from every part of their 
 Jot Benjamin not able to expel the Jebusites Manasseh very unsuc- 
 cessful in reclaiming their Possession Solemn message of the Angel 
 of God Character of the generation who first possessed Canaan The 
 People forsake God after the decease of this generation God raises up 
 Judges When the Judges were dead they again grievously provoked 
 God to anger . . 214 
 
 SECT. XVI. Othniel delivers Israel Ehud delivers them from Moab, and 
 
 slays ten thousand Men . . .217 
 
 SECT. XVII. Shamgar Deborah judges Israel Barak associated with her 
 The Tribes summoned to the help of the Lord against Jabin Sisera 
 defeated His death by the hand of Jael Song of Deborah and Barak 218 
 
 SECT. XVIII. Midian oppresses Israel A nameless Prophet is sent with a 
 message from God to Israel The Angel of the Lord appears to Gid- 
 eon, who sacrifices a kid to Jehovah, and the Angel, after delivering 
 his message, ascends in the flame Gideon throws down the altar of 
 Baal by Divine direction Joash, Gideon's father, refuses to give him 
 up A great host gathered against Israel Gideon collects the People 
 Asks for a two-fold sign, which is granted 222 
 
 SECT. XIX. Gideon collects his Forces A mere handful in comparison of 
 Midian, yet the Lord tells him there are too many All are dismissed 
 except three hundred Gideon goes to the Midianitish host, and hears 
 a dream which encourages him The enemy are thrown into confusion, 
 and slay one another Two Princes of the Midianites are taken, Oreb 
 and Zeeb Their heads cut off 225 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION XX. The Men of Ephraim complain of Gideon The conduct of the 
 Men of Succoth and Penuel Zebah and Zalmunna, Kings of Midian, 
 taken and slain The People wish to make Gideon their permanent 
 and hereditary ruler He refuses His idolatry Midian subdued 
 The People enjoy a long repose 227 
 
 SECT. XXI. Ambition of Abimelech the son of Gideon His cruelty The 
 Parable of Jotham Transactions at Shechem Contest of Gaal and 
 Zebul Abimelech suddenly comes and smites Gaal and his party 
 Abimelech killed by a Woman ........ 229 
 
 SECT. XXII. Tola judges Israel for Twenty Years Is succeeded by Jair 
 The Israelites decline to Idolatry Fall under the dominion of Ammon 
 A reformation commenced Jephthah called to lead the army . . 233 
 
 SECT. XXIII. Jephthah attempts to settle the dispute by negotiation 
 Claims of the King of Ammon Jephthah's just view of the whole sub- 
 ject in his able answer 235 
 
 SECT. XXIV. Jephthah's vow His Daughter comes out to meet her Father 
 His distress Her piety and submission An inquiry whether Jeph- 
 thah actually put his daughter to death Lamentations for her by the 
 daughters of Israel 237 
 
 SECT. XXV. Ingratitude of the People towards Jephthah His vindication 
 of himself and brethren The Men of Ephraim smitten at the fords of 
 Jordan Detected by their pronunciation of a word Jephthah dies, 
 after a government of only six years 240 
 
 SECT. XXVI. Ibzan of Beth-lehem Nature of the Theocracy Elon of Zeb- 
 ulon next judges Israel Abdon of Ephraim Great increase of pop- 
 ulation and the number in their armies 241 
 
 SECT. XXVII. An Angel appears to the wife of Manoah And again to her 
 and her husband Samson is born A Nazarite from the womb 
 Israel under the yoke of the Philistines Samson seeks a wife of this 
 race at Timnath Slays a lion on his way to visit her His Marriage 
 His Riddle Its meaning discovered by his Wife His method of 
 paying the forfeit His Wife given to another 243 
 
 SECT. XXVIII. Samson, not knowing what was done, comes to visit his 
 Wife Her younger sister is offered by the father Samson declines 
 all further connexion, and sets the grain of the Philistines on fire 
 Slays a thousand men in Lehi A miraculous fountain opened in this 
 place 246 
 
 SECT. XXIX. Moral character of Samson His love of Delilah By tam- 
 pering with her the Philistines learn wherein his great strength con- 
 sisted His head shorn and his eyes put out Is put into the prison at 
 Gaza and kept at hard labour 248 
 
 SECT. XXX. Origin of idolatry in Israel in the house of Micah The Dan- 
 ites send spies to seek a new habitation Six hundred men are sent 
 out to seize a country visited by the spies They carry off Micah's 
 goes and the priest who officiated These idols they set up and wor- 
 shipped for a long time 251 
 
 SECT. XXXI. History of the Levite and his concubine, and the war against 
 
 Benjamin 253 
 
 SECT. XXXII. The Tribe of Benjamin refuse to give up the guilty perpetra- 
 tors of the enormous wickedness They defeat the other tribes with 
 great slaughter in two successive battles On the third day the men 
 of Israel placed an ambush, and drew the men of Benjamin from Gib- 
 eon, by a pretended flight The Tribe nearly extinguished The 
 Israelites repent of their exterminating severity 256 
 
 SECT. XXXIII. Jabesh-Gilead severely punished for refusing aid The young 
 virgins of this place only preserved, for wives to the surviving Benja- 
 mites The daughters of Shiloh seized and carried off for the same 
 purpose 259 
 
 SECT. XXXIV. History of Ruth, and Naomi her mother-in-law . . .261 
 
.CON, TENTS. XV 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION XXXV. Boaz marries Ruth her eon Obed was the father of Jesse, 
 
 the father of David .'.... 265 
 
 SECT. XXXVI. Birth of Samuel , . . 270 
 
 SECT. XXXVII. Hannah's Divine Song 272 
 
 SECT. XXXVIII. Samuel is left at Shiloh Eli's sons God's message to Eli, 
 
 by a nameless Prophet 273 
 
 SECT. XXXIX. Jehovah speaks to the child Samuel, and reveals his purpose 
 
 in regard to Eli's family Eli's humble submission .... 276 
 
 SECT. XL. The Israelites defeated by the Philistines The two sons of Eli 
 slain, and the Ark taken The intelligence overcomes Eli, who falls 
 back and breaks his neck The wife of Phinehas also expires . . 278 
 
 SECT. XLI. The Ark carried to Ashdod and placed by Dagon This idol falls 
 on the floor, and is mutilated The Philistines, afflicted with disease 
 and mice, send back the Ark 280 
 
 SECT. XLII. Samuel judges Israel Appoints a day of public prayer at Miz- 
 
 peh Defeats the Philistines at Ebenezer 283 
 
 SECT. XLIII. Samuel in his old age associates his sons as judges with him- 
 self Their bad character The people demand a king Samuel is 
 displeased But God directs him to comply, but to explain the nature 
 of kingly government By insisting on a king they rejected not Sam- 
 uel, but God The tendency of power to abuse 286 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 FROM THE INSTITUTION OF THE EEGAL GOVERNMENT TO 
 THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 
 
 SECTION I. Saul's election as King His victory over Nahash and the renewed 
 confirmation of his kingdom Samuel's charge Saul's first offence 
 Jonathan's exploit and defeat of the Philistines Saul sent to destroy 
 the Amalekites His second offence, and rejection from the kingdom 289 
 
 SECT. II. Anointing of David His introduction to Saul His battle with 
 Goliath, and victory over the Philistines The friendship of David and 
 Jonathan David's escape from Saul's anger, and his marriage Saul 
 threatens his life David's flight to Samuel His return to Jonathan, 
 and final parting 297 
 
 SECT. III. David's flight and first sojourn with the Philistines He comes to 
 the cave Adullam Saul kills the priests David delivers Keilah and 
 is hunted by Saul He spares Saul's life Death of Samuel David's 
 adventure with Nabal He spares Saul's life a second time His se- 
 cond flight to the Philistines v . . . .304 
 
 SECT. IV. David's wars at Ziklag Saul's interview with the Sorceress at 
 
 Endor His death at Gilboa, and the lamentation of David . . .311 
 
 SECT. V. David made King at Hebron The civil war between David and 
 Abner, or Ish-bosheth the son of Saul Abner's revolt and death 
 The murder of Ish-bosheth 315 
 
 SECT. VI. David made King over all Israel He captures Jerusalem Defeats 
 the Philistines The Ark brought to Jerusalem David commanded not 
 to build the Temple 318 
 
 SECT. VII. David's wars The organization of the army David's kindness 
 
 to Mephibosheth The war with the Ammonites 324 
 
 SECT. VIII. David's sin in the affair of Bath-Sheba and Uriah His domestic 
 afflictions Absalom's rebellion David's restoration to the kingdom 
 Insurrection of Sheba 329 
 
XVI CONTENTS.' 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION IX. Famine of Three Years War with the Philistines The Pesti- 
 lence The preparation for the Temple Solomon made King Da- 
 vid's charge to the People and Solomon David's death . . . 343 
 
 SECT. X. Solomon King His sacrifice at Gibeon Death of Adonijah and 
 Joab Solomon prepares to build the Temple The Treaty with Tyre 
 and Egypt 352 
 
 SECT XI. The temple, its furniture, the Dedication God appears a second 
 
 time to Solomon 356 
 
 SECT. XII. Solomon's other buildings The source of his wealth Solo- 
 mon's offence, the troubles of his latter days His death . . . 363 
 
 SECT. XIII. Division of the kingdom Rehoboam's reign and death Jero- 
 boam, the contemporary of Rehoboam and Abijam . . . 368 
 
 SECT. XIV. The' good reign of Asa Contemporary kings of Israel Nadab, 
 
 Baasha, Elah, Zimri, (Omri and Tibni,) Omri alone, Ahab . . . 375 
 
 SECT. XV. Ahab's reign continued History of Elijah the Prophet Ahab's 
 war with Benhadad The sin of Ahab The reign of Jehoshaphat, 
 king of Judah The defeat of Rameth Jehoshaphat's civil govern- 
 ment His commerce His war with Moab and Ammon . . . 380 
 
 SECT. XVI. Ahaziah's reign History of Elisha, and the reign of Jehoram 
 Naaman the leper The Siege of Samaria and its miraculous deliver- 
 ance The anointing of Jehu and Hazael The reign of Jehoram and 
 Ahaziah king of Judan 390 
 
 SECT. XVII Jehu's conspiracy and reign Athalia usurps the throne of 
 Judah Joash the king of Judah Joash king of Israel The history of 
 Amaziah and Jeroboam (II.) The reigns of Uzziah and Jotham- The 
 conspiracy against Zechariah king of Israel The Civil War under 
 Menahem, and the invasion from Assyria 400 
 
 SECT. XVIIL The reign of Ahaz The fall of Samaria, and destruction of 
 the kingdom of Israel The good reign of Hezekiah Manasseh reigns 
 wickedly The reign of Amon 408 
 
 SECT. XIX. Josiah's reign The finding of the copy of the Law Josiah's 
 reformation Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim The first removal of the 
 people to Babylon Jehoiakim The second removal to Babylon Ze- 
 dekiah, the last king of Judah The capture of Jerusalem . . . 416 
 
 SECT. XX. Some account of the Jews in their captivity . . . .421 
 
 PART V. 
 
 FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY TO THE CONQUEST OF 
 JUDEA BY THE ROMANS. 
 
 SECTION I From the edict of Cyrus, permitting their return to their own land, 
 
 to the finishing of the Second Temple 423 
 
 SECT. II. From the completion of-the building of the Temple, to the Mission 
 
 ofNehemiah 431 
 
 SECT. III. From the arrival of Nehemiah to the invasion of Asia by Alexan- 
 der the Great - .... 441 
 
 SECT. IV. Reign of Alexander the Great Invasion of Asia by Alexander 
 Conquest of the Persian empire Siege and Capture of Tyre Alexan- 
 der's visit to Jerusalem Is met by Jaddua and the other Priests His 
 strange behaviour His kind treatment of the Jews Conduct towards 
 the Samaritans Death of Darius Invasion of India Voyage of Near- 
 chus Capricious and violent character of Alexander His death . 454 
 
 SECT. V. From the time of the immediate successors of Alexander the Great, 
 
 to the death of Onias the High-Priest 460 
 
CONTENTS. xvii 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION VI. The accession of Simon the Just Megasthenes, Historian of In- 
 dia Building of Seleucia Destruction and Desolation of Babylon 
 Death of Simon 465 
 
 SECT. VII. Retrospect of the succession of Kings and High-Priests who had 
 authority over Judea, until the death of Simon the Just Simon suc- 
 ceeded by Eleazar in the Priesthood By Antigonus as President of 
 the Sanhedrim Mishnical Doctors Sanhedrim How conducted 
 Changes in the Jewish worship - 469 
 
 SECT. VIII. The reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus Tower of Pharos Septua- 
 
 gint Version Library of Alexandria 471 
 
 SECT. IX. Origin of the Sadducees Berosus, the Chaldean Historian Riches 
 and Commerce of Tyre Alexandria Arsinoe, her death and monu- 
 ment Character of Ptolemy 477 
 
 SECT. X Ptolemy Euergetes Berenice Prophecies fulfilled The Arun- 
 
 delian Marbles 480 
 
 SECT. XI. Ptolemy Euergetes an encourager of Learning Seleucus defeated 
 and taken prisoner Origin of the Kingdom of the Parthians Remark- 
 able history of Joseph Great earthquake in the East .... 482 
 
 SECT. XII. Accession of Ptolemy Philopater to the throne of Egypt His 
 contest with Antiochus His cruelty Visits Jerusalem and attempts 
 to enter the Sanctuary Resolves to exterminate the Jews Their 
 providential deliverance He dies and leaves the Kingdom to his 
 son Ptolemy Epiphanes, only five years of age Antiochus endeavours 
 to conquer Egypt Engages in War with the Romans Marches an 
 army to the East, to collect Tribute Robs the Temple of Belus of its 
 treasures but is slain by the enraged populace Remarkable story of 
 Joseph and his son Hyrcanus 486 
 
 SECT. XIII. Judea falls under the power of Antiochus Predictions respect- 
 ing Seleucus Good character of Onias the High-Priest Jason's wicked 
 conduct And the more wicked of Menelaus Death of Onias Rob- 
 bery of the Temple by Lysimachus Strange sights seen at Jerusalem 
 Temple desecrated by Antiochus Wretched end of Menelaus Antio- 
 chus invades Egypt, but is met by an embassy from Rome Dreadful 
 persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes 495 
 
 SECT. XIV. Asmonean family of Modin Constancy of Mattathias He and 
 his friends take refuge in the Mountains Martyrdom of Eleazar Of 
 the Mother and her Seven Sons Assideans Antiochus aims to destroy 
 all copies of the Law Death of Mattathias Judas Maccaba;us Books 
 of the Maccabees Victories of Judas Antiochus resolves to destroy 
 the whole Jewish Nation Wonderful success of Judas Occupies Jeru- 
 salem Cleanses and dedicates anew the Temple Prophecies respect- 
 ing Antiochus Epiphanes 502 
 
 SECT. XV. History of Judas continued Distressing condition of the Jews 
 Death of Eleazar, brother of Judas Death of Antiochus Miserable 
 end of Menelaus Civil War between the two brothers in Egypt In- 
 terposition of the Romans Demetrius succeeds Antiochus Alcimus 
 appointed High-Priest The quarrel of the two brothers, Ptolemy 
 Philometor and Ptolemy Physcon, brought before the Roman Senate and 
 decided 513 
 
 SECT. XVI. The War renewed Suicide of Razis Victory of Judas and 
 death of Nicanor Bacchides is sent to succeed Nicanor Death of 
 Judas Dreadful state of the Jews Jonathan and Simon, brothers of 
 Judas, make a successful stand Death ot'Alcimus the Jews enjoy rest 
 for two years War between the two Ptolemies renewed Demetrius 
 abandons himself to dissipation An impostor arises to claim his 
 crown Both court the aid of Jonathan Jonathan assumes the office of 
 High-Priest Alexander Balas obtains the throne of Syria . . . 519 
 
 SECT. XVII. Onias obtain the favour of the King and Queen of Egypt Builds 
 there a temple similar to that at Jerusalem Contentions between the 
 Jews and Samaritans about the place of worship Hipparchus the 
 Astronomer War between Alexander the Impostor and Demetrius 
 The former forsaken by his father-in-law is overthrown and slain . 524 
 
 B 
 
XY111 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 SECTION XVIII. Carthage and Corinth destroyed in the same year History of 
 Polybius Cleopatra marries Physcon, who murders her son by her 
 former husband Syria in a disturbed state Tyrannical conduct of 
 Demetrius Tryphon conspires against him and overcomes him Theos 
 is made King, who grants great privileges to Jonathan and Simon . . 527 
 
 SECT. XIX. Jonathan renews his league with the Romans and Lacedemo- 
 nians He and Simon call a Great Council of the Nation Tryphon 
 treacherously murders Jonathan Simon succeeds him Erects a famous 
 Monument for his brothers Demolishes the strong fortress at Jeru- 
 salem Demetrius goes against the Parthians, and falls into their 
 Hands His life is spared by Mithridates, who gives him his daughter 
 in marriage Cleopatra marries Antiochus Sidetes, who invades Syria, 
 and overcomes and slays Tryphon Simon sends an embassy to Rome 
 to obtain their confirmation of his authority Antiochus seeks the 
 destruction of Simon Beastly character of Ptolemy Physcon and 
 Attalus Simon treacherously murdered at Jericho . . . .529 
 
 SECT. XX. Antiochus invades Judea Besieges Hyrcanus in Jerusalem 
 Terms of Peace Family of Josephus Book of Ecclesiasticus Antio- 
 chus Sidetes marches an army into the East, where he is attacked and 
 slain by Phraates Hyrcanus seizes the opportunity of delivering his 
 country from subjection to the Syrian yoke Demetrius restored to his 
 Throne Invades Egypt Is called back by a revolt at Antioch Ptole- 
 my raises up a youth who pretends to be the son of Alexander Balas 
 He raises an army and defeats Demetrius, who is slain at Tyre Alex- 
 ander Zebina reigns over Syria Vast swarm of Locusts Zebina 
 defeated and put to death 534 
 
 SECT. XXI. Remarkable season Cleopatra dies by a potion prepared for 
 her Son Disturbances in Syria John Hyrcanus goes on prosperously 
 Is opposed by the Pharisees Origin of this sect Hyrcanus joins the 
 Sadducees His death The Castle of Baris 539 
 
 SECT. XXII. Hyrcanus succeeded by Aristobulus, his son, who forces the 
 Itureans to embrace the Jewish religion, as his father had the Idu- 
 means Slays his brother Antigonus, but repents and dies in great 
 agony Story of Judas the Essene Origin of this Sect Alexander suc- 
 ceeds his brother, Aristobulus Siege of Ptolemais Defeat of Alex- 
 ander by Lathyrus Civil War Anna the Prophetess Death of Alex- 
 ander Janneus . . . 541 
 
 PART VI. 
 
 FROM THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA BY THE ROMANS UNTIL THE 
 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 SECTION I. Alexander bequeaths the kingdom of Judea to Alexandra his wife 
 counsels her to conciliate the Pharisees Origin of the family of the 
 Herods Disputes about the Priesthood Pompey comes into the East 
 His head-quarters at Damascus The quarrel between Aristobulus and 
 Hyrcanus brought before him Imprudent conduct of Aristobulus 
 Pompey is received into Jerusalem Enters the Sanctuary Places 
 Hyrcanus in the office of High-Priest Orders the walls of Jerusalem 
 to be demolished Leaves a garrison in the city, and departs . . 549 
 
 SECT. II. Octavius Cesar born Diodorus Siculus Alexander, son of Aristo- 
 bulus, escapes from Rome Seizes several strong places Gabinius, 
 Governor of Syria Aristobulus himself escapes from Rome, and raises 
 new disturbances in Judea Crassus visits Jerusalem and robs the 
 Temple of its treasures The judgment of God overtakes him Battle 
 of Pharsalia Cesar confirms Hyrcanus in the Priesthood Antipater ac- 
 companies Cesar in all his expeditions His four sons Herod arraigned 
 
CONTENTS. XIX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 for illegally putting certain thieves to death Meditates the destruc- 
 tion of Hyrcanus and the whole Sanhedrim Receives from Sixtus the 
 government of Ccelo-Syria 555 
 
 SECTION III. The Julian Year Death of Cesar Malichus, his influence and 
 character Death of Antipater Battle of Philippi Antigonus, young- 
 est son of Aristobulus, claims the Kingdom The Parthians again 
 cross the Euphrates Are hired to invade Judea to make Antigonus, 
 son of Aristobulus, King His adherents are resisted by Herod and 
 Phasael Civil war within the city of Jerusalem Flight of Herod and 
 death of Phasael 559 
 
 SECT. IV. Herod obtains the favour of Antony, and is solemnly appointed 
 King of Judea Is successful against his enemies Antony sends him 
 two legions to reduce Jerusalem, still in the possession of Antigonus 
 Herod goes to Samosata to meet Antony Returns to Judea with fresh 
 forces His brother Joseph slain in an expedition against Jericho 
 Herod lays siege to Jerusalem Mariamne the wife of Herod Jeru- 
 salem taken and given up to pillage Abject spirit of Antigonus . .562 
 
 SECT. V. Herod established on the throne of Judea Destroys the whole 
 Sanhedrim except two Hillel and Shammai Their distinguished 
 descendants Simon Gamaliel Judah Hakkadosh Scholars of Hillel 
 Chaldee Paraphrases Their high estimation among the Jews Jona- 
 than Ben Uzziel and Onkelos 565 
 
 SECT. VI. Ananelus made High-Priest Hyrcanus a captive among the Par- 
 thians His desire to return Alexandra, the mother of Aristobulus 
 and Mariamne his sister, dissatisfied that he was passed over when 
 Ananelus was exalted to be High-Priest Herod causes Aristobulus to 
 be drowned Cleopatra visits Jerusalem Her manners so licentious 
 that even Herod is disgusted Great earthquake in Judea Antony 
 entirely defeated at Actium Herod now seeks to conciliate the favour 
 of the conqueror, and succeeds Mariamne manifests the utmost hatred 
 of Herod Herod became furious with jealousy, and put both his 
 uncle Joseph and Mariamne to death Immediately he was seized with 
 intolerable remorse, and fell sick Becomes more severe Is insti- 
 gated to acts of cruelty by Alexandra and others Conspiracy against 
 his Life 569 
 
 SECT. VII. Divine judgments on the land Herod erects a stately palace 
 on Mount Zion Erects another palace on a beautiful hill seven miles 
 from Jerusalem Aristobulus and Alexander, sons of Mariamne sent to 
 Rome for education Herod repairs to Mitylene, to visit Agrippa 
 Augustus himself visits the East Is waited on by Herod All accusa- 
 tions against him turn out to his benefit Undertakes to rebuild the 
 Temple The work commenced just forty-six years before Christ's 
 first passover 574 
 
 SECT. VIII. Herod visits his sons at Rome Attends the Olympic Games on 
 his way Is received with honour by Augustus Brings his sons back 
 to Jerusalem The rebuilding of the Temple is driven on Imprudent 
 speeches of Herod's sons, Alexander and Aristobulus Domestic 
 troubles of Herod increase Becomes more suspicious The young 
 men, his sons, continue to indulge in rash speeches Archelaus, king of 
 Cappadocia and father-in-law to Alexander, comes to Jerusalem 
 Herod's expedition to Arabia Difference between him and his song 
 increases Augustus recommends a council Herod accuses his sons, 
 and the judges pronounce sentence of condemnation against them 
 Herod causes this sentence to be carried into execution at Sebaste, 
 by strangulation 578 
 
 SECT. IX. Antipater conspires agansit the life of his Father Pheroras dis- 
 pleases his brother by refusing one of his daughters and marrying a 
 maid-servant He joins the plot of Antipater The Temple of Janus at 
 Rome closed The Angel Gabriel sent to Mary at Nazareth Birth of 
 Jesus Christ at Bethlehem The registration which called them thither 
 Luke and Josephus reconciled Visit of the Magians Massacre of 
 the Infants Herod causes his son Antipater to be put to death Gives 
 orders to slay all the eminent men of the country, that there might be 
 mourning at his own death, which he perceived was near Death of 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Herod His family and descendants Division of the kingdom among 
 his sons ............. 5S2 
 
 SECTION X. Joseph returns from Egypt Vulgar Era Archelaus goes to Rome 
 and is deposed Cyrenius governor of Syria The Jews resist the 
 taxation by the Romans Annas appointed High-Priest by the Romans 
 Death of Augustus 5S7 
 
 SECT. XI. Procuratorship of Valerius Gratus Annas removed from the office 
 of High-Priest and Ishmael substituted Eleazar, son of Annas, is put in 
 his place, and the next year Gratus removes him, and substitutes 
 Simon son of Cannith Caiaphas Gratus recalled and succeeded by 
 Pontius Pilate Preaching of John the Baptist Baptism of Christ 
 Death of John Public ministry of Christ Death of Christ His Resur- 
 rection and Ascension Pilate's account of Christ, sent to the empe- 
 ror Pilate removed by Vitellius, Governor of Syria, and sent to Rome, 
 whence he was banished to Gaul Tiberius dies, and is succeeded by 
 Caius Caligula 589 
 
 SECT. XII. Preaching of the Apostles Martyrdom of Stephen and ensuing 
 persecution Conversion of Paul Caiaphas removed from the High- 
 Priesthood by Vitellius, and Ananas substituted Agrippa acquires the 
 supreme power of Judea Herod Antipas banished to Gaul Embassy 
 from Alexandria to Rome Philo Judeus Caius succeeded by Claudius 
 Theophilus removed from the priesthood and Simon put in his 
 place Petronius, Governor of Syria, succeeded by Marsus Agrippa 
 zealous for the Jewish religion, but severe towards the Christians 
 Remarkable death of Agrippa His character and successors . . 592 
 
 SECT. XIII. Fadus made Procurator of Judea Dearth in the reign of Clau- 
 dius Proselytes to Judaism False Messiah Fadus recalled, and suc- 
 ceeded by Tiberius Alexander Herod, King of Chalcis, displaced Joseph 
 the son of Camus from the High-Priesthood, and substituted Ananias 
 the son of Nebedeus Tiberius Alexander recalled, and Cumanus ap- 
 pointed to succeed him Commotions at Jerusalem Dispute between 
 the Galileans and Samaritans Cumanus recalled and Felix appointed 
 Procurator Tumultuous conduct of the Jews Death of Claudius 
 Succeeded by Nero Anarchical state of Judea during the Procurator- 
 ship of Felix Is succeeded by Festus Both reside at Cesarea Festus 
 dies Is succeeded by Albinus State of society more and more disor- 
 dered Ananus made High-Priest Cestius Gallus visits Jerusalem . 597 
 
 SECT. XIV. Rome set on fire by Nero Disturbances at Cesarea Floras, 
 the Procurator, excites insurrection His cruelty The Jews complain 
 to Agrippa Eleazar, son of the High-Priest, and Master of the Temple, 
 persuades the priests to reject all Pagan sacrifices Dreadful commo- 
 tions in Judea, and massacres in the Temple Cestius Gallus marches 
 an army towards Jerusalem The Jews assembled at the Feast of 
 Tabernacles, furiously rush on the hostile army, and slay five hundred 
 men Agrippa interposes Persuades the Jews to make peace, but in 
 vain Gallus brings back his army to the gates of Jerusalem Retires 
 again to Scopas Is attacked in the defile of an ambuscade, and flies 
 with a few hundred men Josephus, the historian, appointed to the 
 command of Galilee and Gamala Nero sends Vespasian to Judea He 
 first subdues Galilee Bands of robbers infest the country The Zeal- 
 ots Parties in Jerusalem Cruelties perpetrated 604 
 
 SECT. XV. Vespasian's preparations for carrying on the war State ot parties 
 in Jerusalem Titus marches his army to Jerusalem and commences 
 the Siege Great multitudes of people within the walls External part 
 of the city taken by Titus Great efforts made to bring the Jews to 
 terms, but in vain Castle of Antonia demolished A lady eats her 
 own child in the famine The Temple is set on fire and destroyed, 
 contrary to the wishes and orders of Titus The walls thrown down, 
 and the site of the Temple ploughed over Dreadful infatuation of the 
 Jewish nation Their restoration clearly predicted .... 612 
 
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 THE PATRIARCHS. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 ^ 
 
 CREATION OAHDEN OF EDEN ENDOWMENTS OF MAN. 
 
 WHEN God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, 
 it pleased him to bring the work to perfection not in a moment, 
 but gradually, through a period of six days. At first, " the 
 earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the 
 face of the deep." To reduce this confused mass to order, 
 " The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and 
 God said, Let there be light, and there was light." The 
 expanse or atmosphere was next produced, in which the clouds 
 and vapours were suspended. The great body of the waters 
 were gathered unto one place, and thus the dry land arose to 
 view. The name EARTH was given to the- dry land, and SEAS 
 to the collection of waters. 
 
 The vegetable world, in all its freshness, beauty, variety, 
 and fruitfulness, now sprung into existence, at the command of 
 the Creator. " And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, 
 the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after 
 his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so." 
 
 From the beginning, there was an alternation of darkness 
 and light, causing evening and morning ; but it was not until 
 the fourth day of creation that the luminaries the sun, moon, 
 and stars were placed in the heavens ; or became visible in 
 the heavens. " The waters now brought forth abundantly the 
 moving creature, that hath life;" and winged fowls of every 
 kind were formed " to fly above the earth, in the open firma- 
 ment of heaven." And a command was given that these 
 I 
 
2 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 inhabitants of the water and of the air should be fruitful and 
 multiply. 
 
 The sea and air being thus stocked with inhabitants, possess- 
 ing natures suited to their respective elements, God proceeded 
 to create the animals adapted to the earth. " And God made 
 the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their 
 kind ; and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his 
 kind." When the world was thus furnished and prepared, 
 " God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our like- 
 ness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
 over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, 
 and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 
 
 In the creation of other things, nothing was necessary, but a 
 simple expression of the divine will ; but when the lord of this 
 lower world was to be brought into existence, a council is called, 
 and it is said, " Come, let us make man." With whom did the 
 great Creator take counsel on this memorable occasion, but 
 with his Son and Spirit? both of whom we know were efficient 
 agents in the work of creation. 
 
 " So God created man in his own image, in the image of God 
 created he him; male and fenwle created he them. And God 
 blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multi- 
 ply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion 
 over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over 
 every living thing that moveth on the earth. And God said, 
 Behold I have given every herb bearing seed, which is upon 
 the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the 
 fruit of a tree yielding seed : to you it shall be for meat. And 
 to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, to 
 everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, 
 I have given every green herb for meat." 
 
 In this grant of food to man there is no mention of the flesh 
 of animals: it has therefore been generally believed that 
 animal food was not in use before the flood. 
 
 We have a still more particular account of the formation of 
 man. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the 
 ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, (lives,) 
 and man became a living soul." 
 
 " And the Lord God planted a garden, eastward in Eden ; 
 and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of 
 the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is plea- 
 sant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of life (lives) 
 also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of 
 good and evil." 
 
 This garden was watered by a river which went out of Eden, 
 and was divided into four heads. Two of these, it is thought, 
 were the Euphrates, and the Tigris, called by Moses, Hiddekel, 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 3 
 
 but nothing satisfactory has been ascertained respecting the 
 other two. Indeed, although the situation of Paradise seems 
 to have been well known when Moses wrote, great obscurity 
 now rests upon the whole subject; and the conjectures of com- 
 mentators have served rather to darken than to elucidate it. 
 The most judicious, however, for a long time supposed that the 
 terrestrial Paradise must have been situated not very far from 
 the mouth of the two rivers before mentioned; and they con- 
 jectured, that the other two rivers were streams passing from 
 one of these to the other, as it is known that a communication 
 of this kind did exist between them in after-ages. But the 
 more modern cultivators of sacred geography seem more gen- 
 erally inclined to look for the site of this famous garden at the 
 source of these rivers ; and allege, that two other rivers run- 
 ning to the north-east and to the north-west, have their 
 source in the same region. 
 
 Man, when created, was taken and put into the garden of 
 Eden, "to dress it and keep it." Even in Paradise idleness was 
 not tolerated. Activity and occupation are among the essen- 
 tial ingredients of human happiness. 
 
 The permission to eat freely of all the trees of the garden 
 was explicitly granted, with one only exception. "But of the 
 tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it ; for 
 in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." 
 But why this prohibition? Was the fruit of a poisonous nature? 
 So some have supposed. But no; it was "good for food," and 
 beautiful in its aspect. Why, then, was man interdicted its 
 use? Simply as a test of his obedience to his Creator. That 
 all creatures should make it their first and highest object to 
 glorify Him, from whom they received their being, and on whom 
 they depend, is one of the plainest dictates of reason and con- 
 science. It was therefore reasonable and proper that the Law- 
 giver should require some test or proof of obedience, before 
 man should be confirmed in a state of blessedness. And God 
 selected this thing, in itself of an indifferent nature, as furnish- 
 ing a fair probation of man's obedience. 
 
 It has already been mentioned, that God made man male 
 and female; but the woman was not created as early as the 
 man. For awhile he was alone. "And the Lord God said, It 
 is not good that the man should be alone; I will make an help 
 meet for him." "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to 
 fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, 
 (sides,) and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib 
 (side) which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, 
 and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is bone 
 of my bone, and flesh of my flesh : she shall be called woman, 
 because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave 
 
4 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and 
 they shall be one flesh." 
 
 That man, from the moment of his creation, must have been 
 endued with all necessary knowledge, cannot reasonably be 
 doubted. Without an original stock of ideas he would have 
 been inferior to all the other animals, for to them instinct is a 
 sufficient guide; but man has no such guide; and if he had 
 been turned loose upon the wide world, without any knowledge 
 until he could acquire it by the slow process of experience, his 
 life could not have been preserved for a single day. Even the 
 danger arising from the common elements of fire and water, 
 which are known to children as soon as they can learn any 
 thing, would have been unknown to him. 
 
 Moreover, if man was placed under a law, and required to 
 love and serve his Creator, his new created mind must have 
 been furnished with ideas of the character of God, and of the 
 obligations of a creature to his Creator. 
 
 It is also reasonable to think, and indeed may be inferred 
 from the sacred record, that man when created was gifted with 
 the faculty and use of articulate speech. To suppose that Adam 
 and Eve were at first mutes, and incapable of conversing 
 together, except by dumb signs, is neither probable in itself, 
 nor honourable to the wisdom and goodness of their Maker. 
 Indeed, without such a gift, it may well be doubted whether 
 man ever could have invented a language. But we need not 
 argue this point ; for we find, that from the beginning of man's 
 existence, God addressed him in words. And as a striking 
 evidence, both of Adam's knowledge and use of speech, the 
 Creator brought to him every beast of the field and fowl of 
 the air, to see what he would call them; "and whatsoever 
 Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 
 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, 
 and to every beast of the field." 
 
 This work must have required much time; and if it is true 
 that Adam was able to designate some leading quality of each 
 species by the name given, as seems probable, his knowledge of 
 natural history must have been more accurate and extensive 
 than that of any of his posterity. 
 
 But the crowning excellence of the character of this first 
 man, as he came from the hands of his Creator, was HOLINESS, 
 or moral integrity. All his affections were in just proportion 
 to their objects, and his passions so happily balanced and 
 harmonized, that in all the exercises of the various constituent 
 principles of human nature, there was no jar, nor the least irre- 
 gularity. Objects were loved and pursued according to their 
 value. The higher and nobler powers of the mind governed, 
 and the inferior and animal principles were in complete subor- 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 5 
 
 dination. This happy state of moral purity seems to have 
 been the chief thing intended by the IMAGE OF GOD, in which 
 man is said to have been created. 
 
 The perfect purity of their hearts, and the bland serenity of 
 the atmosphere, may be judged of from a single circumstance 
 mentioned in the narrative. "And they were both naked, the 
 man and his wife, and were not ashamed." 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 TALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS, AND THEIR PUNISHMENT. 
 
 SATAN, by some means, found his way into Paradise, and 
 with much subtlety laid his plan for the seduction and ruin of 
 the innocent pair, whose happiness this fiend envied. Assuming 
 the body of one of the most sagacious and noble of the animal 
 tribes, he accosted the woman, as being the weaker vessel, when 
 she was a little separated from her husband. He had become 
 acquainted with the prohibition, of the tree of knowledge of 
 good and evil; and watching his opportunity, when Eve was 
 near to this tree, he said, " Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not 
 eat of every tree of the garden?" This insidious question was 
 intended to suggest a doubt of the reasonableness of the com- 
 mandment of God. The woman promptly and properly an- 
 swered, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 
 but of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath 
 said, Ye shall not eat, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." 
 It may, indeed, seem strange that she was not filled with aston- 
 ishment at hearing the serpent speak ; but let it be recollected, 
 that, in the beginning of the world, when there had not been 
 time to observe the regular course of the laws of nature, all 
 events were equally new and strange. She might not know 
 but that some of the animal tribes had received the gift of rea- 
 son and speech. The tempter, finding that the woman was 
 willing to enter into conversation with him, assumed more 
 boldness, and ventured to utter a direct contradiction of the 
 declaration of God. " And the serpent said, Ye shall not sure- 
 ly die." This was the first lie which ever polluted the air of 
 the world ; and therefore, he who set this example, which has 
 been followed by so many, is called a LIAR, and the FATHER OF 
 LIES. But not contented with simply uttering a falsehood in 
 direct opposition to the word of God, he went on to confirm his 
 assertion, by saying, "For God doth know, that in the day ye 
 eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as 
 gods, knowing good and evil." 
 
 " And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, 
 
6 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired 
 to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat." 
 
 The temptation entered first by the ear. She listened to an 
 insidious speech, which conveyed a poison to her heart, by 
 suggesting a doubt of the Divine veracity. It next entered by 
 the eye, for the fruit, which was beautiful in its aspect, hung 
 clustering within her reach. Her appetite was whetted, proba- 
 bly, by seeing the serpent eating it with great apparent gratifica- 
 tion. She believed it to be good for food. But probably the 
 desire of an increase of knowledge, and a curiosity to be as 
 God, knowing good and evil, was the prevailing motive. The 
 desire of knowledge is innocent when restrained within proper 
 bounds ; but when our curiosity leads us to pry into the secret 
 things of God, or to use any unlawful means to increase our 
 knowledge, it becomes sinful. 
 
 "And she gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat." 
 Whether Adam was deceived by the same artful suggestions of 
 Satan as the woman, or was influenced by his fondness for the 
 society of Eve to connect his destiny with her's even in death, 
 is not easily determined, since the sacred historian is silent 
 respecting the motive. Paul says, "Adam was not deceived, 
 but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression." 
 But he probably means no more than that Eve led the way 
 in sinning. 
 
 The first sin was marked with peculiar guilt. Our first 
 parents were supplied with every blessing which the heart of 
 man ought to desire. They were pressed by no painful neces- 
 sity to eat this fruit; the whole garden, with all its variety of 
 delicious fruits, was before them; and they enjoyed unres- 
 trained liberty in regard to every tree, but this one. Igno- 
 rance and inadvertence cannot be pleaded in palliation of their 
 crime. The law of God prohibiting this fruit was brought 
 clearly before the woman by the very words of the tempter. 
 " Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree." Upon 
 which she distinctly repeats the prohibition, with a circum- 
 stance nowhere else mentioned, namely, that they were not 
 only forbidden to eat the fruit, but " to touch it." It was then 
 not only a voluntary but a deliberate transgression. And in 
 the case of Adam, the opportunity for deliberation was even 
 greater. He saw his wife in the very act of disobedience. He 
 saw the forbidden fruit in her hand, and in her mouth; and yet 
 when she offered it to him he did not refuse it ; but took it, and 
 did eat, conscious, no doubt, at the moment, that he was diso- 
 beying the positive command of his Maker. 
 
 The constitution of the human mind is such, that some prin- 
 ciples or passions are not developed until certain circumstances 
 occur which call them forth. For example, fear would never 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 7 
 
 be experienced, if we never apprehended any danger: anger 
 would remain latent if we were never exposed to any injury : 
 and shame was a feeling to which our first parents were stran- 
 gers, until conscious guilt took possession of their minds. When 
 any new thoughts or feelings arise in the mind, it is agreeable 
 to the Hebrew method of speaking, to say that the eyes are 
 opened; so now, Adam and Eve experienced an entirely new 
 state of mind. The clear light of truth was obscured; serenity 
 was exchanged for perturbation, peace for remorse, and confi- 
 dence for fear. what desolations hath sin produced ! 
 
 The intercourse which man enjoyed with his Maker was not 
 only profitable, but in a high degree delightful. But now how 
 sad the reverse ! When the well-known voice of the Lord was 
 heard in the garden at the cool of the day, guilty man, instead 
 of running to hail the presence of his Creator, flees to the 
 thickest part of the trees of the garden. Guilty shame of 
 nakedness, not experienced before, impels them to make them- 
 selves aprons (girdles) of fig leaves ; guilty fear now drives 
 them into a hiding place, as though any covert could conceal 
 from the eye of Omniscience. But no sinner can flee so far, or 
 hide himself so securely, as to escape the justice of God. 
 How terrible now was the sound of that voice which said, 
 "Adam, where art thou?" When God calls unto judgment, 
 man must obey. The trembling culprits are now forced to 
 come forth from their concealment, and to confess their crime. 
 But the man endeavours to palliate his guilt by laying the 
 principal blame on the woman ; and the woman excuses herself, 
 by pleading that she had been beguiled by the serpent. 
 
 In pronouncing sentence upon the partakers of the crime, 
 the righteous Judge began with the serpent, and said, 
 " Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above every 
 beast of the field ; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt 
 thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity 
 between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her 
 seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 
 
 From what is here said, it would seem that the serpent origi- 
 nally possessed a noble form and erect attitude, but was now 
 degraded. It is not necessary to understand the sacred his- 
 torian as saying that the serpent race are nourished by dust, 
 but only, that in their grovelling condition on the ground, dust 
 would necessarily enter their mouths with their food. 
 
 That Satan was really the prime agent in this transaction, is 
 evident from this, that in the book of Revelation he is called 
 "the old serpent," and from the words of our Saviour, who 
 calls him a "liar" and a "murderer," in manifest allusion to 
 this event. 
 
 Here we have the first intimation of the Messiah. 
 
8 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 As the woman was first in the transgression, there was 
 denounced upon her a peculiar curse, which has descended 
 upon her sex in all generations. " Unto the woman he said, I 
 will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception ; in sorrow 
 shalt thou bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy 
 husband, and he shall rule over thee." But this did not 
 exempt her from her full share of the punishment denounced 
 upon our whole race. 
 
 "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened 
 unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which 
 I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it ; cursed is 
 the ground for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the 
 days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto 
 thee, and thou shalt eat of the herb of the field. In the sweat 
 of thy brow shalt thou eat bread, until thou return unto the 
 ground, for out of it wast thou taken ; FOR DUST THOU ART, AND 
 
 UNTO DUST SHALT THOU RETURN." 
 
 That Adam acted in this transaction as a public person, and 
 not as a private individual, is evident from the undeniable fact, 
 that the whole of this denunciation, as it relates to the curse 
 upon the ground, the necessity of labour, and the death of the 
 body, fall as fully upon his posterity as they did upon himself. 
 Well then might Paul say, "By one man sin entered into the 
 world, and death by sin." 
 
 The loss sustained by the human race, in consequence of 
 the fall of our first parents, is immense. The image of 
 G od was defaced, immortality was forfeited, and happiness was 
 blighted. 
 
 Concerning the use to be made of the "tree of life," which 
 stood also in the midst of the garden, the Scriptures are silent ; 
 and, as is common in such cases, the conjectures of men are 
 abundant. Some ascribe to it the power of conferring immor- 
 tality ; others are more moderate in their opinions of its virtues, 
 and suppose that the fruit was highly invigorating and medici- 
 nal, and would have preserved in health our first parents, 
 as long as it was intended they should continue upon earth ; 
 but a third and more probable opinion is, that the tree of life 
 possessed a sacramental character, and was merely a sign and 
 seal of that immortal life which God had promised on condition 
 of obedience. The words of God in the following passage are 
 very extraordinary, and very difficult of explanation: "And 
 the Lord God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, to 
 know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and 
 take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever; there- 
 fore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to 
 till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out 
 the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 
 
 cherubims, and a flaming sword (or a flame turning on itself), 
 which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." 
 It would detain us too long, even to notice the various inter- 
 pretations of this difficult passage. Leaving this, therefore, to 
 expositors, I would only remark that we here learn that agri- 
 culture was the first occupation of man, after his expulsion from 
 Paradise. He was sent to "till the ground." The only pro- 
 vision made for his comfort, of which a record was made, was 
 " That unto Adam, and unto his wife, did the Lord God make 
 coats of skins, and clothed them." 
 
 It has been remarked by many, that probably the rite of 
 sacrificing was at this time instituted, and that these skins were 
 taken from the bodies of those animals which were offered on 
 the altar. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 OF the particulars of their history afterwards very little is 
 known. The sacred historian passes at once from the birth of 
 Cain and Abel, to an interesting narrative respecting their cha- 
 racters, occupations, and destiny. Cain was a cultivator pf the 
 ground, but Abel was a keeper of sheep. Both of them were 
 professedly religious, for we find them engaged in the worship 
 of God; each presenting as an offering a portion of the fruits 
 of his labour. No doubt, the rite of sacrificing is of divine 
 institution, else Abel could not have offered of the firstlings of 
 his flock, and of the fat thereof, in faith ; and it is altogether 
 probable, that the productions of the earth had also been 
 appointed to be offered, as an acknowledgment of the goodness 
 of God, in granting rain and fruitful seasons from heaven ; as 
 we know, that after this time such offerings were made by divine 
 appointment. There does not, therefore, appear to be any cer- 
 tain ground for the opinion advocated by some learned men, 
 that Cain failed in his sacrifice, not only by a want of faith, but 
 by an external disobedience to the command of God ; refusing 
 to bring a bloody sacrifice, and following the suggestions of his 
 own reason, in the business of religion, rather than the revealed 
 will of God. This may have been the fact, but no intimation 
 of any such thing is given by Moses ; at least as his meaning is 
 given in our version. There is, indeed, a translation of the ori- 
 ginal, which contains a distinct reproof of Cain, because he had 
 not offered a sin-offering, or bloody sacrifice, when the animals 
 requisite for such an offering were in his possession, and even 
 then couching at his door. Leaving it to the critics to settle 
 
10 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 the true meaning of the passage, I go on to remark, that by 
 some visible manifestation, God expressed his approbation of 
 the worship of Abel, while he gave no sign of approbation to 
 the offering of Cain. How the mind of God was signified, on 
 this occasion, we are not informed ; but the conjecture has much 
 probability, that Abel's sacrifice, when laid upon the altar, was 
 consumed by fire from heaven. This evident preference of 
 Abel and his offering, filled the mind of Cain with thoughts the 
 most gloomy and desperate. His cheerfulness forsook him, and 
 his inward anguish appeared in the dejection of his countenance. 
 It would seem, from the history here given, that God was 
 accustomed to speak familiarly to the first men. Whether this 
 intercourse was held merely by articulate sounds, or whether he 
 appeared, as often afterwards, in the form of an angel or a 
 man, it would be rash for us to decide. On this occasion, God 
 inquired of Cain, why his countenance was fallen? and intima- 
 ted to him the method proper to be pursued by him in order to 
 find acceptance; but this expostulation from his Creator had 
 no salutary effect on the malignant feelings of this first-born of 
 men. He not only remained dissatisfied, but actually began to 
 feel a hatred to his pious and unoffending brother, which would 
 be satisfied with nothing short of his death. Abel seems to 
 have remained unsuspicious of the bloody designs of his brother, 
 and, therefore, took no pains to shun his presence. Cain, hav- 
 ing determined to murder him, invites him to accompany him 
 to the field or forest ; far, we may presume, from the eye of all 
 human witnesses. Here the first murder was committed. Of 
 the two first-born among men, children of the same parents, the 
 one is slain by the other. Cain had avoided the presence of 
 human witnesses, but the eye of God was fixed on the murderer, 
 and he was soon astonished by the question "Where is Abel, 
 thy brother?" Irritated, as well as confounded, he answers, 
 "I know not;" and subjoins, "Am I my brother's keeper?" 
 
 The Almighty soon let him understand that his guilt was 
 fully known, and that his brother's blood, which he had wicked- 
 ly shed, had cried unto him from the ground. That is, the 
 crime of which he had been guilty, in murdering his brother, 
 was so great, that it was as if the blood sent forth a cry for 
 vengeance against Cain. It is well for us that all blood does 
 not cry for vengeance. There is blood, the cry of which, before 
 the throne of God, is for mercy and peace ; which, therefore, 
 is said to " speak better things than the blood of Abel." 
 
 A curse is immediately denounced against the murderer. 
 As yet there was no civil government instituted, and no human 
 laws or human officers to apprehend and punish this criminal. 
 God took the matter into his own hands ; and though he did 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 11 
 
 not inflict immediate death upon the murderer, yet he may be 
 said to have subjected him to many deaths, until it seemed good 
 to him to cut him off from the face of the earth. The curse 
 upon Cain was in the following words : " And now art thou 
 cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive 
 thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the 
 ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A 
 fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth." Cain 
 expostulated with his Maker in regard to the intolerable burden 
 of his guilt and misery; and seemed now to fear the face of 
 man, dreading lest every one who found him should slay him. 
 To satisfy him that this should not be the fact, God gave a sign 
 to Cain; or, as it is commonly understood, impressed a mark 
 upon him ; concerning the nature of which it would be trifling 
 even to conjecture. The miserable wretch is now driven away 
 from the altar and house of God; and is separated from his 
 parents, and from all his brothers and sisters, except his own 
 wife, who followed her worthless husband into the land of Nod : 
 thus verifying the declaration made at the institution of mar- 
 riage: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and his 
 mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be one 
 flesh." The same is true in regard to the woman. How many 
 children had, during more than a century, been born unto our 
 first parents, we have no means of knowing. It is pretty clear, 
 however, that Abel died childless ; and we may infer from what 
 is said about appointing Seth as a seed in the place of Abel, 
 that his parents were not easily comforted, on account of the 
 premature and unnatural death of such a son. And if there 
 were, besides those mentioned in the record, many other child- 
 ren of the original pair, it would seem that none of them were 
 like Abel ; otherwise, it would not have been necessary to raise 
 up a child to take his place. Cain seems to have been the 
 father of a numerous posterity ; and among them were found 
 ingenious men, who became distinguished throughout all ages 
 as the inventors or improvers of the useful, and even of some 
 of the fine arts. We learn from this, that God may grant 
 worldly prosperity to man while under his curse. Probably a 
 large portion of the inhabitants of the earth before the flood 
 were the descendants of Cain. Their skill in the arts, so 
 necessary to the refined comforts of human society, would give 
 them a great influence among men. With these, the practice 
 of having more than one wife seems first to have made its 
 appearance. Lamech is the person to whom belongs this bad 
 distinction ; and the names of his wives were, Adah and Zillah. 
 
f 
 
 12 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 SETH AND HIS POSTERITY. 
 
 No transactions of any of the children of Adam are mentioned 
 in the brief history of Moses, except the sacrifice of Cain and 
 Abel, and the cruel murder of the latter by his envious brother. 
 To Seth, who was the successor of Abel, there was born a son, 
 in the hundred and fifth year of his age. The name of this 
 son, from whom all the inhabitants of the earth since the de- 
 luge have descended, was Enos. Adam was one hundred and 
 thirty years old when Seth was born. It is therefore probable 
 that Cain and Abel were more than a hundred years of age 
 when the latter was murdered, but no mention is made of the 
 age of Adam at the birth of his first-born. The plan of the 
 writer is to give the age of the father at the birth of those sons 
 only through whom the genealogy is reckoned. Commonly, it 
 is presumable, that these were the first-born of their respective 
 fathers ; but of this there is no certainty. Indeed, in the case 
 of Cain, we know that the contrary was the fact. At the birth 
 of his grandson Enos then, Adam and Eve were two hundred 
 andJJhirty-five years of age. Enos was ninety years old at the 
 birtn of his son Cainan, at which time Adam had reached the 
 age of three hundred and twenty-five years. To Cainan a son 
 was born in the seventieth year of his age, which was in the 
 three hundred and ninety-fifth year of Adam's life. The son 
 of Cainan was named Mahalaleel, to whom, in the sixty-fifth 
 year of his age, there was born a son by the name of Jared. 
 This occurred in the four hundred and sixtieth year of the life 
 of Adam. 
 
 Jared was one hundred and sixty-two years of age when 
 Enoch was born, one of the most excellent and remarkable men 
 who ever lived. He was a prophet, and a man so distinguished 
 for piety, that at the age of three hundred and sixty-five years, 
 he was taken to heaven without dying. This remarkable event 
 occurred in the eight hundred and fifteenth year of Adam's life. 
 But this holy man was married, and at the age of sixty-five had 
 born to him Methuselah, who is the oldest man mentioned in 
 Scripture. It was three hundred years after the birth of this 
 son, that God took Enoch to himself. At the age of one 
 hundred and eighty-seven years, a son was born to Methuselah 
 called Lamech. And in the hundred and eighty-second year 
 of Lamech's life, another very remarkable person was born, 
 namely, Noah. From an inspection of this genealogical table, 
 it will appear that Adam was living at the same time with 
 Methuselah for two hundred and forty-three years, and died 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 13 
 
 only sixty-five years before the birth of Noah. It is also evi- 
 dent, that Adam lived a number of years after the translation 
 of Enoch, and was living during the whole time of his contin- 
 uance upon earth. On account of the ages to which these 
 early patriarchs lived, many generations inhabited the world at 
 the same time. Adam. Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, 
 Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech, (eight successive generations,) 
 were alive together. Among these Adam would, of course, 
 hold the chief authority. He was not only the father of the 
 whole race, but the source of information to them all. Adam 
 had been created in a state of perfection of all his faculties of 
 mind and body ; had conversed with his Maker, before sin had 
 perverted his powers ; and had received upon his entrance on 
 the world such a stock of knowledge, as was absolutely neces- 
 sary in his condition. It has sometimes been inquired, whether 
 the antediluvians had any form of civil government ; to which 
 it may be answered, with certainty, that in the beginning, the 
 patriarchal form existed, and no other ; that is, the oldest per- 
 son governed when there was any necessity for authority. 
 Adam, by his care and government of his children, would 
 acquire such an authority over them as to constitute him their 
 natural ruler; and his superiority to all others, in knowledge, 
 would serve to render his influence still greater. For nealiy a 
 thousand years, this first man ruled his numerous and increasing 
 posterity; except that Cain and his descendants appear to have 
 formed, for a long time, a separate society, and had no connex- 
 ion with the children of Seth. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 GREAT CORRUPTION OF MANNERS, THE CONSEQUENCE OF INTERMARRIAGES BETWEEN 
 THE DESCENDANTS OF SETH AND THOSE OF CAIN. 
 
 BUT when the population of the earth was much increased, 
 an intercourse by marriage took place between these two por- 
 tions of mankind. "The sons of God saw the daughters of 
 men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all that 
 they chose." It is not said that these daughters of men were 
 the descendants of Cain ; but the supposition is by no means 
 improbable. Cain was driven out from the face of God, that 
 is, from the place where God made himself known. He and 
 his family were, therefore, in a manner, expelled from the pri- 
 mitive church. But they had probably increased in wealth, 
 luxury, and the arts, above the other posterity of Adam. For 
 a long time, we may presume, it would have been deemed 
 
14 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 impious to hold any intercourse with the murderer: but at 
 length this distance was diminished ; visits were paid from one 
 party to the other. And the young men who belonged to the 
 line of Seth, seeing the daughters of Cain that they were very 
 beautiful, soon formed marriages with them. This connexion 
 seems to have been the source of a grievous corruption of man- 
 ners. God, however, continued to warn and reprove the people 
 by his Holy Spirit, either immediately by striving with their 
 consciences, or by raising up prophets, who were inspired of 
 God to instruct and preach. He was, however, now almost 
 prepared to abandon them, and to say, "My Spirit shall not 
 always strive with man," yet he determined, in his mercy, that 
 he would wait with them for a further period of one hundred 
 and twenty years. 
 
 That the marriages above mentioned had an intimate connex- 
 ion with the corruption of manners which ensued, is expressly 
 asserted. Of their children it is said, "The same became 
 mighty men, which were of old, men of renown." Their 
 renown, doubtless, was not for good actions, but for high-handed 
 violence, injustice, and oppression. "And God saw that the 
 wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every 
 imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con- 
 tinually." 
 
 SECTIOX VI. 
 
 THE DELUGE THE ARK. 
 
 THE Almighty now resolved that he would destroy man 
 whom he had created, from the face of the earth; "for," 
 speaking after the manner of men, "it repented the Lord that 
 he had made man upon the earth." In surveying the millions 
 who now peopled the globe, there was only one man who found 
 favour in the eyes of the Lord. This was Noah, the son of 
 Lamech. As has been mentioned, he was born about sixty-five 
 years after the death of Adam, was a preacher of righteous- 
 ness, and was directed to prepare an ark for the salvation of 
 himself and family, which consisted of no more than eight 
 souls. Accordingly, Noah set to work to cut down and prepare 
 gopher wood, or wood of a light and resinous quality, of differ- 
 ent kinds. This is the first specimen of a vessel for the water, 
 of which we have any account. The dimensions of the build- 
 ing and its interior arrangements were divinely directed. It 
 had a door on the side, and a window or sky-light, which was 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 15 
 
 probably on the top. How much derision and mocking the 
 pious patriarch underwent, while engaged in erecting this 
 edifice, may be left to conjecture. The probable size was about 
 five hundred feet in length, eighty feet in breadth, and about 
 fifty feet in height, which was abundantly large enough for all 
 the purposes for which it was intended. 
 
 The ark being completed, and the season of grace and for- 
 bearance, already mentioned, having come to an end; and Noah 
 and his three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth, and their wives, 
 having received a Command to enter into the ark, took "of 
 clean beasts by sevens, the male and the female," that is, pro- 
 bably, seven of each sex, "and of beasts that were not clean, 
 two, the male and the female." If we have rightly interpreted 
 the former passage, four of each species of unclean animals 
 were taken in. Within seven days after Noah had entered the 
 ark, the flood commenced. This was in the six hundredth year 
 of Noah's life, in the seventeenth day of the second month of 
 the year. If the original year commenced about the autumnal 
 equinox, as is commonly supposed, then the deluge began, 
 according to the dates here given, about the first week in our 
 November. It is not the business of the historian to account 
 for events, but to state them accurately. This event was pro- 
 bably produced by a miraculous interposition ; but if other- 
 wise, no reason of man can ever do more than form conjec- 
 tures, which, however plausible, can give no satisfaction to the 
 mind in pursuit of truth. " The fountains of the great deep" 
 are said to have " been broken up ; and the windows, or cata- 
 racts of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth 
 forty days and forty nights." After this continual rain of 
 forty days, the water was so increased that the ark began to 
 float; and soon the increase of the water was so exceedingly 
 great, " that all the high hills that were under the whole heaven 
 were covered;" consequently, all the animals that breathed 
 upon the earth and air, except such as could live in the water, 
 died. And there was a general and total destruction, not only 
 of life, but of all the buildings which man had erected. Their 
 cities, however populous, were swept away. The wealth of the 
 world was buried beneath the deep. The cattle of a thousand 
 hills were seen no more. "Noah alone remained alive, and 
 they that were with him in the ark." "And the waters pre- 
 vailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." If we reckon 
 these days from the commencement of the rain, their end would 
 be about the 20th of February : but if, which is the most pro- 
 bable, they begin with the time when the waters completely 
 covered the earth, and began to raise up the ark, they will 
 bring us to the close of April. The latter reckoning is most 
 probable, because they mark the period in which the waters 
 
16 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 "prevailed upon the earth," by which I understand, the entire 
 covering or overwhelming of the earth. 
 
 " The fountains of the deep, and the windows of heaven 
 were now stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained, 
 and the waters returned from off the earth, continually ; and 
 after the end of the hundred and fifty days, the waters were 
 ahated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the sev- 
 enteenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 
 And the waters decreased until the tenth month : in the tenth 
 month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the 
 mountains seen." From this account it appears, that for ten 
 weeks after the ark rested on Mount Ararat, nothing hut 
 water was visible ; but at the end of this time, the lonely inhab- 
 itants of the ark began to spy land. If the first sight of land 
 excites an indescribable emotion of pleasure in the common 
 sailor, after a long and perilous voyage, what 'shall we say of 
 the feelings of Noah and his family, when, after being tossed 
 upon the bosom of the mighty deep for many months, they at 
 length saw the summits of some lofty mountain left bare by 
 the retiring waters? Some have conjectured that the ark 
 remained near the place where it was built all the time, and 
 was merely raised up by the rising flood; and wherr-thls 
 retired, rested on the mountain where it was built; but this is 
 very improbable. During such a convulsion of nature, the air 
 as well as the water must have been agitated by one perpetual 
 storm, and the ark, consequently, must have been exceedingly 
 tossed upon the water ; and there is no intimation in the sacred 
 history, that Mount Ararat was situated any where near the 
 place of the erection of this vessel. The mountains of Ararat 
 are in Armenia, and tradition still points out one of the highest 
 peaks as the spot where the ark rested. 
 
 Forty days after the tops of the mountains first began to be 
 visible, Noah ventured to open the window of the ark, and 
 sent forth a raven to ascertain whether the waters had with- 
 drawn from the earth. This bird found means to subsist by 
 resting on the summits of the mountains, or on articles floating 
 on the water, so that it did not return again to Noah, but 
 "went forth to and fro until the waters were dried up from the 
 earth." 
 
 Noah also sent out a dove for the same purpose; but the 
 dove, finding no rest for her foot, returned unto him, into the 
 ark; and he put forth his hand, and received her into the 
 ark. After seven days he again sent forth the dove, which 
 returned in the evening, bearing in her mouth an olive leaf, 
 whicfr she had plucked from this evergreen. By this, Noah 
 ascertained that the waters were abated from off the earth. 
 And after the interval of another week, he sent out the dove 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 17 
 
 for the third time, which, finding the earth free from water, 
 returned no more to the ark. 
 
 Noah now received express directions to disembark, and 
 bring out with him all the animals which had been preserved in 
 the immense fabric. 
 
 This remarkable event occurred in the six hundred and first 
 year of Noah's life, and on the first day of the first month. And 
 as he entered the ark in the six hundredth year of his life, it 
 follows that he remained shut up in the ark exactly one year. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 NOAH AND HIS FAMILY LEAVE THE ARK. 
 
 THE first act of Noah, after leaving the ark, was worthy of 
 the patriarch. " He builded an altar unto the Lord, and took 
 of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered 
 burnt-offerings on the altar." Hence we may learn, that altars 
 and burnt-offerings were before in common use, by Divine 
 appointment ; for we have no account of their institution on 
 this occasion; but the history speaks of them as things well 
 known and understood. 
 
 We have also in the narrative of this transaction information 
 that worship of the right kind is exceedingly pleasing to God, 
 and powerfully efficacious to obtain rich blessings for man. The 
 Divine acceptance of Noah's offering is figuratively but beauti- 
 fully expressed in the following words : " And the Lord smelled 
 a sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again 
 curse the ground any more for man's sake ; for the imagination 
 of man's heart is evil from his youth ; neither will I any more 
 smite every living thing, as I have done. While the earth 
 remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and^sum- 
 mer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." 
 
 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and gave them tVo pre- 
 cepts, which are incorporated in the history, though the tradi- 
 tion of the Jews is, that he now repeated the six which he had 
 originally given to Adam, to which he added a seventh. The 
 two on record are 1. To be fruitful and multiply. 2. To eat 
 no flesh "with the life thereof;" that is, the blood. Some 
 suppose that this is simply a prohibition of eating blood, but 
 others think that it respects the eating of the flesh of living 
 animals ; a cruel custom greatly practised in Abyssinia. 
 
 A ^ solemn admonition is also given respecting taking away 
 the life of man ; and a terrible threatening of the murderer : 
 "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be 
 shed." 
 2 
 
18 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 God also made a covenant with Noah and all living things ; 
 that is, he entered into a solemn engagement, which was con- 
 firmed by establishing the beautiful bow in the clouds, after 
 rain. The thing promised was suspended on no condition 
 whatever. It was that the human race should not again be cut 
 off, with all living creatures, by the waters of a flood. It seems 
 probable, that it had never rained upon the antediluvian world 
 before the windows of heaven were miraculously opened at the 
 commencement of the deluge ; or, that partial showers, which 
 left one part of the heavens clear, did not occur then ; for I 
 cannot persuade myself that when it is said, " I do set my bow 
 in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant," &c., it 
 had before existed, and was already set in the clouds. If it be 
 inquired how the earth was watered when there was no rain, 
 the answer is, " There went up a mist from the earth, and 
 watered the whole face of the ground." I am aware, however, 
 that many judicious commentators are of opinion, that the bow 
 in the clouds was no new thing, but was now applied to a new 
 purpose ; that is, God selected the rain-bow as an appropriate 
 sign of that covenant in which he promised that the world 
 should never again be deluged with water. 
 
 After Noah came from the ark, he followed agriculture, the 
 original and most necessary occupation of man. For this work 
 he had brought with him a vast stock of knowledge and expe- 
 rience ; and we may be sure, that in his solicitude to preserve 
 animal life, he would not neglect to bring with him into the 
 ark a large supply of vegetables ; especially of the species most 
 useful to man. Among other things, he had preserved the 
 roots or shoots of the vine, the fruit of which is among the 
 richest of the productions of the earth, and from which wine is 
 expressed. 
 
 When we consider that Noah was a prophet, a righteous man, 
 and perfect in his generation ; and that he had been, for more 
 than a .century, a preacher to the old world, and a reprover of 
 the vices of the people, we are perplexed and astonished to find 
 him drinking wine to such excess as to become an object of 
 derision to the irreligious part of his family, and a source of 
 grief and shame to the pious. The crime is so unexpected 
 and unaccountable, that it may even lead us to suspect either that 
 wine was not in use before the flood, or that the juice of the 
 grape did not then possess an intoxicating quality. But 
 there is no need of these suppositions. The fall of Noah is 
 sufficiently accounted for, when it is recollected that he was 
 but a man. If Adam, who was made in the image of God, 
 could fall, there is no difficulty in believing that Noah, in 
 whom that image was but imperfectly renewed, might also be 
 overcome by temptation, when left to himself. 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 19 
 
 Another thing which may be inferred from the history is, 
 that slavery, or the subjection of one to the will of another, 
 probably existed and was common before the flood ; because it 
 is threatened here as an evil well understood ; but if the prac- 
 tice had never existed, the meaning of the prediction would 
 scarcely have been understood. 
 
 Why the curse fell so heavily on Canaan has led to many 
 critical conjectures. It has been observed that parents are 
 never more severely punished than in the disasters of their 
 favourite children. To others, it has seemed probable that 
 Canaan participated in his father's crime ; or, that he was the 
 principal actor in the irreverent scene. 
 
 Noah reached the great age of nine hundred and fifty years, 
 which did not fall short of the average age of the patriarchs 
 who lived before the flood. Indeed, six hundred years of his 
 life were spent before the flood. The cause of the great age 
 of men before the flood has never been satisfactorily ascer- 
 tained. If my conjecture is right, that some of the laws and 
 conditions of the atmosphere, and of the surface of the earth, 
 underwent an alteration, it will serve for a general reason : but 
 the special reason why man's life was then so much longer than 
 at present can never be discovered. 
 
 The moral reasons for shortening human life are obvious 
 enough. Such length of years furnished both temptation and 
 opportunity to enormous iniquity. It was needful to cut off 
 the perpetrators of violence, that wickedness might cease. 
 There may be some reason to doubt whether they were solar or 
 lunar years ; but the probability is, that they were years of 
 twelve months each, and each month of thirty days. 
 
 SECTION Till. 
 
 THE EARTH PEOPLED AGAIN FROM THE THREE SONS OF NOAH. 
 
 FROM the three sons of Noah the whole earth was peopled. 
 The children of Japheth, the elder, spread themselves through 
 Asia Minor, along the eastern borders of the Mediterranean 
 sea, and the islands thereof, and towards the Black, and the 
 Caspian sea ; and thus became the founders of all the nations 
 of Greece, and of the nations in Europe and Asia north of the 
 40th degree of latitude. The most powerful and polished na- 
 tions now on earth are the descendants of Japheth. The Rus- 
 sians, Prussians, Poles, Finns, Danes, Swedes, Germans, Swiss, 
 Belgians, Dutch, Greeks, Italians, French, Scotch, English, 
 Irish, are, for the most part, the posterity of Noah's oldest son. 
 
20 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 The descendants of Shem were very numerous, and migrated 
 eastward ; and to this day have retained their original habita- 
 tions. Among them we must reckon the Hebrews, Arabians, 
 Syrians, Persians, Hindoos, Burmese, Chinese, and Japanese, 
 and most of the islanders in the Southern and Western Ocean. 
 
 The descendants of Ham seemed to have settled at first in 
 various places, as in Philistia, or Canaan ; in Mesopotamia, and 
 southern Arabia. But Egypt seems to have attracted most of 
 the children of Ham. It is therefore called "the land of Ham." 
 And one of his sons had the honour of giving name to the 
 country ; for it was called in the Hebrew, MIZRAIM, which it 
 appears was the name of one of the sons of Ham. The other 
 Africans were probably descended from his other sons. 
 
 During this period of history, no mention is made of any 
 very distinguished person except Nimrod. " He began to be a 
 mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the 
 Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod, the mighty hunter." 
 The commencement of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech. and 
 Arad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. In the English ver- 
 sion, it is said, " Out of that land went forth Ashur, and builded 
 Nineveh, Rehoboth, and Calah." But most interpreters, by 
 Ashur, understand a country, and they render the passage 
 " He (that is, Nimrod,) went into Ashur, or Assyria, and built 
 Nineveh." And according to the tradition and testimony of all 
 antiquity, Nimrod had Nineveh as the seat of his empire. There 
 is no one fact in which ancient historians are more agreed; we 
 conclude, therefore, that this is the true rendering of the pas- 
 sage. By his being a mighty hunter, it is commonly under- 
 stood that he was a great warrior and tyrant. By a careful at- 
 tention to the names in the tenth of Genesis, some learned men 
 have proceeded far in tracing the nations of the earth to their 
 respective stocks. This is a curious subject ; and certainly there 
 is not upon earth a document comparable to that contained in 
 the tenth chapter of Genesis, both as it respects its antiquity 
 and authority. The learned Bochart has found matter enough 
 here to fill a large folio volume, and yet the mine is far from 
 being exhausted. 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 BABEL THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES. 
 
 THE only remarkable event in the history of the human race 
 for many hundreds of years after the flood, was the confound- 
 ing the language of the people, and thus putting an end to an 
 impious attempt to build a tower whose top should reach to 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 21 
 
 heaven. The professed end of this tower was "to make to 
 themselves a name, lest they should be scattered abroad on the 
 face of the whole earth." Some have supposed that the people 
 were stupid enough to think that they could build a tower so 
 high, that running up to its top, they would be able to escape a 
 second deluge, if it should come. Others have, with more pro- 
 bability, supposed that the people being of one language, and 
 all united in one body, they wished to erect a building so high 
 that it might be the wonder of all posterity. A third opinion, 
 entitled to fully as much regard as either of the former, was, 
 that it was intended to be a temple for the worship of the hea- 
 vens ; and this accords with the undoubted historic fact, that, in 
 aftertimes, there was at Babylon the temple of Belus, an im- 
 mense structure, said to have been a mile in perpendicular 
 height. From the description of this temple by Herodotus and 
 others, it could be no other than the tower of Babel. A fourth 
 opinion is, that this high tower was erected as a sort of land- 
 mark, which was raised so high as to be visible through the ex- 
 tensive plain of Shinar, that the people might not be scattered 
 abroad, nor separated too far from each other. 
 
 Whatever might have been the real design of this structure, 
 it was viewed as a rebellious act by the King of Heaven ; there- 
 fore a stop was put to the work by a miracle. The account of 
 Moses is the following. "And the Lord came down to see the 
 city and the tower which the children of men builded. And 
 the Lord said, Behold the people is one, and they have all one 
 language, [lip ;] and this they begin to do : and now nothing will 
 be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go 
 to, let us go down, and there confound their language, [lip,] that 
 they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord 
 scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the 
 earth ; and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the 
 name of it called Babel, [Confusion,] because the Lord did 
 there confound the language of all the earth." 
 
 This event must have occurred long after the flood, because 
 the population of the earth was now great. No date, or era, is 
 connected with this history; but it has been supposed that its 
 time could be fixed by the birth of Peleg, the sixth in descent 
 from Noah, concerning whom it is said, " For in his days was 
 the earth divided." Now, if it was certain that the division 
 here referred to was the scattering of the people from Babel, 
 the date of the event can be exactly ascertained ; but this word 
 [peleg] is never used in the history of the confusion of tongues, 
 and in the whole Bible it always means a physical rupture or 
 division. It has to some appeared probable, therefore, that 
 the event here referred to was the rupture of the solid part of 
 the globe, by which a vast chasm was made between lands 
 
22 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 before united. The effects of the flood upon the shell of the 
 earth were not all terminated in a few years, but large conti- 
 nents, which had by that convulsion been undermined and sha- 
 ken, might about this time have fallen in, by which the different 
 branches of the human family would be separated. For 
 example, suppose that America was at first united to Africa, 
 but was now divided by the water covering the land which once 
 spread across the Atlantic Ocean. That such an event has 
 once happened is rendered probable by many appearances. 
 And this would remove all difficulty as to the manner in which 
 human beings and animals found their way to the western 
 continent, concerning which there has been so much conjec- 
 ture. 
 
 But however plausible this interpretation may appear, it 
 ought not to be received without the most urgent necessity, for 
 it utterly confounds the chronology of the Bible, by taking 
 away one of the essential links from the chain, and renders it 
 impossible to ascertain the age of the world. And of such a 
 convulsion of nature, by which continents once joined were 
 severed, history is totally silent. It seems best, therefore, to 
 adhere to the common understanding of this passage. 
 
 There has also been much diversity of opinion respecting the 
 precise nature of the effect wrought in the confusion of tongues, 
 at Babel. Many eminent critics are of opinion, that the con- 
 fusion had no relation to words, but only to counsels. That, 
 for a while, the people proceeded harmoniously in their work, 
 but at length, providentially a dissension arose either as to the 
 object of the work, or the proper mode of carrying it on. And 
 so the simple interpretation is, they quarrelled and separated 
 from one another. And in confirmation of this opinion they 
 remark, that the word translated language, in this chapter, is 
 not the one usually employed, but literally signifies lip, the 
 meaning of which, in the Hebrew language, is more properly, 
 counsel, or confession; often, worship. This opinion may be 
 said to be the most prevalent among critics in the Hebrew 
 tongue. And they plausibly allege, that for many hundreds of 
 years after this event, we never read of any diversity of 
 language; but, wherever the patriarchs travelled, they seemed 
 to have experienced no difficulty on this score. We do, indeed, 
 read of an interpreter between Joseph and his brethren ; but 
 they allege that he was merely a mediator, who conveyed the 
 words of princes and other exalted personages to their inferiors ; 
 an office which is known to have had an existence in ancient 
 times. The affinity of many ancient languages to the Hebrew 
 is also considered as hostile to the common interpretation. 
 
 Others are of opinion, that while the words remained, by a 
 miraculous influence upon the minds of the builders, they fell 
 
THE PATKIARCHS. 23 
 
 into a great diversity in their mode of pronunciation ; and this, 
 they observe, would answer the end designed, just as effectually 
 as a real diversity of tongues. 
 
 A third and more plausible opinion is, that the original 
 language of man was at this time divided into a number of 
 dialects ; that one company used one of these, and a second, 
 another ; so that they were unable to hold intercourse in carry- 
 ing on the work any longer, were obliged to abandon it, and 
 were scattered abroad. 
 
 But the common opinion, and that which is favoured by our 
 translators, and also by the Greek translators of the Bible is, 
 that God produced miraculously, on this occasion, a number of 
 languages radically different; from which have proceeded the 
 various tongues spoken by the different nations of the earth. 
 And this opinion is favoured by the fact, that several of the 
 languages of men seem not to have the smallest resemblance to 
 each other; but to be so different, that it is not conceivable 
 that they all proceeded from one root. And it must be con- 
 fessed, if the object was to scatter men over the face of the 
 earth, by interrupting their intercourse with one another, this 
 would be the most effectual of all. It is also in accordance 
 with the tradition of the Jews, who have an opinion among 
 them, that the number of languages produced on this occasion 
 was just seventy-two; and that this precise number still re- 
 mains unaltered. It would seem, therefore, that the common 
 opinion is not only safest, but best supported by probable argu- 
 ments. 
 
 It would seem, at first view, that all the inhabitants of the 
 earth were engaged in the enterprise at Babel. Noah was pro- 
 bably still alive, and certainly Shem; but it does not seem pro- 
 bable that these patriarchs had any hand in the work. It is 
 more likely, that the daring scheme was confined to the inhabi- 
 tants of the neighbouring region. Noah and Shem, probably, 
 never removed from the country where the ark rested. It is, 
 however, useless to inquire what branch of the family of Noah 
 was concerned in this transaction, as there is no history to cast 
 any light on the subject. 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 POSTERITY OF SHEM. 
 
 MOSES gives us no more than a table of the posterity of Shem, 
 in that particular line from which the Hebrew nation sprang, 
 and from which the Messiah was to descend. According to this 
 table, Arphaxad, the son of Shem, was born two years after the 
 
24 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 flood. The period of Shem's life after the birth of this son, 
 was no less than five hundred years ; so that, if he was a hun- 
 dred years old when the flood began, continued one whole year 
 in the ark, and lived five hundred and two years after the flood, 
 he must have been at the time of his death just six hundred and 
 three years old; and hence, it may be ascertained, that he 
 lived after his father one hundred and fifty-two years ; and was 
 living during .the greater part of the life of Abraham. It seems, 
 that the length of human life was not shortened at once, but 
 by degrees ; for Arphaxad, though his son Salah was born in 
 the thirty-fifth year of his age, arrived at the age of four hun- 
 dred and thirty eight years. Salah, though Eber was born in 
 the thirtieth year of his age, lived to the age of four hundred 
 and thirty-three years. Eber did not attain a less age, for his 
 son Peleg being born in the thirty-fourth year of his age, he 
 lived afterwards four hundred and thirty years, which makes his 
 age four hundred and sixty-four. Peleg, the next in succession, 
 did not reach the age of his progenitors ; for after the birth of 
 Reu, which occurred in the thirtieth year of his age, he lived 
 no more than two hundred and nine years, so that the length of 
 his life was only two hundred and thirty-nine years. And his 
 son, just mentioned, reached precisely to the same age as 
 his father. For, at the age of two-and-thirty his son Serug 
 was born, and lived afterwards two hundred and seven years, 
 which makes his whole age two hundred and thirty-nine years. 
 Serug did not fall much short of the age of his immediate an- 
 cestors ; for at the age of thirty his son Nahor was born, after 
 which he lived two hundred years, so that his age, when he 
 died, was two hundred and thirty. Nahor, in his nine-and- 
 thirtieth year was the father of Terah, and lived afterwards a 
 hundred and nineteen years, making his whole age no more than 
 one hundred and forty-eight years. 
 
 Terah, at the age of seventy years, is said to have been the 
 father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran ; not iiv the same year ; 
 but the oldest of them was born this year. As Abram is first 
 named, it might seem that he was the oldest of the three, but 
 from facts afterwards related, it appears highly probable that 
 he was the youngest ; and that he was first named, not on ac- 
 count of age, but of dignity ; and because the whole subsequent 
 history is connected with his family. 
 
 This branch of the family of Shem had settled on the eastern 
 side of the Euphrates ; and from the testimony of Joshua we 
 learn, that the immediate progenitors of Abraham were all 
 idolaters. In giving his last solemn charge to the tribes of 
 Israel, he called upon them, " Choose ye this day whom you will 
 serve ; whether the gods which your fathers served, that were 
 on the other side of the flood." And it is remarkable that 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 25 
 
 this is the earliest instance of idolatry which we find recorded 
 in the history by Moses. 
 
 The oldest son of Terah seems to have been Haran, who died 
 early, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees ; but left 
 a son by the name of Lot, who was taken by his grandfather, 
 and brought up with his own family. Sarai, the wife of Abram, 
 was probably the sister of Lot ; though she is here called the 
 daughter-in-law of Terah. 
 
 Terah, with Abram, Sarai, and Lot, removed from Ur of the 
 Chaldees, and dwelt at Haran. This movement seems to have 
 been in consequence of some direction from God to Abram ; for 
 we find that when they left home they meant to go to Canaan ; 
 but for some reason or other, they stopped on the borders of 
 their native country, and dwelt here as long as Terah lived. 
 His whole age was, two hundred and five years. 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 HISTORY OF ABRAHAM. 
 
 Now commences the history of Abram, who, at the call of 
 God, left Haran, after he had remained with his father for 
 some time ; and accompanied by Lot his nephew, and Sarai his 
 wife, went to the land of Canaan, which God had told him was 
 to be his future residence and possession. At the time of this 
 removal Abram was seventy-five years of age. When he arrived 
 at Canaan, he removed from place to place, according to the 
 unsettled kind of life which he and his sons pursued. The Ca- 
 naanites were, however, still in the land ; and though God again 
 promised this land to Abram and his posterity, the full posses- 
 sion was reserved for a future day. Several times during his 
 stay in Canaan^ Jie was forced to leave the country on account 
 of famine. 
 
 Lot, the nephew of Abram, increased rapidly in wealth, as 
 well as his uncle, and as they lived together, their herdsmen, 
 with their respective flocks, were mingled together, which gave 
 rise to frequent quarrels between them. Whereupon, Abram 
 saw that to preserve peace, it was necessary for them to sepa- 
 rate from each other. Therefore, with a noble generosity, 
 although he was the oldest man, and Lot owed all his wealth to 
 his kindness, yet he ofiered his nephew his choice of the 
 country. Lot accordingly selected the plains of Jordan, near 
 its entrance into the sea ; that is, the country in which stood 
 the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim. This 
 was not only a fertile country, but well watered. Lot con- 
 
26 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 tinned to pitch his tent from place to place, until he was 
 induced, notwithstanding the wickedness of the place, to take 
 up his residence in Sodom, and his family became associated in 
 marriage with the inhabitants of that corrupt city. Abram. 
 continued his residence in the more elevated country of Canaan, 
 where he had before pitched his tent. His usual residence, 
 however, was in the plain of Mamre, near the ancient city of 
 Hebron. 
 
 In these early ages, almost all people were governed by 
 kings, but their jurisdiction seldom reached farther than a single 
 city, with its suburbs and neighbouring villages : yet sometimes 
 ambitious men, as Nimrod, extended their dominions by war 
 to a considerable distance. Battles, of course, were frequent, 
 and every man was required to be a soldier, when his king 
 demanded his servics. 
 
 While Lot resided in Sodom, a war occurred, in which the 
 five kings who ruled over the cities of the plain, were joined, 
 against four kings whose dominions lay near the mouth of the 
 Euphrates. The principal of these was Chedorlaomer, king of 
 Elam, to whom these cities of the plain had been subject for 
 twelve years ; but in the thirteenth, they rebelled ; whereupon, 
 the king of Elam, calling to his assistance several other kings, 
 marched against these rebellious kings. The two armies met 
 and fought in the vale of Siddim, in which battle the king of 
 Elam was victorious. Marching to Sodom, they took the spoil, 
 and, among the rest, took Lot and his family prisoners, and 
 carried away all his goods. Upon hearing this, Abram, calling 
 to his aid his servants, and some of his neighbours, pursued the 
 enemy, and overtook and defeated them near Damascus, and 
 rescued Lot, and recovered all the property which had been 
 taken away, which he restored to the owners, refusing to take 
 any part for himself. 
 
 While God repeated to Abram the promise that he would 
 give to him and his posterity the whole extent of the land of 
 Palestine, from the river of Egypt a small stream at the 
 entrance into the wilderness to the great river, the river 
 Euphrates, and confirmed the same by a solemn covenant or 
 oath ; he distinctly foretold to him, that his descendants should 
 be strangers in a strange land, where they should be reduced to 
 slavery, and be afflicted four hundred years. As to the begin- 
 ning of this period, there is still much difference of opinion ; 
 but that it should be calculated from the time of Abraham 
 seems to be the most probable, and certainly was the opinion of 
 the ancients, as in the Greek version of the book of Genesis, 
 and in the Samaritan copy, there is an addition to the text, in 
 which this idea is distinctly expressed. At the same time, 
 Jehovah predicted, that the nation by whom they should be 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 27 
 
 oppressed should be punished, and that the people should come 
 out with "great substance." And to Abram it was promised, 
 that he should be buried in a good old age : and that in the 
 fourth generation, his posterity should gain possession of the 
 promised land. The reason for the fulfilment of the promise 
 being deferred is very remarkable: "For the iniquity of the 
 Amorites is not yet full." This short sentence contains much 
 weighty meaning, deserving the solemn attention of every 
 nation. It teaches them, that though God's justice is slow 
 in visiting, with deserved punishment, guilty nations, yet his 
 judgments are sure; and that there is a certain fulness of 
 iniquity, which, when it is reached by any people, will certainly 
 be followed by punishment. Then the iniquities of many 
 generations are visited upon the last and most guilty gene- 
 ration. Thus does God visit the iniquities of the fathers upon 
 the children after the lapse of many centuries. And this 
 he does, without interfering with justice in regard to indi- 
 viduals. 
 
 The wicked nations who now dwelt in this land, and who are 
 sometimes called Amorites, or Canaanites, were the following, 
 namely, the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the 
 Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaims, the Amorites, the 
 Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Ten nations; 
 three of which were destroyed or mixed with the others, before 
 the Israelites under Joshua took possession of the land; for at 
 that time, no more than seven nations are mentioned. 
 
 Notwithstanding the repeated promises to Abram of a 
 numerous posterity, he had as yet no child. And the mother 
 of his first child was not Sarai, but her maid Hagar, who, 
 according to an ancient usage, was given to him by Sarai, as a 
 secondary wife. The examples recorded in Scripture, of men 
 who had more than one wife, are not intended as examples for 
 our imitation, but may be used for our warning. They all serve 
 to teach us, that every departure from the original institution 
 of marriage is attended with vexation, and evils innumerable. 
 And as to the practice of the pious patriarchs, that apology 
 may be made for them, which the pious in every age need, 
 namely, that through the imperfection of human knowledge 
 and virtue, particular errors and vices obtained the sanction 
 of public opinion, and their evil was not perceived. Thus it 
 was with the Reformers, respecting persecution ; and thus it 
 now is, probably, in regard to offensive war, and the military 
 spirit, which is directly hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ, 
 and the practice of the primitive Christians. 
 
 The expedient of Sarai, with which Abram complied, was 
 successful. When Hagar the Egyptian maid, knew that she 
 was to have a son instead of Sarai, she could not conceal her 
 
28 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 contempt for her mistress, who made a heavy complaint against 
 her to her husband. Abram would not interfere, but left it to 
 Sarai to proceed against her according to her will ; upon which 
 she began to treat Hagar with severity, until she was induced 
 to flee from the face of her mistress. But the angel of the Lord 
 directed her to return and submit herself to her mistress, pro- 
 mising that she should have a son, and that his name should be 
 called Ishmael, because the Lord had heard her affliction. The 
 angel, moreover, predicted what sort of man he should be, and 
 what should be the character of the people who should descend 
 from him. "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be 
 against every man, and every man's hand against him : and he 
 shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Accordingly, 
 Hagar returned, and when her son was born, she called his 
 name Ishmael. It is truly remarkable, how exactly the charac- 
 ter of the Bedouin Arabs, to this very day, answers to the des- 
 cription of Ishmael, given by the angel ; and their character 
 and mode of life, and place of residence, have never been 
 changed, from the time of Ishmael unto this day. 
 
 At the birth of Ishmael, Abram was eighty-six years old. 
 And he seems to have thought that God's promise of a numer- 
 ous offspring would be fulfilled in this son, for whom he felt a 
 strong affection. 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION GOD VISITS ABRAM, AND PROMISES HIM A SON BT 
 
 SARAH DESTRUCTION OF SODOM ESCAPE OF LOT. 
 
 BUT when Abram had reached his ninety-ninth year, God ap- 
 peared to him in a more remarkable manner than before, under 
 the name of GOD ALMIGHTY, or GOD THE MUNIFICENT, com- 
 manding him "to walk before him and be perfect." On this 
 occasion, God entered anew into covenant with Abram, and 
 as a sign of the certainty of his promise, changed his name 
 to Abraham, the meaning of which is, "the father of many 
 nations." 
 
 At this time, also, he instituted the rite of circumcision, as a 
 sign and seal of the covenant, and to be a distinctive mark of 
 all who were received into covenant with God. There is no 
 good reason for supposing that this rite was borrowed from the 
 Egyptians or Ethiopians, as some learned men have thought, 
 but every reason for believing that it was original with Abra- 
 ham ; and that other nations derived it from the Hebrews and 
 Ishmaelites. Lest this ceremony should be neglected, the com- 
 mand enjoining it was very strict, and the punishment for omis- 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 29 
 
 sion nothing less than expulsion from the congregation of the 
 Lord. The blessings promised at this time were the same as 
 before, with some enlargement. " And I will give unto thee, 
 and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, 
 all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will 
 be their God." 
 
 The name of Sarai was also changed to Sarah, and a peculiar 
 blessing was pronounced upon her also : " And I will bless 
 her, and give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and 
 she shall be a mother of nations ; kings of people shall be of 
 her." 
 
 This promise of a son by Sarah almost overwhelmed Abra- 
 ham ; he fell on his face and laughed for joy, and said, " Shall 
 a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old ? and 
 shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear ?" But the good old 
 patriarch seems to have been apprehensive, that Ishmael, on 
 whom his affections were strongly fixed, should be cast off; 
 therefore he exclaimed, "0 that Ishmael might live before 
 thee!" Upon which, God, in the kindest and most condescend- 
 ing manner, assured him, that his covenant would be established 
 with the son whom Sarah should have, and whose name should 
 be called Isaac, (Laughter.) "And as for Ishmael, I have 
 heard thee : Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him 
 fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly : twelve princes shall 
 he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my cove- 
 nant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto 
 thee, at this set time, in the next year." 
 
 The descendants of Ishmael, now upon earth, who are gener- 
 ally Mohammedans, have retained the rite of circumcision unto 
 this day, and administer it about the same age as that of 
 Ishmael, when he was circumcised, which was thirteen years. 
 
 The next appearance of God to Abraham was very remarka- 
 ble, as he exhibited himself in visible form, in the shape and 
 appearance of a man ; accompanied by two angels, who, in like 
 manner, had the appearance of men. 
 
 Abraham was sitting in his tent-door at Mamre, in the mid- 
 dle of the day, when they presented themselves ; upon which 
 he bowed himself toward the ground, and addressed one of them 
 by the name, JEHOVAH ; whence it may be inferred, that this per- 
 son, though appearing in the form of a man, was in some man- 
 ner known by Abraham to be truly God. It is also remarka- 
 ble, that they partook of the hospitality of the patriarch. 
 Whether their eating of the prepared calf was real or only in 
 appearance, it is of no importance to inquire. 
 
 The object of this visit was, to confirm the promises already 
 made to Abraham ; and, especially, that one which related to 
 the speedy birth of a son to Sarah. But the purpose of God 
 
30 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 to destroy Sodom and the other cities of the plain, for their 
 enormous wickedness, was now communicated to Abraham. 
 The kindness and confidence with which he was treated by 
 Jehovah, on this occasion, are extraordinary. His words were, 
 " Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do : seeing 
 that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation ; and all 
 the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him ? For I know 
 him that he will command his children, and his household after 
 him ; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice 
 and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that 
 which he hath spoken of him." 
 
 Abraham interceded earnestly for Sodom, and did not cease 
 until he obtained a promise, that if only ten righteous persona 
 should be found in that city, it should not be destroyed : but this 
 number, it appears by the event, were not found, and so a fiery 
 ruin overwhelmed the cities of the plain. But God was not 
 unmindful of his servant Lot ; for the two angels who had accom- 
 panied him to Abraham's tent, were now sent to warn and secure 
 him and his family ; and, on this occasion, we have an example 
 of the extreme wickedness of the whole population of that aban- 
 doned city. Lot and two of his daughters escaped, while his 
 sons and sons-in-law perished in the dreadful overthrow of the 
 place ; and his wife was suddenly transformed into a pillar of 
 salt, for looking back to the town, in direct violation of the 
 injunction of the angels. 
 
 The evil consequences of living among a corrupt and licen- 
 tious people are manifest, in regard to Lot and his family. He 
 himself seems to have continued faithful, for an apostle tells us, 
 that "from day to day he vexed his righteous soul" on account 
 of the wickedness of the people ; but the whole of his family 
 appear to have been infected with the prevailing corruption of 
 manners. Of this his daughters, who escaped, gave a humil- 
 iating example, when they caused their father to be intoxicated, 
 and became the mothers of two children to him. From this 
 sinful connexion sprang the nations of the Moabites and Am- 
 monites, who had their residence on the east of the Dead 
 Sea; and were perpetual sources of trouble and injury to the 
 Israelites. 
 
 The account of Abraham's sojourning in Gerar, on account 
 of famine, is so much the same as what is related of Isaac, that 
 some have supposed that some confusion has occurred in this 
 part of the sacred book; so that what properly belongs to 
 Isaac, is here referred, by the mistake of copies, to Abraham ; 
 especially, as Sarah being now above ninety years of age, can- 
 not be supposed to have been as handsome as is here supposed. 
 But as the kind of life pursued by these patriarchs was similar, 
 there is no improbability in supposing that the disaster of 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 31 
 
 famine might happen during the residence of each of them, and 
 that they might retreat to the same region for relief, which was 
 fertile and near at hand. And as to the names of the kings of 
 Gerar being the same in both cases, it may be observed, that 
 Abimelech seems to have been the common name of their kings, 
 as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian kings. The difficulty about 
 Sarah's age is easily removed; for she seems, by miracle, to 
 have recovered her youth. That in both cases the women 
 should have been seized, and taken to the harem of the king, 
 shows us the licentious and arbitrary customs of that country 
 and age. 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 BIRTH OF ISAAC COMMAND TO ABRAHAM TO SACRIFICE HIS SON. 
 
 THE time had now arrived when Sarah, according to the divine 
 prediction, was to become the mother of a son. His name, as 
 had been directed, was called Isaac; and on the eighth day he 
 was circumcised, according to the commandment. Of course 
 there was great joy and exultation with his parents. On the 
 'day on which Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast. 
 This event among the ancient Jews is said to have occurred, 
 not before the third year, and frequently was deferred until the 
 fifth. 
 
 It seems to have been on this joyous occasion, that Sarah 
 saw Ishmael engaged in mocking; probably Isaac was the 
 object of his mockery, although this is not said. Wherefore 
 Sarah begged her husband to cast out both Hagar and her son, 
 as it was not intended that the son of the bondwoman, that is, 
 their slave, should be heir with, or thought equal to, her son 
 Isaac. As Abraham entertained a tender affection for Ishmael, 
 he was very unwilling to comply with Sarah's demand ; but the 
 Lord told him that he ought to do as his wife wished ; and to 
 comfort him respecting Ishmael, the promise that he should be 
 the father of a nation of people, was repeated. Abraham 
 therefore sent Hagar and Ishmael from his dwelling, furnished 
 with bread and water for their journey. They travelled on 
 into the wilderness, and continued their journey until their 
 provisions were spent; on which, Hagar, expecting the lad to 
 die with thirst, laid him down under a bush, and went off to 
 some distance, that she might not see her child die ; and here, 
 feeling her desolate and almost hopeless condition, "she lifted 
 up her voice and wept." But God, who heareth the cry of his 
 distressed creatures, had compassion on her, and spoke to her 
 
32 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 from heaven, and promised not only that the child should live, 
 but that he should become a great nation. At this juncture, 
 the eyes of Hagar were directed to a well of water, and she 
 filled her bottle, and gave drink to the lad. 
 
 Ishmael, from this time, seems to have dwelt in the wilder- 
 ness of Paran, where he became eminent for the use of the bow. 
 His mother appears to have remained with him; for we read, 
 " that she took him a wife of the land of Egypt." 
 
 The permanent property of most value to those who led the 
 wandering life pursued by Abraham and his sons, was the pos- 
 session of wells of water for the refreshment of their numerous 
 flocks. We find, therefore, that wells were the subject of 
 solemn treaties or covenants between the heads of tribes in that 
 country; their most serious disputes were on account of these ; 
 and the most bitter enmity was manifested by their filling up 
 the wells of their enemies. 
 
 When Isaac was grown up to the size of a man, Ishmael 
 being gone, the affections of the patriarch were fixed on his 
 only and well beloved son. When all causes of trouble seemed 
 to be removed, Abraham received the most extraordinary and 
 heart-rending command from God which was ever given to any 
 parent. "Take now," said God, "thy son, thine only son 
 Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, 
 and offer him there for a burnt-offering, upon one of the moun- 
 tains which I will tell thee of." Never was a more painful duty 
 required, and yet Abraham did not complain or hesitate. He 
 went straight forward in the way of obedience, until his hand 
 was raised to strike the fatal stroke, aimed at the life of his 
 child, who lay meekly bound before him. At this critical and 
 awful moment, his hand was arrested by the call of an angel 
 from heaven. This, perhaps, was the most extraordinary act 
 of faith and obedience ever exhibited by a mere man; but it 
 was no more than a shadow of God's giving up his only begot- 
 ten and well beloved Son, actually to die a painful and dis- 
 graceful death for our sins. 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 DEATH OF SARAH PURCHASE OF A BURYING PLACE. 
 
 AT the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years, Sarah, the 
 wife of Abraham, died. On this mournful occasion, the 
 patriarch felt that he needed for his family some better title 
 to the land he possessed than he had yet obtained. In his 
 mode of life he did not need to buy the land on which he 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 38 
 
 pitched his tent from time to time, and over which his flocks 
 wandered. But when he saw the wife of his youth, and the 
 constant companion of his pilgrimage, lying dead in the tent, 
 the want of a place of burial, such as could not be disturbed, 
 pressed itself upon him so strongly, that he entered into a nego- 
 tiation with the sons of Heth for a piece of ground for that 
 purpose. They, indeed, generously offered him the privilege of 
 burying his dead in the best of their sepulchres : but he would 
 not agree to this proposal, and asked them to sell the cave of 
 Machpelah, with the field in which it was situated. Ephron, 
 who seems to have been a chief among the sons of Heth, gen- 
 erously offered to give Abraham the field which he desired ; 
 but the patriarch did not wish to bring himself under any 
 special obligation to the people of the land, and therefore 
 insisted on paying a fair price for the property. Accordingly, 
 the sale took place by mutual agreement, and he weighed to 
 Ephron four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the 
 merchant. And thus "the field of Machpelah, which is 
 before Mamre ; the field and the cave which was therein ; the 
 trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round 
 about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the 
 presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at 
 the gate of the city." 
 
 This being the most ancient example of the transfer of real 
 estate, which is on record, it is curious to remark the particu- 
 larity with which the property is described, and the several 
 things contained in the purchase; not only the field, but the 
 cave, and also the trees in the field, and on the border. We 
 may observe, also, the publicity of the transaction. It was a 
 bargain made, and an actual conveyance of land, in the pre- 
 sence of all the inhabitants of the city. Thus every thing was 
 made sure. The price was carefully weighed, and consisted of 
 such money as was current with the merchant ; that is, it pro- 
 bably had some stamp or mark impressed on the pieces, indica- 
 ting that it was not spurious but genuine silver. From the whole 
 transaction, it seems evident, that written deeds, or documents 
 signed and sealed by the parties, were not then in use. If 
 writing had been known in Abraham's time, we should most 
 certainly have had some mention of it here, or when he sent 
 Eliezer to his kindred in Mesopotamia ; but in the Bible there 
 is not a vestige of any thing like writing before Moses, unless 
 you choose to place Job at an earlier period. But what sort 
 of writing was used in the time of Job, we know not. It 
 might have been nothing else than writing by pictures, or what 
 are called hieroglyphics. 
 
 Abraham, having secured the cave of Machpelah, buried 
 3 
 
34 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Sarah his wife there ; and this became the place of burial for 
 the descendants of Abraham for many generations. 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 ABRAHAM SENDS TO HIS KINDRED FOR A WIFE FOR ISAAC REBEKAH IS SENT 
 
 DEATH OF ABRAHAM. 
 
 ABRAHAM, being now advanced in years, was desirous of seeing 
 Isaac, his son and heir, well married and settled, before he died. 
 And as he was on principle opposed to a connexion with the 
 inhabitants of the country, he thought it best to send Eliezer, 
 a trusty servant, and steward of his household, to select a wife 
 for Isaac from among his own kindred. Eliezer, accordingly, 
 set out on his journey, with a caravan of ten camels, not only 
 to give a proof to the people to whom he was sent, of Abraham's 
 wealth for God had greatly blessed him but to carry pre- 
 sents for the friends of the person that might agree to accom- 
 pany him home. This aged and faithful servant had not resided 
 so long in Abraham's family without religious benefit. He 
 appears to have possessed the very spirit of his master, as 
 regarded faith and devotion. For, having arrived in the coun- 
 try of his destination, instead of depending on his own wisdom, 
 he commits the whole matter, by prayer, to the providence of 
 God. The substance of the prayer which he offered up at the 
 well of water to which he had come, was, that it might be so 
 ordered that the woman who should first come down to the well 
 to draw water, according to the custom of the East, and who, 
 upon being requested, should give drink to himself and his 
 camels, might be the one that God had appointed for the wife 
 of Isaac. And before he had finished his prayer, behold, 
 Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was 
 the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her 
 pitcher on her shoulder. Rebekah was beautiful, and doubtless, 
 Eliezer, as soon as he saw her, believed that his prayer was 
 answered; but his confidence must have been greatly increased 
 when, in compliance with his request, she cheerfully let down 
 her pitcher, and said, "Drink, my lord;" and when, before she 
 was requested, of her own accord, she offered to draw water for 
 the camels. Indeed, the occurrences were so sudden and 
 remarkable, that the man stood astonished, waiting to observe 
 "whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not." 
 This satisfaction, however, must have been full, when, upon 
 inquiry, he found that the beautiful and obliging girl was the 
 daughter of Bethuel, and consequently the grand-niece of 
 Abraham, his master. 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 85 
 
 Eliezer having given some costly jewels to Rebekah, she, 
 after inviting him to her father's house, ran home to tell what 
 had passed, to her friends. Laban, the brother of Rebekah, 
 instantly went out to the well, where Eliezer remained standing, 
 and again most pressingly invited him to the house, saying, 
 " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou 
 without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the 
 camels." The man having complied with this invitation, and 
 having ungirded his camels, and received some refreshment, be- 
 gan to mention fully his business ; and telling whose servant he 
 was, and giving an account of the abundant riches with which 
 God had blessed Abraham, he proceeded to explain at once the 
 errand on which he had come ; and particularly told the re- 
 markable occurrences at the well, since his arrival. "And 
 now," said he, "if ye will deal kindly and truly with my mas- 
 ter, tell me ; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right 
 hand or the left." Then both Laban and Bethuel said, " The 
 thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot speak unto thee bad 
 or good. Rebekah is before thee, take her, go, and let her be 
 thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken." Upon 
 hearing this favourable decision, Eliezer felt constrained, with- 
 out delay, and in the presence of them all, to prostrate himself 
 on the earth, in a solemn act of worship and praise, to Almighty 
 God, who had so wonderfully prospered his journey. No doubt 
 Rebekah consented to the contract thus made by her father and 
 brother ; but in those days the explicit consent of young females 
 was not considered essential ; as is the case in the East, at this 
 day. 
 
 Things being thus quickly and happily arranged, Eliezer was 
 anxious to return home immediately ; but the friends of Re- 
 bekah begged for a little delay ; but when they found that he 
 was determined to go, and saw that Rebekah was willing to ac- 
 company him, they ceased to object. Accordingly, Eliezer had 
 the pleasure of conveying home to his master, a lovely and vir- 
 tuous bride for his beloved son. She appears to have lived with 
 him in uninterrupted peace; for Isaac in this differed from all 
 the other patriarchs of those times, that he never married more 
 than one wife. 
 
 Abraham, after the death of Sarah, took another wife, Ketu- 
 rah. His sons, by this woman, six in number, were not per- 
 mitted to divide the inheritance with Isaac ; to whom Abraham 
 gave all that he had ; but these young men, as they grew up, 
 received presents from their father, and were sent away into 
 the east country. 
 
 Abraham lived to the age of one hundred and seventy-five 
 years, and then was gathered to his fathers ; and was buried 
 by his sons Ishmael and Isaac in the cave of Machpelah, which 
 
36 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 is before Mamre, which he purchased from Ephron the Hittite, 
 and where he buried Sarah. This is the only meeting of the 
 two brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, of which we have any account, 
 after the former was sent away with his mother. We learn, 
 however, that Ishmael's family greatly increased, for he was 
 the father of twelve sons, who were all princes, each being the 
 head of a distinct tribe or nation. Their habitation was in 
 Arabia, where their descendants are found leading the same 
 kind of life unto this day. Ishmael himself lived to be a hun- 
 dred and thirty-seven years of age, and then "died in the pre- 
 sence of all his brethren." 
 
 SECTION XVI. 
 
 ESAU AND JACOB BORN ESAU DEPRIVED OF THE BLESSING OF THE FIRST-BORN BY 
 THE FRAUD OF R.EBEKAH AND JACOB. 
 
 AT the time when Isaac was married to Rebekah he was forty 
 years of age. For a considerable time he had no children, but 
 in answer to his prayers, twin sons, Esau and Jacob, were born. 
 The former at his birth was in a remarkable manner covered all 
 over with hair, but Jacob, his twin brother, was smooth. Esau 
 being the oldest had a right to the privileges of the first-born, 
 called the birth-right ; but on a certain occasion, when the boys 
 were grown, Esau having returned from hunting, to which he 
 was greatly devoted, was so hungry and fatiguOT, that he be- 
 lieved himself to be dying; and meeting with his brother, who 
 had ready-made a certain kind of red porridge or soup, Esau 
 begged Jacob to give it to him. Jacob seeing his necessity, told 
 him he would give it to him for his birth-right. Esau, believing 
 himself to be at the point of death, said, "What profit shall this 
 birth-right do to me ?" Whereupon he sold it for a dish of pot- 
 tage, and confirmed the bargain by an oath. This act of Esau 
 is described in Scripture as very profane ; as it was understood 
 that spiritual as well as temporal blessings were connected with 
 the birth-right, and especially a superiority over all his breth- 
 ren: and some suppose.it had some relation to the line from 
 which the Messiah should descend. But however wicked the 
 act of Esau in despising his birth-right, and selling it for a mess 
 of pottage, the conduct of Jacob, who took advantage of his 
 brother's necessity, cannot be justified. It was certainly an 
 act in which there was a total absence of that brotherly love 
 which we owe to every fellow-creature ; and more especially 
 to our own brothers, who are bone of our bone and flesh of our 
 flesh. 
 
 The only disaster which is recorded in the whole life of Isaac 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 37 
 
 was a famine, which compelled him to go to Gerar, of which 
 Abimelech was king ; whither Abraham his father had taken 
 refuge from a calamity of a similar kind, in the time of a for- 
 mer king probably the father of the present of the same 
 name. And a similar occurrence to that recorded in the life of 
 Abraham now took place. Rebekah, as soon as her beauty was 
 beheld, was carried off to be reserved for the use of the king ; 
 for Isaac had, to preserve his own life, which he supposed Avould 
 be sacrificed for the sake of his wife, pretended that she was his 
 sister ; for which falsehood he had not the apology which Abra- 
 ham employed ; as Abraham's wife was in a certain sense his 
 sister. But Abimelech, being a well-disposed man, no sooner 
 discovered that Rebekah was the wife of Isaac, than he restored 
 her to her husband, with a reproof for his conduct. As this 
 land was very fertile, Isaac remained and cultivated the earth 
 with great success, receiving an increase of a hundred-fold of 
 what he sowed ; that is, a hundred grains for one ; and while he 
 was resident here, his riches increased exceedingly, until he be- 
 came an object of envy to the Philistines, among whom he dwelt. 
 They contended with him about wells which his servants had 
 dug, until, at length, Abimelech requested him to depart out 
 of the country. He went next to the Valley of Gerar, and 
 pitched there ; but still the contention with the Philistines for 
 the wells which he digged continued ; until, at Rehoboth, they 
 ceased to be troublesome. But he continued removing his tent 
 from place to place, until he came to Beersheba, or the well of 
 the oath. Here God appeared unto Isaac, and said, " I am the 
 God of Abraham thy father ; fear not, for I am with thee, and 
 will bless thee, and multiply thy seed, for my servant Abra- 
 ham's sake." And Isaac, possessing the same devout spirit as 
 his father, "builded an altar there, and called upon the name 
 of the Lord." While he resided at this place, Abimelech and 
 some of his chief men came to him, and proposed entering into 
 a solemn covenant with him. For on account of his increasing 
 greatness they were afraid of him; and thought, as he had 
 been badly treated whilst residing among them, and had been 
 sent out of their land, that he might feel a disposition to be re- 
 venged. Abimelech, however, used it as an argument to enter 
 into this covenant, that they had done nothing but good unto 
 him, and had sent him away in peace. Isaac, who seems to 
 have been a lover of peace, received his old friends kindly, 
 made a feast for their entertainment, and willingly entered into 
 covenant with them, agreeably to their proposal. 
 
 Men who are prosperous in the world often suffer affliction 
 and mortification from their children. Esau was a favourite 
 child with his father, who therefore would be the more grieved 
 at the imprudent conduct of his first-born, who married one of 
 
00 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 the daughters of Canaan, Judith the daughter of Beeri. And, 
 not content with one, he took another wife from the same tribe, 
 Basheraath the daughter of Elon. "Which were a grief of 
 mind unto Isaac and Rebekah." Esau was forty years of age 
 when he contracted these marriages. 
 
 It was customary for the patriarchs, when about to die, to call 
 their children, and give them their blessing, which, in the case 
 of the inspired patriarchs, was prophetic of their future destiny ; 
 and, of course, the richest blessing was pronounced upon the 
 oldest son, or on him who had received the privilege of the 
 birth-right, which was sometimes transferred from the first-born 
 to a younger brother. 
 
 Isaac, being now advanced in years, and being so blind that 
 he could not distinguish one person from another, thought that 
 his days were probably drawing to a close. He, therefore, 
 called Esau, and sent him out to hunt some venison, and to 
 dress it in that peculiar manner, which he knew to be agreeable 
 to him ; that being gratified and excited to paternal affection, 
 he might be prepared to give him the benediction of the first- 
 born, before he died. Rebekah, overhearing these directions 
 of her husband, immediately devised a plan for securing the 
 chief blessing to her favourite son Jacob. To accomplish her 
 end, she made him bring her a kid, which she dressed in a man- 
 ner which she knew would be agreeable to Isaac's taste ; and 
 having persuaded Jacob to put on a suit of his brother's clothes, 
 and to cover his hands and neck with the hairy skin of the kid, 
 she sent him into his father, pretending to be Esau, who had 
 not yet returned from the field. The stratagem succeeded. Ja- 
 cob answered to his father's question, that he was Esau, and 
 accounted for his quick return from the hunt by referring it all 
 to the favour of Providence. Isaac suspected that the voice was 
 that of Jacob, and therefore called him near to satisfy himself 
 by feeling his hands; but finding that he was hairy, his suspi- 
 cions, in a great measure, vanished. However, he called upon 
 him again to say whether he was his "very son Esau," and 
 upon receiving an answer that he was, he proceeded to bless 
 him with his best and richest blessing ; even that of the first- 
 born : "God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of 
 the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, 
 and nations bow down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and 
 let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every one 
 that curseth thee ; and blessed be he that blesseth thee." 
 
 This scene was scarcely finished, before Esau returned from 
 hunting, and quickly presented himself before his father with 
 savoury meat which he had taken. Isaac was greatly surprised, 
 and said, "Who art thou?" "And he said, I am thy son, thy 
 first-born, Esau." Upon hearing this, Isaac knew at once the 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 39 
 
 deception which had been practised upon him, and "he trembled 
 very exceedingly" but would not recall what he had done. 
 Having blessed Jacob with his richest and best blessing, he now 
 confirmed it, and said, "And he shall be blessed." Esau, upon 
 this, was seized with grief. " He cried with a great and exceed- 
 ing bitter cry; and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, 
 
 my father." Isaac said, " Thy brother came with subtilty, 
 and hath taken away thy blessing." And Esau said, "Is he 
 not rightly named Jacob, (the supplanter,) for he hath sup- 
 planted me these two times ; he took away my birth-right, and, 
 behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, 
 hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?" "Isaac answered, 
 
 1 have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given 
 him for servants ; and with corn and wine I have sustained him. 
 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my 
 father; and Esau lifted up his voice, and wept." Isaac then 
 pronounced a benediction, giving him the fatness of the earth, 
 and the dew of heaven from above. Telling him that by his 
 sword he should live ; but still repeating the prediction, that 
 his brother should be superior to him ; and that he should serve 
 him ; only, it was declared, that at those times when he should 
 obtain power, he would break his brother's yoke from off his 
 neck. 
 
 The conduct of Rebekah and Jacob on this occasion can never 
 be reconciled with moral rectitude, as long as truth and sin- 
 cerity shall be reckoned among the virtues ; but it is not for us 
 to fix the degree of guilt which attaches to their conduct. In 
 this case it is probable, that Rebekah made the purpose of God 
 the rule of her conduct, instead of his commandments ; for it 
 had been revealed to her, before the children were born, "that 
 the elder should serve the younger;" and Jacob might have 
 thought that as he had purchased his brother's birth-right, he 
 had a claim to the chief blessing. In this transaction, as in 
 many others recorded in Scripture, we have a clear illustration 
 of the fact, that God accomplishes his own purposes by the free, 
 and even by the sinful actions of his creatures, without being 
 the cause of their sinfulness. But bad conduct and deceitful 
 dealing towards brethren or others is pretty sure, in the provi- 
 dence of God, to be followed by some degree of retribution, 
 even in this world. Rebekah and her favourite son were com- 
 pletely successful in their plan of deception, by which Esau was 
 deprived of the blessing of the first-born ; but the malice of the 
 injured brother against his supplanter was so hot, that it became 
 necessary for Jacob to flee to a distant country for safety; and 
 thus a long separation took place between the mother and her 
 favourite son, who, it would seem, had remained constantly at 
 home until this time. Esau's anger was not a transient passion, 
 
40 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 but he formed a settled purpose, that after the burial of his father, 
 whose decease he concluded could not be far off, he would take 
 the life of his brother ; and this purpose he must have declared, 
 for information of it reached the ears of Rebekah. On which, 
 she advised Jacob to depart immediately from the country, and 
 to go into Mesopotamia, to her brother Laban's, until the heat 
 of Esau's anger should abate, when she promised that she would 
 send and fetch him back. "For," said she, "why should I be 
 deprived of you both in one day?" But as the consent of Isaac 
 must also be obtained, and as he would not be ready to believe 
 a report whicb attributed so much malice to his favourite son, 
 she had recourse to other arguments to induce the old patriarch 
 to consent to his departure. She complained bitterly of her 
 afflictions, on account of the daughters of Heth, whom Esau had 
 married ; and declared that her life would become a burden to 
 her, if Jacob should follow the example of his brother, and take 
 a wife from among the daughters of the land. This considera- 
 tion had its weight with Isaac, to persuade him to send Jacob 
 away ; wherefore, he called him, and solemnly charged him not 
 to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but to go to Padan- 
 aram, to the house of Bethuel, and to take a wife of the daugh- 
 ters of Laban, his mother's brother. And then he pronounced 
 a blessing on him in the following emphatical words : "And 
 God Almighty bless thee and make thee fruitful, and multiply 
 thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people : And give the 
 blessing of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed with thee ; that 
 thou mayest inherit the land, wherein thou art a stranger, 
 which God gave unto Abraham. And so Isaac sent away Ja- 
 cob to go to Padan-aram." 
 
 Esau, observing that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him 
 away that he might form an alliance with the kindred of his 
 family; and finding that he had vexed and displeased his 
 parents by taking the daughters of Heth, went and married, in 
 addition to the wives which he already had, Mahalath, the 
 daughter of Ishmael. 
 
 SECTION XVII. 
 
 JACOB GOES TO PADAN-ARAM, AND IS ENTERTAINED *BY LABAN HE IS DECEIVED 
 
 BY LABAN, AND RECEIVES LEAH, INSTEAD OF RACHEL, TO WIFE RACHEL ALSO 
 GIVEN TO HIM FOR SEVEN YEARS' SERVICE. 
 
 JACOB, having left his father's house, proceeded on his journey 
 towards Haran, until the sun having gone down, he resolved to 
 spend the night at the place where he had arrived ; and, finding 
 no house to receive him, he took some of the stones of the place 
 for a pillow, and lay down to sleep. "And he dreamed, and 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 41 
 
 behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to 
 heaven : and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending 
 on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am 
 the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; 
 the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy 
 seed: and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou 
 shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the 
 north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall 
 all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am 
 with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, 
 and will bring thee again into this land ; for I will not leave 
 thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 
 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the 
 Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and 
 said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the 
 house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob 
 rose up early in the morning, and took the stone he had put 
 for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon 
 the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, 
 (house of God,) but the name before was Laish. And Jacob 
 vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me 
 in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment 
 to put on, so that I can come again to my father's house in 
 peace, then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone 
 which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house ; and of 
 all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto 
 thee." 
 
 In this transaction, we have the first mention of three differ- 
 ent things, which seem, however, to have been established 
 usages. The first is a religious vow; the second the ceremony 
 of anointing a pillar with oil; and the third a promise of 
 tithes, or a tenth of all his property to the Lord. There is, 
 indeed, a mention of tithes in the history of Abraham, when he 
 "was met by Melchizedek, he gave unto him the tenth of all the 
 spoils. It seems, then, to have been an early custom for the 
 pious to devote one-tenth of their gains to the service of the 
 Lord. The Mosaic law was nothing more than the recognition 
 of a custom which had been long in use; probably from the 
 beginning of the world. And there is no good reason why all 
 Christians should not follow this example, and consecrate at 
 least one-tenth of all their income to the Lord. Besides the 
 annual tithe, the members of the Hebrew commonwealth gave 
 many offerings in the course of the year, in the form of first- 
 fruits and gifts, and free-will offerings. 
 
 When Jacob had arrived in the country of his mother's rela- 
 tions, he met with Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who acted 
 as shepherdess of her father's sheep, and informed her that he 
 
42 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 was the son of Rebekah, her father's sister. As soon as Laban 
 understood that his nephew was come, " he ran to meet him, 
 and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his 
 house." After Jacob had remained one month, Laban pro- 
 posed to allow him wages for his services ; but Jacob, who had 
 fixed his affections strongly on Rachel his cousin, offered to 
 serve his uncle seven years, if he would give her to him to wife. 
 To this Laban readily assented ; for he said, " It is better that 
 I should give her unto thee, than to another." When the time 
 was fulfilled, Jacob demanded his wife ; for he had served seven 
 years for Rachel, " and they appeared unto him but a few days, 
 for the love he had to her." Laban, therefore, made a feast, 
 and invited the men of the place ; but instead of Rachel, Leaji, 
 the elder sister, was given unto Jacob. Laban excused himself 
 by a reference to the customs of his country, according to which 
 he pretended that a younger sister must not be given in mar- 
 riage before the elder ; but of this he should have informed his 
 nephew before, and not have deceived him. Laban, however, 
 offered to give him Rachel also, if he would serve seven years 
 more ; to which Jacob agreed. It must not be understood that 
 he served seven years more before Rachel was given, but that 
 he engaged with his uncle for the service of seven other years. 
 To Leah, Laban gave Zilpah for a maid ; and to Rachel he gave 
 Bilhah. Although Rachel was most tenderly beloved by Jacob, 
 yet Leah was honoured to be the mother of children, while 
 Rachel had none. This she bore with much impatience ; and in 
 imitation of Sarah, she gave Bilhah, her maid, to Jacob as a 
 kind of secondary wife. Leah had already borne four sons, 
 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah ; and now Bilhah bore two 
 sons to Jacob, whom she named Dan andNaphtali. Zilpah also 
 had two sons, Gad and Asher. And after Reuben was grown 
 to be of a good size, Leah had a fifth son, and called his name 
 Issachar ; and afterwards a sixth, whom she called Zebulun, 
 and a daughter named Dinah. At length God heard the 
 prayers of Rachel, and she bore a son whom she called Joseph. 
 
 SECTION XVIII. 
 
 JACOB'S RETURN PURSUED BY LABAN ESAU COMES WITH A HOST TO MEET HIM, 
 BUT GOD TURNS AWAY HIS DISPLEASURE. 
 
 AFTER the birth of Joseph, Jacob began to think of returning 
 to his own country, and mentioned it to Laban. But he, having 
 greatly increased in wealth since Jacob had the care of his 
 flocks, was unwilling to part with his nephew, and offered to 
 give him any wages he should ask. Accordingly an agreement 
 was made that Jacob should have for his share the cattle which 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 43 
 
 were marked and spotted in a particular manner ; but it was so 
 ordered in Providence, that this agreement turned out greatly 
 to the profit of Jacob. This increase of Jacob's property ex- 
 cited the envy of Laban's sons, and they said, " Jacob hath 
 taken away all that was our father's, and of that which was our 
 father's hath he gotten all his glory." And their words were 
 reported to Jacob. Besides, Laban himself became dissatisfied, 
 and his countenance was not towards Jacob as before. Where- 
 fore " the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy 
 fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee." He said 
 also, " I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, 
 and where thou vowedst a vow unto me ; get thee from this 
 land, and return unto the land of thy kindred." Jacob, having 
 received this divine command, called his wives, and informed 
 them of the directions which he had received from heaven; 
 upon which they readily consented to go. Jacob took the op- 
 portunity to prepare for his journey and to leave the country, 
 while Laban was busily engaged in shearing his sheep, lest he 
 should attempt to prevent him from going, or keep back his 
 daughters. And it was not until the third day after Jacob's de- 
 parture, that the report of the fact reached Laban's ears. And 
 his conduct showed that Jacob's suspicions of his temper were 
 not ill-founded, for immediately " he took his brethren with him, 
 and pursued after Jacob," but on account of the three clays' 
 start which the latter had, he did not overtake him until the 
 seventh day, when he had reached Mount Gilead. Laban re- 
 proved Jacob for taking away his daughters by stealth, and pre- 
 tended that he would have " sent them away with mirth and 
 songs, with tabret and with harp ;" and complained that he had 
 not been permitted to kiss his sons and daughters before they 
 departed. He also observed that it was fully in his power to do 
 him hurt, but said he, " The God of your father spake unto me 
 yesterday, saying, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob good 
 or bad." One thing, however, he urged in the last place, as 
 the ground of the most grievous of all his complaints, that 
 they had stolen his gods. This shows that idolatry still pre- 
 vailed in Mesopotamia ; and, although Jacob knew it not, had 
 entered his own family ; for Rachel had stolen her father's 
 gods when she left his house, but she managed the matter so 
 cunningly, that the theft was not discovered, nor the possession 
 of these idols by his chiefly beloved wife made known to Jacob. 
 When nothing was discovered, after a very particular search, to 
 justify this this last accusation of Laban, Jacob began to grow 
 angry at being thus pursued, harassed, and accused, and said 
 to Laban, "What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast 
 so hotly pursued after me ? Whereas thou has searched all my 
 stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff ? Set it here 
 
44 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 before thy brethren and my brethren, that they may judge be- 
 tween us both. This twenty years have I been with thee, thy 
 ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams 
 of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts 
 I brought not unto thee ; I bare the loss of it : of my hand 
 didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 
 Thus I was : in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost 
 by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have 
 I been twenty years in thy house ; I served thee fourteen years 
 for thy two daughters, and six for thy cattle ; and thou hast 
 changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, 
 the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, 
 surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen 
 mine affliction, and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee 
 yesternight." After hearing this indignant speech of Jacob, 
 Laban felt disposed to put an end to the dispute ; he therefore 
 said, "These daughters are my daughters, and these children 
 are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that 
 thou seest is mine ; and what can I do this day unto these my 
 daughters, or unto their children which they have borne ? Now, 
 therefore, come thou, and let us make a covenant, I and thou, 
 and let it be for a witness between me and thee." To this pro- 
 posal Jacob very cordially consented, and immediately took a 
 stone and set it up for a pillar, and called upon his brethren to 
 gather stones : and they took stones and made an heap, and 
 they did eat there upon the heap. And Laban called it " Jegar- 
 Sahadutha," but Jacob called it "Galeed." And Laban said, 
 " This heap is a witness between me and thee this day;" there- 
 fore was the name of it called Galeed, (the heap of testimony ;) 
 and also Mizpah ; for he said, "the Lord watch between thee 
 and me, when we are absent one from another: If thou shalt 
 afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives besides 
 my daughters, no man is with us, see God is witness between 
 me and thee." "And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, 
 and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and thee. 
 This heap be witness and this pillar be witness, that I will not 
 pass over this heap to thee ; and that thou shalt not pass over 
 this heap and this pillar unto me for harm. The God of Abra- 
 ham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt 
 us ; and Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. Then Ja- 
 cob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to 
 eat bread ; and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the 
 mount. And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed 
 his sons and daughters, and blessed them. And Laban de- 
 parted, and returned unto his place." 
 
 The country through which Jacob was now passing after- 
 wards became the inheritance of some of the tribes, the des- 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 45 
 
 cendants of his sons ; and the names of places now given were 
 retained. After his deliverance from the pursuit of Laban his 
 father-in-law, he proceeded on his journey towards Canaan; 
 and as God had protected him and his family, by sending an 
 angel to meet Laban, and to warn him to do Jacob no harm, 
 so now the care of Providence was signally manifested to him, 
 by a vision of angels who met him on the way. This was 
 intended to prepare him for new dangers and difficulties which 
 he must encounter. Upon seeing these angels of God, he said, 
 "This is God's host; and he called the name of the place 
 Mahanaim." It seems from this language, that there was a 
 multitude of the heavenly host, who now appeared as an army 
 to the eyes of Jacob. The dangers alluded to were those to be 
 apprehended from the displeasure of his brother Esau; for, 
 although twenty years had passed, he was not certain that the 
 anger of his brother, which had once induced him to resolve on 
 his death, had entirely subsided. As he drew near to Canaan, 
 therefore, he became anxious to ascertain the temper of Esau's 
 mind towards him. Accordingly, he sent messengers to his 
 brother, respectfully to inform him of his circumstances, and of 
 his approach; but they returned more speedily than was 
 expected, and brought the unwelcome intelligence, that Esau, 
 accompanied by four hundred men, was on his way to meet 
 him. Jacob was exceedingly alarmed and distressed by this 
 information, and immediately began to make the best arrange- 
 ments he could, to avoid the wrath of his brother; for as to 
 his hostile intentions he could entertain no doubt, from his 
 being attended with such an army of men. He divided his 
 company and flocks into two bands, so that if the foremost 
 should be smitten, the hindmost might have some chance of 
 making their escape. But his chief hope was wisely placed in 
 God, to whom he addressed himself in the following pathetic 
 prayer. " God of my father Abraham, and God of my father 
 Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, 
 and unto thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am 
 not worthy of the least of the mercies and the truth which thou 
 hast shown unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over 
 this Jordan, and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I 
 pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of 
 Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the 
 mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do 
 thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which 
 cannot be numbered for multitude." 
 
 To be able to plead God's own word of promise in our suppli- 
 cations, is a sure ground of confidence ; for the Lord will 
 remember the word in which he hath caused our souls to trust. 
 But Jacob, while he had recourse to God by earnest prayer, 
 
46 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 did not think that this rendered the use of every lawful means 
 unnecessary; and as he had already made arrangements for 
 escaping, at least with part of his company, so now he deter- 
 mined to try what effect kindness might have on the mind of 
 his brother. Men are softened by a present, accompanied by 
 the words of kindness. Jacob, therefore, sent forward a selec- 
 tion from the several kinds of his cattle, in different droves, 
 directing those who conducted the first, when asked whose 
 property they were, to say, " They are thy servant Jacob's; it 
 is a present sent unto my Lord Esau;" and the second and 
 third to say the same words. Jacob, having sent forward this 
 valuable present, began to consult in the best manner he could 
 for the safety of his wives and children, and in the night 
 crossed over the brook Jabbok, with all his wives and his 
 children. 
 
 When he had conveyed his family across the brook, he 
 returned to the camp, where he was alone, " and there wrestled 
 a man with him, until the breaking of the day. And when he 
 saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of 
 his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he 
 wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day 
 breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go except thou 
 bless me. And he said, What is thy name? and he said, 
 Jacob ; and he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, 
 but Israel ; for as a prince hast thou power with God, and with 
 men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, 
 Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it 
 that thou dost ask after my name. And he blessed him there. 
 And Jacob called the name of the place PENUEL ; for I have 
 seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he 
 passed over Penuel, the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon 
 his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the 
 sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, 
 unto this day." 
 
 Undoubtedly the person with whom Jacob wrestled was God 
 in human form, and therefore called a man. This event was so 
 remarkable, that it occasioned a significant name to be given to 
 the place, and also a new name to Jacob, which became also the 
 principal name of the people whom God claimed as his own 
 peculiar nation. 
 
 Jacob was now prepared to meet with his brother Esau. He 
 could say, If God be for us, who can be against us ! Having 
 arranged his property and his family, "he went forward and 
 bowed himself seven times to the earth before Esau his brother; 
 and Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his 
 neck and kissed him, and they wept." God, it seems, had been 
 with Esau, as he was with Laban, to change his evil purpose, 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 47 
 
 and to revive in his bosom a lively feeling of brotherly affection. 
 God has many ways of preserving his people from their enemies ; 
 but the most effectual, and to them the most pleasing, is when 
 he changes their enmity into kindness. Esau inquired affec- 
 tionately concerning the women and children whom he saw; 
 and did not wish to receive Jacob's present, which had gone 
 before him ; but on being pressed by his brother, he consented 
 to accept it. He seemed also disposed to join himself to Jacob's 
 company, but the latter wisely declined the offer, on account of 
 the necessity which he was under of journeying very slowly. 
 Esau, therefore, took a friendly leave of his brother, and returned 
 home ; leaving him to go on his journey at his leisure. 
 
 Thus a second time was Jacob delivered by the interposition 
 of Divine Providence, from a near relation who sought his 
 hurt. 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 JACOB'S RESIDENCE IN CANAAN DINAH'S MISFORTUNE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 SHECHEMITES JACOB GOES TO BETHEL DEBORAH DIES GOD APPEARS TO HIM 
 
 AT BETHEL, WHEN HE BUILDS AN ALTAB TO JEHOVAH. 
 
 THE first place where Jacob rested after his wearisome journey, 
 was Succoth; so called from the circumstance of his erecting 
 booths there for his flocks and herds. But he soon removed to 
 Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan. 
 Here it seems he intended to take up his abode permanently, as 
 he bought a tract of land from the children of Hamor, for a 
 hundred pieces of silver; and here also he erected an altar, 
 and called it Elohe-Israel ; that is, Grod, the Grod of Israel. 
 But how little do the wisest of mortals see of the future. 
 An event soon occurred which rendered the patriarch's longer 
 continuance here altogether inexpedient. Dinah, the only 
 daughter of Jacob, as was very natural, went to visit the 
 daughters of the land ; but she was an inexperienced girl, and 
 she ought not to have ventured among these strangers, whose 
 manners were corrupt, without the protection of her parents, or 
 her brothers, several of whom were now grown up. The event 
 was unhappy. The heedless damsel was seduced by Shechem 
 the son of Hamor, the prince of the country; but this man 
 immediately proposed to marry her. Schechem was much in 
 earnest to have this matter brought to a friendly settlement, 
 and urged his father Hamor to use his influence for him with 
 Jacob and his sons. This was a new kind of trouble to the 
 pious patriarch. But he remained silent after he heard of the 
 unhappy affair, until his sons, who were absent with the 
 flocks, returned. When the young men, the brothers of Dinah, 
 
 
48 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 heard how she had been treated, they were exceedingly grieved, 
 and not only grieved, but enraged ; for being their only sister, 
 she was no doubt very dear to them. They were, therefore, 
 resolved on a bloody revenge ; but they suffered the proposal 
 for the marriage to go on, which now was pressed most earnestly, 
 not only by Hamor, but by the young man Schechem himself, 
 who offered to give any dowry which might be asked of him, if 
 he might only obtain Dinah for a wife. Jacob seems to have 
 been an easy tempered man ; and in this case he gave up the 
 management of the business to his sons, who pretended to be 
 pleased with the proposed match ; but they alleged that there 
 was a difficulty in the way which they could not overcome. It 
 was unlawful for them to give their sister in marriage to a per- 
 son who was not a Hebrew; but if the Schechemites would 
 consent to have every male among them introduced into the 
 Hebrew nation, all obstacles would be removed out of the way. 
 Hamor and his son did not refuse to comply with these terms, 
 for the attachment of Schechera to Dinah was exceedingly 
 strong. They, therefore, undertook to persuade all the men of 
 their city to agree to this proposal. And they argued with 
 them thus : " These men are peaceable with us ; therefore, let 
 them dwell in the land, and trade therein ; for the land, behold, 
 it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for 
 wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only, herein 
 will the men consent to dwell with us, if every male among us 
 be circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance, and 
 every beast of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, 
 and they will dwell with us." The people hearing this fair 
 representation, were persuaded to consent, and the males of the 
 whole town were admitted by the rite of circumcision to the 
 Jewish nation. On the third day, Simeon and Levi, two of the 
 brothers of Dinah, boldly attacked the men with the sword, 
 and slew all the males. They also took the spoil of the city, 
 and seized their sheep, oxen, and asses, and took their wives 
 captives. As soon as Jacob heard of this unlawful and cruel 
 violence of his two sons, he reproved them for their wicked con- 
 duct, and told them that by such doings they would render him 
 hateful to the inhabitants of Canaan ; and that as his force was 
 small, they would combine against him, and destroy him and his 
 house. But the young men justified their conduct by referring 
 to the dishonour done to their sister. 
 
 Jacob's longer continuance at Shechem being inexpedient, 
 God, who condescended to guide him in all his ways, directed 
 him to go to Bethel, and to dwell there, and to erect an altar 
 to God, who had there appeared unto him, when he fled from 
 the face of Esau. This was the very place where God first 
 appeared unto Jacob, and where was seen by him, in a dream 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 49 
 
 of the night, a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, on \vhich 
 the angels were ascending and descending. Here Jacob 
 vowed a vow, and set up a sacred memorial ; but he seems to 
 have forgotten his solemn engagements entered into in this 
 place, until God now put him in mind of his duty. 
 
 Jacob having fallen into trouble, and having found much 
 iniquity in his own children, thought it necessary to attempt a 
 family reformation; for however pious the head of a family 
 may be, yet wickedness will often creep into his house, and 
 great corruption may exist among the members of his house- 
 hold, of which he is kept in ignorance. Too often, fond 
 mothers connive at the faults of their sons, and conceal 
 their evil deeds from their father, than which there is no more 
 certain means of leading them to perdition. In ancient times, 
 the propensity to idolatry was unaccountably strong; Jacob, 
 therefore, exhorted his household, and all that were with him, 
 to put away the strange gods, that is, the idols, that were 
 among them. He also called upon them, before his going to 
 Bethel, which was holy ground to him, to change their gar- 
 ments and be clean. This, I believe, is the first instance 
 which we have on record, of an outward religious purification ; 
 which was doubtless performed by the use of water, the 
 element used all over the world for cleansing. We are taught 
 by this example, that when we are about to draw near to God, 
 in his house and in his ordinances, we should be careful to put 
 away every thing sinful, and approach the service with 
 reverence. 
 
 Jacob said, "Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will 
 make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of 
 my distress, and was with me in the way which I went." The 
 exhortation of Jacob was not in vain, for his family gave up 
 all the strange gods which were in their hand ; and their ear- 
 rings which probably had some superstitious use and Jacob 
 hid them under the oak which was in Shechem. 
 
 It is somewhat surprising that the Canaanites were not 
 roused to vengeance by the treacherous and cruel slaughter of 
 the Shechemites. Nothing would have been easier than to 
 overwhelm Jacob and his family, by joining the forces of only 
 a few neighbouring cities. The reason why this was not done, 
 is given by the sacred historian : " The terror of God was upon 
 the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue 
 after the sons of Jacob." 
 
 Having arrived at Bethel, Jacob proceeded to erect an altar, 
 which he called "EL-BETHEL, because there God appeared 
 unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother." 
 
 Here Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and was buried 
 beneath an oak, at Bethel. She must have been very far 
 4 
 
 I if 
 
50 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 advanced in years, as Rebekah herself, if now alive, was a 
 very aged woman. On what occasion Deborah came into 
 Jacob's family, we know not. Perhaps she was on a visit, as the 
 residence of Isaac, who was still living, was at no great distance. 
 We are not informed that Jacob visited his father immediately 
 after his return; but we may take it for granted, that so pious 
 a man would not be inattentive to the duty which he owed 
 such an excellent parent. 
 
 After Jacob had fixed his residence at Bethel, God appeared 
 to him again, and confirmed the change of his name from 
 Jacob to Israel, and renewed his promises to him, saying, "I 
 am God Almighty ; be fruitful and multiply : a nation, and a 
 company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out 
 of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, 
 to thee will I give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the 
 land." As a memorial of this renewed proof of God's faith- 
 fulness and mercy, the patriarch set up a pillar and anointed 
 it with oil, and poured it upon a drink-offering. These sacred 
 ceremonies were mentioned in a former part of the history, 
 except the dr 'ink-offering, which was probably wine, as, under 
 the law, this liquid was constantly used for this purpose. No 
 doubt, all these various methods of honouring and worshipping 
 God, had been divinely appointed. The old name of Bethel, 
 which Jacob had given to this place, instead of Luz, the origi- 
 nal name, he now renewed. But after remaining for some 
 time at this place, Jacob journeyed still further to the south, 
 and came to Ephrath. And here occurred one of the most 
 distressing events of the patriarch's life. Rachel, his first and 
 best beloved wife, died while they stopped here. When her 
 soul was about departing, Rachel named her child, which had 
 just been born, BEN-ONI, the son of my sorrow ; but his father 
 called him BENJAMIN, the son of my right hand. And thus 
 Rachel died in the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem ; there 
 she was buried, and Jacob placed a pillar over her grave, 
 which was remaining, and known as the pillar of Rachel's grave, 
 in the time of Moses. 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 REUBEN'S INCEST DEATH or ISAAC JOSEPH'S DREAMS JACOB'S FONDNESS AND PAR- 
 TIALITY FOR JOSEPH THE ENVY OF HIS BRETHREN HE IS SOLD INTO EGYPT. 
 
 THE wandering life led by Jacob and his ancestors often 
 required a change of residence, on account of the failure of 
 pasture and water in particular districts. We find Jacob, 
 therefore, continually removing his tent from place to place. 
 From Ephrath or Bethlehem, he journeyed and spread his tent 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 51 
 
 beyond the tower of Edar, the exact situation of which place is 
 unknown. 
 
 About this time, another grievous domestic trouble arose. In 
 consequence of a great and unnatural crime committed by Reu- 
 ben, he was cut off from all the privileges of the birth-right, 
 which naturally belonged to him, as he was the oldest son. 
 
 Jacob now visited Isaac his father, who seems to have con- 
 tinued his residence all the time of his son's absence, at Mamre, 
 the old dwelling-place of his father Abraham. The life of 
 Isaac was protracted far beyond his own expectations, and that 
 of his friends; for before Jacob left him, he thought that his end 
 was near; and Esau, when supplanted by Jacob, seemed to 
 think that his father's decease would occur very soon ; for he 
 deferred the execution of his malicious purpose against the 
 life of his brother, until the funeral of his father should occur; 
 but, after more than twenty years, Isaac is still alive. During 
 this long period the patriarch was blind, and could have but 
 little enjoyment of this life. Soon after Jacob's visit he died, 
 having lived a hundred and eighty years. "And he was 
 gathered to his people, being old and full of days ; and his sons 
 Esau and Jacob buried him;" doubtless in the cave of Mach- 
 pelah, which was near at hand, and where his father and mother 
 were buried. 
 
 Jacob had become the husband of four women, only one of 
 whom, it is probable, was really beloved by him ; and she was 
 now dead, but had left two infant children, who became the 
 darlings of the aged patriarch. Especially Joseph, the elder of 
 the two, was beloved above all the sons of Jacob. Two of Ja- 
 cob's wives were of an inferior order, having been the maids of 
 Leah and Rachel, and were by way of distinction called concu- 
 bines. Concerning one of these a fact is stated, which places 
 her character in a very unfavourable light : of the other we 
 have no particular information. To each of these were born 
 two sons, those of Bilhah, Rachel's maid, w'ere named Dan and 
 Naphtali ; the son's of Zilpah, Leah's maid, were called Gad 
 and Asher. It is more than probable, that these boys would 
 be lightly esteemed, in comparison of the sons of Leah and 
 Rachel; and they would be likely to feel their degradation, 
 and resent it. These suppositions, to say the least, are not im- 
 probable ; but we are distinctly informed respecting them, that 
 their conduct was such as to give ground for an evil report, 
 which Joseph was careful to convey to the ears of his father. 
 This would naturally provoke the displeasure of these youth, for 
 among offenders, no cause produces more fierce indignation than 
 to have their misdeeds reported to a superior : and with such 
 young men as are guilty of secret crimes, an informer is the 
 
52 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 most odious character in the world. But Jacob appears to have 
 acted imprudently, in showing so plainly his partiality for Jo- 
 seph. Perhaps he could not help feeling a peculiar affection 
 for this child, both on account of his deceased mother, and the 
 amiable character of the youth ; but it is always improper for a 
 parent to show an evident partiality for one child above the 
 rest, since the certain effect will be to excite envy. Jacob 
 distinguished Joseph, by making him a coat of great splendour 
 and beauty, in which many colours were curiously interwoven. 
 The envy of his brothers began to be manifested, and Joseph 
 was not careful to lessen it, but pursued a course calculated to 
 raise it to the highest pitch ; for he related to them dreams, 
 the plain interpretation of which was, that he was not only des- 
 tined to be superior to them all, but that they were to bow down 
 before him, and serve him. The dreams, however, were from 
 above, as the event proved. These things, coming one after 
 another, produced great dislike and hatred in the feelings of 
 the other sons of Jacob towards Joseph. Some of them only 
 wanted opportunity to proceed to the most fatal acts of vio- 
 lence : and it was not long before the desired opportunity was 
 afforded. For, having driven their flocks to Shechem, where 
 Jacob had property, and where he had lived on his return from 
 the east, they had the opportunity of talking with one another 
 freely, in regard to the partiality shown to Joseph by their 
 father ; and concerning the insolence as it seemed to them 
 of this petted youth. Griefs of this kind are always increased 
 by mutual communication. The sons of Jacob having been ab- 
 sent for some time, and no tidings having been received from 
 them, the old patriarch began to be uneasy respecting their wel- 
 fare. He determined, therefore, to despatch Joseph, who was 
 now seventeen years of age, to see how his brothers were doing, 
 and to bring him word. Joseph, suspecting no evil, left the vale 
 of Hebron, where Jacob now dwelt, to go to Shechem, to see his 
 brothers. The lad* being alone, lost his way, and was found 
 wandering in the wilderness by a stranger, who also informed 
 him that his brothers had left Shechem, and had driven their 
 flocks to Dothan. Joseph, therefore, receiving from the friendly 
 stranger the proper directions, proceeded to Dothan ; no doubt 
 expecting to be received kindly by his brothers, who had been 
 absent from their father's house for some time. But as soon as 
 the youth appeared in sight, wearing the hated garment of 
 many colours, these men began to plot against his life. " And 
 they said one to another, Behold this dreamer cometh, come 
 now, therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit ; 
 and we will say some evil beast hath devoured him, and we shall 
 see what will become of his dreams." But Reuben, the oldest 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 53 
 
 of Jacob's sons, though under his father's displeasure for his 
 crime, before hinted at, yet was not of so revengeful a temper 
 as the rest ; and not only refused to join in their design of mur- 
 dering their brother, but had influence to prevent them from 
 killing him at once. He said to them, "Let us not kill him 
 shed no blood ; but cast him into this pit in the wilderness, and 
 lay no hand on him ; that he might rid him out of their hands, 
 to deliver him to his father again." The first thing which they 
 did when Joseph came up was to strip off his coat, which had 
 been the occasion of so much envy in them, and perhaps of 
 some degree of vanity in him. Next, they cast him into a pit 
 in which there was no water ; intending, doubtless, to leave him 
 to perish with hunger in this dark and dreary abode. Having 
 satisfied their vengeance, they sat down to eat, as though no- 
 thing uncommon had happened. But Providence so ordered it, 
 that at this moment, a trading caravan, partly of Midianites 
 and partly of Ishmaelites, was seen approaching. They had 
 come from Mount Gilead, and their camels were loaded with, 
 spices and myrrh, which they were carrying down to Egypt. 
 The thought now occurred to Judah, who seems to have expe- 
 rienced some relentings about the course which they were pur- 
 suing, that it would be better to sell the lad to these merchants 
 than to destroy his life. And he said, "What profit is there if 
 we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell 
 him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for 
 he is our brother, and our flesh." To this proposal all assented 
 who were present, for Reuben had withdrawn from the com- 
 pany, probably thinking on the most safe and effectual plan of 
 rescuing the lad from the hands of his brothers. The bargain 
 was soon made. Money was not the object, and therefore they 
 were satisfied with a small price. Twenty pieces of silver was 
 all that was demanded ; and immediately the helpless boy was 
 a slave in the hands of merchants who did not regard his cries 
 and tears : and this we need not be surprised at, when his own 
 brothers had no pity, when they beheld the anguish of his soul. 
 But the scene left an impression on their conscience, which was 
 felt long afterwards, when they were in painful circumstances. 
 Reuben, returning after Joseph had been sold, and on going to 
 the pit not finding him there, was filled with grief. He went to 
 his brothers, saying, "The child is not; and I, whither shall I 
 go?" 
 
54 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXI. 
 
 METHOD TAKEN TO CONCEAT, THE CRIME FROM THEIR FATHER HIS GRIEF THE 
 MIDIANITES SELL HIM TO POTIPHAR HIS TEMPTATION AND CONTINENCE IS CAST 
 INTO PRISON. 
 
 THE only difficulty which now remained was to conceal the 
 crime from their father. This, however was not impossible, 
 provided they could all keep the secret. The greatest danger 
 was from Reuben, who had taken no part in the cruel act ; but 
 they might prevent his betraying tnem by threats, or by the 
 knowledge which they might possess of crimes with which he 
 was chargeable. The guilty are often faithful in concealing 
 each other's crimes, through fear of having their own evil 
 deeds brought to light. The device adopted to deceive old 
 Jacob, which seems to have been completely successful, was, to 
 dip the coat of Joseph in the blood of a kid, and to send it to 
 their father to know "whether it was his son's coat or no." 
 The old patriarch instantly recognised the garment, and 
 exclaimed, " an evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is with- 
 out doubt rent in pieces." And Jacob clothed himself in sack- 
 cloth, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons, and 
 all his daughters (son's wives) rose up to comfort him ; but he 
 refused to be comforted ; and he said, For I will go down into 
 the grave unto my son, mourning." The mourning of Jacob for 
 his darling son was, no doubt, of the most bitter kind ; and his 
 anguish would be increased by the reflection that he was 
 devoured by wild beasts, and that he probably was the occasion 
 of his death, by sending the child without a guide or protector 
 on so long a journey. He also had not the comfort of deposit- 
 ing the body decently in the grave, with his deceased rela- 
 tives ; a privilege highly valued by the members of this family. 
 When the Midianites arrived in Egypt, Joseph was bought 
 by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And the 
 Lord was with Joseph ; and all that was under his hand, in the 
 house of his master, was made to prosper ; so that Potiphar 
 could not but observe that his young servant was favoured of 
 the Lord. This induced him to intrust all his property, in the 
 house and in the field, to the care and management of Joseph ; 
 and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had. But 
 the time of prosperity is commonly the season of temptation. 
 Joseph had the favour and confidence of his master in an un- 
 limited degree, so that he took no account of any of his affairs, 
 " save the bread which he did eat." The wife of Potiphar, 
 however, wished to tempt Joseph to the commission of a great 
 sin. But his resolution was firm ; and he said, " How can I do 
 this great wickedness and sin against God? And when she 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 55 
 
 lay hold of him, he fled from the house, leaving his garment in 
 her hand." Vice is seldom solitary in the human hreast. The 
 person who is capable of perpetrating one great crime, will sel- 
 dom hesitate to commit another, if the temptation is sufficiently 
 strong. This bad woman, finding herself disappointed, and her 
 pride mortified, began immediately to meditate vengeance 
 against the innocent youth. She called to the men of the 
 house, and held up Joseph's garment, and accused him of hav- 
 ing attempted to degrade and dishonour her, of which daring 
 impudence, his garment left in her hand was witness. The 
 wife of Potiphar having already committed herself, by falsely 
 accusing Joseph to the other domestics, could not draw back 
 without confessing her own crime, but must go on with her 
 slanderous charges against the innocent and unprotected youth. 
 She, therefore, laid up Joseph's garment, which had been left 
 in her hand when he escaped from her, that she might show it 
 to her lord, as proof positive of the crime which she charged 
 against him. Joseph, though perfectly innocent, was not in a 
 situation to contend with a slander coming from the wife of his 
 lord. It seemed to be of little consequence whether he pro- 
 tested that he was innocent, or remained entirely silent. There 
 are circumstances in which a man's declaration of his innocence 
 will avail him nothing, and will gain no belief from others. 
 The purest virtue may, for a season, be covered with a dark 
 cloud. The only resource of the righteous, in such cases, is the 
 providence of God. Let them take-refuge under his omniscience, 
 and trust in his protection. Let them also look forward to that 
 day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open, and when 
 injured innocence shall be vindicated from every charge. The 
 result of the accusation was, that Joseph's master caused him 
 to be cast into the public prison. It is rather surprising that 
 he had not put him to death. Perhaps his high confidence in 
 his integrity and virtue, in time past, and his knowledge of his 
 wife's disposition, might have left a suspicion on his mind, that 
 the whole truth had not been told to him ; and this especially, 
 if Joseph was permitted to relate the circumstances, as they 
 really occurred. But whatever he might suspect, he could do 
 no less than expel him from his house, and cast him into prison. 
 It does not appear that he ever troubled himself any farther 
 about the young man. In tyrannical governments, it is no un- 
 common thing for persons to be thrown into prison, and to be 
 entirely forgotten. Thus it might have been with Joseph ; for 
 he had no friend in Egypt to inquire after him, or to care for 
 him. But God, by his providence, takes care of the stranger 
 and the orphan. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did 
 not forget this sorely injured and grossly slandered youth ; for 
 he gave him favour in the eyes of the keeper of the prison. 
 
56 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 " And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all 
 the prisoners that were in the prison ; and whatsoever they did 
 there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked 
 not to any thing that was under his hand ; because the Lord 
 was with him; that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper." 
 
 SECTION XXII. 
 
 DREAM OF THE BAKER AND BUTLER OF PHARAOH IN THE PRISON JOSEPH'S INTER- 
 PRETATION THE FULFILMENT DREAM OF PHARAOH JOSEPH SENT FOR TO INTER- 
 PRET IT HIS COUNSEL TO PHARAOH, AND EXALTATION. 
 
 IT so happened while .Joseph was here confined, that the butler 
 and the baker of the king of Egypt had offended their master, 
 and were put into the same prison. And the captain of the 
 guard, or keeper of the prison, gave these persons in charge to 
 Joseph, and he attended on them. And they both dreamed a 
 dream, in the same night ; and when Joseph came in to them in 
 the morning, he observed that they were sad; and he said, 
 "Wherefore look ye so sad to-day? And they said, We have 
 dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And 
 Joseph said, Do not interpretations belong unto God? Tell 
 them to me, I pray you." And the chief butler told his dream : 
 " Behold, a vine was before me, and in the vine three branches, 
 which budded, and her blossoms shot forth ; and the clusters 
 thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in 
 my hand ; and I took the grapes and pressed them in Pharaoh's 
 cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." And Joseph 
 said, " This is the interpretation of it. The three branches 
 are three days: yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up 
 thine head, and restore thee unto thy place, and then thou shalt 
 deliver his cup into his hand." But said Joseph, "Think on 
 me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray 
 thee, unto me ; and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and 
 bring me out of this house ; for indeed I was stolen away out 
 of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing 
 that they should put me, into the dungeon." The chief baker, 
 hearing that the interpretation of the butler's dream was favour- 
 able, was encouraged to tell his own, which, in some respects, 
 resembled it. He said, "Behold, in my dream, I had three 
 white baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket was all 
 manner of bake-meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them 
 out of the basket upon my head." And Joseph said, "The 
 three baskets are three days. Yet within three days shall 
 Pharaoh lift up thine head from thee, and shall hang thee on a 
 tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee." And 
 accordingly, on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birth-day, 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 57 
 
 he restored the chief butler to his place, and hanged the chief 
 baker, as Joseph had interpreted unto them. But in his joy 
 and prosperity the butler did not " remember Joseph, but forgot 
 him." 
 
 It is well for God's children that he does not forget them ; 
 but whether they are in prison, in poverty, or in sickness, his 
 compassionate eye is ever upon them, and his faithful care will 
 never leave them. Joseph's prospect of release seemed to have 
 entirely passed away. He no doubt waited anxiously for some 
 time, to see whether his friend the butler would use his good 
 offices with the king, in his behalf; but two whole years having 
 elapsed, and no relief having been obtained, nor any intima- 
 tion that any effort had been made for his discharge, he must 
 have felt something of that sickness of heart which is produced 
 by "hope deferred." But God, who can control the hearts of 
 kings as well as others, sent a dream to Pharaoh, which answered 
 the purpose of bringing to the recollection of the butler his 
 own dream, and the interpretation of Joseph, and his sin in 
 forgetting his benefactor. Pharaoh's dream was double, but 
 both parts had the same signification. The magicians and wise 
 men of Egypt were utterly unable to give any satisfactory inter- 
 pretation ; upon which the chief butler related the circumstances 
 of his own dream, and the interpretation of Joseph. Pharaoh 
 immediately sent to the prison, and ordered the young Hebrew 
 to be brought before him. Joseph therefore shaved himself, 
 and changed his clothes, and then presented himself before the 
 king. Pharaoh said, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is 
 none that can interpret it ; and I have heard say of thee, that 
 thou canst understand a dream to interpret it." Joseph's reply 
 was pious and modest. He said, " It is not in me : God shall 
 give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Then Pharaoh related his 
 dreams, as follow: "In my dream I stood upon the bank of the 
 river, and behold there came up out of the river, seven kine, 
 fat-fleshed, and well-favoured, and they fed in a meadow. And 
 behold seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill- 
 favoured, and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land 
 of Egypt for badness. And the lean and ill-favoured kine did 
 eat up the first seven fat kine ; and when they had eaten them, 
 it could not be known that they had eaten them ; but they were 
 still ill-favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. And I 
 saw in my dream, and behold seven ears came up on one stalk, 
 full and good. And behold seven ears, withered and thin, and 
 blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them ; and the thin 
 ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told this unto the 
 magicians, and there was none that could declare it unto me." 
 Joseph, upon hearing these dreams, did not hesitate, nor ask 
 
58 HISTOEY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 time for consideration, but immediately interpreted them as 
 follows: "The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed 
 Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine and the 
 seven good ears are seven years, and the dream is one. And 
 the seven ill-favoured kine and the seven blasted ears shall be 
 seven years of famine." "Behold there come seven years of 
 great plenty, throughout all the land of Egypt ; and there shall 
 arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall 
 be forgotten in the land of Egypt ; and the famine shall con- 
 sume the land. And the plenty shall not be known in the land, 
 by reason of the famine following ; for it shall be very grievous." 
 And as to the repetition of the dream, Joseph, informed the 
 king, that this was intended to give the greater assurance of the 
 thing, that God had established it, and would shortly bring it 
 to pass. Joseph then proceeded to advise what ought to be 
 done. "Let Pharaoh," said he, "look out for a man, discreet 
 and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt ; and let him ap- 
 point officers over the land, and take up the fifth part [of the 
 produce] of the land of Egypt, in the seven plenteous years. 
 And let them gather all the fruits of these good years that 
 come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them 
 keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the 
 land, against the seven years of famine, which shall be in all 
 the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through famine." 
 This advice of Joseph seemed to Pharaoh and all his servants 
 wise and seasonable. And the king was persuaded, that no 
 better man could possibly be found to set over this business, 
 than the one who had given the advice. He, therefore, said to 
 his servants, " Can we find such a man as this, in whom the 
 spirit of God is." And to Joseph he said, "Forasmuch as God 
 hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as 
 thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy 
 word shall all my people be ruled ; only in the throne will I be 
 greater than thou." And Pharaoh said, "See, I have set thee 
 over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from 
 his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in 
 vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck ; and 
 he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had ; and 
 they cried before him, Bow the knee ; and he made him ruler 
 over all the land of Egypt." And he said unto Joseph, "I am 
 Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his 
 foot in all the land of Egypt." And Pharaoh gave Joseph a 
 new name, ZAPHNATH-PAANEAH, which means, the revealer of 
 secrets. And he gave him for a wife ASENATH, the daughter 
 of Poti-pherah, priest, or prince of On. 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 59 
 
 SECTION XXIII. 
 
 JOSEPH'S ADMINISTRATION. 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF HIS BROTHERS HIS TREATMENT OF THEM HE RETAINS SIMEOW 
 AND SENDS FOR BENJAMIN. 
 
 WHEN Joseph stood before Pharaoh, he was thirty years old. 
 Being now placed in the highest authority by the king, he went 
 forth to the execution of his important office. That he might 
 better understand the condition of the country, he passed 
 through the whole land of Egypt. And as the years of plenty 
 immediately commenced, he began to lay up food in storehouses, 
 throughout the cities ; and the quantity was so great that it 
 could not be numbered. And this he did, until the seven years 
 of plenty were ended. 
 
 During this period his wife Asenath had two sons : the elder 
 he named Manasseh, forgetting ; because, said he, "God hath 
 made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." The 
 second he named Ephraim, fruitful ; because, said he, "God 
 hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." 
 
 As soon as the seven years of plenty were ended, the years 
 of famine commenced. This dearth was not confined to Egypt, 
 but extended to all the surrounding countries. And when under 
 the pressure of the famine, the people of Egypt cried unto Pha- 
 raoh, he referred them to Joseph. Now was seen the wisdom 
 of erecting public storehouses, and filling them with provision ; 
 for the people took no care to lay up corn for the approaching 
 scarcety. The famine there was very grievous ; and the people 
 must have perished through want, had it not been for the pub- 
 lic granaries, which Joseph now caused to be opened, and from 
 which corn was sold to the Egyptians. This distressing famine 
 reached the land of Canaan, where Jacob and his sons dwelt ; 
 and he having learned that corn could be had in Egypt, directed 
 his sons, instead of standing and looking on one another, to go 
 down thither and buy, that their lives might be preserved. It 
 is not improbable, that it was unpleasant for these men to think 
 of going to Egypt, when they recollected that they had sold 
 their brother to be a slave there ; but in necessity there is no 
 choice. Therefore, all Joseph's brothers, except Benjamin, set 
 off to Egypt, to buy corn. Jacob's affections, since the loss of 
 Joseph, seem to have been fixed chiefly on Benjamin, the only 
 other child of his beloved Rachel. He refused, therefore, to 
 permit him to accompany his brethren, lest some accident should 
 befall him. When Joseph's brethren arrived, it was necessary 
 to present themselves before him ; for as he was governor of all 
 
60 HISTOEY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 the land, no corn could be sold without his permission. When 
 these foreigners, in the garb of shepherds of Canaan, were in- 
 troduced, they bowed themselves before him, with their faces to 
 the earth thus fulfilling the dreams which had so provoked 
 their envy. Joseph instantly knew his brothers, although he 
 had been absent from them for twenty-three or twenty-four 
 years; but they had not the least idea that the great man, in 
 whose presence they were, was their injured brother Joseph. 
 Although his heart was full of kindness, yet he determined to 
 make them reflect on the guilt of the enormous crime which 
 they had committed. He, therefore, spoke roughly to them, 
 and said, "Whence come ye?" And he said, "Ye are spies; 
 to see the nakedness of the land are ye come." They protested 
 that it was not so, but that they had come to buy food. "We 
 are," said they, "all one man's sons: we are true men, thy 
 servants are no spies." But Joseph affected not to believe 
 them, and still insisted that they were spies. On which, they, 
 conscious that they were speaking truth, began to be more 
 particular in their narrative. They said, "Thy servants are 
 twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan ; 
 and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is 
 not." The feelings of both parties must have been very strong 
 at the mention of this last circumstance, but of a very different 
 kind. They were now in distress in the country to which they 
 had sold their brother, and the remorse of conscience, which at 
 other times they might find means to quiet, now filled them 
 with anguish. Joseph could not help recollecting all their 
 hatred; and especially their cruelty, when, turning a deaf ear 
 to his piteous cries and earnest supplications, they sold him for 
 a paltry sum of money to travelling merchants, who, it was 
 known, would carry him to a distant country to be a slave for 
 life. In such a transaction, though all may consent, there are 
 various degrees of guilt. Reuben, we know, did not join in the 
 crime of his brothers. But there is no evidence that Joseph 
 knew any thing of his favourable disposition and designs. 
 Judah had prevented them from imbruing their hands in his 
 blood, and prevailed upon them rather to sell him than put him 
 to death. Probably, Simeon was foremost in proposing and 
 seeking the death of Joseph, as he is known to have been both 
 cruel and treacherous in his disposition; and Joseph, in select- 
 ing one to be bound in prison while the others went home, 
 would naturally fix on the one who appeared to him to be the 
 most guilty. However this may be, he continued to accuse 
 them as spies ; and at first proposed that all of them should 
 remain except one, who should be despatched to bring their 
 younger brother; and accordingly, he shut them all up in 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 61 
 
 prison for three days. How wretched must have been the 
 feelings of these men, when thus overtaken with misfortune in a 
 strange land. At the expiration of three days, Joseph changed 
 his plan; reflecting, no doubt, that their families must suffer 
 greatly, or perhaps perish with want, if they did not return 
 with provisions. He now, therefore, told them, that one of 
 them must be left bound in the prison, while the rest returned 
 with corn for their houses. And one thing which he said 
 would have been consoling to them, if they had been pious; 
 that is, that he was a worshipper of the true God. He charged 
 them to bring their youngest brother; that by this proof it 
 might be known that they were true men. Their words would 
 thus be verified, and they should not die. In thus demanding 
 Benjamin to be brought to Egypt, Joseph seems rather to have 
 consulted his own feelings, than the peace of his father's mind, 
 of which he should have been more tender : but it does not be- 
 hoove us to judge with severity the conduct of a man placed in 
 circumstances so peculiar. He had no evidence yet, that these 
 men had ever repented of the crime of which they had been 
 guilty ; or that their feelings towards him were at all changed ; 
 and he deemed it necessary to subject all concerned to some 
 uneasiness, well knowing that it would be fully compensated by 
 the kindness which he meant to show them. 
 
 They now began not only to reflect on the wickedness of their 
 conduct in their cruel treatment of their brother, but also to 
 speak to one another on the subject; and their conversation was 
 in the hearing of Joseph, but they supposed he did not under- 
 stand them, as he had uniformly spoken to them by an inter- 
 preter. "And they said one to another, We are verily guilty 
 concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, 
 when he besought us and we would not hear ; therefore is this 
 distress come upon us." And Reuben said, "Spoke I not unto 
 you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not 
 hear; therefore, behold, also his blood is required." Upon 
 hearing these confessions and upbraidings of his brethren, the 
 heart of Joseph was affected, and he withdrew from them, that 
 they might not see him weep, and then returned, and conversed 
 with them. And he took Simeon, and bound him before their 
 eyes ; and commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore 
 every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision 
 for the way. 
 
62 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXIV. 
 
 THEIR MONET RETURNED JACOB REFUSES TO LET BENJAMIN GO BUT THE FAMINE 
 
 PRESSES, AND HE AT LENGTH CONSENTS JOSEPH, AFTER BRINGING HIS BROTHERS 
 INTO TROUBLE, MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN, AND SENDS TO HIS FATHER. 
 
 WHEN they had proceeded some distance on their journey home- 
 ward, and had stopped at an inn, one of them, whose sack was 
 opened on the occasion, found his money in the mouth of the 
 sack ; of which, when he gave information to his brethren, they 
 were alarmed, and their hearts failed them ; and they said one 
 to another, "What is this that God hath done unto us?" And 
 when they arrived at home, they told Jacob all that had hap- 
 pened to them ; and when they had emptied their sacks, every 
 man's bundle of money was in his sack, at the sight of which 
 both they and their father were afraid. But when Jacob heard 
 of their engagement to take Benjamin with them when they 
 returned again for corn, and to redeem their brother who was 
 left bound in prison, he was greatly disturbed, and said, in the 
 language of bitter complaint, "Me have ye bereaved of my chil- 
 dren ; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Ben- 
 jamin away. All these things are against me." From these 
 words of Jacob, it would seem that he had received some infor- 
 mation, or entertained some suspicion, respecting the true fate 
 of Joseph, and that the first account was not true; for he 
 charges his bereavement of him in particular, on his sons. And 
 it is scarcely possible, that a secret lodged with so many persons 
 would not in time leak out; especially as one of them had not 
 consented to the wicked deed of the others, and had fully 
 resolved to rescue him out of their hands. Reuben was now 
 the only one who seems to have had confidence to reply to the 
 cutting reproaches of his father. And he said, " Slay my two 
 sons, if I bring him not to thee : deliver him into my hand, and 
 I will bring him to thee again." But it would not do. Jacob 
 absolutely refused to let Benjamin go, saying, "My son shall 
 not go down with you ; for his brother is dead, and he is left 
 alone : if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then 
 shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." 
 But the famine continuing to rage without mitigation, as soon 
 as the provision was spent, which they had brought from Egypt, 
 Jacob said to his sons, "Go again, buy us a little food." Judah 
 replied, "The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye 
 shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou 
 wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee 
 food. But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down : for 
 the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your 
 brother be with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 63 
 
 ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother ? 
 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of 
 our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another 
 brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these 
 words. Could we know that he would say, Bring your brother 
 down? And Judah said unto Israel, his father, Send the lad 
 with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, 
 both we and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for 
 him ; of my hand shalt thou require him : if I bring him not 
 unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame 
 for ever. For except we had lingered, surely now we had 
 returned this second time." Judah, who was truly eloquent, 
 prevailed at length ; though probably want had more influence 
 in gaining the old man's consent, than the persuasive speech of 
 his son. And Israel said, "If it must be so now, do this: take 
 of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down 
 the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and 
 myrrh, nuts and almonds. And take double money in your 
 hand: the money that was found in your sacks, carry back; 
 peradventure it was an oversight. Take also your brother, and 
 arise, go again to the man. And God Almighty give you mer- 
 cy before the man, that he may send away your other brother 
 and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." 
 Accordingly, they went, and came and stood before Joseph. 
 When he saw that Benjamin was with them, he invited them all 
 to dine with him that day. But these plain shepherds were 
 abashed when they were introduced into the house of the gover- 
 nor, and thought that some accusation would be brought against 
 them, for the money that they had found in their sacks. They 
 therefore addressed themselves to the steward of the house, and 
 informed him of the discovery made of the money in their sacks ; 
 and told him that they had brought it back, and other money to 
 buy corn. But he quieted them, assuring them that he had 
 received their money; and told them that the God of their 
 fathers had given them the money which they found in their 
 sacks. And he brought out their brother Simeon, and gave 
 them water for their feet, and feed for their asses. On their 
 part, they got ready the present, which they had brought for 
 the governor, against his coming at noon. When he arrived, 
 they all bowed themselves before him to the earth. He inquired 
 of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well? the old man of 
 whom you spake, is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy 
 servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive : and they 
 bowed down their heads, and made obeisance." And when he 
 saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "Is this your younger bro- 
 ther, of whom ye spake unto me ? And he said, God be gracious 
 unto thee, my son." But Joseph was unable to command his 
 
64 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 feelings any longer ; " and he went out, and sought a place to 
 weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there." And 
 when he had composed himself he returned, and gave orders to 
 place the dinner before them. But he and the Egyptians did 
 not eat with them, because the Egyptians thought it wrong to 
 eat bread with the Hebrews. The brethren of Joseph must have 
 been surprised at the order in Avhich he placed them at table ; 
 for the first-born was placed first, according to his birth-right, 
 and the youngest according to his youth. From his own table 
 he sent them messes ; but five times as much to Benjamin as to 
 any of the rest. By degrees their fears subsided, and they ate 
 and drank, and were merry with him. It seemed to these men, 
 that their difficulties were now ended. But Providence had new 
 trials for them before they left Egypt. Joseph, who began to 
 be impatient of the concealment and constraint under which he 
 acted, was determined to bring the business to a speedy end. 
 He commanded his steward, in filling the sacks with corn, to 
 put again every man's money in the mouth of his sack, and to 
 put his own silver cup into the sack of the youngest. Next day, 
 as soon as it was light, they were sent away ; and when they 
 had got out of the city, Joseph ordered his steward to pursue 
 them, and to charge them with dishonesty and ingratitude. The 
 steward did as he was commanded; and they said unto him, 
 "Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy 
 servants should do according to this thing. Behold the money 
 which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to thee, 
 out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of our 
 lord's house, silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it 
 be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen." 
 The steward was more moderate in his demands. He only 
 required that the person in whose possession the cup might be 
 found, should be made a slave, while the rest should be con- 
 sidered blameless. Honesty was the strong point of character 
 in which these men felt themselves to be upright. They were 
 afraid of no accusation on this ground ; and felt so much mutual 
 confidence, that they had no fears for one another. They, 
 therefore, promptly unloaded their asses, and submitted to a 
 search, which, beginning at the eldest, went on to the youngest. 
 But, what was their grief and astonishment, when the cup was 
 actually found in Benjamin's sack. They rent their clothes, 
 laded their asses, and went back to the city. As soon as they 
 came into the presence of the governor, they fell before him on 
 the ground ; and he said, What deed is this that ye have done ? 
 did ye not know that such a man as I can certainly divine? 
 Then Judah, whose simple eloquence has already been noticed, 
 came forward, and addressed to him one of the most pathetic 
 speeches which is on record in any language. Judah seemed to 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 65 
 
 consider that the liberty of all of them was forfeited ; but Joseph, 
 like his steward, did not view any one as implicated, except the 
 person with whom the cup had been found. But how could they 
 bear the thought of returning to their father without Benjamin ; 
 and, especially, to Judah, who had urged his father so much ta 
 send him, and had become security for him, it must have appearea 
 worse than death. He, therefore, drew near, and made the fol- 
 lowing touching address. 
 
 " my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in 
 my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant, 
 for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, say- 
 ing, Have ye a father, or a brother ? And we said unto my lord, 
 We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little 
 one ; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, 
 and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, 
 Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 
 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if 
 he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst 
 unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down 
 with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass, 
 when we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the 
 words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us 
 a little food. And we said, We cannot go down : if our youngest 
 brother be with us, then will we go down ; for we may not see 
 the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. And 
 thy servant, my father, said unto us, Ye know that my wife 
 [Rachel] bare me two sons ; and the one went out from me, and 
 I said, Surely he is torn to pieces; and I saw him not since. 
 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye 
 shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 
 
 "Now, therefore, when I come to thy servant, my father, 
 and the lad be not with us, (seeing that his life is bound up in 
 the lad's life;) it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad 
 is not with us, that he will die : and thy servants shall bring 
 down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to 
 the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my 
 father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear 
 the blame to my father for ever. Now, therefore, I pray thee, 
 let thy servant abide, instead of the lad, a bondman to my lord ; 
 and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up 
 to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I 
 see the evil that shall come on my father." 
 
 There is truly something noble in the conduct of Judah, on 
 this occasion in offering himself as a substitute for his brother. 
 It was a degree of generosity not often to be witnessed ; and the 
 offer rises in our estimation, when we take into view, that his 
 governing motive was respect and affection for his aged father. 
 5 
 
66 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Joseph's feelings were so affected by this speech of Judah, 
 which referred to himself in a way that must have touched him 
 greatly, that he was unable any longer to conceal his emotions : 
 and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me." "And 
 
 wept aloud ; so that the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh 
 ard him. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph: 
 doth my father yet live ? And his brethren could not answer 
 him, for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said 
 unto his brethren, Come near to me: and he said, I am Joseph 
 your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now,~therefore, be 
 not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither : 
 for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two 
 years hath the famine been in the land ; and yet there are five 
 years in the which there shall be neither earing nor harvest. 
 And God sent me before you, to preserve you a posterity in the 
 earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now 
 it was not you that sent me hither, but God ; and he hath made 
 me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler 
 throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my 
 father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath 
 made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not. 
 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen ; and thou shalt be 
 near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, 
 and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. And 
 there will I nourish thee, (for yet there are five years of famine,) 
 lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to 
 poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my bro- 
 ther Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 
 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of 
 all that ye have seen ; and ye shall haste, and bring down my 
 father hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck 
 and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover, he 
 kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them, and after that his 
 brethren talked with him." 
 
 A more interesting scene than this is not recorded in any 
 history, and can scarcely be conceived of. The kindness, ten- 
 derness, and generosity of Joseph to his brothers, who had so 
 deeply injured him, is worthy of all admiration. When Pharaoh 
 heard what had happened, and that Joseph's brethren were 
 come, the event was pleasing to him and to his servants ; and 
 he authorized Joseph to invite his father and brothers, with their 
 families, to come and live in Egypt, in the best of the land ; and 
 also directed that wagons should be sent to carry their wives 
 and children, and their father. They were directed not to 
 regard their moveable property, as they would enjoy the good 
 of the whole land of Egypt. Joseph gladly executed Pharaoh's 
 orders, and gave also to each man changes of clothes ; but to 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 67 
 
 Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes 
 of raiment ; and to his father he sent ten asses, laden with the 
 good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses, laden with corn, and 
 bread, and meat, for his father by the way. When he sent away 
 his brothers, he exhorted them " See that ye fall not out bjj 
 the way." Upon their arrival at home, they told Jacob that 
 Joseph was yet alive, and was governor over all the land of 
 Egypt. The news was too overwhelming for the mind of Jacob ; 
 he fainted and believed them not, at the first ; but when he be- 
 held the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit 
 of the old man revived. "And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph 
 my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die." 
 
 SECTION XXV. 
 
 JACOB, AFTER ASKING COUNSEL OF GOD, GOES DOWN TO EGYPT TO HIS SON. 
 
 BUT Jacob would not take so important a step as removing his 
 whole family into Egypt, without asking counsel of God, who 
 had hitherto directed him in all his ways. He, therefore, jour- 
 neyed southward, until he came to Beersheba, and there being 
 on the borders of Canaan, he oifered sacrifices unto the God of 
 Isaac his father. "And God spake unto Israel in the visions 
 of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob: and he said, Here am I. 
 And he said, I am the God of thy father : fear not to go down 
 into Egypt : for I will there make of thee a great nation. I 
 will go down with thee into Egypt ; and I will also surely bring 
 thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand on thine eyes." 
 After this clear revelation of the divine will, Jacob hesitated no 
 longer, but taking his sons, and their wives, and their children, 
 and their flocks and herds, and all that they possessed, they 
 went down into Egypt. 
 
 At this time Reuben had two sons ; Simeon, six ; Levi, three ; 
 Judah had had five, but two of them were dead ; Issachar had 
 four ; Zebulun, three ; Gad, seven ; Asher, four, and one daugh- 
 ter, and two grandchildren : Joseph was already in Egypt, and 
 had two sons. Benjamin, though the youngest, was the father 
 of ten sons ; Dan had only one, and Naphtali had four. These, 
 exclusive of Jacob himself and Joseph and his two sons, make 
 the number sixty-six; and with them, the whole number of Ja- 
 cob's family, exclusive of his son's wives, was seventy. In this 
 enumeration of Jacob's descendants, there are several things re- 
 markable. The first is, that among so many children and grand- 
 children, the proportion of females should bo so small. Only 
 two are mentioned in the sacred history ; Dinah, Jacob's daugh- 
 
68 HISTORY OF THE ISEAELITISH NATION. 
 
 ter, who was either dead, or gone from her father's house ; and 
 Serah, the daughter of Asher. Another thing worthy of remark 
 is, that Benjamin, who is so often called a lad, and sometimes a 
 child, and a little one, should be the father of ten children. On 
 this fact it may be observed, that Benjamin was now thirty-five 
 or thirty-six years of age ; and, as to his being called a lad, &c., 
 these appellations are rather to express the tender affection of 
 his father towards him, than to signify that he was not a 
 man. The word little is, in Hebrew, the same as the word for 
 younger. 
 
 When Jacob came near the land of Goshen, he sent Judah 
 before him, to announce his arrival. "And Joseph made ready 
 his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father to Goshen, 
 and presented himself unto him : and he fell on his neck, and 
 wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, 
 Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art 
 yet alive." Joseph, having instructed his brethren how to 
 behave, and what to answer, when introduced to Pharaoh, made 
 haste to inform the king of the arrival of his father. His object 
 was to obtain for them the privilege of dwelling in Goshen, 
 which seems to have been that part of Egypt which was next to 
 the wilderness, towards the land of Canaan, because Jacob and 
 his sons arrived here before they came to the city where Joseph 
 and Pharaoh resided. It is probable that this region, on account 
 of its vicinity to the uncultivated parts of the country, was pecu- 
 liarly suited to be the residence of shepherds. And Joseph 
 directed his brethren, when Pharaoh should question them 
 respecting their manner of life, to confess that their occupation 
 had been to take care of cattle, from their youth; and that 
 their fathers had followed the same; for by so doing, they 
 would gain the privilege of remaining in Goshen. For as all 
 shepherds were despised by the Egyptians, the people would 
 be unwilling that they should come into the centre of the 
 country, to mingle with the other inhabitants. The business 
 was arranged according to Joseph's direction, and the result 
 answered his expectations. Pharaoh, upon hearing that the 
 men were shepherds, and that it was their wish to remain in 
 Goshen, readily gave the permission. He, therefore, told 
 Joseph that the whole land of Egypt was before him, and that 
 he might give to his father and brethren the best of it ; but as 
 they had selected Goshen, he directed that this part of the 
 country should be assigned to them ; and requested, that if he 
 knew any of them to be men of activity, he would make them 
 rulers over his cattle. 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 69 
 
 SECTION XXVI. 
 
 JACOB'S INTERVIEW WITH PHARAOH PRESSURE OF THE FAMINE JOSEPH'S POLICY. 
 
 JOSEPH now introduced his father to the king ; and Jacob, when 
 he came into the royal presence, pronounced a benediction upon 
 Pharaoh. It is probable that the patriarch had the appearance 
 of being older than he really was, for he was lame, and had 
 passed a life of trial and trouble. Few men have ever ex- 
 perienced greater changes or more heart-desolating calamities. 
 Pharaoh, therefore, as soon as he saw him, asked him how old 
 he was. To this Jacob answered, " The days of the years of 
 my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years : few and evil 
 have the days of the years of my life been, and I have not 
 attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in 
 the days of their pilgrimage." The particular spot which 
 Joseph selected for the residence of his father and brothers, and 
 their families, was Rameses, the best of the land; and there he 
 supplied them with the necessary support, distributing food to 
 every family, according to its numbers. The famine had now 
 risen to its height, and was very sore, both in the land of Egypt 
 and in Canaan. The only resource of the people, to preserve 
 them from death, was in the stores which Joseph had collected ; 
 and he, as a faithful servant, considered all this corn as the 
 property of the king, at whose expense it had been obtained and 
 laid up. Instead therefore, of giving it away, he sold it to the 
 people, as long as they had any money to give in exchange ; 
 and when their money failed, Joseph offered to take their cattle, 
 which, if they had remained in the hands of their owners, must 
 have died speedily. This supply, however, only saved them for 
 one year ; and when this was ended, the people came to him in 
 great distress, declaring that the whole of their money and their 
 cattle were already expended, and nothing now remained but their 
 bodies and their land. "Wherefore," said they, "shall we die 
 before thine eyes, both we and our land ? buy us and our land for 
 bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh." 
 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh ; for the 
 Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed 
 over them. So the land became Pharaoh's. And Joseph 
 removed the people, everywhere into the cities, where provisions 
 were stored. The land of the priests, however, was not sold ; 
 for they received from Pharaoh a portion for their support, so 
 that they were under no necessity of selling their lands. 
 Joseph has been much censured by some persons for his course 
 in regard to the people of Egypt ; but it would be difficult to 
 show in what the injustice of his conduct consisted. "What he 
 
70- HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 ought to have done if the kingdom and stores had been his own, 
 is another question. But as the agent and steward to whom 
 this great business was committed, there is every evidence that 
 he acted justly and wisely. And now, having fairly purchased 
 the land, he gave seed to the people to sow the land ; and of the 
 increase he required only a fifth part for the king, leaving the 
 rest for their own use. Surely there was nothing ungenerous 
 or unjust in this regulation, which from this time became per- 
 petual. Joseph might have made all the people Pharaoh's ser- 
 vants, for they repeatedly offered to become such; but he only 
 established it as a law that the king should have a fifth part of 
 the increase of all the land, except that of the priests, to which 
 Pharaoh obtained no title. 
 
 SECTION XXVII. 
 
 JABOB'S RESIDES IN EGYPT SEVENTEEN YEARS HIS END DRAWS NIGH HIS INTERVIEW 
 WITH JOSEPH, AND BENEDICTION OF HIS SONS. 
 
 ISRAEL having obtained, as has been related, the land of Gos- 
 hen, and being there supplied with food in abundance, without 
 toil, multiplied exceedingly. Jacob lived after he came down to 
 Egypt, seventeen years; so that the whole age of Jacob was a 
 hundred and forty-seven years. When the patriarch found that 
 his end was drawing near, he called for Joseph, and caused him 
 to swear that he would not bury him in Egypt, but carry him 
 to the burying-place of his fathers, in the land of Canaan. 
 Soon after this, Jacob being sick, Joseph came to see him, and 
 brought his two sons, that they might receive their grandfather's 
 blessing before he died. And they informed Jacob that his son 
 Joseph was come, on which he "strengthened himself and sat 
 upon the bed." "And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty 
 appeared unto me at Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed 
 me, and said unto me, I will make thee fruitful and multiply 
 thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people, and will 
 give this land to thy seed after thee, for an everlasting posses- 
 sion. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which 
 were born to thee in the land of Egypt, are mine : as Reuben 
 and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou 
 begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the 
 name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, 
 when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of 
 Canaan, in the way, when as yet there was but a little way to 
 come to Ephrath ; and I buried her in the way of Ephrath, the 
 same is Bethlehem." When Jacob beheld Joseph's sons, whom 
 he had not before observed to be present, he said, "Who are 
 these ? And Joseph said unto his father, they are my sons, whom 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 71 
 
 God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I 
 pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them." But Jacob's eye- 
 sight had greatly failed, so that he could see nothing distinctly. 
 Joseph brought forward the lads, and Jacob said, "I had not 
 thought to see thy face ; and lo, God hath showed me also thy 
 seed." And when Joseph presented his sons to his father for 
 his benediction, he bowed himself to the earth. And he held 
 Ephraim in his right hand, opposite to Jacob's left; and Man- 
 asseh in his left hand, opposite to his father's right; but Israel 
 stretched out his right hand, and placed it on the head of 
 Ephraim the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh the 
 elder, evidently doing this not by accident, but designedly. 
 He first blessed Joseph himself, and then said, " God, before 
 whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which 
 fed me all my life long to this day, the angel which redeemed 
 me from all evil, bless the lads ; and let my name be named on 
 them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac ; and let 
 them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." "And 
 when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the 
 head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father's 
 hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head ; 
 and Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the 
 first-born; put thy right hand on his head. And his father 
 refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it ; he also shall 
 become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his 
 younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall 
 become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, 
 saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as 
 Ephraim, and as Manasseh ; and he set Ephraim before Man- 
 asseh. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold I die, but God 
 shall be with you, and bring you again into the land of your 
 fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy 
 brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorites with 
 my sword, and with my bow." 
 
 SECTION XXVIII. 
 
 JACOB'S DYING PBOPHECY EESFECTING HIS SONS HIS DECEASE. 
 
 JACOB now called together all his sons, and being inspired to 
 foretell future events, he went on to prophecy what would befall 
 each of them as a tribe and nation. It is worthy of remark, 
 that the moral character of the father seems to be impressed on 
 his descendants, and their destiny is made to depend in a great 
 measure on the conduct of him from whom they derived their 
 descent. 
 
72 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Reuben was the first-born, but though he was "the excellency 
 of dignity, and the excellency of power," yet, on account of a 
 base crime already referred to, he is excluded from the chief 
 blessing, and is pronounced to be unstable as water, and it is 
 foretold that his tribe shall not rise to high excellence or great 
 power. 
 
 The treachery and cruelty of Simeon and Levi come now into 
 remembrance, in the case of the Shechemites, whom they inhu- 
 manly murdered, after deceiving them, when they were unable 
 to defend themselves. " Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, 
 and their wrath, for it was cruel : I will divide them in Jacob, 
 and scatter them in Israel." This last prediction was most 
 exactly accomplished, in the after history of these two tribes. 
 Simeon having lost a large portion of his numbers in the wilder- 
 ness, obtained an inheritance, not in a district by himself, but in 
 scattered portions among the other tribes ; and it is said that 
 the men of this tribe travelled about as schoolmasters ; so that 
 they were literally scattered abroad, and divided in Israel. And 
 all know that Levi had no inheritance with his brethren; but, 
 having received the priesthood, his people were divided among 
 the other tribes, each of which furnished a certain quota of cities 
 for their habitation. 
 
 Judah receives a rich blessing, and the future dignity and 
 power of the tribe answered to the patriarch's prediction. 
 "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand 
 shall be in the neck of thine enemies : thy father's children shall 
 bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp ; from the prey, 
 my son, art thou gone up : he stooped down, he couched as a 
 lion ; who shall rouse him up ? The sceptre shall not depart 
 from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until 
 Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 
 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice 
 vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the 
 blood of grapes. His eyes shall be red with wine, and his 
 teeth white with milk." This is undoubtedly the chief blessing 
 of all; for two peculiar things are promised superiority over 
 the other tribes, and the possession of a sceptre and lawgiver; 
 and secondly, that the Messiah should arise from this tribe, for 
 thus must we interpret the word Shiloh. The temporal bless- 
 ings of this tribe were also very rich. Their country abounded 
 in vineyards and flocks ; so that wine and milk were the cha- 
 racteristics of Judah. He is compared to the lion, which 
 became, through all ages, the ensign of this tribe, and is believed 
 to have been the figure on its standard. THE LION OF THE 
 TRIBE OF JUDAH is also one designation of the Messiah. 
 
 The maritime situation of the tribe of Zebulun is exactly 
 foretold, and the boundaries of its possessions, on the great sea, 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 73 
 
 are described, even unto Zidon. As this tribe was on the coast, 
 so it is described as having harbours and ships. 
 
 Issachar is described as having a pleasant land, but an abject 
 spirit ; and as a servant of tribute. Accordingly, we scarcely 
 read of a distinguished person from this tribe, nor any distin- 
 guished dignity which it possessed. 
 
 In most of these predictions there is an evident allusion to 
 the literal import of the names of Jacob's sons; as here, when 
 Ban is introduced in his order, it is said, " Dan shall judge his 
 people, as one of the tribes of Israel." (The word Dan signifies 
 to judge.) Dan is compared to a serpent by the way, an adder 
 in the path, that biteth the horse-heels: so that his "rider shall 
 fall backward." We know very little of the character and his- 
 tory of Dan, as a separate tribe ; but what is recorded, exactly 
 corresponds with this description. 
 
 At this point Jacob seems to have been exhausted. He 
 paused, and lifted up his soul to God in an earnest ejaculation, 
 "I have waited for thy salvation, Lord." Then he pro- 
 ceeded. "Gad," which name signifies a troop "a troop 
 shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last." " Out 
 of Asher" which signifies riches, or property "his bread 
 shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties." "Naphtali is a 
 hind let loose: he giveth goodly words." 
 
 But now the patriarch comes to his beloved Joseph, which as 
 to mere temporal blessings, the benediction may seem to be the 
 richest of all; but does not include the two things before men- 
 tioned as peculiar to Judah, namely, government and the Mes- 
 siah. It is as follows : " Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruit- 
 ful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. The 
 archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him ; 
 but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were 
 made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob : (from 
 thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel :) even by the God of 
 thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty who shall 
 bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the 
 deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 
 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of 
 my progenitors, unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills ; 
 they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the 
 head of him that was separate from his brethren." 
 
 The only difficulty here is to understand who is meant by the 
 shepherd, and stone of Israel, which was to come out of this 
 tribe. These titles apply very exactly to the Messiah, but we 
 have seen that he was to proceed from Judah. It is very pro- 
 bable, however, that these words contributed to produce in the 
 minds of some of the Jews, a notion of a twofold Messiah, the 
 one to spring from Judah, who should be a ruler, and the other 
 
74 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 from Joseph, who should be a sufferer. May it not be possible, 
 that through the line of females received by marriage into the 
 tribe of Judah, or by some other intermingling of the tribes, 
 Messiah may have derived his descent from both these tribes? 
 
 Of Benjamin it is said, he "shall raven as a wolf : in the 
 morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide 
 the spoil." 
 
 After Jacob had finished blessing his sons, " he charged them, 
 and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people : bury 
 me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron 
 the Hittite ; in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which 
 is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought 
 with the field of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a bury- 
 ing-place. (There they buried Abraham, and Sarah his wife : 
 there they buried Isaac, and Rebekah his wife ; and there I 
 buried Leah.) The purchase of the field, and of the cave that 
 is therein, was from the children of Heth. And when Jacob 
 had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his 
 feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered 
 unto his people." 
 
 SECTION XXIX. 
 
 JACOB IS BURIED ACCORDING TO HIS REQUEST IN CANAAN MOURNING ON ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE PATRIARCH. 
 
 WHEN Joseph perceived that his father had ceased to breathe, 
 he " fell upon his face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 
 And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm 
 his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel." The art of 
 preserving human bodies, by embalming them, was certainly 
 better understood in Egypt, in ancient times, than it ever was 
 in any other country, as is evident by the numerous mummies, 
 which unto this day are found in the caves and subterraneous 
 catacombs, and some of which are probably almost as ancient as 
 the time of Joseph. It was customary to mourn forty days for 
 persons embalmed ; but in this case, the Egyptians, by reason of 
 their great regard for Joseph, and their veneration for the aged 
 and pious patriarch, extended their mourning to seventy days. 
 And when the mourning was ended, Joseph informed Pharaoh 
 of the oath which his father had made him swear, in regard to 
 his burial, and Pharaoh readily granted him permission to carry 
 the body of his father to Canaan ; and all the servants of 
 Pharaoh accompanied him, and, also, all the elders of Israel, 
 and all the elders of the land of Egypt ; and all Joseph's breth- 
 ren, and all their households, except that they left their young 
 children, and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 
 
THE PATRIARCHS. 75 
 
 "And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and 
 it was a very great company. And they came to the threshing- 
 floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned 
 with a great and very sore lamentation: and they made a 
 mourning for his father seven days." When the people of the 
 land saw this funeral procession, and observed their bitter 
 lamentation, they said, "This is a grievous mourning to the 
 Egyptians," and on this account the place received the name of 
 Abel-mizraim; that is, the mourning of the Egyptians. And 
 his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before 
 Mamre. "And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his breth- 
 ren, and all that went up with him to bury his father." 
 
 SECTION XXX. 
 
 JOSEPH'S BRETHREN SUSPICIOUS OF HIS FRIENDSHIP CHARACTER OF JOSEPH LENGTH 
 
 OF HIS LIFE HIS INJUNCTION RESPECTING HIS BONES HIS DECEASE. 
 
 "AND when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, 
 they said, Joseph, peradventure, will hate us, and will certainly 
 requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent 
 messengers unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command 
 before he died, saying, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass 
 of thy brethren, and their sin, for they did unto thee evil ; and 
 now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the 
 God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto 
 him;" and said unto them, "Fear not, for am I in the place of 
 God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God 
 meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save 
 much people alive. Now, therefore, fear ye not : I will nour- 
 ish you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and 
 spake kindly to them." 
 
 The character of Joseph, as here exhibited, is exceedingly 
 amiable. His brothers, disturbed by their own guilty fears, 
 could not enter into his kind and benevolent feelings. They 
 could not but think, that now their father was out of the way, 
 and all restraint removed, he would be disposed to avenge him- 
 self upon them for their cruel treatment. After so long a 
 manifestation of kindness and forgiveness, it cut Joseph to the 
 heart, to find them entertaining such suspicions of his motives 
 and designs ; so that he wept, when they presented their sup- 
 plication before him. From this history we learn how trouble- 
 some a thing guilt is. These men were, for a while, successful 
 in covering their transgression from men ; but after more than 
 a score of years, their sin found them out, and they were sore 
 afflicted by the lashes of conscience, while suffering under the 
 severe pressure of external affliction. 
 
76 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Joseph lived to see Ephraim's children of the third genera- 
 tion; and the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were 
 brought up on Joseph's knees. And when he perceived that 
 his end was approaching, he said to his brethren, " I die ; and 
 God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land, unto 
 the land which he sware to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob." 
 And he caused the children of Israel to swear, that when they 
 removed to that land, they would carry with them his bones. 
 " So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old ; and 
 they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." 
 
PART II. 
 
 THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 THE CONTINUANCE OF THE HEBREWS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT THE CHt'EL EDICTS 
 
 OF THE EGYPTIANS AGAINST THE MALE HEBREW CHILDREN THE BIRTH, CON- 
 CEALMENT, EXPOSURE, AND ADOPTION OF MOSES MISERABLE BONDAGE OF THE 
 HEBREWS MOSES KILLS AN EGYPTIAN, AND FLIES TO ARABIA, WHERE HE ENTERS 
 INTO THE FAMILY OF JETHRO, PRIEST OF MIDIAN, WHOSE DAUGHTER HE MARRIES. 
 
 THE period of the residence of the Israelites in Egypt, has 
 been understood differently by learned men; for while most 
 maintain that it did not exceed two hundred and fifteen years, 
 some are of opinion, that it could not be less than four hundred 
 years, in conformity with the prediction of God to Abraham, 
 " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land 
 that is not theirs, and shall serve them ; AND THEY SHALL 
 
 AFFLICT THEM FOUR HUNDRED YEARS." This, taken Strictly, 
 
 decides the question at once. But it has been alleged, with 
 much plausibility, that these four hundred years should be cal- 
 culated from the time when the prediction was uttered; and 
 includes all the time of the residence of Isaac and Jacob in 
 Canaan, as well as the time spent in Egypt. And this inter- 
 pretation is strongly supported by the Septuagint version, and 
 the Samaritan text, which contain a clause, which expressly 
 declares, that the four hundred years comprehended the time 
 of their sojourning in Canaan; and even if this is a gloss 
 which has crept into the text of these copies, yet it shows how 
 this matter was understood in very ancient times. But some 
 of the subsequent words of this same prediction appear to 
 favour this interpretation not a little. God says, " But in the 
 fourth generation they shall come hither again;" for it seems 
 altogether probable, that these generations commenced with 
 Abraham ; and the word generation here, evidently is synony- 
 
78 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 mous with a century of years. Another argument in favour'of 
 the common opinion is, that the number of successive descend- 
 ants of the sons of Jacob are too few for a residence in Egypt 
 of four hundred years. For example, when Israel went down 
 to Egypt, Levi had three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 
 Amram, the father of Moses, was the son of Kohath, and 
 grandson of Levi. If we suppose that four hundred years 
 elapsed, or more than three hundred before Moses was born, it 
 will comport very badly with the rapid multiplication which is 
 spoken of. It can hardly be believed, that in so long a period 
 there would be so few births, in succession. And it is remark- 
 able too, that Jochebed, the wife of Amram, was the daughter 
 of Levi. This man, therefore, married his own aunt; but at 
 this time the law regulating the degrees of kindred within 
 which marriages were forbidden, was not given. The only 
 cogent reason for supposing that the Israelites lived four hun- 
 dred years in Egypt, is, the great multitude to which they had 
 increased by the time of the Exodus. But where people are 
 healthy, and enjoy the comforts of life without excessive toil, 
 their increase will always be surprising, until an exact calcula- 
 tion is made; for the ratio of increase is geometrical. Let it 
 be considered, also, that God blessed this people, according to 
 his repeated promise, in multiplying them beyond all parallel. 
 It is therefore, no how incredible, that this single family of 
 seventy males should, in the space of two hundred and fifteen 
 years, have grown to be a nation of two millions of persons. 
 In this country, in three hundred years, a few adventurous 
 colonists have swelled to the enormous population of more than 
 twenty millions of souls. The increase of the Israelites was 
 not more surprising than this. It was therefore, an unexpected 
 thing to find the learned Rosenmuller maintaining in his Scho- 
 lia, that the Israelites resided in Egypt four hundred years. 
 
 How long the descendants of Jacob enjoyed good treatment 
 and liberty, cannot be ascertained. Joseph lived nearly a cen- 
 tury after he came to Egypt. During his lifetime, there was 
 no unfavourable change in the condition of his brethren. It 
 seems probable that the king that arose, "who knew not 
 Joseph," was not of the same family as Pharaoh, before whom 
 Joseph stood, and whose prime minister he was; but some 
 usurper or invader from a foreign land, who was literally igno- 
 rant how great a benefactor Joseph had been to this nation ; 
 and how much the royal family was indebted to him. This 
 king, after he ascended the throne, observing that the Israel- 
 ites were an entirely distinct people from the Egyptians, and 
 that they increased in numbers above the Egyptians, beyond 
 all comparison, was filled with alarm, lest they should seize upon 
 the supreme power ; and especially, " lest if war should fall out," 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 79 
 
 that there would be danger that they should join with the ene- 
 my. He began, therefore, to consult and contrive how he might 
 check this rapidly increasing population. The plan which he 
 devised was indeed cruel, but if carried into effect, would have 
 answered the purpose. It was to put the male children to 
 death, as fast as they were born. But God disappointed his 
 first attempt to accomplish this end. Another method of attain- 
 ing the object was then devised. A decree was made, that with- 
 out exception, every male of the Israelites should be cast into 
 the river Nile. This law, it seems, was executed with rigour, 
 but for how long a time is not known. During this time, Moses 
 was born ; and being a child of uncommon beauty, his parents, 
 who were pious, determined that they would conceal him as 
 long as they could. In pursuance of this resolution, they suc- 
 ceeded in evading the king's officers for three months, but such 
 was the vigilance of those charged with the execution of the 
 cruel mandate, that they were unable to conceal the child any 
 longer. Still, however, entertaining, as it would seem, a hope 
 of providential interposition, they prepared an ark of bulrushes, 
 and rendered it water-tight ; and placing the little boy in this 
 small vessel, they launched it upon the river, and retired, but 
 left the sister of the child in a covert place, to watch what 
 would become of him. It is probable, that the parents of Moses 
 resided in or near the royal city ; for we find the daughter of 
 the king, with her female attendants, coming to the river, near 
 the place where the ark was left, to bathe. And she, having 
 spied the ark among the flags where it had been left, directed 
 her maidens to bring it to her. And when she opened it, she 
 beheld a lovely infant ; and the babe wept. The female breast, 
 in every country, is susceptible of the feelings of humanity. 
 The princess conjectured that it must be one of the Hebrew's 
 children; for she was aware of the cruel edict which had gone 
 forth against the male infants of this afflicted nation, and knew 
 also, the severity with which the law was enforced. But yield- 
 ing to the emotions of her own compassionate heart, she re- 
 solved at every risk to save the child. While she was revolving 
 this purpose in her mind, providentially the little girl left to 
 watch, presented herself, and observing that her little brother 
 was viewed with compassion by the princess, she had the pre- 
 sence of mind and consideration, to ask her if she should call 
 a nurse. This was the very thing needed to carry her design 
 into execution; she therefore instantly expressed her consent; 
 not suspecting, probably, that this officious little girl was sister 
 to the babe in her possession; or that the nurse who was 
 promptly at hand to obey her commands, Avas the mother of the 
 child. There is, indeed, no evidence that she was ever informed 
 of this fact ; or that she ever suspected that the nurse of Moses 
 
80 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 was his own affectionate mother. The address of Miriam, Mo- 
 ses' sister, was in the following simple words, " Shall I go and 
 call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse 
 the child for thee ?" "And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, 
 Go ; and the maid went and called the child's mother. And 
 Pharaoh's daughter said, Take this child away and nurse it for 
 me, and I will give thee thy wages." This believing mother 
 cast her lovely child, when she could preserve him no longer at 
 home, upon Providence ; and now that careful Providence casts 
 him back into her own bosom, in circumstances in which she 
 could cherish the infant without fear; yea, God so ordered the 
 affair, that the mother received rich compensation from royal 
 hands, for cherishing the beloved fruit of her own womb. Never 
 did nurse more promptly or joyfully engage in the duties of her 
 vocation. "And she took the child and nursed it; and the 
 child grew ; and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and 
 he became her son." For humanity's sake, we may hope, that 
 the cruel edict under which Moses was born and exposed, was 
 of short continuance ; as we hear no more about it ; and it is a 
 fact, that cruel laws soon become odious among any people, 
 whoever may be the victims of them. Human feelings revolt 
 against the murdering of young children by wholesale ; and the 
 continued increase of the Israelites proves that this cruel edict 
 could not have been long executed ; for then the increase of 
 population must have ceased, and Moses would have had no 
 male contemporaries. It is probable, therefore, that hard and 
 oppressive servitude was substituted for this murderous edict 
 against the infants. 
 
 The Israelites were now reduced to a state of oppressive 
 bondage. They still inhabited Goshen, and lived separately 
 from the Egyptians, but they were required to labour in brick 
 and mortar for the king ; erecting buildings for his pleasure or 
 caprice. As the object was to keep them at hard service, that 
 they might have no time to meditate any schemes of deliver- 
 ance, it is not an improbable supposition, that the pyramids 
 were erected by their labours. For unless some such work was 
 undertaken, it is hard to conceive how five or six hundred 
 thousand men could, for many years, be kept employed in 
 making brick. 
 
 The first we hear of these oppressive burdens imposed on the 
 Israelites, was, when Moses was grown to be a man, for then 
 "he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens." 
 The mother of Moses had been his instructer, as well as his 
 nurse. She did not fail to communicate to him the secret 
 of his descent, and to inspire him with a desire to deliver 
 his brethren from the cruel bondage under which they were 
 labouring. Moses, however, was educated in the court of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 81 
 
 Pharaoh, and was instructed in all the learning of the Egyp- 
 tians. He was brought up exactly as if he had been a prince 
 "of the royal blood; for the daughter of the king had adopted 
 him as her own son, and educated him as such. It is re- 
 lated by Josephus, that he was received by the king, in 
 default of male offspring, as the heir apparent to the crown. 
 But while such splendid objects were presented, and within the 
 reach of Moses, his mind was occupied with other thoughts and 
 designs. He sympathized deeply with his oppressed brethren, 
 in their grievous afflictions, and was resolved to exert himself 
 for their relief. Indeed, it seems, that he had early received a 
 divine revelation, that he was destined to be the deliverer of 
 Israel from their iron bondage. And he expected that they 
 would be ready to recognize him as such. When he beheld the 
 oppression which his brethren endured, his heart was warmed 
 with indignation ; and observing an Egyptian smiting an Israel- 
 ite, and being a man of great bodily strength, he slew the 
 Egyptian, first looking around to see that there were no per- 
 sons present who might inform against him ; little suspecting 
 that the man whom he rescued from death would bring him 
 into danger, by publishing the fact. But going out the second 
 day, he observed two of the Hebrews striving together. "And 
 he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy 
 fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over 
 us ? Intendest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian ?" 
 Upon hearing this, Moses perceived that the transaction of the 
 former day, in which to save the life of a brother he had slain 
 an Egyptian, was known, and would, consequently, soon reach 
 the ears of the king. And in this he was not erroneous in his 
 judgment, for Pharaoh had not only heard the report, but was 
 so much enraged on account of the act, that he resolved to put 
 Moses to death. Probably, he had been growing jealous of him 
 for some time; or he would not have been disposed to proceed 
 at once to extremities, before he knew the exact circumstances 
 of the case. But Moses, having received timely warning, fled 
 from the land of Egypt, and went into Arabia, into the land of 
 Midian. Having come an entire stranger, and a fugitive, into 
 this country, he sat down by a well. It was so ordered in Pro- 
 vidence, that he should come into the neighbourhood of a very 
 wise, pious, and distinguished man, namely, Jethro, the priest, 
 or prince, of Midian. Probably, he united in himself, as was 
 customary in many nations, the highest civil and sacred offices. 
 The daughters of this eminent man, seven in number, in accord- 
 ance with oriental customs, kept the flocks of their father ; and 
 on this occasion, they had driven them to the well where Moses 
 was resting himself; "and they came and drew water, and filled 
 the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds 
 6 
 
82 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 came and drove them away." Probably there existed some dis- 
 pute respecting the property of this well, as we find was often 
 the case in the time of the patriarchs ; for to those who led the 
 life of shepherds, no other permanent possessions were of much 
 importance : or, this part of the country may have been infested 
 with a set of selfish, unaccommodating shepherds, who "felt 
 power and forgot right;" or, they may have been, for reasons 
 unknown to us, hostile to Jethro and his family. Often the 
 very excellence and wisdom, as well as the wealth and power of 
 an individual, makes him an object of envy with the people 
 around him. Moses, observing the rough and uncourteous 
 treatment of these interesting shepherdesses, by these ill-natured 
 shepherds, immediately interposed ; and being a man of cour- 
 age and prowess, and in the prime of life, he found no difficulty 
 in delivering them from their oppressors ; and assisted them in 
 watering their flocks. It seems that this was no singular case, 
 but one of common occurrence ; for when they returned home, 
 Reuel, their father, said, " How is it that you are come so soon 
 to day?" Commonly, it is probable, they had to wait until all 
 the other shepherds had watered their flocks and had departed. 
 Their modesty prevented these young women from inviting Mo- 
 ses to accompany them home : and he was not disposed to in- 
 trude into the family of a stranger, on whom he had no claims. 
 Reuel, who is here called the father of these young women, was 
 their grandfather ; for in Numbers x. 29, Hobab, another name 
 for Jethro, is called the son of Raguel, (doubtless, the same 
 name as Reuel;) when he heard that an Egyptian delivered them 
 out of the hand of the shepherds, and drew water for them to 
 water their flocks, reproved them for being so uncivil as not to 
 bring the stranger to the house; and immediately sent them 
 back to invite the man, that he might receive some refreshment. 
 Hospitality to strangers has been a characteristic of the hum- 
 blest of the Arabs for four thousand years : no obligation is by 
 them viewed to be more sacred than the duty of hospitality to any 
 fellow-creature whom Providence brings under their protection. 
 Moses was, therefore, kindly received as a respected guest by 
 this amiable family. And the occurrence which brought them 
 to an acquaintance with each other, was attended with very in- 
 teresting consequences to both parties. One of these young/ 
 shepherdesses had charms to attract the attention and fix the 
 affections of a man who had been educated in all the learning 
 of Egypt, and had been accustomed to live in all the luxu- 
 ries and splendours of Pharaoh's palace. Moses, however, had 
 received that wisdom from above which teaches a man the 
 emptiness of all earthly greatness, and which led him to see 
 that more true pleasure is found in retirement, in pious solitude i 
 in the wilderness, than in all the pomp and wealth of a royal 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 83 
 
 court. Finding himself an exile from Egypt, and not foresee- 
 ing when he should be able to return thither with safety, he was 
 content to take up his abode in the hospitable mansion, and 
 with the agreeable family on which he had alighted ; and his 
 affection for Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, being recipro- 
 cated, he was united to her in marriage ; and she bare him a 
 son, whom he called Gershom, which means, A STRANGER HERE : 
 for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. She also 
 bore him another son, whom he named Eliezer, THE LORD is MY 
 
 HELP. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 MOSES SOJOURNS IM MIDIAN FORTY YEARS RECEIVES HIS COMMISSION FROM GOD 
 
 TO GO AND DELIVER THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FROM THEIR CRUEL BONDAGE THE 
 
 STRONG RELUCTANCE OF MOSES OVERCOME HE IS EMPOWERED TO WORK MIRA- 
 CLES AARON IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIM IN THE COMMISSION. 
 
 HERE, in a country much retired, and to this day very little 
 known, Moses spent forty years of his life ; not in idleness, for 
 he kept the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law; and doubtless, 
 acquired stores of wisdom from a contemplation of the works 
 and ways of God ; and from more direct intercourse with the 
 Father of his spirit by prayer and holy communion. While, 
 in this retirement, it has been supposed by some, that he wrote 
 the book of Genesis, and perhaps the book of Job. But this is 
 mere conjecture, and possesses no strong degree of probability ; 
 for it is by no means certain that alphabetical writing was at 
 this time discovered; and as to leisure, he had enough of it in 
 the forty years which he spent in the wilderness ; and there he 
 had access to all the traditions which had been handed down 
 through the patriarchs ; from which sources of information he 
 was cut off, while resident in Arabia. Indeed, Moses seems to 
 have relinquished all idea of returning to Egypt ; and probably 
 had abandoned the expectation, that he was destined to be the 
 deliverer of Israel from oppression and bondage; until the 
 Lord appeared unto him in the burning bush, at Mount Horeb. 
 These appear to be at least probable inferences, from the 
 reluctance which he manifested to be commisioned to go to 
 Pharaoh, and to his brethren, with a message from Jehovah. 
 
 The account of this remarkable transaction is as follows: 
 " And the angel of the Lord (Jehovah) appeared unto him in a 
 flame of fire out of the midst of a bush ; and he looked, and 
 behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not con- 
 sumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this 
 great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord 
 saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the 
 midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, and he said, Here 
 
84 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither ; put off thy shoes 
 from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy 
 ground. Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the 
 God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 
 And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon 
 God. And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction 
 of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by 
 reason of their task-masters ; for I know their sorrows. And 
 I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egypt- 
 ians, and to bring them up out of that land, unto a good land 
 and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey ; unto 
 the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amo- 
 rites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 
 Now, therefore, behold the cry of the children of Israel is 
 come up unto me : and I have also seen the oppression where- 
 with the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and 
 I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth 
 my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt." Moses was 
 much disturbed with this extraordinary manifestation and com- 
 mision, and was by no means inclined to undertake so arduous 
 a work. His objections originated partly in the low opinion 
 which he entertained of his own abilities, and in some degree 
 of culpable distrust of God. He said, "Who am I that I 
 should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring the people of 
 Israel out of Egypt?" But God said, "Certainly I will be 
 with thee." And told him that it should be a sign unto him 
 that he was sent, "that on that very mountain ye shall serve 
 God, when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt." 
 But Moses continued to excuse himself; and alleged that when 
 he came to the children of Israel, they would ask the name of 
 the God by whom he was sent; "and," said he, "What shall I 
 say unto them ?" And God gave unto Moses this name, I AM 
 THAT I AM ; or, as it might be rendered, I WILL BE THAT I WILL 
 BE ; "And God said unto Moses, Thou shalt say to the children 
 of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, 
 the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto 
 you ; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto 
 all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together 
 and say unto them, The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob, 
 appeared unto me, saying I have surely visited you, and seen 
 that which is done unto you in Egypt. And I have said, I 
 will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt ; and they shall 
 hearken to thy voice, and thou shalt come, and all the elders 
 of Israel unto the king of Egypt ; and ye shall say unto him, 
 the Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us ; and now let 
 us go three days journey into the wilderness, that we may 
 sacrifice to the Lord our God. And I am sure the king of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 85 
 
 Egypt will not let you go ; no, not with a mighty hand ; and I 
 will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my won- 
 ders, which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he 
 will let you go. And I will give the people favour in the sight 
 of the Egyptians; and it shall come to pass that when ye go, 
 ye shall not go empty. But every woman shall borrow (ask) 
 of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, 
 jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment; and ye shall 
 put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters, and ye 
 shall spoil the Egyptians." 
 
 Here it may be proper to remark, that the king from whose 
 anger Moses fled, was before this time dead, and who was his 
 successor we are not informed ; but this we know, that he was 
 raised by the providence of God to the high station which he 
 occupied, that in him the divine power might be manifested, and 
 the name of God declared throughout all the earth. All the 
 kings of Egypt were called by the name of Pharaoh, for many 
 generations, although they might be of entirely different 
 families. This man has been rendered conspicuous by the 
 obstinacy which he manifested in refusing to let the people of 
 Israel go, notwithstanding the wonders which were wrought 
 before his eyes, and which he must have been convinced, 
 nothing but the power of God could produce. His history is 
 also remarkable for the dreadful overthrow which he met, when 
 pursuing after the Israelites, in the Red Sea. 
 
 Moses still discovered strong reluctance to be sent on this 
 arduous work; and alleged, that his words would not be 
 believed; on which the Lord changed the rod which he held in 
 his hand into a serpent, and back again into a rod; which 
 sign he was directed to exhibit in Egypt, that the Israelites 
 might believe that the God of their fathers had sent him. He 
 then directed him to put his hand into his bosom, and his hand 
 instantly became white as snow with the leprosy, when he took 
 it out ; and again he was ordered to put it into his bosom, and 
 on taking it out, it was as instantly restored to its natural state. 
 And he said, if they will not believe the first they will believe 
 the latter sign. And if they continued obstinate in their 
 incredulity after the exhibition of both these signs, Moses was 
 directed to change the water of the river into blood. Moses 
 now pleaded his want of eloquence, as a reason why he should 
 not be sent, saying, "I am slow of speech and of a slow 
 tongue." "And the Lord said unto him, who hath made man's 
 mouth ? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the 
 blind ? Have not I the LORD ? Now, therefore, go, and I will 
 be with thy mouth, and teach thee what to say." The extreme 
 reluctance of Moses to engage in this expedition was still 
 further manifested ; for he now began to supplicate, that the 
 
86 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 commission might be transferred to another, saying, " my 
 Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him -whom thou wilt 
 send." This was too much. The patience of God in bearing 
 with him before was wonderful. But now, "the anger of the 
 Lord was kindled against Moses ; and he said, is not Aaron, 
 the Levite, thy brother? I know that he can speak well. 
 And also behold, he coineth forth to meet thee ; and when he 
 seeth thee he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak 
 unto him and put words in his mouth ; and I will be with thy 
 mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall 
 do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he 
 shall be unto thee instead of a mouth ; and thou shalt be unto 
 him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine 
 hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." It seems probable from 
 what is here said, that Aaron had heard of his brother's place 
 of residence, and was now on his way to visit him, and consult 
 with him respecting the miserable condition of the people of 
 Israel. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 MOSES TAKES LEAVE OF JETHRO CIRCUMCISION AARON, HIS BROTHER, JOINS HIM, 
 
 AND RECEIVES A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE MESSAGE OF JEHOVAH THEY GO TO THE 
 
 HEBREWS FIRST, AND THEN APPEAR BEFORE PHAROAH, AND EXHIBIT THE MIRA- 
 CLES WHICH THEY WERE DIRECTED TO PERFORM PHARAOH'S HEART IS HARDENED 
 AND THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE IS MORE WRETCHED GOD PROMISES DELIVER- 
 ANCE. 
 
 MOSES having received from God this* important commission, 
 returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and requested of him per- 
 mission to visit his brethren in Egypt, and see whether they 
 were yet alive. To which this good man answered, "Go in 
 peace." It was revealed unto Moses, that all those in Egypt 
 who had sought his life were dead ; so that he might now 
 return in safety as it related to former transactions. He, 
 therefore, took his wife and his sons, and set off on his journey 
 to Egypt. And as he was commanded, he took with him the 
 wonder-working rod, that he might exhibit to Pharaoh the 
 miracles which he was directed to perform. He was instructed 
 to say to Pharaoh, "Israel is my son, even my first-born; let 
 my son go that he may serve me; and behold if thou refuse to 
 let him go, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born." 
 
 Moses, it seems, had neglected the circumcision of his chil- 
 dren, on which account he was met and menaced with death, by 
 the angel of the Lord. Zipporah, through whose influence, pro- 
 bably, the neglect had taken place, now performed the cere- 
 mony herself; and then pettishly said, "Surely a bloody hus- 
 band ant thou to me." 
 
 And when Moses was on his way, the Lord directed Aaron 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 87 
 
 to go forth and meet him; and he went into the wilderness, and 
 met him at the mount of God, and kissed liim. And Moses 
 told Aaron all the words of the Lord, and informed him of the 
 commission which he had received, and the signs which he was 
 authorized to exhibit ; and let him know the part which he was 
 appointed to act under this important commission. It is proba- 
 ble, that Moses sent back to her father's house, Zipporah and 
 his sons, either from the inn where they must have remained 
 some time, on account of the circumcision ; or, from this mount, 
 after he met with his brother, and learned the miserable condi- 
 tion of the Israelites in Egypt. It is not at all probable that 
 she accompanied him to Egypt, and was thence sent back ; and 
 we know she was with her father when Moses brought the peo- 
 ple out of Egypt, and during the first part of their journey in 
 the wilderness ; for in the xviii. chapter of Exodus, we read, that 
 Jethro brought to Moses while encamped before the mount of 
 God, his wife "after that he had sent her back." 
 
 Moses, accompanied by his brother Aaron, having entered 
 Egypt, as he had been directed, gathered together all the elders 
 of the children of Israel, and Aaron, who acted as the spokesman 
 of Moses, repeated before the people, the message which God 
 had sent. And then, in confirmation of their commission, they 
 exhibited the miracles which Moses had been directed to per- 
 form. " And the people believed ; and when they heard that 
 the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had 
 looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and 
 worshipped." 
 
 Moses and Aaron having successfully executed their commis- 
 sion to the elders of Israel, went boldly unto Pharaoh, and de- 
 manded, in the name of the Lord, that he would let the people 
 go to hold a feast in the wilderness. The king seems to have 
 been surprised at the communication, and said, " Who is the 
 Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know 
 not the Lord, nor will I let Israel go." They informed him 
 that the God of the Hebrews had met with them, and required 
 that the people should go out into the wilderness to sacrifice to 
 him. Pharaoh now became incensed, and charged Moses and 
 Aaron with drawing off the people from their work, and ordered 
 them to get to their burdens. And to prevent them from list- 
 ening to schemes of this sort, he directed the task-masters and 
 officers of the people, to require of them the usual quantity of 
 brick, but instead of supplying them with straw, as heretofore, 
 to leave them to gather it for themselves. " They be idle," 
 said he, " therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to 
 our God. Let more be laid upon them, and let them not regard 
 vain words." The people were placed in wretched circum- 
 stances, the task-masters required the undiminished number of 
 
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 bricks, and yet furnished them with no straw, and "hasted 
 them, saying, fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there 
 was straw." And the officers of the children of Israel, whom 
 the task-masters had placed over them, from among themselves, 
 and who were held responsible for the work of those under them, 
 were now beaten, because the tasks were not finished as before ; 
 and they came and cried unto Pharaoh, complaining that they 
 were beaten for not having the work done, when they were not 
 furnished with the requisite straw ; declaring that the fault lay 
 not with them, but with his own people. "But he said, ye are 
 idle, ye are idle ; therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to 
 the Lord." The officers of the children of Israel now found 
 that they were in an evil case ; and when they met Moses and 
 Aaron, they said, " The Lord look upon you and judge, because 
 ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, 
 and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands 
 to slay us." This bitter complaint of the Israelites greatly dis- 
 turbed the mind of Moses. He returned unto the Lord and 
 said, "Wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why 
 is it that thou hast sent me ? For since I came to Pharoah to 
 speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people ; neither 
 hast thou delivered thy people at all." 
 
 In answer, God assured Moses, that eventually Pharaoh 
 would be constrained to let the people go, and would even drive 
 them out of the land. Then he said, " I am the Lord : and I 
 appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the 
 name of God Almighty ; but, also, by my name Jehovah was I 
 not known to them. And I have established my covenant with 
 them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pil- 
 grimage, wherein they were strangers ! And I have also heard 
 the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians 
 keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. Where- 
 fore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, I will bring 
 you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians ; and I will 
 rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a 
 stretched-out arm, and with great judgments. And I will take 
 you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God ; and ye 
 shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you 
 out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring 
 you into the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it 
 to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you 
 for a heritage: I am the Lord." Moses now communicated 
 these gracious promises to the children of Israel, but they 
 hearkened not unto him, " for anguish of spirit and for cruel 
 bondage." 
 
 The Lord now commanded Moses to go again unto Pharao 
 and to demand of him to let the people go out of his land: bu 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 89 
 
 Moses said, "Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened 
 unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncir- 
 cumcised lips?" But the only answer was a repetition of the 
 former command. And he moreover informed him, that Pha- 
 raoh's heart would be hardened, so that he would not let the 
 people go ; and thus there would be occasion for him to mul- 
 tiply his signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. " And the 
 Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth 
 my hand upon Egypt, and bring the children of Israel from 
 among them." And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord com- 
 manded them. 
 
 At the time when Moses and Aaron went in to speak to 
 Pharaoh, the former was eighty years of age, and the latter 
 eighty-three. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 AARON'S ROD BECOMES A SERPENT THE MAGICIANS OF PHARAOH IMITATE THE 
 MIRACLE MOSES AND AARON TURN THE WATER INTO BLOOD THIS ALSO IMI- 
 TATED BY THE MAGICIANS THE MIRACLE OF THE FROGS THIS ALSO IMITATED 
 BY THE MAGICIANS THE DUST CONVERTED INTO LICE MAGICIANS CONFOUNDED. 
 
 THE Lord now directed them when they went into Pharaoh, to 
 cast down the rod and it would become a serpent. They did 
 so accordingly, in the presence of Pharaoh and his servants. 
 The king then called in the wise men, and the sorcerers, and 
 the magicians of Egypt; these also, by the sleight of hand, or 
 by the aid of evil spirits, cast down their rods, and they either 
 really, or in appearance, became serpents : but God's superior- 
 ity over their diabolical arts was even now manifested ; for 
 Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. But the magicians had 
 been so successful in imitating the miracle of Moses and Aaron, 
 that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he refused to let the 
 people go. 
 
 Moses and Aaron were next commanded to meet Pharaoh at 
 the brink of the river, and again to demand of him to let the 
 people go; and when, as before, he refused, Aaron took the 
 rod and stretched it out over the waters of Egypt, and they 
 were all turned to blood, and the fish in the river died, and 
 the river stank; and the Egyptians could not drink of the 
 water of the river ; and there was blood throughout all the 
 land of Egypt. The magicians imitated this also, by turning 
 water into blood ; but it must have been on a very small scale, 
 for all the rivers, streams, and pools were already converted 
 into blood ; so that " all the Egyptians digged round about the 
 river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water 
 of the river." 
 
 
90 HISTORY OF THE ISBAELITISH NATION. 
 
 But Pharaoh remained obstinate, and went into his house, 
 still refusing to comply with the command of the Almighty ; 
 and did not lay to heart the wonderful manifestation of divine 
 power; which, in two instances, had taken place before his 
 eyes. 
 
 The next plague inflicted on the Egyptians by the command 
 of God, was the multiplication of frogs throughout the whole 
 land. They were found in frightful abundance, not only in 
 the river and in the fields, but came up into their houses, their 
 bed-chambers, and their beds; and even into their ovens and 
 kneading-troughs. And this miracle was also imitated by the 
 magicians ; but manifestly, on a contracted scale, and probably 
 in a secret place, where they could play off their arts of jug- 
 glery. The land was already filled with frogs, and there was 
 no difficulty in procuring as many as they would for the pur- 
 poses of deception. .But it seems, these sorcerers had no 
 power to rid the country of the frogs which were spread over 
 it : for Pharaoh makes no application to them for relief from 
 the plague ; but says to Moses and Aaron, " Entreat the Lord 
 that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my peo- 
 ple : and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to 
 the Lord." And Moses promised that on the following day, it 
 should be done as he desired, that he might know that there is 
 none like unto the Lord God. "And Moses cried unto the 
 Lord, and the Lord did according to the word of Moses." 
 " But when Pharaoh saw there was respite, he hardened his 
 heart, and hearkened not unto them." 
 
 The fourth miracle which Moses, by divine command, 
 wrought for the punishment of the Egyptians, was still more 
 distressing than any of the preceding. The dust of the land 
 was turned by the stretching out of Aaron's rod into lice. 
 
 The magicians were entirely confounded by this miracle: 
 for, when they resorted to their enchantments, they could effect 
 nothing like this ; and this furnishes a strong argument to prove, 
 that they were mere impostors ; for, if they had really power 
 to produce living serpents and frogs, by their diabolical arts, I 
 see not why they could not as easily produce lice. But in this 
 they failed, and said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." 
 There was no room for their delusive arts, in this case; or, 
 they became alarmed at these manifest indications of Almighty 
 .power. Some, indeed, suppose that God himself enabled the 
 magicians to perform the first miracles, and then withdrew his 
 aid to show the superiority of Moses and Aaron ; but this 
 seems to me to be an unreasonable supposition, and a course of 
 proceeding unworthy of Almighty God. It would be, in the 
 first place, giving the attestation of miracles to an imposture ; 
 and, in the next place, it would be a competition for superior- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 91 
 
 ity, in a case where the power of God was exerted on both 
 sides. We have to choose, then, between the hypothesis of a 
 diabolical agency, enabling these magicians to go as far as 
 they did, and that of the arts of imposture and delusion, in 
 which wicked men may become so adroit, that they easily 
 impose upon the ignorant and unsuspicious, as is proved by the 
 experience of every day. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 THE MIRACLE OF " DIVERS KINDS OF FLIES" THE MURRAIN THE HAIL PHA- 
 RAOH AFFRIGHTED BY THE THUNDER WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE HAIL BUT 
 HIS HEART REMAINS OBDURATE THE PLAGUE OF THE LOCUSTS OF THE MIRA- 
 CULOUS DARKNESS. 
 
 AFTER the plague of the lice, the magicians relinquished the 
 contest, and made no further effort with their enchantments. 
 The next plague was of flies or gnats, which in the cv. Psalm, 
 are called "divers kinds of flies." Swarms of these troublesome 
 insects filled their houses, and greatly infested the Egyptians. 
 But in this case, a line of distinction was drawn between the 
 people of Israel and the Egyptians ; for in the land of Goshen, 
 there were no swarms of flies. The pressure of this judgment 
 was heavy on the people, and Pharaoh began again to relent, 
 and would have compromised the matter, by giving the Hebrews 
 permission to offer sacrifices in the land of Goshen, where they 
 dwelt; but to this Moses would by no means agree, because 
 their sacrifices were an abomination to the Egyptians ; consist- 
 ing of animals held sacred and even worshipped by them; but 
 he insisted, that they should go three days journey into the 
 wilderness. At length Pharaoh seemed to consent, provided 
 they did not go very far away. Upon this Moses again en- 
 treated the Lord to remove the swarms of flies, which was ac- 
 cordingly done. But no sooner was the plague removed, than 
 Pharaoh again hardened his heart, and refused to let the peo- 
 ple go. 
 
 The fifth plague was a grievous murrain upon the horses, the 
 asses, the camels, the oxen, and the sheep in the land of Egypt, 
 generally; while, in Goshen, not an animal belonging to the 
 children of Israel died. Still, however, Pharaoh's heart was 
 hardened, and he refuse to let the people go. Wherefore Moses 
 was directed to take the ashes of the furnace, and sprinkle it 
 towards heaven, in the sight of Pharaoh; "and it became a 
 boil breaking forth on man and beast throughout all the land of 
 Egypt;" "and the magicians could not stand before Moses be- 
 cause of the boils ; for the boil was upon the magicians, and 
 upon all the Egyptians." 
 
92 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 When this judgment was no more regarded by Pharaoh than 
 any of the former, Moses was directed to rise up early in the 
 morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say, " Thus saith the 
 Lord God of the Hebrews, let my people go that they may 
 serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy 
 heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou 
 mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For 
 now I will stretch out my hand that I may smite thee and thy 
 people with pestilence ; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 
 And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, for to 
 show in thee my power ; and that my name may be declared 
 throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against 
 my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to-morrow, 
 about this time, I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such 
 as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof, even 
 until now. Send, therefore, now, and gather thy cattle, and 
 all that thou hast in the field ; for upon every man and beast 
 which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, 
 the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that 
 feared the word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharaoh, 
 made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses ; and he 
 that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants and 
 his cattle in the field." Accordingly, when Moses stretched 
 forth his rod toward heaven, the Lord sent thunder and hail ; 
 and the fire ran along upon the ground. And there was hail, 
 and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was 
 none like it in all the land of Egypt, since it became a nation. 
 And the hail smote, throughout all the land of Egypt, all that 
 was in the field, both of man and beast ; an^the hail smote 
 every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. Only 
 in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there 
 was no hail." Pharaoh was greatly moved by the severity of 
 this judgment; and having called Moses and Aaron, he ex- 
 claimed, " I have sinned this time ; the Lord is righteous, and 
 I and my people are wicked. Entreat the Lord (for it is 
 enough,) that there be no more mighty tbwaderings and hail ; 
 and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer." The king 
 was evidently frightened by the unusual thunder which accom- 
 panied this storm ; a rare thing in the land of Egypt. Moses, 
 although he knew that Pharaoh would not fulfil his promise, 
 yet prayed for a cessation of the hail ; and his petition was 
 granted. " The flax and the barley was smitten ; for the bar- 
 ley was in the ear, and the flax was boiled ; but the wheat and 
 the rye were not smitten ; for they were not grown up." 
 
 Pharaoh's heart remaining obstinate, and he still refusing to 
 permit the Israelites to depart, Moses and Aaron went in and 
 said unto him, " Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, how 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 93 
 
 long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? Let 
 my people go that they may serve me : else if thou refuse, 
 to-morrow will I bring the locusts into thy courts. The condi- 
 tion of Egypt was now so deplorable that the servants of Pha- 
 raoh began to entreat him to let the people go. "Knowest 
 thou not," said they, "that Egypt is destroyed?" Upon which 
 he said to Moses and Aaron, " Go, serve the Lord your God, 
 but who are they that shall go ? And Moses said, we will go 
 with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our 
 daughters, with our flocks and with our herds, will we go ; for 
 we must hold a feast unto the Lord." But Pharaoh would not 
 hearken to this; but insisted that only the men should go, 
 which was the original request, and when Moses and Aaron 
 did not yield in the least, he drove them from his presence. 
 
 The plague of the locusts now came upon the land of Egypt ; 
 " For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land 
 was darkened ; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all 
 the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; and there 
 remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of 
 the field, through all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh was now 
 seized with another fit of repentance, and called for Moses and 
 Aaron, and said, " I have sinned against the Lord your God, 
 and against you; now, therefore, forgive my sin, only this 
 once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take away 
 from me this death only. And Moses went out and prayed to 
 the Lord, who sent a mighty strong west wind, which took 
 away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea ; so that 
 there remained not one locust in all the land of Egypt." 
 
 The next plague sent by the hand of Moses on the Egyptians 
 was not attended with so much danger to human life, as some 
 of the rest, but it was one replete with horror. It was a total 
 darkness for the space of three days. During this period no 
 one saw another, and they were unable to remove from their 
 place ; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. 
 Pharaoh now consented that they should go, and take their 
 wives and children ; but not their flocks and their herds. But 
 they said, " Our cattle shall go with us, there shall not be a 
 hoof left behind: for thereof must we take to serve the Lord 
 our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, 
 until we come 'thither." With this unyielding demand, 
 Pharaoh was so much displeased, that he said in his wrath, 
 " Get thee from me ; take heed to thyself, see my face no more ; 
 for in that day thou seest my face, thou shalt die. And 
 Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no 
 more." 
 
94 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 INSTITfrTION OF THE PASSOVER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST-BORN OF ALL THE 
 EGYPTIANS THE EXODUS. 
 
 AFFAIRS were now coming to a crisis. The Lord commanded 
 Moses to speak to the people, that every man and every woman 
 should borrow, or rather, ask of their neighbours, jewels of 
 silver, and jewels of gold. "And the Lord gave the people 
 favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man 
 Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of 
 Pharaoh and his servants; and in the sight of the people." 
 
 And Moses made known to the people that about midnight, 
 the Lord would go forth into the midst of Egypt, and would 
 slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt ; from the first-born 
 of Pharaoh on the throne, to the first-born of the maid-servant, 
 that sitteth behind the mill ; and all the first-born of beasts. 
 But that against the children of Israel not a dog should move 
 his tongue, against man or beast. "And Moses and Aaron did 
 all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pha- 
 raoh's heart, that he would not let the children of Israel go out 
 of his land." 
 
 "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, This 
 month shall be unto you the beginning of months ; it shall be 
 the first month in the year to you. Speak ye to all the child- 
 ren of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month, they 
 shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of 
 their fathers, a lamb for a house. And if the household be too 
 little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house, 
 take it according to the number of the souls; every man 
 according to his eating, shall make your count for the lamb. 
 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year ; 
 ye shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats. And ye 
 shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month ; 
 and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill 
 it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike 
 it on the two side-posts, and on the upper door-post of the 
 houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh 
 in that night; roasted with fire, and unleavened bread, and 
 with bitter herbs shall they eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sod- 
 den at all with water, but roasted with fire ; his head with his 
 legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let 
 nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which 
 remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall burn with fire. And 
 thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your 
 feet, and your staff in your hand ; and ye shall eat it in haste : 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 95 
 
 it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of 
 Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of 
 Egypt, both man and beast ; and against all the gods of Egypt 
 I will execute judgment. I am the LORD. And the blood 
 shall be to you a token upon the houses where you are; and 
 when I see the blood I will pass over you, and the plague shall 
 not be upon you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this 
 day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a 
 feast to the Lord, throughout your generations : ye shall keep it 
 a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat 
 unleavened bread, even the first day ye shall put away leaven 
 out of your houses ; for whosoever eateth leavened bread, from 
 the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off 
 from Israel." 
 
 Thus the solemn feast of the passover was instituted, to be a 
 memorial of the deliverance of the children of Israel from the 
 desolating plague which fell on every house of the Egyptians, 
 by means of the sprinkled blood of a lamb on the door-posts of 
 their houses. And 'it can hardly be doubted, that this same 
 ceremony of a slaughtered lamb and sprinkled blood, had a 
 prospective as well as a retrospective aspect; it was a type 
 of the deliverance to be effected by the LAMB OF GOD, aa 
 well as a memorial of a deliverance from the destroying angel, 
 who passed through Egypt. 
 
 It was ordained that the passover should be celebrated 
 annually, on the same day of the month; that all the Israelites, 
 by families, should partake of it ; but that no stranger should 
 be admitted, until all his males were circumcised. And they 
 were directed, when they came to the land of Canaan, and their 
 children should inquire, "What mean you by this service?" 
 they should say, "This is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, 
 who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, 
 when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses." 
 
 The commands of God were immediately obeyed by the 
 Israelites. And at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born 
 of Egypt; " and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was 
 not a house where there was not one dead." Pharaoh now 
 gave orders in good earnest, that Moses and Aaron and all the 
 people of Israel should depart from Egypt. "And the Egyp- 
 tians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them 
 out of the land in haste, for they said, We be all dead men." 
 This strong desire to get rid of a people who seemed to be the 
 occasion of such dreadful judgments, seems to have had much 
 influence in disposing them^to give them whatever they asked ; 
 so that the Israelites went out of Egypt, as had been predicted 
 to them, laden with the spoils of the Egyptians, which they had 
 voluntarily given into their hands. 
 
96 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE TIME OF SOJOURNING CHANGE OF THE COMMENCEMENT 
 
 OF THE TEAR REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN THE WAY WHICH THEY WERE 
 
 LED JOSEPH'S BONES SUCCOTH PILLAR OF FIRE AND CLOUD. 
 
 THE number of persons, besides children and a mixed mul- 
 titude, who went up out of Egypt that night, was six hundred 
 thousand men. And their first journey was from Kameses, in 
 Goshen, to Succoth, so called from the booths which they 
 erected there. 
 
 "Now," says Moses, "the sojourning of the children of 
 Israel, [in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan] was 
 four hundred and thirty years." The period, as here given, 
 commences with the first promise made to Abraham, (Gen. 
 xii. 2,) after he entered the land of Canaan, which was thirty 
 years before the time when it was foretold that his seed should 
 be oppressed and afSicted in a strange land, four hundred 
 years. It was especially commanded that *no part of the flesh 
 should be carried out of the house where the paschal lamb was 
 eaten ; and a more important regulation was, " a bone of him 
 shall not be broken." 
 
 This month had been originally called Abib, and was the 
 seventh of the civil year of the Hebrews, but its name was now 
 changed to Nisan; and they were directed to reckon it hence- 
 forward, the first month of their year. 
 
 In consequence of the redemption of the first-born of Israel 
 as above related, God laid claim to every first-born of man and 
 beast, among the Hebrews. When it happened to be of clean 
 animals, appointed to be used in sacrifice, it was offered as a 
 burnt-offering to the Lord ; but when it was an unclean animal, 
 as an ass, it was redeemed by a lamb, or its neck was directed 
 to be broken. And all the first-born of the children of Israel 
 were considered as consecrated to the Lord, and must be 
 redeemed; but, afterwards, the Lord took the whole tribe of 
 Levi as a substitute for the first-born, as will be related here- 
 after. 
 
 From the land of Egypt to Canaan, there was a direct way, 
 which the sons of Jacob had passed with ease, several times ; 
 but the Lord led not the people along this way, which led 
 through the territory of the Philistines, although that was near ; 
 because these people were hostile and warlike ; and it would 
 have discouraged the hearts of the people to have encountered 
 such enemies, immediately after commencing their journey, and 
 they might have been disposed to return again to Egypt ; but 
 " God led the people through the way of the wilderness of the 
 Bed Sea," which was a circuitous route. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 97 
 
 The people were not forgetful of the solemn injunction of 
 Joseph to carry his bones with them, when God should visit 
 them, and bring them up out of the land of Egypt. 
 
 Succoth has been mentioned as the first stage which they 
 made after leaving Egypt ; their next was Etham, in the edge 
 of the wilderness. In conducting this great host, God was 
 pleased to become their guide, in a very extraordinary and 
 miraculous manner. Before the armies of Israel, in the day 
 time, there appeared a bright cloud in the form of a pillar, and 
 at night it appeared like a pillar of fire, which constantly went 
 before them, in their marches, and never forsook them, during 
 the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness. From 
 Etham they were directed to take their route by Pihahiroth, 
 between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal Zephon. As 
 far as can be judged from the present topography of the 
 country, this route led them in a southern direction along the 
 coast of the Red Sea, until they could in that direction proceed 
 no further. 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 PHARAOH PURSUES THE ISRAELITES, AND OVERTAKES THEM AT THE EDGE OF THE 
 
 RED SEA ALARM OF THE PEOPLE PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE THE SEA DIVIDED 
 
 BY THE ROD OF MOSES. 
 
 As soon as Pharaoh and his people had time to recover from 
 their consternation on account of the death of the first-born, 
 and it was told to the king that the people fled, he began to re- 
 pent that he had let them go, and thus was deprived of the ser- 
 vices of this great multitude, who had been treated as slaves. 
 Pharaoh, therefore, quickly summoned an army of chariots of 
 war, and of horsemen, to pursue after the Israelites, and over- 
 took them encamping near the sea, in the place before men- 
 tioned. And when the Israelites saw the Egyptians marching 
 towards them, they were greatly alarmed, and cried unto the 
 Lord. They also reproached Moses for bringing them out of 
 Egypt, and said, "Because there were no graves in Egypt 
 hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness, wherefore hast 
 thou dealt with us to carry us out of Egypt ? It had been bet- 
 ter for us to serve the Egyptians, than to die in the wilder- 
 ness." And Moses said, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the 
 salvation of the Lord, which he will show you to-day; for 
 the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them 
 again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye 
 shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, where- 
 fore criest thou unto me ? Speak unto the children of Israel, 
 7 
 
98 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch 
 out thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the children of 
 Israel shall go on dry land, through the midst of the sea. And I, 
 behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall 
 follow them, and I will get me honour on Pharaoh and upon all 
 his host, and upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." And 
 now, lest the Egyptians should make a sudden assault upon this 
 great multitude of unprepared people, the angel of the Lord 
 who had hitherto gone before the host in a pillar of cloud and 
 fire, removed, and went behind them ; and came between the 
 camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel ; and while it 
 furnished light to the latter, to the former it occasioned dense 
 darkness ; so that during the whole night they did not approach 
 near to the Israelites. And when Moses stretched his rod over 
 the sea, the waters were divided ; for " the Lord caused the sea 
 to go back by a strong east wind, all that night, and made the 
 sea dry land. And the children of Israel went into the midst 
 of the sea on dry ground ; and the waters were a wall unto 
 them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians 
 pursued and went in after them, to the midst of the sea." And 
 towards the morning watch, the Lord impeded the progress of 
 the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drew 
 them heavily ; and the Egyptians began to think of flight ; for 
 they said, "The Lord fighteth for them." By this time the 
 Israelites having reached the opposite shore for the channel of 
 the sea at this place was narrow Moses was directed again to 
 reach forth his hand over the sea, and the waters immediately 
 returned, and overwhelmed the flying Egyptians, their chariots, 
 and their horsemen, and all their host ; so that of this powerful 
 army not one remained alive. " Thus the Lord saved Israel 
 that day out of the hands of the Egyptians ; and Israel saw the 
 Egyptians dead on the sea-shore ; and the people feared the 
 LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses." 
 
 On this occasion, Moses composed a song, the oldest poetic 
 composition in existence, unless we should suppose that the 
 book of Job was written before this time. "And Miriam, the 
 prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and 
 all the women went out after her with timbrels and with 
 dances." And they sung the song which Moses had composed, 
 and accompanied it with their instruments. 
 
THE ISKAELITES. 99 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS WANT OF WATER MARAH ELIM WANT OF FOOD 
 
 MANNA PROMISED SABBATH QUAILS DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNA REGU- 
 LATIONS FOR COLLECTING IT POT OF MANNA TO BE LAID UP FOR A MEMORIAL. 
 
 THE Israelites were now delivered from this formidable enemy ; 
 but they were in a wide and howling wilderness. The name of 
 that part of the wilderness into which they now had entered, 
 was Shur. And having marched three days without finding 
 water, at length they came to Marah, where they found water, 
 but it was bitter, hence the name given to the place. The peo- 
 ple began now to manifest their rebellious disposition, for they 
 murmured against Moses and said, "What shall we drink? And 
 when Moses cried unto the Lord, he showed him a tree, which 
 when he had cast into the waters, tbey were made sweet. And 
 leaving Marah they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of 
 water, and threescore and ten palm trees, and they encamped 
 there by the waters." 
 
 At some of these stages they must have continued a number 
 of days, as on the fifteenth day of the second month after their 
 departing from the land of Egypt, they arrived at their next 
 resting place, which was in the wilderness of Sin, on the way 
 from Elim to Sinai. The provisions which they had brought 
 with them from Egypt being exhausted, the people began to be 
 in want ; and regretted that they had ever left the flesh-pots of 
 Egypt, where they did eat bread to the full ; and they mur- 
 mured against Moses, who constantly had recourse to the Lord 
 for help. And he said, " I will rain bread from heaven for you, 
 and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day ; 
 that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or 
 not. And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they 
 shall prepare that which they bring in ; and it shall be twice as 
 much as they gather daily." This is the first clear intimation 
 which we have in Scripture of the observance of the Sabbath 
 after its institution ; and the mention of it is made in that 
 familiar manner, which would induce us to think, that it was no 
 new thing : and there was nothing in the circumstances of the 
 people which could be a reason for setting apart the seventh day 
 of the week, at this time, as a day of rest. To overawe the 
 agitated people, and to reprove their wicked murmurings, the 
 glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. What that appear- 
 ance was, which is called THE GLORY or THE LORD, we cannot 
 certainly tell ; but it was doubtless a very bright appearance ; 
 but whether there was seen, on these occasions, any person in 
 the form of man, cannot be gathered from the sacred record. 
 But the Lord not only promised to furnish bread for this great 
 
100 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 congregation, but flesh also ; the latter was first given : " For 
 in the evening the quails came up, and covered the camp ; and 
 in the morning the dew lay round about the host." And when 
 the dew disappeared the people saw "a small round thing, as 
 small as the hoar-frost, on the ground." "And when they saw 
 it, they said, manna what is it?" And thus this extraordi- 
 nary bread received its name. They were now directed by 
 Moses to go out and gather, every one for himself; and when 
 they brought it in to be measured with an omer, "He that 
 gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little 
 had no lack : they gathered, every man according to his eat- 
 ing." Moses had given strict orders, that no portion of the 
 manna should remain until the morning, but the people dis- 
 obeyed his voice, and kept of it until the morning, and it bred 
 worms and stank ; and he was much displeased. Every morn- 
 ing they gathered what was. necessary for that day ; except that 
 on the sixth day, they collected double the usual quantity, 
 namely, two omers for one man. And Moses said unto them, 
 " To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord ; 
 bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will 
 seethe ; and that which remaineth over lay up for you, to be 
 kept until the morning ; and that which was laid up on the sixth 
 day did not stink ; neither was there any worm therein. And 
 Moses said, eat this to-day, for to-day is a Sabbath unto the 
 Lord ; to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye 
 shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, 
 in it there shall be none." Notwithstanding these plain direc- 
 tions, some of the people went to gather on the seventh day 
 and found none. This perverseness occasioned another exhor- 
 tation respecting the observation of the Sabbath, " See, for the 
 Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on 
 the sixth day the bread of two days. Abide ye every man in 
 his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." 
 That is, no man was permitted to go out to collect food on the 
 Sabbath; but this did not prohibit them from going out to 
 worship; or even to lead their ox or ass to watering; or to 
 relieve the sick and afflicted. " So the people rested on the 
 seventh day." The appearance of the manna was like corian- 
 der seed, white ; and its taste was like wafers made with honey. 
 In order that future generations might have a memorial and 
 sensible evidence of this extraordinary and long continued 
 miracle, Moses directed the people to fill an omer with the 
 manna, and to put it up before the Lord. This command seems 
 to have been anticipated, here ; for it is said that Moses and 
 Aaron laid it up before the TESTIMONY to be kept : but the ark 
 of the testimony in which the manna was deposited, did not yet 
 exist. The command, however, might have been given now, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 101 
 
 and the execution of it deferred until this depository was pre- 
 pared for its preservation. 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 REBELLION OF THE PEOPLE AT REPHIDIM FOR WANT OF WATER THE ROCK SMITTEN 
 
 THE PEOPLE ASSAILED BY THE AMALEKITES JOSHUA DEFEATS THEM. 
 
 THIS miraculous bread that fell from heaven, was the suste- 
 nance of this great multitude of people, not merely for a day, 
 or a week, or a month, or a single year; but for forty years. 
 
 From the wildernesss of Sin, the people journeyed again, 
 and came to Rephidim; and here a new distress began to be 
 experienced. They were supplied with bread, and had received 
 an abundant feast of flesh ; but now water failed. Never was 
 there a more rebellious, discontented people than those whom 
 Moses was now conducting through the wilderness ; and what- 
 ever disaster was experienced, the blame was cast upon him, 
 who had no more power to prevent it, than any other man. 
 Instead of humbly crying to God for a supply of water, which 
 they had every encouragement to do, with confidence, they 
 began to chide with Moses ; and said, " Give us water that we 
 may drink. And Moses said, Why chide you with me? 
 Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?" But they continued to 
 murmur against him, saying, "Wherefore is this, that thou hast 
 brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children, and 
 our cattle, with thirst?" The clamour against him, on this 
 occasion, was so violent, that when Moses cried to the Lord for 
 help, he said, "What shall I do unto this people? They be 
 almost ready to stone me." By this time, the host of Israel 
 had approached the mount of Horeb, a part of the range of 
 Sinai ; and the Lord commanded Moses to take with him the 
 elders of Israel, and go and stand on the rock of Horeb, and 
 to smite the rock with the rod with which he at first smote the 
 river, when its waters were turned to blood. And Moses did 
 according to the word of the Lord, in the sight of the elders of 
 Israel; and the name of the place was called Massah and 
 Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and 
 because they tempted the Lord : the latter of these names sig- 
 nifies chiding, and the former, temptation. Among other 
 impious things, they said, " Is the Lord among us or not?" 
 And now a new calamity befell them. " Amalek came and 
 fought with them at Rephidim." And Moses said to Joshua, 
 " choose out men, and go and fight with Amalek. To-morrow, 
 I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my 
 hand. So Joshua fought with Amalek; and Moses, and 
 
102 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And when 
 Moses held up his hand, then Israel prevailed; and when he 
 let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were 
 heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat 
 thereon, and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on 
 the one side, and the one on the other side ; and his hands 
 were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua dis- 
 comfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, " Write this for a memorial in 
 a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua ; for I will utterly 
 put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And 
 Moses built an altar, and called the name of it JEHOVAH-NISSI ; 
 that is, JEHOVAH MY BANNER. Because the Lord had sworn 
 that he would have war with Amalek from generation to gene- 
 ration." 
 
 Where the Amalekites now dwelt is unknown ; long after 
 this they are found inhabiting the south part of the land of 
 Canaan. Saul, the first king of Israel, lost the divine favour 
 by neglecting to execute the divine vengeance on this nation. 
 
 Here also we have the first notice of a man more famous 
 than all others after Moses, for the frequent and familiar inter- 
 course which he had with God, and for the wonderful works 
 (which he was enabled to perform. It may be asserted that 
 Joshua was the witness of more stupendous miracles than any 
 man who ever lived upon earth. At this time, though appoint- 
 ed commander-in-chief of the armies of Israel, he' must have 
 been quite a young man, and is so called, after this time. 
 
 Although Moses represented to Pharaoh that he wished to go 
 into the wilderness to offer sacrifices unto Jehovah ; yet no fa- 
 vourable opportunity seems to have occurred for this service, 
 until after the defeat of the Amalekites. Moses then, for the 
 first time, as far as appears, erected an altar ; and no doubt 
 offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings ; for an altar has no 
 other use than for sacrifices. The name given to it seems to 
 relate to the victory just achieved, by the help of the Lord, and 
 to the oath that there should be unceasing war with Amalek. 
 THE LORD is MY BANNER, was a fit device to be inscribed on 
 the standard of Joshua, who was the instrument of the Almighty 
 in destroying a great multitude of people. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 103 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES HIS WISE COUNSEL INSTITUTION OF OFFICERS JETHRO 
 
 RETURNS HOME. 
 
 WHILE Israel was encamped at Mount Horeb, Jethro, father- 
 in-law to Moses, having heard how he had brought the people 
 out of Egypt, came unto him, with Zipporah his wife, and his 
 two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, whom Moses, after starting with 
 them to Egypt, sent back again, as has already been related. 
 This must have been a most gratifying visit to Moses ; and, 
 therefore, as soon as it was announced that his father-in-law 
 had arrived, " he went out to meet him, and did obeisance, and 
 kissed him ; and they asked each other of their welfare ; and 
 they came into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all 
 that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for 
 Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by 
 the way, and how the Lord delivered them. And Jethro re- 
 joiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel ; 
 whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 
 Jethro appears to have been eminently devout as well as wise ; 
 for on hearing the narrative of Moses, he was so excited, that 
 he burst forth in praises to God, saying, "Blessed be the Lord, 
 who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and 
 out of the hand of Pharaoh ; who hath delivered the people 
 from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that 
 Jehovah is greater than all gods ; for in the thing wherein they 
 dealt proudly he was above them. And Jethro," who was a 
 priest, "took burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God;" and as it 
 was customary every where, to feast on the remains of such 
 sacrifices, as were not entirely consumed upon the altar, Aaron 
 and the elders of Israel came and " eat bread with Moses' 
 father-in-law, before God ;" that is, at the altar, where offerings 
 had just been made to God. 
 
 When Jethro observed how the people came to Moses with 
 their causes and disputes from morning until evening, and that 
 he had no assistance, and no relaxation from the severe duties 
 of the judgment-seat, he found fault with his arrangements, and 
 told him that at this rate he would wear out both himself and 
 the people ; " For," said he, "this thing is too heavy for thee ; 
 thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now 
 unto my voice, and I will give thee counsel, and God shall be 
 with thee. Provide out of all the people able men, such as fear 
 God, men of truth, hating covetousness ; and place such over 
 them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers 
 of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at 
 all seasons. And it shall be that every great matter they shall 
 
104 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge ; so 
 shall it be easier for thyself; and they shall bear the burden 
 with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee 
 so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall 
 go to their place in peace." And Moses perceived at once the 
 wisdom of the counsel of his father-in-law, and took immediate 
 measures to carry this convenient plan of polity into effect. 
 But as he knew the importance of having the cordial consent of 
 the people to these new measures, he addressed himself unto 
 them, and said, " I am not able to bear you myself alone. The 
 Lord your God hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this 
 day as the stars of heaven for multitude. The Lord God of 
 your fathers make you a thousand times as many more as ye 
 are, and bless you, as he hath promised you ! How can I my- 
 self alone, bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your 
 strife. Take ye wise men and understanding, and known 
 among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you." 
 Thus, in Deuteronomy, we read that Moses left the choice of 
 rulers to the people ; but in Exodus it is said, " Moses chose 
 able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the peo- 
 ple, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, 
 and rulers of tens. There is, however, no inconsistency in these 
 accounts. He presided over the whole business and appointed 
 to office such persons as the people elected, and this was a much 
 safer as well as a much more popular method of making a 
 selection, than if he had depended on his own judgment, or on the 
 opinion of a few ministers about his person. Here then, we^ 
 have the commencement of a genuine, republican government. 
 The idea of a regular gradation of rulers or officers, was sug- 
 gested by Jethro, but the manner of choosing them by the free 
 suffrage of the people at large, was the plan of Moses himself. 
 It is especially worthy of remark, in the counsel of Jethro, that 
 he offers it on condition it should meet the approbation of God. 
 " If," said he, "God command thee." No doubt Moses received 
 an intimation from the Lord that the polity recommended was 
 good ; and in this way we may observe how God makes use of 
 the wisdom which he has given to his servants to devise useful 
 and convenient plans, for the government of his people, even 
 when he was daily making revelations of his laws and of his 
 will. Jethro, having aided his son-in-law in forming a system 
 for the government of this nation, took his leave, and departed 
 into his own land, for the present ; although, as we shall see in 
 the sequel of the history, he came back again, and probably 
 accompanied Israel to the land of Canaan. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 105 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 MOSES CALLED UP INTO THE MOUNT COMMUNICATES THE WORDS OF JEHOVAH TO THE 
 PEOPLE TREMENDOUS EXHIBITION ON MOUNT SINAI THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 
 UTTERED IN A VOICE OF THUNDER VARIOUS OTHER LAWS. 
 
 THREE months had now elapsed from the time the children of 
 Israel had gone out from Egypt ; and they entered the wilder- 
 ness of Sinai; for they had left Rephidim, where they lay 
 encamped near Horeb, for some time, and had proceeded to the 
 desert of Sinai, which was something farther to the east. 
 Sometimes, Horeb and Sinai are taken for the same mountain, 
 as they belong to the same range ; but properly they are distinct 
 mountains, at no great distance asunder. Moses had now 
 arrived at the place where God had met with him and spoke to 
 him from the midst of the burning bush. This was a sacred 
 spot ; and surely no other place on earth was ever the scene of 
 more stupendous miracles. Moses was now called up into the 
 mount, and the Lord charged him to say to the children of 
 Israel, " Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how 
 I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself. 
 Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my 
 covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above 
 all people ; for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto 
 me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." And Moses 
 called the elders of Israel and laid before them all these words. 
 And the people answered with one accord, and said, " All that 
 the Lord hath spoken we will do." So easy a thing is it to 
 obtain the profession of obedience, even from a rebellious peo- 
 ple. In all communications from God to the people, and from 
 the people to God, Moses acted as the mediator or internuncius. 
 Moses now received orders to go and " sanctify the people 
 to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes." We /, 
 have already had occasion to remark one instance of this kind\^f 
 of ablution, or external purification, in the family of Jacob, llf^j 
 when he was on his way to Bethel, to fulfil his vow, in the his- ' 
 tory of the Patriarchs. As it was a cleansing with water, it 
 seems to have had something of the nature of a baptism ; and 
 the tradition of the Jewish rabbies, that the custom of proselyte 
 baptism had its origin in this ancient manifestation of the divine 
 presence, which rite of sanctification is not altogether improba- 
 ble. It was never practised, but in view of some great solem- 
 nity, to which the people were approaching: and thus also, 
 when the Lord himself came to sojourn upon earth, John, who 
 was sent to prepare his way, called the whole Jewish nation to 
 repentance, and also to the washing of baptism. In this case, 
 at mount Sinai, the prescribed ablution was to prepare the 
 
106 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Israelites for the extraordinary descent of Jehovah upon the 
 mountain on the third day, in the sight of all the people. And 
 Moses was directed to set bounds around the mount, and to 
 forewarn the people, that whoever touched the mount should 
 die ; and whether it were man or beast it should either be stoned 
 or shot through. And Moses sanctified the people according 
 to the command of God; "and on the third day, in the morn- 
 ing, there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud 
 upon the mount ; and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud ; 
 so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. And 
 mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke because the Lord des- 
 cended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as the 
 smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And 
 when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder 
 and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 
 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the 
 mount." Again, God gave express orders that the people 
 should keep themselves within the prescribed limits, and not 
 break through to gaze ; otherwise, they would bring swift des- 
 truction upon themselves; "and thou shalt come up, thou and 
 Aaron, but let not the priests and the people break through to 
 come up unto the Lord; lest he break through upon them." It 
 is difficult to determine who are to be understood by the priests 
 mentioned here. We know that the Aaronic priests were not 
 yet consecrated, and we never read of any other priesthood 
 among the Israelites. It may, however, be argued with great 
 probability, that wherever there are sacrifices there must be 
 priests ; and it is reasonable to suppose, that there existed a 
 set of men appointed to this service. And there occurred a fact 
 in the sequel of the history which confirms this idea ; where 
 Moses directed the young men to offer sacrifices, before Aaron 
 was consecrated. 
 
 From the midst of the darkness, in a voice of thunder, God 
 now spoke all the words of the ten commandments of the moral 
 law. When the people heard the tremendous voice of God 
 speaking to them, and saw the thundering and the lightnings, 
 and heard the voice of the trumpet, they removed and stood 
 afar off: and they said unto Moses, " Speak thou with us, and 
 we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die." But 
 Moses encouraged them not to fear, though at the first he was 
 himself so terrified, that he said, as the apostle informs us, " I 
 exceedingly fear and quake." These words are not recorded 
 here, but it is remarkable, that in one instance it is said that 
 Moses spake, but what he said is not mentioned. After this 
 the Lord spake only to Moses, and he communicated 'what was 
 said to the people. The first solemn message related to the 
 worship of idols. The words are remarkable as showing that 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 107 
 
 images and idols were first used as a means of worshipping 
 Jehovah. " Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither 
 shall ye make unto you gods of gold." Directions were then 
 given to make an altar of earth, and to sacrifice thereon burnt- 
 offerings, and peace-offerings, sheep and oxen. And then this 
 important promise was given, which is in force to this day: 
 
 " IN ALL PLACES WHERE I RECORD MY NAME, I WILL COME UNTO 
 
 THEE, AND I WILL BLESS THEE." It was also ordained, that for 
 the sake of decency, they should not ascend the altar by steps. 
 From what is here said, it appears, that burnt-offerings and 
 peace-offerings, were the two kinds of sacrifices in use, before 
 the institution of the Levitical ritual. The first of these was 
 entirely consumed by fire on the altar, and among the Greeks 
 obtained the name of holocaust, (entirely consumed:) the peace- 
 offerings were presented on the altar, but only a small part of 
 the flesh was consumed, and the remainder furnished a feast 
 for the worshipper and his friends. In every case, however, 
 the blood was entirely drawn from the animal, and partly 
 sprinkled on and around the altar, and partly poured on the 
 ground, at its foot. 
 
 The next communication related to Hebrew servants ; direct- 
 ing, that in no case, should they be obliged to serve more than 
 six years : if the servant, however, preferred his master's house 
 to liberty, he might remain, but in token of perpetual servitude, 
 he was to have his ear bored to the door post ; but this transac- 
 tion was ordered to take place before the judges; that there 
 might be no injustice done. 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 LAWS RESPECTING MURDER LEX TALIONIS MISCHIEF BY AN OX OPENING A PIT 
 
 PENALTY FOR STEALING AN OX OH A SHEEP THE KILLING OF A THIEF GOODS IN 
 TRUST ANIMALS BORROWED SEDUCTION IDOLATERS WITCHES. 
 
 IT was ordained, that in all cases, wilful murder should be pun- 
 ished with death : but for him who slew a man unintentionally, 
 a refuge from the avenger of blood should be provided. 
 
 It was also capital for a child either to strike or to curse his 
 parents ; and the person who stole a man and sold him was 
 also punished with death. The man who inflicted a bodily 
 injury on his neighbour, so that he was rendered incapable of 
 work, was bound to pay all the expenses of his cure, and his 
 wages for the time of his confinement. 
 
 And it was specially ordained, that a man who killed a ser- 
 vant, by striking him with a rod, should by no means be per- 
 mitted to escape condign punishment; but if death did not im- 
 mediately ensue, and yet the servant should die after several 
 
108 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 days, it was to be presumed, that the death was owing to ano- 
 ther cause, since men would not be apt to destroy their own 
 property. 
 
 The rule prescribed to the judges in apportioning punish- 
 ments to crimes, was the most just that could be conceived. 
 It was what has been called, "the law of retaliation." "Life 
 for life ; eye for eye; tooth for tooth; hand for hand; foot for 
 foot; burning for burning ; wound for wound ; strife for strife." 
 JBut if a man deprived a servant of his eye or his tooth, he was 
 to be deprived of his services, and the servant received his 
 freedom. 
 
 An ox thai gored a man was directed to be slain ; and the 
 owner of an ox, known to push with his horns in time past, if 
 being forewarned to keep him up, he neglected to do it, and 
 the ox kill a man, the ox shall be put to death, and also his 
 owner : but in this case, he was permitted to redeem his life by 
 paying a fine. And where the ox killed a servant, his owner 
 was bound to pay for his loss, and the ox, as before, was to be 
 stoned. 
 
 He who opened a pit and left it uncovered, was responsible 
 for all the injuries which might ensue; and where the ox of 
 one man killed that of another, the law was, that both should 
 be equally divided, the living ox by being sold, and the dead 
 ox also ; but if the offending ox was known to push in time 
 past, and his owner kept him not in, then he was bound to pay 
 for the slain ox, and take his carcase to himself. 
 
 For the stealing an ox, the penalty was, to restore five for 
 one ; and four sheep for a sheep. 
 
 In the day time, it was reckoned murder to put the thief to 
 death, if apprehended in the act ; but not so in the night ; 
 because death is not the proper punishment for theft, but resti- 
 tution ; and yet the law of self-defence will exculpate a man 
 for killing a thief when found breaking into his house in the 
 night. 
 
 The same principle of responsibility recognized in the law 
 respecting a noxious ox, is applied to fire. This being a dan- 
 gerous element, when not carefully guarded, the man who lets 
 out fire which destroys his neighbour's property, is liable for all 
 the injury suffered ; so also, if a man put his cattle into ano- 
 ther man's field; out of the best of his own he was bound to 
 make restitution. 
 
 If money or other property were committed in trust to any 
 one, and was stolen, the person from whom it was stolen, was 
 required to take an oath before the judges, that he had not put 
 his hand to his neighbour's goods. 
 
 An animal borrowed, if it died when the owner was present, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 109 
 
 the borrower was not bound to make it good ; but if he was 
 not present, then the borrower was responsible. 
 
 It was a law, that the man who seduced a woman should cer- 
 tainly marry her; unless the father of the woman utterly 
 refused, and then a fine was imposed, equal to the dowry of a 
 virgin. 
 
 A witch was not to be suffered to live. 
 
 Idolaters, and persons guilty of unnatural crimes, were to be 
 punished with death. 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 PROVISION FOR THE POOR, THE STRANGER, WIDOW, AND ORPHAN LOANS TO A BRO- 
 THER PLEDGES SPEAKING EVIL OF RULERS FIRST-FRUITS ANIMALS TORN BY 
 
 WILD BEASTS SLANDER FORBIDDEN DUTIES TO ENEMIES SABBATICAL YEAR 
 
 ANNUAL FESTIVALS THE PASSOVER FEAST OF TABERNACLES AND FEAST OF 
 HARVEST OF PENTECOST LEAVEN FORBIDDEN IN THE SACRIFICES OTHER LAWS. 
 
 A SPECIAL provision was made for relief to the stranger, the 
 widow, and the fatherless. The very words of this law are 
 worthy of our consideration. " Thou shalt neither vex a 
 stranger, nor oppress him ; for ye were strangers in the land 
 of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow nor fatherless child. 
 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I 
 will surely hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I 
 will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, 
 and your children fatherless." 
 
 Money lent to a brother who was poor, was to be without in- 
 terest or usury. 
 
 When a neighbour's garment was taken in pledge, the law 
 required, that it should be restored before the going down of 
 the sun. 
 
 It was expressly forbidden to speak evil of judges or magis- 
 trates. 
 
 The firstlings of the flocks and herds, the first fruits of the 
 field, the garden, and the wine-press, were the Lord's. 
 
 The flesh of animals torn by wild beasts was forbidden to be 
 eaten by the Israelites. 
 
 Slander and false witness are expressly prohibited. 
 
 And it was forbidden to follow a multitude to do evil ; and 
 especially not to advocate an unrighteous cause, to decline after 
 a multitude. 
 
 Neither were they permitted to countenance a poor man in 
 his cause ; that is, when it was unjust ; neither might they wrest 
 the judgment of the poor. 
 
 No enmity of another can exonerate us from the obligations 
 of neighbourly conduct towards him ; therefore, it was enjoined, 
 that if a man met the ox or ass of his enemy going astray, he 
 
110 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 should surely bring it back to him ; or if he saw his ass lying 
 under a burden, he should by all means assist him. 
 
 Great disapprobation is manifested towards all partiality and 
 injustice in the settling of disputes between man and man. No 
 gift was allowed to be received by judges from either party con- 
 cerned in a cause. 
 
 As the people were commanded to do all their secular work 
 in six days, and rest the seventh day ; so they were directed to 
 sow the land and gather in the fruits for six years, but the 
 seventh year they were to let it lie uncultivated. The reason 
 here assigned for the rest of the weekly Sabbath, is a political 
 one, and still of as great force as at first, " That thine ox and 
 thine ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the 
 stranger may be refreshed ;" and the reason assigned for a sab- 
 batical year was, " that the poor of thy people may eat ; and 
 what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat?" for in this 
 year, no man was permitted to gather into his barn any of the 
 spontaneous productions of the earth : these were free to all, 
 and the owner of the field had no peculiar claim to them. 
 
 Three times in the year, all the males were required to ap- 
 pear before the Lord. At the feast of the PASSOVER, or of un- 
 leavened bread, on the fourteenth of Abib or Nisan, of the institu- 
 tion of which, a particular account has already been given ; at the 
 feast of HARVEST, which was to be celebrated fifty days after 
 the passover, and was therefore called by the Greeks, PENTE- 
 COST ; and the feast of INGATHERING, at the end of the year, 
 which is commonly called, the feast of TABERNACLES ; because 
 during its celebration, the people cut down branches of trees 
 and made themselves booths, in commemoration of their dwell- 
 .ing in tents in the wilderness. This feast was set to the fifteenth 
 day of the seventh month. And as their families and habita- 
 tions would be peculiarly exposed, when all the males were ab- 
 sent, a special promise was given, that during these visits of 
 piety to the place where the Lord should record his name, no 
 one should desire their land, or molest their families. Thus, 
 also, there was a special promise, that the sixth year should be 
 so abundantly productive, that there would be no danger of 
 want from having their fields untilled on the seventh. 
 
 Some laws were given, the reason of which does not clearly 
 appear. Of this sort is the one forbidding leaven to be offered 
 with any of their sacrifices ; and that none of the fat of a sacri- 
 fice should remain until the morning. Probably many such re- 
 gulations were intended to guard the people against the super- 
 stitious rites of the heathen around them. Some precepts, how- 
 ever, seem to have had no other end than to cherish humanity, 
 and kind feelings even to animals. Such as this, "Thou shalt 
 not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. Ill 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 THE ANGEL OF GOD PROMISED TO GO BEFORE THE PEOPLE. 
 
 To encourage the people, and prevent their murmurings, the 
 Lord said, "Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee 
 in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have pre- 
 pared. Beware of him, and obey his voice : provoke him not ; 
 for he will not pardon your transgressions ; for my name is in 
 him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I 
 speak, then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies ; and an ad- 
 versary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go be- 
 fore thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, 
 and the Perrizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and 
 the Jebusites ; and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow 
 down to their gods, nor serve them ; nor do after their works ; 
 but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down 
 their images. And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he 
 shall bless thy bread, and thy water ; and I will take sickness 
 away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their 
 young, nor be barren in thy land : the number of thy days I 
 will fulfil. I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy 
 the people to whom thou shalt come. And I will make all 
 thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hor- 
 nets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaan- 
 ite, and the Hittite, from before thee. I will not drive them 
 out before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and 
 the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little, 
 will I drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased 
 and inherit the land. And I will set thy bounds from the Red 
 Sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines ; and from the desert 
 unto the river ; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land 
 into your hand, and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 
 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 
 They shall not dwell in thy land; lest they make thee sin 
 against me; for if thou serve their gods it will surely be a 
 snare to thee." 
 
 SECTION XVI. 
 
 MOSES, AARON, NADAE, AND ABIHU CALLED INTO THE MOUNT GLORIOUS APPEAR- 
 ANCE OF GOD TABLES OF THE LAW. 
 
 MOSES was, after this, called up into the mount, and directed 
 to bring with him Aaron and his two oldest sons, Nadab and 
 Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel : but these were to 
 worship afar off, and Moses alone to come near the Lord. And 
 
112 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And early in the 
 morning he builded an altar at the foot of the mountain, and 
 set up twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 
 "And he sent young men of the children of Israel who offered 
 burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the 
 Lord." Some remarks have already been made on the exist- 
 ence of priests in Israel, before the consecration of Aaron, and 
 reference was made to what is here stated. We have also here 
 a more particular account than occurs before, of the ceremonies 
 in relation to the blood of the sacrifices; "And Moses took 
 half of the blood and put it into a basin ; and half of the blood 
 he sprinkled on the altar." Having committed to writing the 
 laws which had been committed to him by the Lord, and which 
 the people had repeatedly promised that they would obey, he 
 now took the book containing this covenant and read it in the 
 audience of the people. "And they said, all that the Lord 
 hath said will we do, and be obedient." And Moses took the 
 blood which he had put in basins, and sprinkled it on the 
 people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the 
 Lord hath made with you concerning all these words." After 
 this solemn ratification of the covenant, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, 
 and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel, went up on the 
 mount. "And they saw the God of Israel; and there was 
 under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire-stone, as 
 it were the body of heaven in its clearness. And upon the 
 nobles of Israel he laid not his hand : also they saw God, and 
 did eat and drink." The visible appearance, on this occasion, 
 must have been that of the Angel of the Covenant, the Son of 
 God, who often appeared in the form of a man ; and sometimes, 
 as in this instance, surrounded with glory. 
 
 It was not sufficient that the law of the ten commandments 
 should be uttered by the voice of God, and written by Moses in 
 the book of the law, the Lord now directed Moses to come up 
 to him in the mount, and he would give him tables of stone, 
 which should contain the law and commandments. On this 
 occasion, Moses was accompanied only by Joshua. "And he 
 said unto the elders of Israel, tarry ye here for us, until we 
 come again unto you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with 
 you : if any man have matters to do, let him come unto them. 
 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the 
 mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, 
 and the cloud covered it six days : and the seventh day he 
 called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the 
 sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top 
 of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses 
 went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount. 
 And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 113 
 
 SECTION XVII. 
 
 OFFERINGS FOR THE TABERNACLE PATTERN CURTAINS ALTAR LAYER HOLY, 
 
 AND MOST HOLY PLACE, AND THEIR FURNITURE. 
 
 AT this time, directions were given to Moses in relation to 
 offerings of gold, and silver, and brass ; blue, and purpie, and 
 scarlet, and fine linen, and goat's hair, and ram's skins dyed 
 red, and badger skins, and shittim wood; oil for the light; 
 spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx-stones, and 
 stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breast-plate, for the 
 purpose of making a sanctuary, or house of worship, in which 
 God might, as it were, dwell among them. The exact pattern 
 of this structure was shown to Moses in the mount ; and he was 
 ordered to be careful to make a tabernacle, and the instruments 
 and furniture thereof, exactly according to the pattern which 
 he had seen. The tabernacle itself was directed to be made 
 with boards, plated with silver, and inserted in sockets; and 
 held together by cross-bars, and by braces at the corners. 
 Over this frame several sets of curtains were suspended. The 
 first of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet. 
 And above these, another set of curtains, of goat's hair, eleven 
 in number ; to be a covering on the tabernacle. And as an 
 outer covering of the whole, there was a canopy of ram skins 
 dyed red, and skins dyed blue. 
 
 The tabernacle was to be divided into two compartments, the 
 exterior of which was to be twenty cubits in length, and ten 
 cubits wide ; and the interior, which was THE MOST HOLY PLACE, 
 ten cubits square. The entrance into the outer tabernacle, or 
 holy place, was by an opening covered by a thick impervious 
 curtain ; and the separation between the holy and most holy 
 place, was by another curtain of most precious materials and 
 workmanship. The furniture of the exterior apartment was, 
 first, the golden candlestick of pure beaten gold, with its seven 
 ornamented branches, or stems, with their respective lamps and 
 oil vessels. 2. The table of shew-bread covered with plates of 
 gold, on which twelve loaves were placed every Sabbath morn- 
 ing; and those were directed to be eaten by the priests within 
 the sacred precincts. And, 3. The golden altar, or altar of 
 incense. Within the inner veil, in the interior recess of the 
 tabernacle, called the most holy place, was the ark of the cove- 
 nant, a chest covered all over with pure gold, the lid of which, 
 called the mercy-seat, or place of atonement, was a piece of 
 gold on which, at each end, were formed cherubims, whose faces 
 were turned inwards, towards the mercy-seat. Within this 
 sacred chest were deposited the two tables of the law, written 
 8 
 
114 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 by the finger of God the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that 
 budded. The tabernacle was so constructed, that it could 
 readily be taken down, and carried from place to place. It 
 was situated within a court, a hundred cubits long, and fifty 
 broad, near the western extremity. This court was every- 
 where surrounded *with pillars, 'on which were suspended cur- 
 tains, except in the front, where was a wide gate, closed by a 
 curtail* In this court was also placed the altar of burnt-offer- 
 ings, at no great distance from the entrance of the tabernacle, 
 and between the altar and the tabernacle stood the laver, which 
 was continually replenished with water, where the priests 
 washed their hands and feet, and the pieces of the victims, 
 which were placed on the altar. 
 
 SECTION XVIII. 
 
 DESIGNATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS TO THE PRIEST'S OFFICE SACERDOTAL GAR 
 
 MENTS MATERIALS OFFERED FREELY WISDOM GIVEN TO EXECUTE THE WORK 
 
 AMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER CONTRIBUTED WHENCE OBTAINED. 
 
 As there was now to be a sacred edifice for the worship of God, 
 and a great increase of ritual services, it became necessary to 
 have a priesthood entirely consecrated to this service. Ac- 
 cordingly, the whole tribe of Levi was selected to aid, as there 
 might be occasion, in the religious services of the tabernacle : 
 but the family of Aaron who belonged to this tribe, were sanc- 
 tified to be priests, of whom Aaron was chief priest. The 
 priests were consecrated with many ceremonies, and a particu- 
 lar costume was prescribed to them, which they were bound to 
 wear, whilst ministering in or about the sanctuary. The robes 
 of the high-priest were as splendid and rich as the most pre- 
 cious materials and costly work could make them. No prince 
 or potentate ever wore habiliments more elegant and decorous. 
 It is not necessary to describe the several parts of the high- 
 priest's dress. A good painting or print will give the reader a 
 clearer idea of it, than any description which we could give in 
 words. It may, however, be satisfactory to specify the mitre 
 and the breast-plate. The former was an elegant turban encir- 
 cled with a crown, on the front of which was a golden plate, 
 inscribed with the words "HOLINESS TO THE LORD." The 
 breast-plate was, however, the richest, most splendid, and most 
 important part of the whole. In it were inserted twelve precious 
 stones, each of a different species from the rest ; and on each of 
 these was inscribed the name of one of the tribes of Israel ; so 
 that the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven on these stones, 
 which were set in ouches of gold. And on the shoulders where 
 the breast-plate was fastened to the other parts of the dress, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 115 
 
 there were two clasps containing two very large stones of the 
 most valuable kind, on which also were inscribed the names of 
 the twelve tribes; six on the one, and six on the other. The 
 high-priest wore this precious and splendid dress, when he min- 
 istered in the tabernacle, except when he officiated on the day 
 of atonement, on which occasion he put on what were called the 
 linen garments, which he wore in common with the other 
 priests. 
 
 The offerings requisite for the costly edifice now erected, 
 and for all the furniture of the court, and the tabernacle, and 
 for the garments of the priests, were made voluntarily by the 
 people, not grudgingly, but willingly, and with so much liberal- 
 ity, that it became necessary for Moses to make proclamation, 
 that materials sufficient for the whole work were already in 
 hand, and to request the people to withhold their hands, and 
 bring no more offerings. 
 
 There were also men inspired with wisdom and ingenuity by 
 the Spirit of the Lord, to know how to work all manner of 
 work for the service of the sanctuary. The chief of these wise- 
 hearted men were Bezaleel and Aholiab, to whom the execution 
 of the whole work was committed. There were also wise- 
 hearted women, " who did spin with their hands, and brought 
 that which they had spun both of blue, and of purple, and of 
 scarlet, and of fine linen." And others spun goats' hair; and 
 to make the laver, the women gave up their brazen mirrors. 
 Thus " the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto 
 the Lord ; every man and woman whose heart made them wil- 
 ling to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had com- 
 manded to be made by the hand of Moses." 
 
 The whole amount of gold used in the structure of the taber- 
 nacle was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and 
 thirty shekels : and the silver, an hundred talents, and a thou- 
 sand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels. It has some- 
 times been inquired, whence had the Israelites, who had just 
 come out of the oppressive bondage of Egypt, resources to sup- 
 ply so much gold and silver and other precious materials, for 
 the building of the tabernacle ? To which it may be replied, 
 that some of them, especially the descendants of Joseph, were 
 rich, for we do not read that their property was taken away by 
 the Egyptians. Again, they received large quantities of gold 
 and silver from the Egyptians the night on which they forsook 
 Egypt, as has been before related ; and it is exceedingly pro- 
 bable that they found great spoils at the Red Sea ; for the 
 bodies of the Egyptians were washed on shore ; and the Israel- 
 ites were thus enriched by their enemies, in more ways than 
 one. 
 
116 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 ERECTION OF THE TABERNACLE LAWS RESPECTING SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS SIN- 
 OFFERINGS UNBLOODY SACRIFICES DRINK-OFFERINGS FLOUR-OFFERINGS. 
 
 THE erection of the tabernacle took place in the first month of 
 the second year, and first day of the month, after they left 
 Egypt. When the tabernacle was reared up, and all its furni- 
 ture disposed in its proper place, " the cloud covered the tent 
 of the congregation ; AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE 
 TABERNACLE. And when the cloud was taken up from over 
 the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onwards in all their 
 journeys. But if the cloud were not taken up, then they jour- 
 neyed not, till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of 
 the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and a fire was on it 
 by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all 
 their journeys." 
 
 The laws now given respecting sacrifices, offerings and various 
 other things, were exceedingly numerous, and need not be re- 
 cited in detail. Some general remarks, together with a notice 
 of some remarkable statutes and ordinances, will be sufficient 
 for our purpose. 
 
 The earliest kind of sacrifice of which we have any account, 
 was the burnt-offering, which might be of the herd or of the 
 flock ; or in case of poverty, doves or pigeons. The ceremonies 
 used in this sacrifice, were the following : the animal, of what- 
 ever kind, whether of the herd or flock, was required to be a 
 male, and without blemish. The place of making the offering 
 was at the door of the tabernacle. The person making it did it 
 "of his own voluntary will," and when the animal was pre- 
 sented, the offerer put his hand upon the head of the burnt- 
 offering, and it was accepted from him, "to make an atonement 
 for him." When the bullock or the lamb, was killed by the per- 
 son presenting him, and the officiating priests caught the blood, 
 and brought it and sprinkled it round the altar. The animal 
 was then skinned, and cut in pieces; and the priests having 
 kindled a fire on the- altar, placed the pieces in order on the 
 wood, and the whole was consumed ; the inwards and legs were, 
 however, first carefully washed in water. This was called, " an 
 offering made by fire, a sweet savour unto the Lord." The 
 place of slaying the burnt-offering was on the north side of the 
 altar. 
 
 The next sacrifice, which was in use before the time of Moses, 
 was the peace-offering. Of these, the only part burnt on the 
 altar was the fat ; the breast and the right shoulder were waved 
 or heaved before the Lord, and belonged to the officiating 
 
THE ISKAELITES. 117 
 
 priests, by means of which they received a large part of their 
 support. The remainder of the peace-offering was for the use 
 of the offerer, who made a feast upon the same, and eat it within 
 the sacred precincts of the courts of the Lord, where there were 
 conveniences for cooking, and rooms in which families and select 
 companies might meet. The peace-offering might be male or 
 female, of the flock or the herd. 
 
 The sin-offering and trespass-offering are treated of distinctly 
 in the law, but in what the difference between them consisted it 
 is not now easy to say, except that the former was in some cases 
 offered for the whole congregation ; the latter only for private 
 persons. It will be sufficient, therefore, to give a brief descrip- 
 tion of the sin-offering. 
 
 When the priest himself sinned, he was required to offer a 
 young bullock, without blemish, for a sin-offering ; and he was 
 to bring the animal before the Lord, that is, to the door of the 
 tabernacle, and lay his hand upon his head, and there kill him ; 
 the officiating priest then received the blood, and dipped his 
 finger into it, and sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, be- 
 fore the veil of the sanctuary, and also put some of the blood 
 on the horns of the altar of incense, and poured the remainder 
 of the blood at the bottom of the altar. The fat was burnt 
 upon the altar, as in the case of the peace-offerings, but the 
 skin and the flesh, and other appurtenances of the bullock, were 
 not burnt upon the altar, but carried out to a clean place, en- 
 tirely Avithout the camp, and there burnt. 
 
 When a sin-offering was made for the whole congregation, the 
 ceremonies were the same as now described, except that the 
 elders of the congregation laid their hands on the head of the 
 sacrifice. 
 
 The sin-offering of a ruler of the people was different. He 
 was required to bring before the Lord a kid of the goats, a male, 
 and the blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt-offer- 
 ings. And the sin-offering of one of the common people differed 
 in nothing from that of the ruler, except that the animal offered 
 was to be a female, instead of a male. In every case, this 
 offering was made on account of some sin committed, of which 
 the offerer was conscious : and when he presented his sacrifice 
 he laid his hands upon its head, and made confession of his sin ; 
 and the priest by sprinkling the blood on the altar, made an 
 atonement for him, and his sins were forgiven. 
 
 In regard to the trespass-offering, the law provided, that when 
 the offerer was too poor to bring a lamb or a kid, he might pre- 
 sent two turtle doves, or two young pigeons ; or if he was un- 
 able to provide even these, he might bring the tenth part of an 
 ephah of fine flour, on which no oil or frankincense was to be 
 
118 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 placed : and the priest burned a portion of this offering on the 
 altar, and the remainder fell to him. 
 
 But when a man sinned in relation to the holy things of the 
 Lord, he was required to make amends for the injury in the 
 holy thing, and to add a fifth ; and to make an atonement for 
 his offence, he was to bring a ram for a trespass-offering. 
 
 Besides these bloody sacrifices there were prescribed various 
 offerings of the fruits of the earth. These commonly consisted 
 of fine flour, on which frankincense was poured, and also oil. 
 The officiating priest took a handful of this flour, thus prepared, 
 and burnt it upon the altar, for a memorial. This was an offer- 
 ing made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord. Every 
 offering of flour was seasoned with salt ; but neither leaven nor 
 honey were ever permitted to be mingled with these offerings. 
 Sometimes, the flour was baked in a pan, or formed into cakes ; 
 the ceremonies were in this case the same as before. The priest 
 burnt a handful on the altar, and the remainder was allotted as 
 a compensation unto him. These offerings of flour or cakes 
 often accompanied the sacrifices, epecially the peace-offering. 
 The offerings of flour, baked and unbaked, which the law en- 
 joined, are, in our version, called meat-offerings, which, as the 
 word meat is now commonly understood, is wrong ; they should 
 be denominated bread-offerings, flour-offerings, or grain-offer- 
 ings. They never consisted of the flesh of animals. 
 
 Drink-offerings of wine, also accompanied the various animal 
 sacrifices; the quantity poured out being answerable to the 
 size of the sacrifice. 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES HOLT FIRE. 
 
 AARON and his sons were consecrated to the priest's office with 
 many solemn ceremonies. The whole congregation was assem- 
 bled at the door of the tabernacle; and Moses washed Aaron 
 and his sons with water; and put on them their sacerdotal 
 robes ; and then anointed them with the holy oil ; and he also 
 anointed with the same 'the tabernacle and all its furniture, and 
 the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its foot, and 
 sprinkled a portion of it on the altar seven times. Then 
 Aaron and his sons put their hands on the head of the bullock 
 for a sin-offering, and slew it ; and Moses took the blood and 
 put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the 
 bottom of the altar. And he took all the fat of the inwards 
 and burned it on the altar, with the liver and the two kidneys ; 
 and burnt the flesh and skin and other appurtenances without 
 the camp, as in the case of other sin-offerings. Then Aaron 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 119 
 
 and his sons put their hands on the head of the ram for the 
 burnt-offering, and killed it, and Moses sprinkled the blood 
 upon the altar, round about ; and he burnt the head and the 
 fat, and the legs upon the altar. 
 
 Next, Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon its head, 
 and slew it ; and Moses took of the blood and put it on the tip 
 of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, 
 and upon the great toe of the right foot : and did the same to 
 his sons. Aaron then waved the shoulder of the sacrifice, 
 together with the fat, and unleavened bread, which when it was 
 done, Moses received them from the hand of Aaron and his 
 sons, and burnt them on the altar : but the breast he waved 
 before the Lord, but did not burn it, but reserved it for him- 
 self, as being the portion of the officiating minister. And 
 again, Moses took of the blood and the anointing oil, and 
 sprinkled it on Aaron and his sons, and on their garments. 
 After these solemn ceremonies, Aaron and his sons were for- 
 bidden to go out of the door of the tabernacle for seven days, 
 when the period of their consecration would be ended. 
 
 On the eighth day, Aaron and his sons entered on the public 
 duties of the sacerdotal office, by sacrificing a young calf for a 
 sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. And the people 
 were commanded to bring a kid for a sin-offering, and a calf 
 and lamb for a burnt-offering ; also a bullock and a ram for 
 peace-offerings; and an offering of flour mingled with oil. 
 These sacrifices were intended as a preparation for the manifes- 
 tation of the divine presence which was about to take place. 
 These also Aaron offered for himself and sons, and for the peo- 
 ple, and put the blood upon the horns of the altar, and poured 
 out the remainder at the bottom of the altar, and with the 
 other ceremonies appropriate to each kind of sacrifice. When 
 these offerings were completed, Aaron, as being now fully 
 invested with the office of high-priest, "lifted up his hands 
 towards the people, and blessed them." After which Moses 
 and Aaron went into the tabernacle, and when they came out, 
 they again blessed the people : and THE GLORY OF THE LORD 
 appeared unto all the people. And fire came out from before 
 the Lord, and consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and 
 the fat of the other sacrifices. "And when the people saw it, 
 they shouted and fell on their faces." 
 
 This fire, thus kindled, was to be kept alive, and never to be 
 suffered to go out ; and all offerings made by fire, whether on 
 the altar of burnt-offerings, or on the altar of incense, must be 
 made by the holy fire on the altar. 
 
120 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXI. 
 
 THE SIN AND FEARFUL PUNISHMENT OF AARON'S ELDEST SONS. 
 
 NADAB and Abihu, the oldest sons of Aaron, who had just been 
 with him consecrated to the priest's office, and one of whom 
 would doubtless have been his successor in the office of high- 
 priest, regardless of the commandments of the Lord, and pro- 
 bably elated with the distinction which they had received, took 
 their censors, and put common fire therein, and offered strange 
 fire before the Lord, instead of the holy fire from the altar. 
 "And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them; 
 and they died before the Lord." Moses, upon this manifes- 
 tation of the divine displeasure, spoke to Aaron and said, "This 
 is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that 
 come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." 
 This was indeed a heavy affliction and sore trial to Aaron ; but 
 he behaved himself as became a saint, for he "held his peace." 
 Moses directed that the bodies of these men should be taken 
 away from the sanctuary, out of the camp. He then forbid 
 Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, to make 
 any of the usual expressions of grief, such as uncovering or 
 making bald the head, and rending their garments, lest they 
 should die; "but," said he, "let your brethren the whole house 
 of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled. 
 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle; for 
 the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you." 
 
 It is not an improbable conjecture, that these young men had 
 made too free a use of wine, and that intoxication might have 
 been the occasion of their sin ; for in the very next precept 
 which was delivered, it is enjoined, "Do not drink wine nor 
 strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the 
 tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. It shall be a sta- 
 tute, for ever, throughout your generations ; and that ye may 
 put a difference between holy and unholy; and between unclean 
 and clean ; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the 
 statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them." 
 
 Moses became more exact in looking into the conduct of 
 Aaron and his remaining sons ; and gave them special directions 
 what offerings were to be eaten in the courts of the Lord. And 
 after scrutiny, finding that the kid of the people for a sin-offer- 
 ing had been burnt, instead of being eaten by the priests, as 
 had been commanded in regard to this particular sin-offering, 
 contrary to the custom in other cases of the sin-offering, he was 
 displeased with Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar, and said, " where- 
 fore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the holy place ? Be- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 121 
 
 hold the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place ; 
 ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place." But Aaron 
 excused himself on account of some impurity contracted by ac- 
 cident; which rendered it unsuitable that he should partake of 
 what was so holy. When Moses heard this he was satisfied. 
 
 SECTION XXII. 
 
 CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS LEPROSY, LAWS EESPECTING IT. 
 
 THE distinction between clean and unclean animals existed an- 
 terior to the deluge ; for we find it made the ground of a great 
 difference in the number of each admitted into the ark ; and 
 there can be little doubt, but that this distinction originated 
 with the divine institution of sacrifices. Those animals which, 
 according to the primitive institute, might be offered in sacri- 
 fice, were considered clean, and all others unclean. And this 
 does not exclude the idea that the former were better suited for 
 human food than the latter ; for the selection of certain species 
 for sacrifice may have been made with some reference to this 
 very thing. It is true, that sacrifices were only offered from 
 the herd and the flock, and one species of birds ; but the ob- 
 vious reason was, that other clean animals were wild and could 
 not always be had, when any particular sacrifice was required 
 to be offered. 
 
 In the Levitical law, all unclean animals are prohibited as 
 articles of food ; and all clean animals are allowed. In regard 
 to quadrupeds, the rule of distinction was, that all animals, both 
 dividing the hoof and chewing the cud, are clean, and might be 
 used as food ; all other quadrupeds were prohibited, as unclean. 
 In regard to birds, there were no clearly marked criteria, where- 
 by the clean and unclean were distinguished, the law therefore 
 contains an enumeration of the species which were unclean. 
 
 In regard to fishes, the criteria were as distinct as of quadru- 
 peds. Those animals, in the water, which were furnished both 
 with fins and scales might be eaten, but all others were unclean. 
 
 Insects, and all creeping things, in general, were prohibited ; 
 yet some few species were allowed to be used as food. 
 
 As this distinction of clean and unclean animals originated 
 with the institution of sacrifices, it ceased when they were ab- 
 rogated; and now nothing is "common or unclean;" although, 
 some animals are much better adapted for human food than 
 others; and generally those animals are most used for food, 
 which, according to the ritual law, were reckoned clean. Some 
 animals are said to be very unsuitable for food in one climate 
 and country, which may be eaten without inconvenience in an- 
 
122 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 other country, where the climate is different. Thus in the hot 
 countries of Asia, particularly in the sandy regions of Arabia, 
 where cutaneous diseases are frequent, and of a malignant kind, 
 it has been thought, that the flesh of swine is very unfavour- 
 able to health. 
 
 The leprosy was a disease of so impure, and probably, also 
 contagious a nature, that persons infected with it were carefully 
 separated from the rest of the people ; and as some skill was 
 requisite to distinguish this foul disease, in its incipient state, 
 from other cutaneous diseases of a less noxious kind, this whole 
 matter was committed to the priests, who were authorized to de- 
 termine when it was proper for any one to be sent out of the 
 camp, on the account of the leprosy ; and when the cure was so 
 complete, that the leper might be again restored to the society 
 of his friends. And when a leper was pronounced clean, there 
 were certain things required of him, which might on no account 
 be neglected. The signs by which the leprosy might be dis- 
 tinguished are particularly laid down in the 13th chapter of 
 Leviticus ; and the ceremonies to be used when the priest pro- 
 nounced a leper clean, are as particularly detailed in the 14th 
 chapter of the same book. 
 
 Rules are also given for detecting a cankerous, consuming dis- 
 order, analogous to the leprosy in man, which invaded and 
 destroyed garments and houses, in that climate. 
 
 SECTION XXIII. 
 
 LAWS OF PCKITY AND HEALTH. 
 
 A WOMAN, after childbirth, was reckoned unclean for one week, 
 if she had given birth to a male ; for two weeks when a female ; 
 but for her complete purification, one month must elapse in the 
 former, and two months in the latter case. After which, it was 
 prescribed, that she should offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, 
 and a young pigeon or turtle dove for a sin-offering : but in 
 case of such poverty as rendered the offering of a lamb imprac- 
 ticable or inconvenient; the law was fulfilled by two turtle 
 doves, or two young pigeons ; the one for a burnt-offering and 
 the other for a sin-offering. It may not be improper here to 
 remark, that the Virgin Mary, the blessed mother of our Lord, 
 was so poor, that she was able only to make the offering of two 
 turtle-doves. 
 
 Laws were also ordained, declaring that all running issues, 
 and impure discharges, rendered the subjects of them unclean, 
 and showing how they were to be purified. 
 
 No ceremonial uncleanness, however, was so great as that 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 123 
 
 contracted by touching a dead body ; or a bone, or the grave of 
 a human being. Whoever, however necessarily, or accidentally, 
 touched the dead body of a man, was unclean for seven days ; 
 and in order that he might be clean, at the end of this period 
 he was required to purify himself on the third day, and on the 
 seventh. Whoever was defiled by the touch of a dead body, 
 and entered the sacred enclosure without purification, defiled the 
 tabernacle of the Lord, and exposed himself to the punishment 
 of excision. The death of any person in a tent rendered all 
 who were present unclean, for seven days; and not only the 
 persons but the vessels in the tent were unclean. It is difficult 
 to account for the rigour of this ceremonial law. It probably 
 had its origin in the necessity of counteracting some supersti- 
 tion respecting the relics of the deceased, which is not now 
 known. Certainly, the shameful superstition of Christians in. 
 relation to relics, would render any regulation important which 
 would have had the effect of putting an end to it. 
 
 The method of purifying those rendered unclean by the touch 
 of a dead body was singular. A red heifer on whose neck the 
 yoke had never come, was slain by the priest, and her blood 
 sprinkled seven times towards the tabernacle. Then one took 
 the heifer and burnt her wholly in the presence of the priests, 
 who took cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the 
 midst of the burning of the heifer. The priest then washed his 
 clothes and bathed his flesh, and was unclean until the even. 
 Next, a man who was clean gathered up the ashes of the heifer, 
 and laid them up without the camp, in a clean place; and then 
 it was to be kept for the people, as " a water of separation," "a 
 purification from sin." Whoever then was defiled by a dead 
 body was purified by putting some of the ashes of the heifer 
 into a vessel of running water, which a clean person sprinkled 
 with a bunch of hyssop on the unclean person ; or, on the tent 
 and its furniture ; and on the seventh day the man was to purify 
 himself and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and 
 at even he should be clean. 
 
 Another extraordinary law in the Mosaic code was that rela- 
 tive to the woman suspected of adultery by a jealous husband. 
 A potion, called bitter water, was, after much solemn ceremony, 
 given to the suspected wife to drink, by the priest ; the effect of 
 which, if she was guilty, was, that her body swelled in an extra- 
 ordinary manner, and the woman, according to the awful de- 
 nunciation of the priest, became a curse among her people. 
 But if she was innocent, no such effects ensued. The whole 
 ceremonial of this appalling transaction may be read in the 5th 
 chapter of Numbers; but these ceremonies the Jewish rabbies 
 multiplied tenfold. 
 
124 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXIV. 
 
 THE VOW OF THE NAZAEITE. 
 
 ANY persons who chose might take upon themselves the vow of 
 the Nazarite, "to separate themselves unto the Lord." The 
 person thus separated, was bound to drink no wine, nor strong 
 drink, nor vinegar of wine, or of strong drink ; nor to drink 
 any liquor formed from grapes; nor to eat grapes, moist or 
 dried; nor, indeed, any thing from the vine tree, from the ker- 
 nel to the husk. All the days of his separation, no razor was 
 to come upon his head, but he was to let the locks of his hair 
 grow. And during his separation he was carefully to avoid the 
 touch of a dead body ; and even if his father, mother, brother, 
 or sister, should die in the time, he was not to touch their 
 bodies. But if any one happened to die suddenly by him, then 
 he was required to shave his head on the seventh day, and on 
 the eighth day to offer two turtles or two young pigeons, the 
 one for a burnt-oifering, and the other for a sin-offering, and 
 thus make an atonement for him that had sinned by the dead, 
 and hallow his head that same day. And he shall conse- 
 crate unto the Lord the day of his separation, and shall bring 
 a lamb for a trespass-offering ; but the days that were before 
 shall be lost, because his separation was defiled. And when 
 the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought unto 
 the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and he shall 
 offer one male lamb for a burnt-offering, and a female lamb for 
 a sin-offering ; and a ram for a peace-offering ; and the usual 
 offerings of flour, oil, and wine, the accompaniments of the 
 aforesaid sacrifices; "and the Nazarite shall shave the head of 
 his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 
 and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it 
 in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings." 
 And the priest took the shoulder of the ram, and unleavened 
 cakes, and put them on the head of the Nazarite after his hair 
 was shaven, and the priest waved them for a wave-offering 
 before the Lord. When this ceremony was ended, then the 
 Nazarite might drink wine. 
 
 There were, however, Nazarites who became such by the vow 
 of their parents, before they were born, as Sampson. These 
 abstained from wine and strong drink all their lives, and suffered 
 their hair to grow, without being shorn or shaven. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 125 
 
 SECTION XXV. 
 
 GREAT DAT OF ATONEMENT. 
 
 THE only service performed in the interior recess of the taber- 
 nacle, called THE MOST HOLY PLACE, was on the tenth day of the 
 seventh month, which was, "THE DAY OF ATONEMENT," a day ot 
 humiliation and fasting ; for, although the word for fasting is 
 not found here, nor in the whole Pentateuch, yet the Jews have 
 ever understood, that this " afflicting of the soul" was by fasting ; 
 and, therefore, this day obtained the name of THE FAST; as 
 being the only day of this kind prescribed in the law. On this 
 interesting day, the high-priest himself officiated; and to pre- 
 pare himself for his work, which was not only solemn, but diffi- 
 cult and laborious, he prepared himself for several days before ; 
 and in the morning of this day, he put on his linen garments, 
 after bathing himself in water. Then he took a bullock for a 
 sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. He took also two 
 goats, and presented them before the Lord, at the door of the 
 tabernacle of the congregation. And he cast lots on the two 
 goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other for azazel, rendered 
 scape-goat, in our version. The goat on which the Lord's lot 
 fell, was to be offered as a sin-offering unto the Lord ; but the 
 scape-goat he presented alive before the Lord, to make an atone- 
 ment with him, and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wil- 
 derness. And the high-priest took the bullock which was for a 
 sin-offering for himself and his house, and slew it. And he took 
 a censor full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar before 
 before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten 
 small, and brought it within the inner veil, into the Most Holy 
 Place. And he put the incense on the coals of fire on the cen- 
 ser before the Lord, that the cloud of incense might cover the 
 mercy-seat, that was over the ark of the testimony, that he 
 might not die. Then the high-priest took of the blood of the 
 bullock, and sprinkled it with his finger upon the mercy-seat 
 eastward ; and before the mercy-seat he sprinkled of the blood 
 with his finger, seven times. 
 
 Having completed this solemn service, on his first entering 
 the Most Holy Place, he returned and slew the goat which was 
 for a sin-offering for the people, and carried its blood within the 
 vail, and sprinkled that after the same manner, as the blood of 
 the bullock. And this sin-offering was intended to be " an atone- 
 ment for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the chil- 
 dren of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their 
 sins." While the high-priest entered within the vail, no man 
 was permitted to be in the other part of the tabernacle, until he 
 
126 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 returned. When this part of the service was finished, he went 
 out, and sprinkled of the blood of the bullock and of the goat 
 upon the horns of the altar seven times, " to hallow and cleanse 
 it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Then the 
 high-priest took the live goat, and laid both his hands upon its 
 head, and confessed over him all the iniquities of the children of 
 Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, and putting 
 them on the head of the goat, sent him away by a fit man into 
 the wilderness. "And the goat shall bear upon him all their ini- 
 quities, unto a land not inhabited. And he shall let go the goat 
 in the wilderness." The high-priest, when he completed the 
 work of atonement, changed his garments, laying aside those in 
 which he had administered in this solemn service, he washed his 
 flesh, and put on his official robes, which he usually wore in the 
 tabernacle, and came and offered the burnt-offerings for himself 
 and for the people. But the bodies of the sin-offerings, whose 
 blood had been carried within the vail, were carried without the 
 camp and burnt there ; and both he who carried away the scape- 
 goat, and he who carried the bodies of the sin-offerings were 
 required to wash their clothes and bathe their flesh, after which 
 they came into camp. "And this shall be an everlasting statute 
 unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for 
 all their sins, once a year." 
 
 SECTION XXYI. 
 
 LAWS HESPECTING THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES SACERDOTAL BENEDICTION. 
 
 No man could be admitted to the priesthood who was not of the 
 family of Aaron : Providence stood pledged therefore to pre- 
 serve this family from extinction as long as the Levitical priest- 
 hood continued; and the event corresponded with the pledge; 
 for although the office of high-priest was transferred from one 
 branch of Aaron's family to another, the succession continued 
 without interruption until the destruction of the second temple. 
 As every priest must be a legitimate descendant of Aaron, it 
 was necessary that every one claiming a participation in this 
 sacred office should be able to show by undoubted genealogical 
 tables his regular descent ; hence the great importance of such 
 tables. And to this the Apostle refers in the epistle to the 
 Hebrews, when treating of Melchisedek, whom, says he, was 
 " without father, without mother, having neither beginning of 
 days nor end of life;" which was as much as to say, his name 
 is no where found in the genealogical tables of the priests. 
 
 But a regular descent from Aaron was not sufficient to entitle 
 a man to this office, if he had any deformity or bodily defect. 
 Every thing of this kind was considered a complete disqualifica- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 127 
 
 tion for the priesthood. And that there might be no doubt 
 respecting the kind of defects which were intended, a particular 
 enumeration of them is given in the law, which the curious 
 reader may find in the 21st chapter of Leviticus. 
 
 As the priests, when on service at the tabernacle, lived upon 
 the holy things which had been offered on the altar, it became 
 necessary to point out the persons who might partake of this 
 sacred food, and the state of ceremonial purity requisite in the 
 priest himself, to qualify him to eat of the holy things. These 
 regulations may be found in the 22d chapter of Leviticus. 
 
 The priests were not required to lead a life of celibacy, but 
 there were some restrictions in regard to their marriage which 
 were peculiar. A priest was required to marry a virgin, or 
 the widow of a brother priest. And their families were bound 
 to be peculiarly studious of purity ; and a violation of chastity 
 by the daughter of a priest was visited with a severity of pun- 
 ishment unknown to the Mosaic law, in other cases. She was 
 ordered to be burnt with fire. 
 
 Besides the service of the altar, where the priests officiated by 
 rotation, and by lot, it belonged to them to instruct the people 
 in the law of the Lord. " The priest's lips should keep know- 
 ledge;" and on public occasions to pronounce a solemn bene- 
 diction on the people; which was in the following form: " The 
 Lord bless thee, and keep thee! The Lord make his face to 
 shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up 
 his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!" And the 
 Lord said, " They shall put my name upon the children of 
 Israel, and I will bless them." 
 
 The remainder of the tribe of Levi, although not priests, 
 were solemnly consecrated to the service of God, and were 
 given to the family of Aaron as assistants in carrying the 
 tabernacle and its furniture ; and in keeping guard around the 
 sacred precincts ; and in conducting the music used in the pub- 
 lic service of the sanctuary. This tribe received no allotment 
 of land with the other tribes, but had forty-eight cities with 
 their suburbs, assigned to them, of which thirteen were appro- 
 priated to the priests, and thirty-five to the Levites. They 
 were much occupied in giving instruction through the tribes, 
 and in administering justice. They were under peculiar obliga- 
 tions to be holy men, " Let them that bear the vessels of the 
 Lord be holy." 
 
128 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXVII. 
 
 LAWS HESPECTING INCEST. 
 
 ALTHOUGH in the family of Adam, brothers and sisters must 
 have intermarried, and hence it is evident that there can be 
 nothing simply immoral, or repugnant to the feelings of nature, 
 prior to education, in such a connexion; yet, as soon as the 
 human race became numerous, reasons both moral and political 
 would readily suggest themselves, against marriages between 
 very near relatives. It would, however, have remained a per- 
 plexing and difficult subject, and much corruption and con- 
 fusion might have ensued, had not positive directions been 
 given to regulate this matter. Some rules relative to this 
 point doubtless were in force before the time of Moses; but 
 now it seemed good to the great Legislator, to draw a distinct 
 and definite line between the lawful and incestuous intercourse 
 of the sexes. It has, indeed, been doubted how far this law 
 extends in its prohibitions; and it has also been questioned, 
 whether these laws are now in force, or were abrogated with 
 the ceremonial part of the Levitical economy. On this subject 
 it may be sufficient for our purpose to remark, that the institu- 
 tion of marriage is not one which can be considered of a fluctu- 
 ating or variable nature. There could be no reason why 
 stricter laws should be prescribed to the Jews, than are now 
 necessary. It may be presumed, therefore, that if we can 
 ascertain what the divine will was, under one dispensation 
 relative to this matter, this should be considered as still obliga- 
 tory ; except when it can be shown, that some special regula- 
 tion had relation to the political condition of a people pecu- 
 liarly situated. The laws in Leviticus, chap. 18, respecting 
 the degrees within which marriage was prohibited, had no con- 
 nexion with the ceremonies instituted by Moses; but were 
 given to preserve the people of Israel from conforming to the 
 corrupt customs of the Egyptians, and Canaanites. And, if 
 we conclude that these laws are not now in force, the conse- 
 quence will be, that we have no positive laws whatever, in the 
 whole Bible, forbidding incest ; and if so, marriages are lawful, 
 so far as the Bible is the rule, between the nearest relatives ; 
 not excepting parents and children. Some are willing to go the 
 full length of the law, so far as the relationship is one of con- 
 sanguinity, but they are unwilling to admit, that persons related 
 by affinity only, are guilty of the crime of incest, when they 
 marry within the limits prohibited to blood relations. But if 
 we take the law as a rule, we must take it as a whole, and sub- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 129 
 
 mit to it in its full extent ; and if we deny that the prohibition 
 of marriage between relations by affinity extends as far as to 
 those of consanguinity, where shall we draw the line ? Will not 
 the consequence be, that a man may marry his father's widow ; 
 or a woman marry her mother's husband? Either, there is no 
 incest in the marriage of relations by affinity, or the prohibition 
 extends as far in regard to such relationship, as to that of con- 
 sanguinity. It may still, admitting this rule, be difficult to 
 decide precisely in regard to some degrees of kindred, whether 
 they are lawful or unlawful. Then it is best to keep on the 
 safe side. No man is liable to offend by avoiding to inter- 
 marry with a near relation, but he may offend by marrying 
 within the prescribed limits. 
 
 SECTION XXVIII. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS LAWS. 
 
 THE poor were provided for by having the privilege of glean- 
 ing, after the reapers, and picking up what they dropped; and 
 so also in regard to the vintage, and olive-yards, something was 
 to be left for the poor and the stranger. 
 
 The wages of a hired man were required to be paid on the 
 evening of the same day in which the work was performed. 
 Regard is had, in the law, to the misfortunes of the blind and 
 deaf; and a prohibition was given, not to place a stumbling- 
 block before the former, nor to curse the latter. There must be 
 no respect of persons in judgment; neither in favour to the 
 poor or the rich. Tale-bearing is particularly and expressly 
 forbidden ; and officious appearance against another as a wit- 
 ness, is forbidden. Fraternal rebuke is enjoined; and the 
 neglect of it is considered in the law a species of hatred of our 
 brother. All hatred and revenge are expressly forbidden, on 
 the ground that we are bound to love our neighbour as our- 
 selves. Heterogeneous mixtures of animals in breeding or 
 ploughing, and of different materials in weaving garments, and 
 of diverse kinds of seed in sowing the ground, are prohibited, 
 as being contrary to nature, which is beautiful in its simplicity. 
 
 The eating of blood or fat, or the flesh of strangled animals, 
 is repeatedly forbidden. 
 
 All enchantments, or observance of times, and consulting of 
 wizards or witches, is forbidden on heavy penalties. Old age 
 was to be specially respected. The law was, " Thou shalt rise 
 up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man." 
 Strangers dwelling among them were not to be oppressed, but 
 9 
 
130 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 treated kindly, for they were never to forget that they were 
 once strangers, in Egypt, themselves. 
 
 Strict justice and equity were required in traffic; "just bal- 
 ances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin." All unna- 
 tural lust, and idolatrous practices, are repeatedly forbidden ; 
 and especially the cruel practice of sacrificing children to Mo- 
 loch. 
 
 An Israelite could not be brought with his family into per- 
 petual bondage. If, through the pressure of poverty, he sold 
 himself, yet at the year of Jubilee he had the privilege of going 
 out free with his children. But of the heathen round about, 
 they were permitted to buy bond-men and bond-women; and 
 of the strangers that sojourned among them. "And ye shall 
 take them for an inheritance to your children after you, to 
 inherit them for a possession ; they shall be your bond-men for 
 ever." And an Israelite, who through poverty had been 
 obliged to sell himself to a stranger might be redeemed by any 
 of his near kindred; and the price of redemption was made to 
 depend on the number of years between the time and the return 
 of Jubilee, when, of course, every Israelite obtained his liberty, 
 to whomsoever he might be bound. 
 
 SECTION XXIX. 
 
 DAILY SERVICE OF THE TABERNACLE. 
 
 THE fire on the altar was to be kept continually burning ; and, 
 therefore, several fires or piles, according to the Jews, were 
 built up. As the offering of sacrifices produced, necessarily, 
 much defilement, the first thing in the morning was to cleanse 
 the altar, by carrying away the ashes, and the fragments of 
 the sacrifices of the former day that might remain. This was 
 done by the person to whom it was allotted, very early in the 
 morning, and here, it may be proper to remark, that the ser- 
 vices of the altar, especially at the public festivals, requiring 
 many persons to be employed, to prevent confusion, the several 
 parts were apportioned , by lot ; so that every man knew pre- 
 cisely what duty he was to perform. 
 
 The prescribed daily service, consisted of the sacrifice of two 
 lambs, as a burnt-offering; the one in the morning, the other 
 in the afternoon. These sacrifices were accompanied with 
 prayers, and hymns of praise, sung by the choir of Levites in 
 attendance. The blowing of trumpets when the sacrifice was 
 laid on the altar, was a part of the ceremony observed. The 
 offering in the afternoon was about the hour of nine ; or, three 
 o'clock, according to our computation of time. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 131 
 
 The burning of incense within the sanctuary took place at 
 the same time that the morning and evening sacrifices were 
 laid upon the altar without. It was also a part of the daily 
 service to trim the lamps of the golden candlestick. From our 
 version, it would seem, that the lamps were put out in the day 
 time, and burnt all night ; but it may well be questioned whe- 
 ther this is correct. The original word means " to cause to 
 ascend," that is, to trim the lamps so as to cause the light to 
 rise. And as the tabernacle had no window, the light of the 
 lamps was as much needed in the clay as in the night, and more, 
 because the service performed in the sanctuary was all required 
 to be done during the day. 
 
 SECTION XXX. 
 
 TABLES OF THE LAW. 
 
 MOSES having been called up to the sacred mount, was kept 
 there for no less than thirty days, during which time he did 
 neither eat nor drink. Here God communed with him face to 
 face, as a man with his friend. "And he gave unto Moses, 
 when he had made an end of communing with him, upon mount 
 Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the 
 finger of God." " The tables were written on both their sides; 
 on the one side and on the other were they written. And the 
 tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing 
 of God, graven upon the tables." 
 
 The people becoming impatient at the long delay of Moses 
 on the mount, insisted on it that Aaron should make them 
 gods to go before them. To this impious proposal, Aaron, 
 through fear, too readily acceded, and directed them to bring 
 him their ear-rings, out of which he made a golden calf; which 
 when they saw, they exclaimed, " These be thy gods, Israel, 
 which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Aaron di- 
 rected an altar to be built for it, and proclaimed a feast to the 
 Lord, for the ensuing day. "And they rose up early and 
 offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the 
 people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." The 
 Lord now commanded Moses to go down, as the people had 
 grossly corrupted themselves, and had made themselves a calf 
 and worshipped it ; and the Lord proposed to Moses that he 
 would destroy this stiff-necked people, and make a great nation 
 of him ; but this disinterested man preferred the glory of God 
 to his own advantage. " And Moses besought the Lord his 
 God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy 
 people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, 
 
132 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 with great power and with a mighty hand ? Wherefore should 
 the Egyptians speak and say, For mischief did he bring them 
 out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from 
 the face of the earth ? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent 
 of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, 
 and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own 
 self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars 
 of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of, will I give 
 unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever." This ear- 
 nest prayer and expostulation had the desired effect, " for the 
 Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his peo- 
 ple." And Moses went down unto the people with the two 
 tables of testimony in his hand. And Joshua, who was with 
 him said, "There is the voice of war in the camp." "And he 
 said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, nor the 
 cry of those that are overcome." And when Moses drew near, 
 he saw the calf, and the people dancing around it; "and his 
 anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and 
 brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which 
 they had made and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to pow- 
 der, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of 
 Israel drink of it." Moses then upbraided Aaron for what he 
 had done ; who excused himself by alleging the perverseness of 
 the people. He then stood in the gate of the camp and said, 
 " Who is on the Lord's side ? let him come unto me. And all 
 the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him." 
 Moses commanded -them to gird on their swords, and to pass 
 through the camp, "and slay every man his brother, and every 
 man his neighbour, and every man his companion." And the 
 sons of Levi did so; "and there fell of the people that day 
 about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate 
 yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, 
 and upon his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing 
 this day." Moses after this expression of holy indignation, 
 went to the Lord and entreated him to pardon the sin of the 
 people; and in the disinterested fervency of his spirit, he went 
 so far as to say, " If thou wilt not forgive their sin, blot me, I 
 pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written. And the 
 Lord said unto Moses, Whoever sinned against me, him will I 
 blot out of my book. And the Lord plagued the people 
 because they made the calf which Aaron made." 
 
 And the Lord directed Moses to hew two tables of stone like 
 unto the first, and said, "I will write upon these tables the 
 words that were in the first tables which thou brakest. And 
 be ready in the morning, and come up to mount Sinai, and pre- 
 sent thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man 
 shall come up with thee ; neither let any man be seen through 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 133 
 
 all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before the 
 mount." And Moses did as he was commanded. "And the 
 Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and 
 proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by 
 before him, and proclaimed, " The Lord, the Lord (rod, merci- 
 ful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and 
 truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and 
 transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the 
 guilty : visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, 
 and upon the children's children, unto the third, and to the 
 fourth generation." "And Moses made haste and bowed his 
 head toward the earth and worshipped." 
 
 And the Lord communed with Moses on the mount; and 
 repeated to him some of the laws which had before been given ; 
 " and he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights ; 
 he did neither eat bread nor drink water." And when Moses 
 came down from the mount, with the tables of testimony in his 
 hand, he was not aware that the skin of his face shone ; but 
 when Aaron and all the people saw him, they were afraid to 
 come nigh him. Moses called unto them ; and he put a veil on 
 his face while he talked with them : " And he gave them in 
 commandment, all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount 
 Sinai." When Moses went in before the Lord, he took the 
 veil off until he came out. And when he spake to the people, 
 he put the veil again upon his face, " And the children of Israel 
 saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone." 
 
 SECTION XXXI. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM MOUNT SINAI ORDER OF MARCH. 
 
 BEFORE they began their march, Moses received orders to make 
 two silver trumpets, for the calling of the assembly, and for the 
 journeying of the camps. When they sounded both trumpets 
 it was a signal for the assembling of the whole congregation ; 
 but when the princes only were to be convened, they blew upon 
 one of the trumpets only. When they blew an alarm, or made 
 a broken sound with the trumpets, the eastern part of the camp 
 was to go forward; upon a second alarm, the southern part of 
 the camp were to put themselves in motion. The blowing on 
 these trumpets was at all times made the duty of the priests ; 
 and they were to be sounded when the people went to war ; and 
 also in days of rejoicing; and particularly, at the commence- 
 ment of every month, when the priests were commanded to 
 blow the trumpets over the sacrifices which were then offered. 
 It was on the twentieth day of the second month, in the 
 
134 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 second year, that the signal for marching was given, by the 
 taking up the cloud from off the tabernacle of the testimony. 
 "And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wil- 
 derness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of 
 Paran." 
 
 In the first rank marched the tribe of Judah with Nahshon, 
 the son of Amminadab, as their leader. 
 
 Then Issachar, whose chief captain was Nathaneel, the son 
 of Zuar. 
 
 Then Zebulun, whose leader was Eliab, the son of Helon. 
 
 These three tribes marched in the front, before the taberna- 
 cle, which was borne after them by the sons of Gershon and 
 Merari. 
 
 Then marched the tribe of Reuben, led on by Elizur, the son 
 of Shedeur. 
 
 After him came the tribe of Simeon, whose captain was She- 
 lumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 
 
 And next the tribe of Gad, over which was Eliasaph, the son 
 of Deuel. 
 
 Then came the Kohathites bearing the ark and other holy 
 vessels of the sanctuary, in the centre of the camp. 
 
 Behind the Kohathites, and next in order, marched the tribe 
 of Ephraim, over which was Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 
 And Manasseh led on by Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 
 
 Next marched Benjamin, whose leader was Abidan, the son 
 of Gideoni. 
 
 Then followed the tribe of Dan, over which was Ahiezer, the 
 son of Ammishaddai. 
 
 And Asher, whose leader was Pagiel, the son of Ocran. 
 
 And Naphtali brought up the rear, whose leader was Ahira, 
 the son of Enan. 
 
 This order of march was uniformly observed at all times ; 
 during all their journeyings through the wilderness. 
 
 SECTION XXXII. 
 
 MOSES' INVITATION TO HOBAB. 
 
 "AND Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Hague], the Mid- 
 ianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto a place, 
 of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, 
 and we will do thee good ; for the Lord hath spoken good con- 
 cerning Israel. And he said unto him, I will not go, but I will 
 depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. And he said, 
 leave us not, I pray thee ; forasmuch as thou knowest, we are 
 to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 135 
 
 of eyes. And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, 
 that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will 
 we do unto thee." Although it is not said here whether Hobab, 
 which seems to be another name for Jethro, went along with 
 his son-in-law or not, yet his offering no further objection gives 
 ground for the inference, that he did. And that this was the 
 fact, can be ascertained from what is said in the first chapter 
 of Judges, where we read, "And the children of the Kenite, 
 Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees, with 
 the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth 
 in the south of Arad : and they went and dwelt among the 
 people." 
 
 After leaving Sinai, the Israelites marched three days before 
 they came to a resting-place; "And the ark of the covenant of 
 the Lord went before them, to search out a resting place for 
 them. And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when 
 they went out of the camp. When the ark set forward, Moses 
 was accustomed to employ the following solemn prayer, "Rise 
 up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that 
 hate thee flee before thee." And when it rested, he used the 
 following, "Return, Lord, unto the many thousands of 
 Israel." 
 
 The prospect was now, that in a short time the Israelites 
 would have been at the end of their journey; and doubtless this 
 would have been the event, if they had not rebelled against the 
 Lord. So, when the time came for their departure from Horeb, 
 the Lord said, "Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount. 
 Turn ye, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the 
 Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereto, in the plains, in 
 the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea-side, 
 to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, and unto the 
 great river, the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land 
 before you, go in and possess the land, which the Lord sware 
 unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give it to 
 them and to their seed after them." 
 
 SECTION XXXIII. 
 
 THE PEOPLE REBEL AGAINST HOSES A BURNING SENT AMONG THEM THE LORD 
 PUTS HIS SPIRIT ON THE ELDERS. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING all the miracles which they had witnessed, 
 and all the wonderful deliverances which they had experienced, 
 the people continued to murmur and complain ; and the anger 
 of the Lord was again kindled against them; "and the fire 
 of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that 
 were in the uttermost parts of the camp." And when the peo- 
 
136 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 pie cried unto Moses, he prayed unto the Lord, and the fire was 
 quenched. On account of this burning, the name of the place 
 was called, Taberah. 
 
 But soon the perverseness of this stiff-necked people disco- 
 vered itself again. They remembered the fish, the cucumbers, 
 and melons, which they enjoyed abundantly in Egypt; and also 
 the leeks, onions, and garlick, of which they were very fond : 
 and they had become weary of the manna, which was dry and 
 always the same ; for when they gathered it, it had the appear- 
 ance of coriander seed, or bdellium ; but before it was eaten, it 
 was ground in mills, and then baked into cakes, in pans ; and 
 when thus prepared, its taste resembled that of fresh olive oil. 
 This spirit of murmuring revived so frequently, and was now so 
 general for all the people wept throughout their families, 
 standing in the door of their tents, and was so unreasonable, 
 since they were well supplied, every day, with nutritious and 
 pleasant food that Moses was much disturbed in mind, and 
 poured out the following bitter complaint before the Lord: 
 "Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant, and wherefore have 
 I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of 
 all this people upon me ? Have I conceived all this people ? 
 Have I begotten them, that thou shouldst say unto me, Carry 
 them in thy bosom (as a nursing father beareth the sucking 
 child) unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? 
 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? For 
 they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I 
 am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy 
 for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, 
 out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me 
 not see my wretchedness." The Lord, therefore, directed Moses 
 to assemble to him the seventy elders of Israel, who had already 
 been appointed judges and elders over the people, and when 
 they were convened at the door of the tabernacle, the Lord 
 took of the spirit that was upon Moses, and gave it unto the 
 seventy elders; and when the Spirit rested upon them they 
 prophesied, and did not cease. But two of the elders, Eldad 
 and Medad, remained in the camp, and the Spirit rested upon 
 them also ; for they were of the number that were written, but 
 went not up to the tabernacle. And a young man ran and told 
 Moses that Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp. 
 And Joshua said, My Lord, Moses, forbid them. And Moses 
 said, enviest thou for my sake ? Would God, that all the Lord's 
 people were prophets ; and that the Lord would put his Spirit 
 upon them." Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to 
 the camp. 
 
 But as the people had complained so bitterly of the want of 
 flesh, the Lord promised that they should have it, not for one or 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 137 
 
 a few days, as on the former occasion, but for a whole month, 
 until it came out at their nostrils, and became loathsome. Thus 
 did God in righteous judgment grant the requests of this discon- 
 tented people. As it is said in the Psalms, "He gave them, 
 their request, but sent leanness into their souls." And there 
 went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the 
 sea, and let them fall by the camp on every side. And the 
 people gathered the quails all that day and night, and next day ; 
 so that he that gathered least had ten homers. "And while the 
 flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath 
 of the Lord was kindled against the people ; and the Lord smote 
 the people with a very great plague." The name of this place 
 was, therefore, called Kibroth-hattaavah, (the graves of the 
 lusters;} "because there they buried the people that lusted." 
 It is altogether probable, that this pestilence was produced by 
 the quails; in that hot region, so much flesh was unwholesome; 
 and so much animal matter putrifying about the camp, must 
 have greatly infected the air. 
 
 SECTION XXXIV. 
 
 NEW TROUBLES ARISE FROM AN UNEXPECTED QUARTER. 
 
 MOSES, as we have seen, had married Zipporah, the daughter 
 of Jethro, prince of Midian, in Arabia. This is the country 
 which was originally called Ethiopia, (Gush,) which name was 
 afterwards transferred to the country on the other side of the 
 Red Sea. Miriam and Aaron, it would seem, were not well 
 pleased with this woman ; or they felt the prejudices which are 
 common against people of a foreign nation ; and as marrying 
 among strangers had met with the disapprobation of the 
 patriarchs, they took occasion, at this late hour, to find 
 fault with their brother for bringing an Ethiopean woman 
 into their family. But the real spring of this behaviour 
 appears to have been spiritual pride. They both had received, 
 in some degree, the gift of inspiration; and Aaron had been 
 highly honoured by being made high-priest, and also the instru- 
 ment of God and Moses, in the wonderful works wrought in 
 Egypt ; and they envied the authority which Moses exercised, 
 and thought that he took too much upon him, and did not 
 bring them forward before the people, as much as they wished. 
 Therefore, they said, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by 
 Moses? hath he not also spoken by us?" Now, there never 
 lived a man upon earth, who was less ambitious of power and 
 authority than Moses ; or who was less disposed to arrogate to 
 himself what did not belong to him, or to deprive others of 
 
138 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 their just rights. On this occasion, he seems to have remained 
 entirely passive, as there is not a word recorded, as having 
 been spoken by him. But the Lord espouses the 'cause of the 
 meek, and quickly vindicates their rights, and their character. 
 "And the Lord spoke suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, 
 and unto Miriam, come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the 
 congregation. And they came out. And the Lord came 
 down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the 
 tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came 
 forth. And he said, Hear now my words. If there be a 
 prophet among you, the Lord will make himself known unto 
 him in a vision, and speak unto him in a dream. My servant 
 Moses is not so, who is faithful in all his house. With him 
 will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark 
 speeches ; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold ; where- 
 fore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant 
 Moses? And the anger of the Lord was enkindled against 
 them, and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the 
 tabernacle ; and behold Miriam became leprous white as snow ; 
 and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold she was leprous. 
 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, 
 lay not the sin upon us wherein we have done foolishly and 
 have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is 
 half consumed, when he cometh out of his mother's womb." 
 "And Moses," whose spirit of forgiveness and forbearance 
 knew no bounds, " cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, 
 God, I beseech thee. And the Lord said, If her father had 
 but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? 
 Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that 
 let her be received in again. And Miriam was shut out from 
 the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Miriam 
 was brought in again. And afterward the people removed 
 from Hazaroth and pitched in the wilderness of Paran." 
 
 Why Miriam only was punished for this offence, in which 
 Aaron was engaged with her, must be left to conjecture. Pro- 
 bably, the discontent originated with her, and her brother had 
 been influenced by her to join in the complaint against Moses: 
 or the sacerdotal character of Aaron rendered it unsuitable 
 that he should be visited by a judgment of this sort, which 
 would have utterly disqualified him for the duties of his sacred 
 office. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 139 
 
 SECTION XXXV.' 
 
 MEN SENT TO EXPLORE THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 HAVING passed through the terrible wilderness of Paran, the 
 children of Israel came to Kadesh-barnea, which is near the 
 mountain of the Amorites, on the border of the land of Canaan. 
 And Moses now exhorted the people to go up immediately, and 
 possess the land which lay before them ; and told them not to 
 be afraid nor discouraged. But the whole of the people united 
 in a petition that they might be permitted, in the first place, to 
 send men, to search out the land, and bring them word by what 
 way they must go up, and into what cities they should first 
 come. This proposal was entirely pleasing to Moses ; and also 
 met with the approbation of God; for we read in Numbers, that 
 " God spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men that they may 
 search out the land of Canaan which I give unto the children 
 of Israel ; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, 
 every one a ruler among them. And Moses, by the command 
 of the Lord, sent them from the wilderness of Paran. And 
 these were the names of the men. Of the tribe of Reuben, 
 Shammua, the son of Zachur ; of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat, 
 the son of Hosi; of the tribe of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jeph- 
 unneh ; of the tribe of Issachar, Igal, the son of Joseph ; of the 
 tribe of Ephraim, Oshea, the son of Nun ; of the tribe of Ben- 
 jamin, Palti, the son of Raphu; of the tribe of Zebulun, Gadiel, 
 the son of Sodi ; of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi, the son of 
 Susi; of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel, the son of Gemalli; of the 
 tribe of Asher, Jethur, the son of Michael; of the tribe of 
 Naphtali, Nahbi, the son of Vophsi; and of the tribe of Gad, 
 Geuel, the son of Machi. In catalogues of the tribes, Levi was 
 no longer numbered, as being consecrated to the service of the 
 sanctuary; and by means of Joseph's two sons, the number of 
 the twelve tribes was kept up, without counting Levi. 
 
 The orders given to these men were, that they should go up 
 and "spy out the land of Canaan, and see what it is; and the 
 people that dwell therein, whether they be weak or strong, few 
 or many; and what sort of land they inhabit, whether it be 
 good or bad; and what kind of cities they have; whether they 
 dwell in tents, or in strong holds; and whether the country 
 was covered with wood, or was bare ; and finally, they were 
 directed to bring back with them some of the fruits of the land, 
 as the season was that of the first ripe grapes. So these men 
 explored the country from the south, where they entered it, 
 even unto Hameth. Among the places which they visited, was 
 Hebron, one of the oldest towns in the world, for it was built 
 
140 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 seven years before Zoan, in Egypt. Near this spot their fore- 
 fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had been accustomed to 
 pitch their tents; and here also was the cave, where these 
 patriarchs lay sleeping in the dust. But, at this time, it was 
 in the possession of the sons of Anak, three of whom, Ahiman, 
 Sheshai, and Talmai, the spies saw with terror and dismay ; 
 for they were men of gigantic stature. And in passing through 
 the country, they came to a certain ralley of extraordinary fer- 
 tility, where they found clusters of grapes of such enormous 
 size, that they resolved to cut down a branch, and suspend it 
 on a staff or pole, so that the grapes might not be crushed, and 
 carry it back to the camp, in compliance with the orders which 
 they had received. This valley and the brook which passed 
 through it, received the name of Eshcol, on account of the clus- 
 ter of grapes, which the children of Israel did cut down from 
 thence. And they returned, after having spent forty days in 
 exploring the land. And they came to Moses at Kadesh, in 
 the wilderness of Paran, and reported what they had seen, and 
 showed the fruit of the land. And they all testified that the 
 country was exceeding good, a land flowing with milk and 
 honey : nevertheless, the majority said, " The people be strong 
 that dwell in the land; and the cities are walled and very 
 great;" and above all they said, "We saw the children of Anak 
 there." They also reported that the Amalekites dwelt in the 
 south, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites in the moun- 
 tains, and the Canaanites along the sea coast, and along the 
 valley of Jordan. This report of the majority of the spies 
 greatly intimidated the people, and a fearful state of commotion 
 was produced in the camp; but Caleb and Joshua endeavoured 
 to compose and encourage the people ; and exhorted them to go 
 up at once and take possession of the land; for said they, "We 
 are well able to overcome it." But the men who went up with 
 them said, " We be not able to go up against the people ; for 
 they are stronger than we." And thus they brought up an 
 evil report of the land which they had searched, saying, "The 
 land eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that 
 we saw in it are men of stature ; and there we saw the giants ; 
 and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were 
 in their sight." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 141 
 
 SECTION XXXVI. 
 
 THE PEOPLE REBEL AGAINST MOSES AGAIN GOD'S DISPLEASURE DECLARES WITH 
 AN OATH THAT NONE BUT CALEB AND JOSHUA OF ALL THAT GENERATION SHOULD 
 EVER POSSESS THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 THE people became more and more agitated; and "the whole 
 congregation lifted up their voice and cried ; and the people wept 
 that night. And all the congregation murmured against Moses 
 and against Aaron, and said unto them, would God that we had 
 died in the land of Egypt ! Or, would God we had died in this 
 wilderness ! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this 
 land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should 
 be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 
 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us 
 return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces 
 before all the assembly; and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and 
 Joshua the son of Nun, who were of the number of those that 
 went to spy out the land, rent their clothes, and addressed the 
 multitude, saying, " The land which we passed through to search 
 it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he 
 will bring us into this land and give it us ; a land flowing with 
 milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord ; neither 
 fear ye the people of the land ; for they are bread for us : their 
 defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, fear 
 them not." But the spirit of rebellion had become too violent 
 to be quelled with words, however reasonable or persuasive. 
 Therefore, instead of yielding to Caleb and Joshua, they resolved 
 to put them to death by stoning ; and would instantly have exe- 
 cuted their purpose, had not THE GLORY OF THE LORD appeared 
 in the tabernacle of the congregation, before all the children of 
 Israel. "And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this 
 people provoke me; and how long will it be ere they believe me, 
 for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will 
 smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will 
 make of thee a greater nation, and mightier than they. And 
 Moses said unto the Lord, The Egyptians shall hear it, for 
 thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them; 
 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land ; for they 
 have heard, that thou, Lord art among this people ; that thou 
 Lord, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over 
 them; and that thou goest before them, by day-time in a pillar 
 of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now, if thou shalt kill 
 all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard 
 the fame of thee, will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not 
 able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, 
 therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now, I 
 
142 HISTORY OF THE ISEAELITISH NATION. 
 
 beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as 
 thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering and of great 
 mercy, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and by no means 
 clearing the guilty ; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the 
 children, unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I be- 
 seech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto the great- 
 ness of thy mercy ; and as thou hast forgiven this people from 
 Egypt, even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned 
 according to thy word. But as truly as I live, all the earth 
 shall be filled with THE GLORY OF THE LORD. Because all those 
 men which have seen my glory, and my miracles which I did in 
 Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these 
 ten times, and have not hearkened unto my voice ; surely they 
 shall not see the land, which I sware unto their fathers ; neither 
 shall any of them that have provoked me see it : but my servant 
 Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed 
 me fully, him will I bring into the land, whereinto he went ; and 
 his seed shall possess it. To-morrow, turn ye, get ye into the 
 wilderness, by the way of the Red Sea." "Your carcasses shall 
 fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, from 
 twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. 
 Doubtless, ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I 
 sware, to make you dwell therein, save Caleb, the son of Jephun- 
 neh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. But your little ones, which 
 ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall 
 know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your 
 carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall 
 wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, 
 until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the num- 
 ber of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, 
 each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty 
 years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I, the Lord, 
 have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that 
 are gathered together against me : in this wilderness they shall 
 be consumed, and there they shall die." Accordingly, "the men 
 which Moses sent to search out the land, who returned and made 
 all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a 
 slander upon the land, ,died by the plague before the Lord. But 
 Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, 
 which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still." 
 And when Moses told all the words of the Lord unto the chil- 
 dren of Israel, they mourned greatly. "And they rose up early 
 in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, 
 saying, Lo we be here, and will go up unto the place which the 
 Lord hath promised; for we have sinned." But Moses com- 
 manded them not to go up, for the Lord was not among them ; 
 and told them they would be smitten by their enemies. "But 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 143 
 
 they presumed to go up to the hill-top ; nevertheless the ark of 
 the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the 
 camp. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites 
 which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, 
 even unto Hormah." 
 
 SECTION XXXVII. 
 
 THE REBELLION OF KORAH, DATHAN, ABIRAM AND ON, WITH TWO HUNDRED AND 
 FIFTY PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION. 
 
 THE great rebellion mentioned in the last section, and the 
 heavy punishment incurred, did not terminate the perverse con- 
 duct of this stiff-necked people ; nor relieve Moses from further 
 and even greater troubles. For now, certain leading men of 
 the tribes of Levi and Reuben, formed a combination with two 
 hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, men of celebrity 
 and influence, against Moses and Aaron. Their pretext was, 
 that Moses and Aaron took too much upon them, and lorded it 
 over God's heritage. They said, " Ye take too much upon 
 you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, 
 and the Lord is among them : wherefore then lift ye up your- 
 selves above the congregation of the Lord?" And when Moses 
 heard their allegation, he fell on his face. But he simply 
 referred the whole matter to the proper tribunal, to the decision 
 of God. "To-morrow," said he, "the Lord will show who are 
 his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him ; 
 even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto 
 him. This do; take you censers, Korah and all his company, 
 and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord 
 to-morrow : and it shall be, that the man whom the Lord doth 
 choose, he shall be holy ; ye take too much upon you, ye sons 
 of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye 
 sons of Levi. Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the 
 God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of 
 Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the 
 tabernacle of the Lord; and to stand before the congregation, 
 to minister unto them. And he hath brought thee near to him, 
 and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi with thee, and seek ye 
 the priesthood also? for which cause both thou, and all thy 
 company are gathered together against the Lord : and what is 
 Aaron, that ye murmur against him?" It is evident from this 
 cutting reproof and expostulation, that this rebellion was insti- 
 gated by Korah, who was the cousin of Moses and Aaron ; and 
 who envied the latter the honour conferred upon him in being 
 invested with the office of the high-priest. And by his artful 
 representations he had brought over almost all the leading men 
 
144 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 of Israel to be on his side, and to join with him in his com- 
 plaint against Moses and Aaron, for usurping an undue share 
 of power over the people. It seems that Dathan and Abiram 
 were not present at this altercation between Moses and Korah; 
 and when they were summoned to make their appearance, they 
 said, " We will not come. Is it a small thing that thou hast 
 brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, 
 to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether 
 a prince over us ? Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a 
 land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance 
 of fields and vineyards. Wilt thou put out the eyes of these 
 men? We will not come up." Upon hearing this accusation, 
 Moses was exceedingly angry, and said unto the Lord, " Res- 
 pect not their offering. I have not taken one ass from them ; 
 neither have I hurt one of them." As is usual in such cases, 
 different persons entered into this rebellion with different 
 motives. Dathan and Abiram were dissatisfied that the people 
 were kept so long in the wilderness ; and especially, since the 
 prospect was, that they would continue wandering there for 
 many years to come. 
 
 On the next day appeared Korah and all his company, two 
 hundred and fifty princes, with their censers, before the taber- 
 nacle ; and Aaron stood also with his censer ; and the whole 
 congregation were assembled; and they took every man his 
 censer and put fire in them, and laid incense therein, and stood 
 in the door of the tabernacle with Moses and Aaron ; and THE 
 GLORY OF THE LORD appeared unto all the congregation. "And 
 the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate your- 
 selves from the congregation, that I may consume them in a 
 moment." 
 
 But Moses and Aaron entreated for the people, and said, 
 " God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin 
 and wilt thou be wroth with the whole congregation ? And the 
 Lord said, Speak unto the congregation, saying, get you up 
 from out of the tabernacles of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 
 And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the 
 elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congre- 
 gation, saying, Depart I pray you, from the tents of these 
 wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in 
 all their sins. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, 
 Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram 
 came out, and stood in the door of their tents ; and their wives 
 and their sons and their little children. And Moses said, 
 Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all 
 these works, for I have not done them of my own mind. If 
 these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited 
 after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 145 
 
 But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her 
 mouth, and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them, 
 and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand 
 that these men have provoked the Lord." And he had no 
 sooner finished speaking, "than the ground clave asunder that 
 was under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swal- 
 lowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that apper- 
 tained unto Korah, and all their goods. They and all that 
 appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the 
 earth closed upon them ; and they perished from among the 
 congregation. And all Israel that was round about them fled 
 at the cry of them ; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up 
 also. And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed 
 the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense." By the 
 command of God the censers of these men were made into 
 broad plates, for the covering of the altar, because by being 
 offered before the Lord, they had, as it were, been hallowed. 
 
 But on the succeeding day, the children of Israel, whose 
 rebellious spirit nothing could subdue, began again to murmur 
 against Moses and Aaron, saying, "Ye have killed the people 
 of the Lord." And the congregation assembled against Moses 
 and Aaron; but when they looked toward the tabernacle, 
 behold the cloud covered it, and THE GLORY OF THE LORD 
 appeared. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, " Get you 
 up from among this congregation, that I may consume them, as 
 in a moment; and Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces. 
 And Moses said to Aaron, "take a censer, and put fire therein 
 from off the altar and put on incense, and go quickly into the 
 congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is 
 wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. And 
 Aaron ran into the midst of the congregation, and behold the 
 plague was begun among the people ; and he put on incense and 
 made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the 
 dead and the living, and the plague was stayed." The number 
 who died of the plague, on this occasion, was fourteen thousand 
 seven hundred, beside them that fell with Korah, Dathan, and 
 Abiram. 
 
 To prevent all future contests about the right to the priest- 
 hood, all the tribes were commanded of God, each to bring a 
 rod ; and on every rod was written the name of the chief of the 
 tribe who brought it; and Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi. 
 These rods were directed to be laid up before the testimony, 
 and it was declared, that the man's rod whom the Lord had 
 chosen, should blossom. And when an examination was made 
 of the rods, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, had budded 
 and blossomed. And Moses was directed to lay up Aaron's 
 10 
 
146 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 rod for a memorial, and it was preserved for generations in the 
 ark, with the pot of manna. 
 
 SECTION XXXVIII. 
 
 SECOND MURMURING ON ACCOUNT OF THE WANT OF WATER. 
 
 WHILE Israel remained encamped at Kadesh, Miriam who was 
 several years older than either Moses or Aaron, died, and was 
 buried there. "And there was no water for the congregation; 
 and the people chode with Moses and Aaron, saving, Would 
 God we had died when our brethren died before the Lord. And 
 why have ye brought the congregation of the Lord into this wil- 
 derness, that we and our cattle should die there? And where- 
 fore have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us 
 into this evil place ? It is no place of seed, or of figs or vines, 
 or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." 
 Upon this trying occasion, as before, Moses and Aaron fell on 
 their faces, at the door of the tabernacle; and THE GLORY OP 
 THE LORD appeared unto them. And the Lord directed Moses 
 to take the rod, and collect the congregation, and to speak to 
 the rock, and it should bring forth water. But Moses, chafed 
 and provoked with the unceasing rebellion of the people, instead 
 of simply doing what the Lord commanded, said to them, "Hear 
 now, ye rebels, must we fetch water out of this rock? And 
 Moses lifted up his hand and smote the rock twice; and the 
 water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank and 
 their beasts also." But this conduct of Moses greatly displeased 
 the Lord, therefore he said, " Because ye believed me not to 
 sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye 
 shall not bring the congregation into the land which I have 
 given them." This place also, like the former, received the 
 name of Meribah, because there the children of Israel strove 
 with the Lord. 
 
 SECTION XXXIX. 
 
 MESSAGE TO THE KING OF EDOM DEATH OF AARON. 
 
 FROM Kadesh, the direct way for the march of the children of 
 Israel was through the country of Edom. Moses therefore sent 
 messengers to the king of Edom, to solicit a peaceable passage 
 through his territory; and they were commissioned to say, 
 " Thus saith thy brother Israel, thou knowest all the travail that 
 hath befallen us ; how our fathers went down into Egypt, and 
 we have dwelt in Egypt, a long time, and the Egyptians vexed 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 147 
 
 ns and our fathers ; and when we cried unto the Lord, he heard 
 our voice, and sent an angel and hath brought us forth out of 
 Egypt, and behold we are in Cadesh, a city in the uttermost of 
 thy borders. Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. 
 We will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, 
 neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by 
 the king's highway, we will not turn to the right hand nor to 
 the left until we have passed thy borders." But the king of 
 Edom would not grant this favour to Israel; and threatened 
 them with a hostile attack if they should attempt to enter his 
 country. And when they repeated their request, offering to 
 pay for the water which their cattle might need, still they met 
 with a positive refusal. They were, therefore, under the neces- 
 sity of turning their march another way ; endeavouring to pass 
 around the land of Edom ; and in their progress they came to 
 mount Hor, which became famous on account of the death of 
 Aaron; for he having been a partaker of the sin of Moses 
 which excluded him from the land of promise, was also prevented 
 from entering Canaan. The circumstances of Aaron's death 
 were unusual and solemn. Moses was directed to take him and 
 Eleazar, and bring them up unto mount Hor ; and they went up 
 in the sight of all the congregation. And then Moses stripped 
 off Aaron's sacerdotal robes, and put them upon Eleazar his son. 
 And Aaron died there, in the top of the mountain ; and Moses 
 and Eleazar came down from the mount. And all the house of 
 Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days. 
 
 While Israel was endeavouring to encompass the land of 
 Edom, where they found the way exceeding difficult, so that 
 the hearts of the people were much discouraged, they were 
 attacked by Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south. At 
 first he had some success against Israel, and took some of the 
 people prisoners, but they vowed a vow, that if the Lord would 
 deliver their enemies into their hand, they would utterly destroy 
 their cities ; and the Lord heard them, and gave them the vic- 
 tory : and accordingly they utterly destroyed them and their 
 cities, and called the name of the place, Hormah. 
 
 SECTION XL. 
 
 FIEKY SERPENTS INFEST THE PEOPLE ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR REBELLION. 
 
 THE people having again sinned against God and Moses his ser- 
 vant, saying, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, 
 to die in the wilderness ? for there is no bread, neither is there 
 any water ; and our soul loatheth this light bread ; therefore, 
 the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the 
 
148 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 people; and much people of Israel died." They now began as 
 usual to repent, and came to Moses and said, " We have sinned, 
 for we have spoken against the Lord and thee. Pray unto the 
 Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." And again 
 Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, 
 Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall 
 come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh 
 upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and 
 put it on a pole, and whoever that was bitten of the fiery ser- 
 pents, when they looked upon it, lived." From our Lord's dis- 
 course with Nicodemus, we learn, that the erection of this bra- 
 zen serpent on a pole for the healing of the dying Israelites, 
 was a type of the lifting up of the Son of man on the cross, for 
 the salvation of sinners; and that the manner of obtaining the 
 cure was the same. "For as Moses lifted up the serpent in 
 the wilderness, so shall the Son of man be lifted up, that who- 
 soever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting 
 life." 
 
 The armies of Israel continued their march and came suc- 
 cessively to Oboth, Ije-Abarim, which is on the coast of Moab, 
 Zared, and Arnon, which river is the boundary between the 
 territory of Moab and of Ammon ; and thence they journeyed 
 to Beer, or the ivell, where the Lord gave water to the people ; 
 on which occasion Moses composed a hymn which the people 
 sang. " Spring up, well, sing ye unto it. The princes dig- 
 ged the well ; the nobles of the people digged it, by the direc- 
 tion of the lawgiver, with their staves." Their next stage was 
 Mattanah; then Nahaliel; then Bamoth, in the valley, which 
 is in the country of Moab, and from thence to the top of Pis- 
 gah. Having now reached the borders of the Amorites, Moses 
 sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the country, to obtain 
 permission to pass through his country, promising not to turn 
 aside from the highway into the fields or vineyards, nor to drink 
 the water of his wells, but to march directly through the land, 
 until they had passed his borders. But Sihon would not suffer 
 Israel to pass through his borders, and not content with a re- 
 fusal of this reasonable request, he collected an army and went 
 forth to attack Israel, in the wilderness. And at a place called 
 Johaz, a battle was fought, in which Sihon was completely over- 
 thrown. And Israel took possession of the country of the 
 Amorites, from Arnon to Jabbok on the borders of Ammon, 
 and dwelt in their cities ; and they took Heshbon the royal city, 
 which Sihon had built and ornamented with much pains. 
 
 After vanquishing the Amorites, and taking possession of 
 their country, they went up by the way of Bashan ; and Og, 
 king of Bashan, came out and fought with them at Edrei ; but 
 was utterly overthrown, and all his people destroyed. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 149 
 
 SECTION XLI. 
 
 BALAK SENDS FOR BALAAM TO CURSE ISRAEL. 
 
 THE children of Israel having conquered the Amorites who 
 dwelt on the east side of Jordan, had nearly reached the end of 
 their journey ; for they were now encamped on the plains of 
 Moab, over against Jericho. And it does not appear that they 
 had the least intention of attacking Moab ; indeed they were 
 prohibited to meddle with the children of Lot. But Balak the 
 son of Zippor, who was at this time the king of the Moabites, 
 was greatly alarmed at seeing so great a multitude of people on 
 his borders; and especially after he had witnessed the utter 
 overthrow of the Amorites, by the armies of Israel. He was 
 convinced that in the usual course of war, he had no prospect of 
 success against such a host, now accustomed to the use of arms. 
 After consultation, therefore, he sent messengers to Pethor, on 
 the Euphrates, to bring from thence, Balaam, the son of Beor, 
 to curse the people of Israel, because they were too mighty for 
 him. The fame of Balaam must have been very great in the 
 east, when it was believed in remote lands, that he had power 
 to destroy whom he would, and to render whom he would pros- 
 perous. 
 
 At this time it would seem that Moab and Midian formed one 
 nation, or were confederate, for Balak at first, consulted the 
 elders of Midian, and then joined them in the embassy with the 
 elders of Moab, to Balaam. They carried with them "the re- 
 wards of divination;" no doubt, a royal present; and delivered 
 to Balaam the message of Balak. Balaam, although a bad man 
 at heart, was really a prophet, and had been accustomed to 
 receive by inspiration communications from God. He hoped 
 that in this case he might receive a permission to engage in a 
 work which promised him so much profit. He did not, therefore, 
 give an immediate answer to the messengers, but detained them 
 that night that he might know the mind of God. And, accord- 
 ingly, God did come to him and inquired, who they were whom 
 he had with him in the house. And then said, " Thou shalt not 
 go with them : thou shalt not curse the people, for they are 
 blessed." In the morning, therefore, Balaam sent back the 
 messengers, saying, " The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go 
 with you." It is probable from the turn of this answer, and 
 from other circumstances, these ambassadors were convinced, 
 that the inclination of the prophet was to accompany them ; and 
 this may account for Balak's sending another embassy of princes, 
 more in number and more honourable than the first, who were 
 authorized to promise the highest honours and rewards which 
 
150 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 he could ask, if he would go and curse the people of Israel. 
 But Balaam assured them, that if they were to give him a house 
 full of gold, he could not go beyond the word of the Lord to do 
 less or more. But instead of giving a prompt and decisive 
 refusal, which he should have done, he detains them, that he 
 might again inquire of the Lord. Well, in the night, "God 
 came to Balaam, and said, If the men come to call thee, rise up 
 and go with them ; but yet the word which I say unto thee, 
 that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning and 
 saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab." 
 
 God sometimes grants the earnest requests of his creatures 
 in judgment for their wickedness in entertaining such desires. 
 This was evidently the case in regard to Balaam ; for although 
 he now directed him to go with the men, in direct opposition to 
 what he had at first commanded, yet " God's anger was enkin- 
 dled, because he went." Perhaps what was said by way of per- 
 mission, was merely meant for trial, to see whether the avarice 
 of the prophet would lead him to embrace the opportunity of 
 going. And now when he was on his journey, the princes of 
 Moab had probably gone on before, "the angel of the Lord 
 stood in the way, an adversary against him." Balaam was 
 riding on his ass, accompanied by his two servants, "and the 
 ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way ; and his 
 sword drawn in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the 
 way and went into the field. And Balaam smote the ass to 
 turn her into the way. But the road here passing between two 
 walls, the angel placed himself so exactly before her, that the 
 ass in avoiding him turned to the wall and pressed Balaam's 
 foot against the wall, and he smote her again. The angel then 
 removed forward to a place, where the passage was still nar- 
 rower, so that the ass had no way to turn ; and when she saw 
 the angel she fell down under Balaam ; and his anger was kin- 
 dled and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened 
 the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I 
 done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 
 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: 
 I would there were a sword in mine hand, for then would I kill 
 thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am I not thine ass, upon 
 which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine, unto this day? Was 
 I ever wont to do so unto thee ? And he said, Nay. Then the Lord 
 opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord 
 standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand : and he 
 bowed down his head and fell flat on his face. And the angel 
 of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine 
 ass these three times; behold I went out to withstand thee, 
 because thy way is perverse before me. And the ass saw me 
 and turned from me, these three times ; unless she had turned 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 151 
 
 from me surely I would have slain thee and saved her alive. 
 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned ; 
 for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me. 
 Now, therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. 
 But the angel of the Lord said, Go with the men ; but only 
 the word that I speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So 
 Balaam went with the princes of Balak." As he was so intent 
 on going, the Lord permits him to follow the bent of his inclina- 
 tion; but lets him know how much he was displeased with him 
 for entertaining such a wish, after what he had said to him at 
 the first; and although he permits him to go; yet he places him 
 under such a restraint, that he would be able to say or do noth- 
 ing of what Balak wished. Balak, however, was greatly 
 pleased when he found that Balaam had come, and went out to 
 meet him to the extreme border of his coast. And when he 
 saw him, he gently upbraided him for not coming at once, since 
 it was in his power to advance him to honour. But Balaam 
 assured him that although he had come, it was not in his power 
 to say any thing, but that word which God should put into his 
 mouth. And Balak invited him to a rich feast at Kirjath- 
 huzoth. 
 
 SECTION XLII. 
 
 BALAAM BLESSES ISRAEL. 
 
 BALAK, with raised expectations, took Balaam up into the high 
 places of Baal, that thence he might take a view of the hosts of 
 Israel, who were encamped on the plains of Moab. Balaam 
 directed that seven altars should be erected on the elevated 
 spot to which he had been conducted; and a bullock and a 
 ram for each altar, should be prepared for burnt-offerings. 
 And leaving Balak by the sacrifices, he went himself to another 
 place alone, in the hope of receiving a message from God, and 
 in this expectation he was not disappointed; for God met 
 Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, " Return unto 
 Balak and thus shalt thou speak. And he returned unto him ; 
 and lo, he stood by his burnt-sacrifice, and all the princes of 
 Moab. And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king 
 of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of 
 the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob ; and come, defy Israel. 
 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed ? or how shall I 
 defy whom the Lord hath not defied ? For from the top of the 
 rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him ; lo the people 
 shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 
 "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the 
 fourth part of Israel ? Let me die the death of the righteous, 
 
152 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 and let my last end be like his. And Balak said unto Balaam, 
 What hast thou done unto me ? I took thee to curse mine ene- 
 mies, and behold thou hast blessed them altogether. And he 
 answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which 
 the Lord hath put in my mouth? And Balak said unto him, 
 Come, I pray thee, with me into another place, from whence thou 
 mayest see them ; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, 
 and shall not see them all; and curse me them from thence. 
 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of 
 Pisgah ; and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a 
 ram on every altar. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by 
 the burnt- offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. And the 
 Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth." And when 
 he returned, "Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spo- 
 ken? And he took up his parable and said, Rise up Balak 
 and hear, hearken unto me thou son of Zippor. God is not a 
 man that he should lie; nor the son of man, that he should 
 repent ; hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spo- 
 ken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received 
 commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and I cannot 
 reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither 
 hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is with 
 him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought 
 them out of Egypt ; he hath, as it were, the strength of a uni- 
 corn. Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither 
 is there any divination against Israel. According to this time 
 it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God 
 wrought ? Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and 
 lift up himself as a young lion ; he shall not lie down until he 
 eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. And Balak said 
 unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 
 But Balaam answered, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord 
 speaketh, that must I do. And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, 
 I pray thee, I will bring thee to another place ; peradventure it 
 will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence." 
 And he brought him to the top of Peor, that looketh toward 
 Jeshimon; and there he builded seven altars and offered a 
 bullock and a ram on each, as before. "And when Balaam 
 saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at 
 other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face 
 towards the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and 
 saw Israel abiding in his tents, according to their tribes; and 
 the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his parable, 
 and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose 
 eyes are open hath said : He hath said, which heard the words 
 of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a 
 trance, but having his eyes open: How goodly are thy tents, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 153 
 
 Jacob ! and thy tabernacles, Israel ! As the valleys are they 
 spread forth, as gardens by the river's side ; as the trees of lign- 
 aloes, which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar-trees beside 
 the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and 
 his seed shall be in many waters ; and his king shall be higher 
 than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought 
 him forth out of Egypt : he hath, as it were, the strength of an 
 unicorn; he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall 
 break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 
 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion ; who 
 shall stir him up ? Blessed is he that blesseth thee ; and cursed 
 is he that curseth thee. And Balak's anger was kindled against 
 Balaam, and he smote his hands together and said, I called thee 
 to curse mine enemies, and behold thou hast altogether blessed 
 them these three times. Therefore, flee now to thy place. I 
 thought to promote thee unto great honour; but lo, the Lord 
 hath kept thee back from honour. And Balaam said unto 
 Balak, Spake I not to thy messengers which thou sentest unto 
 me, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and 
 gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to 
 do either good or bad of mine own mind ; but what the Lord 
 saith, that will I speak. And now, behold, I go unto my peo- 
 ple; come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people 
 shall do to thy people in the latter days. And he took up his 
 parable, and said, I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold 
 nim, but not nigh; there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a 
 Sceptre shall rise out of Israel; and shall smite the corners of 
 Moab ; and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall 
 be a possession ; Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies ; 
 and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come He that 
 shall have dominion ; and shall destroy him that remaineth of 
 the city. And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his 
 parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations ; but his 
 latter end shall be that he perish for ever. And he looked on 
 the Kenites, and took up his parable and said, Strong is thy 
 dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; neverthe- 
 less, the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee 
 away captive. And he took up his parable and said, Alas, who 
 shall live, when God doeth this ? And ships shall come from 
 the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur; and shall afflict 
 Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. And Balaam rose up 
 and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way." 
 
154 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XLIII. 
 
 SEDUCTION OF THE ISRAELITES BY THE DAUGHTERS OF HOAB. 
 
 BUT although Balaam now returned home, it was not long 
 before he was recalled ; for we learn from an apostle, that the 
 plan of enticing the children of Israel to sin, by means of the 
 daughters of Moab, was of his devising. For we not only read 
 that he fell into error, and loved the wages of unrighteousness ; 
 and that his going after the messengers of Balak, was a mad- 
 ness, which was rebuked by the speaking of the dumb ass ; but 
 in the book of Revelation, we read of some at Pergamos, who 
 held the doctrines of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stum- 
 bling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed 
 to idols, and to commit fornication. This extraordinary man 
 and inspired prophet, although he was not permitted to curse 
 Israel, yet could devise a plan by which they might be seduced 
 into idolatry and fornication, by which means a multitude of the 
 people perished. 
 
 SECTION XLIV. 
 
 PUNISHMENT OF THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 THE plan of seduction recommended to Balak by Balaam, seems 
 to have been to invite Israel to the sacrifices of their gods. At 
 these sacrifices, luxurious feasts were celebrated; and where 
 licentious indulgences were not only tolerated, but formed a 
 part of the service required of them, by their impure religion. 
 The principal deity of the Moabites, was Baal-peor, one of the 
 most abominable of the heathen gods ; wh*ose rites were a mix- 
 ture of cruelty and obscenity. To this strange god, the Israel- 
 ites invited to the sacrificial feasts, bowed down ; so that " Israel 
 was joined to Baal-peor; and the anger of the Lord was kindled 
 against them. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the 
 heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord, against 
 the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away 
 from Israel. And slay ye every one his man that were joined 
 unto Baal-peor." And while the children of Israel were weeping 
 before the door of the tabernacle, one of the children of Israel 
 brought into the camp a Midianitish woman, in the sight of 
 Moses and all the congregation. Upon which Phinehas, the 
 son of Eleazar the chief-priest, seized with a holy zeal, rose up 
 from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand ; 
 and went after the man into his tent ; and thrust both of them 
 through the body with the javelin. And the act, though vio- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 155 
 
 lent, was pleasing to God; so that from this time, the plague 
 which had commenced its ravages among the children of Israel 
 was stayed. " And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Phine- 
 has, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned 
 away my wrath from the children of Israel, while he was zealous 
 for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of 
 Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore, say, Behold I give unto him 
 my covenant of peace ; and he shall have it and his seed after 
 him; even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because 
 he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the 
 children of Israel." The person who was thus made the victim 
 of a holy indignation was no common man; but a prince of a 
 chief house among the Simeonites ; whose name was Zimri, the 
 son of Salu. And the Midianitish woman also was of a chief 
 house in Midian. Her name was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. 
 The Lord now commandeth Moses henceforth to treat the Mid- 
 ianites as enemies, "for," said he, "they have vexed you with 
 their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of 
 Peor; and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of 
 Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague 
 for Peor's sake." Whether these Midianites, who now seem to 
 have been incorporated with Moab, were of the same nation as 
 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, it is difficult to determine. The 
 identity of the name renders it probable that they were a part 
 of the same tribe ; for the Arabs then, as now, were a migratory 
 race, often shifting their place of abode, but still delighting in 
 the wilderness ; thus exhibiting in all ages, the justness of the 
 description of sacred writ, in which they are represented by " a 
 wild ass." 
 
 SECTION XLV. 
 
 SECOND CENSUS OF THE PEOPLE. 
 
 IT is an inevitable inference from the result of the enumeration, 
 which was now ordered, that the tribe of Simeon were chief in 
 the transgression and in the punishment; for it will appear by 
 a comparison with the former census, that this tribe had lost 
 more than half its number. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, saying, 
 " Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, 
 from twenty years old and upward." 
 
 Upon a comparison of this census with the one taken after 
 the people came out of Egypt, the result will be as follows: 
 The tribe of Reuben had decreased, during their wandering in 
 the wilderness, by the number of 2770. The decrease of the 
 tribe of Simeon was 37,100, nearly two-thirds of the whole num- 
 
156 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 ber. The tribe of Gad had diminished by 5150. Judah had 
 increased 1900. Zebulun had increased by 3100. The increase 
 of Manasseh was 20,500. The decrease of Ephraim was 8000. 
 The increase of Benjamin was 10,200. The increase of Dan 
 was 1700. The increase of Asher, 11,000. And the decrease 
 of Napthali, 8000. Taking all the tribes together, there was a 
 decrease of 1820. This census, however, does not include the 
 tribe of Levi; but they were numbered by themselves; and 
 their increase during the forty years of their sojourning in the 
 wilderness was 1000. The reason why this tribe was not num- 
 bered with the others, was, that they had no inheritance among 
 the children of Israel; and the intention of taking an accurate 
 census of the tribes was, to prepare the way for an equitable 
 distribution of the land of Canaan among them. For the Lord 
 said unto Moses, "unto these shall the land be divided for an 
 inheritance, according to the number of names. To many thou 
 shalt give the more inheritance, and to few the less inheritance. 
 To every one shall his inheritance be given according to those 
 that were numbered of him." 
 
 By the census now taken in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, 
 near Jericho, the fulfilment of God's threatening against the 
 rebellious Israelites was most manifest ; for among those now 
 numbered, there was not a man whom Moses and Aaron the 
 priest had before numbered, when they took the census of the 
 children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had 
 said of them, " they shall surely die in the wilderness, and there 
 was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, 
 and Joshua the son of Nun." 
 
 But as the males alone were numbered, and the inheritances 
 were to be distributed according to the enumeration, it is 
 obvious, that if in any family the male line should fail, and 
 females only remain, they would be deprived of their just share 
 of property. A striking instance of this kind actually occurred. 
 For the children of Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, were 
 all daughters, five in number; and finding, that by the opera- 
 tion of the general law they would be deprived of their share of 
 the inheritance, stood before Moses and Eleazar and the princes 
 of the congregation by the door of the tabernacle, saying, " our 
 father died in the wilderness, and he was not of the company of 
 Korah; but died in his own sin, and .had no sons, why should 
 the name of our father be done away from among his family, 
 because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore, a possession 
 among the brethren of our father. And Moses brought the 
 case before the Lord; and the Lord said, "The daughters of 
 Zelophehad speak right ; thou shalt surely give them an inheri- 
 tance among their father's brethren ; and cause the inheritance 
 of their father to pass unto them. And this became a statute 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 157 
 
 in Israel, that where there were no sons, daughters should 
 inherit; only they were required to marry within their own 
 tribe, that the possession of one tribe might not be transferred 
 to another. 
 
 SECTION XLVI. 
 
 OVERTHROW OF THE MIDIANITES. 
 
 As the Midianites, had a chief hand in seducing the Israelites 
 from their duty, God commanded Moses, to avenge the chil- 
 dren of Israel on the Midianites, before he was gathered to his 
 people. Moses, therefore, directed that each tribe should fur- 
 nish a thousand men for the war; and Phinehas the son of 
 Eleazar the priest was sent with the army, with the holy instru- 
 ments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they 
 warred against the Midianites, and slew all the males. And 
 they slew the five kings of Midian ; and also Balaam the son of 
 Beor they slew with the sword. And they burnt all their cities 
 and their goodly castles, and took the women and children cap- 
 tives; and took possession of all their flocks, and all their 
 goods. But when they returned to the congregation, Moses 
 expressed strong displeasure with the officers of the army 
 because they had saved the women alive; for these, said he, 
 caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, 
 to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor ; on 
 which account there was a plague sent among the people. The 
 order was therefore given to slay all the male children and all 
 the women, except virgins who had not been contaminated. 
 But the men who went on this military expedition, as having 
 been stained with blood, and as having necessarily touched the 
 dead bodies of the slain, were not permitted to come into the 
 camp for seven days ; and all their raiment, and all their vessels 
 were required to be purified; and all the metallic substances 
 were ordered to be made to go through the fire ; the purification 
 of other things to be by water. 
 
 And on the seventh day they were all required to wash 
 their clothes, and then to come into the camp. 
 
 As a very rich prey had been taken, Moses, by the command 
 of God, directed that it should be divided into two equal parts ; 
 the one moiety to be given to the men of war who went out to 
 the battle ; and the other to the congregation ; and from the 
 part allotted to the army one five-hundredth part was to be 
 levied, and given to Eleazar the priest; and of the part 
 assigned to the people, a levy of one-fiftieth to be given to the 
 Levites. The number of sheep taken was six hundred thou- 
 sand and seventy thousand. And the beeves seventy-two 
 
158 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 thousand; sixty-one thousand asses; and of human persons, 
 thirty-two thousand virgins. These females, it is highly proba- 
 ble were all children ; and therefore unpolluted with the vices 
 "which were prevalent among the adult women. According to 
 this calculation, the number of persons slain must have been 
 very considerable. It was remarkable evidence of an extraor- 
 dinary protection, that when the officers mustered their men, 
 on their return, there was not one man missing. And the 
 officers who went out on this expedition, having been so remark- 
 ably preserved and prospered, "brought an oblation for the 
 Lord, what every man had gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, 
 and bracelets, ear-rings, and tablets, to make an atonement for 
 their souls before the Lord." And the sum of their offering 
 was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, which 
 Moses and Eleazar brought into the tabernacle, for a memorial 
 of the children of Israel before the Lord. 
 
 SECTION XLVII. 
 
 THE TRIBES OF BEUBEN AND GAD ASK PERMISSION TO TAKE THEIR INHERITANCE 
 
 ON THE EAST OF JORDAN ALSO THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH THEIR REQUEST 
 
 IS GRANTED. 
 
 THE children of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multi- 
 tude of cattle ; and seeing that the land of Jazar and the land 
 of Gilead was a place for cattle, they came to Moses and Ele- 
 azar, saying, "If we have found grace in thy sight, let this 
 land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us 
 not over Jordan." To which Moses answered with displeasure, 
 " Shall your brethren go to war, and shall you sit here ? And 
 wherefore discourage you the heart of the children of Israel 
 from going over into the land, which the Lord hath given them ? 
 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea 
 to see the land. For when they came up into the valley of 
 Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the 
 children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which 
 the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled 
 the same time; and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men 
 that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, 
 shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and 
 unto Jacob, because they have not followed me fully, save 
 Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, for 
 they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger 
 was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the 
 wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done 
 evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed. And behold ye 
 are risen up in your father's stead, an increase of sinful men, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 159 
 
 to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. For 
 if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them 
 in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people." And 
 they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here 
 for our cattle, and cities for our little ones. But we ourselves 
 will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have 
 brought them unto their place. We will not return unto our 
 houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man 
 his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on yonder 
 side of Jordan, because our inheritance is fallen to us, on this 
 side Jordan, eastward. And Moses said unto them, If ye will 
 do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, until 
 he hath driven out his enemies from before him, and the land 
 be sudued before the Lord, and before Israel, then afterwards 
 ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord and before 
 Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. 
 But if ye will not do so, ye have sinned against the Lord ; and 
 be sure your sin will find you out." So the children of Reuben 
 and Gad fully assented to the proposal of Moses, and answered, 
 "as the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do." 
 
 And Moses gave unto the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of 
 Gad, (and now the half tribe of Manasseh had united with 
 them,) the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and 
 the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the land with the cities 
 thereof, and all the coasts round about. 
 
 And they immediately began to build cities, and prepare 
 places for their families, and for their flocks ; or rather, they 
 repaired the cities which already existed in that country, and 
 changed their names. In this distribution, Gilead fell to Ma- 
 chir, the son of Manasseh; and Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirja- 
 thaim, to Reuben ; and Dibon and Aroer and Ataroth, to Gad. 
 
 Thus two tribes and a half, out of the twelve, were already 
 provided for; and their armed men were in a much better con- 
 dition to carry on the war against the Canaanites, than those 
 who were accompanied by their families. 
 
 SECTION XLVIII. 
 
 A RETROSPECT OF THE JOURNEYINGS OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 FOR forty years this whole nation were made to wander in 
 the wilderness, on account of their sins and rebellion against 
 God, and against his servant Moses. Where they spent the 
 greater part of their time, or how they were occupied, during 
 this long period, we have no means of knowing. It is not 
 improbable, that they remained years in the same place; 
 
160 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 but in all their movements they were guided by the pillar of 
 cloud in the day, and of fire by night ; so that they were never 
 at a loss when they should march, or where they should encamp. 
 And during all this time they were regularly supplied with 
 "angel's food;" and with water from the rock, which followed 
 them. But respecting a large portion of the incidents which 
 befell them in their journeying, we have no record; and we 
 may be sure therefore, that the knowledge of these things is no 
 how necessary for the edification of the Church. As it is, we 
 have a number of striking facts, well suited to furnish admoni- 
 tion and warning to all who seriously consider them. And in a 
 country so barren, and to a people who had no occupation but 
 marching from station to station, there must have been great 
 sameness in the transactions of every day. 
 
 Moses, it is true, has given us, in the 33d chapter of Num- 
 bers, forty-two stations, where the Israelites successively en- 
 camped; but we are not informed of the distances between these 
 stations ; nor of the time spent at any one of them ; and it is 
 now impossible to ascertain where they were situated; or in 
 what direction they were journeying when passing from one to 
 another. 
 
 There are some difficulties attending this long residence in 
 the wilderness, which we know not how to solve ; as, for exam- 
 ple, how the numerous flocks and herds were supplied with pas- 
 turage ; but we need not perplex ourselves about such matters, 
 because He who could provide food for more than two millions 
 of human beings for forty years, could easily provide provender 
 for the sheep and cattle also. Indeed, it is probable, that the 
 same manna which furnished sustenance to the men, was made 
 use of to feed the beasts which accompanied them. A greater 
 difficulty would be to understand, how so great multitude of 
 people could be furnished with decent clothing during their 
 residence in this inhospitable region, if we were not expressly 
 informed that their shoes and raiment did not wear out during 
 the whole journey. As, at the end of their march, Moses says, 
 " And I have led you forty years in the wilderness, your clothes 
 are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old 
 upon thy feet." Deut. xxix. 5. 
 
 The whole distance from Mount Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, 
 which was on the borders of the wilderness next to Canaan, was 
 no more than a journey of eleven days. And from the time 
 of leaving Kadesh-barnea, until they crossed the brook Zered, 
 was no less than thirty-eight years. Thus long did they remain 
 in the wilderness after they once came almost in sight of the 
 promised land. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 161 
 
 SECTION XLXIX. 
 
 DEUTERONOMY, OR RECATITULATION OF THE LAW. 
 
 MOSES having been expressly informed that he should not go 
 into the land of Canaan, and the people having now arrived 
 near to Jordan, in the plains of Moab over against Jericho, he 
 was aware that he was approaching the close of his earthly pil- 
 grimage ; and was therefore desirous of putting the people in 
 remembrance of the various divine laws and institutions which 
 he by the command of God had delivered to them. He recounts 
 to them therefore, how he had appointed judges by taking 
 "wise and understanding men from among themselves, and 
 made them officers of different ranks, to assist in the adminis- 
 tration of affairs. He then relates how he had, at the sugges- 
 tion of the people, selected twelve men to explore the land ; and 
 how on account of the murmuring and rebellion of the people they 
 were then prevented from taking possession of the country ; and 
 how the Lord declared that none of those then above twenty 
 years of age should ever enter Canaan ; but their children only. 
 He reminds them that they were prohibited from meddling with 
 Edom, Moab, or Ammon ; since God had not given them their 
 countries for a possession. But he recounts to them the con- 
 quest which they had made of the country of the Amorites, 
 when Sihon and Og made war upon them. He solemnly charges 
 them to avoid every species of idolatry : calls to their remem- 
 brance the awful exhibition of the divine glory at Horeb, and 
 the various commandments and ordinances which they had then 
 received ; and desires them to recollect that they had there seen 
 no manner of similitude, when the Lord spoke to them out of 
 the midst of the fire. This was intended to teach them not "to 
 make a graven image the similitude of any figure, the likeness 
 of male or female ; the likeness of any beast that is on the 
 earth ; the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air ; 
 the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground ; the like- 
 ness of any fish that is in the waters, beneath the earth. And 
 lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest 
 the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of 
 heaven, should be driven to worship them and serve them, which 
 the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the nations under the 
 whole heaven." He next tells them how the Lord was angry 
 with him, for their sakes, and sware that he should not go unto 
 the good land. After which he returns again to repeat his 
 warnings against idolatry, and predicts the dreadful consequen- 
 ces of this crime. He speaks of the cities of refuge which he 
 was directed to set apart. Then calling the attention of all the 
 11 
 
1G2 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 people, he repeats unto them the ten commandments which they 
 had heard from the mouth of the Lord at Horeb, and which he 
 had written afterwards on two tables of stone ; which he fol- 
 lowed with the following solemn and impressive exhortation to 
 obedience: "Hear, therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, 
 that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase 
 mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, 
 in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, Israel, 
 the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy 
 God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
 might. And these words, which I command thee this day shall 
 be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto 
 thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine 
 house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest 
 down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for 
 a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between 
 thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy 
 house, and on thy gates." Moses directs the people to exter- 
 minate the nations of Canaan ; to form no covenants or mar- 
 riages with them, lest they should turn their hearts away from 
 following the Lord. Their altars and images and groves they 
 were commanded to destroy. He admonishes them of the dan- 
 ger of forgetting God in the time of their prosperity, and re- 
 counts the way by which they had been led, and the deliver- 
 ances which they had experienced. He encourages them to 
 expect the presence and guidance of God, in taking possession 
 of the promised land, and warns them not to provoke God as 
 did their fathers when they made the golden calf; and repeats 
 all the transactions connected with that memorable transgres- 
 sion. He again exhorts them to render love and obedience unto 
 God, and to destroy all memorials of idolatry; and commands 
 that enticers to idolatry should certainly be put to death, who- 
 ever they might be. He also recited some of the ceremonial 
 laws which had been given them, particularly those which related 
 to clean and unclean animals; to tithes and offerings; to the 
 seventh year ; to the three great annual festivals, the passover. 
 the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles. He also in- 
 structs them anew respecting the rites of sacrificing ; and the 
 provision made for the priests and Levites. He recites the law 
 respecting the setting apart six cities as places of refuge for 
 the manslayer; and gives rules respecting the number of wit- 
 nesses which should be required, making it necessary that in 
 the proof of any crime, there should be two or three witnesses; 
 no man was to be convicted on the testimony of one witness. 
 He also directed what punishment should be inflicted on false 
 witnesses ; the rule which he established was severe but equita- 
 ble ; whatever punishment the false witness would have brought 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 163 
 
 upon the innocent person arraigned, the same should he be 
 adjudged to suffer; "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, 
 hand for hand, foot for foot" Moses also gave precepts respect- 
 ing making war and peace; and directed that a priest should 
 be appointed to accompany the army to encourage the people; 
 and the very words which he should speak to the people were 
 set down. " Hear, Israel, ye approach this day unto battle 
 against your enemies; let not your hearts be faint. Fear not, 
 and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified, because of them ; 
 for the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for 
 you against your enemies, to save you." And the officers of 
 the army were to permit every one who had built a new house 
 and had not dedicated it, and him who had planted a vineyard 
 and had not yet eaten of its fruit, and him who had betrothed 
 a wife and had not taken her; and also every one who was fear- 
 ful and faint-hearted, to return home. Proposals of peace were 
 always to be offered, and if the people submitted they were 
 merely to be made tributary ; but this rule had no application 
 to the inhabitants of Canaan who were doomed to utter destruc- 
 tion ; lest they should teach you to do after their abominations, 
 which they have done unto their gods. In besieging cities, fruit- 
 trees were to be preserved. He gives directions for expiating 
 a murder, where the perpetrator was unknown; and for the 
 punishment of a rebellious son, who was both a glutton and a 
 drunkard. Persons suspended on a tree must be taken down, 
 before night; "for he that was hanged was accursed of God." 
 He gives a variety of laws respecting matters of minor impor- 
 tance ; as in relation to strayed cattle and articles of property 
 lost ; concerning the unlawfulness of an interchange of apparel 
 between males and females ; respecting fringes or tassels on the 
 borders of the garments ; respecting garments of different mate- 
 rials, as linen and woollen. Peculiar laws were given for the 
 detection and punishment of incontinency before marriage. 
 Laws of discipline to regulate the receiving of persons into the 
 congregation of the Lord are made known. Cleanliness is 
 strongly inculcated by the Mosaic laws. It was allowed, when 
 in the vineyard or field of a neighbour to eat what was needed, 
 but not to carry any thing away. Moses permits divorce, on 
 condition that the husband write a bill of divorcement, and give 
 it into her hand, and then she might be married to another. 
 The stealing of their brethren to make merchandise of them, was 
 punishable with death. Punishment by stripes was not allowed 
 to exceed forty; and lest this law should be transgressed they 
 commonly stopped at thirty-nine. A peculiar law is announced 
 respecting the treatment of the man who refused to marry his 
 deceased brother's widow. Modesty in women is provided for 
 by a severe law; and perfect justice and fairness in trade is 
 
164 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 again strongly enjoined. The laws respecting first-fruits, tithes, 
 and other offerings, are particularly announced. When Moses 
 had finished revealing all these laws, a solemn form of covenant- 
 ing between God and the people is given; and they avouched 
 the Lord to be their God, and promised obedience; and the 
 Lord avouched them to be his peculiar people. 
 
 SECTION L. 
 
 THE LAW TO BE INSCRIBED ON FLAISTERED STONES THE BLESSINGS FROM MOUNT 
 GERIZZIM, AND CURSES FROM MOUNT EBAL. 
 
 MOSES having now completed the recapitulation of the laws and 
 ordinances, which had been given by divine command, with the 
 elders of Israel exhorted the people, saying, "Keep all the 
 commandments which I command you this day. And it shall 
 be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land 
 which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee 
 up great stones, and plaister them with plaister. And thou 
 shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art 
 passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land, which the 
 Lord thy God giveth thee ; a land that floweth with milk and 
 honey, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee. 
 Therefore it shall be when ye are gone over Jordan, that ye 
 shall set up these stones which I command you this day, in 
 mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. And 
 there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar 
 of stones ; thou shalt not lift up an iron tool upon them. Thou 
 shalt build the altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones ; 
 thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon, unto the Lord thy God. 
 And thou shalt offer peace-offerings, and shalt eat there, and 
 rejoice before the Lord thy God. And thou shalt write upon 
 the stones all the words of this law very plainly." 
 
 "And Moses and the priests, the Levites, spake unto all 
 Israel saying, Take heed and hearken Israel ; this day thou 
 art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt there- 
 fore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his command- 
 ments and statutes, which I command you this day." 
 
 "And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, 
 These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people, 
 when ye are come over Jordan, Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, 
 and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin. ,And these shall 
 stand upon mount Ebal to curse, Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and 
 Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali." Then he enumerated the 
 curses which the Levites should denounce with a loud voice ; 
 and at every denunciation the whole congregation were to say, 
 Amen. The crimes unto which these curses were annexed, were 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 165 
 
 idolatry; dishonouring of parents; removing a neighbour's 
 land-mark ; perverting the judgment of the stranger, the father- 
 less, and widow; incest with a father's wife; bestiality; incest 
 with a sister, half-sister, or wife's mother ; secret assault upon a 
 neighbour ; the slaying of the innocent for reward. And at the 
 close, there was a general curse upon every man who did not 
 confirm all the words of the law to do them. Then Moses pro- 
 ceeded to enumerate the blessings with which the Lord would 
 bless them if they should prove obedient. " The Lord thy God 
 will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth ; and all 
 these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee. Blessed 
 shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 
 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy 
 ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and 
 the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy 
 store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed 
 shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine 
 enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face. 
 They shall come out against thee one way, and flee before 
 thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon 
 thee in thy storehouses, and in all thou settest thine hand 
 unto ; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God 
 giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto 
 himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the com- 
 mandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And 
 all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the 
 name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the 
 Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy 
 body, and in the fruit of thy cattle ; and in the fruit of thy 
 ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give 
 thee. The Lord shall open unto thee her good treasure, the hea- 
 ven to give the rain unto thy land in his season ; and to bless all 
 the work of thine hand ; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, 
 and shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head 
 and not the tail ; and thou shalt be above only, and shalt not be 
 beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the 
 Lord thy God; which I command thee this day to observe and 
 do them. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words, 
 which I command thee this day, to the right or to the left, to 
 go after other gods to serve them." 
 
 Then Moses went on with a series of curses answering to the 
 blessings already mentioned. But not contented with these 
 general denunciations of the divine judgments, he enters into a 
 particular enumeration and vivid description of the kinds of 
 misery which should certainly overtake them, if they proved 
 disobedient and rebellious. "The Lord," says he, "shall send 
 upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest 
 
166 HISTORY OF THE ISEAELITISH NATION. 
 
 thine hand unto for to do; until thou be destroyed, and thou 
 perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby 
 thou hast forsaken me. The Lord shall make the pestilence 
 cleave unto thee until he have consumed thee off the land 
 whither thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee 
 with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, 
 and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with 
 blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until 
 thou perish. And the heaven that is over thy head shall be 
 brass; and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord 
 shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust ; from heaven 
 it shall come down upon thee until thou be destroyed. The 
 Lord shall make thee to be smitten before thine enemies. Thou 
 shalt go out one way, and flee seven ways before them ; AND 
 
 SHALT BE REMOVED INTO ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH. 
 
 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all the fowls of the air, and 
 unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. 
 The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with 
 the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou 
 canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, 
 and blindness, and astonishment of heart. And thou shalt 
 grope at noon-day, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou 
 shalt not prosper in thy ways ; and thou shalt be only oppressed 
 and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee." "Thy 
 sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people, and 
 thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them, all the day 
 long ; and there shall be no might in thy hand. The fruit of 
 thy land and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest 
 not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed 
 always ; so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes, 
 which thou shalt see. The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, 
 and in the legs with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from 
 the soul of thy foot unto the top of thy head. The Lord shall 
 bring thee and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee, unto a 
 nation, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known ; and 
 there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou 
 shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among 
 all nations, whither the Lord shall lead thee. Thou shalt carry 
 much seed into the field, and shalt gather but little in ; for the 
 locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress 
 them; but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the 
 grapes, for the worms shall eat them. Thou shalt have olive 
 trees through all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself 
 with the oil ; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. Thou shalt 
 beget sons and daughters, but shalt not enjoy them; for they 
 shall go into captivity. All the trees and fruit of thy land shall 
 the locust consume. The stranger that is within thy land, shall 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 167 
 
 get above thee very high: and thou shalt come down very low. 
 He shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him, he shall 
 be the head and thou shalt be the tail. 
 
 Moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee and consume 
 thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be 
 destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not to the voice of the 
 Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes, 
 which he commanded thee. And they shall be upon thee for a 
 sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. Because 
 thou servedst not thy God with joy fulness, and gladness of 
 heart, for the abundance of all things. Therefore shalt thou 
 serve thine enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee, in 
 hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all 
 things ; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until 
 he have destroyed thee." 
 
 SECTION LI. 
 
 A PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, AND CAPTIVITY OF THE JEWS. 
 
 " THE Lord will bring a nation against thee from afar, from 
 the ends of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth ; a nation 
 whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce 
 countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor 
 show favour to the young. And he shall eat the fruit of thy 
 land, until thou be destroyed ; which also shall not leave thee 
 either corn, wine, or oil; or the increase of thy kine, or flocks 
 of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. And he shall be- 
 siege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come 
 down, wherein thou trustest, throughout all thy land ; which the 
 Lord thy God hath given thee ; in the siege, and in the strait- 
 ness wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee. So that the 
 man that is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall 
 be evil towards his brother, and towards the wife of his bosom ; 
 and towards the remnant of his children which he shall have ; 
 so that he will not give to any of them the flesh of his children, 
 whom he shall eat ; because he hath nothing left him in the 
 siege and in the straitness wherewith thine enemies shall dis- 
 tress thee in all thy gates. The tender and delicate woman 
 among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her 
 foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness ; her eye 
 shall be evil towards the husband of her bosom, and towards 
 her son, and towards her daughter, and towards her young one 
 that cometh from between her feet ; and towards her children 
 which she shall bear ; for she shall eat them, for want of all 
 things, secretly in the siege, and straitness, wherewith thine 
 enemies shall distress thee in thy gates. If thou wilt not 
 
168 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 observe to do all the words of this law, that are written in this 
 book, that thou mayest fear this dreadful and glorious name, 
 THE LORD THY GOD. Then the Lord will make thy plagues 
 wonderful ; and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues and 
 of long continuance; and sore sickness, and of long continuance. 
 Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, 
 which thou wast afraid of, and they shall cleave unto thee. 
 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in 
 the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until 
 thou art destroyed. And ye shall be left few in number ; where- 
 as ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude ; because thou 
 wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. And it shall 
 come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, 
 and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to des- 
 troy you, and to bring you to nought ; and ye shall be plucked 
 from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. And the 
 Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from one end of the 
 earth even to the other; and there thou shalt serve other 
 gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even 
 wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no 
 ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest ; but the Lord 
 shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and 
 sorrow of mind. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee. 
 And thou shalt fear day and night ; and shalt have none assu- 
 rance of thy life. In the morning, thou shalt say, Would God 
 it were even ! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were 
 morning ; for the fear of thine heart, wherewith thou shalt fear ; 
 and for the sight of thine eyes, which thou shalt see. And the 
 Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way 
 whereof I spake unto thee, thou shalt see it no more again : 
 and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and 
 bond-women; and no man shall buy you." 
 
 SECTION LII. 
 
 COVENANT OF HOREB RENEWED IN THE PLAINS OF MOAB. 
 
 MOSES having finished the recital of past events, and having 
 pronounced blessings on obedience, and denounced curses on 
 disobedience, now, in the plains of Moab, assembled the whole 
 congregation, and caused them afresh to enter into covenant 
 with God, saying, "Ye stand this day, all of you, before the 
 Lord your God, your captains of your tribes, your elders, and 
 your officers, with all the men of Israel. Your little ones, your 
 wives, and the stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of 
 thy wood unto the drawer of thy water j that thou shouldest 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 169 
 
 enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, 
 which the Lord thy God maketh with thee, this day. That he 
 may establish thee this day for a people unto himself, and that 
 he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as 
 he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to 
 Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant ; but 
 with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord 
 our God; and also with him that is not here with us this day." 
 He seizes this opportunity to warn them against the idolatry of 
 the heathen which they had seen in Egypt, and by the way. 
 "Lest there should be among you, man or woman, or family or 
 or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our 
 God, to go and serve the gods of those nations. Lest there 
 should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood. 
 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, 
 that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, 
 though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunk- 
 enness to thirst. The Lord will not spare him, but then 
 the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against 
 that man ; and all the curses that are written in this book shall 
 lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under 
 heaven. And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the 
 tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant, that 
 are written in the book of the law." 
 
 SECTION LIH. 
 
 VALEDICTORY OF MOSES CONCLUDED. 
 
 THE dreadful denunciations of judgments upon the people in 
 case of disobedience, left, no doubt, a deep and melancholy im- 
 pression on the minds of the considerate. Moses, therefore, 
 goes on to inform them, that when under their calamities they 
 should be disposed to consider their ways, and repent, and 
 return unto the Lord their God, and obey his voice ; they, and 
 their children, with all their soul ; that then the Lord their God 
 would turn their captivity, and have compassion on them and 
 would return and gather them from all the nations, whither the 
 Lord their God had scattered them. And that even if they 
 should be driven out to the utmost parts of heaven, from thence 
 would the Lord God gather them, and fetch them. "And the 
 Lord thy God will bring thee into the land, which thy fathers 
 possessed, and thou shalt possess it ; and he will do thee good 
 and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God 
 will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love 
 the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, 
 
170 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 that thou mayest live. And the Lord thy God will put all these 
 curses on thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which per- 
 secuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the 
 Lord, and do all his commandments, which I command thee 
 this clay. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in 
 every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy land for good ; 
 for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced 
 over thy fathers. If thou hearken unto the voice of the Lord 
 thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes, which are 
 written in this book of the law; and if thou turn unto the Lord 
 thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. For this 
 commandment which I command thee, this day, is not hidden 
 from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou 
 shouldest say, Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it 
 unto us, that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it beyond 
 the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who will go over the sea for 
 us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it ? But 
 the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thine 
 heart, that thou mayest do it. See I have set before this day, 
 life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this 
 day TO LOVE THE LORD THY GOD, and to keep his command- 
 ments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest 
 live and multiply; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee, in 
 the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart 
 turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shall be drawn away 
 and worship other gods, and serve them ; I denounce unto you, 
 this day, that ye shall surely perish; and that ye shall not pro- 
 long your days upon the land whither thou goest over Jordan, 
 to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record, this day 
 against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing 
 and cursing ; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed 
 may live. That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that 
 thou mayest obey his voice ; and mayest cleave unto him, for 
 he is thy life, and the length of thy days, that thou mayest 
 dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to 
 Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." 
 
 "And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every 
 seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast 
 of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear appear before 
 the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose, thou 
 shalt read this law before all Israel, in their hearing. Gather 
 the people together, men, and women, and children, and the 
 stranger that is within thy gates ; that they may hear, and that 
 they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to 
 do all the words of this law. And that their children which 
 have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 171 
 
 Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land, whither ye go 
 over Jordan to possess it." 
 
 And Moses, by the command of God, gave to Israel a song, 
 which they were to teach their children ; which would be a wit- 
 ness against them when they should forsake the law of the 
 Lord. This sublime and instructive song is recorded in the 32d 
 chapter of Deuteronomy; and as it cannot be read too often, 
 the reader is requested to turn to it and peruse it, before he 
 proceeds farther. 
 
 SECTION LIV. 
 
 INAUGUBATION OF JOSHUA, AND BLESSING OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. 
 
 "AND the Lord said unto Moses, Behold thy days approach 
 that thou must die; call Joshua and present yourselves in the 
 tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. 
 And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the 
 congregation. And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a 
 pillar of a cloud; and the pillar of the cloud stood over the 
 door of the tabernacle. And the Lord said unto Moses, 
 Behold thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will 
 rise up and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the 
 land, whither they go to be amongst them, and will forsake me 
 and break my covenant, which I have made with them. Then 
 shall my anger be kindled against them in that day, and I will 
 forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they 
 shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall 
 them ; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils 
 come upon us, because God is not among us." "And he gave 
 Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong, and of a 
 good courage ; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into 
 the land which I sware unto them; and I will be with thee." 
 
 "And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God 
 blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, 
 The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; 
 he shined forth from mount Paran ; and he came with ten 
 thousands of saints ; from his right hand went a fiery law for 
 them. Yea, he loved the people, all his saints are in thy hand, 
 and they sat down at thy feet ; every one shall receive of thy 
 words. Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of 
 the congregation of Jacob. And he was king in Jeshurun, and 
 the tribes of Israel were gathered together. Let Reuben live 
 and not die, and let not his men be few. And this is the bless- 
 ing of Judah. Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him 
 unto his people. Let his hands be sufficient for him; and 
 be thou a help to him from his enemies. And of Levi he said, 
 
172 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Let thy Thummim and Urim be "with thy Holy One, whom' thou. 
 didst prove at Masseh, and with whom thou didst strive at the 
 waters of Meribah. Who said unto his father and his mother, 
 I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, 
 for they observed thy word and kept thy covenant. They 
 shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law; they 
 shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon 
 thine altar. Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work 
 of his hands: smite through the loins of those that rise up 
 against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not 
 again. And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD 
 shall dwell in safety by him ; and the Lord shall cover him all 
 the day long ; and he shall dwell between his shoulders. And 
 of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the 
 precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that 
 coucheth beneath. And for the precious fruits brought forth 
 by the sun ; and for the precious things put forth by the moon ; 
 and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the 
 precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things 
 of the earth, and fulness thereof; and for the good will of him 
 that dwelt in the bush ; let the blessing come upon the head of 
 Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated 
 from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bul- 
 lock; and his horns are like the horns of unicorns, with them 
 he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth. 
 And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the 
 thousands of Manasseh. And of Zebulun he said, rejoice Zeb- 
 ulun in thy going out ; and Issachar in thy tents. They shall 
 call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer 
 sacrifices of righteousness ; for they shall suck of the abundance 
 of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand. And of Gad he 
 said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad ; he dwelleth as a lion, 
 and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he 
 provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion 
 of the lawgiver, was he seated ; and he came with the heads of 
 the people; he executed the justice of the Lord, and his 
 judgments with Israel. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's 
 whelp, he shall leap from Bashan. And of Naphtali he said, 
 Naphtali, satisfied with favour, possess thou the west and the 
 south. And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with child- 
 ren ; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his 
 feet in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass ; and as thy days 
 so shall thy strength be. There is none like unto the God of 
 Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his 
 excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge ; and 
 underneath are the everlasting arms ; and he shall thrust out 
 the enemy from before thee, and shall, say, Destroy them. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 173 
 
 Israel shall then dwell in safety alone ; the fountain of Jacob 
 shall be in a land of corn and wine ; and his heaven shall drop 
 down dew. Happy art thou, Israel ; who is like unto thee, 
 people, saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who 
 is the sword of thy excellency. And thy enemies shall be 
 found liars unto thee ; and thou shalt tread upon their high 
 places." 
 
 It is remarkable, that in the above benediction, Simeon is 
 entirely omitted ; the number twelve is made by Levi, who, in 
 other cases is not numbered with the tribes. The reason for 
 the omission may be conjectured, but cannot be assigned with 
 any certainty. There is a similar omission of Dan in the 
 book of Revelation. 
 
 SECTION LV. 
 
 D EAT H OF MOSES. 
 
 MOSES, having finishing his farewell instructions, and having 
 laid his hands on Joshua, and consecrated him to be his suc- 
 cessor and the leader of the hosts of Israel, "went up from 
 the plains of Moab, unto the mountain of Nebo, one of the 
 peaks of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho ; and the Lord 
 showed him all the land of Gilead unto Dan ; and all Naphtali ; 
 and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh ; and all the land of 
 Judah unto the utmost sea, and the south, and the plains of 
 the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zohar. 
 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware 
 unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I WILL 
 GIVE IT UNTO THY SEED. I have caused thee to see it with 
 thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over the river. So Moses, 
 the servant of the Lord, died there, in the land of Moab, 
 according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in 
 a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no 
 man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." But the devil, 
 it appears, had some knowledge of the place ; for he entered 
 into a contention with Michael, the archangel, respecting the 
 body of Moses, as we are informed by the apostle Jude. 
 What the object of Satan was, is not mentioned ; but it proba- 
 bly was to make the body of this distinguished servant of God 
 an occasion of idolatry, by inducing the Israelites to pay divine 
 honours to it. And it has been conjectured, that some of the 
 heathen deities originated in the history of Moses. Some are 
 of opinion that God raised Moses immediately to life and 
 translated him to heaven ; but if this had been the fact the 
 Scriptures would have mentioned so remarkable an event. It 
 is true, he appeared with Elijah on the mount of transfigura- 
 
174 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 tion, and conversed with our Saviour respecting his decease 
 which was shortly to take place at Jerusalem, hut whether in 
 his own body, or in one borrowed for the occasion, we are not 
 informed. 
 
 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old, when he 
 died ; forty of which he spent in Egypt ; forty in Midian ; 
 and the remaining forty in the wilderness. No man, per- 
 haps, ever underwent as much toil and painful solicitude, and 
 certainly no other mere man was ever admitted to an intimacy 
 with God, so familiar and lasting. But although he was sub- 
 jected to so much anxiety and unceasing trouble from the 
 people, yet, at the close of life, "his eye was not dim, nor his 
 natural force abated." His death therefore was neither the 
 effect of the decay of vitality by old age, nor of the wasting of 
 sickness; but was miraculous. God, who had supported his 
 breath thus far, now took it away; and he breathed out his 
 soul, probably, without pain. If men's future reward is to be 
 proportioned to their works, then will Moses stand high in the 
 ranks of heaven ; for his works were many and great ; and if 
 we look at the motives by which he was actuated, we shall not 
 find among the children of men one whose spirit was more 
 disinterested and entirely devoted to the service and honour of 
 God. 
 
 " And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of 
 Moab for thirty days." "And there arose not a prophet since 
 in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." 
 
PART III. 
 
 THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TILL THE COMMENCE- 
 MENT OF THE REGAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 ENTRANCE OF THE HOST OF ISRAEL INTO THE PROMISED LAND UNDER THE CONDUCT 
 OF JOSHUA, THE SUCCESSOR OF MOSES. 
 
 "Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it 
 came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, 
 Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead ; now, there- 
 fore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, to 
 the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 
 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that 
 have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilder- 
 ness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river 
 Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites ; and unto the great sea, 
 toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There 
 shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of 
 thy life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee ; I will 
 not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage, 
 for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the 
 land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be 
 thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to 
 do according to all the law, which Moses my servant command- 
 ed thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that 
 thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of 
 the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt medi- 
 tate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do 
 according to all that is written therein ; for then thou shalt 
 make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good suc- 
 cess. Have not I commanded thee, be of good courage, be not 
 afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with 
 thee whithersoever thou goest." 
 
176 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Joshua having received this divine direction and encourage- 
 ment, without delay proceeded to execute the orders of Jeho- 
 vah. "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 
 saying, Pass through the host and command the people, saying, 
 Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over 
 this Jordan, to go to possess the land which the Lord giveth 
 you to possess it. And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, 
 and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Re- 
 member the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord com- 
 manded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, 
 and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, 
 and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you 
 on this side Jordan ; but ye shall pass before your brethren 
 armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them ; until the 
 Lord hath given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and 
 they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God 
 giveth them. Then shall ye return unto the land of your pos- 
 session and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord's servant gave you 
 on this side Jordan, toward the sun-rising. And they answered 
 Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and 
 whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. According as we 
 hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto 
 thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with 
 Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy com- 
 mandment, and will not hearken unto thy words, in all that 
 thou commandest him, he shall be put to death : only be strong 
 and of a good courage." 
 
 The spirit and conduct of these two tribes and a half, who 
 had received their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, was 
 truly disinterested and noble, through the whole transaction of 
 taking possession of the promised land. For nearly seven 
 years, they were absent from their homes, separated from their 
 wives and children, and engaged in an arduous warfare, in the 
 results of which they had no personal interest. Indeed, it 
 seems probable, that the heaviest brunt of the war fell to their 
 lot; for being light armed, and free from the incumbrances 
 which impeded the operations of others, they were placed in the 
 front of the battle, and when exploring parties were needed, it 
 would be natural to select them for such services. 
 
 When the necessary preparations were made in the host for 
 the invasion of Canaan, Joshua thought proper to send two men 
 from Shittim, where they were encamped, to act as spies, and 
 to bring back a report of what they observed. The city which 
 was nearest to them, and situated at no great distance from the 
 Jordan, was Jericho, sometimes called "the city of palm trees," 
 because in ancient times many trees of this species grew there. 
 These two men having passed over the river, came secretly to 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 177 
 
 Jericho, and found entertainment in the house of a harlot, 
 whose name was Rahab. Some have endeavoured to establish 
 the opinion, that Rahab was not a harlot, but a keeper of a 
 tavern, or house of entertainment for travellers. This last may 
 be true, but there is no need to depart from the common accep- 
 tation of the word rendered "harlot:" it is used commonly in 
 one uniform sense, and we know no good reason why it should 
 not be so interpreted here. It may be observed, however, that 
 among the heathen, in ancient times, no peculiar disgrace was 
 attached to persons of this description. Even among the 
 Greeks and Romans, women of high distinction and great 
 accomplishments, and who were admitted into the highest circles 
 of fashion, and rolled in wealth and luxury, lived a dissolute 
 life. One of the judgments of God upon those who wilfully 
 turned away from the knowledge and worship of the true God 
 to idolatry, was, the giving them up to vile affections to work 
 all manner of uncleanness with greediness. The crime of forni- 
 cation was so common among all classes, that all sense of its 
 evil was obliterated ; and it was scarcely reckoned among the 
 vices. It is altogether probable, therefore, that Rahab was 
 not more profligate than most or all of her sex in Jericho ; for 
 we must remember, that the sins of the Amorites were now full; 
 and we learn, that long before this, they were addicted to the 
 most unnatural crimes. But whatever might have been the 
 wickedness of this woman's former life, in the days of her 
 ignorance, she was a vessel of mercy, and received from the 
 Lord the precious gift of faith, and with it all other spiritual 
 graces. Though these men whom Joshua sent were not long 
 in the house, yet probably, they were there long enough to 
 give this woman a history of God's wonderful dispensations 
 towards the people of Israel; and doubtless she had heard 
 much of the wonders which God had wrought in Egypt, and at 
 the Red Sea, and in the wilderness; for these events were 
 noised abroad far and near; so that the hearts of all the nations 
 round about trembled at their approach ; and now they had 
 been encamped for some time in the plains of Moab, which were 
 over against Jericho. 
 
 As every eye was now watchful, the entrance of the spies 
 into the city, and into the house of Rahab, was observed, and 
 immediately information was given to the king of Jericho; for 
 it was told him, "behold there came men in hither to-night of 
 the children of Israel, to search out the country." Upon 
 which, the king sent instantly to Rahab's house ; ordering, that 
 she should bring out those men who had come " to search out 
 all the country." They were now placed in circumstances of 
 peculiar jeopardy; and had not their friendly hostess pos- 
 sessed much presence of mind, as well as faith and courage, 
 12 
 
178 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 their lives would have been forfeited. But she brought them 
 up to the flat roof of her house, and hid them with the stalks 
 of flax, which she had spread out on the roof. And having 
 secreted the spies, she said to the king's officers, " There came 
 in men unto me, but I wist not whom they were ; and it came 
 to pass, about the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, 
 that the men went out; whither the men went I wot not. 
 Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them." The 
 king's officers hearing this from an inhabitant of the city, con- 
 cerning whom they entertained no suspicions, pursued after the 
 spies on the way to Jordan ; but when they went out they took 
 the precaution to shut the gates after them, so that if they 
 should happen to be still lurking within the walls, they might 
 be prevented from escaping. 
 
 Having put the pursuers upon a wrong scent, Rahab went 
 up to the roof of the house where she had concealed the men, 
 and said, " I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and 
 that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabi- 
 tants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard 
 how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, 
 when ye came out of Egypt ; and what ye did to the two kings 
 of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon 
 and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we 
 heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there 
 remain any more courage in any man because of you; for the 
 Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. 
 Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I 
 have showed you kindness, that ye will show kindness also to 
 my father's house, and give me a true token. And that ye 
 will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, 
 and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives 
 from death." The spies solemnly promised, that her request 
 should be granted. " Then she let them down by a cord through 
 the window, for her house was upon the town- wall and she said 
 unto them, Get ye to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet 
 you ; and hide yourselves there three days, and the pursuers be 
 returned ; and afterward may ye go your way." Before the 
 men departed they agreed with her respecting a sign by which 
 the Israelites should be able to distinguish her house ; and the 
 token agreed upon was, that the same scarlet line by which she 
 was now about to let them down, should be fastened to the win- 
 dow, and that all her father's house should be collected in her 
 house, and remain there ; for if any of them went out into the 
 street, they would not be security for his life, and his blood should 
 be on his own head. "And whosoever shall be in the house 
 with thee, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon 
 him. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 179 
 
 of thine oath, which thou hast made us to swear. And she 
 said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them 
 away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in 
 the window. And they went and came unto the mountain, 
 and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned. 
 And the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but 
 found them not. So the two men returned and descended 
 from the mountain, and passed over and came to Joshua the 
 son of Nun, and told him all things that befel them. And 
 they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our 
 hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country 
 faint because of us." 
 
 That Rahab was a true believer at this time, and that her 
 conduct in receiving and concealing the spies was pleasing to 
 God, we have the testimony of our inspired Apostle, who places 
 her in that famous list of believers, whose names are recorded 
 in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews, and says, " By faith 
 the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, 
 when she had received the spies with peace." There is no dif- 
 ficulty in understanding how a woman who had lived a licen- 
 tious life should become a true believer; for many women of 
 the same character became penitents in the time of our Saviour. 
 Indeed, they were more ready to receive his doctrine, and to 
 attach themselves to him as his disciples, than the self-righteous 
 Pharisees. But how can we reconcile with piety, the conduct 
 of Rahab, in telling a palpable falsehood to the king's officers, 
 in order to preserve the lives of the spies ? Is it lawful to do 
 evil that good may come ? Is it right, on any occasion, to vio- 
 late truth? Some have maintained that a falsehood was no 
 sin, when the only end to be answered by it was the preserva- 
 tion of human life, or female chastity ; and that there is no 
 moral evil in deceiving those who are engaged in perpetrating 
 a horrible wickedness. They allege, that we are not bound to 
 declare the truth to those who have no right to know it, and 
 whose only motive in demanding it, is that they may commit 
 an atrocious crime. This is a plausible doctrine, and in many 
 cases, would be very convenient to prevent evils which are 
 imminent. But however plausible it may appear, at first sight, 
 it is not sound. If admitted, how far would it lead us ? Would 
 it not follow, that, in every case, where we thought we could 
 do good by a falsehood, we are at liberty to resort to it? The 
 consequence then would be, that all confidence among men 
 would be destroyed. We should not know when good men 
 declared any thing, whether to credit it or not; for they might 
 be persuaded, for some reason, that a lie would be promotive 
 of some good end. It will not answer, to say, that the right to 
 tell a lie is confined to cases of great importance, and when by 
 
180 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 this means evils not otherwise to be avoided, can be prevented; 
 for if we may violate truth for a greater good, we may also for 
 a less; and if the principle be once established, the distinction 
 between greater and less will be of little consequence. Every 
 man will judge for himself, whether the occasion is such as to 
 justify a falsehood ; and he will have no clear rule by which to 
 form his judgment. The establishment of such a principle of 
 morality, if it did not expel all truth from the earth, would 
 have the effect to destroy all confidence among men; and would, 
 in this way, introduce innumerable evils. We must maintain, 
 therefore, that a lie is never justifiable ; and that, although it 
 is not always necessary to declare all the truth that we know, 
 we are never at liberty to declare that which is not true. This 
 being the correct principle of morals, in regard to speaking 
 the truth, we cannot justify the conduct of Rahab, in resorting 
 to a falsehood to deceive the men who were in pursuit of the 
 spies ; and although her faith in receiving the spies is celebrated 
 by Paul, yet he does not praise the means which she used to 
 secrete them. The difficulty still returns, how can we reconcile 
 the commission of such a sin with the existence of piety. On 
 this I would remark, that the best of human beings are frail 
 and imperfect. Good people often labour under grievous mis- 
 takes in regard to the law of God, as well as other things. In 
 early ages there was less light on the subject of moral duty, 
 than in later periods : many things which were then uncertain 
 and obscure, have been elucidated by the experience of ages, 
 and more especially, by the clearer revelation of the Divine 
 will. In all past ages, some things which are now almost uni- 
 versally reckoned sinful, were not viewed to be wrong. I might 
 give as instances, the persecution of men for their religious 
 opinions when erroneous, and the slave-trade. All the reform- 
 ers agreed in opinion that heretics ought to be pursued with 
 punishment by the secular power ; and until within half a cen- 
 tury, no one seems to have considered the moral evil of trading 
 in human beings, and of bringing them into a state of involuntary 
 servitude. During the prevalence of these errors, all sorts of 
 persons participated in the sins which arose out of them. Cal- 
 vin and Cranmer were concerned in bringing heretics to the 
 stake ; but their conduct met with the general approbation of 
 good men at that time. So John Newton, after his conversion, 
 followed the slave-trade, without a suspicion, as he informs us, 
 of its evil; and so did many other good men. But sins of 
 ignorance differ exceedingly from the same sins committed 
 against light. From a careful attention to the history recorded 
 in the Old Testament, it appears, that it was commonly received 
 as a principle, and acted upon by the patriarchs and others, 
 that to preserve life, it was lawful to depart from the truth. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 181 
 
 Thus, we find Abraham teaching Sarah to say, that she was 
 his sister, which, though true in a certain sense, was neverthe- 
 less intended to deceive. We find Isaac guilty of similar con- 
 duct, on a similar occasion. The same is true of many others, 
 and particularly of David, who, on several occasions, declared 
 what was not true ; and none of these persons appear to have 
 been sensible that they were doing wrong. It seems, therefore, 
 that in former times, it was admitted as a principle of morals, 
 that it was lawful to utter a falsehood, or to use deceitful words, 
 to preserve life. Is it to be wondered at then, that a woman 
 who had been brought up in idolatry, and had lived a licentious 
 life, and was but just converted to the true religion, should have 
 erred in such a case? It would have been truly wonderful, if 
 in opposition to the universal current of opinion, she had per- 
 ceived the moral evil of deceiving those who came to apprehend 
 the men whom she believed to be the servants of Jehovah. 
 While therefore, we cannot justify the means which she employed 
 to do good, we can readily believe that her motives were pure, 
 and her faith strong. She erred, indeed, but it was the error 
 not merely of one, but of the age ; yea, of all antiquity ; in 
 which she had as participants, some of the most eminent saints 
 who ever lived. And we should not be too rigid and censorious 
 in judging the faithful of former ages, when it is not improba- 
 ble, that our more enlightened posterity may see, that most 
 Christians of the present day, have been living in the practice 
 of some things which to them will appear to be inconsistent 
 with the purity and perfection of Christian morals. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 THE PASSAGE OF THE ISRAELITES OVER THE BIVER JORDAN. 
 
 WHEN Joshua had obtained the information which he desired, 
 he removed from Shittim, and encamped on the bank of Jordan. 
 Here he remained for three days; and the officers passed 
 through the host, and marshalled and prepared them for the 
 invasion of the land, which lay before them. "And they com- 
 manded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant 
 of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, 
 then ye shall remove from your place and go after it. Yet 
 there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand 
 cubits by measure. Come not near to it, that ye may know the 
 way by which ye must go, for ye have not passed this way 
 heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify your- 
 selves, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders. And Joshua 
 spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant 
 
182 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of 
 the covenant and went before the people. And the Lord said 
 unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight 
 of all Israel, that they may know, that as I was with Moses, so 
 I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that 
 bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the 
 brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 
 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and 
 hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Here- 
 by ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he 
 will without fail drive out before you the Canaanites, and the 
 Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Gergash- 
 ites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold the ark of 
 the covenant of the Lord of all the earth, passeth over before 
 you into Jordan. Now, therefore, take ye twelve men out of 
 the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man; and it shall 
 come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests, that 
 bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest 
 in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut 
 off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall 
 stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people 
 removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests, 
 bearing the ark of the covenant, before the people; and as 
 they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of 
 the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the 'brim of the 
 waters, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks, all the time of 
 harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood, 
 and rose up upon an heap, very far from the city Adam, that is 
 beside Zaretan ; and those that came down from the sea of the 
 plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off; and the peo- 
 ple passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that 
 bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry 
 ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed 
 over on dry gound, until all the people were passed clean over 
 Jordan." The Lord now said to Joshua, "Take you twelve 
 men out of the people, out of every tribe a man ; and command 
 you them, saying, Take you hence, out of the midst of Jordan, 
 out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones; 
 and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the 
 lodging place where ye shall lodge this night." And Joshua 
 directed these twelve men to pass over before the ark of the 
 Lord, and to take up a stone, every man upon his shoulder; 
 that when, in time to come, children should ask their fathers, 
 saying, "What mean ye by these stones? then ye shall answer 
 them, that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of 
 the covenant of the Lord" "and these stones shall be a me- 
 morial unto the children of Israel for ever." And agreeably 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 183 
 
 to the orders of Joshua, twelve stones were taken up by the 
 men selected, one from each tribe, and they carried them over 
 with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down 
 there;" and Joshua set them for a memorial, where they re- 
 mained standing for many years. When the congregation of 
 Israel had finished crossing the river, then the priests who had 
 stood all this time at the entrance, also passed over. In the 
 van of this army were forty thousand light armed soldiers from 
 the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh, who, 
 according to their previous engagement, having received their 
 own inheritance on the east side of the river, now went forward 
 in the front of the host, to aid their brethren in the conquest of 
 the land of Canaan. This passage of Jordan was effected over 
 against the plains of Jericho. Joshua was now held in rever- 
 ence by the people, as Moses had been before him ; and as soon 
 as the priests had come up out of the channel of the river, over 
 which all the people had passed, as on dry land, immediately, 
 the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over 
 all the banks, as they did before. This remarkable event occur- 
 red on the tenth day of the first month, which corresponded 
 with our March or April. The place of the first encampment 
 of the Israelites was at Gilgal, a name given on account of an 
 event to be mentioned immediately. Here the pillar, or monu- 
 ment formed with the twelve stones taken from the bed of the 
 river, was erected, on which occasion, they were commanded to 
 hand down to their children a particular explanation of the pur- 
 pose for which this monument was raised. " Then ye shall let 
 your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on 
 dry land, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan 
 from before you, until you were passed over ; as the Lord your 
 God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until 
 we were gone over : that all the people of the earth might know 
 the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that ye might fear the 
 Lord your God for ever." 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 CIRCUMCISION OF THE ISRAELITES AT GILGAL THE PASSOVER IS OBSERVED THE 
 
 MANNA CEASES THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST OF THE LORD APPEARS TO JOSHUA. 
 
 WHEN the kings who resided on the west side of Jordan 
 understood that Israel had actually passed the river, and that 
 the Lord had dried up the waters before them, their heart 
 melted within them. 
 
 Joshua now received a commandment from the Lord to cir- 
 cumcise the males of the children of Israel; for, although all 
 
184 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 who came out of Egypt had there been circumcised ; yet this 
 rite had not been performed on any born in the wilderness, on 
 account of their continual journeyings: and nearly all the 
 males therefore, of the whole host had now to submit to this 
 ceremony; for of all who had come out of Egypt, in adult age, 
 no more than two remained. All the men of war, except 
 Caleb and Joshua, had fallen in the wilderness ; but many who 
 were children when the Exodus took place, were still living, as 
 indeed God promised that this should be the event, when he 
 sware, that none of the adults should ever enter the promised 
 land. During the time that the people were recovering from 
 the effects of this painful ceremony, they remained in their 
 camp, at Gilgal. "And the Lord said unto Joshua, this day 
 have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you," there- 
 fore, the name of the place was called Gilgal, which word means, 
 "to roll away." 
 
 There was a peculiar reason for attending without delay to 
 the duty of circumcision, because the time for the celebration 
 of the passover was near at hand, and it was expressly provided, 
 that no uncircumcised man should be permitted to partake of 
 this ordinance. Whether the passover had been celebrated in 
 the wilderness, we are not informed. If it was, the qualifica- 
 tion of circumcision must have been wanting. The probability 
 however is, that this ordinance also was omitted, during the 
 long period of Israel's sojourning in the wilderness; for they 
 knew not, when stationary, at what moment they might receive 
 the signal to march; and the celebration of the passover with 
 the accompanying feast of unleavened bread, required a period 
 of seven days leisure. But having now entered into Canaan, 
 they kept the passover at the appointed time, on the fourteenth 
 day of Nisan. "And they did eat of the old corn of the land, 
 on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and 
 parched corn in the self-same day. And the manna ceased on 
 the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land ; 
 neither had the children of Israel manna any more ; but they 
 did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." These 
 words of the sacred historian suggest another reason why we 
 should suppose that the passover was not celebrated while the 
 people remained in the wilderness ; because during that period, 
 they had no bread suitable for the purpose. They had plenty 
 of manna, but this was a very different thing from bread of 
 wheat or barley. If their enemies had come upon them while 
 sore, in consequence of circumcision, or even while engaged in 
 the observance of the passover, they would have found them in 
 a poor condition to defend themselves; but God had struck 
 such a terror into the minds of the Amorites and Canaanites, 
 that they had no spirit to attempt any thing. Joshua, doubt- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 185 
 
 less, felt great solicitude, in the peculiar circumstances in 
 which he was placed; but like Moses, he trusted confidently in 
 the Lord, whose commands he was executing. While the army 
 lay encamped near Jericho, he seems to have taken a solitary 
 walk towards that city, when there appeared to him a man with 
 a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua was not a man to be inti- 
 midated, and marched up to this armed man, and said, " Art 
 thou for us, or for our adversaries ? And he said, Nay, but as 
 captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come." Joshua per- 
 ceiving that it was a manifestation of Jehovah himself, "fell 
 on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said, What saitn 
 my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's 
 host said to Joshua, loose the shoe off thy feet; for the place 
 where thou standest is holy ground." 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 THE CONQUEST OF JERICHO THE CURSE DENOUNCED BY JOSHUA AGAINST THE MAN 
 WHO SHOULD REBUILD THIS CITY. 
 
 THIS captain of the Lord's host who appeared unto Joshua, 
 was Jehovah himself; the Angel of the covenant, who at- 
 tended the children of Israel in all their pilgrimage. "And 
 , the Lord said unto Joshua, see, I have given into thy hand 
 Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 
 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go 
 round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 
 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of 
 rams' horns; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city, 
 seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And 
 it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the 
 rams' horns, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the 
 people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city 
 shall fall down flat, and every man shall ascend up straight 
 before him. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and 
 said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let the 
 seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark 
 of the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on, and com- 
 pass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark 
 of the Lord." When these orders were obeyed by the priests 
 and people, they were further commanded by the leader, not to 
 shout nor to make any noise with their voice, until they should 
 receive a command to do so. And when they had encompassed 
 the city every day for six days, returning each day into the 
 camp, that on the seventh day, Joshua gave orders for the peo- 
 
186 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 pie and priests when they had gone round the city, and which 
 on this day they repeated seven times, to shout, for the city 
 was given by the Lord into their hands. And it was declared, 
 that the whole city and all its inhabitants should be devoted to 
 destruction; except, that Rahab and her friends should be 
 spared, because she hid the messengers that had been sent, and 
 had received a solemn promise that she should be preserved. 
 And the people were warned by all means, "to keep themselves 
 from the accursed thing," lest they should themselves fall under 
 a curse, and bring trouble into the camp of Israel. It was 
 declared, however, that "the silver and gold and vessels of brass 
 and iron should be consecrated to Jehovah, and should belong 
 to the treasury of the Lord." And as soon as the priests and 
 people had encompassed the wall the seventh time, on this 
 seventh day, the trumpets were sounded, and when the people 
 heard the sound of the trumpet, they shouted with a great 
 shout, and the wall fell flat, so that the people went up every 
 one straight before him, and they took the city. And they 
 utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, 
 young and old, and ox and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the 
 sword. But Joshua gave special orders to the young men who 
 had been sent as spies, "Bring out the woman, and all that she 
 hath, as ye sware unto her ; and they brought out Rahab and 
 her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she 
 had ; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them with- 
 out the camp of Israel." "And they burnt the city with fire 
 and all that was therein ; only the silver and the gold, and the 
 vessels of brass and iron, they put into the treasury of the 
 house of the Lord." 
 
 And Joshua denounced a heavy curse on the man who should 
 rise up and rebuild Jericho, saying, "Cursed be the ^ man 
 before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city, Jericho ; 
 he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his 
 youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." This first onset 
 in the invasion of Canaan, and the miraculous overthrow of 
 Jericho, while it raised the fame of Joshua very high, as being 
 the instrument of God's vengeance, spread consternation among 
 the people of the land. , 
 
 The imprecation of Joshua in this case was not spoken of 
 himself, but from the inspiration of God; and the words spoken 
 were not a vain, empty threat, but the prediction was literally 
 fulfilled many hundred years afterwards, when Kiel, the Beth- 
 elite, laid the foundation of Jericho in his first-born, Abiram, 
 and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Segub. 
 1 Kings xvi. 34. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 187 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 THE TRANSGRESSION OF ACHAN THE ATTACK UPON AI, AND THE DEFEAT OF THE 
 
 ISRAELITES JOSHUA'S DISTRESS THE LORD'S COMMUNICATION TO HIM ACHAN 
 DETECTED AND PUNISHED WITH ALL HIS HOUSE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN THIS 
 TRANSACTION. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the solemn warning which Joshua gave to 
 the people respecting the spoil of the city of Jericho, which 
 was all accursed, and not to be touched, except the silver and 
 the gold, the iron and brass, which were consecrated to the 
 treasury of the Lord, there was found a man, among the child- 
 ren of Israel, who had not faith and virtue enough to enable 
 him to resist the temptation of purloining and hiding in his 
 tent, some articles on which he had set his covetous heart. 
 This was Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son 
 of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. On account of this deliberate 
 disobedience of his positive commandment, "the anger of the 
 Lord was kindled against the children of Israel." 
 
 Jericho being in ruins, Joshua next directed his attention to 
 a city named Ai, which was beside Beth-aven, on the east side 
 of Beth-el. According to his usual custom, he took the pre- 
 caution of sending spies to examine the strength and situation 
 of the place. Their report was, that the inhabitants of this 
 place were not numerous, and that there would be no need for 
 the whole army to be put in motion against a city so incon- 
 siderable ; and they recommended, that two or three thousand 
 men should be detailed for this service. Accordingly, Joshua 
 sent three thousand men upon this apparently easy expedition. 
 But the event did not answer the expectation ; for, when the 
 men of Ai came out against this band, they seemed to be panic 
 struck, and fled with precipitation, and thirty-six of their num- 
 ber were left dead on the field ; and the enemy pursued them 
 from before the gate, even unto Shebarim. Upon this the 
 hearts of the people melted, and became as water; and Joshua 
 appears to have been afflicted and confounded in the greatest 
 degree, for " he rent his clothes, and fell to the ground, upon 
 his face, before the ark of the Lord, until the eventide, he 
 and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 
 And Joshua said, alas! Lord God, wherefore hast thou at 
 all brought the people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand 
 of the Amorites, to destroy us ? Would to God we had been 
 content and dwelt on the other side Jordan. Lord, what 
 shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs upon their ene- 
 mies ! For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land 
 shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our 
 name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great 
 
188 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up, where- 
 fore liest thou upon thy face ? Israel hath sinned, and they 
 have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them ; 
 for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also 
 stolen, and dissembled also, and have put it even amongst their 
 own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand 
 before their enemies, but turned their backs, because they were 
 accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye 
 destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the peo- 
 ple, and say, sanctify yourselves against to-morrow for thus 
 saith the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the 
 midst of thee, Israel : thou canst not stand before thine ene- 
 mies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among 
 you. In the morning, therefore, ye shall be brought, accord- 
 ing to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which 
 the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; 
 and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by 
 households; and the households which the Lord shall take, 
 shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is 
 taken with the accursed thing, shall be burnt with fire, 
 he and all that he hath ; because he hath transgressed the 
 covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Is- 
 rael. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought 
 Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken." 
 Then the family of the Zarhites was taken Next, Zabdi was 
 taken ; and he brought his household man by man, and Achan, 
 the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the 
 tribe of Judah, was taken. "And Joshua said unto Achan, 
 My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and 
 make confession unto him ; and tell me now what thou hast 
 done, and hide it not from me. And Achan said, Indeed I 
 have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus 
 have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylon- 
 ish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge 
 of gold, of fifty shekels weight, then I courted them, and took 
 them, and behold, they are hid in the earth, in the midst of my 
 tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and 
 they ran unto the tent ;, and behold it (the Babylonish garment) 
 was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took 
 them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto 
 Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out 
 before the Lord. And Joshua and all Israel with him, took 
 Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and 
 the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen 
 and his asses, and his sheep and his tent, and all that he had, 
 and brought them to the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, 
 Why hast thou troubled us ? The Lord shall trouble thee this 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 189 
 
 day; and all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them 
 with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they 
 raised over him a great heap of stones;" which remained for a 
 long time in this valley, a monument of God's displeasure 
 against sin. 
 
 In this portion of sacred history, there are several things 
 highly worthy of particular observation. The first is, that 
 "the love of money is the root of all evil." This man, like 
 Judas, was led away by covetousness. Thousands and tens of 
 thousands are slaves to the same vice. Perhaps no sin is 
 more common in the pale of the Church ; for although it often 
 prompts men to rob and steal, and thus expose themselves to 
 infamous punishments, yet this may strike its roots deep, and 
 have entire possession of the man, while no irregularity appears 
 in the outward actions. Often, indeed, covetousness restrains 
 its votaries from vices which can only be practised with expense, 
 because such conflict with its nature. 
 
 The next remark is, that however secret men's crimes may 
 be, and however successfully concealed from the eyes of men, 
 there is an eye which strictly marks them ; and often, in the 
 providence of God, sins which were committed in darkness, are 
 unexpectedly and wonderfully revealed. In the case of Achan, 
 the appeal seems to have been to the lot, and this mode of de- 
 tection was ordered by God himself, and was, therefore, infalli- 
 ble; but unless God direct to such means, for the discovery of 
 secret crimes, it would be presumptuous in us to resort to the 
 lot for the detection of the guilt of a culprit. The displeasure 
 of Jehovah against a deliberate transgression of his positive 
 commandment, is here strangely exhibited; and for the sin of 
 one man, his wrath is enkindled against the whole congregation 
 of Israel. Achan seems to have been penitent, but this could 
 not save him from condign punishment. Repentance some- 
 times comes too late ; or to speak more properly, the regrets of 
 a sinner when his crimes are detected, and punishment about to 
 be inflicted, has in it nothing of the nature of true repentance. 
 And if the unhappy man was pardoned, yet it was necessary 
 that a public example should be made, on such an occasion, for 
 a terror to others. We are taught here also, that God punishes 
 a man's family with himself. It does not appear that they per- 
 sonally participated in the crime of Achan ; but they must suf- 
 fer with him. His wife and children, and even the dumb 
 animals, are made partakers of his punishment. Men may 
 pronounce this to be unjust, but God will not subject himself to 
 be judged at our bar. The Judge of all the earth will do right ; 
 but little do we know, in many cases, what it becomes him to 
 do. The truth is, that his whole administration by his provi- 
 dence, recognizes this same principle. Children are involved 
 
190 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 in the poverty, in the disgrace, and in the diseases of their 
 parents; and who will undertake to arraign the Almighty, and 
 pronounce sentence of condemnation upon him? His ways are 
 always just and equal, although the reasons of his conduct may 
 not be revealed unto us. Burning alive was not one of the 
 punishments usually inflicted in the Jewish commonwealth; but 
 in this case, and some others, the bodies were burned after 
 death. 
 
 This translation furnishes the only instance, as far as I recol- 
 lect, of any thing censurable said or done by Joshua. His con- 
 fidence in God, and obedience to his will, seems to have approxi- 
 mated near to perfection ; but when he saw the people, in a 
 dastardly manner, fleeing before their enemies, his spirit was 
 overwhelmed, and he said, "Would to God that we had been 
 content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan !" This was wrong ; 
 for God had promised Canaan to Israel, and had specially 
 commissioned Joshua to invade the land, and had miraculously 
 opened his way to take possession. But Joshua, like Moses, 
 his predecessor, was more concerned for the glory of God's 
 great name, than about his own welfare or reputation. "We see 
 what misery and confusion a single sin may produce in a family, 
 and a nation. As to the punishment inflicted on this unhappy 
 man and his family, Joshua had nothing to do with it, but to 
 execute the commandment of Jehovah. In this, as in all the 
 other severe inflictions of vengeance on the inhabitants of Ca- 
 naan, Joshua can no more be charged with cruelty than the 
 angel who slew the first-born of Egypt, or on him who in one 
 night slew a hundred and four score thousand men in the Assy- 
 rian army. Whatever God commands must be done. No obli- 
 gation can exist to the contrary, when he makes known his will. 
 Even Abraham must consent to slay his only and well beloved 
 son, in whom all the promises concentred, when Jehovah com- 
 manded him to make this sacrifice. And as it relates to the 
 divine attributes, there is nothing more derogatory to justice 
 and goodness in taking away the lives of men, women, and 
 children, by the sword of men, than by the hand of an angel ; 
 and nothing in either of these methods of putting an end to 
 human life, more inconsistent with these attributes, than accom- 
 plishing the same thing by an earthquake, a famine, or a 
 plague. The objection to this part of the sacred history is, 
 therefore, without foundation. 
 
 When the wickedness of a nation rises to a certain pitch, or 
 fulness, it seems necessary that they should be exterminated. 
 In the time of Abraham, it is given as a reason why God did 
 not put him in possession of the land of Canaan, "that the ini- 
 quity of the Amorites was not yet full;" but now, in the time 
 of Joshua, they were ripe for destruction. When a people are 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 191 
 
 universally addicted to unnatural and abominable crimes, it is 
 right it is best, that they should be swept from the earth. 
 Such was the moral condition of the old world, before the 
 deluge suc h was the state of Sodom and Gomorrah ; and such 
 now was the moral character of the inhabitants of Canaan. 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 AI AGAIN ASSAULTED AND TAKEN BY STRATEGEM, AND UTTERLY DESTROYED JOSHUA 
 ERECTS AN ALTAR IN EBAL AND OFFERS SACRIFICES WRITES A COPY OF THE LAW 
 ON STONES FROM MOUNT GERIZIH AND EBAL PRONOUNCES THE BLESSINGS AND 
 THE CURSES. 
 
 ACHAN being now removed, the obstacle to a successful attack 
 upon Ai no longer existed, and God commanded Joshua to 
 march fearlessly against the place; saying, "I have given into 
 thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his 
 land ; and thou shalt do to Ai, and her king, as thou didst unto 
 Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle 
 thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves." Joshua was 
 directed to place an ambush behind the city. Accordingly he 
 selected thirty thousand men, and sent them off by night to 
 take a position near the city, but behind it ; with directions, 
 that as soon as he and the main body of the army should come 
 before the city, and by a feigned retreat should draw out the 
 men of the city in pursuit, then they should rise up from their 
 ambush, and seize the city, and set it on fire. That night 
 Joshua lodged in the midst of the people ; and early in the 
 morning he arose and marshalled the host, and marched in 
 their front, with the elders of Israel, up to Ai, and pitched on 
 the north side of the city. Between the camp of the Israelites 
 and Ai, there was a valley; here he placed another ambush on 
 the west of the city, of five thousand men ; and he himself spent 
 that night in the midst of this valley. The king of Ai, flushed 
 with his former victory, and confident of success, was not back- 
 ward to commence hostilities; but he was not aware that he 
 was almost encompassed by his enemies; and, especially, he 
 had no suspicion of the ambush which lay concealed behind the 
 city. Joshua and all Israel, as soon as they were attacked, 
 " made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way 
 of the wilderness." All the men of Ai instantly pursued after 
 them, and were drawn away from the city, ; so that there " was 
 not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel." 
 And fearing nothing, they left the city open. Joshua now gave 
 the preconcerted signal to the men who lay in ambush, and 
 " they arose, and entered into the city, and took it, and hasted, 
 and set the city on fire." And when the men of Ai looked 
 
192 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 behind them, they saw, and behold the smoke of the city 
 ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way 
 or that way ; and the people of Israel who had fled towards the 
 wilderness, turned back upon the pursuers, and seeing the smoke 
 of the city ascending, they fell upon the men of Ai, and slew 
 them. And the men who had seized the city now came forth, 
 and attacked the men of Ai on the other side ; so that being 
 hemmed in by two armies, none of them were permitted to 
 escape. But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him 
 to Joshua. When the Israelites had smitten the inhabitants of 
 Ai in the field, they proceeded, according to the commandment 
 of the Lord, to put to the sword all who remained in the city. 
 "And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and 
 women, were twelve thousand." "For Joshua drew not his hand 
 back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly 
 destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the 
 spoil, Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according to the 
 word of the Lord, which he commanded Joshua. And Joshua 
 burnt Ai, and made it a heap and desolation for ever. And the 
 king of Ai he hanged on a tree, until eventide ; and as soon as 
 the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his 
 carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the 
 gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones. 
 
 Joshua having again proved victorious over his enemies, and 
 being an eminently devout man, who had feared God from his 
 youth, he availed himself of the interval of rest which he now 
 enjoyed, to fulfil the command of God given to Moses, and he 
 erected an altar in mount Ebal, to the Lord God of Israel. 
 " As Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded the children 
 of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses. An 
 altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lifted up any 
 iron. And they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the LORD, 
 and sacrificed peace-offerings. And he wrote these upon the 
 stones, a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the pre- 
 sence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their 
 elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, 
 and on that side, before the priests the Levites, which bare the 
 ark of the covenant of the Lord; as well the stranger as he 
 that was born among them : half of them over against mount 
 Gerizim, and half of them against mount Ebal ; as Moses, the 
 servant of the Lord, had commanded before, that they should 
 bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words 
 of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is 
 written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all 
 that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the 
 congregation of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and 
 the strangers that were conversant among them." (Josh, viii.) 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 193 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 THE GIBEONITES DECEIVE JOSHUA AND THE PRINCES, AND OBTAIN FROM THEM AN 
 
 OATH THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE DESTROYED THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HAD 
 
 THEM TO VIOLATE THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND DESTROY THIS PEOPLE WHO HAD 
 IMPOSED ON THEM JOSHUA CONSIDERS THE OATH OBLIGATORY THE GENERAL 
 SUBJECT OF THE OBLIGATION OF VOWS. 
 
 HITHERTO the people of Canaan appear to have been so panic- 
 struck, that they had not the consideration to enter into any 
 league or combination with one another, to make opposition to 
 the formidable host who had invaded the country. But at 
 length, recovering, in a manner, from the stupor into which fear 
 had cast them, they began to concert measures for their own 
 defence. The kings which were in the hills and in the valleys, 
 and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the 
 Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hiv- 
 ite, and the Jebusite, received intelligence of the progress of 
 the invading army, and gathered together, with one accord, to 
 fight with Joshua and with Israel. 
 
 But the Gibeonites, who were near, when they heard of the 
 utter destruction of Jericho and Ai, and probably knew that 
 Joshua's orders were to exterminate all the nations of Canaan, 
 resolved to have recourse to deceit and cunning to avoid the 
 impending destruction. " They did work wilily, and went and 
 made as if they had been ambassadors ; and took old sacks upon 
 their asses, and wine-bottles, old and rent, and bound up ; and 
 old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon 
 them. And all the bread of their provisions was dry and mouldy. 
 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto 
 him and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country, 
 and therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel 
 said unto the Hivites, (for the Gibeonites belonged to this nation) 
 peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league 
 with you ? And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And 
 Joshua said, Who are ye ? And whence come ye ? And they said 
 unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because 
 of the name of the Lord thy God ; for we have heard the fame of 
 Him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two 
 kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king 
 of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth ; 
 wherefore our elders, and all the inhabitants of our country, spake 
 unto us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go 
 to meet them ; and say unto them, We are your servants, there- 
 fore, now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot 
 for our provision out of our houses, in the day we came forth 
 to go unto you; but now behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy. 
 13 
 
194 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 And these bottles of wine which we filled were new, and behold, 
 they are rent; and these our garments and our shoes are 
 become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men 
 took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of 
 the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them ; and made a 
 league with them to let them live ; and the princes of the con- 
 gregation sware unto them. And it came to pass, at the end 
 of three days, after they had made a league with them, that 
 they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they 
 dwelt among them." And on the third day, the children of 
 Israel came to their cities, the names of which were Gibeon, 
 Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. "And the children 
 of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congre- 
 gation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel." But 
 the congregation were not contented with the conduct of their 
 princes in sparing the Gibeonites, and murmured against 
 them on account of this thing, probably because they were dis- 
 appointed in their expectation of the spoil of these wealthy 
 cities. "But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We 
 have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel, now, there- 
 fore, we may not touch them. This we will do to them, we will 
 even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath 
 which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto them, 
 Let them live ; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of 
 water unto all the congregation." "And Joshua called for 
 them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye 
 beguiled us, saying, we were very far from you, when you 
 dwell among us? Now, therefore, ye are cursed, and there 
 shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of 
 wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And 
 they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told 
 thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his ser- 
 vant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the 
 inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore, we were 
 sore afraid of our lives, because of you, and have done this 
 thing. And now behold, we are in thine hand ; as it seemeth 
 right unto thee to do unto us, do. And so did he unto them, 
 and delivered them out of the hands of the children of Israel, 
 that they slew them not." It would seem that it was attended 
 with some difficulty to rescue these people out of the hands of 
 the congregation, who were intent on their destruction. I 
 have ascribed this destructive inclination to avarice; but it 
 may have originated in a conscientious regard to the divine 
 authority ; and to an opinion that an oath obtained by fraud 
 and falsehood was not obligatory. 
 
 We noticed one wrong thing in Joshua, when Israel fled 
 before the men of Ai ; and here we find that he failed again in 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 195 
 
 that vigilance which was required by his high and responsible 
 station. When the ambassadors of the Gibeonites appeared 
 before him, and told a false but plausible story, Joshua entered 
 into a treaty with them, without applying to the Lord for 
 direction, which he had the privilege of doing at all times. 
 By depending on appearances, and confiding in his own judg- 
 ment, he was led into error, and connected Israel in a league 
 with a people whom the Lord had positively commanded him to 
 destroy. 
 
 In this transaction, we learn how solemn and inviolable is 
 the obligation of an oath. Although this oath was obtained by 
 fraud, and was injurious to the interests of the children of 
 Israel ; yet it was not judged lawful to nullify or violate it. 
 No doubt there may be cases in which an oath, obtained by 
 falsehood and fraud, is void, and the person swearing is free 
 from guilt, although he fails to perform what he has bound him- 
 self by an oath to do ; but when we are deceived through our 
 own negligence, and the thing promised is not in itself unlaw- 
 ful, an oath or vow is obligatory. No injury or inconvenience 
 which the fulfilment will occasion the person, can exempt him 
 from its sacred obligation. To take an oath is a solemn act of 
 religion, but should never be resorted to, unless there exists a 
 real necessity for it; and when a man has laid such a bond 
 upon his soul, he should with all sincerity and fidelity perform 
 the thing which has proceeded out of his mouth. "It is better 
 not to vow, than to vow and not pay." And the upright man 
 described in the fifteenth Psalm, is represented " as swearing 
 to his hurt and not changing." The subjection of these 
 Gibeonites to a state of bondage and servile labour, was a just 
 punishment for the imposition which they practised. 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 POWERFUL COMBINATION OF THE KINGS OF CANAAN TO DESTROY THE GIBEONITES 
 
 JOSHUA IS MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THEIR DANGER, AND HASTENS TO THEIR 
 RELIEF COMBINED KINGS DEFEATED WONDERFUL MIRACLE OF THE SUN STAND- 
 ING STILL THE EXECUTION OF FIVE KINGS. 
 
 THE combination of most of the kings of the country was 
 rendered more firm, in consequence of the conduct of the 
 Gibeonites; for "Gibeon was a great city," and was situated in 
 the very heart of the country. The chief of this combined 
 force was Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, who associated with 
 himself, Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jannuth, 
 Japhia king of Lachish, and Deber king of Eglon ; and their 
 first object was to smite Gibeon, on account of the defection of 
 which city they were greatly incensed ; and policy led them. 
 
196 HISTOKY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 to wish to destroy an enemy existing in their midst. These 
 five kings, therefore, marched against Gibeon, and besieged 
 the city, while Joshua and the Israelites were still encamped at 
 Gilgal. The Gibeonites being utterly unable to resist so great 
 a force, as now appeared before them, sent an express to Joshua, 
 to come speedily to their succour, saying, " Slack not thy hand 
 from thy servants, come up to us quickly, and save us and help 
 us ; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the moun- 
 tains are gathered together against us." When Joshua re- 
 ceived this urgent message, he determined to march immediate- 
 ly to the aid of his new allies, or subjects rather ; and in doing 
 this, he did not proceed without Divine direction, as in the 
 case of forming a league with his people; for "the Lord said 
 unto him, Fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine 
 hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee." 
 Joshua, that he might come upon the combined forces of the 
 kings of the Amorites unexpectedly, marched during the whole 
 night, and suddenly fell upon them and smote them with a 
 great slaughter , and he chased them along the way that goeth 
 to Beth-horon, Azekah, and Makkedah. And to aid Joshua in 
 this important battle, the Lord fought from heaven, by sending 
 upon the Amorites hail-stones of enormous size ; so that there 
 were more that died with the hail-stones than were slain by the 
 sword. 
 
 As the natural day was insufficient for the destruction of this 
 numerous host, Joshua was enabled to perform one of the most 
 stupendous miracles which ever took place on our globe. In- 
 spired with a strong faith in the power of God, he said, " Sun, 
 stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of 
 Ajalon." "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until 
 the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies." "So 
 the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go 
 down about a whole day: and there was no day like that before 
 it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man ; 
 for the Lord fought for Israel." Many ingenious conjectures 
 have been indulged by the learned critics, by which the extra- 
 ordinary character of this miracle might be so explained, as to 
 render it more easy to be believed. But their learned labour 
 is not needed. It is as easy for God to stop the sun in his 
 course, as to perform any other work. It need not be objected, 
 that the language is not consistent with sound philosophy, be- 
 cause the sun does not move, or go down and rise ; for the lan- 
 guage used is agreeable to the usage of all nations, and of all indi- 
 viduals who speak intelligibly. The most accurate and learned 
 astronomer, when speaking or writing for the instruction of the 
 common people, or indeed, for any people, always employs the 
 popular language. To do otherwise would not only be insuffer- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 197 
 
 able pedantry, but ridiculous folly. It is poorly worth while for 
 any to strive to make the miracle less than it appears to be ; 
 for, as was hinted, it is as easy for God to work a great as a 
 small miracle to stop the wheels of nature, as to move an 
 atom. It has also been solicitously inquired, whether profane 
 history contains any vestige of this wonderful miracle ; and it 
 has been supposed that both in Egypt and China some vague 
 tradition of the event had been handed down. But here again, 
 we need care but little whether heathen writers contain any 
 notice of this astonishing event or not ; for we know that their 
 authentic histories do not commence until a thousand years 
 after the time of Joshua. The five kings, whose army was 
 utterly defeated, fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makke- 
 dah. Joshua, upon being informed of this, directed the cave to 
 be closed with great stones, and guarded, to prevent their 
 escape. The fleeing remnants of the routed army were pur- 
 sued, and many of them slain, before they could enter into their 
 famed cities. When Joshua and his men had returned from the 
 pursuit and slaughter of their enemies, he gave orders that the 
 mouth of the cave should be opened, and the kings brought out ; 
 and he called for all the men of Israel to assemble, and ordered 
 the captains of the men of war to put their feet upon the necks 
 of these kings. And Joshua said, "Fear not, nor be dismayed, 
 be strong, and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to 
 all your enemies against whom ye fight." These five kings were 
 now brought out and slain, and ha aged on five trees, where 
 they remained suspended until the evening. And at the going 
 down of the sun, Joshua commanded that they should be taken 
 down off the trees, and cast into the cave in which they had hid 
 themselves. He now proceeded to destroy the city of Makke- 
 dah, as he had destroyed Jericho. He left nothing remaining 
 alive, according to the word of the Lord. And from Makkedah, 
 Joshua marched against Libnah, which he treated in the same 
 manner. And from Libnah he passed to Lachish, and although 
 Horam king of Gezar came to help Lachish, it availed nothing ; 
 for this city was devoted to destruction in the same manner as 
 those already mentioned. And from Lachish he marched 
 against Eglon, " and fought against it, and they took it, and 
 smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were 
 therein he utterly destroyed." The next city which they at- 
 tacked was Hebron, which was devoted to utter destruction. 
 The same was done to Debir. Thus Joshua conquered all the 
 hill-country, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their 
 kings ; all the country from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza ; and from 
 Goshen to Gibeon. "And all these kings, and their land, did 
 Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought 
 
198 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to 
 the camp at Gilgal." 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 A NEW COMBINATION UNDER JABIN JOSHUA DEFEATS HIM, AND TAKES HAZOR, 
 HIS CAPITOL CONQUEST OF THE WHOLE HILL-COUNTEY PARTS UNCONO.UERED. 
 
 THESE rapid conquests and the total destruction which ensued, 
 struck terror into the inhabitants of the land far and wide. A 
 new combination of kings was therefore formed, under the in- 
 fluence and direction of Jabin, king of Hazor, who associated 
 with himself, Jobab king of Madon, together with the kings of 
 Shimron, and of Achshaph. To these were added the kings 
 that were on the north of the mountains ; and on the plains 
 of Cinneroth ; and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor, on 
 the west. And besides these, Jabin called to his aid the Ca- 
 naanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the 
 Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, 
 and the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh. When 
 all these were gathered together, with their horses and chariots, 
 they formed a very numerous army, who, in multitude, were 
 like the sand upon the sea-shore. And this mighty host came 
 and pitched at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 
 "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of 
 them, for to-morrow, about this time, I will deliver them all 
 slain before Israel; thou shalt hough their horses and burn 
 their chariots with fire." So Joshua came suddenly upon them 
 at the waters of Merom, and the Lord delivered them into 
 the hand of Israel, who chased them and smote them to great 
 Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Miz- 
 peh eastward. And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade 
 him : he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with 
 fire ; and he turned back and took Hazor, the capital of Jabin, 
 which was the head of all the surrounding kingdoms; and after 
 putting all the inhabitants to the sword, he burnt the city with 
 fire. In the same manner did Joshua destroy all the cities of 
 the kings, who were confederated with Jabin. " And all the 
 spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took 
 for a prey unto themselves." But as to those cities which stood 
 still, and entered not into this confederacy, Joshua burned none 
 of them. 
 
 Thus did Joshua subdue all the hill-country, and all the south 
 country; and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the 
 plain, and the mountain of Israel and the valley of the same; 
 even from mount Halak that goeth unto Seir, unto Baal-gad, 
 in the valley of Lebanon, under mount Hermon. For a long 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 199 
 
 time Joshua was engaged in making war with all those kings. 
 " There was not a city that made peace with the Israelites, save 
 the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon : all other they took in 
 battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that 
 they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy 
 them utterly, and that they might have no favour ; as the Lord 
 commanded Moses." 
 
 The Anakims who dwelt in Hebron, Debir and Anab, who 
 had filled the Israelites with so great dismay formerly, were 
 now attacked by Joshua, and cut off from the mountains of 
 Judah. The only remnants of the children of Anak, inhabited 
 Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 
 
 " So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the 
 Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance 
 unto Israel, according to their divisions, by their tribes. And 
 the land rested from war." 
 
 The following is a succinct view of the country conquered, 
 and taken possession of by the children of Israel. On the 
 other side Jordan, towards the rising sun, from the river 
 Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east ; and 
 from Aroer, which is on the bank of Arnon, unto the river Jab- 
 bok, which is on the border of Ammon. And from the plain 
 to the sea of Cinneroth on the east, even to the sea of the 
 plain, which is the salt-sea on the east. This country which 
 had belonged to Og king of Bashan, who was of the family of 
 the giants ; and to Sihon king of Heshbon, did Moses, the ser- 
 vant of the Lord, give to the Reubenites and Gadites, and the 
 half tribe of Manasseh. 
 
 And the country which Joshua subdued, on this side Jordan, 
 extended from Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, to mount 
 Halak. The towns conquered were thirty and one, viz: 
 Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, 
 Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Mak- 
 kedah, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, 
 Shimron-meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jok- 
 neam of Carmel, Dor, Gilgal, and Tirzah. 
 
 The conquests which Joshua made were very important, as 
 the cities which he subdued were situated in the centre of the 
 country, and contained the densest population. But many dis- 
 tricts and towns remained still in the possession of the original 
 inhabitants, whom God directed Joshua to exterminate. He 
 was now, however, far advanced in years, and less fit than for- 
 merly for the incessant labours and watchings which apper- 
 tained to a military commander. "And the Lord said unto 
 him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth 
 yet very much land to be possessed." The unconquered coun- 
 try extended from Sihor on the confines of Egypt, to the bor- 
 
200 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 clers of Ekron, northward. This territory lay along the Medi- 
 terranean Sea, and included the five lords of the Philistines, 
 who are so conspicuous in the wars waged by the Israelites. 
 The Canaanites, who inhabited the south; the region round 
 about Sidon, together with the country on the east of Lebanon, 
 and extending to mount Hermon, unto the entrance of Hamath, 
 were still unconquered. All these nations the Lord had pro- 
 mised to drive out from before the children of Israel. 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 JOSHUA DIVIDES THE LAND AMONG THE NINE AND A HALF TRIBES CALEB'S 
 SPEECH AND PORTION OTHNIEL CONQUERS KIRJATH-ZEPHER, AND RECEIVES 
 
 CALEB'S DAUGHTER ACHSAH AS HIS REWARD LOT OF JUDAH OF EPHRAIM 
 
 HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH THE CASE OF ZELOPHEHAD CHILDREN OF JOSEPH 
 
 COMPLAIN OF THE NARROWNESS OF THEIR LIMITS. 
 
 ORDERS were now given to Joshua to proceed to the division of 
 the land by lot, between the nine and a half tribes, who as yet 
 had not received their inheritance ; for, as has been related, the 
 Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, had received 
 their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, agreeably to their 
 own request ; still, however, the land allotted to them was not 
 entirely subdued ; for some of the former inhabitants continued 
 to dwell in the land among the Israelites. This was particularly 
 the case in regard to the Geshurites and the Maachathites. The 
 country of the Amorites, on the east of Jordan, which was dis- 
 tributed by lot among these two tribes and a half, was very rich 
 in cities, and abundant in pastures; on which account, it was 
 chosen by the Reubenites and Gadites, because they abounded 
 in cattle. It will be remembered, in all the accounts of dividing 
 the land among the twelve tribes, Levi is never reckoned, for 
 with the two sons of Joseph, whom Jacob adopted as his own 
 sons, there were twelve without counting the tribe of Levi ; that 
 is, Joseph himself is not reckoned, but each of his sons, Ephraim 
 and Manasseh, was counted as a distinct tribe. The reason of 
 the exclusion of the tribe of Levi from a share in the division 
 of the country, is very remarkable, and is often and emphati- 
 cally repeated "Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none in- 
 heritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by 
 fire, are their inheritance;" or, as it is elsewhere expressed, 
 "the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance." Besides Josh- 
 ua, there was but one man remaining in Israel, who was grown 
 to maturity, when the people came out of Egypt. This was 
 Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenezite. He was of the 
 spies whom Moses sent to survey the land, and with Joshua, not 
 only gave a true report of the goodness of the land, but having 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 faith in God, these men encouraged the people to go up imme- 
 diately and take possession of the country. While by a solemn 
 oath Jehovah declared that none of the rest of the people who 
 came out of Egypt at adult age, should enter Canaan, it was 
 promised that this honour and reward should be conferred on 
 Joshua and Caleb. In this respect, they had the preference to 
 Moses himself and Aaron the saint of the Lord, both of whom 
 were excluded from this privilege, on account of improper con- 
 duct at Meribah. When Joshua and Eleazar, and the heads of 
 the fathers, had come together to make a division of the land, 
 the venerable patriarch Caleb presented himself before them, 
 and delivered the following speech: "Thou knowest the thing 
 that the Lord said unto Moses, the man of God, concerning 
 thee and me, in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when 
 Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to 
 to spy out the land, and I brought him word again, as it was in 
 my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me, 
 made the heart of the people melt ; but I wholly followed the 
 Lord my God. And Moses sware, on that day, saying, surely 
 the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheri- 
 tance, and thy children's for ever; because thou hast wholly 
 followed the Lord thy God. And now, behold the Lord hath 
 kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since 
 the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of 
 Israel wandered in the wilderness ; and now, lo, I am this day four- 
 score and five years old: and yet I am strong this day, as I was 
 in the day that Moses sent me ; as my strength was then, even 
 so now is my strength for war, both to go out and to come in. 
 Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake 
 in that day, (for thou heardest in that day, how the Anakirns 
 were there, and that the cities were great and fenced,) if so be 
 the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them 
 out as the Lord said." "And Joshua blessed him, and gave 
 unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron, for an inheritance." 
 This city was therefore established to his family, and was pos- 
 sessed by them for a long period; "because that he wholly fol- 
 lowed the Lord God of Israel." The original name of Hebron, 
 was Kirjath-arba, which Arba was a great man among the Ana- 
 kims. Caleb, however, had to dispossess the three sons of 
 Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, who had their residence 
 in Hebron. And as Debir, the former name of which was Kir- 
 jath-sepher, belonged to his inheritance, Caleb promised hig 
 daughter Achsah, to whomsoever would smite this city and take 
 it out of the hands of the inhabitants. And Othniel, the son of 
 Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, enterprised the conquest of this 
 place, and accomplished it, and received the prize which had 
 been offered. Achsah was probably the only daughter of this 
 
202 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 venerable patriarch ; and she seems to have possessed a great 
 influence over her father ; for although he had given her a pos- 
 session, called the "South land," yet she requested another, 
 which contained springs of water. "And he gave her the upper 
 springs and the nether springs." The inheritance of Caleb fell 
 within the limits of the tribe of Judah. The land which was 
 allotted to this numerous and important tribe, was bounded on 
 the west by the great, or Mediterranean sea, on the south by 
 the river of Egypt, which was the southern boundary of the 
 Holy Land ; on the east by the salt, or Dead sea, and by a 
 line running north from this sea to Jerusalem, which passed 
 through the valley of the son of Hinnom, and terminated in 
 the midst of Jehus or Jerusalem, where it met the possession of 
 Benjamin; and the northern boundary passed off to the great 
 sea, in a line somewhat circuitous. This was an exceedingly 
 fertile and populous region, and was crowded with strongholds 
 and walled towns. The sacred historian mentions nearly a 
 hundred cities which fell within the inheritance of Judah. 
 Many of these were large and populous ; but we should remem- 
 ber, that every town which was enclosed by a wall, and entered 
 by gates, is, in the language of Scripture, called a city. 
 
 The next tribe which received its inheritance was that of 
 Ephraim, which included a large territory, extending from Jor- 
 dan to the Mediteranean; and contained within its limits the 
 inheritance of some of the lesser tribes; as did also that of 
 Judah. 
 
 Manasseh had received on the east of Jordan, the one-half 
 part of their inheritance; the remaining part was allotted to 
 them along-side of the territory of Ephraim. 
 
 In regard to one family in this tribe, there occurred a case 
 which was brought for decision "before Eleazar the priest, and 
 before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes." The 
 case was, that Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, 
 the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daugh- 
 ters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and 
 Tirzah. These laid claim to the inheritance of their father; 
 and indeed, Moses had determined by Divine direction, that 
 when there were no sons, the daughters should inherit ; so that 
 the land might be kept within its proper tribe. These heiresses 
 were, however, required to contract marriages only with men of 
 their own tribe. 
 
 Several of the cities allotted to Manasseh, were situated 
 within the limits of Ephraim ; for the sacred historian says, 
 "Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the bor- 
 der of Manasseh, belonged to the children of Ephraim. And 
 the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the 
 river; these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manas- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 203 
 
 sell." This must mean that some of the cities which were 
 allotted to Manasseh lay within the borders of Ephraim. And 
 the river Kanah was the dividing line on one part between 
 these tribes; for it is said, " southward it was Ephraim's and 
 northward it was Manasseh's ; and the sea is his border ; and 
 they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the 
 east. And Manasseh had also several towns within the bor- 
 ders of Issachar and Asher. 
 
 On account of this mixtnre of the tribes, in their possessions, 
 it is rendered impossible, to delineate distinctly, the geography 
 of the habitations of the several tribes. Most maps are in this 
 respect very inaccurate, and the possessions of the tribes laid 
 down by mere conjecture. That territory which included 
 Bethshean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, with 
 the towns and villages which lay in these districts, was the 
 principal part of the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh. 
 But although this fine country was allotted to them, they pos- 
 sessed really only a small portion of it; for they "could not 
 drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites 
 would dwell in that land;" yet when the Israelites waxed 
 strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly 
 drive them out. 
 
 The children of Joseph, although they obtained the best of 
 the land, yet were not well satisfied with their portion, there- 
 fore, they spake to Joshua, saying, "Why hast thou given me 
 but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great peo- 
 ple, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? And 
 Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee 
 up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there, in the 
 land of the Perizzites and the giants, if mount Ephraim be too 
 narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, the hill is 
 not enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in the 
 valley have chariots of iron. And Joshua spake unto the house 
 of Joseph, even to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, Thou art a 
 great people and hast great power, thou shalt not have one lot 
 only, but the mountain shall be thine, and thou shalt cut it 
 down ; and the outgoings of it shall be thine ; for thou shalt 
 drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and 
 though they be strong." 
 
20-1 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 8HILOH THE RESIDENCE OF THE AEK SEVEN TRIBES YET DESTITUTE OF AH INHERI- 
 TANCE THE LOTS OF BENJAMIN OF SIMEON OF ZEBULUN OF ISSACHAR OF 
 
 ASHER OF NAPHTALI OF DAN JOSHUA'S INHERITANCE. 
 
 ABOUT this time Sliiloh was selected as the place to which the 
 tribes of Israel should resort for divine worship ; and at this 
 place the whole congregation of the children of Israel assem- 
 bled, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation. 
 
 "But there remained among the children of Israel, seven 
 tribes which had not received their inheritance." And as they 
 seemed reluctant to go forward to take possession of the land 
 allotted to them, Joshua exhorted them earnestly, and said, 
 "How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the 
 Lord God of your fathers hath given you." And he directed 
 them to select three men from each tribe, to go through the 
 land and describe it, according to the inheritance of each ; and 
 to divide it into seven parts, not interfering with the allotments 
 already made. These men went forth through the land, and 
 described it by cities, into seven parts, in a book, and brought 
 it to Joshua, who cast lots for them, in Shiloh, before the Lord. 
 
 As we have seen, Judah had a large territory in the south of 
 Palestine, and the sons of Joseph to the north. Now, upon 
 casting lots, the inheritance of Benjamin came up between these 
 two ; that is, between the children of Judah and the children of 
 Joseph. Their possession extended from Jordan to the Medi- 
 terranean Sea, but was very narrow, being a mere slip of land^ 
 running along the north border of the tribe of Judah. Jerusa- 
 lem was partly within the lot of Benjamin, and partly within 
 the tribe of Judah. The inheritance of Benjamin was of an 
 irregular shape, for while it lay along the northern limit of 
 Judah, it also included a slip of land on the east of Judah, ex- 
 tending from Jericho to the mouth of the Jordan. The number 
 of cities which fell to this tribe was twenty-six. 
 
 The next lot came forth to Simeon, whose inheritance was 
 entirely included within the limits of Judah ; for it was found, 
 that the children of Judah had an undue proportion allotted to 
 them ; therefore, seventeen cities were given to the Simeonites, 
 out of their inheritance. This was by far the smallest tribe of 
 the twelve, and owing to a destruction caused by the divine 
 judgments upon them, when they entered Canaan, their number 
 was not half as great as when they left Egypt. And as these 
 cities were not contiguous to each other, but scattered through 
 various parts of the tribe of Judah, that prophecy by the mouth 
 of Jacob was fulfilled, which saith of Simeon and Levi, " I will 
 divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 205 
 
 The next lot which came up was for Zebulun. The inheri- 
 tance of this tribe was in a very fertile country, near the sea 
 of Cinneroth or Galilee, as it was afterwards called; and, 
 indeed, the territory of this tribe formed a part of the district 
 of country, which, in after times, obtained the name of Galilee. 
 The number of cities allotted to Zebulun was only twelve, but 
 the soil was exceedingly fertile, and they could extend their 
 border northward without restriction. 
 
 The inheritance of Issachar touched upon that of Manasseh, 
 and extended from mount Tabor on the west, to the river Jor- 
 dan. The number of their cities was sixteen. 
 
 The inheritance of Asher lay along the coast of the Mediter- 
 ranean Sea, including mount Carmel on the south, and the 
 "strong city of Tyre," and "great Zidon," on the north. This 
 territory though small in extent, was the richest of all, on 
 account of the very lucrative trade which was carried on within 
 its borders ; answering to Jacob's prophecy, " Out of Asher his 
 bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties." 
 
 Naphtali had a fertile inheritance along the Jordan, and on 
 the sea of Cinneroth, along-side of Zebulun. These two 
 tribes are therefore commonly mentioned together, in the pro- 
 phets. " The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtalim, by 
 the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles." 
 This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, when the Lord Jesus 
 Christ came and dwelt in Capernaum, which city was on the 
 borders of these two tribes. And by his preaching and 
 miracles, in that dark region, was fulfilled the other part of the 
 prophecy, which is thus applied by the evangelist Matthew: 
 "The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them 
 which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung 
 up." 
 
 Dan was the last tribe which received their inheritance. 
 Their territory lay on the extreme north, and the land which 
 was left from the other lots was too small for Dan, which was 
 a numerous people. They were, however, an enterprising and 
 warlike tribe, and therefore, they marched against a place 
 called Leshem, which they took, and having put the inhabi- 
 tants to the sword, they dwelt in their place ; but changed its 
 name from Leshem to Dan, after the name of their father. 
 This name has given rise to an infidel objection to the sacred 
 Scriptures ; for it is alleged, that this place was called Dan as 
 early as the time of Abraham, for it is related in Genesis, that 
 he pursued the army who had taken Lot, unto Dan. To this 
 objection, bishop Watson answers, first, that there is no proof 
 that by the word Dan a city is intended ; that in ancient maps 
 the river Jordan is laid down, as formed by two streams in this 
 very region, the one of which was named Jor, and the other 
 
206 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Dan; out of which two words, was formed Jordan. And in 
 the second place, he shows that where the name of a city is 
 changed, the old name becomes obsolete, and is forgotten, and 
 the name substituted is usually inserted in all documents which 
 are in common use ; for otherwise the people would not know 
 what place is spoken of. 
 
 After the division of the land among the tribes, the children 
 of Israel requested Joshua to select an inheritance for himself; 
 for this disinterested man had as yet appropriated no portion 
 of the country to his own use, nor had he laid in any claim ; 
 but now at the request of the people, he ask'ed for Timnath- 
 serah in mount Ephraim. There he built a city, which he made 
 the place of his residence until his death. 
 
 Thus was the land of Canaan divided by lot among the seve- 
 ral tribes, by Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun, 
 and the heads of the fathers of the children of Israel. This 
 whole transaction took place in Shiloh, before the Lord, at the 
 door of the tabernacle of the congregation. It was a solemn, 
 religious act ; an appeal to Jehovah, to designate the habitations 
 and possessions of each tribe ; and it would seem from an atten- 
 tive consideration of the history, that not only the inheritance 
 of each tribe, but of each family, was determined by the reli- 
 gious use of the lot. Indeed, unless this was the fact, the 
 utmost confusion must have attended the distribution of the 
 land among the people. 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 CITIES OF REFUGE APPOINTED CITIES FOR THE LEVITES SUBURBS TO THE CITIES 
 
 ALSO GRANTED. 
 
 THE important business of dividing the land among the several 
 tribes having been accomplished, Eleazar the priest, and Joshua 
 the son of Nun, proceeded to execute certain orders which Jeho- 
 vah had given to Moses. The first was, to appoint cities of 
 refuge, to which "the slayer that killeth any person unawares 
 and unwittingly may flee," when he was pursued by the avenger 
 of blood. By this law it was ordained, " that when he that 
 doth flee unto one of these cities, shall stand at the entering of 
 the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of 
 the elders of that city ; they shall take him into the city unto 
 them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 
 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall 
 not deliver the slayer up into his hand, because he smote his 
 neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not before-time. And 
 he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congrega- 
 tion for judgment ; and until the death of the high-priest that 
 shall be in those days. Then shall the slayer return and come 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 207 
 
 unto bis own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from 
 whence he fled." "And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in 
 mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath- 
 arba (which is Hebron) in the mountain of Judah. And on 
 the other side Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Be- 
 zer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, 
 and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in 
 Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh." 
 
 The next thing which claimed their attention was a provision 
 for the residence of the Levites. As they received no inheri- 
 tance in land, with the other tribes, it was altogether necessary 
 that they should have cities assigned to them, in which they 
 might dwell. This had been directed in the time of Moses, and 
 now, when all the other tribes had been put in the possession of 
 their inheritance, "the heads of the fathers of the Levites 
 came unto Eleazar the priest, arid unto Joshua the son of Nun, 
 and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children 
 of Israel. And they spake unto them at Shiloh, in the land of 
 Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, 
 to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our 
 cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites, out 
 of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these 
 cities and their suburbs." The first allotment of cities was 
 made to the family of Aaron, thirteen cities, most of which were 
 selected from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 
 There was a wise providence in placing the priests in cities near 
 to the place of the tabernacle, that they might be at hand to 
 take their turn of service in the sanctuary. The remainder of 
 the family of Kohath received their allotment of cities from the 
 tribe of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten, 
 cities. 
 
 The family of Gershon received by lot out of the tribes of 
 Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali; and out of the half-tribe of 
 Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 
 
 The children of Merari out of the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and 
 Zebulun, twelve cities. 
 
 The whole number of cities given to the Levites was forty- 
 eight ; and with every city there were suburbs, including a cer- 
 tain territory round about the city, for their flocks and herds. 
 
 "And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land, which he sware 
 to give unto their fathers ; and they possessed it, and dwelt 
 therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according 
 to all he sware unto their fathers. And there stood not a man 
 of all their enemies before them ; the Lord delivered all their 
 enemies into their hand. There failed not aught of any good 
 thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel ; all 
 came to pass." 
 
208 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 THE ARMED MEN OF THE TWO AND A HALF TRIBES HAVE LEAVE TO RETURN 
 
 JOSHUA'S TESTIMONY AND EXHORTATION THEY BUILD AN ALTAR NEAR JORDAN 
 
 IMPRESSION OF THIS EVENT ON ISRAEL THEIR DEPUTATION AND SOLEMN MES- 
 SAGE THEIR SATISFACTORY ANSWER THE PEOPLE REJOICED AT THE SUCCESSFUL 
 ISSUE. 
 
 THE conquest of Canaan being now so far completed that there 
 was no longer any occasion for the services of Reuben, Gad, 
 and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who had aided their brethren 
 through the whole war, they were dismissed by Joshua, to 
 return home to their families beyond Jordan, with the following 
 ample testimony of their fidelity, and solemn warning to be 
 obedient to the commands of God. "Ye have kept all that 
 Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have 
 obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. Ye have not 
 left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept 
 the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And 
 now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as 
 he promised them ; therefore, now, return ye unto your families, 
 and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your pos- 
 session, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you, on the 
 other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the command- 
 ment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged 
 you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, 
 and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him and 
 serve him, with all your heart, and with all your soul." "So 
 Joshua blessed them, and sent them away, and they went unto 
 their tents." And Joshua said, "Return with much riches 
 unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and 
 with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much 
 raiment. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren." 
 The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh 
 took their leave of their brethren at Shiloh, and took up their 
 march for their possessions in the land of Gilead. But when 
 they came to the border of Jordan, they built there a great 
 altar, which was intended to be a visible memorial of their rela- 
 tion to that land. Their brethren of the other tribes, upon hear- 
 ing of this transaction, supposing that the object was to set up a 
 separate place of worship, and to forsake the tabernacle of the 
 Lord at Shiloh, were greatly excited, and having assembled at 
 Shiloh, they determined to go up and prevent this schismatical 
 course by the force of arms. But wiser counsels prevailed; 
 and they resolved before going against their brethren in hostile 
 array, to send a deputation to inquire into the affair. Accord- 
 ingly, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, was selected as 
 
THE ISKAELITES. 209 
 
 the head of this embassy, and with him ten princes, each one of 
 whom was the head of the house of their fathers, among the 
 thousands of Israel. And when they came to their brethren, 
 they said, " Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, 
 What trespass is this ye have committed against the God of 
 Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that 
 ye have builded an altar, that ye might rebel this day against 
 the Lord ? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which 
 we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague 
 in the congregation of the Lord, but that ye must turn away 
 this day from following the Lord ? And it will be, seeing ye 
 rebel to-day against the Lord, that to-morrow he will be angry 
 with the whole congregation of Israel. Notwithstanding, if 
 the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto 
 the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's taber- 
 nacle dwelleth, and take possession among us ; but rebel not 
 against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar 
 besides the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan, the son of 
 Zerah, commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell 
 on all the congregation of Israel ? And that man perished not 
 alone in his iniquity." To which deputation and message, the 
 children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, re- 
 turned the following answer : " The Lord God of gods, the Lord 
 God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel shall know, if it be in re- 
 bellion, or in transgression against the Lord, (save us not this 
 day,) that we have built us an altar to turn from following the 
 Lord ; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering, or if to offer peace- 
 offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it; and if we 
 have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time 
 to come, your children might speak unto our children, saying, 
 What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel ? For the 
 Lord hath made Jordan between us and you; ye children of 
 Reuben and children of Gad, ye have no part in the Lord. So 
 shall your children make our children cease from fearing the 
 Lord. Therefore, we said, Let us now prepare to build us an 
 altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice ; but that it may 
 be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, 
 that we might do the service of the Lord before him, with our 
 burnt-offerings and peace-offerings ; that your children may not 
 say to our children, in time to come, Ye have no part in the 
 Lord. Therefore, said we, it shall be, when they should so say to 
 us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, 
 Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord which our fathers 
 made, not for burnt-offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a wit- 
 ness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel 
 against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, 
 to build an altar for burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for 
 14 
 
210 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before 
 his tabernacle." 
 
 Phinehas and the princes associated with him were entirely 
 satisfied with this explanation, and said to the children of Reu- 
 ben, Gad, and Manasseh, " This day we perceive that the Lord 
 is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass 
 against the Lord : now, ye have delivered the children of Israel 
 out of the hand of the Lord." And when the deputation returned 
 to the children of Israel, and made a report of their interview 
 with their brethren, the thing pleased " the children of Israel, 
 and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go 
 up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the chil- 
 dren of Reuben and Gad dwelt." 
 
 "And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad 
 called the altar ED : for it shall be a witness between us that 
 the Lord is God." 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 PROSPEROUS CONDITION OF ISRAEL JOSHUA'S SOLEMN ADDRESS TO THE ELDERS 
 
 AND PEOPLE HIS VALEDICTORY HIS PROPOSAL THAT THEY SHOULD NOW CHOOSE 
 
 WHOM THEY WOULD SERVE DECEASE OF JOSHUA AND ELEAZAR. 
 
 THINGS now went on prosperously with the Israelites for many 
 years. Their enemies round about were subdued, and they 
 had taken possession of their respective inheritances. Joshua 
 still lived in the midst of them ; and there are many strong 
 proofs, that this generation which took possession of Canaan, 
 was more distinguished for ready obedience to the command- 
 ments of God, than any other before or after. Their zeal for 
 the purity of God's worship, according to his appointment, is 
 remarkably manifest in the preceding history. The disposition 
 of the people generally may also be inferred from the good con- 
 duct of the children of Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manas- 
 seh, as appears by the testimony of Joshua, and by their pious 
 and conciliatory conduct as evinced in the foregoing history. 
 
 But Joshua having now become an old man, called for all 
 Israel and their elders, and for their heads and their judges, 
 and for their officers, and said unto them, "I am old and stricken 
 in age, and ye have seen all that the Lord God hath done unto 
 all these nations, because of you ; for the Lord your God is he 
 that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by 
 lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your 
 tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even 
 unto the great sea westward. And the Lord your God, he 
 shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of 
 your sight, and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your 
 God hath promised to you. Be ye, therefore, very courageous 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 211 
 
 to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of 
 Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right hand or to 
 the left; that ye come not among these nations, these that 
 remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their 
 gods, nor cause to swear by them ; neither serve them, nor bow 
 yourselves unto them: but cleave unto the Lord your God, 
 as ye have done unto this day. For the Lord hath driven out 
 from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no 
 man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One 
 man of you shall chase a thousand ; for the Lord your God, he 
 it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good 
 heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your 
 God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the 
 remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, 
 and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and 
 they to you: know for a certainty, that the Lord your God 
 will no more drive out any of these nations from before you ; but 
 they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your 
 sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this 
 good land which the Lord your God hath given you. And be- 
 hold, this day I am going the way of all the earth, and ye 
 know in all your hearts and all your souls, that not one thing 
 hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God 
 spake concerning you: all are come to pass unto you, and not 
 one thing hath failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass, 
 that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your 
 God promised you ; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil 
 things, until he have destroyed you from this good land, which 
 the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed 
 the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, 
 and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to 
 them : then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, 
 and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he 
 hath given unto you." 
 
 Some time after the delivery of this solemn and admonitory 
 discourse, Joshua collected, not merely the princes and heads 
 of the tribes, and elders and officers, but gathered unto She- 
 cheui all the tribes of Israel, and addressed them as follows : 
 "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the 
 other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of 
 Abraham, and the father of Nahor ; and they served other gods. 
 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the 
 flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and mul- 
 tiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac ; and I gave unto Isaac, 
 Jacob and Esau ; and I gave unto Esau, mount Seir, to possess 
 it, but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. I sent 
 Moses also and Aaron, and plagued Egypt, according to that 
 
212 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 which I did amongst them, and afterward I brought you out. 
 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto 
 the sea ; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers, with 
 chariots and horsemen, unto the Red sea. And when they 
 cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the 
 Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them ; 
 and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt ; and ye 
 dwelt in the wilderness a long season. And I brought you into 
 the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan ; 
 and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, 
 that ye might possess their land ; and I destroyed them from 
 before you. Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, 
 arose and warred against Israel; and sent and called Balaam, 
 the son of Beor, to curse you; but I would not hearken unto 
 Balaam, therefore he blessed you still, and I delivered you out 
 of his hand. And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jeri- 
 cho ; and the men of Jericho fought against you ; the Amor- 
 ites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, 
 and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I de- 
 livered them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before 
 you, which drove them out before you, even the two kings of 
 the Amorites ; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. And 
 I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities 
 which ye built not, and ye dwell in them : of the vineyards 
 and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now, there- 
 fore, fear the Lord, and serve him, in sincerity and in truth ; 
 and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other 
 side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. And 
 if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day 
 whom ye will serve ; whether the gods which your fathers 
 served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of 
 the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell ; but as for me and my 
 house, we will serve the Lord." "And the people answered 
 and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve 
 other gods. For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up, 
 and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of 
 bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and pre- 
 served us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the 
 people through whom we passed. And the Lord drave out 
 from before us, all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt 
 in the land ; therefore will we also serve the Lord, for he is our 
 God. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the 
 Lord, for he is an holy God: he will not forgive your trans- 
 gressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord and serve 
 strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume 
 you, after that he hath done you good. And the people said 
 unto Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 213 
 
 said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that 
 ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him ; and they said, We 
 are witnesses." "Now, therefore," (said he,) "put away the 
 strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto 
 the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, 
 The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. 
 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set 
 them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. And Joshua 
 wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a 
 great stone and set it up there, under an oak that was by the 
 sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said unto all the people, 
 behold this stone shall be a witness unto us : for it hath heard 
 all the words of the Lord, which he hath spoken unto us : and 
 it shall, therefore, be a witness unto you, lest ye deny your 
 God. And Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his 
 inheritance." 
 
 "And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the 
 son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred 
 and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his 
 inheritance, in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on 
 the north side of the hill of Gaash. And Israel served the 
 Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that 
 overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the 
 Lord, that he had done for Israel. 
 
 "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel 
 brought out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of 
 ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father 
 of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver; and it became the 
 inheritance of the children of Joseph. 
 
 "And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him 
 in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given 
 him in mount Ephraim." 
 
 Thus all the men of this pious and obedient generation were 
 gathered to their fathers. Probably the period which inter- 
 vened between the conquest of the land, and the decease of 
 Joshua, Eleazar, and their contemporaries, was the most peace- 
 ful and prosperous which this nation ever enjoyed; confirming 
 practically the truth of that aphorism of Solomon, RIGHTEOUS- 
 NESS EXALTETH A NATION. 
 
214 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 JUDAH AND SIMEON DIRECTED TO ATTACK THE CANAANITES THOUGH SUCCESSFUL 
 
 THEY COULD NOT EXPEL THE CANAANITES FROM EVERY PART OF THEIR LOT 
 
 BENJAMIN NOT ABLE TO EXPEL THE JEBUSITES MANASSEH VERY UNSUCCESSFUL 
 
 IN RECLAIMING THEIR POSSESSION SOLEMN MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL OF GOD 
 
 CHARACTER OF THE GENERATION WHO FIRST POSSESSED CANAAN THE PEOPLE 
 
 FORSAKE GOD AFTER THE DECEASE OF THIS GENERATION GOD RAISES UP JUDGES 
 
 WHEN THE JUDGES WERE DEAD THEY AGAIN GRIEVOUSLY PROVOKED GOD TO 
 
 ANGER. 
 
 AFTER the death of Joshua, it was determined to make a fresh 
 attack upon the Canaanites, a large number of whom continued 
 in the midst of the Israelites, and retained the possession of 
 some very important places ; but it was piously resolved to ask 
 counsel of God, and to ascertain his will, in regard to the par- 
 ticular tribes which should engage in this expedition. The 
 ansAver of the Lord was, that Judah should go up against the 
 Canaanites; and it was promised that the land should be de- 
 livered into his hand. But as the lot of Simeon was included 
 in that of Judah, so that they might be said to have a common 
 interest in the conquest, it was agreed that they should unite 
 their forces, until the conquest was completed. The king who 
 made most resistance was Adoni-bezek, whom they found in 
 Bezek, which no doubt was his residence and possession; for 
 his name signifies "the lord of Bezek;" and they readily sub- 
 dued all that opposed them, and slew ten thousand men in 
 Bezek. Adoni-bezek, seeing his forces routed, fled, but the Is- 
 raelites pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his 
 thumbs and his great toes. And this was a just retaliation for 
 his own acknowledged cruelties ; and he seems to have felt the 
 justice of the treatment, for he said, " Threescore and ten 
 kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered 
 their meat under my table. As I have done, so God hath re- 
 quited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there 
 he died." 
 
 The tribe of Judah engaged in many successive expeditions 
 against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, and in the 
 south, and in the valley.. 
 
 In the former part of this history, we saw that Moses earnest- 
 ly entreated Jethro, his father-in-law, to cast in his lot among 
 them, and go with them; for his past experience of his piety 
 and wisdom led him to think that his presence would be very 
 serviceable in all their journey through the wilderness. This 
 invitation Jethro at first declined; but Moses entreated him 
 with great earnestness not to leave them. It does not there 
 appear, however, whether he prevailed with his father-in-law to 
 accompany him or not. But here the writer of the book of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 215 
 
 Judges decides this point, by saying, "And the children of the 
 Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm- 
 trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, 
 which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt 
 among the people." But although the children of Judah and 
 Simeon were successful in their wars with the Canaanites, and 
 extended their conquests into the country of the Philistines, 
 which was included in the inheritance of Judah, and although 
 they were able in general to expel the Canaanites from the 
 mountains, "they could not drive out the inhabitants of the 
 valley, because they had chariots of iron." And although the 
 children of Judah had succeeded in taking that section of Jeru- 
 salem which lay within their border, yet the children of Ben- 
 jamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; 
 but the Jebusites continued for a long time to dwell with the 
 children of Benjamin in Jerusalem. (Judg. i. 8 21.) 
 
 The children of Joseph also were not negligent in endeavour- 
 ing to expel the Canaanites from their inheritance. They 
 directed their efforts against the city of Bethel; but the former 
 name was Luz. They sent spies to explore the condition of 
 this city, and when they drew near, they saw a man come out 
 of the city ; and they promised that they would show him mer- 
 cy, if he would discover to them the entrance of the city ; and 
 when the city was taken, and the inhabitants slain with the 
 sword, this man and all his family were preserved. "And the 
 man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and 
 named it Luz." 
 
 But Manasseh was not so successful as the tribes just men- 
 tioned, in driving out the people who remained in the lot of 
 their inheritance. In Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and 
 Megiddo, the Canaanites continued to dwell, and could not be 
 expelled. But when Israel was strong they were made tribu- 
 tary. Besides, there were many places in all the remaining 
 tribes, from which the Canaanites were not driven out; but the 
 children of Dan were not only unable to dispossess the original 
 inhabitants, but "the Amorites forced them into the mountain, 
 and would not suffer them to come down to the valley. The 
 fact was, that the Israelites did not faithfully address them- 
 selves to execute the commandment of Jehovah, in relation to 
 the inhabitants of Canaan; but after a while began to live 
 familiarly with them, and to engage in commerce, and enter 
 into alliances with them. This disobedience, from whatever 
 motive it might spring, was very displeasing to God; and as 
 those leaders were dead through whom the Lord commonly had 
 communicated his will to the children of Israel, he now sent them 
 a solemn message and reproof by his angel; that is, the angel 
 of the covenant, who had accompanied them through all their 
 
216 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 journey ings in the wilderness, and who appeared to Joshua, 
 when he entered Canaan, as the captain of the Lord's host. 
 This angel now came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, " I 
 made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto 
 the land which I sware unto your fathers ; and I said, I will 
 never break my covenant with you; and ye shall make no 
 league with the inhabitants of this land, and shall throw down 
 their altars. But ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have 
 ye done this? Wherefore, I also said, I will not drive them 
 out from before you, but they shall be as thorns in your sides, 
 and their gods shall be a snare to you." And when the angel 
 of Jehovah spake these words unto all the children of Israel, 
 the people lifted up their voice and wept. And hence, the 
 place was called Bochim (weeping). And they sacrificed there 
 unto the Lord. This Avas doubtless by the express direction of 
 Jehovah, who had spoken unto them, otherwise it would not 
 have been lawful to offer sacrifices anywhere but at Shiloh, 
 where the tabernacle of the Lord was erected. 
 
 It has been already remarked, that that generation of Israel 
 who conquered and first inhabited the land of Canaan, was, 
 perhaps, the most righteous of that nation. This seems to be 
 implied in what the sacred historian says of the generation 
 that succeeded them. "And," says he, "there arose another 
 generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the 
 works which he had done for Israel. And the children of 
 Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim," 
 who was the principal deity of the Canaanites. "And they 
 forsook the Lord God of their fathers, and served Baal and 
 Ashtaroth : and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, 
 and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers, that spoiled 
 them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round 
 about, so that they could not any longer stand before their 
 enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord 
 was against them for evil; as the Lord had said, and as the 
 Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed." 
 But they were not utterly forsaken, for, from time to time, the 
 Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of 
 those that spoiled them. "And when the Lord raised up 
 judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them 
 out of the hands of their enemies, all the days of the judge: 
 for it repented the Lord because of their groanings, by reason 
 of them that oppressed them, and vexed them." But they 
 would not hearken to their judges, but bowed themselves down 
 to other gods, and turned quickly out of the way which their 
 fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord. 
 "And when the judge was dead, they returned and corrupted 
 themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 217 
 
 serve them and to bow down unto them : they ceased not from 
 their own doings nor from their stubborn way. And the anger 
 of the Lord was hot against Israel ; and he said, Because that 
 this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded 
 their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice, I also 
 will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the 
 nations which Joshua left when he died; that through them I 
 may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, 
 to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore 
 the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily ; 
 neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua." 
 
 SECTION XVI. 
 
 OTHNIEL DELIVERS ISRAEL EHUD DELIVERS THEM FROM MOAB, AND SLAYS TEW 
 
 THOUSAND MEN. 
 
 "AND the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, 
 Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. And 
 they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their 
 daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the chil- 
 dren of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the 
 Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Therefore 
 the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them 
 into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. 
 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord 
 raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered 
 them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 
 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged 
 Israel, and went out to war; and the Lord delivered Chusan- 
 rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And the land 
 had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died." 
 
 "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of 
 the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab 
 against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the 
 Lord. And he gathered unto him Ammon and Amalek, and 
 went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees. So 
 the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen 
 years. But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, 
 the Lord raised up Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man 
 left-handed ; and by him the children of Israel sent a pre- 
 sent unto Eglon the- king of Moab. But Ehud made him 
 a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length ; and he did 
 gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh, and he brought 
 the present unto Eglon king of Moab : and Eglon was a very 
 fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, 
 he sent away the people that bare the present. But he him- 
 
218 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 self turned again from the quarries that were in Gil gal, and 
 said, I have a secret errand unto thee, king: who said, Keep 
 silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And 
 Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer-parlour, 
 which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a 
 message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. 
 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from 
 his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the haft also 
 went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, so 
 that he could not draw the dagger out again." Then Ehud 
 went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the par- 
 lour upon him, and locked them. When the servants came 
 and saw that the doors of the parlour were locked, they sup- 
 posed that he wished to be in privacy, and they waited a long 
 time, until they were ashamed. At length they took a key 
 and opened the door, and behold their lord was fallen down 
 dead upon the earth. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, 
 and passed beyond the quarries, and fled to Seirath. And he 
 blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel 
 went down with him from the mount; and he said, "Follow 
 me, for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, 
 into your hand; and they went down after him and took the 
 fords of Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass 
 over ; and they slew of Moab at that time, about ten thousand 
 men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a 
 man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of 
 Israel; and the land had rest fourscore years." 
 
 SECTION XVII. 
 
 SHAMGAR DEBORAH JUDGES ISRAEL BARAK ASSOCIATED WITH HER THE TRIBES 
 SUMMONED TO THE HELP OF THE LORD AGAINST JABIN SISERA DEFEATED HIS 
 DEATH BY THE HAND OF JAEL SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK. 
 
 THE next deliverer raised up to Israel after Ehud, was Sham- 
 gar, the son of Anath ; but of him, only one particular action 
 is left on record, but this is a very remarkable one, and shows 
 that in bodily strength he must have been indeed a mighty 
 man. The event to which reference has been made, is, that 
 with an ox-goad, he slew of the Philistines six hundred men : 
 and it seems, that by this heroic act he delivered Israel from 
 subjection to these troublesome neighbours. As no period of 
 time is mentioned, during which Shamgar ruled over the people, 
 it is probable, that he is only mentioned as a deliverer on ac- 
 count of this one extraordinary exploit. 
 
 "And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the 
 Lord, when Ehud was dead ; and the Lord sold them into the 
 hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, the cap- 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 219 
 
 tain of -whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the 
 Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord ; for 
 Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron ; and twenty years he 
 mightily oppressed the children of Israel." 
 
 At that time the Lord raised up a woman to be a prophetess, 
 and to exercise judgment over his people Israel. Her name 
 was Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth ; and her usual residence 
 was under a palm-tree, between Beth-el and Ramah, in mount 
 Ephraim ; to which place the Israelites resorted for judgment. 
 
 Under the impulse of Divine inspiration, Deborah sent and 
 called Barak the son of Abinoam, out of Naphtali, and said 
 unto him, " Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, say- 
 ing, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten 
 thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and the children of 
 Zebulun; and I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, 
 Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and 
 his multitude, and I will deliver him into thine hand. And 
 Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: 
 but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she 
 said, I will surely go with thee ; notwithstanding the journey 
 that thou takest shall not be for thine honour, for the Lord shall 
 sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and 
 went with Barak to Kedesh ; and Barak called Zebulun and 
 Naphtali to Kedesh. And he went up with ten thousand men 
 at his feet, and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the 
 Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab, the father-in-law 
 of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched 
 his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. And 
 they showed Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, was gone 
 up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his 
 chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from 
 Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And 
 Deborah said unto Barak, Up, for this is the day in which the 
 Lord hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; is .not the Lord gone 
 up before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and 
 ten thousand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, 
 and all his chariots and all his host, with the edge of the 
 sword, before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his cha- 
 riot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the 
 chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles; 
 and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and 
 there was not a man left. Howbeit, Sisera fled away on his 
 feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite ; for 
 there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the 
 house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet 
 Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear 
 not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she 
 
220 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I 
 pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty ; and she 
 opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink, and covered him. 
 Again he said, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, 
 when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there 
 any man here ? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael, Heber's 
 wife, took a nail of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, 
 and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, 
 and fastened it into the ground, (for he was fast asleep and 
 weary,) so he died. And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael 
 came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will 
 show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came 
 into her tent, behold Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his 
 temples : so God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Ca- 
 naan before the children of Israel." 
 
 Upon occasion of this victory, Deborah and Barak sang a 
 song of triumph and of praise. It abounds with striking 
 thoughts and bold figures, and may be taken as a specimen of 
 the earliest poetry. The only song or poem, of earlier date, 
 which has come down to us, is the song composed by Moses, 
 and sung by Miriam, with her female companions, after cross- 
 ing the Red sea. The reader will be gratified by some extracts 
 from an ancient poetical composition. 
 
 " Praise ye the Lord, for the avenging of Israel, 
 When the people willingly offered themselves. 
 Hear, ye kings, give ear, ye princes : 
 I, even I, will sing unto the Lord, 
 I will sing praise to the God of Israel. 
 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, 
 When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, 
 The earth trembled, and the heavens dropped ; 
 The clouds also dropped water. 
 The mountains melted from before the Lord ; 
 That Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. 
 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath ; 
 In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, 
 And the travellers walked through by-ways. 
 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, 
 They ceased in Israel, until that I, Deborah, arose 
 That I arose, a mother in Israel. 
 They chose new gods then was war in the gates ; 
 Was there a shield or a spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 
 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, 
 That offered themselves willingly among the people. 
 
 Bless ye the Lord. 
 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, 
 Ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 
 From the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water ; 
 There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord ; 
 Even the righteous acts towards the villages in Israel ; 
 Then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 221 
 
 Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song : 
 Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, 
 
 Thou son of Abinoam. 
 
 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion 
 Over the nobles, among the people. 
 The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. 
 Out of Ephraim was a root of them against Amalek. 
 After thee, Benjamin, among thy people. 
 Out of Machir came down governors, 
 And out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. 
 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, 
 Even Issachar ; and also Barak. 
 He was sent on foot into the valley. 
 
 For the divisions of Reuben, were great thoughts of heart. 
 Why abodest thou among the sheep-folds, 
 To hear the bleatings of the flocks? 
 
 For the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart. 
 Gilead abode beyond Jordan : 
 And why did Dan remain in ships ? 
 
 Asher continued on the sea-shore, and abode in his breaches. 
 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people 
 
 That jeoparded their lives unto the death, in the high-places of the field. 
 The kings came and fought ; 
 Then fought the kings of Canaan, 
 In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. 
 They took no gain of money. 
 They fought from heaven 
 The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 
 The river of Kishon swept them away 
 That ancient river the river of Kishon. 
 0, my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. 
 Then were the horse-hoofs broken 
 
 By the means of their prancings the prancings of their mighty ones. 
 Curse ye Meroz said the angel of the Lord 
 Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: 
 Because they came not to the help of the Lord 
 To the help of the Lord against the mighty. 
 
 Blessed among women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be : 
 Blessed shall she be above women, in the tent. 
 He asked water, and she gave him milk ; 
 She brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 
 She put her hand to the nail, 
 And her right hand to the workman's hammer ; 
 And with the hammer she smote Sisera: 
 She smote off his head, when she had pierced, 
 And stricken through his temples. 
 At her feet he bowed he fell he lay down 
 At her feet he bowed he fell 
 Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. 
 
 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, 
 
 And cried through the lattice, 
 
 Why is his chariot so long in coming? 
 
 Why tarry the wheels of his chariots .? 
 
 Her wise ladies answered her 
 
 Yea, she returned answer to herself: 
 
 Have they not sped have they not divided the prey? 
 
 To every man a damsel or two 
 
 To Sisera a prey of divers colours of needle-work 
 
222 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Of divers colours of needle-work on both sides, 
 Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil. 
 
 So let thine enemies perish, Lord : 
 
 But let them that love him be as the sun 
 
 When he goeth forth in his might." 
 
 In this song, those tribes who "willingly came forward to fight 
 the battles of the Lord, are celebrated with due praise ; but 
 severe censures are passed on those who remained at home at 
 this time, when the services of all were needed. Ephraim, Ben- 
 jamin, Zebulun, and Naphtali, are recorded as having done their 
 duty. While Reuben, on account of his divisions and internal 
 distractions, was not in a situation to render any aid. And 
 Dan and Asher, though near to the field of battle, clung to their 
 ships and sea-coast, and furnished no help in the contest. But 
 why do we hear nothing of Judah, commonly the foremost in 
 all pious enterprises; and on whose borders the battle was 
 fought? I know not the answer to this question. One place, 
 no where else mentioned in Scripture, is here made memorable, 
 by the curse denounced against it by the angel of the Lord, 
 for not coming up to the help 'of the Lord against the mighty. 
 Why Meroz was singled out for this anathema, when so many 
 others were delinquent, cannot now be ascertained. But this 
 city stands as a beacon to all future generations. 
 
 SECTION XVIII. 
 
 MIDIAN OPPRESSES ISRAEL A NAMELESS PROPHET IS SENT WITH A MESSAGE FROM 
 GOD TO ISRAEL THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO GIDEON, WHO SACRI- 
 FICES A KID TO JEHOVAH, AND THE ANGEL, AFTER DELIVERING HIS MESSAGE, 
 
 ASCENDS IN THE FLAME GIDEON THROWS DOWN THE ALTAR OF BAAL BY DIVINE 
 
 DIRECTION JOASH, GIDEON'S FATHER, REFUSES TO GIVE HIM UP A GREAT HOST 
 GATHERED AGAINST ISRAEL GIDEON COLLECTS THE PEOPLE ASKS FOR A TWO- 
 FOLD SIGN, WHICH IS GRANTED. 
 
 THE national distresses of Israel, in every instance, were owing 
 to their transgressions. The language of the sacred history is, 
 "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord," and 
 then the Lord "sold them," or "delivered them into the hands 
 of their enemies." The, nation which next obtained the domi- 
 nion over them, was Midian ; and their rule was exceedingly 
 oppressive ; so that the children of Israel were driven to take 
 refuge in the dens of the mountains, and in the caves and 
 strongholds. And the labours of agriculture were rendered al- 
 most useless, for when " Israel had sown, the Midianites and 
 Amalekites, and the children of the east, carne up against them. 
 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase 
 of the earth, till thou came unto Gaza ; and left no sustenance 
 for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. Tor they came up 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 223 
 
 with their cattle, and their tents, and they came as grasshop- 
 pers, for multitude ; for both they and their camels were with- 
 out number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And 
 Israel was greatly impovei'ished because of the Midianites, and 
 the children of Israel cried unto the Lord." It is a remarka- 
 ble evidence of the goodness, long-suffering, and gracious con- 
 descension of the Lord, that in all cases when the people cried 
 unto him, he mercifully interposed for their deliverance. On 
 this occasion, he sent a prophet, who said, " Thus saith the 
 Lord God of Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt, and 
 brought you forth out of the house of bondage. And I de- 
 livered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the 
 hand of all that oppressed you ; and drove them out from be- 
 fore you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, that 
 I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites 
 in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not obeyed my voice." 
 Whence this prophet came, or whither he went after he had de- 
 livered his message, we are not informed; neither are we able 
 to tell his name, or designate the family or tribe to which he 
 belonged. This mission of a prophet was evidently intended 
 to bring the people to repentance for their sins in departing 
 from the worship of Jehovah, and going after the gods of the 
 Amorites. 
 
 But a more august ambassador was now sent. " The angel 
 of the Lord came and sat under an oak, which was in Ophrah, 
 that belonged to Joash, the Abi-ezrite ; and his son Gideon 
 threshed wheat by the wine-press, to hide it from the Midian- 
 ites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said 
 unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 
 And Gideon said unto him, my Lord, if the Lord be with 
 us, why then is all this befallen us ? And where be all his 
 miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord 
 bring us up from Egypt ? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, 
 and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the 
 Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou 
 shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites : have not I 
 sent thee? And he said unto him, my Lord, wherewith 
 shall I save Israel ? Behold my family is poor in Manasseh, 
 and I am the least in my father's house. And the Lord said 
 unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the 
 Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have 
 found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest 
 with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto 
 thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And 
 he said, I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon went 
 in and made ready a kid, and leavened cakes of an ephah of 
 flour ; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a 
 
224 HISTORY OF THE ISBAELITISH NATION. 
 
 pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it. 
 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the 
 unleavened cakes, and lay them upon the rock, and pour out 
 the broth ; and he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put 
 forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the 
 flesh and the unleavened cakes, and there rose up fire out of the 
 rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then 
 the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And when 
 Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon 
 said, Alas, Lord God ! for because I have seen an angel of 
 the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto him, Peace be 
 unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an 
 altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom." And 
 this altar remained for many years in Ophrah of the Abi- 
 ezrites. The Lord now gave direction that he should, on that 
 very night, throw down the altar of Baal, which was erected on 
 a rock in {hat place, and should build there an altar to the 
 Lord, and offer upon it the second bullock of seven years old ; 
 and he was directed also to cut down the idolatrous grove, 
 which had been planted by the altar of Baal, and to use the 
 wood for the burnt-sacrifice which he was about to offer. " Then 
 Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had 
 said unto him; and so it was, because he feared his father's 
 household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by 
 day, he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose 
 early in the morning, behold the altar of Baal was cast down, 
 and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bul- 
 lock was offered on the altar that was built. And they said 
 one to another, Who hath done this thing ? And when they 
 inquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, hath 
 done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, 
 Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast 
 down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the 
 grove that was by it. And Joash said to all that stood against 
 him, Will ye plead for Baal ? Will ye save him ? He that 
 will plead for him, let him be put to death, whilst it is yet 
 morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because 
 one hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called 
 him Jerubbaal." 
 
 " Then all the Midianites, and Amalekites, and the children 
 of the east, were gathered together ; and they went over and 
 pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord 
 came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abi-ezer was 
 gathered after him. And he sent messengers throughout all 
 Manasseh, who also was gathered after him. And he sent 
 messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali, 
 and they came up to meet them. And Gideon said unto God, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 225 
 
 If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said," let the 
 sign which I request be granted. " Behold, I will put a fleece 
 of wool in the floor, and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it 
 be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou 
 wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was 
 so: for he rose up early in the morning, and thrust the fleece 
 together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece; a bowl-full of 
 water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot 
 against me, and I will speak but this once : let me prove, I pray 
 thee, but this once with the fleece ; let it now be dry only upon 
 the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God 
 did so that night ; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and 
 there was dew on all the ground." 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 GIDEON COLLECTS HIS FORCES A MERE HANDFUL IN COMPARISON OF MIDIAN, YET 
 
 THE LORD TELLS HIM THERE ARE TOO MANY ALL ARE DISMISSED EXCEPT THREE 
 
 HUNDRED GIDEON GOES TO THE MIDIANITISH HOST, AND HEARS A DREAM 
 WHICH ENCOURAGES HIM THE ENEMY ARE THROWN INTO CONFUSION, AND SLAY 
 ONE ANOTHER TWO PRINCES OF THE MIDIANITES ARE TAKEN, ORES AND ZEEB 
 THEIR HEADS CUT OFF. 
 
 WHEN Gideon had collected his forces, he pitched by the well of 
 Harod ; and the Midianites were on the north side of them, in 
 the valley, by the hill Moreh. Although the men of Israel who 
 were with Gideon, were few in comparison of the host of Midian, 
 yet in the Lord's account they were too many; for he said unto 
 Gideon, " The people that are with thee are too many for me 
 to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt them- 
 selves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now, 
 therefore, go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 
 Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return, and depart early 
 from mount Gilead ; and there returned of the people twenty 
 and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the 
 Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many, bring 
 them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there." 
 The method of trial, which, by Divine direction, decided who 
 were to go and who return, was singular. Gideon was com- 
 manded to place by themselves as many of the men as took up 
 the water in their hands, and lapped it as a dog ; but all those 
 who bowed down on their knees to drink were directed to re- 
 turn home. And the number of them that lapped, putting their 
 hand to their mouth, were three hundred men. And the Lord 
 said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped, will I 
 save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. So the ' 
 people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets, and went 
 forth to meet the Midianites, who lay encamped in the valley 
 15 
 
226 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 beneath. "And the Lord said unto Gideon, Arise, get thee 
 down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thy hand. But 
 if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant, 
 down to the host, and thou shalt hear what they say, and after- 
 wards shall thy hands be strengthened to go down unto the 
 host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant, unto the 
 outside of the armed men that were in the host. And the Midi- 
 anites and the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay 
 along the valley, like grasshoppers for multitude, and their 
 camels were without number, as the sand by the sea-side for 
 multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold there was a 
 man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, I dreamed a 
 dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the host of 
 Midian, and came unto a tent and smote it, that it fell, and 
 overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered 
 and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son 
 of Joash, a man of Israel : into his hand hath God delivered 
 Midian, and all the host. And when Gideon heard the dream, 
 and the interpretation thereof, he worshipped, and returned to 
 the host of Israel, and said, Arise, for the Lord hath delivered 
 Midian into your hand. And he divided the three hundred 
 men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every 
 man's hand, with empty pitchers, with lamps within the pitchers. 
 And he said unto them, When I come unto the outside of the 
 camp, as I do, so shall ye do. When I, and all that are with 
 me, blow with the trumpet, then blow ye the trumpets also, on 
 every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord and 
 of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with 
 him, came to the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the 
 middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch; and they 
 blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their 
 hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake 
 their pitchers; and held the lamps in their hands, and the 
 trumpets in their right hands, to blow withal ; and they cried, 
 The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And they stood, every 
 man in his place, round about the camp; and all the host ran, 
 and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets; 
 and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even 
 throughout all the host ; and the host fled to Beth-shittah in 
 Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. 
 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together, out of 
 Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of Manasseh, and pursued 
 after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers through all 
 mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, 
 and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. 
 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb ; 
 and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 227 
 
 the wine-press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian and brought the 
 heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon." 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 THE MEN OF EPHRAIM COMPLAIN OF GIDEON THE CONDUCT OF THE MEN OF SUCCOTH 
 
 AND PENUEL ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA, KINGS OF MIDIAN, TAKEN AND SLAIN THE 
 
 PEOPLE WISH TO MAKE GIDEON THEIR PERMANENT AND HEREDITARY RULER HE 
 REFUSES HIS IDOLATRY MIDIAN SUBDUED THE PEOPLE ENJOY A LONG REPOSE. 
 
 "AND the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served 
 us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight 
 with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 
 And he said unto them, What have I done now 'in comparison 
 of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better 
 than the vintage of Abi-ezer ? God hath delivered into your 
 hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb ; and what was I 
 able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated 
 towards him, when he had said that. And Gideon came to 
 Jordan, and passed over, he and the three hundred men that 
 were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto 
 the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the 
 people that follow me ; for they be faint, and I am pursuing 
 after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. And the princes 
 of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in 
 thine hands, that we should give bread unto thine army ? And 
 Gideon said, Therefore, when the Lord hath delivered Zebah 
 and Zalmunna into mine hand, then will I tear your flesh with 
 the thorns of the wilderness, and with briers. And he went up 
 thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise ; and the men. 
 of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered 
 him. And he spake unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I 
 come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Now Zebah 
 and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, 
 about fifteen thousand men ; all that were left of all the hosts 
 of the children of the east; for there fell an hundred and 
 twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up 
 by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east side of 
 Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, for the host was 
 secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after 
 them, and took the two kings of Midian, and discomfited the 
 host, and returned from the battle before the sun was up, and 
 caught a young man of Succoth, and inquired of him, and he 
 described the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof; even 
 threescore and seventeen men. And he came unto the men of 
 Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna with whom 
 ye did upbraid me, saying, are the hands of Zebah and Zal- 
 
228 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 munna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy 
 men that are weary? And he took the elders of the city, and 
 thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught 
 the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, 
 and slew the men of the city. And he said unto Zebah and 
 Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at 
 Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they: each 
 one resembled the children of a king. And he said, They 
 were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord 
 liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. And 
 he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them : but the 
 youth drew not his sword ; for he feared, because he was yet a 
 youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall 
 upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon 
 arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the orna- 
 ments that were on their camels' necks." 
 
 So great a deliverance having been wrought by the hands of 
 Gideon, the people were very desirous that he should become 
 their permanent governor. "Rule thou over us," said they, 
 "both thou and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast 
 delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto 
 them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over 
 you. The Lord shall rule over you." This conduct of Gideon 
 was both pious and disinterested. Men, in common, are disposed 
 to grasp at power, whenever the prize is within their reach, and 
 make little inquiry whether they can rightly exercise it or not. 
 But Gideon understood that God himself had undertaken to be 
 the king over Israel, and therefore he was right in declining 
 the authority with which they wished to invest him. He was, 
 however, contaminated with the idolatry in the midst of which 
 he had so long lived; and now he requested of his men, that 
 every one should give him the ear-rings of his prey; for many 
 of the people whom they conquered, being Ishmaelites, wore 
 golden ear-rings. These were they who by the sacred historian 
 are called "the children of the east;" for the Ishmaelites or 
 Arabians dwelt on the east of Palestine. It seems, however, 
 that from a very early period, the Midianites and Ishmaelites 
 were mingled together, as the travelling merchants to whom 
 Joseph was sold by his brethren are called both Midianites and 
 Ishmaelites; or the Ishmaelites may have been called Mid- 
 ianites. 
 
 Gideon's army made not the least objection to this proposal of 
 their leader, but said, " We will willingly give them. And they 
 spread a garment, and did cast therein, every man, the ear- 
 rings of his prey ; and the weight of the ear-rings was a thou- 
 sand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides ornaments, and 
 collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 229 
 
 and the chains that were on their camels' necks." Now the 
 request of Gideon did not proceed from avarice, but from a love 
 of idols ; for having received this large present of gold, he pro- 
 ceeded to make an ephod, and placed it in Ophrah, the city 
 where he dwelt. And this became a snare not only to himself, 
 but to all Israel ; for they were led away to worship this golden 
 ephod. 
 
 Midian being completely subdued, the people of Israel en- 
 joyed a long repose; and Gideon continued long among them, 
 even forty years ; but he married many wives, and had a nume- 
 rous offspring; for the sacred historian informs us, that he had 
 no less than seventy sons by his wives ; and one, afterwards 
 more distinguished than all the rest, by his concubine, who 
 dwelt in Shechem. The name of this last was Abimelech. 
 Gideon, who was also called Jerubbaal, " died in a good old 
 age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in 
 Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites." 
 
 Perhaps Gideon's object in making the golden ephod, which 
 became a snare to Israel, was to draw the people off from the 
 worship of Baalim; for as soon as he was dead, we read "that 
 they made Baal-berith their god. And they remembered not 
 the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands 
 of all their enemies on every side. Neither showed they kind- 
 ness to the house of Gideon, according to all the goodness which 
 he had showed unto Israel." 
 
 SECTION XXI. 
 
 AMBITION OF ABIMELECH THE SON OF GIDEON HIS CRUELTY THE PARABLE OF 
 
 JOTHAM TRANSACTIONS AT SHECHEM CONTEST OF OAAL AND ZEBUL ABIMELECH 
 SUDDENLY COMES AND SMITES BAAL AND HIS PAKTY ABIMELECH KILLED BY A 
 WOMAN. 
 
 ALTHOUGH Gideon was free from ambition, and refused to be 
 king over his people when they requested it, and promised to 
 make the office hereditary in his family, yet a very different 
 spirit actuated Abimelech, his son by his concubine; for no 
 sooner was his father out of the way, than he began to intrigue 
 with the inhabitants of Shechem, where his mother's friends 
 appear to have had influence, to make him king over them. 
 And as the seventy legitimate sons of Gideon stood in the way 
 of his ambition, he did not cease from his machinations until he 
 accomplished the destruction of all of them except one, who 
 escaped the general massacre of his brothers at Ophrah, by 
 concealing himself. The name of this only survivor of the 
 seventy sons of Jerubbaal was Jotham. The people of Shechem 
 and Millo now proceeded to make Abimelech king, which trans- 
 
230 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 action took place " by the plain of the pillar that was in She- 
 chem." When Jotham heard of this ungrateful proceeding 
 towards his father's house, "he went and stood in the top of 
 mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto 
 them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may 
 hearken unto you." Then he delivered the following apologue 
 or parable, the first composition of this kind of which we have 
 any account, and which contained a cutting sarcasm on the in- 
 habitants of Shechem, for making such a worthless man as Abi- 
 melech their king. "The trees," said he, "went forth on a time 
 to anoint a king over them ; and they said unto the olive tree, 
 Reign thou over us ; but the olive tree said unto them, Should I 
 leave my fatness, whereby they honour God and man, and go to 
 be promoted over the trees ? And the trees said to the fig tree, 
 Come thou and reign over us ; but the fig tree said unto them, 
 Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be 
 promoted over the trees ? Then said the trees unto the vine, 
 Come thou and reign over us; and the vine said unto them, 
 Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to 
 be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the 
 bramble, Come thou and reign over us ; and the bramble said unto 
 the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and 
 put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of 
 the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon." Jotham 
 having uttered this beautiful but cutting fable in the hearing of 
 the Shechemites, with great severity reproached them for their 
 ungrateful and cruel conduct towards his father's house ; putting 
 it to their own consciences to answer whether they had acted 
 "truly and sincerely in making Abimelech king;" and whether 
 they had "dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, according 
 to the deserving of his hands." "For," said he, "my father 
 fought for you, and adventured his life far; and delivered you 
 out of the hand of Midian : and ye are risen up against my 
 father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and 
 ten persons upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son 
 of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he 
 is your brother. If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with 
 Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abi- 
 melech, and let him also rejoice in you; but if not, let fire come 
 out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the 
 house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, 
 and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech." "And 
 Jotham," having delivered this speech on mount Gerizim, "ran 
 away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for fear of 
 Abimelech, his brother." 
 
 Men of cruelty and blood are, in the course of a righteous 
 providence, commonly overtaken sooner or later with condign 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 231 
 
 punishment: "Their sin will find them out." And frequently 
 the very people whom they have made the instruments of their 
 cruelty become the executors of God's vengeance upon them. 
 This was the fact in regard to the Shechemites, whom Abime- 
 lech had employed as his agents in putting to a violent death 
 the seventy sons of his father; for these same people began 
 now to conspire against Abimelech their king; or, as it is 
 strongly expressed in the sacred history, " God sent an evil 
 spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the 
 men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech ; that the 
 cruelty done unto the three-score and ten sons of Jerubbaal 
 might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their bro- 
 ther, who slew them ; and upon the men of Shechem Avho aided 
 him in the killing of his brethren." 
 
 Abimelech did not make Shechem his usual place of resi- 
 dence, but Arumah, which was at some distance; and Zebul 
 acted as his deputy at Shechem, where he had been left the 
 governor. But there came into the city a certain man by the 
 name of Gaal, with a number of others, his associates; thia 
 man appears to have been of insinuating manners and popular 
 address ; for he soon gained the confidence of the Shechemites, 
 which Zebul the deputy of Abimelech could not prevent. 
 At the season of the vintage, which was always a time of joy 
 and festivity, and also of religious services in honour of their 
 gods, this man went out with the people to the vineyards. 
 When the people of Shechem had gathered their grapes, and 
 trode them in the wine-press, and when they were thus feast- 
 ing in the house of their god, and their hearts were merry ; 
 while they did eat and drink, they were induced, no doubt 
 by the influence of Gaal and his associates, to curse Abimelech 
 the king, whom they had placed over them. "And Gaal him- 
 self said, who is Abimelech, that we should serve him ? Is not 
 he 'the son of Jerubbaal? and is not Zebul his deputy?" 
 " Would to God the people were under my hand, I would soon 
 remove Abimelech." This seditious discourse of Gaal and 
 the people greatly provoked Zebul the governor ; and he sent 
 messengers privily unto Abimelech, and informed the king of 
 the treasonable speeches which had been made ; and, moreover, 
 that they were about fortifying the city against him. He 
 advised Abimelech to rise up by night with his people, and to 
 lie in wait in the fields or forests near the city ; that as soon as 
 the sun was up, and the gates should be opened, he might 
 attack the city ; and when Gaal and the people came forth to 
 repel the assault, and to pursue the assailants, as being igno- 
 rant of their number, Abimelech might fall upon them and 
 obtain an easy victory. This course was pursued by Abime- 
 lech, and he arose in the night ; and dividing his men into four 
 
232 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 companies, he laid wait round about Shechem. In the morn- 
 ing Gaal went out and stood in the gate, not being aware of 
 the ambush which was round about the town ; and when he saw 
 the men of Abimelech approaching, who had risen up from 
 their ambush, he said to Zebul, the governor of the city, 
 "Behold there come people down from the top of the moun- 
 tains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the 
 mountains, as if they were men. And Gaal spoke again, and 
 said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land ; 
 and another company comes along by the plain. Zebul well 
 knew who they were that were approaching; and feeling con- 
 fident that Abimelech would be able to overcome the conspi- 
 rators, and seize the city, he said, "Where is now the mouth 
 which said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him ? Is 
 not this the people whom thou hast despised ? Go out, now, I 
 pray thee, and fight with them." Gaal, finding that he must 
 either fight or submit, went out with the men of Shechem who 
 had conspired with him, and fought with Abimelech ; but he 
 was unable to withstand him, and fled before him, and many 
 were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering in of 
 the gate. On the next day, Gaal and the people of Shechem 
 went forth from the city ; for Zebul the governor forced them 
 to depart; his party having, by this time, become the strongest. 
 As soon as Abimelech had notice of this movement, he divided 
 his forces into three companies, and laid wait ; so that as soon 
 as they came into the field he arose upon them and smote 
 them. And Abimelech and his company rushed forward and 
 stood in the entering of the gate of the city, to cut off the 
 retreat of the conspirators; and then the other companies fell 
 upon those that were in the field, and slew them ; and having 
 defeated those that had come out, he now assaulted the city 
 and took it, the same day, and slew the inhabitants who had 
 rebelled against him ; and beat down the walls and sowed the 
 place with salt. Part of the people of Shechem, however, had 
 retreated to a hold connected with the temple of the god 
 Berith. When Abimelech was informed that many had taken 
 refuge in this tower, he took an axe in his hand, and cut down 
 a bough from the trees; and took it and laid it on his shoulder, 
 and commanded his men to do likewise, and they set fire to the 
 hold and burnt it, with about a thousand persons who had fled 
 thither for refuge. Thus the city of Shechem was brought to 
 desolation, and its inhabitants were utterly destroyed ; a just 
 punishment for their cruel and ungrateful conduct towards the 
 house of Gideon. 
 
 And Abimelech himself did not long escape the vengeance of 
 a righteous Providence ; for having obtained such a signal vic- 
 tory over the Shechemites, he went on to besiege another city, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 233 
 
 the name of which was Thebez ; and he took it ; but there was 
 here also a strong tower, into which the inhabitants fled, and 
 into which they carried their most valuable property. While 
 he was pressing on the siege of this tower, and had come near 
 to it to set it on fire, as he had done at Shechem, " a certain 
 woman cast a piece of a mill-stone upon Abimelech's head, 
 and all to break his skull. Then he called hastily unto the 
 young man, his armour-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy 
 sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, a woman slew him. 
 And his young man thrust him through, and he died." Here we 
 see that the ruling passion of this ambitious man was strong in 
 death. "Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, 
 which he did unto his father's house, in slaying his seventy 
 brethren. And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God 
 render upon their heads ; and upon them came the curse of 
 Jotham the son of Jerubbaal." 
 
 SECTION XXII. 
 
 TOLA JUDGES ISRAEL FOR TWENTY TEARS IS SUCCEEDED BY JAIR THE ISRAEL- 
 ITES DECLINE TO IDOLATRY FALL UNDER THE DOMINION OF AMMON A RE- 
 FORMATION COMMENCED JEPTHAH CALLED TO LEAD THE ARMY. 
 
 AFTER the death of Abimelech, the chief power, for twenty- 
 three years, was in the hands of Tola, the son of Puah, the son 
 of Dodo, of the tribe of Issachar. His usual place of residence 
 was at Shamir, on mount Ephraim. In this place also was he 
 buried ; but of his character, or achievements, no record has 
 been left. 
 
 Tola was succeeded by Jair, a Gileadite, who continued in 
 office two and twenty years. The only remarkable thing which 
 is recorded of him, is, that he had thirty sons, who rode on 
 thirty ass-colts, and possessed thirty cities, which for a long 
 time were called Havoth-jair. These cities were situated in 
 the land of Gilead. We are not informed in what city Jair had 
 his residence, but the place of his burial was Camon. 
 
 "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the 
 Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, 
 and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of 
 the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and 
 forsook the Lord, and served not him. And the anger of the 
 Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands 
 of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Am- 
 mon." The oppression which took place bore heaviest on the 
 tribes who inhabited the east side of Jordan, in the land of 
 Gilead ; but after a while the Ammonites passed over Jordan, 
 and invaded the territory of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, 
 
234 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 so that the whole of Israel was sorely distressed. In this ex- 
 tremity, "the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, 
 We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken 
 our God, and have served Baalim. And the Lord said unto 
 the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, 
 and from the Amorites ; from the children of Ammon, and from 
 the Philistines. The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and 
 the Maonites, did oppress you, and I delivered you out of their 
 hand : yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods ; where- 
 fore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods 
 which ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your 
 tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, 
 We have sinned : do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto 
 thee : deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put 
 away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord ; 
 and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." 
 
 As the children of Israel had now, by penitence and public 
 confession, commenced a reformation, and of course would be 
 disposed to cast off the oppressive yoke of their enemies, the 
 Ammonites, their oppressors, collected an army, and encamped 
 in Gilead, intending to inflict a heavy punishment upon the 
 tribes of Israel. But the children of Israel were not disposed 
 any longer to submit, and therefore they also assembled their 
 forces, and encamped in Mizpeh. "And the people and princes 
 of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin 
 to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head 
 over all the inhabitants of Gilead." There lived, at this time, 
 "a mighty man of valour," by the name of Jephthah. He was 
 an illegitimate son of Gilead; but as he had sons by his lawful 
 wives, these, as soon "as they were grown up, thrust out Jeph- 
 thah, and said unto him, thou shalt not inherit our father's 
 house ; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jeph- 
 thah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob, where 
 he gained influence, and probably lived by predatory incursions 
 into the neighbouring countries ; for we read, " that there were 
 gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him." Tob 
 was probably in Arabia, which was adjacent to the country of 
 Gilead ; and we know that the inhabitants of that country, 
 from the days of their forefather Ishmael, have been "wild 
 men," and have subsisted by carrying on a predatory warfare 
 against the surrounding nations. Their hands were against 
 every man, and every man's hand was against them. 
 
 The elders of Gilead being well acquainted with the valour 
 and military talents of Jephthah, sent a deputation of their num- 
 ber to fetch him from Tob, to aid them, or rather preside over 
 them, as their captain, in the existing war against the Ammon- 
 ites; for their message to him was, "Come, and be our captain, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 235 
 
 that we may fight with the children of Ammon." "And Jeph- 
 thah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and 
 expel me out of my father's house ? And why are ye come 
 unto me now when ye are in distress?" The elders of Gilead 
 assured Jephthah that they were now sincerely desirous of having 
 him for their chief and head, over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 
 And they confirmed their declaration by a solemn oath, saying, 
 " The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to 
 thy words." Upon which, Jephthah consented to go with them, 
 and to take upon himself the charge of the war against the Am- 
 monites. "And the people made him head and captain over 
 them:" and Jephthah entered into a solemn engagement with 
 them, before the Lord, in Mizpeh. 
 
 SECTION XXIII. 
 
 JEPHTHAH ATTEMPTS TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE BY NEGOTIATION CLAIMS OF THE 
 
 KING OF AMJHOK JEPHTHAH'S JUST VIEW OF THE WHOLE SUBJECT IN HIS ABLE 
 
 AN8WEK. 
 
 JEPHTHAH being now invested with the chief command of the 
 forces of Israel, determined, as became a wise and patriotic 
 man, to make an effort to obtain a redress of grievances by 
 negotiation. He, therefore, sent ambassadors to the king of 
 the Ammonites, instructed to address to him a solemn memorial 
 and remonstrance, in which he clearly exhibited the justice of 
 the cause of Israel. These ambassadors were directed, first, to 
 say, "What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against 
 me to fight in my land?" To which message, the king of Am- 
 mon answered, "Because Israel took away my land, when they 
 came up out of Egypt, even from Arnon unto Jabbok, and unto 
 Jordan ; now, therefore, restore those lands again peaceably." To 
 which Jephthah, by his messengers, replied, "Israel took not 
 away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon. 
 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the 
 wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh, then Israel 
 sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray 
 thee, pass through thy land ; but the king of Edom would not 
 hearken thereto ; and in like manner they sent unto the king of 
 Moab, and he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 
 Then they went through the wilderness, and compassed the 
 land of Edom; and came by the east side of the land of Moab, 
 and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within 
 the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab. And 
 Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the 
 king of Heshbon. And Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we 
 pray thee, through thy land, unto our place. But Sihon trusted 
 
236 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 not Israel to pass through his coast ; but Sihon gathered all 
 his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against 
 Israel ; and the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon, and all his 
 people, into the hand of Israel, and they smote them ; so Israel 
 possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that 
 country. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, 
 from Arnon even unto Jabbok ; and from the wilderness even 
 unto Jordan. So now the God of Israel hath dispossessed 
 the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou 
 possess it ? Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god 
 giveth thee to possess ? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall 
 drive out from before us, them will we possess. And now, art 
 thou any thing better than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of 
 Moab ? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight 
 against them, while Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, 
 and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along 
 by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years ? Why, therefore, 
 did ye not recover them within that time ? Wherefore I have 
 not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against 
 me. The Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between the chil- 
 dren of Israel and the children of Ammon." From this sensi- 
 ble and just remonstrance of Jephthah, it appears, that he pos- 
 sessed an accurate knowledge of the past history of the Israel- 
 ites. The narrative of events which he gives, agrees exactly 
 with the history contained in the books of Moses. There is 
 here also an important note of the period of time which had 
 elapsed since the children of Israel arrived at Jordan, on their 
 march from Egypt. Perhaps, however, a round number is used 
 by Jephthah, as coming near to the time; for precision as to the 
 exact number of years was not essential to his argument. He 
 mentions three hundred years, as the period during which the 
 children of Israel had had possession of the country now in 
 dispute. This period would be of great importance in fixing 
 the chronology of the Bible, if we could depend upon it as being 
 entirely exact, for it is extremely difficult to ascertain the time 
 which had elapsed from the length of the government of the 
 successive judges, since there might have been intervals when 
 no judge exercised authority over the people ; and we do not 
 know exactly how long it was from the entering Canaan to the 
 commencement of the authority of the first judge, after the 
 death of Joshua. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 237 
 
 SECTION XXIV. 
 
 JEPHTHAH'S VOW HIS DAUGHTER COMES OUT TO MEET HER FATHER HIS DISTRESS 
 
 HER PIETY AND SUBMISSION AN INQUIRY WHETHER JEPHTHAH ACTUALLY PUT 
 
 HIS DAUGHTER TO DEATH LAMENTATION FOR HER BY THE DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL. 
 
 NEGOTIATION having proved ineffectual to bring the Ammonites 
 to reasonable terms, Jephthah prepared for war. " Then the 
 Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over 
 Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and 
 he passed over unto the children of Ammon. And Jephthah 
 vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail 
 deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, then it shall be 
 that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet 
 me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall 
 surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering." 
 In the marginal reading, we have or instead of and, in this last 
 sentence; and this, many learned commentators consider the 
 true interpretation ; for although the Hebrew particle is used 
 for and, in a vast majority of instances, yet there are many 
 cases in which it must be rendered or, to make a sense con- 
 sistent with the context. And in this passage there exist 
 strong reasons for such an interpretation. Jephthah seems to 
 have been a man of sense, and to have had a regard for justice 
 and right. He was, moreover, according to the testimony of 
 Paul, a man distinguished for his faith, as his name is inserted 
 in the catalogue of eminent believers, which this apostle has 
 given us in the eleventh chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews : 
 and in this very passage, he is represented as acting under the 
 impulse of the Holy Spirit. Now it is not reasonable to sup- 
 pose that such a man would make a vow to offer as a burnt- 
 offering a human being, much less his own daughter, if one of 
 these should first come out of the house to meet him ? Or, 
 suppose a dog, or a swine, to have been the animal to meet 
 him, would he, as an Israelite, have dared to offer such a sacri- 
 fice on the altar of God ? Or would the high-priest have per- 
 mitted such a profanation. The vow to offer as a burnt-offer- 
 ing a human being, or an unclean animal, would have been an 
 impious vow, which God never could have accepted and an- 
 swered : but the vow of Jephthah was effectual. He obtained of 
 the Lord the very favour which he petitioned for in making this 
 vow. From all these considerations, I am disposed to favour 
 the marginal reading, and this opinion is confirmed by the 
 manner in which the execution of the vow is related; of which 
 an account will immediately be given. The sense of the vow, 
 then, according to this explanation, is, that if he should be suc- 
 cessful in overcoming Ammon, Jephthah promises, that what- 
 
238 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 ever person or animal should come out of his house to meet 
 him, should be devoted unto God ; or if an animal suitable for 
 sacrifice, should be offered up as a burnt-offering. " So Jeph- 
 thah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against 
 them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. And he 
 smote them from Aroer even until thou came to Minnith, 
 twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very 
 great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued 
 before the children of Israel. 
 
 "And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and, behold, his 
 daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances : 
 and she was his only child. Beside her he had neither son 
 nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that 
 he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast 
 brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble 
 me ; for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot 
 go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast 
 opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that 
 which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the 
 Lord hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even of 
 the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let 
 this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I 
 may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my vir- 
 ginity : I and my fellows. And he said, Go. And he sent her 
 away for two months ; and she went with her companions, and 
 bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to 
 pass, at the end of two months, that she returned unto her 
 father, who did with her according to the vow which he had 
 vowed : and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 
 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daugh- 
 ter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year." 
 
 The lamentation made in this case by Jephthah, was not 
 greater than was natural, upon the supposition that his 
 daughter was to spend her life in celibacy, in some re- 
 tired place: for this cut off all hope of offspring, the desire 
 of which is instinctive, and among the Israelites was pecu- 
 liarly strong ; so that to be without any one to be their heir 
 and successor, was deemed in that nation a grievous curse. 
 But if Jephthah had now felt himself bound by his vow to offer 
 up his daughter as a burnt-offering, his signs of sorrow would 
 have been much more violent. We may well suppose that he 
 would, instead of being contented with a single pathetic lamen- 
 tation, have rent his clothes, and laid himself down upon the 
 ground, covered with sackcloth and ashes, for at least seven 
 days. It is also reasonable to conjecture, that his eyes would 
 now have been opened to perceive the rashness and impiety of 
 such a vow ; and that he would now deeply lament his sin in 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 239 
 
 making it. And if the army of Israel interposed by force to 
 prevent king Saul from putting Jonathan to death, when he 
 had brought himself under the obligation of a vow to that effect, 
 we may well suppose that Jephthah would not have been per- 
 mitted to sacrifice his only child, if he had felt himself bound 
 to perform the act. The truth, however, is, that all such vows, 
 as being contrary to the law of God, cannot create a moral 
 obligation ; for then man, by his own wicked act, might nullify 
 the law of God. 
 
 Again, the way in which Jephthah's daughter received the 
 information of her father's vow, shows that it could not be 
 that she understood that she was to be offered up as a burnt- 
 offering. Certainly, the offering of human victims, except to 
 Moloch, was a thing unknown in Israel ; and the idea of being 
 thus sacrificed, must, at the first hearing of the intention, have 
 been shocking and overwhelming to the feelings of a young 
 female; and however ardent her filial piety, she could not so 
 calmly and cheerfully have requested her father to fulfil his 
 vow; especially, her piety if at all enlightened, would have 
 revolted against being made a sacrifice in direct violation of the 
 law of God. The request to spend two months with her com- 
 panions, "to lament her virginity," seems to prove that the 
 vow of Jephthah related not to the death of his daughter, but to 
 a life of celibacy in some recluse place. That there did exist 
 some custom of this kind in Israel, is probable, from many 
 sources of evidence. The same conclusion is deducible from 
 the statement, that she never had intercourse with any man ; 
 which on any other supposition would be a strange and irrele- 
 vant remark. 
 
 The record, "that Jephthah did with her according to his 
 vow" is scarcely reconcilable with the idea that he killed his 
 child. The sacred historian would have entered more into the 
 circumstances of an action so extraordinary, as we find done in 
 the case of Abraham, when commanded to offer up Isaac for a 
 burnt-offering. And we might have expected some remark to 
 justify or condemn the act, lest it should be inferred from the 
 bare mention of the fact, that such vows, and such actions in 
 fulfilment of them, were lawful to other persons. 
 
 The last sentence in the history of this transaction is difficult 
 of interpretation. " That it became a custom for the daugh- 
 ters of Israel to lament the daughter of Jepthah the Gileadite, 
 four days in the year." This does, indeed, as here translated, 
 seem to indicate that she had been sacrificed, at least, was dead. 
 But this version is not literally exact, and was evidently made 
 to suit the hypothesis which we reject. The literal translation 
 here is, as in many other places, set down in the margin: 
 "The daughters of Israel went yearly to talk with the daughter 
 
240 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 of Jephthah, four days in the year." Now, while this is utterly 
 repugnant to the common interpretation, it not only accords 
 with that which we defend, but furnishes a convincing evidence 
 of its truth. For if the daughters of Israel could talk with her, 
 she certainly was still in the land of the living. And if she 
 was shut up in some recluse place, this visit would be a very 
 natural and proper thing. One other remark on this passage 
 is, that we never find that it was a custom in Israel to have an 
 anniversary mourning for the dead. 
 
 From all these considerations, the opinion that Jephthah did 
 not offer up his daughter as a burnt-offering, seems to be highly 
 probable, if not absolutely certain. 
 
 SECTION XXV. 
 
 INGRATITUDE OF THE PEOPLE TOWARDS JEPHTHAH HIS VINDICATION OF HIMSELF 
 AND BRETHREN THE MEN OF EPHRAIM SMITTEN AT THE FORDS OF JORDAH 
 DETECTED BY THEIR PRONUNCIATION OF A WORD JEPHTHAH DIES, AFTER A GOV- 
 ERNMENT OF ONLY SIX YEARS. 
 
 INGRATITUDE to benefactors and deliverers, and discontent with 
 the most favourable circumstances, are the characteristics of the 
 multitude in every country. The men of Ephraim were not 
 satisfied to enjoy the fruits of Jephthah's great victory. When 
 the country of Gilead, the possession of the Reubenites, was 
 subdued and oppressed by the Ammonites, earnest application 
 had been made to the tribes on the west of Jordan, to aid in 
 expelling these oppressors ; but they, being themselves in no 
 immediate danger, neglected to send any assistance to their 
 suffering brethren, on the other side of the river. But now, 
 when a great victory had been obtained by the courage and 
 generalship of Jephthah, the Ephraimites made it the ground of a 
 fierce accusation against him, that they had not been invited to 
 take part in the war. "Wherefore," said they, "passedst thou 
 over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call 
 us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire. 
 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great 
 strife with the children of Ammon ; and when I called you, ye 
 delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye 
 delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over 
 against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them 
 into my hand ; wherefore, then, are ye come up unto me, this 
 day, to fight against me?" But these unreasonable men would 
 not be satisfied with any explanation. Jephthah was under the 
 necessity of contending with them in battle, or of giving him- 
 self and his property into their hands. To threats, the men of 
 Ephraim also added bitter reproaches, saying, "Ye Gileadites 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 241 
 
 are fugitives of Ephraim." But their insolence met with a 
 signal chastisement; for in the battle -which ensued, they were 
 beaten, and fled: but the Gileadites seized the fords of Jordan, 
 and intercepted and slew the fugitives. It was difficult, how- 
 ever, for the men who guarded the fords to distinguish, in all 
 cases, between friends and foes ; therefore, when any one asked 
 permission to go over, "they said unto him, Art thou an 
 Ephraimite? If he said Nay, then said they unto him, Say 
 now shibboleth; and he said sibboleth, for he could not frame to 
 pronounce it aright." Then they took him and slew him, at 
 the passages of Jordan; and there fell at that time of the 
 Ephraimites forty and two thousand. This was a severe stroke 
 on this proud tribe ; but they had nobody to blame but them- 
 selves: they engaged in this war without the shadow of a rea- 
 son, and God in just displeasure gave the victory to Jephthah, 
 who trusted in him. From this narrative it appears, that by 
 this time some difference had arisen in the pronunciation of the 
 Hebrew language; at any rate, a difference in the sound of one 
 letter; and, as is often the case, the men of Ephraim were un- 
 able to frame their organs so as to give the true sound to the 
 word selected as a test. Hence, probably, the origin of the 
 double sound which that letter has to this day. 
 
 The government of Jephthah lasted no more than six years. 
 He seems to have died a natural death, as we read that he 
 "was buried in one of the cities of Gilead." 
 
 SECTION XXVI. 
 
 IBZAN OF BETH-LEHEM NATUHE OF THE THEOCKACT ELON OF ZEBULON NEXT 
 
 JUDGES ISRAEL ABDON OF EPHEAIM GREAT INCREASE OF POPULATION AND THE 
 
 NUMBER IN THEIR ARMIES. 
 
 THE next judge or ruler in Israel, was Ibzan of Beth-lehem. 
 This man seems to have lived in peaceable times, as there is no 
 account of any enemy infesting Israel in his days : the success- 
 ful war against the Ammonites, under Jephthah, seems to have, 
 for a while, intimidated the foes of Israel. The only thing 
 which the sacred historian has thought proper to relate of this 
 JBeth-lehemite is, the remarkable fact, that he was the father of 
 thirty sons and thirty daughters; and by means of these he 
 formed an extensive connexion, and thus enlarged his influence ; 
 for he sent abroad his daughters, giving them in marriage to 
 the men of the land ; and sent and took wives to his sons from 
 abroad. The period of Ibzan's government was also short ; he 
 judged Israel only seven years, and died, and was buried at 
 Beth-lehem. 
 
 The rulers of Israel, during the period of which we are now 
 16 
 
242 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 treating, were not taken from any particular family or tribe, 
 but were brought forward by the providence of God, or by the 
 inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The government of Israel, so 
 far as the enacting of laws was concerned, was a theocracy: no 
 rulers, prophets, judges, or priests, had any authority to alter 
 these laws. The elders of the people, seventy in number, and 
 the officers of different degrees of authority, who were established 
 by Moses, were regularly continued, and in all that related to 
 the ritual law and the worship of the tabernacle, the high priest 
 and other priests had the right to regulate every thing agree- 
 ably to the commandments of the Lord by Moses. But when 
 the country was invaded by a foreign foe, or fell under the 
 power of some oppressive tyrant, there was need of an extraor- 
 dinary ruler, with something of the power of a dictator, who 
 might concentrate the forces of the tribes, and lead them out to 
 battle. Or, when disputes arose between the tribes themselves, 
 there was required a judge, whose authority would be respected 
 on account of his tried wisdom and public services; or more 
 especially, because he gave evidence that he was acting under 
 the direction, and as the vicegerent of God. 
 
 The next judge raised up by the providence of God, was 
 Elon, a Zebulonite. I do not remember that mention is made 
 of any prophet or other distinguished man beside, arising out 
 of this tribe. To this fact reference seems to have been had, 
 when it was said, " Search and see, whether any prophet ariseth 
 out of Galilee." Elon judged Israel ten years, and died, and 
 was buried in Ajalon, in the country of Zebulon: and this is 
 the only circumstance left on record concerning him. 
 
 The next judge or ruler was of the tribe of Ephraim. His 
 native place, which was also the place of his burial, was Pira- 
 thon. His name was Abdon, and that circumstance by which he 
 was chiefly distinguished, was, that he had forty sons and thirty 
 nephews, that rode upon seventy ass-colts. The duration of his 
 reign was eight years. His father's name was Hillel, and his 
 native town was in the mount of the Amalekites. 
 
 From the number of children which are frequently mentioned 
 in the sacred history as belonging to one family, we are led to 
 believe that the increase of population among the Israelites was 
 extraordinary. A former judge had thirty sons, and as many 
 daughters ; and Abdon had no less than forty sons. It is by 
 no means necessary to suppose, nor, indeed, is it at all proba- 
 ble, that all these were born of one mother. The custom or 
 polygamy, to a greater or less extent, prevailed through all the 
 period of which we are now treating. Though never expressly 
 sanctioned by divine authority, like divorce, it was permitted to 
 exist. From these instances of a numerous progeny, we may 
 account for the greatness of the population, the accounts of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 243 
 
 which have appeared to some altogether extravagant, and in- 
 commensurate with the narrow limits of the country; and it 
 must be remembered, that, in those days, every man was a 
 soldier, and was expected to turn out when an enemy invaded 
 the country. 
 
 SECTION XXVII. 
 
 AN ANGEL APPEARS TO THE WIFE OP MANOAH AND AGAIN TO HER AND HER 
 
 HUSBAND SAMSON IS BORN A NAZARITE FROM THE WOMB ISRAEL UNDER THE 
 
 TORE OF THE PHILISTINES SAMSON SEEKS A WIFE OF THIS RACE AT TIMNATH 
 
 SLAYS A LION ON HIS WAT TO VISIT HER HIS MARRIAGE HIS RIDDLE ITS 
 
 MEANING DISCOVERED BY HIS WIFE HIS METHOD OF PAYING THE FORFEIT HIS 
 
 WIFE GIVEN TO ANOTHER. 
 
 THE children of Israel furnish a striking proof of the proneness 
 of human nature to depart from God. They were probably no 
 worse than any other nation would have been in the same cir- 
 cumstances; and yet they were for ever disposed to revolt 
 against the Divine government, although, in the providence of 
 God, they uniformly suffered for their disobedience. The sur- 
 rounding nations, through whose influence they were led astray, 
 were also the instruments made use of by a just sovereign, to 
 chastise them for their sins. For forty years they were under 
 the grinding oppression of the Philistines. At the close of this 
 long period of affliction the angel of the Lord appeared unto 
 the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, who had never borne 
 a child, and said unto her, " Thou shalt conceive and bear a 
 son. Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine 
 nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. For lo, thou 
 shalt conceive and bear a son: and no razor shall come on his 
 head; for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the 
 womb ; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of 
 the Philistines. Then the woman came and told her husband, 
 saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was 
 like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible ; but I 
 asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name." 
 " Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, my Lord, let 
 the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and 
 teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 
 And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah, and the 
 angel of God came again unto the woman, as she sat in the 
 field ; but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the 
 woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said 
 unto him, behold the man hath appeared unto me that came 
 unto me the other day. And Manoah arose, and went after his 
 wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man 
 that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Ma- 
 
244 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 noah said, Now let thy words come to pass : how shall we order 
 the child? and how shall we do unto him? And the angel of 
 the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman, 
 let her heware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of 
 the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat 
 any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe. 
 And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let 
 us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. 
 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou de- 
 tain me, I will not eat of thy bread ; and if thou wilt offer a 
 burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord: for Manoah 
 knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said 
 unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy 
 sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel 
 of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, 
 seeing it is secret ? So Manoah took a kid with a meat-offer- 
 ing, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord. And the angel 
 did wondrously ; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it 
 came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off 
 the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of 
 the altar : and Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on 
 their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no 
 more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew 
 that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his 
 wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his 
 wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would 
 not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our 
 hands ; neither would he have showed us all these things ; nor 
 would, as at this time, have told us such things as these. 
 
 "And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: 
 and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him." When he be- 
 came a man, he was, at certain seasons, under a divine impulse 
 from the Spirit of the Lord, in the camp of Dan, between Zo- 
 rah and Eshtaol. 
 
 Samson was a man of supernatural strength of body, which 
 endowment was connected with his condition as a Nazarite ; but 
 he seems to have been also a man of strong passions, over which 
 he did not exercise that control which the principles of virtue 
 and piety required. One of the evils arising to the Israelites 
 from their subjection to the Philistines was, the intermarriages 
 to which it gave rise, between their young people. Samson, 
 among others, fell into this snare. Happening, at Timnath, to 
 see a young woman of the daughters of the Philistines, with 
 whom he was greatly pleased, he requested his parents to pro- 
 cure her as a wife for him. In vain did they remonstrate 
 against his purpose, for his passion had obtained the complete 
 mastery over him, and he insisted that his father should get 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 245 
 
 this woman for him. His parents, finding it useless to oppose 
 the headstrong inclination of their son, yielded to his wishes 
 with great reluctance; not knowing that Providence was order- 
 ing and disposing of this event to bring about a deliverance of 
 the people from the yoke of the Philistines. They, however, 
 judged it expedient to go down with their son to Timnath. 
 
 And when Samson came to the vineyards of Timnath, a 
 young lion came roaring against him: "and the Spirit of the 
 Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would 
 have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand." At this 
 time his parents were not present with him, and he did not in- 
 form them when they came up of the event which had occurred. 
 This visit to the woman of Timnath served to rivet his attach- 
 ment, and at this time all matters were agreed upon between 
 the parties. Accordingly, at the appointed time, Samson re- 
 turned to Timnath to celebrate his nuptials; and feeling a 
 curiosity to see what had become of the carcass of the lion 
 which he had slain on his former visit, he turned aside, and 
 "behold there was a swarm of bees, and honey in the carcass 
 of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands, and went on 
 eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, 
 and they did eat; but he told them not that he had taken the 
 honey out of the carcass of the lion." From this account it is 
 evident that some months must have elapsed between these two 
 visits ; for that was required to render it practicable for a swarm 
 of bees to build their combs and prepare their honey in the car- 
 cass of the lion. In that warm region, where it rains but sel- 
 dom in the summer season, it is probable that the carcass had 
 become dry, and so, the intestines being taken out, and the 
 body suspended on the limb of a tree, might furnish a very 
 convenient receptacle for a swarm of bees. 
 
 The marriage feast was celebrated for seven days, according 
 to the custom of the place ; and thirty companions were pro- 
 vided to attend on the bridegroom. "And Samson said unto 
 them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you : if ye can cer- 
 tainly declare it me, within the seven days of the feast, and find 
 it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of 
 garments: but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give 
 me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they 
 said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. And 
 he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out 
 of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in 
 three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the 
 seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, entice thy 
 husband that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn 
 thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye called us to 
 take that we have ? Is it not so ? And Samson's wife wept 
 
246 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me 
 not. Thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my 
 people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, 
 I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell 
 it thee ? And she wept before him the seven days, while their 
 feast lasted; and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he 
 told her, because she lay sore upon him. And she told the 
 riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city 
 said unto him on the seventh day, before the sun went down, 
 What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion ? 
 And he said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, 
 ye had not found out my riddle. And the Spirit of the Lord 
 came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty 
 men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments 
 unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was 
 kindled, and he went up to his father's house. But Samson's 
 wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his 
 friend." 
 
 This history furnishes us with an instructive example of the 
 evils which attend intermarriages between the children of God, 
 and his enemies. We see also, that that which begins in sport 
 may end in death. A wedding feast has often generated broils 
 which terminated in woful disaster. 
 
 SECTION XXVIII. 
 
 SAMSON, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS DONE, COMES TO VISIT HIS WIFE HER YOUNGER 
 SISTER IS OFFERED BY THE FATHER SAMSON DECLINES ALL FURTHER CONNEX- 
 ION, AND SETS THE GRAIN OF THE PHILISTINES ON FIRE SLAYS A THOUSAND 
 MEN IN LEHI A MIRACULOUS FOUNTAIN OPENED IN THIS PLACE. 
 
 IT appears that Samson was not informed that his wife had been 
 given to another, and being sincerely attached to this treacher- 
 ous woman, he came down in the time of harvest, with the pre- 
 sent of a kid, to visit her, and was about to enter her chamber, 
 but was prevented by her father, who now informed him that 
 his wife had been given to his companion. For this strange 
 proceeding her father offered no other reason than the impres- 
 sion which he had received, that he, Samson, had lost all affec- 
 tion for his wife. But willing to conciliate a man whom he had 
 so much injured, and fearing the displeasure of a man whose 
 passions were impetuous, and whose strength was irresistible, 
 he offered to him as a wife his younger daughter. And, 
 said he, "Is not her younger sister, fairer than she ? Take her, 
 I pray thee, instead of her." Samson declined all further con- 
 nexion with this family, and began to meditate vengeance 
 against the whole nation of the Philistines. Having suffered so 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 247 
 
 heavy an injury, he laid a plan to destroy their corn which 
 was standing in the field, and also that which was gathered into 
 shocks. The plan adopted was, to catch three hundred foxes, 
 (or jackals as some suppose,) and to tie them two and two by 
 the tails, and to insert a burning brand, or torch, between each 
 pair, and then to let them go into the standing corn of the 
 Philistines. And the conflagration proved destructive not only 
 to the standing corn and the shocks of grain already reaped, 
 but also to the vineyards and olives. When the Philistines 
 found that this destruction of their property had been caused 
 by Samson the son-in-law of the Timnite, because his father-in- 
 law had taken away his wife and had given her to his com- 
 panion, they determined to wreak their vengeance on him, as 
 having given the provocation; and accordingly they came up and 
 burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson, when he un- 
 derstood that the Philistines had come up with hostile inten- 
 tions, attacked them and slew many of them, and then retired 
 from their country and dwelt on the top of the rock Etam. 
 The Philistines being determined to revenge themselves for 
 all these injuries, marched with a considerable force into Judah, 
 and spread themselves in Lehi. " And the men of Judah said, 
 Why are ye come up against us ? And they answered, To bind 
 Samson are we come up, and to do to him as he hath done to 
 us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of 
 the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the 
 Philistines are rulers over us? What- is this thou hast done 
 unto us? And he said, As they did unto me, so have I done 
 unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to 
 bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philis- 
 tines. And Samson said, Swear unto me that ye will not fall 
 upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No, 
 but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hands. 
 But surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with 
 two new cords, and brought him from the rock. And when he 
 came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the 
 Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that 
 were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and 
 his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jaw- 
 bone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a 
 thousand men therewith." And " he cast away the jaw-bone out 
 of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi," the import of 
 which is, the lifting up of the jaw-bone. " And he was sore 
 athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this 
 great deliverance into the hand of thy servant, and now shall I 
 die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised ? But 
 God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw, (or rather in Lehi, 
 for the place had already received this name,) and there came 
 
248 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 water thereout, and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, 
 and he revived ; therefore he called the name thereof En-hak- 
 kore," that is, the well of him that catted; which, says the 
 sacred historian, "is in Lehi unto this day." 
 
 From these last words, it is evident that our translators 
 were mistaken in supposing that the water issued from the jaw- 
 bone ; for it appears that the bursting forth of the waters was 
 not temporary but permanent; and surely this perennial 
 spring did not run continually from a jaw-bone. The simple 
 fact is most obvious. From the weapon which Samson employ- 
 ed, the place received its denomination of Lehi. In this place 
 there was a hollow, from which God caused a fountain to issue 
 to allay Samson's thirst, and this became a perennial spring or 
 well. 
 
 SECTION XXIX. 
 
 MORAL CHARACTER OF SAMSON HIS LOVE OF DELILAH BY TAMPERING WITH HER 
 
 THE PHILISTINES LEARN WHEREIN HIS GREAT STRENGTH CONSISTED HIS HEAD 
 
 SHORN AND HIS EYES PUT OUT IS PUT INTO THE PRISON AT GAZA AND KEPT 
 AT HARD LABOUR. 
 
 THE character of Samson was not very consistent. Although 
 a consecrated Nazarite from his birth, yet he was a man much 
 under the dominion of his passions. If we had nothing else to 
 guide our judgment but this history of his acts, we should not 
 be ready to draw the conclusion that he was a pious man : but 
 as Paul has given him a place, as well as Jephthah, among dis- 
 tinguished believers, we must not hesitate to admit that, with 
 all his imperfections, Samson was a sincere servant of God. 
 The most objectionable part of his recorded life, was his illicit 
 connexion with strange women, of which we have several exam- 
 ples; but in every instance, these amours became a snare to 
 him. At Gaza his enemies surrounded the city, and only 
 waited for the morning light, to put him to death ; but this 
 man, of more than human strength, "rose at midnight, and 
 took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and 
 went away with them,, bar and all, and put them upon his 
 shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is 
 before Hebron." 
 
 The most fatal attachment, however, which Samson cherished 
 for the daughters of the Philistines was for a deceitful woman 
 "in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." The lords 
 of the Philistines, understanding how much he was under her 
 influence, offered her a very large reward if she would find out 
 and reveal to them the secret of his astonishing strength of 
 body, and on what it depended. Samson at first deluded her, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 249 
 
 and said, "If they bind me with seven green withes that were 
 never dried, then shall I he weak, and be as another man." 
 Accordingly, they, receiving the green withes from the lords of 
 the Philistines, had him bound with them ; but as soon as the 
 men who lay in wait attempted to seize him, "he brake the 
 withes as a thread of tow is broken, when it toucheth the fire. 
 So his strength was not known." Again he was beset by this 
 ensnaring woman to reveal the secret; and she now added 
 reproaches to her entreaties. Upon which he told her, if they 
 would bind him with new cords which had never been used, he 
 would be helpless as another man ; but when this experiment 
 was also tried, "he brake them off his arms as a thread." A 
 third time he deceived her, by saying, "If thou weavest the 
 seven locks of my head with the web," I shall be weak as 
 another man ; but when this was done while he was asleep, and 
 the Philistines arose upon him, "he awaked out of his sleep 
 and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web." 
 Delilah now became exceedingly importunate, and called in 
 question Samson's love for her. "And she pressed him daily 
 with her words, and urged him so that his soul was vexed unto 
 death." He therefore, at length, revealed unto her his whole 
 heart, and said, " There hath not come a razor upon my head, 
 for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb : 
 if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall 
 become weak, and be like any other man." From this it 
 appears, that Samson's extraordinary strength did not depend 
 on any muscular force which he naturally possessed, but was a 
 supernatural endowment; and this is also signified in those 
 passages where it is said, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon. 
 him. Delilah perceiving that she had now succeeded in eliciting 
 from him the secret which he had so industriously concealed 
 before, caused, while Samson slept, a man to shave the seven 
 locks of his head; and then brought his enemies upon him. 
 "And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at 
 other times before, and shake myself, and he wist not that the 
 Lord was departed from him." The Philistines, now finding 
 that their formidable enemy was completely in their power, 
 proceeded in the first place to put out his eyes; and then 
 took him down to Gaza, " and bound him with fetters of brass; 
 and he did grind in the prison-house." 
 
 Wretched, indeed, was the condition of Samson, and small 
 was the prospect that he would ever again have it in his power 
 to retaliate upon his enemies, and the enemies of God, for their 
 treachery and cruelty ; but the providence of God is mysterious, 
 and the retributions of vindicatory justice are often terrible, 
 even in this world. It was so ordered, that this judge in Israel, 
 who had in his lifetime destroyed so great a number of this 
 
250 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 accursed people, should be able, in the moment of his death, to 
 destroy more of the Philistines than during his whole life. 
 
 While immured in the prison his hair began again to grow, 
 and his former extraordinary strength was restored. The Phil- 
 istines were all gross idolaters, and of the devoted race of the 
 Canaanites, whom the Israelites were commanded to extirpate. 
 The god which they worshipped was called Dagon, and was re- 
 presented by an image or idol, which was partly a fish, and 
 partly man, of which an account has heretofore been given. In 
 Gaza there was a spacious temple dedicated to this idol ; and 
 the Philistines, having now overcome their greatest enemy, cele- 
 brated a feast in this temple, and " offered a great sacrifice unto 
 Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath 
 delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the peo- 
 ple saw him, they praised their god; for they said. Our god hath 
 delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our 
 country, which slew many of us. And when their hearts were 
 merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. 
 And when he was brought out of the prison, he made them 
 sport. And they set him between the pillars." It seems that 
 this huge edifice rested upon two large pillars, which stood near 
 to each other. "And Samson said unto the lad that held him 
 by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon 
 the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the 
 house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Phi- 
 listines were there ; and there were upon the roof about three 
 thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made 
 sport. And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, Lord 
 God, remember me, I pray thee, only this once, God, that I 
 may be at once avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes. 
 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the 
 house stood, and on which it was borne up ; of the one with his 
 right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, 
 Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with 
 all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all 
 the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at 
 his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then 
 his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down, and 
 took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah 
 and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And 
 he judged Israel twenty years." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 251 
 
 SECTION XXX. 
 
 ORIGIN OF IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL IN THE HOUSE OF MICAH THE DANITES SEND SPIES 
 
 TO SEEK A NEW HABITATION SIX HUNDRED MEN ARE SENT OUT TO SEIZE A 
 COUNTRY VISITED BY THE SPIES THEY CARRY OFF BIICAH'S GODS AND THE PRIEST 
 WHO OFFICIATED THESE IDOLS THEY SET UP AND WORSHIPPED FOR A LONG TIME. 
 
 THE sacred historian, after finishing the history of Samson, 
 who is thought to have been contemporary with Eli, goes back 
 to give an account of the rise of idolatry among the people of 
 Israel, after the death of Joshua. A certain woman of mount 
 Ephraim had amassed a considerable sum of money, which her 
 son, whose name is Micah, stole. The old woman, who had no 
 pious feelings, seemed to have suspected her son of the theft, 
 and poured out curses on the person, whoever he might be, who 
 had taken her treasure. Micah feeling uneasy in his con- 
 science, and finding that he was suspected, came forward and 
 confessed his crime, and restored the money to his mother. 
 She now declared that she had "wholly dedicated the silver unto 
 the Lord." This, at first view, seems to have been a very pious 
 act ; but the truth was, that her religion was deeply infected 
 with the spirit of superstition and idolatry; for she designed it 
 for " a graven image, and a molten image." And, accordingly, 
 a sufficient quantity of the restored silver was put into the 
 hands of the founder, and these images were formed, and placed 
 in the house of Micah : and that this idolatrous worship might 
 be conducted with suitable ceremony and pomp, this man 
 erected a building or temple, purposely for the reception of his 
 gods. He also "made an ephod, and teraphira, and consecrated 
 one of his sons, who became his priest." This introduction of 
 idolatry met with no resistance, for at that time there existed 
 no king in Israel, nor any other governing power to restrain the 
 practice of iniquity, " but every man did that which was right 
 in his own eyes." 
 
 Soon after the erection of this house of idolatrous worship, a 
 young Levite from Beth-lehem-judah, who by the mother's side 
 seems to have been descended from the tribe of Judah, left his 
 native place, and wandered off in search of a place, until he 
 came to the house of Micah, who invited him to take up his 
 abode with him and officiate as his priest ; for he thought that 
 this young man being a Levite was better suited for the sacer- 
 dotal office than his own son, whom he had before consecrated. 
 To this proposal, the young Levite acceded, and Micah pro- 
 mised to give him ten shekels of silver, by the year, and a suit of 
 apparel, and his victuals. "Then said Micah, now I know 
 that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my 
 priest." 
 
I 
 
 252 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 In those days of anarchy, the Danites feeling themselves 
 straitened for want of room, sent five men of valour to look 
 out a suitable place to which some of them might emigrate. 
 These men came, in their expedition, to the house of Micah, 
 where they recognized the young Levite, and finding that he 
 officiated here as a priest, they requested him to ask counsel of 
 God, whether their way would be prosperous. The priest soon 
 gave them a favourable response, saying, " Go in peace : before 
 the Lord is your way wherein ye go." It may be remarked 
 here, that in the first advances towards idolatry, the object was 
 not to introduce other gods, but to worship the true God by 
 images, or other visible representations. Thus, when the 
 Israelites forced Aaron to make the golden calf, Jehovah was 
 professedly the object of their worship; and when Jeroboam 
 set up the idolatrous calves in Dan and Beth-el, the object was, 
 to worship Jehovah by these images. And so, in this case, 
 Micah and his priest considered their images as means of wor- 
 shipping the true God. 
 
 These five spies of Dan, having received an encouragement 
 from the young priest, proceeded on their journey, until they 
 came to Laish, where they found a good country, and a people 
 living quietly and securely ; and they appeared to be without 
 any means of effectual defence against invasion, "for there was 
 no magistrate in the land," and no man was restrained from 
 following his own inclinations by any fear of civil rulers. 
 These people seem to have nominally appertained to the Zido- 
 nians, but being far off, and not engaged in commerce, they 
 were suffered to pursue their own course unmolested. When 
 the spies returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, whence they had gone 
 out, they gave a very favourable account of the country which 
 they had discovered. They represented it as " a very good 
 land" "a place where there is no want of anything that is in 
 the earth," and as one of sufficient extent and easy to be pos- 
 sessed. Upon hearing this report, the Danites despatched " six 
 hundred men, appointed with weapons of war." This little 
 army, conducted by the spies, came to mount Ephraim, to the 
 house of Micah; and being informed of the "house of gods" 
 which was here, they sent in the five men who were acquainted 
 with the place, "to take the graven image, and the ephod, and 
 the teraphim, and the molten image." And when the priest 
 said, "What do ye? they said, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand 
 upon thy mouth and go with us, and be to us a father and a 
 priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of 
 one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in 
 Israel? And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the 
 ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in 
 the midst of the people." As soon as Micah and the men of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 
 
 his house were informed of the robbery which had been com- 
 mitted, they pursued after the children of Dan, and overtook 
 them, and cried after them. "And they turned their faces and 
 said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such 
 a company? And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which 
 I made, and what have 1 more ? And what is this that ye say 
 unto me, What aileth thee ? And the children of Dan said, 
 Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run 
 upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy house- 
 hold. And the children of Dan went their way; and when 
 Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and 
 went back unto his own house." 
 
 This company of the tribe of Dan now prosecuted their enter- 
 prise against the people of Laish, whom they found in the same 
 careless and defenceless state which had been represented by 
 the spies. "And they smote them with the edge of the sword, 
 and burnt the city with fire ; and there was no deliverer, because 
 it was far from Zidon ; and they had no business with any man." 
 " And they built a city and dwelt therein ; and they called the 
 name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father." 
 " And the children of Dan set up the graven image : and Jona- 
 than the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his 
 sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the cap- 
 tivity of the land. And they set up Micah's graven image, 
 which he made, all the time that the house of God was in 
 Shiloh." 
 
 Although idolatry was a capital crime, according to the laws 
 given to the Israelites, as being the highest treason against God 
 their king, yet during this period of anarchy, which preceded 
 the raising up of judges to govern the land and enforce the 
 laws, no notice was taken of this open defection of the children 
 of Dan from the worship of the true God. It seems that the 
 worship of these images of Micah continued for a long time, 
 even as long as the tabernacle remained at Shiloh. 
 
 The transactions mentioned in this section, and also those 
 recorded in the following, are commonly believed to have oc- 
 curred while Phinehas was high-priest. 
 
 SECTION XXXI. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE, AND THE WAR AGAINST BENJAMIN. 
 
 How much, under God, we are indebted to the existence of 
 civil government, can only be known by contemplating a people 
 among whom there is no such institution ; or where the ordi- 
 nance is so far perverted, and salutary authority so far relaxed, 
 
254 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 that wickedness is left without restraint, and lust and violence 
 reign triumphantly. Some memorable examples of this kind 
 we have on record for our instruction and warning in the sacred 
 volume, as in the case of the people whose wickedness provoked 
 the Almighty to inundate the world with a flood of waters. 
 Such also was the character of the cities of the plain, which 
 were overwhelmed with a storm of fire and brimstone ; and such 
 likewise was the character of the seven nations of Canaan, 
 whom God ordered the Israelites to exterminate, lest they 
 should be led to learn their abominable ways. And this pre- 
 caution was not unnecessary, for we find here recorded, a de- 
 gree of shameful wickedness in a town inhabited by the children 
 of Benjamin, which places them upon a level with Sodom itself. 
 A certain Levite, who sojourned on the side of mount Ephra- 
 im, married a woman of Beth-lehem-judah. She is indeed called 
 a concubine, but concubines, among the Israelites, were really 
 wives of an inferior order; and, as such, were required to be 
 true to their husbands. This woman, however, proved unfaith- 
 ful, and she also went away from her lord to her father's 
 house, at Beth-lehem-judah, and remained there "four whole 
 months." "And her husband arose, and went after her, to 
 speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his own 
 servant with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him 
 in to her father's; and when the father of the damsel saw him, 
 he rejoiced to meet him." And for three days his father-in- 
 law entertained him in the most friendly and hospitable man- 
 ner. And when, on the fourth day, the Levite was ready with 
 his wife and servant, to proceed on his journey homeward, his 
 father-in-law pressed him to take some refreshment before he 
 took his departure ; and when they had eat and drunk together, 
 he then urged him to be contented to remain all night. And 
 the next morning, it being the fifth of his sojourning with his 
 father-in-law, the same friendly urgency was used to detain him 
 longer; and while they enjoyed themselves in feasting together, 
 the day wore away, and his father-in-law said, " The day draw- 
 eth towards evening, I pray you. tarry all night. Behold the 
 day groweth to an end : lodge here, that thine heart may be 
 merry ; and to-morrow, get you early on your way, that you may 
 go hence. But the man would not tarry that night, but rose up 
 and departed, and came over against Jebus (which is Jerusa- 
 lem). And his wife, his servant, and the two asses, accompa- 
 nied him. And when they were by Jebus, the day was far 
 spent, and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, 
 and let us turn into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 
 And the master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither 
 into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 255 
 
 We "will pass over to Gibeah. And he said to his servant, 
 Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all 
 night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah." 
 
 The general principles by which the Levite was governed in 
 selecting a place of lodging for himself and company, were 
 sound and good ; for, so far as we consistently can, we should 
 avoid familiar intercourse with the wicked, and should be reluc- 
 tant to partake of their hospitalities ; and we should always seek 
 to cast in our lot, and take up our residence, among the pro- 
 fessed people of God. " The righteous is more excellent than 
 his neighbour." But, sometimes, the worst people are found 
 within the pale of the visible church ; and certainly no descrip- 
 tion of wicked men are more to be dreaded than hypocrites. It 
 would be better to fall into the hands of the savages of the wil- 
 derness, than to come under the power of false professors. The 
 event, in the case before us, was very unhappy. " For they 
 passed on and went their way, and the sun went down upon 
 them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 
 And they turned aside to go in, and lodge in Gibeah. And 
 when he went in he sat him down in a street of the city ; for 
 there was no man that took them into his house to lodging." 
 This want of common hospitality was remarkable a in city of the 
 east, and particularly among the descendants of Abraham ; and 
 was indicative of a wretched state of morals. In most places, 
 in ancient and modern times, there was a competition to get 
 possession of strangers, as is now remarkably the case in the 
 interior of Arabia. But Gibeah seems to have resembled 
 Sodom in this respect, as well as being addicted to crimes 
 against nature. At length, however, "an old man came from 
 his work, out of the field, at even;" and when he saw a way- 
 faring man in the street of the city, he inquired of him, whence 
 he was and whither going. To which the Levite gave him a 
 direct and satisfactory answer ; and let him know that no per- 
 son who should receive them would be subjected to expense on. 
 their account, for they had come furnished with straw and pro- 
 vender for the asses, and with bread and wine for himself, his 
 handmaid, and the young man who was with him. "And the 
 old man said, Peace be unto you, howsoever, let all thy wants 
 lie upon me, only lodge not in the street. So he brought him 
 into his house, and gave provender unto the asses : and they 
 washed their feet, and did eat and drink." While the Levite was 
 enjoying himself in a convivial manner, the house was beset by 
 a company of lawless wretches, the sons of Belial, who beat at 
 the door, and demanded of the master of the house, that the 
 guest whom he entertained should be brought out unto them, 
 for the vilest purposes. Entreaties and expostulation availed 
 nothing in restraining these monsters of iniquity j and as the 
 
256 HISTORY OF THE'ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 least of two evils, the Levite gave up his wife to be treated by 
 these men raging with lust, agreeably to their pleasure. The 
 result was, that in the morning the woman was found dead at 
 the door of the house where her lord was ; and her hands were 
 on the threshold. Her husband, not suspecting at first that 
 she was dead, said, "Up, and let us be going;" but none 
 answered. Finding that she was really dead, "he put her 
 upon an ass, and gat him unto his place. And when he was 
 come into his house, Ke took a knife and divided her into twelve 
 pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. And it was 
 so, that all that saw it, said, There was no such deed done nor 
 seen from the day the children of Israel came up out of the 
 land of Egypt, unto this day. Consider of it, take advice, and 
 speak your minds." The method pursued by the Levite had 
 the effect of arousing the people to indignation ; so that they 
 assembled at Mizpeh, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the 
 land of Gilead. The host now convened amounted to the num- 
 ber of four hundred thousand men that drew the sword. And, 
 although the messengers who passed through the land with the 
 pieces of the murdered woman, had spread the report of the 
 horrid transaction; yet before inflicting deserved punishment 
 on the inhabitants of Gibeah, they called for the Levite, the 
 husband of the woman, and demanded of him a full declaration 
 of the affair, "saying, Tell us how was this wickedness ?" And 
 he related the matter distinctly before them ; and concluded by 
 saying, "they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 
 Behold ye are all children of Israel ; give here your advice and 
 counsel." When they heard his narrative, all the people arose 
 as one man, and determined on taking vengeance on the wicked 
 ,city; but as so large an army did not seem to be needed for 
 the enterprise, they selected by lot one tenth part of the whole 
 number, and appointed others to supply them with provisions. 
 Thus were the men of Israel knit together as one man, resolved 
 to inflict condign punishment on this devoted city. 
 
 SECTION XXXII. 
 
 THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN REFUSE TO GIVE UP THE GUILTY PERPETRATORS OF THE 
 ENORMOUS WICKEDNESS THEY DEFEAT THE OTHER TRIBES WITH GREAT SLAUGH- 
 TER IN TWO SUCCESSIVE BATTLES ON THE THIRD DAY THE MEN OF ISRAEL 
 
 ' PLACED AN AMBUSH, AND DREW THE MEN OF BENJAMIN FROM GIBEON, BY A 
 PRETENDED FLIGHT THE TRIBE NEARLY EXTINGUISHED THE ISRAELITES RE- 
 PENT OF THEIR EXTERMINATING SEVERITY. 
 
 HERE we have a striking example of the strength of the spirit 
 of party, or rather of tribe or clan. The great body of the 
 Israelites being now prepared to punish the wicked inhabitants 
 o Gibeah, did not wish to involve the residue of the tribe of 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 257 
 
 Benjamin in the guilt and punishment of this city. They 
 therefore sent messengers through all the tribe of Benjamin, to 
 expostulate with them, and to demand that the perpetrators of 
 this wicked act should be delivered up to them, that they might 
 be put to death, and thus evil be put away from Israel. "But 
 the children of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of 
 their brethren, the children of Israel," and immediately pre- 
 pared for war, determined with their small force to go out 
 against the assembled host of all Israel. Upon being numbered, 
 it appeared that their whole available force was no more than 
 twenty-six thousand men; but this number did not include the 
 men of Gibeah, who amounted to seven hundred. But the 
 Benjamites were skilled in war, and of desperate courage. In 
 their army, at this time, they had a very remarkable corps of 
 seven hundred men, who were all left-handed, every one of 
 whom could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss. As 
 was before stated, the men of war from the other tribes formed 
 an army of four hundred thousand men ; but it was not judged 
 necessary that more than a part of these should actually go up 
 against their brethren; and feeling the solemn crisis which 
 had arrived, they wished to take no important step without 
 asking counsel of God. They therefore assembled at the 
 house of God, at Shiloh, particularly to inquire which of the 
 tribes should first go up to the battle against the children of 
 Benjamin. "And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first." 
 "And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and 
 encamped against Gibeah, and went out to battle against Ben- 
 jamin. And the children of Benjamin came forth out of 
 Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites 
 that day, twenty and two thousand men." This was a most 
 unexpected and unaccountable disaster. No doubt there was 
 something wrong in the conduct or in the spirit of the Israel- 
 ites, which had provoked the Lord thus to give them into the 
 hands of a small number of wicked men. This event appears 
 the more strange, as the people seemed to have been actuated 
 by a spirit of piety in what they had undertaken, and had in a 
 public manner sought counsel of the Lord. The sacred his- 
 tory does not unfold to us the reason of Israel's being forsaken 
 of God, on this occasion. Their conduct, however, upon meet- 
 ing with this unexpected defeat, seems to have been proper 
 and pious. They did not abandon themselves to despair, but 
 encouraged themselves to make another effort, hoping that in 
 a second encounter they should be more successful than in 
 the first : but again they deemed it right to ask counsel of the 
 Lord ; and in performing this act of worship, they were much 
 affected, and wept before the Lord, saying, " Shall I go up 
 again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother ? 
 IT 
 
258 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 And the Lord said, Go up against him." On the second day, 
 battle was joined with the children of Benjamin, and the result 
 was nearly as disastrous as on the former day; for, on this 
 occasion, Benjamin went forth from Gibeah, "and destroyed 
 down to the ground, of the children of Israel, eighteen thou- 
 sand men." "Then all the children of Israel and all the peo- 
 ple went up, and came to the house of God, and wept, and sat 
 there before the Lord, and fasted that day until the even, and 
 offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord." 
 
 What was before stated, as to the time when these transac- 
 tions occurred, is expressly confirmed, for it is said, "that 
 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before 
 the Lord in those days." The same inquiry was made of the 
 Lord, as on the former occasions of consulting him, " Shall I 
 again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my 
 brother, or shall I cease ? And the Lord said, Go up, for to- 
 morrow I will deliver them into thy hand." Israel had now, 
 taught by experience and misfortune, become less confident in 
 their own prowess, and more attentive to those stratagems of 
 war by which success is often obtained ; for they now placed 
 men in ambush round about the city, and then drew off the 
 men of Benjamin to a distance; who, flushed with their two 
 recent and extraordinary victories, thought of nothing else but 
 achieving a third victory, and " began to smite of the people, 
 and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth 
 up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah." And they 
 succeeded in slaying about thirty men of Israel. "And the 
 children of Benjamin, said, They are smitten down before us, 
 as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, 
 and draw them from the city unto the highways." And the 
 liers-in-wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out 
 of the meadows of Gibeah. And there came against Gibeah 
 ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was 
 sore, but they knew not that evil was near them. "And the 
 Lord smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel 
 destroyed of the Benjamites that day, twenty and two thou- 
 sand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword." While 
 the men of Benjamin were engaged in the battle, and by 
 stratagem were drawn off to a distance from the city, the liers- 
 in-wait rushed into the city, and slew the inhabitants with the 
 edge of the sword. As soon as they had gained complete pos- 
 session of Gibeah, they signified the fact to their brethren, by 
 kindling a great flame with smoke, which sign had been agreed 
 upon beforehand. When the men of Benjamin looked back, 
 and saw by the flame and pillar of smoke that the city was in 
 the possession of their enemies, they found that they were 
 indeed in an evil case. And when they turned and fled 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 259 
 
 towards the way of the wilderness, still they could not escape, 
 for " the battle overtook them ; and the men of Israel inclosed 
 the Benjamites round about, and trode them down with ease 
 over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising. And there fell of 
 Benjamin eighteen thousand men : all these were men of val- 
 our." That is, this number was slain in the field of battle; but 
 to these must be added five thousand who were taken and slain 
 on the highways ; and also two thousand who were pursued to 
 a place called Gidom, and slain there; so that, omitting smaller 
 numbers, there fell of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand 
 valiant men. And the only remnant which escaped of their 
 whole army, were six hundred men, who escaped to the rock 
 Rimmon, where they abode four months. The children of 
 Israel, not contented with the signal vengeance taken on Ben- 
 jamin, by the destruction of all their men of war, carried deso- 
 lation into their country, "and smote the people with the edge 
 of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and 
 all that came to hand." It would seem that the whole army 
 of Israel were now filled with such indignation against the 
 whole tribe of Benjamin, for their wicked conduct in screening 
 the men of Gibeah from deserved punishment, and were actu- 
 ated by so strong a desire to revenge the death of the forty 
 thousand men of Israel slain in the first two battles, that they 
 proceeded to consign to utter destruction the whole of this 
 tribe on whom they could lay their hands. But when the 
 violence of their wrath began to cool, and they reflected on 
 what they had done, and that one of the twelve tribes had per- 
 ished from Israel, they were penetrated with grief, and went up 
 to the house of God at Shiloh, "and abode there till even 
 before God, and lifted up their voices and wept sore ; and said, 
 Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that 
 there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel? And on 
 the morrow the people rose early, and built there an altar, and 
 offered burnt-oiferings and peace-offerings." 
 
 SECTION XXXIII. 
 
 JABESH-GILEAD SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR REFUSING AID THE YOUNG VIRGIN'S OP 
 THIS PLACE ONLY PRESERVED, FOR WIVES TO THE SURVIVING BENJAMITES THE 
 DAUGHTERS OF SHILOH SEIZED AND CARRIED OFF FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. 
 
 THERE was another affair which now engaged their attention, 
 and which eventually was made to have a connexion with the 
 preservation of the tribe of Benjamin from becoming utterly 
 extinct. When the people had first assembled from the tribes 
 of Israel, on the unhappy occasion which has been mentioned, 
 they were inspired with such a zeal against the Benjamites that 
 
260 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 they entered into a solemn oath that none of them would give 
 them their daughters for wives ; and they moreover swore, that 
 whatever city had neglected to come up with the congregation 
 unto the Lord unto Mizpeh, the inhabitants thereof should surely 
 be put to death. And when the people were numbered, it ap- 
 peared that none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead were there ; 
 and in fulfilment of the great oath by which they had rashly 
 bound themselves, they now despatched twelve thousand men 
 of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite 
 the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, 
 with the women and the children. They were, however, directed 
 to save alive and bring back with them all the young virgins 
 whom they might find, that they might serve for wives to the 
 small remnant of the men of Benjamin, who were known to be 
 concealed in the rock Rimmon. This expedition speedily and 
 literally executed their orders upon the inhabitants of Jabesh- 
 gilead, and returned with four hundred virgins. The congre- 
 gation of Israel now entered into a negotiation with the six 
 hundred Benjamites in the rock Rimmon : and they entered 
 into a treaty of peace with them, and gave them for wives the 
 females who had been saved alive from Jabesh-gilead; but as 
 their number was six hundred, and the women were only four 
 hundred, there was still a deficiency of wives for the remnant 
 of Benjamin. The human passions are prone to oscillate from 
 one extreme to another. The indignation which had burned so 
 hotly and destructively against this unhappy tribe, was now 
 turned into the tenderest compassion, and with compunction for 
 the severity which led them nearly to extirpate one of the tribes 
 of Israel. Therefore "the people repented them for Benjamin, 
 because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 
 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for 
 wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed 
 out of Benjamin? And they said, There must be an inheri- 
 tance for them that be escaped from Benjamin, that a tribe be 
 not destroyed out of Israel." The device which was now 
 adopted to supply the deficiency of wives for these men, bears 
 a strong resemblance to the rape of the Sabines by the Romans, 
 at a later period. There was shortly to be a feast at Shiloh, 
 on which occasion it was customary for companies of young 
 damsels to amuse themselves by dancing in the vineyards, which 
 were on the way between Bethel and Shechem. In this place 
 the Benjamites were directed to lie in wait, and to catch every 
 man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and to bear them off 
 to the land of Benjamin. And the elders of Israel promised 
 that when the fathers or brethren of the daughters of Shiloh 
 came to make complaint, we will say unto them, Be favourable 
 unto them for our sakes. And the men of Benjamin did so, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 261 
 
 and took wives according to their number, whom they caught, 
 and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, 
 and dwelt in them. 
 
 SECTION XXXIV. 
 
 HISTORY OF RUTH, AND NAOMI HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. 
 
 FROM the Bible history we learn, that the occurrence of famine 
 was no uncommon event in Judea. If there was a failure of 
 the former or latter rains, there was of course a deficiency in 
 the productions of the earth : the first of these rains occurred 
 in autumn, about the time of sowing the winter grain ; the last 
 in the spring, when the wheat and barley were coming to ma- 
 turity. Between these seasons, during the summer months, 
 very little rain fell; a shower in harvest was reckoned an ex- 
 traordinary occurrence. As the land was filled with a dense 
 population, a famine was a fearful calamity, and occasioned a 
 miserable death to many. The usual method of avoiding it wag 
 to flee to some of the neighbouring countries, where bread was 
 in abundance. Thus, on one of these emergencies, during the 
 government of the Judges, a man of Beth-lehem-judah, whose 
 name was Elimelech, took his wife Naomi, and his two sons, 
 Mahlon and Chilion, and went and abode in the land of Moab. 
 But whilst he fled from death in one form, it overtook him in 
 another, soon after his emigration. Often families are induced 
 to seek new habitations on account of the pressure of particular 
 evils, but while they escape difficulties of one kind, they are apt 
 to fall into others not less grievous. This man was in good 
 circumstances in Judea, but in a strange land his property 
 wasted away, and his own life was cut short. As might have 
 been expected also, his sons formed matrimonial alliances' with 
 the daughters of Moab, which kind of connexions, in all ages, 
 have been a snare to the people of God. Here, also, they 
 were far removed from the house and ordinances of Jehovah, 
 and exposed to all the abominations of idolatry. Calamities 
 frequently come in clusters. After a sojourn of about ten 
 years, both these young men died also in the land of Moab, it 
 would seem nearly about the same time. Thus was Naomi 
 bereaved of her husband and her two sons, and left destitute in 
 a foreign country. The name of one of her daughters-in-law 
 was Orpah, and of the other Ruth, who after the decease of 
 their husbands chose to live with Naomi; and they seem to 
 have formed a strong attachment to their mother-in-law; for 
 when she, upon hearing that the Lord had visited his people in 
 the land of Judea, in giving them bread, resolved to return to 
 her native country, these young women, although they had 
 
262 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 parents of their own, insisted upon accompanying her. But as 
 she was reduced to poverty, and had no prospect of any easy 
 method of support, begged them to relinquish the idea of going 
 with her, and to return each to her mother's house. "Go," 
 said she, "return each to her mother's house; the Lord deal 
 kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 
 The Lord grant that ye may find rest, each of you in the house 
 of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their 
 voice and wept. And they said, Surely we will return with 
 thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my 
 daughters, why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more 
 sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands ? Turn 
 again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have an 
 husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an 
 husband also to-night, and should also bear sons, would ye 
 tarry for them till they were grown ? Would ye stay for them 
 from having husbands ? Nay, my daughters, for it grieveth 
 me much for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out 
 against me. And they lifted up their voice and wept again ; 
 and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. 
 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her 
 people, and unto her gods : return thou after thy sister-in-law. 
 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from 
 following after thee: for whither thou gpest, I will go; and 
 where thou lodgest, I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, 
 and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there 
 will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught 
 but death part thee and me." When Naomi saw that her de- 
 termination was fixed, she ceased from all further attempts to 
 dissuade Ruth from going along with her. 
 
 After this tender scene ; the two widows, poor and desolate, 
 travelled on until they came to Beth-lehem, the former residence 
 of Naomi, from which she, with her husband, had emigrated 
 many years before. The inhabitants of the place were greatly 
 excited when they recognized their old neighbour again restored 
 to them after so long an absence. But they could with difficulty 
 be persuaded that she was indeed the identical person whom 
 they had once known as a resident among them. Doubtless, 
 time and sorrow had made a great change in Naomi's person ; 
 and her condition as well as her person was sadly altered. No 
 wonder, therefore, they said to one another, with surprise and 
 Borne degree of doubt, "Is this Naomi?" When the afflicted 
 widow heard her old neighbours address her by this name, the 
 import of which is "pleasant," she said with emotion, " Call me 
 not Naomi, call me Mara," the meaning of which is "bitter:" 
 "for," said she, "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with 
 me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 263 
 
 empty. Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath 
 testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?" The 
 time of the arrival of Naomi and Ruth at Beth-lehem was, " in 
 the beginning of barley-harvest." Thus that death from which 
 Elimelech and his sons fled, overtook them in the land where they 
 sojourned ; and that poverty, the dread of which had induced 
 them to leave the holy land, now came heavily upon the family. 
 Their substance had wasted away in a foreign country ; so that 
 when Naomi returned, she was in a state of abject poverty. 
 This circumstance will account for the earnestness with which 
 she entreated her daughters-in-law to return and live with their 
 friends ; and it furnishes strong evidence of the strength of 
 Ruth's attachment to her, or rather the strength of that piety 
 towards the God of Israel which animated her breast. Naomi, 
 however, had rich relations in Bethlehem, but possessing an in- 
 dependent spirit she would not obtrude herself upon their atten- 
 tion, much less solicit any favours from them. 
 
 But Naomi, though poor and desolate, trusted in God, and 
 was blessed with a daughter-in-law who loved her most tenderly, 
 and was not ashamed to labour for her subsistence. As these 
 widows had no harvest to gather in, their only resource for a 
 living was to avail themselves of that provision made for the 
 poor in the law of Moses, by which they were permitted to fol- 
 low the reapers, and glean such handfuls as they happened to 
 drop, or such stalks as were left standing in the corners of the 
 field. Ruth, of her own accord, proposed to engage in this 
 work ; and it so happened, that the first field into which she 
 entered, belonged to a near relation of her mother-in-law, whose 
 name was Boaz, and who was a man of extensive property and 
 wealth. Boaz appears to have been a man of piety as well as 
 wealth ; for when he came out of Beth-lehem to the field to see 
 the reapers, his salutation was, "The Lord be with you." And 
 their answer corresponded with the piety of the master's salu- 
 tation; for they said, "The Lord bless thee." There is some- 
 thing exceedingly pleasing in these ancient forms of pious in- 
 tercourse. Very different is often the language of reapers and 
 their employers in the harvest-field in our day. The attention 
 of Boaz was now directed to Ruth, whom he had not before seen; 
 and he inquired of the overseer of the reapers, "Whose damsel 
 is this?" To whom the servant answered, "It is the Moab- 
 itish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of 
 Moab. And she said, I pray you let me glean and gather after 
 the reapers among the sheaves, so she came and hath continued 
 even from the morning until now. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, 
 Hearest thou not, my daughter, go not to glean in another field, 
 neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let 
 thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after 
 
264 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 them. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not 
 touch thee ? And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and 
 drink of that which the young men have drawn." This unex- 
 pected condescension and kindness from the wealthy owner of 
 the harvest aifected this poor young stranger not a little ; for 
 " she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said 
 unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou 
 shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And 
 Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed 
 me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the 
 death of thine husband ; and how thou hast left thy father and 
 thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a 
 people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recom- 
 pense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord 
 God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Then 
 she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that 
 thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly to 
 thine handmaid, though I be not like thine handmaids. And Boaz 
 said unto her, At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of the 
 bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the 
 reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and 
 was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, 
 Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even 
 among the sheaves and reproach her not, and let fall also some 
 of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she 
 may glean them, and rebuke her not." Thus was an acquaint- 
 ance formed between these worthy persons, who, though in 
 very different external circumstances, Providence had deter- 
 mined should be united in the most intimate and tender bond 
 known upon earth. We see here, that virtuous and praise-wor- 
 thy conduct, even in humble circumstances, may attract the 
 attention and even the esteem of those in superior stations. 
 Boaz had heard, it seems, the whole story of the devoted attach- 
 ment of this young Moabitess to her afflicted mother-in-law, and 
 how, for her sake, and more especially for the sake of her reli- 
 gion with which she had become enamoured, that she was will- 
 ing to leave her own father and mother and her native land, 
 and to sojourn in a land of strangers, where she was under the 
 necessity of gleaning in the harvest-field for a scanty subsist- 
 ence for herself and her aged friend. But great as were the 
 sacrifices which she had made, and urgent as were the necessi- 
 ties under which she laboured, and the privations of abject 
 poverty which she endured, she neither repined nor murmured 
 at her hard lot, but cheerfully submitted to her afflictions, and 
 with alacrity performed the labours required by her circum- 
 stances. And until this time it is not probable that she enter- 
 tained any hope of rising into a more favourable condition. It 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 265 
 
 is evident that Boaz was instantly struck with the appearance 
 of this young woman. Although it is not recorded, it is more 
 than probable that, like many other of the good women who 
 have been honoured with a notice in the sacred Scriptures, she 
 was of a beautiful aspect, and of a modest and becoming de- 
 meanour. But Boaz, a pious and prudent man, was prepared 
 by the good report which he had heard of the kindness of Ruth 
 to her mother-in-law, his near relation, to entertain kind feel- 
 ings towards her; yet it does not appear that the idea of 
 making her his wife had yet taken possession of his mind. 
 The fact was, that according to the levirate law of Moses, the 
 right of claiming her in marriage belonged to another, who 
 stood in a nearer degree of kindred to the husband of the 
 Moabitess than Boaz. 
 
 When Ruth returned in the evening to her mother-in-law, 
 laden with the fruits of her successful gleaning, the inquiry was 
 made, "Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where wroughtest 
 thou?" And when Naomi heard that she happened to fall 
 into the field of Boaz for this was not the effect of any pre- 
 concerted plan she was sensibly affected with the providence 
 which led her daughter-in-law to that place, and also with the 
 remarkable kindness and condescension of her rich relative. 
 She exclaimed, therefore, " Blessed be he of the Lord, who 
 hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. 
 And Naomi said unto her, The man is of near kin unto us ; 
 one of our next kinsmen." Ruth also informed her mother-in- 
 law, that she had received a pressing invitation to glean in the 
 field of Boaz, until the end of the harvest; which was very 
 pleasing to Naomi, for she was glad that she could labour 
 among those who would treat her respectfully. And accord- 
 ingly she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the 
 end of barley-harvest, and wheat-harvest, and dwelt with her 
 mother-in-law. 
 
 SECTION XXXV. 
 
 BOAZ MARRIES RUTH HER SON OBED WAS THE FATHER OF JESSE, THE FATHER OF 
 
 DAVID. 
 
 THERE is nothing concerning which we are more likely to fall 
 into grievous mistakes, than by judging of the manners and 
 customs of ancient nations by what is common among us. 
 That which in one age is reckoned perfectly innocent, and as 
 laying riot the least foundation for censure or reproach, would, 
 in another country and age, be considered highly indecorous. 
 
 Naomi, who understood the laws and customs of the Jews, 
 began now to entertain the hope, that notwithstanding their 
 
266 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 depressed circumstances, Boaz would be induced to perform to 
 her amiable daughter-in-law the part of a near kinsman, by 
 taking her to wife and raising up seed to his deceased relative. 
 The only difficulty was to bring him to understand that this 
 duty devolved on him, unless another kinsman, who was still 
 nearer should claim his right. Naomi, therefore, formed a 
 plan for bringing the matter to a crisis. Whether her advice 
 was in every respect prudent and becoming, we are not able to 
 judge. Many transactions of the patriarchs and early ages of 
 the world cannot but appear strange to us ; and we know that 
 the record of a fact in the sacred Scriptures does not give it the 
 stamp of divine approbation. Bad actions as well as good are 
 left on record; and not only the bad conduct of wicked men, 
 but the slips and falls of the most eminent saints. Even if we 
 should be obliged to censure the device of Naomi as imprudent 
 and unjustifiable, and as an unwarrantable exposure of the 
 chastity of her daughter-in-law, it will reflect no discredit upon 
 the Bible ; it will only be another example of the imperfections 
 of the saints. As has been intimated, however, we are incom- 
 petent judges of this transaction, unless we had a more com- 
 plete knowledge of the customs of the ancient Israelites, rela- 
 tive to such matters. 
 
 It was customary at the end of harvest, to celebrate a feast, 
 at which the master associated in a free and friendly manner 
 with his labourers, and ate and drank with them in a cheerful 
 manner. Something of this kind seems to have been done by 
 Boaz, at the threshing-floor where his servants were winnowing 
 barley. Naomi directed Ruth to wash, anoint, and dress her- 
 self, and to go to this place ; and told her precisely how she 
 was to act. That " when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his 
 heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the 
 heap of corn, that she should go and lay herself down at 
 his feet, and uncover his feet." The young woman trusted 
 implicitly to the prudence and integrity of her mother-in-law, 
 and acted precisely as she was directed. And doubtless 
 Naomi proceeded upon the full persuasion that Boaz, being a 
 good and honourable man, and a near relative, would not take 
 advantage of the helpless young stranger, who was about to 
 cast herself upon his generosity. Circumstances which would 
 be a powerful temptation to one whose virtue is weak, may be 
 perfectly safe to another who lives habitually in the fear of 
 God. 
 
 Boaz knew not that a woman lay at his feet, until about 
 midnight, he observed her, and was afraid; and he said, "Who 
 art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid, 
 spread, therefore, thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a 
 near kinsman." These words, which had been put into her 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 267 
 
 mouth, imported a claim to be taken as his wife, according to 
 the law of the Lord. This claim, it appears, widows were 
 allowed by custom to make. Indeed it was no more than 
 asserting their right ; just as a wife would claim her own hus- 
 band, to whom she had been legally joined in marriage. But 
 if there was any thing indecorous in making this request, there 
 was certainly no iniquity in it ; and whatever of imprudence or 
 forwardness any may judge to have been in this conduct, it 
 must not be charged upon the modest Ruth, who in the whole 
 business followed implicitly the directions of her mother-in-law, 
 who had been her only instructor, in all that related to the law 
 of the Lord. But, that the request of Ruth was not considered 
 unbecoming or improper, appears from the answer of Boaz, 
 who seems to have been highly gratified with the opportunity 
 of declaring his mind to his fair kinswoman. "And he said, 
 Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter; for thou hast 
 showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, 
 inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or 
 rich." He considered it a strong evidence of her virtue and 
 kindness to the family of her deceased husband, that she who 
 was not bound by the judicial law of the Israelites, but might 
 have sought a husband among young men of other families, 
 should be disposed to yield a cheerful obedience to the laws of 
 her adopted country, and should be disposed to claim him as 
 her husband's substitute and successor, who was considerably 
 advanced in years. This appears to be his meaning when he 
 speaks of her not following young men, whether rich or poor. 
 This honourable man now promised to comply with the request 
 of Ruth, as far as it was legally in his power. He said, "My 
 daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest ; 
 for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous 
 woman. And now, it is true, I am thy near kinsman ; how- 
 beit, there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and 
 it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee 
 the part of a kinsman, well ; let him do the kinsman's part ; 
 but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I 
 do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth." 
 
 It gives us a favourable opinion of the inhabitants of Beth- 
 lehem at this time, that they were capable of appreciating, as 
 they did, the character of Ruth, in the humble vale of poverty 
 in which she walked; and that their chief citizen was a man 
 of so much integrity and honour: that, although living in the 
 possession of wealth and reputation, he was disposed to perform 
 a sacred duty towards a poor relative, if it should not be per- 
 formed by another, to whom it first appertained. 
 
 When Ruth returned to Naomi, bearing a valuable present 
 of six measures of barley from Boaz, and related to her all 
 
 
268 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 that had passed between them, her mother-in-law said, "Sit 
 still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall, for 
 the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this 
 day." This sagacious and pious mother in Israel saw the lead- 
 ings of Providence in this whole affair, and she perceived that 
 it would not be long ere the will of Heaven in regard to her 
 daughter-in-law would be satisfactorily developed. 
 
 As Naomi correctly judged, Boaz suffered no time to elapse, 
 before he brought this matter, in which he was deeply inte- 
 rested, to a decision. He took the first opportunity of address- 
 ing himself to the kinsman referred to above. And that every 
 thing might be transacted in the presence of a competent num- 
 ber of witnesses of suitable weight of character, "he took ten 
 men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here, 
 and they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi 
 that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a 
 parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's. And 
 I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the in- 
 habitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt 
 redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then 
 tell me that I may know, for there is none to redeem it 
 besides thee, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem 
 it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the 
 hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, 
 the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his 
 inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for 
 myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Redeem thou my 
 right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it." At that time it was 
 a custom in Israel to confirm bargains of this kind by the cere- 
 mony of plucking off the shoe and giving it to his neighbour, 
 and this was considered a testimony of the validity of the con- 
 tract. "Therefore, the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for 
 thee; so he drew off his shoe." And Boaz said unto the 
 elders and unto all the people, ye are witnesses this day, that I 
 have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's 
 and Mahlon's of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the 
 Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my 
 wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, 
 that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his breth- 
 ren, and from the gate of his place. Ye are witnesses this 
 day. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders 
 said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is 
 come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two 
 did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Ephra- 
 tah, and be famous in Beth-lehem. And let thy house be like 
 the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the 
 seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 269 
 
 Although Naomi returned home in abject poverty, she still 
 had a title to her husband's land ; and it appears from the lan- 
 guage of Boaz to his kinsman, that the widow had a right to 
 sell her right. The law requiring a brother, or the nearest 
 male kinsman, to marry the widow of a brother deceased, was 
 intended to preserve the inheritance in the family, and to pre- 
 vent the extinction of families. The first-fruits of such mar- 
 riages were legally reckoned to the deceased, and inherited as 
 if they had been his real posterity. When the widow of a de- 
 ceased Israelite was, at the time of his death, past the age of 
 child-bearing, the law would not apply ; and this was doubtless 
 the fact in regard to Naomi ; but this did not affect the rights 
 of her son's widows. As these sons had as good a title to their 
 part of the landed inheritance as their father, their widows 
 would have a claim. The nearest kinsman seems at first to 
 have supposed that the inheritance of his deceased relatives 
 would become his, by paying Naomi a reasonable sum for her 
 right ; but when he found that there was in the family a young 
 widow whom he must marry, in order to comply with the law, 
 he relinquished his right to Boaz. The reason which he as- 
 signed for declining to redeem the inheritance was, lest he 
 should by this means mar his own. The meaning may be, that 
 to redeem the inheritance of these three persons would require 
 such a sum as would render it necessary for him to alienate a 
 part of his own inheritance. The Jewish commentators, how- 
 ever, are of opinion, that this kinsman had a wife and children 
 already, and did not wish to increase his expenses by enlarging 
 his family, lest by this means he should waste or mar his in- 
 heritance. 
 
 "So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife." "And the 
 Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the 
 women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not 
 left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be 
 famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy 
 life, and a nourisher of thine old age ; for thy daughter-in-law, 
 which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath 
 borne him. And Naomi took the child and laid it in her 
 bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neigh- 
 bours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, 
 and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the 
 father of David. 
 
270 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXXVI. 
 
 BIRTH OF SAMUEL. 
 
 IN the town of Ramathaim-Zophim, was a man whose name was 
 Elkanah, an Ephrathite. This man had two wives, Hannah and 
 Peninnah; the latter of whom bare children, the former, none. 
 Elkanah was a devout man, and "went up yearly to Shiloh 
 to worship, and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts." This 
 probably should be interpreted as not meaning that he went up 
 merely once in the year, but that he was regular in his attend- 
 ance at each of the annual feasts, according to the prescription 
 of the law. At this time Eli was the high-priest, a man 
 advanced in age, who had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who 
 officiated at the tabernacle as priests of the Lord. At the 
 solemn feasts which were celebrated at Shiloh, Elkanah dealt 
 out liberal portions to his wife Peninnah and all her children, 
 but to Hannah, who was his chiefly beloved wife, he gave a wor- 
 thy portion. But as Hannah, though the favourite of her hus- 
 band, bare no children, her rival took occasion to provoke and 
 fret her ; and this she did, not once or twice merely, but con- 
 tinually, especially when the family went up to Shiloh to the 
 annual feasts. On this account Hannah was sore vexed, and 
 wept, and refused to eat. " Then said Elkanah her husband 
 to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou 
 not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to 
 thee than ten sons?" But, Hannah, although she arose up, 
 after the feast was over, still continued to indulge her grief; 
 and in the bitterness of her soul she prayed unto the Lord, and 
 wept sore. "And she vowed a vow, and said, Lord of hosts, 
 if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and 
 remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give 
 unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the 
 Lord all the days of his life, and there shall come no razor upon 
 his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before 
 the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake 
 in her heart ; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard ; 
 therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said 
 unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken ? Put away thy 
 wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, 
 I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine 
 nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 
 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of 
 the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hither- 
 to." No good man was ever more misled by appearances than 
 Eli, in the present instance. He imputed to intoxication, what 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 271 
 
 was the effect of a spirit deeply troubled, and earnestly wrest- 
 ling with God in prayer. But although good men are liable to 
 fall into mistakes of this kind, they are ever ready to renounce 
 their errors, when the truth is clearly made known. Therefore, 
 upon finding that Hannah was a very different kind of person 
 from what he had taken her for, he changed his tone towards 
 her instantly, and addressed her in the most affectionate man- 
 ner, and said, " Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee 
 thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let 
 thine handmaid find grace in thy sight." From this time Han- 
 nah recovered her wonted cheerfulness, and her countenance 
 was no more sad. Believing prayer has a wonderful effect to 
 dispel sorrow, and diffuse cheerfulness through the soul. Let 
 all who are in bitterness of spirit, and suffer under a load of 
 grief, seek relief at a throne of grace. Let them cast their 
 burdens on the Lord and he "will sustain them, and will turn 
 their darkness into light, and cause them to exchange their griefs 
 and complaints for joy and rejoicing. 
 
 The family of Elkanah having completed their service at the 
 tabernacle in Shiloh, prepared to return home ; but before they 
 set out on their journey, as became a pious household, they 
 engaged in a solemn act of worship to Jehovah, at the place 
 where he had recorded his name, and where he had his resi- 
 dence between the cherubim : and they returned to Ramah, 
 where he dwelt. 
 
 In due season Hannah received the answer to her earnest 
 prayer, and enjoyed the happiness of embracing a son, whom she 
 called Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the Lord." 
 When Elkanah went up to Shiloh with all his house, Han- 
 nah did not at this time accompany him ; " for she said unto 
 her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and 
 then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and 
 there abide for ever. And Elkanah, her husband, said unto 
 her, Do what seemeth thee good. Tarry until thou have 
 weaned him ; only the Lord establish his word ; so the woman 
 abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when 
 she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three 
 bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and 
 brought him unto the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the 
 child was young ; and they slew a bullock and brought the 
 child to Eli. And she said, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my 
 lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here praying unto the 
 Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me 
 my petition which I asked of him. Therefore, also, I have lent 
 him to the Lord ; as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the 
 Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there." 
 
272 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXXVII. 
 
 HANNAH'S DIVINE SONG. 
 
 As Hannah manifested the ardour of her piety by the fervency 
 of her prayer, so she was prompt and cordial in her thanks- 
 giving to God for his mercy, when her petition was granted. 
 The pious and elevated song which, by the inspiration of the 
 Holy Spirit, she was enabled to sing on this occasion, is left on 
 record for the edification of the church through all succeeding 
 ages: 
 
 "My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. 
 My horn is exalted in the Lord. 
 My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, 
 Because I rejoice in thy salvation. 
 There is none holy as the Lord. 
 For there is none besides thee ; 
 Neither is there any rock like our God. 
 Talk no more so exceeding proudly, 
 Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth, 
 For the Lord is a God of knowledge, 
 And by him are actions weighed. 
 The bows of the mighty men are broken ; 
 And they that stumble are girt with strength. 
 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread ; 
 And they that were hungry ceased : 
 So that the barren hath borne seven, 
 And she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 
 The Lord killeth and maketh alive : 
 He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 
 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: 
 He bringeth low and he lifteth up : 
 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, 
 And lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hill, 
 To set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne 
 
 of glory. 
 
 For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, 
 And he hath set the world upon them. 
 He will keep the feet of his saints, 
 And the wicked shall be silent in darkness ; 
 For by strength shall no man prevail. 
 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; 
 Out of heaven shall he thunder upon them. 
 The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, 
 And he shall give strength unto his King, 
 And exalt the horn of his anointed." 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 273 
 
 SECTION XXXVIII. 
 
 SAMUEL IS LEFT AT SHILOH ELI'S SONS GOD'S MESSAGE TO ELI, BY A NAMELESS 
 
 FKOPHET. 
 
 ELKANAH and his family having accomplished the object of their 
 visit to Shiloh, returned again to Ramah, hut the child Samuel 
 was left at the tabernacle by his mother, according to the vow 
 which she had vowed unto the Lord, that he should be lent unto 
 the Lord as long as he lived. Samuel, therefore, ministered 
 unto the Lord, before Eli the priest ; and although he was not 
 of the sacerdotal race, and could not officiate in any service 
 which belonged peculiarly to the priests, yet, as a consecrated 
 Nazarite, he might have the privilege of remaining near the 
 tabernacle, and of performing such services as were not appro- 
 priated to the family of Levi. 
 
 " The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were sons of Belial ; 
 they knew not the Lord." They were both rapacious and licen- 
 tious ; and instead of setting an example of piety before the 
 people who frequented the tabernacle at Shiloh, they not only 
 acted corruptly themselves, but caused the people to offend 
 against the Lord. "Wherefore the sin of the young men was 
 very great before the Lord ; for men abhorred the offering of 
 the Lord." Eli, though himself a pious man, had not acted 
 with fidelity towards his sons, but had connived at their irregu- 
 lar proceedings, which neglect was very offensive in the eyes of 
 the Lord. 
 
 "But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded 
 with a linen ephod. Moreover, his mother made him a little 
 coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came 
 up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli 
 blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed 
 of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord." And 
 this prayer of the high-priest was abundantly fulfilled; for 
 Hannah became the mother of three sons and two daughters. 
 And the child Samuel remained at Shiloh, and grew in stature, 
 and conducted himself so wisely and piously, that he greatly 
 pleased the Lord; so that he began early to reveal himself 
 unto him. The sons of Eli, instead of reforming their vicious 
 lives, increased in their wickedness ; and their father did indeed 
 speak to them when he heard of their repeated and enormous 
 acts of wickedness, and said, " Why do ye such things ? for I 
 hear of your evil dealings by all this people ; nay, my sons, for 
 it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the Lord's people 
 to transgress. If a man sin against another, the judge shall 
 judge him, but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat 
 18 
 
274 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 for him?" This reproof was entirely too mild, and seems to 
 have been given at too late a period, for it is assigned as a rea- 
 son why it took no effect, that the Lord had determined to slay 
 them. These young men ought to have been removed entirely 
 from the service of the. altar and the tabernacle. There were 
 men enough of the sacerdotal order to perform these sacred 
 services : and Eli, as the high-priest, had the authority to 
 commit to whom he would the several parts of divine wor- 
 ship which was daily celebrated at the tabernacle. At any 
 rate, his rebukes should have been more seasonable, more fre- 
 quent, and more severe, for conduct which was so enormously 
 wicked ; and it seems that the young men made no attempt to 
 conceal their transgressions : their sin was so public that all 
 the people were acquainted with it, and, as is commonly the 
 fact, all others knew it sooner than their father ; for his know- 
 ledge was derived from public report. A pious father cannot 
 be held responsible for the bad conduct of his sons,- if he has 
 faithfully performed his duty towards them ; but if he has been 
 acquainted with their acts of iniquity, and yet has refrained 
 from reproving them ; or if he has neglected to exercise whole- 
 some discipline, and to remove them from those situations in 
 which they have much power to do evil, he is guilty of a grievous 
 sin, and one for which God will punish him with chastisements 
 which will cause his own heart to bleed, and the ears of every 
 one that heareth of them to tingle. And perhaps, among good 
 men, no sin is more common than undue lenity towards sons, 
 who are living in open transgression of the commandments of 
 God. If they suffer the evil to run on for a long time, and 
 should at last undertake to administer reproofs, they may come 
 too late, and, as in the case of Eli, may produce no salutary 
 effect. Such parents, however, commonly receive, in the provi- 
 dence of God, and from hi-s word and Spirit, frequent admoni- 
 tions of their duty. During the whole period of the theocracy, 
 there were inspired men in Israel. It is probable that some of 
 these received communications only at particular times, and 
 were appointed to deliver special messages to individuals. In 
 a number of cases, prophets are introduced as delivering com- 
 munications from God, of whom we never hear any thing more, 
 and whose names are not even given in the sacred record. We 
 have an example of this sort in the history of Eli. " And there 
 came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the 
 Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when 
 they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house ? And did I choose 
 him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon 
 mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me ? And 
 did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made 
 by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my 
 
THE ISKAELITES. 275 
 
 sacrifice, and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my 
 habitation : and honourest thy sons above me, to make your- 
 selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my 
 people? Wherefore, the Lord God of Israel saith, I said, in- 
 deed, that thy house and the house of thy father should walk 
 before me for ever : but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, 
 for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise 
 me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come that I will 
 cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there 
 shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. And the man of 
 thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to con- 
 sume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart: and all the increase 
 of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. And this 
 shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, 
 Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die, both of them. 
 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according 
 to that which is in my heart, and in my mind; and I will build 
 him a sure house ; and he shall walk before mine Anointed for 
 ever. And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in 
 thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver 
 and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into 
 one of the priest's offices, that I may eat a piece of bread." 
 
 This solemn message from an anonymous prophet claims the 
 attention of all parents, and especially of the ministers of the 
 Lord. There is awful severity in the judgments denounced on 
 the house of Eli, which were executed literally, as the sequel of 
 the sacred history clearly demonstrates. The case of Eli's ini- 
 quity is pointed out distinctly by this unknown man of God. It 
 was, that he honoured his sons more than he honoured God. 
 Let all parents beware of the sin of preferring the indulgence 
 and gratification of their children to the honour and glory of 
 God. Let them remember that the temptations to this sin are 
 exceedingly strong, on account of the strength of parental affec- 
 tion; and it is an insidious evil, because it does not consist in 
 any positive act, but in the mere neglect of our duty: and it 
 is often connected with a kind and amiable disposition, which 
 feels an insuperable reluctance to inflict pain on the persons 
 beloved. But it is a fair trial of the state of the heart. It 
 serves to show whether we love God or our children with 
 supreme affection. 
 
276 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XXXIX. 
 
 JEHOVAH SPEAKS TO THE CHILD SAMUEL, AND REVEALS HIS PURPOSE IN EEGAKD 
 TO ELI'S FAMILY ELI'S HUMBLE SUBMISSION. 
 
 ABOUT this time the instances of divine communications had 
 become rare ; "and there was no open vision." Some time had 
 elapsed since the anonymous prophet had been sent with God's 
 awful message to Eli ; and yet no reformation had taken place 
 in his sons ; and it does not appear that he had become more 
 faithful and decisive in the treatment of his sons, and probably 
 the deep impression which the prophet's words must have made 
 upon his mind, was nearly obliterated, when it pleased God to 
 send him another message by his young servant Samuel, who 
 ministered unto the Lord before him. "And it came to pass, 
 at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes 
 began to wax dim, that he could not see ; and ere the lamp of God 
 went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, 
 and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Sam- 
 uel, and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and 
 said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not ; 
 lie down again ; and he went and lay down. And the Lord 
 called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and v went to Eli, 
 and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, 
 I called not, my son ; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet 
 know the Lord ; neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed 
 unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. 
 And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou 
 didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the 
 child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down : and it 
 shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for 
 thy servant heareth. And the Lord came and stood, and called 
 as at other times, Samuel, Samuel : then Samuel answered, 
 Speak, for thy servant heareth. And the Lord said to Samuel, 
 Behold I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of 
 every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will per- 
 form against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his 
 house. When I begin I will also make an end, for I have told 
 him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which 
 he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile and he res- 
 trained them not. And, therefore, I have sworn to the house 
 of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with 
 sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morn- 
 ing, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord ; and Sam- 
 uel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and 
 said, Samuel, my son, and he answered, Here am I. And he 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 277 
 
 said, "What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee ? I 
 pray thee hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more 
 also, if thou hide any thing from me, of all the things that he 
 said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid no- 
 thing from him. And he said, It is the Lord, let him do what 
 seemeth him good." As the Lord is very merciful and repent- 
 eth him of the evil which he has intended and threatened, it 
 cannot be doubted, that if Eli, upon the first divine warning, 
 had immediately set himself to reform his house and to restrain 
 his sons, or to put them out of the way of doing so much evil, 
 the dreadful judgments denounced against his family would 
 have been averted ; for in such threatenings there is commonly 
 an implied condition, that if the parties concerned repent and 
 turn unto God with all their heart, their iniquities shall be for- 
 given. But when men persevere in transgression, there is a 
 certain point beyond which mercy will not pursue them ; when 
 the Lord utterly refuses to hear any intercessions or accept any 
 sacrifices or offerings in behalf of the guilty transgressor. There 
 is a day of grace ; and there is a time when, in just judgment, 
 the things which make for peace are hidden from the eyes of 
 men. Eli and his sons might have escaped from these heavy 
 judgments, if they had repented when the man of God was sent 
 with the solemn admonition, which we have recorded above ; 
 but now, the clay of grace was past. Now the purpose of God 
 is irrevocably fixed, that his house shall not be purged, and that 
 the threatened punishment shall fall upon him. The submission, 
 of Eli to the divine will in this matter is truly remarkable. 
 He was conscious of his own ill-desert, and was convinced that 
 he justly deserved to suffer all that had been threatened. He 
 said not a word, therefore, in extenuation of his sin ; nor did 
 he complain of the severity of the divine wrath; nor ask 
 that the awful curse should be averted or mitigated. He 
 bows in submission to the divine will, and meekly says, "It 
 is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." He knew 
 , that the Judge of all the earth would do right ; and as he had 
 revealed that his sin should not escape punishment, he sees no- 
 thing left for him but humble submission. There is a remarka- 
 ble parallelism between the conduct of Eli and that of Aaron. 
 Indeed, the resemblance between these two saints is very strik- 
 ing, and also between the calamities which befel them. Both 
 were high-priests both had irreligious sons, who, while they 
 ministered at the altar, by their transgressions provoked Jeho- 
 vah to cut them off; and it is probable that, in either case, 
 the oldest of these young men, if he had lived, would have been 
 advanced to the office of high-priest. When Nadab and Abihu 
 were struck dead, "Aaron held his peace;" and Eli spoke, but 
 only said, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." 
 
278 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 From the time that the Lord made himself known unto Samuel, 
 when a child, he continued more and more to make commu- 
 nications unto him, until it was well understood from Dan even 
 to Beer-sheba, " that Samuel was established to be a prophet 
 of the Lord." "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with 
 him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." "And 
 the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed him- 
 self to Samuel by the Word of the Lord." And the word of 
 Samuel was regarded by all Israel as a revelation from God ; 
 and he was respected and venerated as a prophet of the Lord. 
 
 SECTION XL. 
 
 THE ISRAELITES DEFEATED BY THE PHILISTINES THE TWO SONS OF ELI SLAIN, AND 
 THE ARK TAKEN THE INTELLIGENCE OVERCOMES ELI, WHO FALLS BACK AND 
 BREAKS HIS NECK THE WIFE OF FHINEHAS ALSO EXPIRES. 
 
 IN this period a war occurred between the Israelites and their 
 inveterate foes, the Philistines. The Israelites encamped in a 
 place which afterwards received the name of Ebenezer, on ac- 
 count of a circumstance which shall hereafter be mentioned. 
 The Philistines pitched not far off, in a place called Aphek. 
 The contending armies soon joined battle, and Israel was smit- 
 ten before the Philistines ; and they slew of the army in the 
 field about four thousand men. "When the people were come 
 into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the 
 Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines ? Let us fetch 
 the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that 
 when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our 
 enemies." This was a very unlawful enterprise. The ark, when 
 deposited in the tabernacle, was not to be removed, but by 
 divine direction ; and on this occasion, no prophet was con- 
 sulted, and no inquiry was made of the Lord by Urim and 
 Thummim, or by any other means ; but a hasty resolution was 
 formed in the camp, under the consternation produced by their 
 recent defeat. Besides, it was a weak and superstitious opinion 
 that the mere presence of the ark could save them from their 
 enemies. If God was not on their side, in vain did they trust 
 to the ark, which was, indeed, a symbol of the divine presence, 
 but possessed no power whatever independent of God. Eli, to 
 whom the care of the ark belonged, ought firmly and strenu- 
 ously to have resisted this desecration of the ark of the cove- 
 nant; but it was the weakness of this good man not to be able 
 to oppose the will of others, even when it was evil. And his 
 two wicked sons, who seem to have had the charge of the taber- 
 nacle and its sacred furniture, would be disposed to comply 
 with the wishes of the people and the elders. Accordingly, 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 279 
 
 they sent to Shiloh and brought from thence the ark of the 
 covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the 
 cherubims. Hophni and Phinehas accompanied the impious 
 and mad expedition. "And when the ark of the covenant of the 
 Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, 
 so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard 
 the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of 
 this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews ? And they un- 
 derstood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. 
 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into 
 the camp, and they said, Wo unto us, for there hath not been 
 such a thing heretofore. Wo unto us, who shall deliver us out 
 of the hand of these mighty Gods ? These are the Gods that 
 smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be 
 strong and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, that ye 
 be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. 
 Quit yourselves like men, and fight." Battle was now joined, 
 and again Israel was smitten, and the people fled to their tents, 
 and there was a very great slaughter ; for there fell of Israel 
 thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken ; and 
 the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. The 
 sad tidings of this disastrous defeat was brought to Shiloh by a 
 man of Benjamin, who came the same day with his clothes 
 rent, and with earth upon his head. Eli, who was in great 
 anxiety, had taken his seat by the wayside, watching; "for his 
 heart trembled for the ark of God." As soon as the tidings 
 were heard, there arose a general cry of distress among the 
 people, which, when Eli heard, he said, "What meaneth the 
 noise of this tumult ? And the man came in hastily and told 
 Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes 
 were dim that he could not see." And when he was informed 
 that this man had come immediately from the camp, he said, 
 "What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered 
 and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has 
 been also a great slaughter among the people : and thy two 
 sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God 
 is taken. And it came pass, when he made mention of the 
 ark of God, that Eli fell from the seat backward, by the side 
 of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died ; for he was an old 
 man and heavy; and he had judged Israel forty years. And 
 his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be 
 delivered : and when she heard the tidings, that the ark of God 
 was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were 
 dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon 
 her. And about the time of her death, the women that stood 
 by her said unto her, Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. But 
 she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named 
 
280 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel ; 
 because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father- 
 in-law and her husband." And in her last moments she re- 
 peated what may be considered a sad prediction, "The glory is 
 departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken." 
 
 SECTION XLI. 
 
 THE ARK CARRIED TO ASHDOD AND PLACED BY DAGON THIS IDOL FALLS ON THE 
 FLOOR, AND IS MUTILATED THE PHILISTINES, AFFLICTED WITH DISEASE AND 
 MICE, SEND BACK THE ARK. 
 
 THE Philistines having got possession of the ark of God, 
 brought it to Ashdod, and placed it in the temple of Dagon, 
 and set it by Dagon. Next morning a remarkable thing was 
 discovered by the inhabitants of Ashdod. "Dagon was fallen 
 upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and 
 the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, were cut 
 off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to 
 him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that 
 come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in 
 Ashdod unto this day." 
 
 However the lords of the Philistines might have triumphed, 
 in consequence of the capture of the ark of the Lord, yet it now 
 became an embarrassing question how they should dispose of it ; 
 for the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, 
 causing them to be afflicted with a painful and troublesome 
 disease ; so that they said, " The ark of the God of Israel shall 
 not abide with us; for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon 
 our God. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of 
 the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the 
 ark of the God of Israel ? And they answered, Let the ark of 
 the God of Israel be carried unto Gath. And they carried the 
 ark of the God of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, 
 after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was 
 against the city with a very great destruction." " Therefore 
 they sent the ark of God to Ekron." But the Ekronites, as 
 soon as it arrived, cried out, saying, "They have brought about 
 the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So 
 they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, 
 and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go 
 again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for 
 there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city ; the hand 
 of God was very heavy there." And the irien who did not die 
 were afflicted with a very disagreeable disease ; so that the cry 
 of the city went up to heaven. The time of the continuance 
 of the ark in the land of the Philistines was seven months. 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 281 
 
 In their perplexity, they " called for the priests and the 
 diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the Lord ? 
 tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. And they said, 
 If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not 
 empty; but in any wise return him a trespass-offering: then 
 ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand 
 is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the 
 trespass-offering which we shall return to him? They an- 
 swered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according 
 to the number of the lords of the Philistines : for one plague 
 was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make 
 images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the 
 land ; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel : perad- 
 venture he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your 
 gods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do you harden 
 your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts ? 
 When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not 
 let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a 
 new cart, and take two milch-kine, on which there hath come 
 no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves 
 home from them : and take the ark of the Lord and lay it upon 
 the cart ; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a 
 trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it 
 away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of 
 his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great 
 evil : but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that 
 smote us; it was a chance that happened to us." 
 
 This advice of the priests and diviners was strictly followed ; 
 so they " took two milch-kine, and tied them to the cart, and 
 shut up their calves at home : and they laid the ark of the Lord 
 upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the 
 images of their emerods. And the kine took the straight way 
 to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, 
 lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or 
 to the left ; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto 
 the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were 
 reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley : and they lifted up 
 their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the 
 cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood 
 there, where there was a great stone : and they clave the wood 
 of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto the Lord. 
 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer 
 that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them 
 on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt- 
 offerings and sacrificed sacrifices, the same day unto the Lord. 
 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they 
 returned to Ekron the same day." And the great stone, on 
 
282 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 which the ark was set down, was called Abel ; which stone was 
 for a long time afterwards a noted object in the field of Joshua 
 the Beth-shemite. 
 
 It is a remarkable fact, that all the heathen who inhabited 
 these regions seem to have been well acquainted with the his- 
 tory of the redemption of the Israelites from the bondage of 
 Egypt. The wonders then wrought had been widely reported, 
 and had left a deep impression on the minds of the nations. 
 
 The judgments inflicted on the Philistines in consequence of 
 the capture of the ark, seem to have been of three distinct kinds. 
 First, upon their gods, as in the case of Dagon, who was hor- 
 ribly mutilated by the introduction of the ark of the Lord. 
 This idol is said to have partaken of the form of a man and of 
 a fish. The upper part was the head, body, and arms of a man, 
 proceeding from the mouth of a monstrous fish, which was the 
 inferior portion of the god. 
 
 The second judgment was a troublesome and shameful dis- 
 ease, on all classes of men, and by which multitudes were 
 carried off. 
 
 The third was an army of mice, who devoured the fruits of 
 the field. Such judgments have been experienced by other 
 nations. 
 
 In the advice of the priests and diviners, with much that is 
 superstitious and childish, we find some salutary counsel. They 
 seem to have known that the God of Israel was the true God, 
 and should be honoured; but they were for dividing this honour 
 with their own deities. This is the grand error of Pagans, that 
 they admit into their creed a multitude of gods. They have 
 no objection to increasing the number of their deities, provided 
 the new ones are not intolerant to the old. But the God of 
 Israel is a jealous God, and will not share his glory with dumb 
 idols. 
 
 But the men of Beth-shemesh, though they appertained to 
 Israel, acted more irreverently towards the ark of the Lord than 
 did the Philistines ; for we do not read that the latter attempted 
 to gratify their curiosity by raising the mystic lid which covered 
 this sacred chest, but these men of Israel had the impious 
 audacity to look into the ark of the Lord ; and a large number 
 of them were smitten of the Lord. There is probably some 
 error here in the Hebrew copy, through the mistake of early 
 transcribers. The number slain, as here recorded, is fifty thou- 
 sand and three-score and ten men ; which seems to be too many 
 for a single city, on the very borders of the country. In other 
 copies, instead of fifty, we have five thousand, which is a much 
 more probable number. But as we know not the population of 
 this city, the name of which signifies the house of the sun, we 
 cannot determine that the number in the Hebrew text may not 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 283 
 
 be correct. If there were some hundreds of thousands of in- 
 habitants in the town, as many as fifty thousand may have been 
 smitten on account of their irreverent curiosity. 
 
 "And the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten 
 many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of 
 Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord 
 God? and to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent 
 messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The 
 Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye 
 down, and fetch it up to you. And the men of Kirjath-jearim 
 came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it to the 
 house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to 
 keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the ark 
 abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was 
 twenty years : and all the house of Israel lamented after the 
 Lord." 
 
 SECTION XLII. 
 
 SAMUEL JUDGES ISRAEL APPOINTS A DAY OF PUBLIC PRATER AT MIZPEH DE- 
 FEATS THE PHILISTINES AT EliENEZER. 
 
 SAMUEL'S reputation as a prophet being fully established through 
 all Israel, he took upon himself to judge Israel. But suspect- 
 ing that many of them were addicted to the worship of the gods 
 of the heathen round about them, he addressed an exhortation 
 to all Israel, saying, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all 
 your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from 
 among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve 
 him only ; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philis- 
 tines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and 
 Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only." This was a glorious 
 reformation which now took place in Israel, by which idolatry 
 was banished from the land ; the people all bent to engage in 
 the worship of Jehovah. The preaching of Samuel, so far as 
 we are informed, was the only means employed in accomplish- 
 ing this reformation. 
 
 Samuel finding that the people were now in a favourable state, 
 wished to confirm their good impressions, and therefore ap- 
 pointed a general meeting of all the tribes at Mizpeh, that he 
 might engage in solemn prayer in their behalf. "And they 
 gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out 
 before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We 
 have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the chil- 
 dren of Israel in Mizpeh." From the time that the ark of the 
 Lord was removed from Shiloh, that place, after having been 
 the residence of Him who dwelt between the cherubim, for 
 
284 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 several hundred years, appears to have been utterly abandoned; 
 and we hear no more of it except when its utter desolation is 
 incidentally mentioned. And as it was expedient to have some 
 central place for the meeting of the tribes, Samuel seems to 
 have selected Mizpeh for this purpose. 
 
 When the Philistines heard of this general assembly of the 
 children of Israel at Mizpeh, they seem to have taken it for 
 granted that the meeting had for its object a consultation re- 
 specting war, they, therefore, went up against Israel. "And 
 when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the 
 Philistines." They remembered their recent defeat, and the 
 disastrous circumstances which accompanied it; but they did 
 not now impiously bring the ark into the camp, or trust to this 
 external symbol, as they had before done. But being con- 
 vened for solemn prayer and fasting, and having Samuel, a 
 man mighty in prayer, in the midst of them, they besought him 
 to intercede for them. "Cease not," said they, "to cry unto 
 the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of 
 the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered 
 it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel cried 
 unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him. And aa 
 Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew 
 near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a 
 great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited 
 them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of 
 Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and 
 smote them until they came under Beth-car. Then Samuel 
 took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called 
 the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord 
 helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no 
 more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was 
 against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities 
 which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to 
 Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath ; and the coasts thereof did 
 Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there 
 was peace between Israel and the Amorites." It may be 
 remarked here, that when Israel sought the help of Jehovah, 
 and put their trust in him, they were uniformly successful, 
 whether their foes were many or few ; but, on the other hand, 
 when they trusted in an arm of flesh, or in their own devices, 
 they were defeated by their enemies. 
 
 The influence of Samuel on this whole nation was great and 
 salutary. Seldom has any individual been able to govern a pop- 
 ulous nation so effectually, or to bring a whole people so unani- 
 mously to the worship of the true God. But this was accom- 
 plished entirely by moral means. Samuel had no other authority 
 over the children of Israel than that which arose from their 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 285 
 
 persuasion that lie was a prophet, and that his counsels and 
 exhortation were dictated by the Spirit of God. His example 
 also corresponded with his professions and office ; and the power 
 which he had with God by prayer, was signally manifested on 
 the occasion just mentioned, when he had scarcely done speak- 
 ing, before the Lord thundered against the Philistines and put 
 them to flight. 
 
 It may seem to be a departure from the law of Moses, that 
 Samuel, who was not of the Aaronic family, should himself 
 offer sacrifices to God, and that this should be done, as it fre- 
 quently was, by him, in other places than where the altar of 
 God was stationed. The only satisfactory explanation of this 
 is, that prophets, acting under the immediate inspiration of God, 
 had the privilege of sacrificing independently of the priesthood, 
 and wherever they happened to be; just as men inspired to 
 preach, need not, as others, apply to men for ordination. So 
 Paul received his commission as an apostle, from the hands of 
 no men, but was sent by a commission immediately from God. 
 Just so, Samuel, acting under the influence of a plenary inspira- 
 tion, had a right to do in God's worship whatever he was 
 directed by the Holy Ghost to do ; and also to perform cere- 
 monies which others not inspired have no right to imitate. 
 Thus we find this holy man not only offering a sucking lamb 
 for a burnt-offering, but also pouring out water before the 
 Lord. And in the sequel of the history we find him offering 
 sacrifice at Raman, when Saul was anointed, and at Beth-lehem 
 when David was anointed. 
 
 Samuel continued all his life to judge Israel, and that he 
 might perform his duty more effectually, he annually took a 
 circuit, in which he had several important stations, where he 
 met with the people. The principal of these were Bethel, Gil- 
 gal, and Mizpeh; but his place of residence, when not on his 
 circuit, was Ramah, where he had a house, and where also he 
 exercised his office of judge of Israel; and here, we are informed, 
 "he built an altar to the Lord." His conduct on this subject 
 has already been explained, and it is unnecessary to repeat 
 what was before said. 
 
286 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 SECTION XLIII. 
 
 SAMUEL IN HIS OLD AGE ASSOCIATES HIS SONS AS JUDGES WITH HIMSELF THEIR BAD 
 CHARACTER THE PEOPLE DEMAND A KING SAMUEL IS DISPLEASED BUT GOD 
 
 DIRECTS HIM TO COMPLY, BUT TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF KINGLY GOVERNMENT 
 
 BY INSISTING ON A KING THEY REJECTED NOT SAMUEL BUT GOD THE TENDENCY 
 OF POWER TO ABUSE. 
 
 BUT when Samuel became old, not being able, as in the days of 
 his vigour, to transact all the judicial business which called for 
 his attention, he associated his sons with him in this important 
 trust. The names of his two sons were Joel and Abiah ; and 
 as he could not conveniently visit, in his judicial circuit, the 
 southern part of Judea, he stationed them at Beer-sheba. But 
 excellent as the example of Samuel was, both privately and 
 officially, his sons did not follow it. Whether he, like Eli, was 
 too indulgent to his children, and connived at their faults, we 
 are not informed, and we cannot infer his negligence, from the 
 fact that they turned out badly; for often the best education 
 and the most faithful warnings are lost on the children of the 
 pious. It is very natural, however, for parents to be blind to 
 the failings of their children ; and at least, it may be presumed, 
 that Samuel was mistaken in thinking that these young men 
 were qualified to be judges in Israel. But whether he could 
 have known their character or not, the event proved, that in 
 that very point in which judges should be strong in virtue, they 
 were weak, for "they walked not in the ways of their father, 
 but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted 
 judgment. This bad conduct was so notorious, " that all the 
 elders of Israel gathered themselves togther, and came to Sam- 
 uel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold thou art old, and 
 thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge 
 us like all the nations." Here was indeed a most important 
 proposal growing out of the mal-administration of these young 
 men. The people had been well satisfied with the administra- 
 tion of Samuel himself, as is implied in the complaint brought 
 against his sons. They did not hurt the old prophet's feelings 
 by exaggerating the misconduct of his sons, but merely said, 
 " thy sons walk not in thy ways." But why should they have 
 desired a king? Undoubtedly, the thing was ill-advised, as 
 appears by the judgment, not only of Samuel, but of God 
 himself; but they were influenced by human policy : they saw 
 no prospect of a righteous administration after the decease of 
 Samuel ; and they dreaded, it is probable, that miserable anar- 
 chy, by which their nation had so often been afflicted, since 
 their settlement in Canaan; and they wished, therefore, to have 
 a king, invested with absolute authority to keep the multitude 
 
THE ISRAELITES. 287 
 
 in order. But besides these considerations, they were influ- 
 enced by another motive, not so honourable to them, as the 
 servants of Jehovah; they felt ashamed of the remarkable dis- 
 similarity of their government to those of the surrounding 
 nations. All these, however small, were governed by kings, 
 who assumed great state, and went out with the people to war : 
 but they appeared as a nation without a head, and doubtless 
 this was a matter of reproach to them among the heathen, 
 therefore they said, " Make us a king to judge us like all the 
 nations." 
 
 This request seems to have come unexpectedly to Samuel, 
 and he was far from being pleased with it. But he was a man 
 who would judge nothing, and do nothing, without consulting 
 the Lord. Therefore, before he gave any answer, he carried 
 the important subject to a throne of grace by prayer. "And 
 the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the peo- 
 ple in all they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but 
 they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. Ac- 
 cording to all the works which they have done, since the day 
 that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, 
 wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do 
 they also unto thee. Now, therefore, hearken to their voice ; 
 howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the 
 manner of the king that shall reign over them." "And Samuel 
 told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him 
 a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that 
 shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them 
 for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen : and some 
 shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains 
 over thousands, and captains over fifties, and set them to ear 
 his ground, and reap his harvest, and to make his instruments 
 of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take 
 your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to 
 be bakers. And he will take your fields and your vineyards, 
 and your olive-yards, even the best of them, and give them to 
 his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of 
 your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
 And he will take your men-serv.ants, and your maid-servants, 
 and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them 
 to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and ye shall 
 be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of 
 your king, which ye shall have chosen you ; and the Lord will 
 not hear you in that day. Nevertheless, the people refused to 
 obey the voice of Samuel ; and they said, Nay, but we will have a 
 king over us, that we also maybe like all the nations; and that 
 our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 
 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed 
 
^ 
 
 288 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 
 Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel 
 said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city." 
 
 Israel, the most highly favoured nation upon earth, was yet 
 the most ungrateful and rebellious towards their God and King. 
 Although they had for centuries been protected and delivered, by 
 a succession of stupendous miracles, yet they distrusted the 
 power and providence of God, and asked for a king, that they 
 might be like the other nations. 
 
 We learn from this portion of sacred history, that God often 
 grants those requests which are not pleasing in his sight : in 
 just judgment, he permits people when they are bent on a par- 
 ticular course to pursue it. According to that of the Psalmist, 
 when speaking of this very subject, "And he gave them their 
 request, but sent leanness into their soul." 
 
 From God's description of a king, we learn that the ten- 
 dency of power is to abuse. The principle of selfishness and 
 pride is so strong in human nature, that it is to be expected, 
 that he who is invested with absolute power over others, will 
 exercise it for his own interest and gratification. Kings are 
 commonly among the most corrupt of the human race; not be- 
 cause they are naturally worse than others, but because they 
 are under fewer restraints, and are exposed to stronger tempta- 
 tions. This description of kingly power and injustice is in per- 
 fect accordance with the fact as it commonly exists. There 
 may be a state of anarchy so miserable that even a king might 
 be a blessing ; or rather, the least of two evils ; but any people 
 capable of self-government are mad when they desire a king. 
 The expenses of civil government had been scarcely felt before 
 by the Israelites, but by the erection of a monarchy, they sub- 
 jected themselves to a heavy burden of taxation. 
 
PAET IV. 
 
 FROM THE INSTITUTION OF THE REGAL GOVERN- 
 MENT TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 SAUL'S ELECTION AS KING HIS VICTORY OVER NAHASH AND THE RENEWED CON- 
 FIRMATION OF HIS KINGDOM SAMUEL'S CHARGE SAUL'S FIRST OFFENCE JONA- 
 THAN'S EXPLOIT AND DEFEAT OF THE PHILISTINES SAUL SENT TO DESTROY THE 
 
 AMALEKITES HIS SECOND OFFENCE, AND REJECTION FROM THE KINGDOM. 
 
 V 
 
 WE come now to a crisis in the history of the Jewish people. 
 Previous to this time they had existed as separate families, 
 rather than as one nation. Their unity, so far as they were 
 one, arose from a common relation to Jehovah as their king, 
 and not from any allegiance to one earthly king. They were 
 a 'religious, rather than a political people. But now they had 
 wickedly rejected God, " who had saved them out of all their 
 adversities and tribulations," and had made themselves a king, 
 or rather demanded one at the hands of Samuel. In their 
 pride and unbelief they would not have God to reign over 
 them. Henceforth, therefore, we shall find them like the other 
 nations of the earth, united under one earthly prince, and not 
 so immediately under the care and government of God. They 
 are no longer one, simply as the worshippers of Jehovah, but 
 also as the subjects of a king. 
 
 The person whom God had chosen, and directed Samuel to 
 invest with the kingly office, was "Saul the son of Kish," "a 
 Benjamite, and a mighty man of power." It appears, in the 
 course of the narrative, that this same person was afterwards 
 freely chosen by the people. The appearance of Saul was 
 striking, and likely to find favour with the mass of the people. 
 " He was a choice young man, and a goodly : and there was 
 not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he, 
 from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the 
 people." The earlier years of Saul's life were spent in the 
 management of his father's estate. At the time of his intro- 
 duction to the prophet, he was in the discharge of this duty, 
 searching after the lost property of his father. The search 
 was fruitless, and, as a last resort, Saul determined, at the suer- 
 19 
 
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 gestion of his servant, to enter the city and consult tne seer or 
 prophet. " So they went unto the city where the man of God 
 was ; and when they were come to the city, behold, Samuel 
 came out against them for to go up to the high place." It was 
 a feast-day, and the people were waiting until the prophet 
 should come and bless the sacrifice before they should eat. 
 "And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold 
 the man whom I spake to thee of; this same shall reign over 
 my people." Before any inquiry, Samuel informs Saul that 
 the stray asses which he sought were found, and then announces 
 to him in these words his selection to the kingly office : " And 
 on whom is all the desire of Israel ? Is it not on thee, and on 
 all thy father's house?" On the morrow, as he was about to 
 depart, and they were come without the city, " Samuel took a 
 vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and 
 said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be cap- 
 tain over his inheritance ?" This was the outward calling of 
 Saul. But as God, when he calls any one to a particular duty, 
 does so ordinarily both by an inward and outward calling, so 
 it was with this lately anointed king. As he turned away 
 from Samuel "God gave him another heart:" and when he 
 met the company of the prophets, "the Spirit of the Lord 
 came upon him, and Saul also prophesied among them." This 
 was the inward authentication of the outward call : for the pro- 
 phet assures him that when these things should come unto him, 
 "then he might know that God was with him." 
 
 Although Saul had thus been anointed king, there was 
 another step necessary, before he could enter fully upon the 
 duties of that office. It was necessary that this divine calling 
 should in some way be manifested to the people. Accordingly 
 Samuel calls another assembly of the people at Mizpeh. He 
 tells them of God's former care over them, and of their sinful 
 rejection of him, and then proceeds in the use of the lot to 
 point out the tribe, family, and person, whom the Lord had 
 chosen. Saul was thus publicly taken; and when brought 
 among the people, "they gave a shout, and said, God save the 
 king." Samuel, however, was careful to correct any misappre- 
 hensions as to the power of the newly made monarch. He 
 expounded to them the royal rights and prerogatives: "Then 
 Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote 
 it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord." Thus the first 
 Hebrew monarch began his reign as a constitutional king, 
 chosen by God, anointed by the prophet, and accepted freely 
 by the people. 
 
 There was soon an occasion for Saul's services. The very 
 danger which had led to the election of a king was now at hand. 
 "Nahash the king of the Ammonites came up and encamped 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 291 
 
 against Jabesh-gilead," a town lying east of Jordan, and not 
 far from the Sea of Galilee. The only condition on which he 
 would spare them at all, was that he might " thrust out all their 
 right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel." Such a 
 demand was unendurable, and as all Israel would share in the 
 reproach, "they sent throughout all their coasts for help." 
 When these messengers came to Gibeah, Saul was at his ordi- 
 nary labour in the field. But when he heard the " tidings of 
 the men of Jabesh, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and 
 his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, 
 and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the 
 coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever 
 cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be 
 done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the 
 people, and they came out with one consent." Saul numbered 
 his forces, and sent his promise to the people of Jabesh-gilead 
 that " To-morrow, by the time the sun be hot, ye shall have 
 help." And on the morrow " Saul put the people in three com- 
 panies ; and they came into the midst of the host in the morn- 
 ing-watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day, 
 and scattered them so that two of them were not left together." 
 This sudden and decisive victory, by the courage and energy of 
 Saul, left no doubt in the minds of any as to his fitness for the 
 kingly office. A demand arose for the punishment of those 
 who had opposed his election ; but Saul at once repressed it, and 
 said, "There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to- 
 day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel." Then all the 
 people, with the sanction of Samuel, "went to Gilgal; and there 
 they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they 
 sacrificed sacrifices of peace-oiferings before the Lord; and 
 there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly." We 
 may view this transaction as the solemn public renewal, and 
 final establishment, of the kingdom of Saul, -v- 
 
 While the people were thus together, Samuel warns them, 
 and their chosen king, against tyranny and impiety. He 
 appeals to them as to his own example while judge. "Behold, 
 here I am : witness against me before the Lord, and before his 
 anointed ; whose ox have I inken ? or whose ass have I taken ? 
 or whom have I defrauded? A "horn have I oppressed? or of whose 
 hand have I received any b ibe to blind mine eyes therewith ? 
 and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not de- 
 frauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of 
 any man's hand." He reminds them of the faithfulness of God 
 in raising up for them judges and deliverers in every emergency. 
 He then charges them as to their future conduct: "If ye will 
 fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel 
 against the commandment of the Lord ; then shall both ye, and 
 
292 
 
 also the king that reigneth over you, continue following the 
 Lord your God. But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, 
 but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the 
 hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers." 
 To impress upon them this charge, and awaken in them a sense 
 of their sin, in rejecting God and choosing a king, Samuel, by 
 a miracle, calls down thunder and rain.* Startled by this sign 
 of the divine displeasure, the people confess their sin, and cry 
 for mercy ; and then he proceeds to comfort them with the as- 
 surance of God's mercy. "Fear not: ye have done all this 
 wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but 
 serve the Lord with all your heart ; and turn ye not aside : for 
 then should you go after vain things, which cannot profit nor 
 deliver, for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake his 
 people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the 
 Lord to make you his people. Only fear the Lord, and serve 
 him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things 
 he has done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall 
 be consumed, both ye and your king." 
 
 "Saul reigned one year ; and when he had reigned two years 
 over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; 
 whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in 
 mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah." 
 This marks the beginning of a royal standing army. A step 
 toward that result which they desired, that they might be like 
 all the nations. Saul had now fully taken the reins of govern- 
 ment. Samuel appears in the rest of his history, mainly as a 
 prophet. He exercises no longer the functions of a judge. 
 
 Those hereditary enemies of Israel, perhaps aware of the 
 change in the Hebrew state, and having lost the remembrance 
 of their overthrow at Mizpeh, began to make new encroach- 
 ments. Their garrisons already held some of the heights of 
 Israel. And Jonathan, a bold, good man, "smote the Philis- 
 tines that were in Geba." This was the signal for a general 
 war. Preparations were made on both sides. " Saul blew the 
 trumpet throughout the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear, and 
 called the people together to Gilgal." "And the Philistines 
 gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thou- 
 sand," or more probably three thousand "chariots, and six 
 thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea- 
 shore in multitude : and they came up and pitched in Mich- 
 mash." So large an army terrified the Hebrews, and some 
 concealed themselves, some went over to the east of Jordan, 
 but the larger part remained trembling with their king. While 
 
 * Among ourselves thunder and rain are far from uncommon at this season of 
 the year. But all modern travellers agree that rain seldom, if ever, falls from June 
 to October, or during the harvest. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 293 
 
 in this position, awaiting the coming of Samuel, his army gradu- 
 ally diminishing, Saul committed that sacrilege for which he 
 lost the kingdom. "And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt- 
 offering to me, and the peace-offering. And he offered the 
 burnt-offering." At the end of his offering, Samuel came, and 
 Saul went out to meet him. "And Samuel said, What hast 
 thou done ? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people 
 were scattered from me, and that thou earnest not within the 
 days appointed, therefore said I, the Philistines will come down 
 upon me, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord, I 
 forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering. And 
 Samuel said, Thou hast done foolishly : thou hast not kept the 
 commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee : 
 for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon 
 Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue." 
 "And Samuel arose and went unto Gibeah of Benjamin." 
 Deserted by the prophet, Saul was now abandoned by the peo- 
 ple : only six hundred men followed him in his distress. The 
 power of the Philistines was immense, and the Israelites were 
 spoiled of their armour, so that on the day of battle, "there 
 was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the 
 people, but with Saul and Jonathan his son was there found." 
 
 A deep valley ran between Gebal and Michmash, between the 
 small band of Saul and the host of the Philistines. On its op- 
 posite sides there were two sharp rocks or hills, standing out 
 from the walls of the valley, on which the following bold exploit 
 took place. Now, while lying thus near to each other, "it came 
 to pass that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man 
 that bare his armour, Come and let us go over unto the 
 garrison of these uncircumcised ; it may be that the Lord will 
 work for us : for there is no restraint to the Lord, to save by 
 many or by few." The result will show that this faith was not 
 in vain. The young man consents : "Behold I am with thee, 
 according to thy heart." They both reveal themselves to the 
 garrison of the Philistines. And the men of the garrison an- 
 swered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, " Come up, 
 and we will show you a thing," meaning that they would punish 
 them for their temerity. But this was the very sign which 
 Jonathan had fixed upon as favourable, and he said unto his 
 armour-bearer, " Come up after me, for the Lord hath delivered 
 them into the hand of Israel." This bold adventure was the 
 beginning of a most astonishing victory. A mysterious influ- 
 ence seems to have deprived the garrison of all power of resist- 
 ance and of flight. "They fell before Jonathan to the number 
 of twenty men," on the very ground on which they stood. A 
 sudden terror falls upon the whole army. "And there was 
 trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people : 
 
294 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the garrison and the spoilers they also trembled, and the earth 
 quaked : so it was a very great trembling. And Saul's watch- 
 men looked, and beheld the multitude melted away, a'nd they 
 went on beating down one another." Seeing this strange spec- 
 tacle, and finding Jonathan absent from his band, Saul wished 
 to consult the high-priest, " for the ark of God (or the ephod, 
 as some read) was at that time with the children of Israel." 
 "While Saul talked unto the priest, the noise in the host of the 
 Philistines increased" so rapidly that he could not delay. He 
 stops the priest in the midst of his inquiries, "and all the people 
 that were with him assembled themselves and came to the bat- 
 tle : and behold every man's sword was against his fellow, and 
 there was a very great discomfiture." The Hebrews that had 
 been with the Philistines in bondage, now turned to fight with 
 their countrymen : and those who had hid themselves in the 
 mount, when they heard that the Philistines fled, "even they 
 also followed hard after them in the battle." " So the Lord 
 saved Israel that day." Throughout their whole history we 
 read of few deliverances more remarkable than this : in which 
 the hand of God was more apparent. There was no restraint 
 to the Lord on that day to save by few. 
 
 It was not all well, however, with Israel. Their very success 
 led them into a snare and distress. Elated with his victory, and 
 eager in the pursuit of his foes, Saul had foolishly adjured the 
 people, saying, " Cursed be the man that eateth any food until 
 evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of 
 the people though the honey dropped from the comb at their 
 side tasted any food, for they feared the oath." In the long 
 pursuit, they became weary and faint : and Jonathan, who heard 
 not the rash curse of his father, "dipped his rod into the honey 
 and ate." The eagerness of Saul defeated itself. Jonathan 
 alone, who had broken the oath, had strength to follow the ene- 
 my, and argues against the imprudence of his father. " If the 
 people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of the enemy, had 
 there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philis- 
 tines?" Nor was this the only bad result of the oath. When 
 evening came, when the people might eat, " they flew upon the 
 spoil, slew them upon the ground, and did eat them with the 
 blood," directly contrary to the Mosaic law. And it was told 
 Saul, "Behold the people sin against the Lord, in that they 
 eat with the blood." "And he said, Roll a great stone unto 
 me, and bring me hither every man his ox and every man his 
 sheep, and slay them here, and eat, and sin not against the 
 Lord in eating with the blood. And Saul built an altar unto 
 the Lord : the same was the first altar that he built unto the 
 Lord." It seems probable that the very stone upon which the 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. . 295 
 
 beasts were slain, was made into an altar, and sacrifices offered 
 before the people were allowed to go any further. 
 
 The impatient monarch now proposes an immediate pursuit 
 of the Philistines, but the priest checks his zeal, and counsels 
 him to inquire of God. "And Saul asked counsel of God, 
 Shall I go down after the Philistines ? wilt thou deliver them 
 into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day." 
 God was evidently displeased. Sin was lying somewhere. 
 "And Saul said, Draw ye near hither all ye chief of the people : 
 and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. For 
 as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jona- 
 than my son, he shall surely die." But none of the people 
 were base enough to betray their deliverer. He then resorts 
 to the lot. All Israel stood upon one side, Saul and Jona- 
 than upon the other. And " Saul said unto the Lord God of 
 Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken : 
 but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me 
 and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul 
 said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan 
 told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end 
 of the rod that was in my hand, and, lo, I must die. And Saul 
 answered, God do so, and more also : for thou shalt surely die, 
 Jonathan. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, 
 who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: 
 as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to 
 the ground ; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the 
 people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. Then Saul went up 
 from following the Philistines." In the whole of this trans- 
 action Saul appears as vindictive, rash, and cruel. He looks 
 upon the Philistines not as the enemies of the people of God, 
 but as personal foes. In his eagerness to crush them he 
 involves his own people in severe distress by a rash oath. And 
 then, as if utterly unconscious where the real guilt lay, he 
 purposes the death of his own son, who had ignorantly broken 
 the oath. That God in his providence should single out Jona- 
 than instead of Saul, does not imply that Jonathan was the 
 guilty one; but simply designates him as the person who had 
 incurred Saul's foolish curse. The people judged rightly that 
 the guilt was contracted by Saul, and therefore they rescued 
 their deliverer from his hands. 
 
 Saul now pushes his wars and conquests on every side. Be- 
 yond Jordan, and south and east of the Dead Sea, he is victorious 
 over Moab, Ammon, and Edom. Northward he carries his 
 arms against the kings of Zobah. And whithersoever, in the 
 words of the narrative, "he turned himself, he vexed his foes." 
 
 In the full tide of his success, Saul receives a command from 
 the Lord, through the prophet, to "go and smite Amalek, and 
 

 
 296 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not ; but slay 
 both man and woman." Nothing could justify such a war as 
 this, but an express command from God. This Saul had. 
 Some of the reasons for this command we know. This nation 
 had attacked the Israelites in their coming out of Egypt ; and 
 for this, among other reasons, God had purposed their destruc- 
 tion. And he has a right to do what he will with his own ; and 
 though we now do not know why he should do as he does, yet 
 this we do know, that the judge of all the earth doeth right. 
 Saul proceeds, partially, to execute the command. He ga- 
 thered the people together, and marched them to a city of 
 Amalek. He then warned the Kenites the family of Jethro, 
 the father-in-law of Moses to depart from among the Ama- 
 lekites, lest they should perish with them. "And Saul smote 
 the Amalekites from Havilah, until thou comest to Shur, that is 
 over against Egypt." He spared the king, but destroyed the 
 people. "But Saul and the people spared the best of the sheep, 
 oxen, and of all that was good, and would not utterly destroy 
 them." He spared the king because of his rank, he himself 
 being a king. He spared the spoil to increase his riches. In 
 both he broke the divine command. Then came the word of 
 the Lord unto Samuel, saying, "It repenteth me that I have 
 set up Saul to be king, : for he is turned back from following 
 me, and hath not performed my commandments." In the 
 interview between the prophet and king, Saul appears to have 
 no idea of his guilt. He salutes him with a "Blessed be thou 
 of the Lord ; I have performed the commandment of the Lord." 
 And when Samuel asked "What meaneth then this bleating of 
 the sheep in mine ears ? he replied, The people spared the best 
 of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy 
 God." Then Samuel uttered the severe rebuke, " Stay, and I will 
 tell thee what the Lord hath said unto me this night. When thou 
 wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the 
 tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel ? 
 and sent thee to utterly destroy the sinners of the Amalekites. 
 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but 
 didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord." 
 Saul then claimed that he had obeyed, and throws the blame of 
 a partial disobedience upon the people. "But the people took 
 of the spoil, which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacri- 
 fice unto the Lord thy God." And Samuel uttered that great 
 truth, so often repeated in Scripture, but so seldom learned, 
 " Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings, and sacri- 
 fices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is 
 better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rains." 
 " Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also 
 rejected thee from being king." Saul, startled with this denuu- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 297 
 
 elation, confessed his sin, and besought Samuel to remain -with 
 him in his intended sacrifice. But Samuel said, "I will not 
 return with thee," and as he turned to go away, Saul laid hold 
 upon his mantle and rent it. And Samuel said, " The Lord 
 hath rent the kingdom from thee this day : and the strength of 
 Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should 
 repent." Then he said, "I have sinned, yet honour me now, 
 I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before all Israel, 
 and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God." 
 So Samuel joined him in his sacrifice. The utmost extent of 
 Saul's repentance, was the fear lest he should be publicly aban- 
 doned by the prophet, and then by the people. There was no 
 genuine sorrow for his sin. But he did not feel himself yet so 
 secure in the affections of his people that he could safely lose 
 the influence of the aged prophet, much less openly array him- 
 self against it. Hence his assumed humility, and his earnest 
 prayer that Samuel would at least publicly honour him. This 
 sacrifice finished, the prophet sent for the Amalekite king and 
 executed the command of God. As a judge he sentences the king 
 to death ; who suffers justly for his cruelties. After this second 
 and flagrant offence, Saul was no longer countenanced by the 
 venerable prophet. "And Samuel came no more to see Saul 
 until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for 
 Saul ; arfd the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over 
 Israel." 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 ANOINTING OF DAVID HIS INTRODUCTION TO SAUL HI3 BATTLE WITH GOLIATH, 
 AND VICTORY OVER THE PHILISTINES THE FRIENDSHIP OF DAVID AND JONA- 
 THAN DAVID'S ESCAPE FROM SAUL'S ANGER, AND HIS MARRIAGE SAUL THREAT- 
 ENS HJS LIFE DAVID'S FLIGHT TO SAMUEL HIS RETURN TO JONATHAN, AND 
 
 FINAL PARTING. 
 
 SAUL having thus rejected God, having refused to adminis- 
 ter the kingdom, under the divine command, and as a king 
 only in a subordinate sense, was now rejected by God. The 
 next step was the choice of his successor the man who 
 stands pre-eminent among all the Hebrew kings who walked, 
 as it is testified, "after God's own heart," who received and 
 held the kingdom, as only the vicegerent of Jehovah. "And 
 the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for 
 Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? 
 Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the 
 Bethleheniite : for I have provided me a king among his 
 sons." To guard himself from the anger and violence of Saul, 
 who had become jealous and suspicious of the prophet, Samuel 
 
298 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 was directed to "go and sacrifice at Bethlehem," "to call 
 Jesse to the sacrifice, and anoint whomsoever the Lord should 
 name." "And Samuel came to Bethlehem, sanctified Jesse 
 and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice." When they 
 came, he looked upon the eldest, and said, Surely the Lord's 
 anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, 
 "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; 
 because I have refused him : for the Lord seeth not as man 
 seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the 
 Lord looketh on the heart." The other sons of Jesse passed 
 before the prophet in succession: "but the Lord had not 
 chosen these." And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Are here all thy 
 children?" And he said, "There remaineth yet the youngest, 
 and behold, he keepeth the sheep." And he said, " Send and 
 fetch him;" and he sent and brought him." "Now he was 
 ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to 
 look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. 
 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the 
 midst of his brethren : and the Spirit of the Lord came upon 
 David from that day forward." It is doubtful whether David 
 or his brethren at this time understood the meaning of this 
 anointing. It was followed by no practical result : and he was 
 devotedly loyal long after this to Saul. At all events he took 
 no means to bring about the real result to which it pointed. 
 Meantime, however, that Spirit which was given to him, was 
 evidently fitting him for the high trust unto which he had been 
 chosen. 
 
 The introduction of David to Saul was brought about by his 
 skill as a minstrel. From his break with the prophet, a change 
 had manifestly passed over the character of Saul. His pride 
 and vain-glory had given place to despondency and gloom, and 
 these had now settled down into the deepest melancholy ; this 
 melancholy assumed a fiendish cast, and would seem to have 
 been, from its spasmodic and violent form, not merely the natu- 
 ral working of a disappointed spirit, but of a supernatural 
 power, very much like the possessions in the times of our Lord. 
 To relieve these fits, Saul's servants proposed that he should 
 " seek out a man who is a cunning player upon the harp ; and 
 it shall come to pass that when the evil spirit from God is upon 
 thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt be well." 
 The person chosen was the son of Jesse, who is described again 
 "as cunning in playing, a mighty valiant man, and a man of 
 war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the 
 Lord is with him." "And David came to Saul, and stood 
 before him: and he loved him greatly, and he became his 
 armour-bearer. And it came to pass when the evil spirit from 
 God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 299 
 
 his hand : so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil 
 spirit departed from him." 
 
 David next comes before us as a champion of the Israelites 
 against their inveterate foe. The armies of the Israelites and 
 the Philistines were again encamped upon the opposite sides of 
 a valley; and again God saves his people by few. "And 
 there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, 
 named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a 
 span." His armour corresponded with his size. "And he 
 stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, 
 Why are ye come out to set your battle in array ? Am not I a 
 Philistine, and ye servants of Saul ? Choose you a man for you, 
 and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, 
 and to kill me, then will we be your servants, but if I prevail 
 against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants. And 
 the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day." At 
 this proud challenge, Saul and all Israel were dismayed and 
 greatly afraid. While the armies were in this position, David, 
 who had returned from Saul to his father, comes again to his 
 elder brethren in the camp. He came just as the host was 
 going forth to the fight, "and shouted for the battle. For 
 they had put the battle in array, army against army." While 
 David talked with his brethren, there came up the champion of 
 Gath, and repeated his defiance; and David heard it. As 
 usual, all Israel fled from before him. David, indignant at the 
 reproach cast upon his people, inquires, " What shall be done 
 to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the 
 reproach from Israel, for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, 
 that he should defy the armies of the living God?" And they 
 answered, "The king will enrich him with great riches, and 
 will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in 
 Israel." These words of David were rehearsed before Saul, 
 and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, "Let no man's 
 heart fail because of him ; thy servant will go and fight with 
 this Philistine. And Saul said, Thou art not able to go against 
 this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and 
 he a man of war from his youth." To make known the ground 
 of his confidence, and to secure the favour of Saul, David 
 relates his adventure while tending his father's flocks. " There 
 came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb of the flock, and I 
 went out after him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the 
 lion and the bear ; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be 
 as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living 
 God. The Lord that delivered me from their power, will deliver 
 me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul then arms David 
 for the encounter ; and he assayed to go, but afterwards turns 
 back and lays aside his arms, "for he had not proved them." 
 
300 HISTORY OF THE ISBAELITISH NATION 
 
 "And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth 
 stones out of the brook or valley, and put them in a shepherd's 
 bag, which he had, even in a scrip ; and his sling was in his 
 hand, and he drew near to the Philistine." When the Philis- 
 tine saw his youthful and unarmed opponent, he disdained 
 him, and saidl| "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with 
 staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods." 
 Then said David, in the calm courage which faith in God ever 
 gives, " Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, 
 and with a shield ; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord 
 of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast 
 defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, 
 and take thine head from thee : and will give the carcasses of 
 the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, 
 that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 
 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not 
 with spear and sword; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will 
 give you into our hands." As they drew on near to each other, 
 David took from his bag a stone and slang it, "and smote the 
 Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; 
 and he fell upon his face to the earth." But there was no 
 sword in the hand of David. "Then he ran, and took the 
 sword of the Philistine, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, 
 and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the 
 Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the 
 men of Israel shouted, and pursued after them unto Gath and 
 Ekron, with a great slaughter." The victory was complete. 
 
 As David went forth against the Philistine, Saul inquires of 
 Abner the captain of the host, "Whose son is this youth?" 
 "And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, king, I cannot tell. 
 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is." 
 And as David returned from the battle, Abner brought him 
 before the monarch with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 
 And Saul said, "Whose son art thou, thou young man? And 
 David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Beth- 
 lehemite."* David, as we are told, brought the trophy of his 
 victory to Jerusalem ; and the sword he left with Ahimelech 
 the priest, as a tribute of thankfulness to Jehovah for the 
 victory.f g^ , , 
 
 * It has been objected to this passage that Saul must have known David. He 
 had played before him, and been chosen as one of his armour-bearers. Why then 
 should he ask as to his parentage? It is possible that Saul should have forgotten 
 David. He was not permanently fixed at court, and had been absent at the pres- 
 ent time. This is the more likely, as David was present with Saul in his frantic 
 moods. And it would certainly be no uncommon thing, thai, a king, in the number 
 of his attendants and courtiers, should forget the appearance of a youth just 
 changing into manhood. 
 
 t Jerusalem was partially in the hands of the Jebusites, but not so much so as 
 to prevent this triumphal procession from resting there : and Jerusalem is here 
 mentioned, ai it soon became pre-eminently the city of David. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 801 
 
 On his return, he was welcomed by Saul and received into 
 the most intimate friendship by Jonathan. Saul henceforth 
 wished him constantly in his presence. "And the soul of Jona- 
 than was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him 
 as his own soul." This was the beginning of that well-known 
 and unchanging friendship. A covenant was formed between 
 them. And Jonathan, as the highest visible token of his love, 
 stripped himself of the robe and armour that was upon him and 
 gave them to David. From this time the history of Saul 
 merges into that of David. " Saul set him over the men of 
 war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people." As 
 he came back from his expeditions, or as he marched from city 
 to city with the trophy of that first great victory, he was met 
 and welcomed by the women ; and as they played upon their 
 instruments of music, they said, " Saul hath slain his thousands, 
 and David his ten thousands." "Saul was very wroth, and 
 said, What can he have more but the kingdom?" From that 
 day and forward, David was eyed by Saul only as an enemy. 
 His jealousy took complete possession of him, and knew no 
 bounds. In the moments of his phrenzy, and while David 
 played as at other times, Saul threatens his life. "And Saul 
 cast his javelin ; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall 
 with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And 
 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and 
 was departed from Saul." He did not, however, yet publicly 
 break with him ; he could not, probably, dispense with his ser- 
 vice. He accordingly retains him still, though simply as one of 
 his captains. David was still gaining by his wisdom and 
 courage in the popular favour. Afraid to attack him openly, 
 Saul basely plots his destruction. He promises his daughter in 
 marriage to David, on the condition that he should be valiant 
 for him ; with a concealed hope and design that he should fall 
 by the hands of his foes. When the time came to fulfil his 
 promise, he gave his daughter to another. Learning, however, 
 that his younger daughter was attached to David, he renews 
 the promise; when David modestly states his life and lineage, 
 and his unfitness for such a station as the king's son-in-law, 
 Saul obviates all objection, by demanding, as the sole condition 
 to marriage, that he should slay an hundred Philistines to 
 avenge the king of his enemies. In thus appealing to David's 
 known chivalric and patriotic feelings, Saul craftily and 
 meanly sought his ruin. David accepted the condition. "He 
 arose with his men, and went and slew two hundred Philis- 
 tines," and brought the proofs of the deed and laid them 
 before the king. " And Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, to 
 wife." With his wife, David won Saul's continual enmity. 
 " Then the Philistines came forth again." In the progress of 
 
302 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the war David "behaved himself more wisely than all the ser- 
 vants of Saul: so that his name was much set by." 
 
 Frustrated in all his previous attempts, the king now changes 
 his policy, and gave positive orders to his son and his servants 
 that David should be slain. But Jonathan told David, saying, 
 " Saul, my father, seeketh to kill thee, now therefore take heed 
 to thyself until the morning. And I will go out and stand 
 beside my father, and commune with him of thee, and what I 
 see I will tell thee." Jonathan pleads with his father for 
 David, he recounts his great services, his self-denials, and his 
 blameless life; and remonstrates against the sin of thus shed- 
 ding innocent blood. "And Saul hearkened unto the voice of 
 Jonathan ; and Saul sware, as the Lord liveth he shall not be 
 slain." And Jonathan brought David again into the presence 
 of the king. In the war with the Philistines David was again 
 victorious; but with every victory, Saul's anger increased. 
 He attempts a third time to slay David with his own hand. 
 There was no longer any safety for David at court, and he 
 escaped by night to his own home. Saul's messengers were 
 in rapid pursuit, and waited only for the morning to slay 
 him. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If thou 
 save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. 
 So David fled and escaped,* and came to Samuel at Ramah, 
 and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and 
 Samuel went and dwelt at Naioth." When Saul heard it, 
 he sent messengers to take David. No sanctuary, however 
 sacred, could now restrain the vindictive king. When the 
 messengers saw the company of the prophets, and Samuel 
 standing as appointed over them, "the Spirit of God came 
 upon them, and they also prophesied." It happened the same 
 with the second and third band. At last Saul also went to 
 Ramah, and asked for Samuel and David. "And one said, 
 they be at Naioth in Ramah. And he went thither, and the 
 Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and pro- 
 phesied, until he came to Naioth. A whole night and day he 
 lay naked and prostrate before the prophet." His fierce 
 wrath yielded for a time to the stronger influence and restraint 
 of the Spirit of God. 
 
 David in the meantime escaped from Ramah and came to 
 Jonathan, who was yet ignorant of Saul's purpose, and said to 
 him, "What have I done? and what is my sin before thy father, 
 that he seeketh my life?" Jonathan could not be persuaded 
 that his fears were well grounded, and said, " God forbid ! thou 
 
 * It was about this time that David composed the llth and 59th Psalms. 
 The former seems to be his earliest extant composition, and gives a beautiful 
 view of his faith and trust in God, under all these adversities. In the latter, he 
 prays for deliverance, and that the right may be vindicated, and the obstinately 
 wicked punished. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 803 
 
 shalt not die ; behold, my father will do nothing either great or 
 small, but that he will show it me: and why should my 
 father hide this thing from me? it is not so." David then 
 solemnly calls God to witness, and said, "Thy father knoweth 
 that I have found grace in thy eyes ; and he saith, Let not 
 Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved : but truly as the Lord 
 liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me 
 and death." The feast of the new-moon was now at hand, 
 when it was customary for David, as a member of the royal 
 family, to sit with the king at meat. David excuses himself to 
 Jonathan, both from fear of Saul's anger, and that he might go 
 to Bethlehem, and join his own family in their yearly sacrifice. 
 It was agreed upon between these devoted friends, that if 
 David's absence were noticed, Jonathan should make his excuse 
 to the king. The answer of the king was to test his disposi- 
 tion towards his son-in-law. If he say thus, "It is well, thy 
 servant shall have peace ; but if he be very wroth, then be sure 
 that evil is determined by him." Jonathan then covenants, in 
 the most tender and solemn manner, to show David the pur- 
 poses of his father, whether good or evil; and David, on his 
 part, enters into an equally solemn covenant, "to show kind- 
 ness to the house of Jonathan for ever, even when the Lord 
 should have cut off the enemies of David every one from the 
 face of the earth." 
 
 When the feast-day came, David's seat was empty, and 
 although Saul perceived it, he made no inquiries, for he thought 
 some ceremonial uncleanness had kept him from being present. 
 On the second day, the same vacant seat was noticed, and Saul 
 said unto Jonathan his son, " Wherefore cometh not the son of 
 Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor to-day ? Jonathan an- 
 swered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth- 
 lehem, to sacrifice there with his family and brethren, therefore 
 he cometh not unto the king's table. Then Saul's anger was 
 kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of 
 the perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast 
 chosen the son of Jesse, to thine own confusion and the confu- 
 sion of thy mother's nakedness ? For as long as the son of 
 Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor 
 thy kingdom : wherefore, now send and fetch him unto me, for 
 he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, 
 Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?" But Saul 
 was now beyond argument. The only reply was to cast a jave- 
 lin at the empty seat of David. " So Jonathan arose from the 
 table in fierce anger : for he was grieved for David, because his 
 father had done him shame." 
 
 In the morning of the third day, Jonathan went out to the 
 field, to the place agreed upon, where David had concealed 
 
304 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 himself, after his return from Bethlehem, and in the appointed 
 way told David of the evil designs of his father. And there, 
 alone, was that most touching meeting and parting of these 
 faithful friends. "And David arose out of a place toward the 
 south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself 
 three times : and they kissed one another, and wept one with 
 another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, 
 Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the 
 name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, 
 and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and 
 departed: and Jonathan went into the city." 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 DAVID'S FLIGHT AND FIRST SOJOURN WITH THE PHILISTINES HE COMES TO THE 
 
 CAVE ADULLASI SAUL KILLS THE PRIESTS DAVID DELIVERS KEILAH AND IS 
 
 HUNTED BY SAUL HE SPARES SAUL'S LIFE DEATH OF SAMUEL DAVID'S ADVEN- 
 TURE WITH NABAL *-HE SPARES SAUL'S LIFE A SECOND TIME HIS SECOND FLIGHT 
 
 TO THE PHILISTINES. 
 
 THERE was no longer any safety for David, while within the 
 reach of Saul's power. With a few young men he flees hastily 
 to Ahimelech the priest, at Nob, which lay most probably in 
 his course toward the hill country of Judah. The appearance 
 of David, and the small number of his followers, excited the 
 fear of the priest, and he asks the reason of his coming. David 
 feigns that he was sent in haste upon a secret mission by the 
 king. This is the first stain we find upon David's character. 
 In the severity of his trials, his trust in God and the justice of 
 his cause seems to have failed him for a time ; and he fell into 
 prevarication and falsehood, which was attended with a most 
 fatal result. Under the pretence of pressing haste to execute 
 the royal commission, he obtains from the priest the shew-bread 
 and the sword of Goliath. The conversation between David 
 and the priest was overheard by a certain man of the servants 
 of Saul, "who was detained before the Lord that day; and his 
 name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsman of 
 Saul." 
 
 The pursuit of Saul was so eager that David was compelled 
 to take refuge with his most inveterate foes. "And he fled for 
 fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath." But 
 there was no security here. The servants of Achish remind 
 him that it was this David of whom they sang, " Saul hath slain 
 his thousands, and David his ten thousands?. And David laid 
 up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of the king of 
 Gath." Perplexed and harassed, and driven from one thing to 
 another, he had not yet recovered his faith in God's promises 
 and providence; and to avoid the present danger, "changed his 
 
TO THE BABYLON ESH CAPTIVITY. 305 
 
 behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad." Apparently- 
 convinced of his insanity, (though other reasons probably led 
 to the same result,) Achish sends him away.* 
 
 Returning from the Philistines, "David came to the cave 
 Adullam," a large cavern not far from Bethlehem. And 
 when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went 
 down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, or in 
 debt, or discontented, flocked to him, and he became captain of 
 four hundred men, a band which soon swelled into six hundred. 
 Among these were some of the mighty men who appear so often 
 in the history of David ; especially the three mightiest of the 
 thirty, of whom Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief. It 
 was while David was in this cave, and Bethlehem was garri- 
 soned by the Philistines, that an incident occurred which shows 
 how strong an attachment had already sprung up between David 
 and the chief of his followers. David longed for water from 
 the well of Bethlehem. "And the three mighty men brake 
 through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the 
 well, and brought it to David." He was too generous and con- 
 scientious, however, to gratify his appetite at so great a risk. 
 He would not drink thereof, "but poured it out unto the Lord, 
 and said, Be it far from me, Lord, that I should do this ; is 
 not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their 
 lives? therefore he would not drink it." It is from such casual 
 events that we learn the peculiar disposition of David, which 
 gave him such popularity and influence among the people, f 
 The first care of David was for his parents. " He brought them 
 to the king of Moab, and said to him, Let my father and my 
 mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you, till I know 
 what God will do for me. And they dwelt with him all the 
 while that David was in the hold." 
 
 He was not suffered to remain there long. The prophet Gad 
 warned him to depart and flee into the land of Judah. "And 
 he came into the forest of Hareth," somewhere in the south 
 of Judah. 
 
 The narrative now returns to Saul and his deeds. He abode 
 still at Gibeah. And when he heard that David was dis- 
 covered, he makes a mournful appeal to the Benjamites, as his 
 own tribe, for assistance and pity. "Then answered Doeg 
 the Edomite, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahime- 
 lech the, son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him, 
 and gave him victuals, and the sword of Goliath." Saul's 
 
 * It was most probably at this time that David composed that beautiful 34fh 
 Psalm so consoling to the afflicted, and so encouraging to the righteous. Soon 
 after, or at the same time, we must place the 56th Psalm, expressive of his trust in 
 God's promise. 
 
 t We have David's spiritual experience, while in this cave, recorded for us in 
 the 142d Psalm. 
 
 20 
 
306 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 anger was now kindled against the priest, " and he sent for 
 Ahimelech, and all the priests at Nob ; and they came all of 
 them to the king. And Saul said, Why have ye conspired 
 against me, thou and the son of Jesse." Ahimelech was igno- 
 rant that Saul viewed David as an enemy. "Who is so faith- 
 ful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son-in- 
 law? Did I then hegin to inquire of God for him? be it far 
 from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, 
 for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more." But 
 Saul would not listen to reason. His purpose was formed. 
 He determined to strike terror into all David's friends, by one 
 terrible example. Ahimelech and all the priests must die. 
 He gave orders to his footmen that stood about him " to slay 
 the priests of the Lord." But no native Israelite, much as 
 they feared the king, was ready for such a deed as this. And 
 the king said to Doeg, " Turn thou and fall upon the priests ; 
 and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day, fourscore 
 and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the 
 city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both 
 men and women, children and sucklings, besides oxen, and 
 asses, and sheep." So terrible was the insane wrath of Saul. 
 Nor was this all. In a later allusion we learn that he slew the 
 Gibeonites, who were probably servants of the priests, as the 
 tabernacle was at Gibeon: a deed which afterward brought 
 down upon his descendants a fearful retribution.* Only one 
 of the sons of Ahimelech escaped, and fled to David. "And 
 Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the priests. And 
 David said, I have occasioned the death of all the persons of 
 thy father's house. Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that 
 seeketh thy life seeketh my life ; but with me thou shalt be in 
 safeguard." 
 
 While David was in the forest of Hareth, it was told him 
 that the Philistines were fighting against Keilah. Overcoming 
 all sense of his injuries, he immediately goes to their relief. 
 Although having the Divine authority, some of his men feared 
 to venture upon so bold an undertaking. "Then David 
 inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him, 
 Arise, go down to Keilah ; for I will deliver the Philistines 
 into thine hand. So David and his men went and fought with 
 the Philistines, and brought away the spoil, and smote them 
 with a great slaughter." 
 
 All the patriotism of David produced no effect to relax the 
 savage pursuit of Saul. He leaves him no rest in the place 
 he had delivered; but gathers quickly all the people to go 
 
 * To these events we must trace the origin of the 52d Psalm. And probably 
 several others are the expressions of David's experience at this time : e. g. the 
 17th, 109th, 140th, 35th, and 64th. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 307 
 
 down to Keilah to besiege David. Hearing of the mischief 
 purposed against him, he asks counsel of God, through the 
 priest. " Then said David, Lord God of Israel, thy servant 
 hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to destroy the 
 city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into 
 his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? 
 And the Lord said, He will come down. They will deliver 
 thee up." "Then David and his men arose and departed 
 out of Keilah, and went and abode in the strongholds in 
 the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every clay; but 
 God delivered him not into his hand." While hunted through 
 this wilderness by Saul, he received a visit from Jonathan, who 
 strengthened his hand in God, and said, "Fear not; for the 
 hand of Saul my father shall not find thee : and thou shalt be 
 king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee. And they 
 renewed their covenant before the Lord." 
 
 The Ziphites could not be relied on. The power of the mon- 
 arch was too great, and the fierceness of his wrath in the 
 slaughter of the priests, too recent, for any one with safety to 
 offer protection to David. On every side he met with the basest 
 ingratitude and treachery. The Ziphites went to Saul with the 
 welcome information that David concealed himself with them, 
 and proposed to deliver him into the king's hand. Saul pro- 
 nounces a blessing upon them, and bids them "return and 
 search out more thoroughly the lurking places, and then I will 
 go with you." They return to their land, and Saul and his 
 men followed after them. In the meantime David has escaped 
 and gone farther south, in the wilderness of Maon. Saul pur- 
 sued after him, and nearly grasped his prey. "For Saul went 
 on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on 
 the other side of the mountain, and made haste to get away ; 
 for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round 
 about to take them."* Just as the infuriated monarch was 
 about to lay his hand upon his foe, God interposed for his deliv- 
 erance. "There came messengers unto Saul, saying, Haste 
 thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land." 
 Wherefore he returned from pursuing after David ; and they 
 called the place, Sela-hammah-lekoth, that is, rock of divisions ; 
 because, says the Targurn, the heart of the king was divided to 
 go hither a~nd thither. David now went and dwelt in the / 
 strongholds of Engedi, west of the Dead Sea. 
 
 As soon as the state of his kingdom permitted it, and the 
 king had returned from following his foreign enemies, he enters 
 
 *We have on record, in the 54th Psalm, the feelings of David in this trying ex- 
 perience : which should be read in connection with the history, if we would reach 
 any just notion of his faith. 
 
 
308 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 again personally in the search for David. " He chose three 
 thousand men out of all Israel, as a force which could crush 
 every thing which looked like rebellion; and went to seek 
 David and his men, " upon the rocks of the wild goats." It was 
 here that Saul fell into the power of his foe, and had not David 
 been a man of great piety, who feared God, and the powers or- 
 dained of him, there would now have been an end of the strife. 
 "The men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the 
 Lord said unto thee, Behold I will deliver thine enemy into thine 
 hand, that thou mayest do to him as seemeth good unto thee. 
 Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe, privily. 
 And his heart smote him, and he said unto his men, The Lord 
 forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's 
 anointed. So David stayed his servants with these words, and 
 suffered them not to rise against Saul." 
 
 Saul soon left the cave, and went on his way without any 
 suspicion that he had fallen into the hands of his foe. David 
 also followed, and bowed himself, saying, "My lord the king, 
 wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, David seeketh thy 
 hurt?" As a proof against all these reports, and the suspicions 
 of the king's own heart, he appeals to the fact that he had thus 
 spared his life : and then calls upon God to judge between them. 
 " The Lord judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my 
 cause, and deliver me out of thy hand." The magnanimity of 
 David seems to have touched Saul's better nature, and, for the 
 time, overcame the malicious purpose of his heart. And he 
 said, " Is this thy voice, my son David ? Thou art more right- 
 eous than I : for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have 
 rewarded thee evil, and thou hast showed me this day how that 
 thou hast dealt well with me. Wherefore the Lord reward thee 
 good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, be- 
 hold, I know well that thou shall surely be king, and that the 
 kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hands : swear 
 now, therefore, unto me, by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off 
 my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out 
 of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul;" and 
 Saul, for a time, seems to have ceased from his pursuit.* It is 
 evident from this confession of Saul, that he must already have 
 known that David was the person chosen by God to be his suc- 
 cessor ; and therefore that he was striving against God. It is 
 equally evident from the Psalm written at this time, that David 
 confidently expected the kingdom. He is not in haste, how- 
 ever. He waits until God's time. He takes no measures of 
 
 * It was at this point in his history, that David, as we are told, composed the 
 57th and 63d Psalms ; which show how intensely he suffered, and how earnest 
 were his longings for the worship and communion of the sanctuary. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 309 
 
 his own to secure that result, to which he looked forward. He 
 is never driven, even under the stress of a most unrelenting 
 persecution, to an act of disloyalty. 
 
 In this brief moment of peace, the whole nation are called to 
 mourn around the grave of Samuel. "And Samuel died; and 
 all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, 
 and buried him in his house at Ramah." A simple notice for 
 the end of so great a man, but one which shows how strong a 
 hold Samuel had upon the heart of the whole nation. 
 
 While David was in the wilderness of Paran, he fell in with 
 the shepherds and flocks of Nabal; a man of large wealth, but 
 close and churlish. From the narrative, it appears that David 
 and his men had protected Nabal's flocks while in the wilder- 
 ness, and expected as their reward a supply of food. He sent, 
 accordingly, his young men, but Nabal meanly denies their 
 request, and adds insult to his denial. Provoked by this refusal, 
 David arms his men, and in the heat and suddenness of his 
 passion, threatens the whole house of Nabal with utter destruc- 
 tion. While on the way to execute his purpose of vengeance, 
 he is met by Abigail the wife of Nabal; who, by a timely pre- 
 sent, and a wise answer, disarms his rage, and averts his revenge. 
 David, now sensible of the unreasonableness and sinfulness of 
 his wrath, thanks God that he had been thus kept from carrying 
 it into execution. He was strongly tempted to take vengeance 
 into his own hand, and nothing but the providence of God had 
 prevented him. But though Nabal thus escaped the wrath of 
 man, he was soon visited for his sin, with the judgment of God. 
 
 Not long after the death of her husband, David sent " and 
 communed with Abigail to take her to wife." In true oriental 
 style the marriage contract is formed. "And she arose with 
 her maidens and went after the messengers of David, and be- 
 came his wife." David took also Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they 
 were both his wives. Prior to this, during the flight of David, 
 Saul had taken his daughter, David's wife, and married her to 
 another; and this may be the reason why David felt himself at 
 liberty to form another marriage. Saul's policy was to cut 
 David off from any claim to the succession. 
 
 What time had passed since David's first flight from Saul we 
 do not certainly know. Nor can we tell the length of this tem- 
 porary peace. It does not appear, however, to have lasted 
 long. The destruction of David was the ruling desire of Saul, 
 and we soon find him again in his character as a persecutor. 
 The men of Ziph again attempted to betray David into the 
 hands of the king; and Saul eagerly avails himself of their 
 offer. He marched out into the wilderness where David was 
 concealed, and r encamped with his men around him. David 
 adopts the bold expedient of going over to the king's camp 
 
310 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 with but one attendant. " So David and Abishai came to the 
 people by night." A deep sleep, evidently more than natural, 
 rested upon the whole band, both king and warriors ; so that 
 no one knew of their presence. Abishai said to David, " God 
 hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day; now 
 therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to 
 the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time." 
 But though thus strongly tempted, David stays the hand of his 
 companion, and forbids him "to touch the Lord's anointed." 
 Taking the spear and the cruse of water from the head of Saul, 
 they departed, and stood on the top of a hill afar off. And 
 David called again to the king, and appealed to him on the 
 same grounds as before. Then Saul said, "I have sinned: 
 return, my son David; for I will do thee no harm, because my 
 soul was precious in thine eyes this day. I have played the fool, 
 and erred exceedingly. Blessed be thou, my son David ; thou 
 shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So 
 David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place." 
 
 Notwithstanding this assurance of aul, and his present 
 relentings, there was plainly no safety for 'David in his land. 
 Even in the wilderness he had met only with treachery. Those 
 whom he had delivered had plotted JMS destruction. Pressed 
 on every side with the savage pursuit ^qf the king, he, at last, as 
 if in despair, forms the unbelieving arid desperate resolution of 
 joining the Philistines the enemies of his God and people. 
 And David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by 
 the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I 
 should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and 
 Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more, in any coast of 
 Israel." "And he arose and passed over, with the six hundred 
 men that were with him, unto Achish, king of Gath." It is 
 probable that the Gittites had heard of the rupture between 
 David and Saul ; and they no doubt hoped that David would 
 now be as useful a friend as he had before been a dangerous 
 enemy. He was therefore well received, although on a pre- 
 vious occasion he had been distrusted and feared. The break 
 was so complete, that, in their view, there could be no reconcilia- 
 tion ; and they therefore welcomed him to their land, and gave 
 him Ziklag for a possession. David remained there a year and 
 four months. During this time he received many additions to 
 his followers ; " men of might, and helpers in the war : whose 
 faces were like the faces of lions, and men as swift as the roes 
 on the mountains:" whose names are prominent in the subse- 
 quent history of David's reign. "From day to day they fell 
 to him, to help him. until it was a great host, like the host of 
 God." 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 311 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 DAVID'S WARS AT ZIKLAG SAUL'S INTERVIEW WITH THE SORCERESS AT ENDOR 
 
 HIS DEATH AT GILBOA, AND THE LAMENTATION OF DAVID. 
 
 WHILE David was at Ziklag, he engaged in an exterminating 
 warfare with the wandering bands lying south of Judah. " And 
 David smote the land, arid left neither man nor woman alive," 
 lest they should bring tidings to Gath; took the spoil, and re- 
 turned to the Philistine king. When asked in what direction 
 his incursions were made, David so answers (without telling an 
 absolute falsehood) as to deceive Achish, and led him to believe 
 that he had plundered his own country. The credulous king 
 believed David, saying, " He hath made his people utterly to 
 abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever."* 
 
 The Scriptures tell us things as they are, they never cover 
 up the defects or sins of kings, or prophets, or apostles. This 
 whole flight of David has its ground (naturally enough to human 
 nature) in a weak faith, and this particular transaction must be 
 viewed as a blot upon his religious character. The wonder 
 would be, however, (did we not know the power of God's grace,) 
 that he had not fallen more sadly. On every natural principle 
 we should find him acting far otherwise than he did. It was 
 the grace of God only which kept him from utter despair, and 
 from joining the enemies of his people, in truth as well as in 
 form. 
 
 New accessions were constantly made to his power, from 
 almost all the tribes of Israel ; so that David now occupied the 
 position of an independent prince. 
 
 Achish soon required the aid of his new ally. " And it came 
 to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies 
 together for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto 
 David, Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to 
 battle, thou and thy men." David, without giving a formal con- 
 sent, replied, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. 
 On the marshalling of the Philistine forces, David joins in with 
 the men of Achish. We know not what David designed to do : 
 
 * Though the standard of moral rectitude is immutable, so that the same actions, 
 attended with the same circumstances, are always good or evil ; but the standard 
 of morality as it exists in the minds of men varies from time to time. In some 
 ages, the evil of certain immoral acts is not perceived, and the general sentiment 
 and practice are erroneous. In such cases good men fall into the common current, 
 and without scruple perform acts which in a more enlightened age are seen to be 
 wrong. This seems to have been the case in regard to the sin offalsehood. In the 
 early ages of the world, it seems not to have been thought wrong to utter a falsehood 
 to deliver an enemy, or to save life, or to accomplish some great good. It is a 
 good rule, therefore, that the actions of men in one age, as to their criminality, 
 ought not to be judged of as if committed in another age, when the knowledge of 
 the true standard of morals was more perfect. 
 
312 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 we may judge, however, from his previous conduct, that he 
 would never be found in arms against his own brethren. More 
 probably he waited until God, in the course of his providence, 
 should make known what course he should pursue. He was 
 spared from the trial of taking the decision into his own hands, 
 by the jealousy of the other Philistine princes. They feared 
 lest, in the battle, he should forsake his new friends and join 
 the ranks of his countrymen. They were wroth with Achish, 
 and persuaded him to send David and his men back to the place 
 he had appointed them. No words of the king of Gath could 
 change the purpose of the other lords. Achish, therefore, 
 called David, and sent him back to Ziklag. On his return, 
 David received still further additions to his forces, and he was 
 soon to need their aid. 
 
 The absence of David had not been unnoticed by his foes. 
 The Amalekites had seized the opportunity "and invaded the 
 south and Ziklag, and smitten it and burned it with fire ; and 
 had taken the women captives that were therein, and went their 
 way." 
 
 When David and his men reached the city, they found it 
 burned, "and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, 
 were taken captives ; and they lifted up their voice and wept." 
 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of 
 stoning him, "because the soul of all the people was grieved, 
 every man for his sons, and for his daughters ; but David en- 
 couraged himself in the Lord his God." "And David called 
 Abiathar the priest, and inquired at the Lord. Shall I pursue 
 this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, 
 Pursue ; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail 
 recover all." Obtaining this assurance, he pursued them with 
 the utmost rapidity. Some were too faint to proceed in the 
 chase, and were left behind; while the stronger, amounting to 
 four hundred, still pressed on. At length they fell upon an 
 Egyptian, a servant of the Amalekites, who had been left by 
 his master to die in the wilderness. He engages to bring David 
 to his foes. And when he had brought him down, behold they 
 were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and 
 dancing, because of the spoil they had taken. In the midst of 
 their revelry, David fell upon them and smote them, so that 
 there escaped not a man of them, save those who rode upon the 
 camels and fled. David not only recovered all that had been 
 carried away, but a large spoil which this marauding band had 
 collected from others, fell to his hands. The promise which he 
 had received was more than verified. 
 
 On the return of the victors with their spoil, they were met 
 and welcomed by the two hundred who were unable to follow 
 David in the pursuit. It was proposed by some of these reck- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 313 
 
 less and unprincipled men, who followed David for the plunder 
 they might get, that those only who had engaged in the battle 
 should share in the spoil. David was just, and said, "Ye shall 
 not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given 
 us; but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall 
 his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 
 And he made this an ordinance in Israel from that day and 
 forward." 
 
 By the customs of that kind of warfare, a large part of the 
 spoil fell to David; which he sent as a present unto "the 
 elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present 
 for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord." He remem- 
 bered especially all the places where he had been wont to 
 haunt, and whose kindness he had experienced in former days. 
 There can be no doubt, but that this policy strengthened his 
 hold upon the affections of his brethren of Judah, and opened 
 the way for his return soon after. 
 
 While these events were taking place with David, the Philis- 
 tines were pitched in Shunem, in the plain of Jezreel. "Saul 
 had gathered all Israel together, and pitched in Gilboa. And 
 when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and 
 his heart greatly trembled. He inquired of the Lord, but 
 received no answer, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by 
 prophets." He proceeded therefore to seek a woman with a 
 familiar spirit, and inquire of her. Such a one was found at 
 Endor. In the early part of his reign, Saul had put the 
 Divine law against these necromancers into rigid execution. 
 He therefore now went under a disguise to the woman by night, 
 and asked her to bring him up whom he should name. Saul's 
 religion was mere superstition. He had killed the priests of 
 Jehovah, and sundered himself from his prophets, and was now 
 left to this desperate resort; an aggravation of all his previous 
 sins. The woman objected that her life would be in danger; 
 and Saul sware that no punishment should happen to her. 
 " Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee ? And 
 he said, Bring me up Samuel." "And the woman saw Samuel, 
 and cried with a loud voice : and spake to Saul, Why hast thou 
 deceived me ? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, 
 Be not afraid, what sawest thou ? And she said, I saw gods 
 ascending out of the earth. And he said, What form is he of? 
 And she said, An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a 
 mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he 
 stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself."* He 
 
 * Tt does not appear from this account, that the woman used any witchcraft. She 
 was taken completely by surprise. The moment that Saul named the prophet, he 
 appears to her. In the clause, " and when the woman saw Samual," which 
 implies that some time elapsed between the request of the king and the appear- 
 
314 HISTORY OF THE ISEAELITISH NATION 
 
 tells the prophet of his sore distress, and of his desertion by 
 God ; and that he had come to him in this emergency, for com- 
 fort and instruction. "Then said Samuel, Wherefore dost 
 thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is 
 become thine enemy?" He reminds him that this distress was 
 come upon him solely in consequence of his own sin ; and then 
 proceeds with the awful prophecy of what should still befal him. 
 "Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the 
 hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons 
 be with me : the Lord shall also deliver the host of Israel into 
 the hand of the Philistines." When the troubled king heard 
 these words, his strength failed him, and he fell straightway 
 all along upon the earth. With this sad message as his only 
 hope, he returns to his army, and not long after, the decisive 
 battle took place. ,V' The men of Israel fled from before the 
 Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. And the 
 Philistines followed hard upon Saul and his sons, and slew 
 Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons." Saul, 
 wounded and pressed by his foes, calls upon his armour-bearer 
 "to kill him with the sword, lest the uncircumcised should 
 come and thrust him through and abuse him." When his 
 armour-bearer refused, Saul fell upon his own sword, and died 
 with his sons. The Philistines stripped the fallen king of his 
 armour, "and cut off his head," and sent it to publish their 
 triumph in the house of their idols, and among the people. 
 "And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth, and fas- 
 tened his body to the wall of Beth-shan." The men of 
 Jabesh-gilead, however, grateful for the deliverance which Saul 
 had wrought for them, "went and took the bodies of Saul and 
 his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried them there ; 
 and they fasted seven days." "So Saul died for his trans- 
 gression which he committed against the Lord, even against 
 the word of the Lord, which he kept not ; and also for asking 
 counsel of one that had a familiar spirit. And the Lord turned 
 the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." 
 
 On the third day after his return from the pursuit of the 
 Amalckites, David receives intelligence of the sad defeat. A 
 young Amalekite came from the camp of Saul, and told David 
 "that the people are fled from the battle, and many of the 
 people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan are 
 dead also." And David said, " How knowest thou that Saul 
 and Jonathan be dead?" Looking upon David as the probable 
 heir to the crown, and hoping for a reward, the man professed 
 that he had, at Saul's request, slain him with his own hand, and 
 
 ance of the vision the word " when" is inserted by the translators. In the origi- 
 nal, the appearance follows immediately upon the request; and no time is left for 
 the practice of her rites. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 315 
 
 produced the crown and bracelet as sufficient evidence of the 
 king's death. "Then David and his men mourned and wept, 
 and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and 
 for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel." And 
 David said unto the young man that told him, " How wast thou 
 not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the Lord's anoint- 
 ed ?" And he " called one of the young men, and said, Go near, 
 and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died." And David 
 said, "Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testi- 
 fied against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. 
 And David lamented over Saul and Jonathan his son." The 
 generous impulses of his nature found expression in a beautiful 
 and touching lamentation, which has come down to us, as a 
 testimony to his loyalty, to the depth and purity of his friend- 
 ship for Jonathan, and to his thoroughly Hebrew heart, while 
 living in the midst of their bitterest foes. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 DAVID MADE KINO AT HEBHON THE CIVIL WAR BETWEEN DAVID AND ABNEH, OR 
 
 ISH-BOSHETH THE SON OF SAUL ABSER'S REVOLT AND DEATH TIIE MURDER OF 
 
 ISH-BOSHETH. 
 
 AFTER this mourning for Saul, David's first care was to 
 inquire of the Lord, " Shall I go up into any of the cities of 
 Judah. And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And he said, 
 Whither shall I go up ? And he said, Unto Hebron." So David 
 and his men, with their households, went up and dwelt in the 
 cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they 
 anointed David king ever the house of Judah. On learning 
 that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, he sent messen- 
 gers unto them, blessing them for their kindness to the house 
 of Saul, promising to requite this kindness unto them, and call- 
 ing upon them to strengthen their hands, and be valiant. For 
 though Saul was dead, yet they need not despair, for there was 
 still a king in Judah, who stood ready to protect them. 
 
 David, however, did not come to the throne without opposi- 
 tion. A large part of the people, either from policy or from 
 attachment to the house of Saul, arrayed themselves against 
 him. " Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host," was the 
 mainstay of this opposition. He proclaimed "Ish-bosheth the 
 son of Saul king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and 
 Ephraiin and Benjamin, and over all Israel. But the house of 
 Judah followed David." A civil war soon began to rage. Abner 
 gathered the servants of his newly-made king, and came from 
 Mahanaim to Gibeon ; threatening the territory of Judah. An 
 army from David, with Joab for its general, came out to meet 
 
816 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 them ; and they sat down the one on the one side of the pool, 
 and the other on the other side. 
 
 While the armies were in this position, Abner proposed that 
 the question should be decided by twelve men from one army 
 fighting twelve from the other. The challenge was accepted ; 
 "the men went from each side, and caught every one his fellow 
 by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side : so they 
 fell down together." This was the beginning of a general fight, 
 " and the battle was very sore, and Abner was beaten, and the 
 men of Israel, before the servants of David." In the course 
 of the flight, Abner was so keenly pursued by the swift Asahel, 
 Joab's younger brother, that he was forced to turn about and 
 slay him in self-defence. The pursuit lasted until the sun went 
 down. "And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves 
 after Abner, and stood on the top of an hill. Then Abner 
 called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? 
 knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end ? 
 how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from 
 following their brethren ?" 
 
 " And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, 
 surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one 
 from following his brother. So Joab recalled his men with the 
 trumpet." It seems probable from this reply of Joab, that he 
 was commanded to act only on the defensive : and that the 
 battle would not have taken place, except for the foolish chal- 
 lenge of Abner. Three hundred men perished on the side of 
 the Israelites, while only nineteen, with Asahel, were wanting 
 from the forces of Judah. 
 
 With the remnant of his army, Abner recrossed the Jordan, 
 and returned to Mahanaim; and Joab and his men came to 
 Hebron. 
 
 "Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the 
 house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and 
 the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker." It was not, 
 however, with any great fury, nor does it appear to have been 
 followed with any very disastrous results. 
 
 While the war was thus lingering on, a fierce quarrel arose 
 between Ish-bosheth and Abner, which served to decide it. 
 Abner resolved no longer to uphold the house of Saul. To the 
 just reproof of the king, the proud captain replies that he would 
 translate the kingdom "from the house of Saul, and set up the 
 throne of David over Israel and over Judah." He accordingly 
 sends messengers to David, to make the best terms he could, 
 offering to bring all Israel under his authority. David refused 
 to enter into any treaty with him, unless he should first restore 
 to him Michal his wife, whom Saul had taken from him. " And 
 Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband ; and her hus- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 317 
 
 band went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim ;" not 
 far from the territory of Judah. After delivering her to David, 
 Abner conciliates the elders of Israel, assuring them that God 
 had promised, by the hands of David, to deliver his people from 
 the hands of the Philistines, and from all their enemies. He 
 then comes to David, and engages to go and bring all Israel, 
 who should then acknowledge him their king. 
 
 Soon after Abner had departed, Joab came to Hebron, from 
 some incursion, with a great spoil, and they told him, saying, 
 " Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him 
 away in peace." Joab went immediately to the king and remon- 
 strated against letting Abner go away in peace. Thou knowest 
 Abner "that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going 
 out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest. Why is 
 it that thou hast sent him away?" After this rude rebuke of 
 the king, Joab went out from David, called Abner back, and 
 upon pretence of a private conference, took him aside and 
 assassinated him. When David heard it, he said, " I and my 
 kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever, from the blood 
 of Abner the son of Ner : let it rest on the head of Joab, and 
 on all his father's house." The real cause of this murder was, 
 no doubt, a fear on the part of Joab, lest Abner should super- 
 sede him in the king's favour, and for his great services in 
 bringing over the Israelites, be rewarded with the generalship. 
 The pretended cause was, that Abner had slain his brother 
 Asahel. David not only declared his innocence, but commanded 
 a public mourning to be made for Abner. "And they buried 
 him in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept, and 
 said, Died Abner as a fool dieth ? Thy hands were not bound 
 nor thy feet put into fetters : as a man falleth before wicked 
 men, so fellest thou. And all Israel understood that it was not 
 of the king to slay Abner. And all the people took notice of 
 the king's mourning, and it pleased them ; as whatsoever the 
 king did pleased all the people." Although David felt himself 
 at that time unable to punish these murderers, he yet leaves 
 them in the hands of a righteous and Almighty God. "The 
 Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness." 
 
 The death of Abner did not long retard the course of events. 
 Every day was adding to the power of David. When Saul's 
 son heard that Abner was dead, his hands were feeble, and all 
 Israel was troubled. The spiritless Ish-bosheth could not long 
 sustain his own cause; and it was evident that David must 
 soon be acknowledged king. Two brothers, "Baanah and 
 Rechab, the sons of Rimmon," aiming to 'secure the favour of 
 David, "came to Ish-bosheth at mid-day, and slew him as he 
 lay on his couch, and beheaded him, and brought his head to 
 David at Hebron." David received the murderers as they 
 
318 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 deserved. He tells them how he had treated the Amalekite, 
 who professed to have slain Saul, "and how much more when 
 wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house, 
 shall he visit them with a like punishment?" Without any 
 delay, he commands them to be slain, " and their hands 
 feet to be cut off, and hung up over the pool in Hebron, 
 head of Ish-bosheth, they buried with all honour in 
 sepulchre of Abner at Hebron." 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 DAVID MADE KING OVER ALL ISRAEL HE CAPTURES JERUSALEM DEFEATS THE 
 
 PHILISTINES THE ARK BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM DAVID COMMANDED NOT TO 
 BUILD THE TEMPLE. 
 
 DAVID had now reigned seven years and six months over 
 Judah.* " Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto 
 Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy 
 flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou 
 wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel ; and the Lord 
 said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt 
 be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to 
 the king to Hebron ; and king David made a league with them 
 in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over 
 all Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel." In 
 the book of Chronicles we are told that those who thus came 
 from all the tribes of Israel, to this election of David, 
 "amounted to three hundred and forty thousand men; men of 
 war, that could keep rank, who came with a perfect heart, to 
 make David king, and all the rest also of Israel were of one 
 heart to make David king; and they were with David eating 
 and drinking three days, and there was joy in Israel." 
 
 Such was the happy commencement of David's reign. His 
 army had previously been occupied in the war with Abner ; but 
 now that he was crowned king of the whole nation, he deter- 
 mined to signalize his new power by a great exploit. Jerusa- 
 lem was still in the possession of the Jebusites ; a strong for- 
 tress in the midst of David's kingdom. Of this Jebusite 
 town the king determined to possess himself. So confident 
 were the Jebusites in the strength of their position, that they 
 met the demands of David with a message of defiance. "Ex- 
 cept thou take away the lame and the blind thou shalt not come 
 in hither;" as though a lame and blind garrison was able to 
 
 * There is some difficulty in reconciling the two years of Ish-bosheth's reign 
 with the seven years and a half of David's. We must suppose either that five years 
 had passed away before the reign of Ish-bosheth began which seems more prob- 
 able or that David reigned five years at Hebron after the death of Ish-bosheth, and 
 before the taking of Jerusalem. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 319 
 
 defend it against every assault. And David said, "Whoever 
 scaleth the wall, and smiteth the Jebusites first, shall be chief 
 and captain." As usual, Joab was the first to mount the wall, 
 and was accordingly confirmed in his command. " So David 
 took the stronghold of Zion, and called it The city of David." 
 From this time Jerusalem became the royal residence. David 
 fortified and adorned it. "And David went on and grew great, 
 and the Lord God of hosts was with him." 
 
 It was at this time that the alliance between David and Hiram 
 king of Tyre began. The friendly offices so necessary to the 
 prosperity of both kingdoms were long continued. "And 
 Hiram sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpen- 
 ters and masons, and they built David an house. And David 
 perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel." 
 But he was not left long in quiet, to build palaces or fortify his 
 city. Foreign war was impending. So long as there was civil 
 war in Israel, the Philistines had maintained peace ; but when 
 they heard that David was anointed king, they immediately 
 prepared for war. They marched in force "and came and 
 spread themselves in the valley or plain of Rephaim," south- 
 west from Zion, and separated from it by the valley of Hinnom. 
 David inquired of the Lord, " Whether he should go up to the 
 Philistines." And the Lord answered, "Go up, for I will 
 doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand." "And 
 David came and smote them there, and said, The Lord hath 
 broken in upon mine enemies before me as the breach of 
 waters, and called the name of the place Baal-perazim." They 
 left their images and gods upon the field of battle, and David 
 took and burned them. This repulse had little effect upon the 
 Philistines. They soon returned, and with an increased force 
 encamped upon the same plain. When David again inquired 
 of the Lord, he was forbidden to go up and attack them. In 
 order to gain a more complete victory, he was commanded " to 
 fetch a compass behind them," and attack them upon the rear. 
 He was not to make the attack until he should hear the move- 
 ment "in the tops of the mulberry trees, for then shall the 
 Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines." 
 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and smote the 
 Philistines from Geba unto Gazer. And the fame of David 
 went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him 
 upon all nations. 
 
 After this defeat of his enemies, David was at liberty to 
 carry out his intention in regard to Jerusalem. His first care 
 was that the royal city should be honoured with the presence 
 of God. No place had yet been chosen, in which God would 
 fix his dwelling. The ark, with the symbol of the Divine pre- 
 sence, had been carried from place to place, and rested at 
 
320 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 length for some years at Kirjath-jearim. David now prepared 
 a place for it, in his chosen city ; and removed it to its new 
 abode. So important an action was not entered upon without 
 much consideration, and with great solemnity. "And David 
 gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand, 
 and consulted with their officers, and said, If it seem good unto 
 you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad 
 unto our brethren everywhere that are left in all the land of 
 Israel, and to the priests and Levites, that they may gather 
 themselves to us, and let us bring the ark of God to us. And 
 all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing 
 was right in the eyes of all the people. So all Israel were 
 gathered, and went up to Kirjath-jearim, to bring up thence 
 the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord 
 of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims." The ark (con- 
 trary to the command that it should be carried only by the 
 sons of Kohath) was placed upon a new cart ; and David and 
 all the house of Israel rejoiced before the Lord, as the vast 
 procession moved on. But this joy was turned into mourning. 
 As they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, the ark was shaken, 
 and Uzzah, who was in charge of it, rashly put forth his hand 
 to hold the ark. "And the anger of the Lord was kindled 
 against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error, or rash- 
 ness, and there he died by the ark of God. " And David 
 was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark 
 of the Lord come to me? So he brought not the ark home to 
 himself, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the 
 Gittite," where it remained three months. "And the Lord 
 blessed Obed-edom and all that he had." 
 
 When this signal favour of Providence was made known to 
 the king, he determined again to secure its presence in his 
 capital. But learning wisdom from the previous judgment, he 
 conforms himself, this time, to the method in which alone the 
 ark could be safely moved. Having called the chiefs of the 
 Levites, he exhorts them; "Sanctify yourselves, both ye and 
 your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God 
 of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. For 
 because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a 
 breach upon us; for that we sought him not after the due 
 order." In obedience to the royal command, the priests and 
 Levites sanctified themselves, for the removing of the ark. 
 Some were to bear the ark upon their shoulders, others were 
 to accompany it as singers and musicians,* while the whole 
 procession was led by the priests " with the sound of the trum- 
 pet." As soon as those who bore the ark began to move, 
 
 * The song which they sang at different parts of their progress may be found 
 in the 68th Psalm. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 321 
 
 "oxen and fallings were sacrificed." The king himself, laying 
 aside his royal garments, and clothed with a linen robe, 
 mingled with the Levites in their songs and dances. "So 
 David and the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord 
 with shouting and joy; and set it in its place in the midst of 
 the tabernacle that David had pitched for it;" (the old taber- 
 nacle was still at Gibeon;) "and David offered burnt-offerings 
 and peace-offerings before the Lord." After this he turned 
 and " blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts," and 
 dismissed them to their homes with royal munificence. 
 
 "Then David returned to bless his household." While the 
 ark was passing into the city, Michal had witnessed David's 
 public dancing, and despised him in her heart. She looked 
 upon it as degrading to a king, and did not spare her re- 
 proaches when she met her husband. David's reply was just 
 and spirited. "It was before the Lord, which chose me before 
 thy father, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord : 
 therefore will I play before the Lord." It was but the expres- 
 sion of his religious feelings, the manifestation of his gratitude 
 to Jehovah, to whom he owed his kingdom and his prosperity. 
 And if this rendered him contemptible in the eyes of any, he 
 was ready yet to be more humble than this, and base in his own 
 sight. He was ready to submit to any service however low, or 
 unkingly, if thus he might honour God, and confess his sub- 
 jection to him.O/ 
 
 Having thus Drought the ark to its resting-place, and secured 
 the Divine presence the glorious Shechinah in the royal 
 city, he appointed the priests and levites to their respective 
 offices, and provided for the more regular and splendid public 
 worship ; and then delivered to Asaph the chief singer, and his 
 brethren, this beautiful hymn of praise and thanksgiving : 
 
 1. "Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; make known his 
 
 deeds among the people. 
 
 2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous 
 
 works. 
 
 3. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the 
 
 Lord. 
 
 4. Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face continually. 
 
 5. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and 
 
 the judgments of his mouth ; 
 G. ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen ones. 
 
 7. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 
 
 8. Be ye mindful always of his covenant, the word which he commanded 
 
 to a thousand generations ; 
 
 9. Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath 
 
 unto Isaac; 
 
 10. And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an 
 
 everlasting covenant, 
 
 11. Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your in- 
 
 heritance ; 
 
 21 
 
322 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 12. When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it. 
 
 13. And -when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to 
 
 another people ; 
 
 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for 
 
 their sakes, 
 
 15. Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 
 
 16. Sing unto the Lord, all the earth ; show forth from day to day his 
 
 salvation : 
 
 17. Declare his glory among the heathen ; his marvellous works among 
 
 all nations. 
 
 18. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be 
 
 feared above all gods. 
 
 19. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the 
 
 heavens. 
 
 20. .Glory and honour are in his presence ; strength and gladness are in 
 
 his place. 
 
 21. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord 
 
 glory and strength. 
 
 22. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ; bring an offering, 
 
 and come before him ; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 
 
 23. Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it 
 
 be not moved. 
 
 24. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say, 
 
 Among the nations, the Lord reigneth. 
 
 25. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all 
 
 that is therein. 
 
 26. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, 
 
 because he cometh to judge the earth. 
 
 27. give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good : for his mercy endureth 
 
 for ever. 
 
 28. And say ye, Save us, God of our salvation, and gather us together, 
 
 and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy 
 holy name, and glory in thy praise. 
 
 29. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And let all the 
 
 people say Amen, and offer praise to Jehovah." 
 
 Henceforth, Jerusalem was not only the royal, but sacred city, 
 "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth." There 
 the solemn feasts were celebrated. Thither the tribes con- 
 stantly repaired ; and there God dwelt between the cherubim, 
 and shone forth to bless and save his people. 
 
 David now formed the design of building the temple. His 
 pious heart gave him no rest wnile the ark of God dwelt in cur- 
 tains, and he himself abode in palaces. Moved by the past 
 mercies of God towards him, and finding himself at rest from 
 all his enemies, he said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I 
 dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within 
 curtains." Nathan immediately replied, "Go, do all that is in 
 thy heart: for God is with thee." He thought the purpose of 
 the king so just and proper that there could be no doubt of the 
 Divine approval. But God had other purposes. That same 
 night "the word of the Lord came unto Nathan : Go tell David, 
 Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in. From the time 
 that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, I have 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 323 
 
 not dwelt in any house. Neither spake I a word with any of 
 the tribes of Israel, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? 
 Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus 
 saith the Lord of Hosts, I took thee from following the sheep, 
 to be ruler over my people Israel : and I was with thee whither- 
 soever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of 
 thy sight, and have made thee a great name like unto the name 
 of the great men of the earth. Moreover, I will appoint a 
 place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may 
 dwell in a place of their own, and move no more, neither shall 
 the children of wickedness afflict them any more as aforetime. 
 Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 
 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy 
 fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy 
 sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house 
 for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for 
 ever. I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son. If he 
 commit iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men ; but 
 my mercy shall not depart from him as I took it away from him 
 that was before thee. And thine house, and thy kingdom shall 
 be established for ever before thee ; thy throne shall be estab- 
 lished for ever." 
 
 As soon as David heard this gracious message from God, he 
 went to the tabernacle, and poured out his grateful soul in the 
 warmest expressions of true devotion. 
 
 " Who am I, Lord God ? and what is my house that thou 
 hast brought us hitherto ? And this was yet a small thing in thy 
 sight, Lord God ; but thou hast spoken of thy servant's house 
 for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O 
 Lord God ? And what can David say more unto thee ? for 
 thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and 
 according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great 
 things. Wherefore thou art great, Lord God ; for there is 
 none like unto thee, neither is there any God beside thee. And 
 what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, 
 whom God went to redeem for a people to himself to make thee 
 a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations 
 from before thy people, which thou redeemest from Egypt from 
 the nations and their gods. For thy people Israel didst thou 
 make thine own people for ever, and thou becamest their God. 
 And now, Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken, con- 
 cerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for 
 ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified 
 for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel ; and let 
 the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For 
 thou, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy 
 servant, saying, I will build thee an house : therefore has thy 
 
324 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 servant found in his heart to pray this prayer before thee. 
 And now, Lord, thou art God, and thy words be true ; therefore, 
 now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it 
 may continue for ever before thee ; for thou, Lord God, hast 
 spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be 
 blessed for ever."* 
 
 The whole of this prayer is a beautiful expression of true 
 piety. The deep humility, the devout confidence in God and 
 his promise, which it everywhere breathes, show clearly the 
 power of his religion in the monarch's heart. It is delightful 
 to see one so great in the eyes of men, thus humbling himself 
 before God, and summing up all his 'desires in that one simple 
 prayer, which any pious heart will gladly appropriate to itself, 
 "and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for 
 ever." He who has this, has all things. \\^ 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 DAVID'S WARS THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY DAVID'S KINDNESS TO MEFHI- 
 BOSHETH THE WAR WITH THE AMMONITES. 
 
 SOON after this, we find David engaged in wars with the sur- 
 rounding nations. In the concise summary given us, we are 
 not told distinctly from what cause they originated. The first 
 nation against which he turned his arms, was the Philistines, 
 the inveterate enemies of David and Israel. This attack, were 
 there no other reason, was fully justified by their aggressions 
 when he ascended the throne. His victory was complete. " He 
 smote them, and took Metheg-ammah, or Gath, and its cities ;" 
 which would seem to have been the most important posts of that 
 people. So effectually were, they subdued, that we hear nothing 
 more of their inroads for twenty years afterwards. From an 
 incidental notice (1 Kings ii. 39) it appears that David treated 
 these foes with great kindness, and most probably left one of 
 their native princes as their governor or tributary king. 
 
 This was followed quickly by another, more deadly, against 
 the "Moabites. And he smote Moab, and measured them with 
 a line, casting them down to the ground; with two lines he 
 measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. 
 And the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts." 
 This account seems to imply that a part of the land, which had 
 taken the more active part in the war, was put to the sword, 
 and a larger part, or a "full line," subjected to tribute. The 
 unusual severity which characterized this war, probably arose 
 
 * To perpetuate the remembrance of this great promise, David composed the 
 2d Psalm and perhaps also the 45th and 110th. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 325 
 
 from a conspiracy on the part of these nations to check and 
 destroy the rising power of David.* 
 
 This war was in turn almost immediately followed by another, 
 with a far more powerful king. The occasion of this war was 
 an attempt on the part of Hadadezer king of Zobah, to recover 
 his border, at the river Euphrates. David met and totally 
 routed his forces, took "from him a thousand chariots, and 
 seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen." Ha- 
 dadezer called to his aid the Syrians of Damascus ; but they 
 were unable to resist the victorious monarch, who again defeated 
 them with great slaughter. The Hebrew king did not fail to 
 improve his victory. He pressed on into the heart of the coun- 
 try, and garrisoned the captured cities. "And the Lord," we 
 are told, "preserved David whithersoever he went." When it 
 is remembered that the country which the king of Zobah in- 
 vaded, was a part of the promised land, and as such a part of 
 David's kingdom, the strict justice of this war cannot be ques- 
 tioned. And besides, we cannot doubt that David, who was 
 accustomed to inquire of Jehovah on all important questions, 
 undertook these wars under the Divine warrant and permission. 
 
 From these wars, the king returned with large spoils. "He 
 received gifts also from Toi king of Hamath," whom David by 
 his victories had freed from the oppression of Hadadezer. All 
 these, with the silver and the gold taken from other nations, 
 David dedicated to the Lord; bearing in mind the temple which, 
 was to be built. 
 
 While David was engaged at the north in the war with the 
 Syrians, another enemy threatened his kingdom from the oppo- 
 site quarter. Regarding this as a favourable opportunity, the 
 Edomites treacherously invaded the country. From the title to 
 the 60th Psalm, it appears that this invasion was made while 
 the war with Syria was still going on. A part, therefore, of 
 the army was despatched through the length of the land to meet 
 this new foe. The battle took place in the valley of Salt, lying 
 south from the Dead Sea, and David's forces were completely 
 victorious. The enemy suffered great loss; and their cities 
 were compelled to receive Hebrew garrisons. " Joab was left 
 in the land of Edom, subduing the land, and burying the dead. 
 He remained in the country six months, with all Israel, until he 
 had cut off every male in Edom." The expressions "all Israel" 
 and "every male" in this brief account, explain each other. 
 In both cases we can understand only those who were in arms. 
 Were any other reason necessary to convince us, that this was 
 not the war of utter extermination, which some have wished to 
 
 * We have no intimation of this in the history; but from the 83d Psalm 4 8, it 
 may be fairly inferred. 
 
326 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 make it ; we should find one all-sufficient in the fact, that He- 
 brew garrisons were necessary to keep the land in subjection. 
 What need would there be for garrisons were there none but 
 women and children left in their towns or country? 
 
 From the renowned warrior, David passes easily and natu- 
 rally to the wise and peaceful prince. " He reigned over all 
 Israel and executed judgment and justice, among all his peo- 
 ple." During this interval of peace, he, most probably, com- 
 pleted the systematic organization of the standing army. To 
 relieve the country from the expense attending so large a force, 
 and to make the duty as light as possible, for those who com- 
 posed the army, he divided them into monthly courses of 
 twenty-four thousand men each. Every course was commanded 
 by one of the chief of the fathers, and every subdivision by its 
 own captain and officers. Each of these bodies were in active 
 service for one month in the year, and then returned to their 
 private employments ; while the whole were liable to be called 
 into service in any emergency, and constituted a well drilled 
 and effective force, to repel any assault and provide for the 
 national security. Besides this, every tribe had its particular 
 ruler, to whom was committed the administration of civil affairs, 
 and who were responsible to the king alone. Over the crown- 
 lands, and royal treasures he appointed twelve officers: "over 
 the treasury ; over the store-houses in the fields ; over the till- 
 age ; over the vineyards ; over the wine cellars ; over the olive 
 and sycamore trees ; over the herds in Sharon and the valleys ; 
 over the camels; over the asses; and over the flocks." 
 Among the king's council, were Jonathan, David's uncle, 
 Ahithophel, Abiathar, Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah, and Hus- 
 hai the Archite, David's faithful friend and companion. Joab 
 was captain of all the forces. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was 
 recorder. Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of 
 Abiathar, were chief priests; and Seraiah was the scribe. And 
 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was captain of the Cherethites and 
 the Pelethites ; and the sons of the king were chief rulers. 
 
 Another element in David's character now presents itself to 
 our notice. He was not only a brave warrior, a just and able 
 ruler, but a faithful friend. Nothing could make him forgetful 
 of his covenant with Jonathan. In the midst of all his cares, 
 he found time to think and act for the welfare of the descend- 
 ants of his former friend. "Is there yet any of the house of 
 Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" It 
 was no ordinary favour which the king intended to bestow 
 upon the remnant of this broken family. For when Ziba, an 
 old servant of Saul, was brought to him, he repeats his question in 
 the most emphatic form, "Is there not yet*ny of the house of 
 Saul, that I may show the kindness of God (i. e. the highest 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 327 
 
 favour possible) unto him?" In answer to this inquiry, Ziba 
 told him that Jonathan "had yet a son living, who was lame in 
 his feet." David immediately orders him to be brought to the 
 court; and in the kindest manner addresses him, "Fear not, 
 for I will surely show thee kindness, for Jonathan, thy father's 
 sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul, thy father, and 
 thou shalt eat bread continually at my table." Ziba was to 
 farm the heritage, and bring in the fruits for his master's suste- 
 nance, or the maintenance of his household. Ziba undertook 
 the charge, while Mephibosheth dwelt at court, "and eat at 
 the king's table as one of the king's sons." This was princely 
 kindness to the only heir of a fallen and rival house ; but was 
 such as became the true and unselfish friendship of Jonathan 
 and David as beautiful as it is rare in the history of our 
 selfish world. 
 
 The peace which had now lasted for some years, was sud- 
 denly broken by the strangest and most unprovoked insult on 
 the part of the Ammonites. Nahash, king of the Ammonites, 
 a former friend of David, died; upon which David sent an 
 embassy to comfort Hanun, the new king. The intention of 
 David was strangely misinterpreted; his ambassadors were 
 regarded as spies; and sent home with gross insult; contrary 
 to all public faith, hospitality, or law. Instigated by his coun- 
 sellors, Hanun took the servants of David, "and shaved off 
 the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the 
 middle," and, thus disgraced, sent them away. When this was 
 made known to David, he sent to meet his ambassadors, and 
 ordered them to remain at Jericho until their beards were 
 grown, and then return. 
 
 When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves 
 odious to David, they prepared immediately for war, "and 
 hired aid from the Rehobites and Zobahites, twenty thousand 
 footmen, from the king of Maacah one thousand, and from Ish- 
 tob twelve thousand men." Aware of this vast preparation, 
 David saw that war was inevitable, and that there could be no 
 delay ; Joab and the whole host of mighty men were sent to 
 meet the enemy. The Ammonites drew up their forces under 
 the walls of the city, and the Syrians in the field by them- 
 selves. Joab however profited by this division. When he saw 
 the plan of the enemy, he took the choice men of Israel, and 
 put them in array against the Syrians; and the rest of the 
 army, under Abishai his brother, he arrayed against the 
 Ammonites. And he said, "If the Syrians be too strong for 
 me, then thou shalt help me ; but if the children of Ammon be 
 too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. Be of 
 good courage, and let us play the men for our people and for 
 
328 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the cities of our God ; and the Lord do that which seemeth him 
 good." 
 
 The hired Syrians soon broke and fled from the attack 
 of Joab; upon which the Ammonites fled also from before 
 Abishai, and entered into the city. Joab returned with his 
 victorious army to Jerusalem. The war, however, was not to 
 end here. "When the Syrians saw that they were smitten 
 before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians 
 that were beyond the river Euphrates; and they gathered 
 themselves together, and came and pitched in Helam." Affairs 
 were now at such a crisis as to demand the presence of the 
 king himself. Gathering a general levy of all his forces, " he 
 crossed over Jordan, and came to Helam." In the battle 
 which followed, David was again successful; the men of seven 
 hundred chariots, and forty thousand footmen, perished in the 
 fight, and Shobach their captain fell with them. The Syrian 
 princes, who were subject to Hadarezer, made peace with David, 
 and the Ammonites were left to carry on the war, which they 
 had provoked, alone.* At the opening of the next campaign, 
 Joab was sent against the Ammonites. "He wasted their 
 country, and came and besieged Rabbah, its capital." After a 
 long, but successful siege, Joab sent messengers to David, say- 
 ing, "I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city 
 of waters. Now, therefore, come with the rest of the people 
 and encamp against the city and take it ; lest I take the city 
 and it be called after my name." "And David gathered the 
 people, and went and took Rabbah; and took the crown of 
 their king, the weight whereof was a talent of gold, with the 
 precious stones; and the spoil of the city in great abun- 
 dance. And he brought forth the people that were therein, 
 and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and 
 under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick- 
 kiln, f So did he with all the cities of the Ammonites; and 
 David and all the people returned to Jerusalem." 
 
 * Internal evidence fixes the twentieth and twenty-first Psalms to this period 
 of the history. The one to be sung probably as the king entered upon the war, 
 and the other celebrating his return. 
 
 t This is the rendering of our version. But the original may be rendered: And 
 he put them to saws, and to harrows, or mines of iron, and to axes, &c., i. e. he 
 reduced them to slavery. There is no necessity or justice in supposing David 
 guilty of the cruelties which our translation seems to imply. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 329 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 DAVID'S SIN IN THE AFFAIR OF BATH-SHEBA AND UEIAH HIS DOMESTIC AFFLIC- 
 TIONS ABSALOM'S REBELLION DAVID'S RESTORATION TO THE KINGDOM INSUR- 
 RECTION OF SHEBA. 
 
 WHILE Joab was urging forward the siege of Kabbah, David 
 remained at Jerusalem. Up to this point nothing had occurred 
 to mar the character of David. He could claim with truth, "I 
 have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed 
 from my God." In all the scenes of his eventful life, in his 
 distress, and in his prosperity, he had been kept from the ruling 
 power of temptation or sin. But, as if to show us that no 
 human character was perfect, we now find him falling into 
 grievous and shameful sins. The sacred historian in no way 
 conceals or excuses this awful fall. While walking upon the 
 roof of his palace, the king was smitten by the beauty of Bath- 
 sheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his bravest war- 
 riors. Hurried away by his guilty passion, he passed at once 
 all the restraint of law and religion. Startled at the conse- 
 quences of his sin, he sends for Uriah, to conceal, if possible, 
 his guilt, and avoid the disgrace and punishment to which he 
 was justly exposed. When Uriah appeared, David inquired 
 "how the people did, and how the war prospered," and then 
 dismissed Uriah to his home. But the brave soldier, inured to 
 the hardships of the camp, refused to go to his house, and 
 spent the night with the guards of the royal palace. When 
 asked the reason of his conduct, he replied, That it was suffi- 
 cient for him to share with his general and his fellow soldiers ; 
 while they were encamped in the field he would rest with 
 them. On the following day, David renewed his attempt in a 
 grosser manner, but without changing the purpose of this true- 
 hearted and gallant soldier. 
 
 Foiled in every attempt to conceal his sin from the injured 
 husband, the unhappy king found no resource in his extremity, 
 but in a deeper crime. It was resolved that Uriah must die ; 
 but the crime was committed through the hand of another. 
 "And David wrote to Joab, by the hand of Uriah, Set ye 
 Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from 
 him that he may be smitten and die." He found in Joab a fit 
 instrument for his purpose. The command was no sooner 
 received than it was executed. Uriah fell, the monarch was 
 freed from present danger; and Joab succeeded in coiling 
 another strand around the infatuated king. A messenger was 
 despatched to the court with an account of the loss, and the 
 readily satisfied king replied to his officer, "Let not this thing 
 displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another : 
 
830 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 make thy battle more strong against the city and overthrow 
 it." After the usual time of mourning for her husband, the 
 king publicly espoused Bath-sheba, and she became his wife, 
 and bare him a son. 
 
 With the sins of adultery and murder, and constant hypocrisy, 
 upon his conscience, we should not have expected that he could 
 long remain at ease. David was no hardened and habitual sin- 
 ner. A strong temptation had overtaken him, and buried him 
 beneath its power. One sin had driven him on to another, until 
 he had accumulated this fearful load of guilt. His conscience 
 was quieted and stunned. For a length of time he appears to 
 have felt no remorse. We hear from him no confession, no 
 prayer for mercy. Sin has done, what it ever does, and ever 
 will do. It has not only brought guilt upon his soul, but it has 
 blinded, so that he shall not see its stains. 
 ^ But there were other eyes that had beheld his conduct. The 
 sleepless eye of God was upon him, " and the thing that David 
 had done was evil in the eyes of the Lord;" and, though he 
 was unmindful of his guilt, he was soon to feel its heavy weight. 
 And Jehovah sent Nathan unto David. By an artful fable, the 
 prophet brought the king to pronounce sentence upon himself, 
 and then made the application. "There were two men in the 
 same city ; the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had 
 exceeding many flocks and herds : but the poor man had no- 
 thing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had brought and 
 nourished up : and it grew up together with him, and with his 
 children ; it did eat of his own meat, and drink of his own cup, 
 and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And 
 there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take 
 of his own flock, and of his own herd, to dress for the way- 
 faring man that was come unto him ; but took the poor man's 
 lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come unto him." 
 David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said, 
 "As the Lord liveth, the man that has done this thing shall 
 surely die: and shall restore the lamb fourfold." 
 
 And Nathan said to David, " Thou art the man. Thus saith 
 the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel ; and 
 delivered thee from the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy 
 master's house, and thy master's wives, and the house of Israel 
 and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover 
 have given thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou 
 despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight ? 
 thou hast killed Uriah, and hast taken his wife for thy wife. 
 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house. 
 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee, 
 out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 331 
 
 eyes, and give them to thy neighbour : for thou didst it secretly ; 
 but I will do this thing before all Israel." 
 
 This fearful sentence roused the conscience of David from its 
 slumbers. He was at once convicted of his sin ; and like every 
 true penitent, confessed without extenuation or excuse. His 
 religious feelings claimed again their supremacy. And David 
 said, "I have sinned against the Lord." The genuine nature 
 of David's repentance may be clearly gathered from the 51st 
 Psalm, which he penned upon this occasion. It has been the 
 memorial of his sin, and of his repentance. It has been the 
 language of every true Christian, in all his returns to God the 
 language of the church in all her confessions. It could have 
 been breathed forth only from a broken and contrite heart. 
 The terms of his confession tell us, how deep was the sense of 
 guilt ; and the earnest longings after God the seeking of a 
 pure heart the prayer for the welfare of Zion, all proclaim 
 that this was no feigned repentance, wrung from him by a de- 
 sire to avert the punishment he feared ; but a deep, sincere, and 
 godly sorrow, springing from his sense of the odiousness of sin, 
 and of the wrong which he had done. In no part of his life 
 does the deep religious principle of David appear more con- 
 spicuous than in this. Ordinary piety might have resented so 
 sudden and bold a reproof, especially when seated upon a 
 throne. But David, the victorious monarch, bows himself at 
 once, and submits to the just sentence of God. "I have sinned 
 against the Lord." Upon this ingenuous confession, Nathan 
 pronounces his pardon. "The Lord also hath put away thy 
 sin : thou shalt not die. But since by this deed, thou hast given 
 great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the 
 child that is born unto thee shall surely die."* 
 
 However sincere his repentance, it did not stay the results 
 and punishment of his sin. The child was suddenly taken ill. 
 David "humbled himself, fasted, and besought God for the 
 child." His prayer was not granted, and on the seventh day 
 the child died, according to the sentence of the prophet. While 
 the child was ill, the king refused all sustenance, and lay in deep 
 distress; but when he perceived that the child was dead, "he 
 rose from the earth, anointed himself, and went into the house 
 of the Lord and worshipped, and came to his house and took 
 the food offered him." Surprised at this, his servants asked 
 the reason of his conduct. And David said, "while the child 
 was yet alive, I fasted and wept ; for I said, who can tell whe- 
 ther God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But 
 now he is dead, wherefore should I fast ? can I bring him back 
 again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." 
 
 * It seems probable, that it was at this time also, the 32d and 33d Psalms were 
 written. 
 
332 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Soon after this, Solomon was born, of whom it is said, "the 
 Lord loved him." 
 
 The star of David was now sinking to the horizon. The He- 
 brew kingdom had reached the highest point in strength and 
 real glory. Its first true king was the bravest and the best. 
 His reign hitherto had been successful, almost beyond parallel; 
 but from this time it is sullied by " domestic shame, misery, and 
 confusion." 
 
 The loss of the child was soon followed by a heavier stroke, 
 in the unbridled passion of his eldest son Amnon. He had 
 fallen desperately in love with his half-sister Tamar ; and by the 
 advice of Jonadab his cousin, feigned himself sick, and sought 
 from David, that his sister might come and prepare him food in 
 his presence. The unsuspecting king consented, and the plot 
 succeeded according to the wishes of those who had formed it. 
 No entreaties or remonstrances on the part of Tamar could save 
 her; and the innocent and helpless fell a victim to incestuous 
 passion and brutal violence. Having sated his passion, the sen- 
 sual wretch sent her away to bear her shame. "And Tamar 
 put ashes on her head, and rent her garments, and laid her hand 
 on her head, and went away weeping." Thus sorrowing, she met 
 Absalom her brother, who took her, desolate, to his home, ex- 
 horted her to bear her injury with patience, and concealed his 
 purpose of revenge. Such a crime as this could not long be 
 kept from the king. But great as was his anger, he appears to 
 have spared his guilty son. The remembrance of his own sin 
 may have stayed the sword of justice. For some reason the 
 author of this abominable wickedness escaped for a time. 
 
 But though retribution was delayed, it was still preparing. 
 The purpose of revenge lay smouldering in Absalom's heart, 
 and two years after was carried into execution. The festival of 
 sheep-shearing furnished the occasion for his revenge. " He 
 invited his brothers to the feast, and Amnon" among the rest. 
 It was with some difficulty that he persuaded the king to con- 
 sent to this arrangement ; but his urgency prevailed, and he let 
 Amnon and all his sons go with him. The opportunity did not 
 pass unimproved. Absalom charged his servants, that in the 
 height of the feast, they should assail Amnon and slay him ; 
 "fear not, have not I commanded you?" The servants did as 
 they were commanded. Amnon fell in cold-blooded 'murder. 
 "The king's sons rose from the feast and fled." The evil 
 report, however, flew before them ; while they were yet in the 
 way, news came that all the king's sons were slain. "Then 
 the king arose, tore his garments, and lay upon the earth." But 
 Jonadab saw what the fact was, and urged the king to moderate 
 his grief. "Let not my lord take the thing to his heart, to think 
 that all the king's sons are dead : for Amnon only is dead, for 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 883 
 
 by the appointment of Absalom the thing hath been settled." 
 The result proved this conjecture right; he had scarcely done 
 speaking, when the terror-struck sons appeared, and wept over 
 the loss of their brother. Thus one sin became the cause of 
 another ; and the latter in turn is the punishment of the former, 
 as often happens under the holy providence of God. 
 
 Absalom immediately fled to his grandfather, Talmai, king of 
 Geshur, where he was secure from the just anger of his father, 
 and the reach of a broken law. The unhappy king, mourning 
 over Tamar and Amnon, still longed for the return of his 
 exiled son. 
 
 Three years passed before he was allowed to return. The 
 subtle Joab perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom, 
 and he took steps to secure his return. " He sent to Tekoah, 
 and brought thence a wise woman," and told her to feign her- 
 self a mourner, as one that had long mourned for the dead; 
 and to come and make known her sorrow to the king. The tale 
 which Joab taught her to relate, was one well calculated to 
 rouse the paternal feelings of David. According to her instruc- 
 tions the woman went, and obtained audience of the king ; and 
 in the most earnest manner entreated his aid. "I am a widow 
 woman, and mine husband is dead. And thy handmaid had 
 two sons, and they strove together in the field, and there was 
 none to part them, but the one slew the other. And behold 
 the whole family is risen up, and demand him that smote his 
 brother, that they may kill him, for the life of his brother ; 
 and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not 
 leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the 
 earth. And the king said, Go to thine house, and I will give 
 charge concerning thee." Lest the king's conscience should 
 scruple to interfere with the course of justice, the woman takes 
 all the consequences to herself. "My lord, king, the iniquity 
 be on me and on my father's house: and the king and his throne 
 be guiltless." He then gave her a still stronger assurance that 
 her prayer was granted : but as if still fearful, she urged again 
 her petition, and the king then confirmed his promise by an 
 oath: "As the Lord liveth there shall not one hair of thy son 
 fall to the earth." Having thus gained his attention, and 
 secured from him a solemn promise to spare a living son, 
 though guilty of murder, she brings out the real object of her 
 petition. And she said, "Wherefore, then, hast thou thought 
 such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth 
 speak this thing as one that is faulty, in that the king doth not 
 fetch home his banished." She bases her argument on the uni- 
 versality of death, and that no punishment of the murderer 
 could restore him to life who had been slain ; and further, that 
 God himself, in the law for the avenging of blood, and the 
 
334 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 cities of refuge, had devised means that his banished be not ex- 
 pelled from him. She then excuses her bold attempt, and 
 throws herself "upon the royal mercy. For as an angel of 
 God, so is my lord the king, to discern both good and bad." 
 
 David at once perceived that this did not originate with the 
 woman, and traced it to its true source. He yielded, however, 
 to the suggestion; and commanded Joab to bring Absalom 
 again to Jerusalem. Joab went to Geshur, and brought the exile 
 home ; but David refused to see him for two full years more. 
 
 Absalom was noted throughout the kingdom for the beauty of 
 his person ; a thing of no small importance in a land where 
 personal appearance went far towards power. The confinement 
 which he was compelled to endure, was a sore trial to this am- 
 bitious man ; who was already looking forward to the throne. 
 From selfish motives, therefore, he sought a full reconciliation 
 with his offended father, upon whose favour every thing de- 
 pended. In this extremity he appealed to Joab, but without 
 success. "At length, by setting on fire the barley-field of 
 Joab," he forced an interview. To Joab's complaint he makes 
 no answer, but this, " Wherefore am I come from Geshur ? it 
 had been good for me to have been there still : now, therefore, 
 let me see the king's face ; and if there be any iniquity in me, 
 let him kill me." Joab went to the king and told him; and 
 when he called for Absalom, he " came to the king, and bowed 
 himself on his face to the ground before the king ; and the king 
 kissed Absalom." 
 
 The reconciliation, though only feigned on the part of Absa- 
 lom, was still sufficient for his purpose. Having obtained the 
 favour of the king, this ungrateful son plunged madly into his 
 desperate career. Availing himself of his personal accomplish- 
 ments and winning manners, he gained the favour of the people. 
 He prepared and maintained the pomp and retinue of a king. To 
 ingratiate himself still more with the people, "he stood beside 
 the way to the palace ; and it was so that when any man had a 
 controversy, and came to the king for judgment, Absalom in- 
 quired into his cause ; and told him, See thy matters are good 
 and right, but none will hear thee from the king." By these 
 insinuations against his father's government by an indiscrimi- 
 nate flattery towards all who came to the court, Absalom stole 
 the hearts of the men of Israel. 
 
 Having secured numbers to his interest, he thought the peo- 
 ple ripe for rebellion. He covers his treason with the mask of 
 piety. Under pretence of paying a vow, which he had made 
 during his exile, he gains permission from the king to go to 
 Hebron, a sacred city, Absalom's birth-place, and a strong 
 fortress. When he left the king, he took with him two hun- 
 dred men; who went with him to attend the feast, and without 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 335 
 
 any knowledge of his secret designs. At the same time he 
 sent spies to his retainers "throughout all the tribes in Israel," 
 saying, " As soon as ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, ye 
 shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron." After his arrival at 
 Hebron, he called to him Ahithophel, David's counsellor, and 
 who was no doubt privy to the conspiracy. Having thus ob- 
 tained possession of this important place once the seat of 
 David's government he was proclaimed king. The people 
 flocked to him in large numbers, "and the conspiracy was 
 strong." 
 
 News soon came to David that "the hearts of the men of 
 Israel were after Absalom." Astounded by the suddenness of 
 the event, and the evident signs of disaffection throughout the 
 kingdom, David resolves upon instant flight, "lest Absalom 
 overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the 
 city with the edge of the sword." Most of the king's servants 
 were faithful; and "he went forth, and all the people after 
 him," and tarried in a place that was not far off. The whole 
 body of the king's guards, Cherethites, Pelethites, and Gittites, 
 passed on before him.* (In the midst of the general apostacy 
 of the Israelites, it is pleasant to see the conduct of Ittai the 
 Gittite, who, though a stranger, still follows David in his flight ; 
 and though warned of the danger, adhered to the king with a 
 faithfulness and strength of affection which might well have 
 shamed his rebellious subjects.) No time was to be lost. The 
 impending danger forbade any delay. "And all the country 
 wept with a loud voice, and the people passed over : the king 
 himself also passed over the brook Kidron, toward the way of 
 the wilderness." Zadok and Abiathar, and the whole body of 
 the Levites went with the king, "bearing the ark of the cove- 
 nant of God." "And he said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark 
 of God into the city : if I shall find favour in the eyes of the 
 Lord, he will bring me again and show me both it and his habi- 
 tation: but if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold 
 here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him." This 
 was bearing affliction with Christian resignation a hope and 
 trust in God worthy of all imitation. 
 
 The ark of God was carried back to Jerusalem, and David 
 remained in the plain until he should receive word from Zadok 
 and Abiathar of what was passing in the city. These men 
 remained true to their king in all his adversity; though forbid- 
 den by their office to leave the ark, and go with him in his 
 flight. Their services in the city were of far more avail than 
 they could have been in the camp. 
 
 * In his present distress, David composed the third Psalm. In this dark time, 
 we find him still able to put his faith in God, quiet his fears, and look forward to 
 a certain deliverance. 
 
336 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 David then went on in the flight, "by the ascent of mount 
 Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and 
 he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered 
 every man his head and went up, weeping as they went." He 
 went as a mourning penitent rather than a king. No Chris- 
 tian can read this account without being reminded of another 
 ascent up the sides of this same mount, by a far greater King 
 than David, and who yet walked under a heavier load of 
 sorrow. 
 
 In this journey he heard of the treason of Ahithophel ;* and 
 David prayed, " Lord, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into 
 foolishness ; for the counsel of Ahithophel in these days, was 
 as if a man inquired at the oracle of God." As he reached 
 the top of the mount, he was met by his faithful counsellor 
 Hushai, whom he sent to the city, to defeat, if possible, the coun- 
 sel of Ahithophel, and to advise the priests in their plans to 
 assist the king. Hushai returned to Jerusalem, and found 
 Absalom there. 
 
 The incidents in this flight crowd thickly upon each other. 
 Not long after David had passed the summit of the mount, Ziba, 
 the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a liberal supply for 
 his necessity. The king asked after his master; and Ziba said, 
 " He abideth at Jerusalem, for he said, To-day shall the house 
 of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father." The ingrati- 
 tude and perfidy of such conduct, if the report was true, justi- 
 fy fully the sentence of David, in revoking his former grant to 
 Mephibosheth, and bestowing the lands upon his servant. 
 
 David found enemies to taunt him in his adversity, as well 
 as friends to comfort. Scarcely had he left Ziba, when he fell 
 in with " Shimei, the son of Gera, of the family of Saul, who 
 came out and cursed still as he came." In his fury and rage 
 " he cast stones at the king, and said, Come out, thou bloody- 
 man, thou man of Belial; the Lord hath returned upon thee 
 the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast 
 reigned." It is no wonder that such bitter insults to the king 
 should excite the indignation of his officers. But David res- 
 trained their anger, by a reference to the wise and just provi- 
 dence of God, and to his present affliction. " If my son seek- 
 eth my life, how much more may this Benjamite do it ? let him 
 alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. It may 
 be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord 
 will requite me good for his cursing this day." And the king, 
 and all the people came weary, and refreshed themselves at 
 Bahurim. 
 
 While David was thus hastening on in his flight, Absalom 
 had entered the city, and held his council. This success 
 
 * On Una treachery of Ahithophel, David penned the 55th Psalm. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 
 
 appears to have been more complete than he had anticipated. 
 When Hushai saluted him with a "God save the king," Absa- 
 lom reproached him with his apparent want of kindness to 
 David his friend. He was now too hardened and bold to feel 
 that his reproach fell with tenfold more force upon a traitorous 
 son. In an artful reply, Hushai concealed his real purpose, 
 "Whom the Lord and all Israel choose, his will I be, and with 
 him will I abide. Whom should I serve? should it not be his 
 son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in 
 thy presence." Flattered with this, Absalom gave him a place 
 among the number of his counsellors.* 
 
 In the council, Ahithophel was yet pre-eminent. He saw 
 well that in so desperate an enterprise no half-measures would 
 do, and he did not hesitate to advise the most violent steps. 
 He felt it necessary to show the people that there was no pos- 
 sibility of reconciliation; and to do it, "he urged Absalom to 
 take public possession of his father's concubines." The grace- 
 less pupil yielded readily to his wicked teacher; and Nathan's 
 dreadful threatening to David was fulfilled. 
 
 "Ahithophel, moreover, said unto Absalom, Let me now 
 choose out twelve thousand men, and I will pursue after David 
 this night, and will come upon him while he is weary and weak- 
 handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are 
 with him shall flee ; and I will smite the king only, and will 
 bring back the people unto thee in peace." Absalom felt no 
 compunctions at the idea of thus murdering his father; but 
 resolved to hear further the advice of Hushai, whom he now 
 supposed firmly attached to his interests. This was the fatal 
 step in his course. In all human probability, had he followed 
 the advice of Ahithophel, David must have fallen. When 
 Hushai learned the counsel of Ahithophel, he immediately con- 
 demned it, and with specious reasons justified his opinion. For, 
 said he, "Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be 
 mighty men, and chafed in their minds as a bear robbed of her 
 whelps ; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge 
 with the people. Behold he is now hid in some hold!" And if 
 some of those who attack him should fall, the whole party 
 would be struck with terror, "and the hearts of the most 
 valiant melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a 
 mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. 1 
 therefore counsel that all Israel be gathered for the fight that 
 thou go to battle in thine own person," "that thus with the 
 whole host we light upon thy father as dew falleth on the 
 
 * The morality in this reply of Hushai, is questionable. It may easily be justified 
 by the principles of political prudence, or state reasons; but it is not so clearly 
 right on the principles of Christian morality. 
 
 22 
 
338 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 ground, or if he be gotten into a city, that we then bring ropes 
 and draw into the river till there be not a stone found there." 
 
 The argument and counsel of Hushai prevailed. The advice 
 of Ahithophel was rejected, by the unanimous consent of the 
 council. "For," says the record, "the Lord had appointed to 
 defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the 
 Lord might bring evil upon Absalom;" i. e. the wisest advice 
 was overruled by the providence of God, so that this unna- 
 tural son might receive the just punishment of his crimes. 
 
 Ahithophel now saw that all was lost ; and went forthwith " to 
 his house and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the 
 
 O ' * 
 
 sepulchre of his father." 
 
 At the same time, Hushai sent to David by Zadok and Abia- 
 thar the results of the council, and tidings of his danger. The 
 sons of the priests who were to bear the message, were discov- 
 ered and pursued ; but they avoided their pursuers, and reached 
 the king with the message of his faithful servants in the city, 
 "Arise and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahitho- 
 phel counselled against you." "Then David arose, and they 
 that were with him, and they passed over Jordan; by the 
 morning light there lacked not one that had not gone over. 
 And they came to Mahanaim." 
 
 While David was at Mahanaim, there came to him, with 
 abundant supplies for himself and his men, Shobi the son of 
 Nahash the Ammonite, Machir, with whom Mephibosheth had 
 long dwelt, and Barzillai the Gileadite. In this fruitful district 
 David had leisure to recruit his wearied followers, and to call 
 around him the brave men who were still loyal to their king. 
 In the mean time, Absalom was urging on his preparations. All 
 the men of Israel had been gathered. Amasa, Joab's nephew, 
 was made captain of the host. And Absalom himself, at the 
 head of his army, passed over Jordan in pursuit of his father. 
 The armies of the father and son were pitched in the land of 
 Gilead. The fate of the kingdom was to turn upon a single 
 battle. 
 
 David arranged his forces in three divisions, one under Joab, 
 a second under Abishai, a third under Ittai, the Gittite. He 
 proposed to take the command in person ; but the people would 
 not permit it. They thought it more prudent that he should 
 remain in the city, with a reserve force to aid them in case of 
 necessity. The king yielded to their wishes. As the army 
 marched out to battle, David charged his generals, " in the 
 presence of all the people ; Deal gently, for my sake, with the 
 young man, even with Absalom." 
 
 The engagement took place in the wood of Ephraim, on the 
 east side of Jordan. David's forces were victorious, and the 
 rebel army routed with the loss of twenty thousand men, the 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 839 
 
 larger part of whom fell in the flight. Absalom perished by a 
 most singular fate. In riding through the wood, his head and 
 hair became entangled in the branches of an oak, and he was 
 left hanging in the air, by the escape of his mule. In this 
 situation he was discovered by one of Joab's men, who carried 
 the intelligence to his general. Joab at first reproved the man 
 for sparing the rebel, and then hastened away, in open con- 
 tempt of the command which he had received, to slay him, 
 while the king could not interfere. When this was done, he 
 recalled his troops from the pursuit. "And they took Absa- 
 lom, and cast him into a great pit, and laid a very great heap 
 of stones upon him." Thus perished this miserable man: the 
 only monument of his ambition was the pillar which he had 
 erected in his lifetime, and which served to perpetuate the 
 remembrance of his crimes. 
 
 When Ahimaaz requested to bear tidings of the victory to 
 David, Joab, who knew with what regret David would hear the 
 death of his son, refused to let him go. Another messenger 
 was sent, who was present and witnessed the death of Absalom. 
 Ahimaaz renewed his request, and at last obtained permission 
 to go. In the way to the city he passed Cushi, who had started 
 before him. As they came to the city, "David was sitting by 
 the gates" waiting to hear the event of the battle. Ahimaaz 
 reached the gate first, and cried to the king, " All is well, and 
 fell upon his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be the Lord 
 thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their 
 hands against my lord the king." David's first inquiry was 
 for the life of his son. "Is the young man Absalom safe." 
 Ahimaaz replied, that when he left the scene of battle "he saw 
 a great tumult, but knew not what it was." Just at this time 
 the official messenger was brought to the king, and said, 
 " Tidings, my lord, the king : for the Lord hath avenged thee 
 this day of all them that rose up against thee." The anxious 
 father repeats the question, "Is the young man, Absalom, safe? 
 and Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all 
 that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man 
 is." "And the king was much moved, and went up to the 
 chamber over the gate and wept ; and as he went, thus he said, 
 my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom ! would God I 
 had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son!" And the 
 victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the peo- 
 ple; for the people heard say that day, how the king was 
 grieved for his son. And the people gat them by stealth that 
 day into the city, a^ people being ashamed steal away, when 
 they flee in battle. But the king covered his face and cried, 
 my son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son !" 
 
 When Joab learned the public and immoderate grief of the 
 
340 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 king for his son, and saw its effect upon the army, he went 
 boldly into the king, and with the most heartless effrontery 
 reproved him for his conduct. Instead of excusing his own 
 disobedience of orders, he reproaches the king for his grief. 
 " Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants which 
 this day have saved thy life. For thou hast declared this day 
 that thou regardest neither princes, nor servants ; for this day I 
 perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died, then it 
 had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and 
 speak comfortably unto thy servants ; for I swear by the Lord, 
 if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this 
 night." This firm, but imperious and unjust remonstrance, had 
 its effect. "David arose and sat in the gate, and all the peo- 
 ple came before the king."* 
 
 The death of Absalom put an effectual end to the conspiracy. 
 On all sides the loyalty of the people began to regain its ascend- 
 ency. The sense of the injustice which they had done to David 
 served to quicken the remembrance of the obligations which 
 they owed to him. "The king saved us out of the hand of our 
 enemies, and out of the hand of the Philistines; now therefore 
 why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?" Every- 
 where the sentiments of affection and duty were bringing the 
 people to their allegiance to David. 
 
 Though this was the state of all Israel, the tribe of Judah 
 had not yet publicly moved ; and David sent messengers "to 
 the elders of Judah, saying, Ye are my brethren, ye are my 
 bones and my flesh, why are ye the last then to bring back the 
 king to his home?" To Amasa, Absalom's general, .he sent a 
 special message. "Art not thou of my bone and of my flesh? 
 God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the 
 host before me continually in the room of Joab."f The message 
 was effectual. " The heart of all the men of Judah was turned 
 to David as the heart of one man, and they sent unto the king, 
 Return thou and all thy servants. So the king returned and 
 came to Jordan." 
 
 In his return, the king was accompanied by a large number 
 of those who had sustained him during the rebellion. As he 
 came to the Jordan, he was met by the tribe of Judah, who had 
 come to conduct him home. With the tribe of Judah came 
 
 * During this exile of David from the temple, he appears to have penned seve- 
 ral of his most beautiful Psalms. We owe probably the 42d, 43d, 70th, 71st and 
 143d, to this occasion. 
 
 t This has been thought a very impolitic and unjust measure. But it should be 
 remembered, that Joab, though loyal, had forfeited all right to the command by his 
 disobedience of orders, and his excessively haughty dehieanour. As to the pru- 
 dence of the message, Amasa was most probably the most influential man in the 
 tribe of Judah, and once secured to David's interest, wouJd bring the whole tribe 
 with him. David no dcubt hoped in this way to break the domineering power of 
 Joab. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 341 
 
 Shlmei with a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba with his 
 servants. As soon as the king had crossed the river, Shimei 
 cast himself at his feet, made an humble confession of his sin, 
 and sought the king's pardon. Abishai again seeks permission 
 to put him to death, because he had cursed the Lord's anointed. 
 But David reproved his officious zeal: "Shall there any man be 
 put to death this day in Israel ? for do not I know that I am 
 this day king over Israel? Therefore the king sware unto 
 Shimei, Thou shalt not die." The same faith which led David 
 to bear patiently his malignant curses, now kept him in his 
 prosperity from taking vengeance into his own hands. 
 
 Soon after Shimei, Mephibosheth came to congratulate David 
 upon his return. From the day the king had departed, "Me- 
 phibosheth had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, 
 nor washed his clothes." There was every apparent sign of 
 deep grief. When they reached Jerusalem, David inquired why 
 he had not gone with him. He answered that his servant "had 
 deceived him," and had slandered him to the king; "but my 
 lord the king is as an angel of God : do therefore what is good 
 in thine eyes." David stopped him in his apology. "Why 
 speakest thou any more of thy matters ? I have said thou and 
 Ziba divide the land." Whatever was meant by this decision, 
 Mephibosheth was completely satisfied. "Yea," he says, "let 
 him take all, since the king is come again in peace unto his own 
 house." It seems probable that David intended to restore the 
 original arrangement between Mephibosheth and his servant, 
 and of course revoke the sentence he had passed when Ziba met 
 him in his flight. 
 
 David next proceeded to reward the kindness and faithfulness 
 of the aged Barzillai. "Come thou," said the king, "over with 
 me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem." Barzillai had 
 sustained him at Mahanaim as his king, but David would take 
 him as a guest into his own dwelling and table. The good old 
 man replied, " How long have I to live, that I should go up 
 with the king to Jerusalem? Can I discern between good and 
 evil ? can thy servant taste what I eat or drink ? can I hear 
 any more the voice of singing-men and singing- women ? where- 
 fore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the 
 king ? Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again ; that I 
 may die in my own city, and be buried by the grave of my 
 father and my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham, let 
 him go over with my lord the king, and do to him what shall 
 seem good unto thee." David granted his request, and as they 
 parted "the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and he re- 
 turned to his own place; but Chimham went on with him." 
 
 In the late rebellion, some of the people had become seriously 
 disaffected towards the king. A quarrel arose between the tribe 
 
342 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 of Judah and the rest of Israel, as to the mode in which David 
 was conducted home. The Israelites found fault with Judah 
 that they had "stolen the king from their brethren." The men 
 of Judah plead their near relation to David. The quarrel he- 
 came serious, "and the words of the men of Judah were fiercer 
 than the words of the men of Israel." Sheba, the son of Bichri, 
 a Benjamite, took advantage of the strife, and blew his trumpet 
 and said, "We have no part in Judah nor inheritance in the 
 son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel." Inflamed with 
 their strife, the fickle multitude followed after Sheba. 
 
 In the mean time the king reached Jerusalem, rearranged his 
 family, and prepared to suppress the insurrection. Orders 
 were given to Amasa "to assemble the men of Judah," who 
 were faithful, and hold himself in readiness for further orders. 
 Amasa went to obey the command, but from some cause tarried 
 longer than the time appointed him. During this delay, the 
 insurrection of Sheba was growing into a rebellion ; and threat- 
 ening to become more serious even than the revolt of Absalom. 
 David therefore commissioned Abishai to take forces and quell 
 the conspiracy. Under this commission Abishai and Joab 
 (though Joab had received no orders) "took the Cherethites 
 and the Pelethites, and the mighty men, and pursued after 
 Sheba." When they reached Gibeon, they fell in with Amasa 
 their cousin, and Joab, without any hesitation, and under the 
 pretence of friendship, murdered him as he had murdered 
 Abner long before. Leaving one of their men to stand by the 
 body, they hastened on in the pursuit. But when the men saw 
 Amasa lying in his blood, they stood shocked at the spectacle, 
 and with reluctance followed Joab in his expedition. 
 
 Sheba had gone through the tribes gathering the disaffected, 
 and with a considerable force had taken refuge in Abel-Beth- 
 maachah. Joab and his men pressed the siege with great 
 vigour. As they were about to take the city, a wise woman 
 cried to Joab, and said, " I am one of them that are peaceful 
 and faithful in Israel; thou seekest to destroy a city and a 
 mother in Israel; why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of 
 the Lord?" Joab answered that this was not his purpose, "Far 
 be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy. I seek only 
 Sheba, who hath lifted up his hand against the king; deliver 
 him only, and I will depart from the city." To avoid the siege, 
 the people of the city listened to the advice of the woman, cut 
 off Sheba's head, and cast it over the wall to Joab. This was 
 the end of this wicked insurrection. With the death of Sheba 
 all disaffection ceased. Joab withdrew with his army, and re- 
 turned to Jerusalem. He was yet sufficiently powerful to 
 escape the punishment he deserved. In fact David was now in 
 the hands of his general, and felt himself unable to execute the 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 343 
 
 sentence which his own sense of justice would have led him to 
 pass. The brave, haughty, imperious man, was still over all 
 the host of Israel, and justice slumbered for a time. 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 FAMINE OF THREE YEARS WAR WITH THE PHILISTINES THE PESTILENCE THE 
 
 PREPARATION FOR THE TEMPLE SOLOMON MADE KING DAVID'S CHARGE TO THE 
 
 PEOPLE AND SOLOMON DAVID'S DEATH. 
 
 BETWEEN the threatening of David by the prophet Nathan, 
 and the death of Sheba, nearly thirteen years had passed 
 away. This whole interval was one of heavy cares and civil 
 strife. Between the grief over his own sin the mortification 
 at the unnatural and sinful conduct of his sons and the faci- 
 lity with which his subjects were drawn away from their allegi- 
 ance to the throne there was little peace to the unhappy king. 
 Nor were his trials all past. 
 
 When Saul, in his anger, murdered the priests at Nob, he 
 slew also, as it seems probable, the Gibeonites,* who were 
 servants of the priests, and thus (as well as by special covenant) 
 under the peculiar care of God. This violation of public faith 
 did not pass unnoticed. God was pleased "to make inquisition 
 for the blood which had thus been unrighteously shed ;" and 
 sent a famine upon the land for three successive years. David 
 inquired of the Lord what was the cause of the judgment. And 
 the Lord answered, " It is for Saul and his bloody house, be- 
 cause he slew the Gibeonites." Thus warned, David sent for 
 the remnant of this people, and asked what must be done, that 
 an atonement might be made, and that "ye may bless the 
 inheritance of Israel." They answered that they would have 
 neither silver nor gold, "but that seven men of the sons of Saul 
 who had consumed them, should be delivered unto us, and we 
 will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul." The 
 king said, "I will give them;" but sparing the family of Jona- 
 than (and all the male line of Saul, who alone could ever have 
 made any claim to the crown) he chose two sons of Rizpah, 
 Saul's concubine, "and the five sons of Merab, the daughter of 
 Saul." These seven were delivered to the Gibeonites, and 
 hanged. The broken-hearted Rizpah "took sackcloth and 
 spread it upon the rock, and watched there for five long months, 
 until the rain dropped upon it out of heaven." "The bones of 
 these seven, with the bones of Saul and Jonathan, David took 
 
 * Whether Saul slew these Gibeonites, on the occasion here mentioned, or not, 
 does not appear clear from the narrative. It may be that, in his blind zeal, in the 
 early part of his reign, he thought to secure the favour of the people and of God, 
 by putting these Gibeonites to death. In either case the offence is the same, and 
 the act in express violation of the treaty of Joshua and the Israelites. 
 
344 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 and buried in the sepulchre of Kish. And after that, God was 
 entreated for the land." 
 
 Thus God, by his sovereign appointment, expressed his 
 abhorrence of the crime of Saul. It is not necessary to sup- 
 pose that those who perished were implicated in crime; they 
 suffered, indeed, but they suffered in virtue of his appointment, 
 who had the lives of all in his hands, and can rightfully recall 
 them to himself when and how he pleases. In this melancholy 
 transaction, David stands clear from all blame or jealousy of 
 the house of Saul, by the very terms of the narrative, and from 
 the fact that he spared all the male descendants of that house, 
 who were at this time numerous in Israel. 
 
 At this point of the narrative, the restless Philistines appear 
 again. Four severe battles were fought between David and 
 the Philistines. In the first of these, David fought in person, 
 and waxing faint was nearly slain by a Philistine giant ; but 
 Abishai came to his relief " and smote the Philistine and killed 
 him." Alarmed at this sign of his increasing age, the men of 
 David sware unto him, saying, "Thou shalt go no more out 
 with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel." In 
 each of the succeeding battles, a Philistine of gigantic stature 
 fell by the hand of David and his servants. These irrecon- 
 cilable enemies were thus effectually humbled, and the rest of 
 David's reign was free from foreign war. "And David spake 
 unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord 
 delivered him out of the hand of his enemies, and out of the 
 hand of Saul." "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and 
 my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust." He 
 relates his trust in God, in the time of his distresses the won- 
 derful manner in which God had delivered him his own inte- 
 grity in his adherence to God ; and then closes with an ascription 
 of all his military success and prosperity to God alone, and a 
 solemn thanksgiving for all the mercies he had received. "JTe, 
 Jehovah, is the tower of salvation for his king; and showeth 
 mercy to his anointed, unto David and to his seed for ever- 
 more. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, Lord, among 
 the heathen, I will sing praises unto thy name." 
 
 After these closing wars with the Philistines, the Hebrew 
 kingdom enjoyed an interval of peace and prosperity. They 
 were free from foreign wars, and the people remained happy 
 and contented under their government. But at length an in- 
 cident took place which marred this scene of peace in which 
 David's long reign seemed about to close. " The anger of the 
 Lord was moved against Israel, and Satan, as the adversary, was 
 permitted to tempt David to number the people." David 
 yielded to the temptation. Pride in his flourishing kingdom, or 
 perhaps a desire after foreign conquest, moved him to this step, 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 345 
 
 so offensive to God, and in direct contempt of that promise, that 
 the seed of Israel should be innumerable. Joab was commis- 
 sioned to take the census. At first he remonstrated against the 
 measure. "The Lord make his people an hundred times as 
 many as they be ; but why doth my Lord the king delight in 
 this thing, and make himself a cause of trespass to Israel." 
 The king's word, however, prevailed against Joab; and they 
 went forth to number the people. After a census of nine 
 months, they gave their return to the king. The two state- 
 ments vary as to the number, so far as it was taken ; but they 
 may be nearly reconciled by supposing that the military were 
 not enrolled in one case, whereas they were included in the 
 larger number. The census was never fully completed. The 
 duty was odious to Joab, and offensive to God; "and Levi and 
 Benjamin were not counted." 
 
 Wrath fell from the Lord while the census was going for- 
 ward, "and he smote Israel." David's conscience condemned 
 him, and he said unto God, "I have sinned greatly in that I 
 have done; but now, I beseech thee, Lord, do away with the 
 iniquity of thy servant ; for I have done very foolishly. And 
 the Lord spake unto Gad, the prophet, Go and tell David, Thus 
 saith the Lord, I offer thee three things, choose thee one of them, 
 that I may do it unto thee; either three years of famine, or 
 three months flight before thine enemies, or three days pestilence 
 from the destroying angel throughout the coasts of Israel. 
 David replied, I am in a great strait ; let us fall now into the 
 hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies; but let me 
 not fall into the hand of man." The pestilence came, "and 
 there fell of Israel seventy thousand men." When the angel 
 reached Jerusalem, the command came, "It is enough, stay now 
 thine hand." "And the angel stood by the threshing-floor of 
 Araunah the Jebusite." David then assumed to himself the sin 
 and the guilt. "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: 
 but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray 
 thee, be against me and against my father's house, but not on 
 my people that they should be plagued." Upon this humilia- 
 tion of David, and intercession for his people, the message 
 came by the prophet, " Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in 
 the threshing-floor of Araunah." David went as the Lord 
 commanded; purchased the ground at its full price, "and built 
 there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and 
 peace-offerings. So the plague was stayed from Israel." Arau- 
 nah at first wished to give the ground, the victims, and the 
 fuel, to the king; but David refused. He was unwilling "to 
 offer unto the Lord that which cost him nothing." And be- 
 sides, it is probable that he had received some communication 
 that the spot thus chosen by God as a place of offering, was to 
 
346 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 be the place for the temple, and to become the seat of the 
 public worship of all the tribes of Israel.* " Then David said, 
 This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the 
 burnt-offering for Israel," thereby consecrating it for that 
 temple which was "to be builded for the Lord, exceeding mag- 
 nifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries." 
 
 With all the strength which yet remained to him, this pious 
 king now set himself to prepare for the temple. Although for- 
 bidden to build it himself, he felt called upon to do what was in 
 his power to hasten it forward. The rest of his days were de- 
 voted to this work. "An hundred thousand talents of gold, 
 and a thousand thousand talents of silver, brass and iron with- 
 out weight, wrought stones, and cedar wood in abundance, were 
 prepared to build the house of God." Solomon and the princes 
 of Israel received the charge to arise and build. While engaged 
 in this peaceful work, so suited to the closing days of a long 
 and troublous reign, his attention was called to the question 
 concerning the succession to the throne. It was no doubt well 
 known to all at the court, that David had selected Solomon for 
 heir. He himself appears to have considered it as decided, and 
 did not anticipate any opposition to the choice. But Adonijah 
 the son of Haggith, the king's eldest son then living, (Amnon 
 and Absalom, the first and third sons, had been slain, and Chi- 
 leab the second had probably died,) laid claim to the throne as 
 his inheritance. Like Absalom, he was of goodly person and 
 a favourite with his father. For some time he had maintained 
 a princely state and retinue, and David had not forbidden him. 
 Encouraged by this permission of the king, he conferred with 
 Joab and Abiathar, and with their advice formed the purpose of 
 usurping the kingdom. With Joab as the head of the army, 
 and Abiathar as the head of the priests, he felt certain of suc- 
 cess, "and invited the king's sons and the men of Judah" to a 
 banquet, when he was to be crowned king. Those who were 
 known as friends to Solomon were not invited. "Nathan the 
 prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his 
 brother, he called not." David seems to have been in utter 
 ignorance of Adonijah's design. Nathan first acquaints Bath- 
 sheba, the mother of Solomon, with this conspiracy ; and urges 
 her by her own life and the life of her son, to go to David 
 and claim the fulfilment of his promise, "that Solomon should 
 reign after him and sit upon his throne." Bathsheba went to 
 the king, who was now enfeebled with age, and ministered to 
 by Abishag the Shunamite, and said, "My lord, thou swearest 
 by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, assuredly Solomon 
 thy son shall reign after me; and now Adonijah reigneth, and 
 
 * For the consecration of this place David wrote the 30th Psalm. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 347 
 
 thou knowest it not. And thou, my lord, king, the eyes of 
 all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall 
 sit on the throne of my lord the king after him." While she 
 was yet speaking, Nathan the prophet came in, and confirmed 
 her intelligence. David at once recalled his wonted energy, 
 and in the most solemn terms renewed the grant to Solomon. 
 "As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all 
 distress, even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, 
 assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall 
 sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do 
 this day." Bathsheba received the appointment of her son with 
 the deepest reverence and thankfulness, and said, "Let my 
 lord, king David, live for ever." David, however, once fully 
 roused to the danger, did not let the matter rest here. "And 
 the king said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the pro- 
 phet, and Benaiah ; and they came before the king. And he 
 said, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solo- 
 mon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down 
 to Gihon, and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet 
 anoint him there king over Israel, for he shall be king in my 
 stead ; and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and 
 over Judah. And Benaiah said, Amen : the Lord God of my lord 
 the king say so too." They went down accordingly, with the 
 Cherethites and Pelethites, and anointed Solomon king. "And 
 they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, God save king 
 Solomon ; and they rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth 
 rent with the sound of them." 
 
 The joy of the people, at the peaceful succession of Solomon 
 to the throne, disturbed the feast of Adonijah and his friends. 
 They were not left long in doubt, as to the cause of rejoicing, 
 Jonathan the son of Abiathar came and said to Adonijah: 
 Verily, king David hath made Solomon king, and moreover, 
 the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, 
 God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and 
 make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed 
 himself upon the bed, and said, Blessed be the Lord God of 
 Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine 
 eyes even seeing it." Upon this intelligence, the feast was 
 broken up, "and every man went his own way." No notice 
 was immediately taken of the actors in this conspiracy. Ado- 
 nijah fled, "and took hold on the horns of the altar;" but 
 Solomon sent for him, and publicly pardoned him, and dis- 
 missed him to his own house. Thus Solomon, by the Divine 
 election, as well as by the choice of his father, was made king 
 over Israel. 
 
 Having thus exalted Solomon to the throne, and established 
 the civil government of the kingdom, David "gathered together 
 
348 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites," and regu- 
 lated the methods and orders of public worship. The Levites, 
 from thirty years old and upward, numbered thirty-eight thou- 
 sand, of whom twenty- four thousand were to set forward the work 
 of the temple, six thousand were judges and officers, four thou- 
 sand porters, and four thousand praised the Lord. They were 
 divided according to their courses among the sons of Levi. The 
 priests, the sons of Aaron, were to offer the offerings, to burn 
 incense, and to bless in the name of Jehovah. These also were 
 divided into twenty-four courses, sixteen among the sons of 
 Eleazar, and eight among the sons of Ithamar. The singers 
 under Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, were divided into twenty- 
 four courses of twelve each. To the porters also, David as- 
 signed their distinct offices and services. The solemn and gor- 
 geous temple-service was thus provided for. The splendid ritual 
 of the Old Testament economy was completed. The work of 
 David was nearly done. The covenant people were in posses- 
 sion of the promised land ; the ark of God, with the visible 
 glorious presence of him who dwelt upon it, had received a 
 resting-place ; the chosen spot for the temple had been deter- 
 mined, and the order of its services appointed; nothing re- 
 mained but that the man of God should deliver his dying 
 charge, and go to rest with his fathers. 
 
 " And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes 
 of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered 
 to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, 
 and over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance 
 of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the 
 mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem. 
 Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said, Hear me, 
 my brethren and my people : as for me I had in mine heart to 
 build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 
 and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the 
 building : but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house 
 for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast 
 shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before 
 all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever : for 
 he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler ; and of the house of Judah, 
 the house of my father ; and among the sons of my father he 
 liked me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons 
 (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solo- 
 mon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord 
 over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall 
 build my house and my courts : for I have chosen him to be my 
 son, and I will be his father. Moreover, I will establish his 
 kingdom, if he be constant to do my commandments and my 
 judgments, as at this day. Now therefore, in the sight of all 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 349 
 
 Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our 
 God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your 
 God ; that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an 
 inheritance for your children after you for ever. And thou, 
 Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve 
 him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind ; for the Lord 
 searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of 
 the thoughts : if thou seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if 
 thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed 
 now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the 
 sanctuary: be strong and do it." 
 
 Then giving Solomon the pattern for the temple and its 
 porches and buildings, an account of the materials he had 
 amassed, and the order of Priests and Levites which he had 
 fixed, he concludes his charge to the young king, " Be strong, 
 and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for 
 the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee ; he will not fail 
 thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for 
 the service of the house of the Lord." 
 
 To strengthen the interest of the people in this work, David 
 exhorts them, by his own example, to .consecrate of their sub- 
 stance to its completion. Because I have set my affection to 
 the house of my God, " I have given, of mine own proper good, 
 over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, 
 three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven 
 thousand talents of refined silver ; who then is willing to conse- 
 crate his service this day unto the Lord?" 
 
 The royal munificence of David secured a hearty response to 
 this appeal from the people. "They offered willingly and 
 rejoiced, because with perfect heart they offered unto the Lord. 
 They gave liberally of gold, silver, brass and iron, besides 
 precious stones for the service of the house of God." 
 
 David's heart was filled with delight at the willing sacrifice 
 of the people. And David said, "Blessed be thou, Lord God 
 of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, Lord, is the 
 greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and 
 the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is 
 thine; thine is the kingdom, Lord, and thou art exalted as 
 head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and 
 thou reignest over all : and in thine hand is power and might ; 
 and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto 
 all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy 
 glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we 
 should be able to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things 
 come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we 
 are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fa- 
 thers : our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none 
 
350 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 abiding. Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared, 
 to build thee a house for thy holy name, cometh of thine hand, 
 and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest 
 the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the 
 uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things : 
 and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present 
 here, to offer willingly unto thee. Lord God of Abraham, 
 Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the ima- 
 gination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare 
 their heart unto thee: and give unto Solomon my son a perfect 
 heart to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy 
 statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for 
 the which I have made provision."* At the call of David, the 
 whole assembly, with one voice, joined in the joyful public 
 worship. 
 
 A second time they professed their allegiance to Solomon as 
 king; who now reigned on the throne of his father, and received 
 the acclamations of a loyal people. " And the Lord magnified 
 Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed 
 upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king 
 before him in Israel." 
 
 As David felt death drawing nigh, he called Solomon and 
 gave him a final charge. "I go the way of all the earth; be 
 thou strong, therefore, and show thyself a man ; and keep the 
 charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his 
 commandments, as written in the law of Moses, that thou 
 mayest prosper, and that the Lord may continue his word which 
 he spake concerning me." 
 
 He then charged Solomon to remember Joab, and to deal 
 with him as the murderer of Abner and Amasa. "Do accord- 
 ing to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the 
 grave in peace." It is plain that this command did not spring 
 from any resentment on the part of David. According to 
 every law, human and divine, Joab deserved to die. David was 
 culpable in allowing him to escape justice so long. Doubtless 
 it rested upon his conscience now as death approached ; and 
 he felt that he could not depart in peace, unless by some means 
 he could clear his throne and government from any share in 
 the murder of those innocent men; and therefore he charged 
 Solomon, as the administrator of the law, to see justice enforced. 
 
 He lays it upon Solomon as a solemn duty to cherish the 
 remembrance of Barzillai's kindness, "and to deal favourably 
 with his sons: to let them be as those that eat at thy table." 
 
 And at the last, he commands the king, his son, to watch the 
 conduct of Shimei, and to treat him not as a guiltless man ; but 
 
 * It seems probable that David poured forth his own emotion in the beautiful 
 and prophetic 72d Psalm. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 351 
 
 yet, since I have sworn to spare his life, "bring thou his hoar 
 head down to the grave with blood;" or as it may, and pro- 
 bably should be rendered, "bring NOT his hoar head down to 
 the grave with blood." Solomon evidently understood the 
 command in this latter sense; for while he executed justice 
 upon Joab, he spared the life of Shimei. He ordered him, 
 indeed, as a seditious and evil-disposed person, to build his 
 house in Jerusalem, and to remain under the eye of the court, 
 on the pain of death. Farther than this he did not understand 
 the command of David to reach. Shimei accepted the condi- 
 tions, which Solomon imposed, with gladness, and dwelt in peace 
 at Jerusalem. It was only when he violated these conditions, 
 and gave ground for suspicion that he was again bent upon his 
 seditious work, that Solomon passed sentence of death upon 
 him. He did not perish in consequence of David's charge, 
 (and this makes it perfectly clear that David never intended his 
 death,) but in consequence of his own restless and lawless spirit. 
 He died no doubt as a traitor, for we are told at the time of 
 his death that the kingdom was then established in the hand of 
 Solomon. 
 
 Then followed, in the closing scene of his eventful life, these 
 last words of David: "David the son of Jesse, said, and the 
 man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of 
 Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of 
 the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The 
 God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that 
 ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And 
 he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, 
 even a morning without clouds ; as the tender grass springing 
 out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my 
 house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an ever- 
 lasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure : for this is all 
 my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to 
 grow. So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the 
 city of David." After a reign of forty years, he died, in a good 
 old age, full of days, riches, and honour. As a warrior, he was 
 brave, prudent, keenly alive to the sufferings of his soldiers, 
 and beloved and trusted by those whom he commanded. His 
 brilliant victories testify to his ability. As a king, he was wise 
 to counsel, and energetic in carrying his plans into execution. 
 He was kind to the suffering, and impartial in the execution of 
 justice. He used his power as one accountable to God. As a 
 man, he was affectionate and generous, noble in all his impulses, 
 forgiving to his enemies and grateful to friends. As an inspired 
 poet, his name and memory have been and will be cherished by 
 every pious heart. As a worshipper of the true God, he was 
 steadfast, sincere, humble, and trustful, a pattern to those who 
 
352 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 came after him. And though he fell grievously, yet he sub- 
 mitted to reproof, humbled himself before God in the truest 
 repentance, and obtained an abiding sense of his mercy. He 
 may justly be numbered among the greatest and the best, not 
 only of kings, but of men. 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 SOLOMON KING HIS SACRIFICE AT OIBEON DEATH OF ADONIJAH AND JOAB SOLO- 
 MON PREPARES TO BUILD THE TEMPLE THE TREATY WITH TYRE AND EGYPT. 
 
 SOLOMON came to the throne, when the country was in a pro- 
 found peace ; which lasted, with but slight interruption, during 
 his long reign. He began his reign in the spirit of that solemn 
 charge which he received from the lips of a dying father. It 
 is said of him that "he loved the Lord, walking in the statutes 
 of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 
 high places." It will be remembered, that while the ark was 
 brought to Jerusalem, the tabernacle and the brazen altar re- 
 mained at Gibeon. Thither the young king, having called his 
 chief men, went, to commence his reign, with a solemn public 
 sacrifice to God; for that was the great high place, and there 
 Solomon " offered a thousand burnt-offerings." On the night 
 following the sacrifice, God appeared to him in a dream, and 
 said, "Ask what I shall give thee." And Solomon said, 
 " Thou hast showed unto David thy great mercy, according as 
 he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in 
 uprightness of heart with thee. And now, Lord my God, 
 thou hast made thy servant king, in stead *of David my father; 
 and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 
 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast 
 chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted 
 for multitude. Give, therefore, thy servant an understanding 
 heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and 
 bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people." 
 The petition of Solomon was peculiarly acceptable to God, and 
 God said, "Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not 
 asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, 
 neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and 
 knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over 
 whom I have made thee king; behold, I have done according 
 to thy words : I have given thee a wise and an understanding 
 heart, and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such 
 as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, nei- 
 ther shall there any after thee have the like. And if thou wilt 
 walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 353 
 
 as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days." 
 After this answer to his prayer, Solomon awoke from his vision, 
 returned to Jerusalem, and offered burnt-offerings before the 
 ark of the Lord, and made a feast to all his servants. 
 
 The gift which Solomon had received, he had immediate oc- 
 casion to exercise. There were two women dwelling alone, in 
 the same house, each with an infant child. Through the neglect 
 of the mother, the child of the one died. Aware of her loss, 
 she arose at midnight, and went and exchanged her dead son 
 for the living one of her companion. The true mother of the 
 living child brought her complaint before the king, and claimed 
 her son. But the other denied her crime. Each one claimed 
 the living as her own. There appears to have been no evidence 
 of any kind, by which the controversy could be decided. Solo- 
 mon saw that the only way to determine it was by an appeal to 
 the instinctive affection of a mother for her offspring. And 
 the king said, "Bring a sword, and divide the living child in 
 two, and give half to the one and half to the other." But 
 the heart of the real mother answered at once to the appeal, 
 "and she said, my lord, give her the living child, and in no 
 wise slay it; while the other said, Divide it." The wise pie n 
 of the king succeeded, and he gave sentence, " Give her the 
 living child, and in no wise slay it ; she is the mother thereof. 
 And all Israel heard of the judgment, and feared the king, for 
 they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment." 
 While this was taking place, the restless spirit of Adonijah 
 was again at work. In his extreme old age, David, by the ad- 
 vice of his servants, had taken Abishag the Shunamite among 
 the number of his wives. Her beauty attracted the love of 
 Adonijah, and he came to Bathsheba, and urged her to ask 
 from the king Abishag for his wife. The design of this request 
 appears in the way he urges his suit. "Thou knowest," he 
 said, "that the kingdom was mine, howbeit, it is now turned 
 and become my brother's, for it was his from the Lord." Adc- 
 nijah knew well that the request was a treasonable one, and 
 thus Solomon understood it. For when his mother urged the 
 request of Adonijah, he replies, "Why dost thou ask Abishag 
 for him ? ask also the kingdom." Solomon immediately adopted 
 the most stringent measures, and treats his brother as a con- 
 demned traitor. " God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah 
 have not spoken this word against his own life." And he sent 
 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, "and he fell upon him that he 
 died." This was certainly summary justice; if indeed any 
 state policy can make such arbitrary measures fall under the 
 name of justice. But it is difficult for us to enter fully into 
 all that was implied in Adonijah's suit; and it would seem pro- 
 bable, that there were other signs of his treasonable disposition. 
 23 
 
354 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 which led Solomon so instantly to punish. This probability is 
 increased, by the fact that Abiathar and Joab Adonijah's 
 supporters in his former conspiracy are here again connected 
 with him. Their punishment immediately follows. Abiathar 
 was banished to his own possessions, at Anathoth, and deprived 
 of his priestly office a fulfilment of the threatening of God to 
 Eli, "that the priesthood should depart from his house." Abi- 
 athar was the last priest of the house of Ithauiar, (of which 
 family Eli was,) and the priesthood returned again to the house 
 of Eleazar, in the person of Zadok. 
 
 When Joab heard that his partners were punished, he fled 
 unto the "tabernacle of Jehovah, and caught hold on the horns 
 of the altar." Benaiah was sent to bring him from his sanc- 
 tuary, but Joab refused. He trusted to escape justice, through 
 the protection of the altar. Solomon, however, well understood 
 that the altar could be no sanctuary for the hardened criminal. 
 Benaiah was again despatched to go and slay him, even at the 
 altar; "that thou mayest take away the innocent blood from 
 me, and from the house of my father, which Joab shed, who fell 
 upon two men more righteous than he." So Benaiah went as 
 commanded, and fell upon the "hoary criminal," and slew him, 
 and he was buried in his own house, in the wilderness. Thus 
 fell David's wicked but bravest general. Justice had at length 
 overtaken him, and a broken law was executed. 
 
 As Zadok was made priest in the room of Abiathar, so Be- 
 naiah was placed in the room of Joab, as captain of the host. 
 
 With the crushing of this conspiracy, Solomon's throne was 
 established in peace. Around him were gathered, as chief men 
 and counsellors, the sons of his father's friends. "Over the 
 tribute were twelve general officers, whose charge it was to 
 provide for the royal household ; for every day thirty measures 
 of fine flour, and sixty of meal, thirty oxen and an hundred 
 sheep," besides other things in like profusion. The whole na- 
 tion enjoyed an unparalleled state of happiness and prosperity. 
 His kingdom swelled into vast dimensions "from the border 
 of Egypt to the Euphrates, and from Dan to Beersheba : Judah 
 and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in 
 multitude, eating and drinking and making merry; and every 
 man dwelt safely under his vine, and under his fig-tree." 
 
 In the midst of this worldly prosperity Solomon remained 
 faithful in his attachment to the true faith, and to the charge 
 which had been laid upon him. " He determined to build the 
 temple for the name of the Lord, and an house for his king- 
 dom." "Of those who were strangers in the land, seventy 
 thousand men were numbered to bear burdens, and eighty 
 thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand six hun- 
 dred to oversee them." While engaged in these preparations 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 855 
 
 he received an embassy from Hiram, king of Tyre, congratu- 
 lating him upon his coming to the throne. An alliance had 
 existed between this king and David. Their territories lay 
 contiguous, and were mutually necessary for each other. S 4o- 
 mon entered readily into the kind designs of Hiram, and a 
 league and treaty of commerce was made between them which 
 lasted throughout their days. 
 
 To the embassy of Hiram, Solomon replied, " Thou knowest 
 that David my father could not build an house unto the name 
 of the Lord his God, for the wars which were about him on 
 every side. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest, and 
 I purpose to build an house to the Lord my God, as the Lord 
 spake unto David my father. And the house which I build is 
 great, for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to 
 build him an house, seeing the heaven of heavens cannot con- 
 tain him? who am I, then, that I should build him an house, 
 save only to burn sacrifice before him ? Send me now, there- 
 fore, a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, that can 
 skill to grave with the men that are with me, whom David my 
 father did provide. Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and 
 almug-trees out of Lebanon ; and my servants shall be with thy 
 servants, even to prepare me timber in abundance. And behold 
 I will give to thy servants twenty thousand measures of wheat, 
 and twenty thousand measures of barley, and an equal number 
 of baths of oil and of wine." Hiram entered cordially into the 
 plans of Solomon. He seems to have been a worshipper of the 
 true God : at least he recognized fully his gracious providence. 
 "Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee 
 king over them;" arid he adds, "Blessed be the Lord God of 
 Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David 
 the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understand- 
 ing to build an house for Jehovah." At the same time he 
 consented fully to the treaty stipulations which Solomon had 
 proposed. The Tyrians were to cut the timber of cedar and 
 fir, and deliver it at Joppa, the nearest seaport to Jerusalem; 
 and the Hebrews were to deliver, in turn, the grain, and oil, 
 and wine, which had been agreed upon. A man skilful in all 
 the curious works which were to adorn the temple, was found 
 and sent to Jerusalem. He was of mixed descent ; his father 
 a Tyrian, and his mother of the daughters of Dan of the same 
 name with the Tyrian king. 
 
 Solomon immediately raised a levy of "thirty thousand men," 
 and sent them to Lebanon, "ten thousand a month by courses, 
 to aid the Tyrians in hewing the timber, and squaring the vast 
 blocks of stone." The work was thus fairly commenced, 
 although as yet the ground had not been broken upon which 
 that splendid structure was so noiselessly to rise. 
 
356 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 From the alliance with Tyre, Solomon turned his attention to 
 Egypt, and entered into a treaty with Pharaoh. A matrimonial 
 alliance was formed, and he took the daughter of Pharaoh "to 
 wife, and brought her into the city of David." The result of 
 this alliance, formed in direct violation of the command of God, 
 was by no means happy; indeed, in the progress of his history, 
 we find it producing the most lamentable defection and apostacy. 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 THE TEMPLE, ITS FURNITURE, THE DEDICATION COD APPEARS A SECOND TIME 
 
 TO SOLOMON. 
 
 HAVING thus gathered the materials, "in the four hundred and 
 eightieth year after the Exodus out of Egypt, in the fourth 
 year of his reign, in the second month, the month Zif, Solomon 
 began to build the house of the Lord." The site of the temple 
 is fixed in Chronicles, " Solomon began to build at Jerusalem, 
 in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his 
 father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing- 
 floor of Araunah, the Jebusite." Mount Moriah was situated 
 in the south-eastern quarter of Jerusalem. It was a steep 
 eminence, whose summit was not at first sufficient for the build- 
 ings of the temple. On its precipitous sides walls were built 
 up, and the interval filled in with earth, to increase the level 
 surface. The stones in this foundation were of great magnitude, 
 and some of them remain until the present time. The dimen- 
 sions and proportions of this renowned structure have been the 
 subject of much dispute. According to the first account, it was 
 "sixty cubits in length, twenty cubits broad, and thirty high." 
 The second account adds, " that the porch was one hundred and 
 twenty cubits high," while the Jewish historian, Josephus, gives 
 its height as sixty cubits. There is no difficulty whatever in 
 the Scripture accounts ; the one gives the height of the body 
 of the building, the other that of the porch. The porch stood 
 at the eastern extremity of the building. At the entrance of 
 the porch were the two brazen pillars " Jachin on the right, 
 and Boaz on the left." These pillars were cast eighteen 
 cubits high, and twelve cubits in circumference. Chapiters, or 
 capitals, five cubits high, were placed upon the pillars. Around 
 these were wreaths of net-work and chain-work. These chapi- 
 ters were wrought "with lily-work, and pomegranates, two 
 hundred, in rows round about the chapiter. Two wreaths 
 encircled each chapiter, and two rows of pomegranates were 
 upon each wreath." The pillars were not used for support, but 
 for ornament, and were probably emblematical. 
 
 The temple was surrounded by three stories of chambers, 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 357 
 
 "each one of which was five cubits high." The lower chamber 
 was five cubits broad, the middle six, and the upper one seven. 
 As the walls went up they were not so thick, and the increased 
 width of the chambers arose from the rests or offsets in the wall. 
 The entrance of these chambers was probably from without, 
 " for the door for the middle was in the right side of the house : 
 and they went up with winding stairs into the middle-chamber, 
 and out of the middle into the third." 
 
 "Above the chambers were the windows of narrow lights." 
 The temple was built of "stone made ready before it was brought 
 to the place, (so that there was neither hammer nor axe, nor any 
 tool of iron, heard in the house while it was in building.") The 
 stone, however, were covered with boards of cedar, and the 
 cedar overlaid with pure gold. 
 
 The walls within, and the ceiling, were lined with cedar, and 
 the floor was covered with planks of fir. The walls, also, were 
 overlaid with gold, and ornamented with "carvings of palms, 
 and flowers, and cherubims," "and garnished with precious 
 stones." The upper row of chambers were also overlaid with 
 gold. Coming within the temple we find it divided into two 
 apartments "the holy, and the most holy, or holy of holies." 
 "The holy was forty cubits long," with the width of the temple, 
 "and the most holy twenty cubits square." A wall of cedar 
 separated these, which, like the other walls of the temple, was 
 overlaid with gold, and covered with cherubims and flowers. 
 
 The walls and the floors of the most holy were covered with 
 pure fine gold, amounting "to six hundred talents, and the 
 weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold." The doors of the 
 outer temple were made of fir and hung upon posts of olive- 
 trees, with hinges of gold ; but the doors of the oracle, or most 
 holy, were entirely composed of olive. Both doors were made 
 "with folding leaves, and richly adorned with cherubims, and 
 palm-trees, and open flowers, and covered with pure gold." By 
 the door between the holy and most holy, which was most 
 probably left open, "hung the veil of blue, and purple, and 
 crimson, and fine linen, with cherubims wrought thereon." 
 
 Within the oracle were " two cherubims, each ten cubits high. 
 Their wings were five cubits each : from the uttermost part of 
 the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 
 Both cherubims were of one size. They were placed upon their 
 feet, with their faces inward; so that the wing of the one 
 touched the one wall, and the wing of the other touched the 
 other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst 
 of the house. The cherubims were overlaid with gold." These 
 were distinct from, and much larger than those which over- 
 shadowed the mercy-seat. Within the holy of holies stood only 
 the ark of the covenant ; and here the priest alone entered once 
 
358 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and 
 for the errors of the people. The veil which concealed it from 
 the gaze of the people was not yet rent : the Holy Ghost thus 
 signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made 
 manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing. 
 
 Without the veil, within the holy place, "stood the golden 
 altar of incense." In place of the single candlestick, which 
 was in the tabernacle, " there were ten candlesticks of gold, 
 with their lamps and flowers, five on the right side of the holy 
 place, and five on the left." There were also ten golden tables, 
 five on the right side, and five on the left. " The hundred 
 bowls, and the lamps, and snuffers, and basons, and censers, and 
 spoons, and all the vessels for the house of God, were of pure 
 gold." 
 
 The temple was surrounded "by an inner court, or court of the 
 priests ; built with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar 
 beams." According to Josephus, this court was three cubits 
 high. In this court, on the right side of the temple, eastward, 
 over against the south, was placed the molten sea. This im- 
 mense brazen laver, "was five cubits high, ten in diameter, and 
 thirty in circumference. It contained two thousand baths."* 
 It was supported by twelve brazen oxen, three looking toward 
 each quarter of the compass. "It was an hand-breadth thick, 
 and the brim of it was wrought with the flowers of lilies: and 
 below the brim it was enriched with varied devices." This sea 
 was for the personal and ceremonial ablutions of the priests. 
 Besides this molten sea, there were ten lavers standing upon 
 ten brazen bases, used for the cleansing of the sacrifices. The 
 bases were regarded as master-pieces of art. They were four 
 cubits square, and three cubits high ; surrounded with borders 
 of carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Beneath the borders were 
 other ornaments, which are not described. Each base was 
 mounted upon brazen rollers, or wheels.4 The lavers which 
 were placed upon the bases, were four cubits, and contained forty 
 baths. They were arranged five on each side of the court. In 
 this court also stood, most probably, the brazen altar which 
 Solomon made, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits broad, 
 and ten cubits high. 
 
 Besides this inner court, there was still another great court, 
 or outer court, or as it was called in later periods, "the court 
 of the Lord's house." Still beyond this, there were added spa- 
 cious buildings, or porticos ; some built by Solomon, and others 
 at a later period. 
 
 "The castings and vessels of the temple, were made by Hiram, 
 the Tyrian, in the plain of Jordan, in the clay ground between 
 
 * In Chronicle8 it is 3000. It was probably capable of containing the larger 
 amount j but usually held the smaller. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 859 
 
 Succoth and Zarthan." "Solomon was seven years in building 
 the temple." 
 
 The sanctuary, or temple itself, was not so celebrated for its 
 size, as for its magnificence. Standing on a lofty summit, 
 easily seen from all directions, covered with gold, and adorned 
 with the most costly materials ; it must have been not only a 
 conspicuous, but a splendid object. It was no doubt an object 
 of admiration to every beholder ; but glorious as it stood, its 
 true glory was yet wanting. That which made it not only to be 
 admired, but reverenced by every Israelite, was yet to enter it. 
 
 Solomon having thus completed the building, and brought in 
 the consecrated things, assembled the elders of Israel, and all 
 the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers, unto Jerusalem, 
 to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord, out of Zion, 
 the city of David. And all the elders of Israel assembled 
 themselves to king Solomon, at the feast, in the seventh month. 
 The priests and Levites took up the ark, and brought it and the 
 tabernacle of the congregation, and all "the holy vessels' that 
 were in the tabernacle, did they bring up. And the priests 
 brought the ark into its place, into the oracle of the temple, to 
 the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 
 And they drew out the staves, so that the ends of them were 
 seen in the holy place before the oracle. While this was going 
 on, Solomon and all the congregation were sacrificing before 
 the ark; and the Levites which were singers, of Asaph, and 
 Heman, and Jeduthun, with their brethren, arrayed in their 
 priestly garments, stood at the east end of the (brazen) altar, 
 sounding with trumpets. And it came to pass, as the priests 
 came out from the temple, and all the singers as one, made one 
 sound in praising and thanking God; when they lifted up their 
 voices, with trumpets, and cymbals, and instruments of music, 
 saying, For he is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever : that, 
 then, the house was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could 
 not stand to minister, by reason of the cloud, for the glory of 
 the Lord had filled the house of God." He for whom the tem- 
 ple had been built, had come, and taken possession of his 
 dwelling. 
 
 "Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in 
 thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, 
 a settled place for thee to abide in for ever. And the king 
 turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel, (for 
 they were all standing.) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 
 which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath 
 with his hand fulfilled it. I am risen up in the room of my 
 father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, 
 and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of 
 Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is 
 

 360 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers when 
 he brought them out of the land of Egypt." "Then spreading 
 his hands toward heaven, he said, Lord God of Israel, there 
 is no God like thee, in heaven above, or earth beneath, who 
 keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before 
 thee with all their heart ; who hast kept with thy servant David, 
 niy father, that thou promisedst him : thou spakest with thy 
 mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. 
 Therefore, now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant 
 David, my father, that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall 
 not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; 
 so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk be- 
 fore me as thou hast walked before me. But will God indeed 
 dwell on the earth ? behold the heaven of heavens cannot con- 
 tain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Yet 
 have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his 
 supplication, Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the 
 prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day. That 
 thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even to- 
 ward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there : 
 that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant 
 shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the sup- 
 plication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they 
 shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven, thy 
 dwell ing-place : and when thou hearest, forgive. If any man 
 trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, 
 and the oath come before thine altar, in this house, then hear 
 thou in heaven, and do and judge thy servants, condemning 
 the wicked, and justifying the righteous. When thy people 
 Israel be smitten before their enemies, because of their sin, 
 and turn again, and confess thy name, and pray unto thee : 
 then hear thou in heaven, and forgive their sin, and bring back 
 thy people into the land of their fathers. When the heaven is 
 shut up because of their sin, if they pray toward this place, 
 then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants ; 
 that thou may teach them the good way wherein they should 
 walk, and give rain upon the land of their inheritance. If 
 there be in the land famine, pestilence, or whatsoever plague or 
 sickness, whatsoever prayer shall be made by any man or thy 
 people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his 
 own heart, then hear thou and forgive, and give to every man 
 according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest, (for thou only 
 knowest the hearts of the children of men,) that they may fear 
 thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest 
 their fathers. Moreover, concerning a stranger, when he shall 
 come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy 
 dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 361 
 
 to thee for: that all the people of the earth may know thy 
 name to fear thee. If thy people go out to battle, whitherso- 
 ever thou shalt send them, and pray toward this house, hear 
 thou their prayer and maintain their cause. If they sin against 
 thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry 
 with them, and deliver them into captivity: if, then, they shall 
 bethink themselves, and repent, and make supplication, saying, 
 We have sinned and done perversely; and so return unto thee 
 with all their heart, and with all their soul, and pray toward 
 this house ; then hear thou their prayer, and forgive thy people 
 that have sinned against thee, and give them compassion before 
 them who carried them captive; for they be thy people and 
 thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out of Egypt, for thou 
 didst separate them from all people of the earth, to be thine 
 inheritance. Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be 
 open, and let thine ears be attentive unto the prayer that is 
 made in this place. Now, therefore, arise, Lord God, into 
 thy resting-place, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let 
 thy priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and thy 
 saints rejoice in goodness. Lord God, turn not away the 
 face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy 
 servant."* 
 
 When Solomon had made an end of praying, he rose up from 
 kneeling, "and stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel. 
 Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people; there 
 had not failed one word of all his good promise, which he pro- 
 mised by the hand of Moses his servant. The Lord our God 
 be with us, as he was with our fathers, let him not leave us nor 
 forsake us, that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in 
 all his ways, and to keep his commandments. Let your heart, 
 therefore, be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his 
 statutes and keep his commandments, as at this day." 
 
 When this prayer was closed, and the benediction was pro- 
 nounced, "fire came down from heaven and consumed the 
 burnt-offerings and the sacrifices. And when the children of 
 Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord 
 filled the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the 
 ground, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, for he is good ; 
 for his mercy endureth for ever." 
 
 " Then the king, and all the people, offered sacrifices before 
 the Lord; and Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace-offerings, 
 two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty 
 thousand sheep. So the king, and all the people, dedicated 
 the house of the Lord; and the court which was before the 
 
 * The 47th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, and 136th Psalms, were probably composed 
 on this occasion. The last words of Solomon's prayer may be found, with some 
 variations, in the 132d Psalm. 
 
862 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 house; for there he offered burnt- offerings, for the brazen altar 
 was too small for the number of the offerings." 
 
 On this joyful occasion, Solomon, and all the congregation, 
 from the entering of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, held a 
 feast of fourteen days : seven for the feast of tabernacles, and 
 seven for the dedication. " On the eighth day, or the day after 
 the feast, he sent the people away : and they blessed the king, 
 and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart, for all the 
 goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and 
 Israel his people."* Thus happily was this great work accom- 
 plished. God had visibly, by the fire from heaven, accepted 
 the offering of his people. The ark of the covenant, with the 
 glorious Shechinah, found its last resting-place. Jerusalem was 
 the place where God was known ; and where, alone, he could 
 safely be worshipped by sacrifices and offerings. From hence- 
 forth, the high-places were sinful and idolatrous. 
 
 After this the Lord appeared to Solomon, and said unto him, 
 "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast 
 made before me: I have hallowed this house which thou hast 
 built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine 
 heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before 
 me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in 
 uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, 
 and will keep my statutes and judgments: then I will establish 
 the throne of thy kingdom for ever, as I promised to David thy 
 father, saying, there shall not fail thee a man upon the throne 
 of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or 
 your children, and will not keep my commandments and my 
 statutes which I set before you, but go and serve other gods, 
 and worship them ; then will I cut off Israel out of the land 
 which I have given them ; and this house, which I have hal- 
 lowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel 
 shall be a proverb and a by- word among all people: and at 
 this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be 
 astonished and hiss ; and shall say, Why hath the Lord done 
 this unto this land, and to this house ? And they shall answer, 
 Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth 
 their fathers out of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other 
 gods, and have worshipped them, and served them; therefore 
 hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil." A threaten- 
 ing which was soon fulfilled. Here, as always, we find the 
 promises of God conditional they are given only upon a 
 covenant; and in the history we shall find that as the condi- 
 
 * In Chronicles, it is said that the king dismissed the people on the twenty-third 
 day of the month which would be the ninth day, or the second after the feast. 
 Some suppose, that a part of the people remained over till the ninth day, and were 
 re-dismissed by the king. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 363 
 
 tions on the part of the people were not fulfilled, so they failed 
 to receive the promise. The people whom we now behold so 
 joyful and prosperous in their service of Jehovah, we shall soon 
 see (what the prophetic prayer of Solomon seemed to anticipate) 
 bowing down to idols, and the wretched captives of their foes. 
 This holy temple, now standing unrivalled in its beauty and 
 richness, was soon plundered of its wealth, desecrated by the 
 worship of false gods, a hissing and astonishment among the 
 nations. So true is it that all prosperity, outward as well as 
 inward, depends upon a close adherence to the worship and 
 service of God. 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 SOLOMON'S OTHER BUILDINGS THE SOURCE OF HIS WEALTH SOLOMON'S OFFENCE, 
 THE TROUBLES OF HIS LATTER DATS HIS DEATH. 
 
 SOLOMON'S wealth was mostly expended in building. Besides 
 the temple, he built a palace for himself, which occupied thir- 
 teen years in its erection. "He built also the house of the 
 forest of Lebanon," which was more extensive than the temple, 
 though far less splendid. "Around both these palaces there 
 were large porches," or colonnades. A peculiarly splendid abode 
 was erected for the queen, the daughter of Pharaoh. All these 
 buildings were of costly stones, of immense size, and covered 
 with cedar. "In the porch of judgment, at the royal palace, 
 was the great throne of ivory, overlaid with pure gold. The 
 ascent to the throne was by six steps, and on each side were 
 stays, and two lions stood beside the stays ; and upon the six 
 steps were twelve lions." In the palace at Lebanon "were two 
 hundred targets of beaten gold, of six hundred shekels each ; 
 and three hundred golden shields, of three pounds to each 
 shield. All the vessels of this house, and all Solomon's vessels, 
 were of pure gold, none were of silver, it was nothing thought 
 of in the days of this king." 
 
 Besides these private palaces, Solomon built and fortified the 
 cities of Gezer, which he had received as a dowry with the 
 queen, Pharaoh's daughter; Hamath, which he captured; 
 Tadmor in the wilderness; the cities which had been given to 
 Hiram,* and by treaty receded to Israel; "and all the cities 
 of store, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, 
 and all that which Solomon desired to build in the land of his 
 dominion." 
 
 * When Hiram came to see the cities which Solomon had given him in the land 
 of Galilee, he was dissatisfied. And as these princes remained on friendly terms, 
 and soon after we find Solomon fortifying these very cities, we must suppose that 
 some other reward had been given to the king of Tyre for his generous assistance, 
 and that the cities of Galilee returned to their former king. 
 
364 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 The men who were employed in "these works were the rem- 
 nant of the Canaanites, whom the children of Israel were unable 
 to destroy. Solomon used these as bondmen in the more 
 laborious and menial parts of his service; while the native 
 Israelites filled the stations of trust and honour. " They we,re 
 his officers, his men of war, the rulers of his chariots and horse- 
 men, and rulers over those that wrought in the work." 
 
 To carry forward and complete these vast designs, and to 
 maintain the kingdom in all the luxury and splendour in which 
 it was now existing, required a constant influx of wealth. The 
 drain upon the royal treasury must have been immense. No 
 resources within the kingdom itself could have furnished any- 
 thing like an adequate supply. Accordingly, we find the 
 people of Israel, and the king himself, now, for the first time, 
 engaged in foreign commerce. Here again Solomon had 
 recourse to his friend and ally the king of Tyre. As his own 
 subjects were almost entirely an agricultural people, they were 
 unfitted to build or man the ships necessary for this traffic. 
 But by the aid of Hiram the plan was executed. " Solomon 
 fitted out a fleet in Ezion-geber, beside Eloth, on the shore of 
 the Red sea, in the land of Edom." The fleet was manned 
 with a mixed crew of Hebrews and Tyrians. It sailed to Ophir, 
 and brought thence in gold four hundred and twenty talents to 
 the king. Besides the direct return, in the precious metals, 
 these ships were no doubt laden with the merchandize of the 
 east, which were disposed of all along the shores of the Medi- 
 terranean ; and thus Palestine became the centre, for a time, 
 of that lucrative trade.* 
 
 The king was at the same time engaged in another trade 
 from Egypt, through his dominions across the Syrian desert, 
 and so on eastward. What were the avails of this trade we 
 are not informed, but it was probably large ; as we know from 
 more recent history, that this commerce has always conferred 
 great wealth upon those who were engaged in it. "Linen 
 yarn, horses and chariots, were brought from Egypt, and sold 
 to the Syrians; and Solomon's servants had a complete mo- 
 nopoly of the whole trade." 
 
 In the course of this traffic, Solomon's wealth and wisdom 
 became widely known. The splendour of his court attracted 
 the admiration of other monarchs. "And all the earth sought 
 to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his 
 heart. And they brought every man his present ; vessels of 
 gold, and vessels of silver, and garments, and armour, and 
 spices, and harness, and mules, a rate year by year." Among 
 
 * It seems probable (though it is not certain from the narrative) that Solomon 
 and Hiram had another fleet trading along the coasts of the Mediterranean as far as 
 Tarshish. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 365 
 
 others who were thus drawn to the king, was the queen of 
 Sheba. Her territories lay in the southern part of Arabia. 
 When the report of Solomon's wisdom reached her, she came, 
 with a large retinue, and a present of gold and spices, and 
 precious stones, to prove Solomon with hard questions. Solo- 
 mon answered all her questions. The impression made upon 
 the queen, by the wisdom of Solomon, and the splendour of 
 his court, and the temple service, was almost overwhelming. 
 *' There was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, 
 It was a true report that I heard in mine own land, of thy 
 acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit, I believed not their words 
 until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold the half 
 was not told me : thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the 
 fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these 
 thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear 
 thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in 
 thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord 
 loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king to do judg- 
 ment and justice." 
 
 The whole revenue of the king, from all these sources, was 
 six hundred threescore and six talents* of gold a year, besides 
 that which came from the merchantmen, from the kings of 
 Arabia, and from the governors of the country. Silver was in 
 Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as the sycamore trees for 
 abundance. 
 
 This unexampled tide of prosperity began to have its influ- 
 ence. There are few, perhaps, who could have lived in the 
 midst of such luxury, and wealth, and power, without being 
 corrupted by them. Solomon, at least, with all his wisdom, fell, 
 and fell most lamentably. He has given us his own experience, 
 filled with solemn warnings, in the book of Ecclesiastes. He 
 drank the cup of earthly joys, and left upon record for us the 
 satisfaction which they gave, in that short sentence, Vanity of 
 vanities, all is vanity. "But Solomon loved many strange 
 women, beside the daughter of Pharaoh" women of the sur- 
 rounding nations, with whom God had expressly forbidden all 
 intermarriage. Solomon clave unto these in love. He had 
 seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. 
 These guilty alliances were not long in producing their result. 
 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart 
 after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord 
 his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon 
 went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians ; and after 
 
 * The difficulty in regard to the weight of the talent may be removed, by sup- 
 posing that in the time of Solomon it had no definite weight, but signified a flat 
 piece of metal, which might be larger or smaller, as we use the word ingot. For 
 if we take for a talent the weight assigned to it in the tables, as Prideaux says, the 
 whole house might have been built of solid gold. 
 
866 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And likewise 
 did he for all his strange wives, which sacrificed unto their 
 gods. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord. And 
 the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned 
 from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him 
 twice, and commanded him concerning this thing that he should 
 not go after other gods. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solo- 
 mon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept 
 my covenant and my statutes which I commanded thee, I will 
 surely rend the kingdom from thee, and give it unto thy servant. 
 Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy 
 father's sake ; but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. I 
 will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to 
 thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake 
 which I have chosen." 
 
 We are not informed in the history, what effect this warning 
 had upon the guilty and besotted king. We may gather, how- 
 ever, from the tone of his later writings, that he was brought to 
 true repentance and a happy reformation. It was too late now 
 to avert the calamity which was threatened. The clouds were 
 rapidly gathering around this once happy empire. The scene 
 of peace and prosperity was suddenly overcast. The low mut- 
 terings of discontent might be heard. It was beginning to be 
 felt that pomp and outward show did not constitute real happi- 
 ness. A heavily taxed people were growing restless under 
 their burdens. In these conditions it only needed the sin of 
 Solomon to bring about rebellion and civil war. Nor was this 
 all. Foreign and subject nations were beginning to rouse them- 
 selves to resistance. On the south-east, Hadad, of the royal 
 blood of Edom, was troubling the Israelitish king. In the 
 slaughter of the Edomites, by Joab, Hadad, then an infant, had 
 escaped, and flying from one place to another had at last 
 reached Egypt. He grew in favour with the Egyptian king, 
 and eventually married into the royal family. On learning the 
 death of David, he had returned to his own country, and began 
 "a petty warfare which Solomon did not repress." 
 
 On the north, another adversary appeared, in the king of 
 Damascus. Rezon had revolted from Hadadezer king of Zobah, 
 and with a band of followers had made himself master of Da- 
 mascus, and now reigned there. In the later years of Solo- 
 mon's reign, his power began to be formidable. Both these 
 enemies, as we are told, were permitted thus to annoy the king 
 of Israel, as a punishment of his sin. 
 
 A more serious enemy, however, arose in the midst of his own 
 kingdom. "Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite, had dis- 
 tinguished himself as a man of valour." Solomon, seeing his 
 worth, had exalted "him to be a ruler over the house of Joseph." 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 367 
 
 From his energy and valour, he had no doubt acquired great influ- 
 ence among the northern tribes. To this person, God sent the pro- 
 phet Ahijah. As Jeroboam came from Jerusalem, the prophet 
 met him in the field, alone; "and rending his garment into 
 twelve pieces," delivered his energetic message. "Take thee 
 ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, 
 I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will 
 give ten tribes to thee. Because they have forsaken me, and 
 have worshipped other gods, and have not walked in my ways, 
 to do that which is right in mine eyes, to keep my statutes and 
 my judgments. Howbeit, I will not take the whole kingdom 
 out of his hands, he shall have one tribe, that David my servant 
 may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem ; and I will 
 make him prince, all the days of his life. But I will take the 
 kingdom out of his son's hands and will give it thee, even the 
 ten tribes; and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul 
 desireth. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I 
 command thee, and walk in my ways, and do that is right in my 
 sight, to keep my commandments as David my servant did ; 
 that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built 
 for David, and will give Israel unto thee. And I will afflict the 
 seed of David, but not for ever." This doing of Ahijah soon 
 came to the ears of the king; "and Jeroboam's life was no 
 longer safe." He therefore fled into Egypt, unto Shishak, and 
 remained there until the death of Solomon. 
 
 In the midst of these thickening calamities, Solomon slept 
 with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. It was 
 well for him that he did not live to see the results of his con- 
 duct. He had reigned forty years, with scarcely any thing to 
 check the flow of prosperity. He found the kingdom strong, 
 and apparently containing the elements of perpetuity ; he left 
 it in actual decay. He came to the throne in a time of peace ; 
 he left it shaken by foreign war, and internal strife. A united 
 people welcomed him to the kingdom, with great joy; he so 
 ruled that few probably mourned over his death. With all his 
 great wisdom, a love of display, a voluptuous life, and a sinful 
 departure from the true God ; brought misery upon a happy 
 people, and covered his own name with deep disgrace. And 
 yet few, perhaps, would have stood the test to which he was 
 subjected, better than Solomon. It is more difficult to meet the 
 trials of prosperity than of adversity. It is no uncommon 
 thing to see men fail here, who have walked without reproach 
 through the very deepest of afflictions. And the fact that, 
 though he was thus under the power of the world, and his own 
 corruption, he yet, by God's grace, recovered himself, and died 
 in the fear of God, ought to redeem his character, in some mea- 
 sure, from the reproach under which it lies. At all events, in 
 
368 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 any just estimate of his character, we must take into account 
 his virtues, as well as his vices ; his wisdom, his generosity, his 
 zeal at first for the worship of God, as well as his love of the 
 world, and his shameful idolatry. 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM EEHOBOAM'S REIGN, AND DEATH JEROBOAM, THE 
 CONTEMPORARY OF REHOBOAM AND ABIJAM. 
 
 SOLOMON left but one son, "Rehoboam, the son of Naamah, 
 an Ammonitess, who was forty-one years old when his father 
 died," and he prepared to ascend the throne. "All Israel had 
 assembled at Shechem ; and thither Rehoboam went to receive 
 the kingdom, and their allegiance. In the mean time, Jerobo- 
 am had returned from Egypt, and appeared boldly as a leader 
 among the congregation of the people. Jeroboam, and the 
 congregation through him, demanded a reduction of the taxes, 
 as a condition of their service. " Thy father made our yoke 
 grievous ; now, therefore, make thou the service of thy father, 
 and the yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve 
 thee." Three days were taken for deliberation: during which 
 Rehoboam consulted with his counsellors. The old men who 
 had stood before his father, and were better acquainted with 
 the true condition of things ; advised him to treat the request 
 of the people kindly, "and speak good words unto them." 
 The young men, who had grown up with the king, on the con- 
 trary, advised him to return a threatening answer, which should 
 bring the disaffected to submission. When the appointed day 
 came, Rehoboam, following the advice of his young companions, 
 answered the people roughly, saying, "My father made your 
 yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke ; my father chastised 
 you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." The 
 naughty monarch was left to take his own course. There was 
 no sympathy between him and his people. The cruelty of this 
 answer at once crushed every loyal feeling on the part of his 
 subjects. Through his folly and pride, was wrought out, by the 
 providence of God, the prediction which the Lord had spoken, 
 by Ahijah the Shilonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
 
 " The words of the king brought things to a crisis. The dis- 
 affection, which might have been satisfied by prudent conces- 
 sions, ripened into rebellion. The people said to the king, 
 "What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance 
 in the son of Jesse : to your tents, Israel : now see to thine 
 own house, David." Rehoboam was not at first aware of the 
 extent of the defection ; and sent Adoram to collect the tribute. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 369 
 
 The excited people "stoned him to death," and the terrified 
 king fled in haste to Jerusalem. " So Israel rebelled against 
 the house of David ; but the cities of Judah remained faithful 
 to their king." All the northern and eastern tribes took Jero- 
 boam and made him king: and it seems probable, that the 
 tribe of Benjamin was carried away with them ; though it soon 
 returned to its allegiance. 
 
 The first thoughts of the king were to recover his dominion 
 by war. For this purpose, he collected from Judah and Benja- 
 min an hundred and eighty thousand chosen men. But as he 
 was about to march, Shemaiah the prophet came with a mes- 
 sage from God to this infatuated king: "Thus saith the Lord, 
 Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren ; return 
 every man to his house ; for this thing is from me." The civil 
 war was thus, for a time, averted; they obeyed the word of 
 the Lord, and returned home. 
 
 Rehoboam had learned prudence from the severity of the 
 lesson which he had received. Although there was no amity 
 between him and Jeroboam, yet we do not learn that he took 
 any active measures towards regaining his kingdom. Aside from 
 the prohibition of the prophet, there were reasons of state suffi- 
 cient to keep him from such a hopeless and ruinous undertaking. 
 After his return to Jerusalem, he devoted himself with great 
 energy to fortifying the remnant of the kingdom which re- 
 mained faithful. He had probably learned the purposes of the 
 king of Egypt ; for the towns which he built and garrisoned 
 were chiefly situated in that part of his kingdom lying toward 
 Egypt. Doubtless, also, Hadad the Edomite was becoming 
 more and more formidable. 
 
 While Rehoboam was thus preparing himself against any 
 attack from without, he was gradually gaining adherents from 
 the best of the Israelitish kingdom. Grieved at the idolatry 
 of Jeroboam, "the priests and the Levites that were in all 
 Israel resorted to Judah and Jerusalem. And after them, out 
 of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the 
 Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the 
 Lord God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom 
 of Judah and Rehoboam, for three years they walked in the 
 way of David and Solomon." 
 
 Even Judah, however, did not long resist the example of its 
 kings. Solomon had worshipped the gods of his wives; and 
 Rehoboam, probably, followed in the steps of his father, at 
 least so far as his mother's religion was concerned, and the 
 whole tribe almost immediately lapsed into idolatry and the 
 most abominable sin. "And Judah did evil in the sight of the 
 Lord, and provoked him to jealousy with their sins ; for they 
 built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high 
 
370 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATIOX 
 
 hill and under every green tree." There were also those who 
 practised the most shocking immoralities, for which the Canaan- 
 itish nations had been destroyed from the land. We can hardly 
 believe that those who dwelt almost in sight of the temple, and 
 beneath the protection of Jehovah, should sink so soon into the 
 very lowest depths of sin. But the example of the great was 
 fatally contagious ; and there was no strength of principle in the 
 mass of the people to resist it. 
 
 A nation so lost to all true religious principle could not ex- 
 pect any longer the protection of God. A rod was prepared 
 for them, which they were soon to feel. "It came to pass, in 
 the fifth year of Kehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up 
 against Jerusalem, with twelve hundred chariots and sixty 
 thousand horsemen, and people without number, and took the 
 fenced cities of Judah." It is probable that Jeroboam per- 
 suaded Shishak to undertake this expedition, in order to cripple 
 and embarrass his rival. As the Egyptian host drew near to 
 Jerusalem, Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and the 
 princes of Judah, and said, " Thus saith Jehovah, Ye have 
 forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of 
 Shishak." The message of the prophet brought the king and 
 princes in humility before God. "And when the Lord saw 
 that they humbled themselves, he sent the prophet, saying, I 
 will not destroy them, but will grant them some deliverance. 
 Nevertheless they shall be the servants of Shishak; that they 
 may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the 
 countries." Accordingly the Egyptian king came to Jerusalem, 
 took away the treasures of the temple and of the king's house, 
 and the golden shields which Solomon had made. For some 
 reason (most probably the submissive reception which Rehoboam 
 had given him) Shishak retired without doing any other serious 
 injury to the kingdom. The real cause of this inexplicable 
 conduct, was the unconscious influence exerted by God upon the 
 mind of the Egyptian king. The time when the kingdom of 
 Judah should be destroyed had not yet come, and Rehoboam 
 was left in the peaceful possession of his throne. 
 
 Like his father, Rehoboam had taken a multitude of wives. 
 The favourite queen was Maachah, the daughter or grand- 
 daughter of Absalom. Her son Abijam, or Abijah, was made 
 chief amongst his brethren, and educated as the heir to the 
 throne. After the invasion of Shishak, we hear little more of 
 this king. He replaced the golden shields with others of brass, 
 which were carried before him when he went to and came from 
 the temple. We know not whether the repentance and humilia- 
 tion was genuine or not. In some cases it was so, for we are 
 told "that in Judah, things went well;" but whether there was 
 a real change in the life of the king is not certain. The last 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 371 
 
 record we have is, " that he did evil, because he prepared not 
 his heart to seek the Lord." He died, after a reign of seven- 
 teen years, and was buried in the city of David ; and Abijam 
 his son reigned in his stead. Rehoboam received the kingdom, 
 embarrassed with the results of Solomon's luxury and sin. His 
 foolish and haughty answer to the prayer of an oppressed 
 people, brought about the disastrous event which chiefly marks 
 his reign. In his later years he appears as a prudent, but 
 irreligious king ; and left his diminished kingdom in a pros- 
 perous condition, and under an efficient government, to his son 
 Abijam. 
 
 Meanwhile Jeroboam was not at all fulfilling the charge which 
 Ahijah had given him. Immediately after his election to the 
 throne of Israel, he built Shechem, as the capital of his king- 
 dom, and Penuel on the east of Jordan, to secure the allegiance 
 of the eastern tribes. His next care was to provide for the 
 people a religion. He feared that the people, if they were 
 allowed to go and sacrifice in the temple at Jerusalem, would 
 return in their affections to Rehoboam. He therefore devised 
 a political religion by which he hoped to retain the hearts of his 
 subjects. "He made two calves of gold, (such doubtless as he 
 had seen worshipped during his exile in Egypt,) and said to the 
 people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem : behold 
 thy gods, Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of 
 Egypt. And he set the one in Dan, and the other at Bethel," 
 at the northern and southern extremes of the kingdom. The 
 plan became a sin to Israel. The people fell in readily with 
 the suggestion of Jeroboam. Solomon's idolatry had, no doubt, 
 prepared them for such a step. He appointed likewise priests 
 out of the house of Levi. He ordained feasts like those which 
 God had commanded by Moses, but upon different days. " So 
 he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel, in the 
 month which he had devised in his own heart, and ordained a 
 feast unto the children of Israel." 
 
 While Jeroboam " stood at the altar burning incense, there 
 came out of Judah a man of God, by the word of the Lord, 
 and cried against the altar, altar, altar ! thus saith the Lord, 
 Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah 
 by name ; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high 
 places that burn incense upon thee ; and men's bones shall be 
 burnt upon thee." "And he gave a sign, Behold, the altar 
 shall be rent and the ashes shall be poured out." 
 
 Jeroboam ordered him to be arrested, but the arm of the 
 king, which he put forth against him, was withered. And the 
 altar was rent, as had been predicted. The astonished monarch 
 now asks the man of God to pray that his hand might be re- 
 stored. And he besought the Lord, and the king's hand was 
 
372 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 restored as before. Jeroboam now asked the man who had 
 warned him to come and share his hospitality. "But the man 
 of God said, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not 
 go in with thee ; for so was it charged me by the Lord, Eat 
 no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that 
 thou earnest." It will be remembered that Bethel was the seat 
 of a school of the prophets. The sons of an old prophet, who 
 dwelt there, overheard the conversation between the man of 
 God and the king, and told their father. The old prophet im- 
 mediately pursued after the man of God, and found him resting 
 under an oak. Under the pretence that he had received a mes- 
 sage from God to this effect, he persuades him to return, and 
 eat and drink at his house. While they were yet at the table, 
 the word of the Lord came, denouncing punishment upon the 
 man of God for his disobedience, in returning and eating in the 
 house of the false prophet. The sentence was almost instantly 
 executed. As he was returning after the meal, a lion met him 
 in the way, and slew him, and there stood sentinel over his car- 
 cass, until intelligence was carried into the city ; and the old 
 false prophet came and took the body of the man he had seduced, 
 and carried him to the city for burial. And they buried him, 
 and mourned over him, saying, Alas ! my brother. After the 
 burial, the old prophet charged his sons that they should bury 
 him in the sepulchre with the man of God: "lay my bones be- 
 side his bones ; for the saying which he cried, by the word of 
 the Lord, against the altar of Bethel, and against all the high 
 places in Samaria, shall surely come to pass." All these mi- 
 racles, and even the death of the true prophet for his disobe- 
 dience, made no lasting impression upon Jeroboam. He still 
 went on in his evil way. "And this thing became sin unto the 
 house of Jeroboam, to destroy it from off the face of the earth." 
 
 We have no full account of the mode in which Jeroboam ad- 
 ministered his government. From his known energy and bra- 
 very, we may judge that he did not lose any part of his kingdom 
 without a struggle. The only other incidents recorded in his 
 history, occur in the reign of Abijam, king of Judah. 
 
 Abijam succeeded to the throne of Judah without any com- 
 motion. His reign was short and without any great interest. 
 The only memorable thing recorded of him, is the battle so 
 disastrous to Jeroboam. It was not to be expected that these 
 rival kingdoms, though bound together by many ties, could 
 yet remain long without war. During the reign of Reho- 
 b'oam, both kings had other objects which demanded their 
 attention. Neither had the time nor the means to attack the 
 other. They were fully employed in securing their own king- 
 doms, without molesting others. Still there was no cordial 
 friendship between them. On the first opportunity the smoth- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 373 
 
 ered enmity breaks out into open war. The contest terminated, 
 for the present, in a single and bloody battle. Abijam led out 
 an army of four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam 
 met him with an army twice as large, all mighty men of valour. 
 The armies met in Zemaraim, in mount Ephraim. In the 
 presence of both armies, Abijam asserts the justice of his cause, 
 and encourages his followers with the assurance that Jehovah 
 would fight for them. "Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all 
 Israel. Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel 
 gave the kingdom to David for ever? Yet Jeroboam hath 
 rebelled against his lord, and gathered to himself vain men, the 
 children of Belial. And now ye think to withstand the king- 
 dom of the Lord in the hands of the sons of David. Have ye 
 not made golden calves for gods, and cast out the priests of the 
 Lord, the sons of Aaron. But as for us, the Lord is our God, 
 and we have not forsaken him, and the priests, the sons of 
 Aaron, wait upon their service ; and burn unto the Lord offer- 
 ings and incense, and keep the charge of the Lord our God.* 
 And behold God himself is with us for our captain, and his 
 priests to cry alarm against you. children of Israel, fight 
 not against the Lord God of your fathers ; for ye shall not 
 prosper." This address, no doubt, had its intended effect. It 
 must have dispirited the forces of Jeroboam. They were not 
 so far lost to their former religion that they could array them- 
 selves against God with clear consciences, or stout hearts. They 
 at first surrounded the men of Judah ; but at the shout of the 
 battle they fled, and God delivered them into the hand of Judah. 
 " There fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen 
 men." As the fruit of the victory Abijam took the cities of Be- 
 thel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain, all bordering towns between Benja- 
 min and Ephraim. "Thus the children of Israel were brought 
 under, for a time, and the children of Judah prevailed, be- 
 cause they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers." 
 
 Abijam reigned only three years, "and walked in the sins of 
 his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was 
 not perfect with the Lord his God. Yet for David's sake the 
 Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem." With this short 
 and melancholy record Abijam's history terminates. He was 
 buried in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his 
 stead. 
 
 Jeroboam never recovered from the shock of that disastrous 
 battle. His energy and courage failed him. He doubtless 
 felt that the hand of God was upon him. For just previous to 
 
 * This artful speech was true in the main; but comes with an ill grace from Abi- 
 jam, who was only an indifferent character. It was true, however, that the temple 
 service was continued, and doubtless many of the people of Judah were sincere 
 worshippers of the true God; while Israel was very generally corrupted with the 
 idolatry of Jeroboam. 
 
374 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 this, or at this time, he had received that startling message 
 from the prophet who had anointed him, threatening the utter 
 destruction of his whole family. The occasion upon which he 
 received it was the following. His favourite son, Abijah, was 
 dangerously ill, and the anxious father sent his wife, disguised, 
 to the aged prophet Ahijah, to learn what should be the fate of 
 the child. As the mother came to the door, the prophet (pre- 
 viously informed by God of her coming) salutes her as the wife 
 of Jeroboam, and delivers his message of woe. "Go, tell Jero- 
 boam, thus saith the Lord, forasmuch as I exalted thee from 
 among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel ; 
 and thou hast not kept my commandments, and followed me 
 with all thy heart, therefore I will bring evil and utter de- 
 struction upon the house of Jeroboam. Him that dieth in the 
 city shall the dogs eat ; and him that dieth in the field shall the 
 fowls of the air eat : for the Lord hath spoken it. And when 
 thy feet enter into the city the child shall die. And all Israel 
 shall mourn over him; and he only of Jeroboam shall come to 
 the grave, because in him there is found some good thing 
 toward the Lord God of Israel. Moreover, the Lord shall raise 
 him up a king who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam. For 
 the Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, 
 and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave 
 ta their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, 
 because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to 
 anger; because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who 
 made Israel to sin." As the stricken mother came to her beau- 
 tiful palace at Tirzah, the child died ; and they buried him, and 
 all Israel mourned, according to the word of the Lord. 
 
 Suffering under the loss of his army, and sick at heart with 
 the death of his son, and the woes to come in the future, Jero- 
 boam, after a reign of twenty-two years, died, and Nadab his 
 son reigned in his stead. Jeroboam was a brave man, but not 
 a great one. His sole object was to prevent the re-union of 
 the tribes. In doing this, he committed the grand error and 
 sin of his life. He lacked entirely trust in God. He did not 
 recognize, in any sense, his subordination to God, as the real 
 King of Israel. He attempted, like Saul, to rule the kingdom 
 upon mere worldly principles, and in doing this, he fell into sin, 
 and the sin brought with it swift destruction. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 375 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 THE GOOD REIGN OF ASA CONTEMPORARY KINGS OF ISRAEL NADAB, BAASHA, 
 ELAH, ZIMRI, (OMRI AND TIBNI,) OilRI ALONE, AHAB. 
 
 ASA came to the throne of Judah at a propitious moment. The 
 victory of Abijam had materially increased the strength of the 
 kingdom. Its consequences were felt during the first ten years 
 of Asa's reign, in a happy peace. Asa began his reign in 
 a totally different spirit from his two predecessors. " He did 
 that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his 
 father. He took away the sodomites out of the land, and re- 
 moved the idols that his fathers had made." So thorough was 
 the reformation, that the queen-mother (or grandmother) was 
 removed from her authority, and her idol destroyed. But the 
 high places at which Jehovah was worshipped were not re- 
 moved. "Nevertheless, his heart was perfect with the Lord all 
 his days ; and he brought the things which his father had dedi- 
 cated, and that he himself had dedicated, into the temple, and 
 commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and 
 to do the law and the commandment." The happy consequences 
 of this reformation were everywhere visible. The Lord gave 
 the land rest. The pious king brought around him all the real 
 worshippers of Jehovah in the land. They nocked to his stan- 
 dard with great enthusiasm. His enrolled soldiers were five 
 hundred and eighty thousand, all mighty men of valour. This 
 scene of quiet was soon changed by a threatened invasion from 
 the south. Zerah the Ethiopian (or Cushite) came against him 
 with a numerous host, stated as a million of men, with three 
 hundred chariots. Relying upon Jehovah, Asa went out to meet 
 him, and set the battle in array, in the valley of Zephathah. 
 "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, Lord, it is nothing for 
 thee to help, whether with many or with them who have no 
 power : help us, Lord our God, for we rest on thee, and in 
 thy name we go against this multitude. Lord, thou art our 
 God; let not man prevail against thee." This prayer was 
 heard. The multitude of the Cushites were destroyed before 
 the Lord, and before his host, and Asa and the people pursued 
 them even unto Gerar. "And they smote the cities round 
 about Gerar, (for the fear of the Lord came upon them,) and 
 took away very much spoil, and sheep and camels in abun- 
 dance." 
 
 As the victorious host of Judah were returning with their 
 spoil, they were met by the prophet Azariah, the son of Oded, 
 with this encouraging message : " Hear ye me, Asa, and Judah, 
 and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while ye be with him; 
 
376 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 and if ye seek him he will be found of you ; but if ye forsake 
 him he will forsake you. For a long season Israel (Judah) hath 
 been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and 
 without law. But when they, in their trouble, did turn unto 
 the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. 
 In those times God did vex them with adversity. Be ye strong, 
 therefore, and let not your hands be weak : for your work shall 
 be rewarded." Encouraged by this message, Asa addressed 
 himself with new energy to extirpate idolatry. Many strangers 
 from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, fell to him out of Israel. 
 Then these, with all Judah and Benjamin, "in the fifteenth year 
 of Asa, entered into covenant to seek the Lord God of their 
 fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul ; that whoso- 
 ever would not seek the Lord God of Israel, should be put to 
 death, whether small or great. And all Judah rejoiced at the 
 oath : for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him 
 with their whole desire : and he was found of them, and the 
 Lord gave them rest round about." 
 
 This was a genuine and lasting revival. So far, Asa's reign 
 was one of the happiest of the kings of Judah. But, in his 
 later years, his faith failed him. When Baasha, king of Israel, 
 came and took Ramah, and built and fortified it, "to the intent 
 that he might let none go out or come in to the king of Judah,"* 
 Asa, the conqueror of Zerah, whose faith had taught him that 
 God could help alike with few or many, now employed the 
 wealth of the temple and the royal treasures to induce the king 
 of Syria to come to his aid, by attacking Baasha. Benhadad, the 
 Syrian king, hearkened to his request, and sent an army against 
 the king of Israel. The plan succeeded. Baasha, when he 
 heard of the Syrian invasion, left building of Ramah, and 
 went to protect his own dominions. With the materials which 
 Baasha had accumulated, Asa built Geba and Mizpah. The 
 unhappy king thus removed his enemy, but incurred the reproof 
 of Hanani the seer. Reminding the king of his former faith 
 and consequent victory, he charges him with the present defec- 
 tion : " For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the 
 whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of those whose 
 heart is perfect towards him. Herein thou hast done foolishly, 
 
 * In the Chronicles it is said that this took place in the 36th year of Asa ; but 
 Baasha died in Asa's 26th year. We must therefore suppose that the time was 
 reckoned from the division of the kingdom, or that a mistake has crept into the 
 account of the chronicler. The first supposition would agree very well with the 
 history, but apparently conflicts with the statement that the peace lasted until Asa's 
 35th year. But if we make this date also to count from .the division, then all will 
 be clear. In favour of this may be urged, that Baasha's attack seems to have been 
 prompted by the passing over of so many to covenant with Asa to serve the Lord : 
 which took place in the 3oth year after the separation. We cannot be certain, 
 however, where the mistake lies. It may easily have entered in the course of so 
 many years, and many transcriptions. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 377 
 
 therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." Enraged at 
 the bold reproof of the prophet, Asa put him in prison ; and, it 
 is added, he oppressed some of the people at the same time, pro- 
 bably those who had disapproved of his conduct. During the 
 last three years of his reign, Asa suffered from disease, but he 
 sought only to the physicians, and not to the Lord for relief. 
 His afflictions seem, for a time at least, to have hardened him 
 more than to correct his faults. He found it easier to relax his 
 hold upon God than to regain it. After three years of suffer- 
 ing, and in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa slept with his 
 fathers, and was buried in his own sepulchre, in the city of 
 David, with a costly and magnificent funeral. 
 
 Asa was one of the few kings who obtained the praise that 
 he walked in the steps of David his father. His sincere 
 and prudent zeal against the idolatry of his fathers, and the 
 thoroughness with which he carried out the reformation, entitle 
 him to a place among the best of the kings. He kept steadily 
 in view his true position, as the vicegerent of God, who was the 
 real King of his people. He acted generally from conscience, 
 and not from policy. And though his latter years are stained 
 with unbelief and cruelty, yet we cannot but hope that he lived 
 to repent of his errors, and died in the spirit and blessings of 
 that covenant : " to seek the Lord God of his fathers with all 
 his heart." 
 
 We return to the kingdom of Israel. In the second year of 
 Asa, Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, began to reign over Israel. 
 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of 
 his father. Early in his reign, he marched with a large army 
 into the country of the Philistines, and laid siege to Gibbethon. 
 The siege was cut short by the assassination of the king. Baa- 
 sha the son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, rose up against 
 him and slew him, and all his house, until the word of the Lord 
 concerning Jeroboam was fulfilled. Nadab reigned but one 
 year and part of the second ; a part of the year being counted 
 as a whole. The dynasty of Jeroboam perished with Nadab. 
 
 There does not appear to have been any serious opposition to 
 the designs of Baasha. He succeeded immediately to the hon- 
 our and power of the king he had murdered. His reign began 
 during the third year of Asa ; and he also did evil in the sight 
 of the Lord, and walked in the way and sin of Jeroboam. We 
 know little of his reign, except the war with Asa, which ended 
 with the affair at Ramah. We may gather from the account of 
 this event, however, that he had formed an alliance with Ben- 
 hadad the king of Syria (Damascus). This was probably formed 
 in the early part of his reign. His kingdom thus secure on 
 the north, he turned his arms against Judah, but was called 
 back by the faithless conduct of Benhadad, who, taking the 
 
378 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 bribe of Asa, had invaded the kingdom of Israel. In the latter 
 part of his life, he also received a warning from God, by the 
 mouth of Jehu the son of Hanani, in like terms with that sent to 
 Jeroboam, and threatening the destruction of his whole house 
 as a punishment for his sin ; for he also made Israel to sin. 
 It is worthy of notice that these men, and the other wicked 
 kings, were not punished alone for their own sin ; but for their 
 influence in drawing away the people of God from his service. 
 It would be well if this lesson were borne in mind by those 
 placed in stations of trust and honour. After a reign of twenty- 
 four years, Baasha died, and was buried in Tirzah, (now a royal 
 city,) and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 
 
 Elah gave himself up to drunkenness and revelling. His 
 army, under Omri, were sent against Gibbethon, from which the 
 Israelites had retired when his father Baasha murdered Nadab. 
 In the second year of his reign, Zimri, captain of half his 
 chariots, while Elah was drinking himself drunk in the house 
 of the steward, at Tirzah, slew him, and usurped his authority. 
 As soon as Zimri was seated on the throne, he slew the whole 
 house of Baasha, and "left it utterly desolate." Thus expired 
 another of the Israelitish dynasties. 
 
 Zimri did not long enjoy the reward of his crimes. So soon 
 as the army at Gibbethon learned that Elah was slain, and the 
 throne usurped by the traitor, they made their general, Omri, 
 king. The siege of Gibbethon was again raised. Omri, with 
 the army, marched to Tirzah, and took the city, after a short 
 siege. Zimri fled to the royal palace, " and burnt the king's 
 house over him with fire," and died, for his sins which he sinned 
 in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The murder of Elah, the 
 election of Omri by the army, the march to Tirzah, and the 
 suicide of the murderer, occupied only seven days. Omri did 
 not come to the throne without opposition. The nation were 
 divided into two equal parts, "half of the people followed 
 Tibni son of Ginath, and half followed Omri." After a long 
 conflict, Tibni was conquered. He was unable to cope with the 
 superior generalship and disciplined forces of his rival, and 
 Omri became sole occupant of the throne. There was no prin- 
 ciple involved in all these strifes. And though God in his pro- 
 vidence used one of these men to punish another, and thus 
 wrought out his holy purpose ; yet they were actuated only by 
 the most selfish and cruel lust of power. No one of them 
 appears to have had a thought of any religious reformation. 
 All were alike firmly wed to their idolatry. 
 
 Omri came to the throne without any great crime. He 
 reigned in all twelve years, from the twenty-seventh to the 
 thirty-eighth year of Asa. Five of these years were spent in 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 379 
 
 the war with Tibni. The only thing recorded* of Omri, aside 
 from his religious character which was worse than any of the 
 kings before him is the selection of a new capital. Tirzah 
 was incapable of sustaining any siege. Omri himself had taken 
 it almost by storm. He accordingly purchased a hill from 
 Shemer, from whom the city took its name, Samaria. This 
 important city was finely situated, both for strength and beauty. 
 The hill upon which it was placed, rose from the centre of a 
 large plain. The surrounding country was fertile and highly 
 cultivated : and the strength of the place may be best learned 
 from the siege it sustained in the subsequent history of this 
 kingdom. After completing this work, Omri died, and was 
 buried in Samaria. Ahab his son reigned in his stead. 
 
 Ahab was both a weak and wicked king. It is recorded of 
 him, " that he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to 
 anger than all the kings that went before him." The sin of 
 the previous monarchs of Israel consisted in the worshipping of 
 the true God by images. In addition to this, Ahab, having 
 married Jezebel, the daughter of Eth-baal, king of the Zido- 
 nians, went and worshipped false gods Baal and Ashtoreth 
 (Astarti.)* He built a temple and altar to these gods in his 
 capital. The abominable and obscene rites which accompanied 
 the worship of these idol gods, could not but outrage the 
 feelings of every true Israelite. The prophets were unsparing 
 in their rebukes, and consequently incurred the deadly hatred 
 of Jezebel. She took it upon herself to defend the worship and 
 priests of Baal; and Ahab, who was the slave of this haughty 
 woman, gave her the weight of his authority. Now began the 
 martyr age of the prophets. There were large numbers of them 
 at this time in Israel. One man (Obadiah, the governor of the 
 king's house) concealed and sustained an hundred. Many were 
 murdered. More probably fled into the neighbouring kingdom. 
 Everything went as Jezebel wished. The weak king publicly 
 worshipped her idols; and the whole nation, apparently, bowed 
 the knee to Baal. 
 
 * From an allusion, in the later history, it appears that he must either have been 
 at war with Syria (Damascus) or else have tamely submitted to his authority. For 
 Benhadad boasts to Ahab that his father had made streets in Samaria. A little 
 incident occurred in the reign of Ahab, showing clearly the fulfilment of the divine 
 threatenings. Notwithstanding the curse of Joshua, a man by the name Kiel 
 determined to rebuild Jericho. " He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his 
 first-born, and set up the gates in his youngest son Segub." 
 
 t It is generally believed that Baal and Astarti were personifications of the sun 
 and moon, the most ancient idolatry of the eastern nations. 
 
380 HISTORY OP THE 1SRAELITISH NATION 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 AHAB'S REIGN CONTINUED HISTORY OF ELIJAH THE PROPHF.T ARAB'S WAR WITH 
 
 BENHADAD THE SIN OF AHAB THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT, KING OF JUDAH 
 
 THE DEFEAT AT RAMETH JEHOSHAPHAT'S CIVIL GOVERNMENT HIS COMMERCE 
 
 HIS WAR WITH MOAB AND AMMON. 
 
 IN this sad state of the kingdom, the prophet Elijah appears 
 before us. This great and bold reformer breaks in upon 
 us, as he probably did upon the idolatrous king, without any 
 warning, and with that startling message.* "And Elijah 
 the Tishbite said to Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liv- 
 eth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain 
 these three years, but according to my word." With this 
 message ringing in his ears, he left the guilty king. He 
 knew what was to be expected from the merciless disposi- 
 tion of Jezebel. "And the word of the Lord came to him, 
 saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thy- 
 self by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And thou 
 shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens 
 to feed thee there." Elijah did as commanded, and was 
 fed as was promised. From the want of rain the brook failed, 
 and God, taking care for his faithful servant, "commanded 
 him to go to Zarephath, which belonged to Zidon, and dwell 
 there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to 
 sustain thee. So he arose and went, and found the woman 
 at the gate of the city gathering sticks, and called to her to 
 bring him a little water to drink. As she was going for the 
 water, he asked her to bring him a morsel of bread in her hand." 
 At this request the generous woman was brought to confess her 
 situation. "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, 
 but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse : 
 and behold I am gathering sticks that I may go in and dress it 
 for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said 
 unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me 
 thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make 
 for thee and thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 
 The barrel of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil fail, until 
 the day that the Lord sendethrain upon the earth." She also, 
 in a strong faith, went and did as directed, and to her the 
 promise was abundantly fulfilled. 
 
 This was all evidently miraculous. The whole history here 
 contains more miracles than any other part of the sacred his- 
 
 * It is worthy of notice that the history of Elijah and Elisha occupy more space 
 than the political history of the kingdom. The same thing is characteristic of the 
 whole history, and shows its design. Only those kings are dwelt upon at any length 
 whose reigns are in some way connected with the religious condition and training 
 of the people. This is the main element in all the books. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 381 
 
 tor y, if we except the period of the exodus, and the life of our 
 Lord. 
 
 While Elijah abode at Zarephath, the only son of the widow 
 fell sick and died. In her anguish the mother came to the pro- 
 phet, "and said, What have I to do with thee, thou man of 
 God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, 
 and to slay my son?" Moved at the sight of her grief, "Elijah 
 took her son and laid him upon his own bed, And cried unto the 
 Lord, Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the 
 widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he 
 stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto 
 the Lord: Lord my God, I pray thee let the child's soul' 
 come to him again." The Lord heard the voice of Elijah; the 
 child was restored to life, and the astonished mother professes 
 her faith, " by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that 
 the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." Thus was this 
 woman rewarded for her faith and her kindness to the exiled 
 prophet. 
 
 After three years, Elijah, by the command of God, goes to 
 meet Ahab, and declare to him the return of rain. The king 
 had not been quiet in the meantime. Finding the word of the 
 prophet true, and his land suffering from thirst, he had sought 
 for Elijah, and had sent to every kingdom, taking an oath from 
 them that they knew not where he was. It was with no kind 
 intention that Ahab sought Elijah. He had been only hardened 
 by his reproof, and sought his life. 
 
 The land was now groaning with a famine. As Elijah went 
 to Ahab, he met Obadiah, a good man, one who feared God in. 
 the midst of the general apostacy, and had showed kindness to 
 the persecuted prophets. Obadiah was in office at the court, 
 and was now going in one direction, while the king went in an- 
 other, in search of water. When Obadiah met the prophet, he 
 fell on his face, and said, "Art thou that my lord Elijah?" 
 He answered, "lam; go tell thy lord, behold, Elijah is here." 
 Obadiah objected that while he was gone Elijah would disappear, 
 and the disappointed king would slay him in his anger. He 
 pleads his former kindness to the prophets, in the persecutions 
 of Jezebel, as a reason why he should not thus be exposed to 
 the cruel tyranny of Ahab. " Then Elijah said, As the Lord 
 of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself 
 unto him to-day." Obadiah went and called the king. When 
 Ahab saw Elijah, "he said, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 
 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel: but thou and thy 
 father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of 
 the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim." Then follows the 
 scene between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. At the com- 
 mand of Elijah, Ahab, who was now awed by the miraculous 
 
382 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 powers of Elijah, gathered all Israel and the false prophets at 
 Carmel. Elijah then appealed unto the people: "How long 
 halt ye between two opinions ? If the Lord be God, follow him : 
 but if Baal, then follow him. The people answered not a word." 
 Elijah then proposed that Baal's prophets should build an altar, 
 and slay the sacrifice : and that he, as the only prophet of the 
 God of Israel, should do the same; and that the God who 
 answered by fire from heaven should alone be worshipped as 
 the true God. The besotted idolatrous priests accepted the pro- 
 position. They first built their altar, prepared their sacrifice, 
 and called upon Baal from morning until noon. Elijah then 
 taunted them : " Cry aloud : for he is a god ; either he is talking, 
 or pursuing, or on a journey, or peradventure he is sleeping, 
 and must be awaked." Provoked by this irony, they lacerated 
 themselves with knives, but to no purpose. When this farce 
 had gone so far that all were satisfied, Elijah called all the people 
 unto him, and repaired the broken altar of the Lord. And 
 took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes, and 
 built an altar, surrounded with a deep trench. Upon the altar 
 were laid the pieces of the victim ; and then four barrels of 
 water were poured upon the sacrifice and the altar. To show 
 that there was no fraud, this was done a second and a third 
 time, until the trench was full. Then, at the time of the 
 evening sacrifice, in the calmness and majesty of a simple faith, 
 with no outcries or cuttings, he utters his prayer: "Lord God 
 of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that 
 thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I 
 have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, Lord, hear 
 me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and 
 that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire 
 of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the 
 wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in 
 the trench. When the people saw it, they fell on their faces, 
 and said, The Lord he is the God: the Lord he is the God." 
 While the people were yet under the influence of this astonish- 
 ing miracle, Elijah commanded them to take these false prophets 
 and slay them at the brook Kishon, which ran at the foot of 
 the mountain. Ahab, no doubt, gave his consent to the sen- 
 tence of the prophet, which was in accordance with the express 
 command of God's law. (Deut. xiii. 5.) 
 
 He then promised the king that there should be abundance 
 of rain, and went again to the top of Carmel to pray that the 
 promise might be fulfilled. After waiting long, and sending 
 his servant seven times to look for its approach, his prayer was 
 answered. A little cloud arises out of the Mediterranean, gra- 
 dually covers the heavens with blackness, and pours its waters 
 upon the thirsty earth. And Elijah went with Ahab to Jezreel. 
 
 % 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 383 
 
 We should think that such a series of miracles would have 
 convinced the wicked Jezebel, or at least have awed her into 
 submission to the service of Jehovah. But the moment she 
 learned the execution of her prophets, she avows her purpose 
 to take the life of Elijah, in revenge. To escape her wrath, the 
 prophet fled into Judah, from thence to Beersheba, and from 
 thence a day's journey into the desert, toward Sinai. He 
 who had been so bold, and reproved Ahab to his face, was now 
 fearful before the passion of this haughty woman. In despair, 
 at the want of the success he had probably anticipated, he 
 requests that he may die. " It is enough ; now, Lord, take 
 away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." While 
 in the desert, "an angel touched him, and said, Arise, eat. 
 And he looked, and behold, a cake baken on the coals, and a 
 cruse of water at his head: and he did eat and drink, and laid 
 down again." This was repeated a second time, and in the 
 strength of this the prophet went forty days and forty nights, 
 unto Horeb, the mount of God. 
 
 In Horeb the Lord appeared to him, with the question, 
 "What dost thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been 
 very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of 
 Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, 
 and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I, I only, am left, 
 and they seek my life to take it away." To the despairing 
 prophet, God revealed himself, in a strong wind, in the earth- 
 quake, and in the fire ; and after these displays of his power, he 
 came in the still small voice; "and when Elijah heard it he 
 wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the 
 mouth of the cave." The same question was asked as before, 
 and the same answer returned. And the Lord said, " Go to the 
 wilderness of Damascus, and anoint Hazael king over Syria; 
 and Jehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel; and Elisha the son 
 of Shaphat prophet in thy room. He that escapeth the sword 
 of Hazael shall Jehu slay ; and he that escapeth Jehu shall 
 Elisha slay." God having thus appointed the instruments by 
 whom he would vindicate his justice, encourages the sinking 
 faith of Elijah, by this unexpected assurance: "I have left me 
 seven thousand in Israel, which have not bowed the knee unto 
 Baal." So he departed thence and found Elisha ploughing in 
 the field ; and he cast his mantle over him ; and immediately 
 Elisha left all and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. 
 He could not mistake or resist the divine impression, which 
 followed the act of Elijah. Like the apostles, at the calling of 
 our Lord, there was no delay or questioning. Elijah now 
 disappears from the history for a time. Doubtless he and his 
 scholar were earnestly engaged in the private duties of their 
 
 O 
 
384 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 office; building up the schools of the prophets, and strength- 
 ening the faith of the true Israel of God. 
 
 During the general apostacy, and probably led on by the 
 distress of the people in the famine, Benhadad, the king of 
 Syria, invaded the dominions of Ahab. He came with a large 
 number of tributary princes; and advanced, without serious 
 opposition, to the capital itself. Exulting in his succss, he 
 sent messengers to Ahab; " thy silver and thy gold is mine; 
 thy wives also, and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine." 
 The terrified Ahab consented at once to his insulting demands : 
 " I am thine, and all that I have." Upon this submission Ben- 
 hadad sends again the former message, with this addition, that 
 his servants should search the palace and houses of Samaria, and 
 take away whatever was desirable to its owner. This outrage- 
 bus demand gave Ahab the courage of despair. He called a 
 counsel of his officers, and they advised him not to consent. To 
 Benhadad's demand, he replied, that he would do as at first 
 proposed, but further he could not go. The Syrian king boasts 
 that he would utterly destroy Samaria. "The gods do so to 
 me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for hand- 
 fuls for all the people that follow me. And the king of Israel 
 answered, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness 
 boast himself as he that putteth it off." Benhadad now pre- 
 pared to execute his threat, and pressed the siege with vigour. 
 
 In this emergency, the prophets, who were always in the true 
 sense patriotic, appeared to encourage the king, whom they 
 knew mainly as a persecutor, but now as the defender of God's 
 chosen people. One of them assured him, in the name of Je- 
 hovah, "Behold, I will deliver the great multitude of thine 
 enemies into thy hand, this day ; and thou shalt know that I 
 am the Lord." And Ahab said, By whom? The prophet 
 answered, By the young men of the provinces, and that the king 
 himself should lead in the battle. Ahab then numbered two 
 hundred princes, and seven thousand men. With this small 
 force he marched out, and attacked the Syrian host, while 
 engaged in drinking and feasting. Benhadad gave his orders 
 without leaving his cups, that the company of the Israelites 
 should be captured and brought into the camp. But a sudden 
 panic seized his men. A supernatural fear fell upon them, and 
 they were powerless before the Israelites. Benhadad and his 
 host fled, and the king of Israel smote the horses, and chariots, 
 and Syrians, with a great slaughter. 
 
 The prophet warned the victorious king to strengthen him- 
 self for another attack. The Syrians were not discouraged at 
 their defeat. The battle which they had lost had been fought 
 with chariots, and upon rough ground. The counsellors of 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 385 
 
 Benhadad advised Mm to number an army like the previous 
 one, and to meet the Israelites in the plain; where (as they 
 termed them) the gods of the hills would not assist them. At 
 the return of the year, accordingly, Benhadad came with his 
 host, and encamped in Aphek, probably in the great battle-plain 
 of Esdraelon. The children of Israel, who went out to meet 
 them, were like little flocks of kids, while the Syrians filled the 
 land. At this juncture Ahab was again assured of success. 
 "A man of God came to him, and said, Thus saith the Lord, 
 Because they said, The Lord is God of the hills and not God of 
 the valleys, I will deliver all this great multitude into thine 
 hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord." After seven 
 days the Syrians were again defeated, with numerous loss. An 
 hundred thousand men perished in the battle, and twenty-seven 
 thousand by the fall of a wall in Aphek. By the advice of his 
 servants, the boastful Syrian now casts himself upon the mercy 
 of Ahab. Instead of using his victory to break the power of 
 his enemy, and the enemy of God and the true religion, this 
 infatuated king salutes him by the name of brother, and sends 
 him away in peace, with the condition that the cities which his 
 father had taken should be restored, and Ahab should have the 
 right of building streets in Damascus. 
 
 Upon this, a prophet, getting another man to wound him, pre- 
 sents himself, covered with ashes and disguised, to the king, 
 with this parable : " Thy servant went out into the midst of 
 the battle ; and behold a man turned aside and brought a man 
 unto me: and said, Keep this man; if by any means he be 
 missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or thou shalt pay a 
 talent of silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there, 
 he was gone." The king replied, that the judgment should be 
 according to the agreement. And the prophet, taking the 
 ashes from his face, applied the parable to the king. "Thus 
 saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man 
 whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall 
 go for his life, and thy people for his people." The victorious 
 king, in the midst of his triumphs, returned to Samaria, displeased 
 and sorrowing. 
 
 We now get a glimpse of the private life of this wicked king, 
 and Elijah breaks upon us again with his bold and stern rebukes. 
 Near by the palace of Ahab was the vineyard of Naboth the 
 Jezreelite. Ahab wished to secure it as an addition to his gar- 
 dens, and offered to purchase it at its value. But it was the 
 inheritance of Naboth, and, by the law of God, could not be 
 alienated. He therefore declined the offers of the king. Vexed 
 at his failure, Ahab went to his palace, and refused to see his 
 friends, or even to eat bread. Jezebel, learning the cause of his 
 grief, and knowing no conscience at any steps which might 
 25 
 
38G HISTOEY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 reach her ends, regardless of all law, both of God and of 
 humanity, sent her commands to have Naboth slain, under pre- 
 tence of blasphemy. The rulers were ready to obey her com- 
 mands. A religious fast was proclaimed, false witnesses were 
 brought to prove the guilt of Naboth ; he was condemned and 
 executed, though innocent; and Jezebel went with the welcome 
 intelligence to her childish and pettish husband. And Ahab 
 went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth. 
 
 But he was not to enjoy the possession thus wickedly acquired. 
 At the command of God, Elijah went down and found Ahab in 
 his new possession, and said to him, " Hast thou killed and also 
 taken possession? Thus saith the Lord, In the place where 
 dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even 
 thine. And Ahab said, Hast thou found me, mine enemy ? 
 And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold 
 thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will 
 bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and 
 make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
 And Jezebel also shall the dogs eat by the wall of Jezreel." 
 Upon this rebuke of the prophet, Ahab humbled himself, and 
 apparently repented, though after-events proved it insincere. 
 Yet even this assumed temporary repentance led to a modifica- 
 tion of the sentence. Elijah was informed that the evil which 
 was denounced upon Ahab himself, should not come until the 
 days of his son. The remainder of Ahab's life is inwoven with 
 the history of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, to which we now 
 return. 
 
 Jehoshaphat ascended the throne at the age of thirty-five, 
 after the long and prosperous reign of Asa, his father. " He 
 walked in the first ways of David, and sought the Lord God of 
 his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the 
 doings of Israel." He was still more zealous against the idola- 
 try and sinfulness of the land than Asa. " Therefore the Lord 
 established the kingdom in his hand : and he had riches and 
 honour in abundance." In the third year of his reign, he esta- 
 blished an itinerant ministry of princes and Levites, who went 
 throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people out 
 of the book of the law of the Lord. Thus faithful to God, 
 the kingdom of Judah was united and happy, while their 
 brethren of Israel were rent and distracted with civil wars. 
 The fear of the Lord fell upon the neighbouring kingdoms, so 
 that they made no war with Jehoshaphat. The Arabians and 
 Philistines brought large presents and trinkets. With a united 
 people at home, and at peace with foreign nations, Jehoshaphat 
 "waxed great exceedingly, and built castles and store cities." 
 His army was divided into five parts, under five generals, and 
 amounted to one million one hundred and sixty thousand men, 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 387 
 
 men of valour. There were, besides, the forces in actual service 
 as guards of the cities. Under this king, Judah rose to a power 
 and wealth which it had not known since the separation. For 
 more than half his reign, Jehoshaphat was thus contented and 
 prosperous. At length, however, he committed the great mis- 
 take of joining himself in affinity with the impious Ahab. He 
 united his son Jehoram in marriage with Athaliah, the daughter 
 of Ahab and Jezebel. 
 
 While at the court of the Israelitish king, Ahab proposes 
 that they should unite their forces, to wrest Ramoth-gilead from 
 the hands of the king of Syria.* This was an important place 
 in the country of the eastern tribes. Jehoshaphat accedes to 
 the proposition at once. He was not, however, willing to com- 
 mence the war without consulting God by the prophets. Ahab 
 gathered his false prophets, and they, of course, gave him the 
 highest assurance of success. Still Jehoshaphat was not satis- 
 fied, and, at his request, Ahab sent and called for Micaiah, a 
 prophet of the Lord, at the same time stating that he hated 
 him on account of his faithful reproofs. As the two kings, in 
 royal apparel, were sitting in the gate of Samaria, and the false 
 prophets were vociferously urging them to go to the battle, 
 Micaiah came into their presence. To the question of Ahab, he 
 answered in the words of the false prophets, but in an ironical 
 tone, " Go and prosper : for the Lord shall deliver it into the 
 hand of the king." Ahab adjured him to tell nothing but the 
 truth, and the prophet answered, "I saw all Israel scattered 
 upon the hills, as sheep without a shepherd : and the Lord said, 
 These have no master; let them return every man to his house 
 in peace." Ahab understood this as a discouraging answer, and 
 as an implied reflection upon his weakness, and blamed Micaiah. 
 The prophet then relates a vision which had been made known 
 to him : that God had permitted the false prophets to persuade 
 Ahab to go to Ramoth to die there. To the injuries and insults 
 of the false prophets, this bold man answers only by referring 
 them to the time when his predictions should be fulfilled. The 
 enraged king commands him to be imprisoned until he should 
 come in peace. "And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in. 
 peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, 
 people, every one of you." The fearful words of the prophet 
 did not change the purpose of the kings. They marched 
 against Ramoth. In the battle, Ahab, fearing the truth of the 
 prophet's words, disguised himself, while Jehoshaphat fought as 
 king. Benhadad ordered his officers to direct all their efforts 
 
 * Ahab was thus reaping the reward of his morbid clemency to this faithless and 
 ungrateful king. It had not been more than twelve years since Ahab spared his 
 life, and we find him already in possession of a part of Ahab's dominions. 
 
388 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 against the king of Israel. They accordingly pursued after 
 Jehoshaphat, but, discovering their mistake, turned back to 
 seek Ahab. Ahab's scheme did not save him. "A certain 
 man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel be- 
 tween the joints of the harness, or armour." (God accomplished 
 his purposes and fulfilled the word of the prophet, even by what 
 we term a random shot.) The battle was obstinately contested 
 till night, when the order was given for every man to seek his 
 city, and every man his country. Ahab died at evening, and 
 was buried in Samaria. The blood from his chariot was given 
 to the dogs, according to the word of Elijah. His son Ahaziah 
 reigned in his stead. Ahab was of a weak, yielding character, 
 and, under the influence of Jezebel, sold himself to work wicked- 
 ness. His reign is only remarkable as it includes so large a 
 part of the miracles and teachings of Elijah; which, however 
 they failed of producing any permanent effect upon the mind 
 of the king, must yet have been a great blessing to the seven 
 thousand pious of Israel. 
 
 When Jehoshaphat returned from Ramoth, Jehu the son of 
 Hanani met him, and reproved him for his unwise expedition. 
 " Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the 
 Lord ? therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. Neverthe- 
 less there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast 
 taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine 
 heart to seek God." He then went through his kingdom, 
 reclaiming those who had wandered from the faith. He estab- 
 lished judges in the cities, and charged them "to judge not for 
 man, but for the Lord, who is with you in judgment. Where- 
 fore let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it: 
 for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of 
 persons, nor taking of gifts."* A supreme council, composed 
 of priests, Levites, and chief of the fathers, was established at 
 Jerusalem. To these the more important causes were referred 
 for adjudication : and they were charged to deal faithfully and 
 courageously in the fear of Jehovah. Amariah the chief priest 
 was to preside in all religious questions, and Zebadiah, ruler of 
 the house of Judah, in civil matters. 
 
 Having thus provided for the administration of justice, Je- 
 hoshaphat turned his attention to commerce. He built ships at 
 Ezion-geber, to go to Ophir for gold. That port, and the 
 intervening country, were still under the power of Judah. At 
 first he allowed the king of Israel to take part in the enterprise. 
 For this the ships were broken. Taught by the prophet Eliezer 
 as to the cause of the misfortune, Jehoshaphat declined any 
 
 * It seems most probable that the 82d Psalm was composed at this time, and 
 addressed to these judges. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 389 
 
 further offers from Ahaziah, and prosecuted the enterprise alone. 
 The trade does not appear to have been very successful, and 
 was not long continued. 
 
 Soon after this, we find Jehoshaphat in alliance with the kings 
 of Israel, and engaged in carving on a war with Moab. Moab 
 had fallen to the kingdom of Israel in the separation. Until 
 the death of Ahab it remained in subjection, but then rebelled. 
 Jehoshaphat lent his aid to the king of Israel in reclaiming it to 
 his subjection. Exasperated at the part he had taken in this 
 war, the children of Moab turned their wrath against him. 
 They enlisted the Ammonites and Edomites in their cause, and 
 secured aid from the Syrians. From all these sources a large 
 army was gathered, and marched against Jehoshaphat. They 
 entered the land of Judah, and pitched their camp at Engedi. 
 Alarmed at this array, "Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to 
 seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." 
 The whole congregation were assembled, and the king stood in 
 the court of the temple, and prayed, acknowledging the sove- 
 reign power of God in all things, and in planting Judah as a 
 nation ; pleading his promises to hear the cries of his people in 
 their emergency ; urging their present danger and distress as a 
 ground and motive for his present interference, closing with 
 these memorable words of humility and faith, "0 our God, 
 wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this 
 great company that cometh against us; neither know we what 
 to do; but our eyes are upon thee." In the silence that per- 
 vaded that vast assembly, a single voice was heard, pronouncing 
 deliverance. Jahaziel, a Levite, moved by the Spirit of the 
 Lord, encouraged them to go without fear and meet th,e enemy, 
 " and then to stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, for 
 the battle is not yours, but God's." Upon this assurance, the 
 king, and all the congregation, bowed their faces, and offered 
 praise unto God. In the morning they went as directed to meet 
 their threatening foe; but not so much in the strength of arms, 
 as in the strength of faith. As they went, the singers went 
 before them, praising God, "whose mercy endureth for ever." 
 When they began to sing, the allied forces, from a supernatural 
 influence, quarrelled among themselves, and destroyed one 
 another; so that when the army of Jehoshaphat reached the 
 scene of strife, their enemies were fallen, "and nothing was 
 left for them but to take the spoils of the slain." After four 
 days they returned with great joy, and songs of thanksgiving. 
 "And the fear of God was on all those countries when they 
 heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. So 
 the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet ; for his God gave him rest 
 roundabout." Thus ended the days of this pious king. "He 
 reigned twenty-five years, and departed not from that which 
 
390 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 was right in the sight of the Lord." He was buried with his 
 fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in 
 his stead. 
 
 Jehoshaphat was among the best of the kings of Judah. The 
 kingdom was never more happy or prosperous than under 
 his reign. He sought the Lord with all his heart; and proved 
 the power of a strict adherence to his faith, to make a people 
 both great and good. He was loved by his people, respected 
 by foreign nations, and feared by his foes. He did more to 
 settle the kingdom upon its right principles than all who had 
 preceded him, from David onward. He was never elated by 
 success. He was humble and relying upon the guidance and 
 arm of God in all events. He strictly adhered to his principles 
 to the last ; and in the final public act of his life, his humility 
 and his faith shine the clearest. He stands before us as a model 
 of a wise, benevolent, and pious king. 
 
 SECTION XVI. 
 
 AHAZIAH'S REIGN HISTORY OF ELISHA, AND THE REIGN OF JEHORAM NAAMAK 
 THE LEPER THE SIEGE OF SAMARIA AND ITS MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE THE 
 ANOINTING OF JEHU AND HAZAEL THE REIGN OF JEHORAM AND AHAZIAH KING 
 OF JUDAH. 
 
 THE remaining acts of Jehoshaphat's reign follow those of the 
 king of Israel. He could not well extricate himself from the 
 alliance he had made. We resume, therefore, the thread of the 
 Israelitish history, at the time of the death of Ahab. Ahaziah 
 his son came to the throne at a most unfortunate juncture of 
 affairs. His kingdom weakened by the disaster at Ramoth, and 
 the hearts of his best subjects alienated by the shameless idolatry 
 of Ahab, he did nothing to 'reclaim their affections, "but walked 
 in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and did 
 evil in the sight of the Lord ; and served Baal, and worshipped 
 him." 
 
 After a short reign of between one and two years, he met 
 with an accident which was fatal in its result : " He fell through 
 a lattice in his upper chamber, in Samaria, and was sick." 
 True to the idolatrous faith of his parents, Ahaziah sent to 
 consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. On their way thither, 
 the messengers were met by Elijah, sent from the Lord with 
 this message to the king: "Is it not because there is not a God 
 in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron ? 
 Now, therefore, saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from 
 that bed on which thou art gone up." Thus warned, the mes- 
 sengers suddenly return to their master, and deliver the mes- 
 sage which they had received. From the description of his 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 391 
 
 person, as well as from the tenor of his words, the king knew 
 that the man who had thus boldly arrested his servants, wa- 
 Elijah. Determined to secure him, he sent a captain and fiftj 
 men to bring him into his presence. The officer went up to the 
 prophet, and said, "Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come 
 down. And Elijah answered, If I be a man of God, then let 
 fire come down and consume thee and thy fifty;" and fire came 
 down and consumed them. This was repeated a second time, 
 with a like result. Still persisting in his purpose, and unaf- 
 fected by the judgments his men had experienced, a third 
 captain was sent to arrest the prophet. This captain, wiser 
 than his master, came and besought Elijah, " man of God, I 
 pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, 
 be precious in thy sight." His prayer was granted. Warned 
 of God, the prophet arose at -once, and went down to the king; 
 and repeats the message in person which he had previously sent 
 by the king's messengers. "Ahaziah died according to the 
 word of the Lord, which Elijah had spoken ; and Jehoram, or 
 Joram, (his brother,) reigned in his stead."* 
 
 Elijah had now finished his public labours; and the time of 
 his departure was at hand. Conscious of this, he determines upon 
 a circuit among the schools of the prophets, giving them his 
 final instructions and benediction. Elisha, who had been fore- 
 warned of his master's coming departure, steadfastly adhered to 
 his purpose of accompanying him in this last journey. At 
 Gilgal, at Bethel, and at Jericho, Elijah urges him to remain, 
 but the only answer of this faithful follower is, "As the Lord 
 liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." As these two 
 went on, they came to the Jordan, and Elijah, as if to make 
 a last display of the miraculous power so long intrusted to him, 
 "took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, 
 and they were divided hither and thither so that they two went 
 over on dry ground." Before he was taken from him, Elijah 
 asked Elisha what he should do for him ; and Elisha, conscious of 
 the difficult duties before him, answers, "I pray thee, let a double 
 portion of thy spirit be upon me." "And he said, Thouhast asked 
 a hard thing ; nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from 
 thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." "As 
 they still went on and talked, behold there appeared a chariot 
 of fire and horses of fire, and parted them asunder, and Elijah 
 went up by a whirlwind into heaven." "Elisha saw it, and said, 
 My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen 
 thereof." But though bereaved, he was not without support ; he 
 
 * In 2 Kings i. 17, it is said that Jehoram's reign began in the second year of 
 Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. As Jehoshaphat reigned after this 
 nearly eight years, it is supposed that he admitted his son to reign with him for 
 nine years before his death. The date here refers to the years of his reign as 
 associate king. 
 
392 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 had fulfilled the condition, and he received the promise. The 
 mantle of Elijah remained with him, (that mantle with which 
 he had been called, that mantle with which the last miracle of 
 Elijah had been wrought,) as a pledge and token of the spirit 
 and power of Elijah. 
 
 Having thus followed his master to the last, he turned back, 
 and smiting the waters of Jordan, said, "Where is the Lord God 
 of Elijah? and when he had also smitten the waters they parted 
 hither and thither; and Elisha went over." Witnessing both 
 miracles, the sons of the prophets at Jericho " went out to meet 
 Elisha, and bowed themselves to the ground before him, and 
 said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." Wanting the 
 faith or knowledge of their master, as to the ascension of Elijah, 
 they seek leave to go and search for him. Elisha gave a reluct- 
 ant consent; and the search was vain. 
 
 Elisha wrought another miracle at Jericho. The waters of that 
 city, like most of the springs near the Dead Sea, were brack- 
 ish. The men of the city came to the prophet for help, and as 
 if to confirm their faith in the fulness of his Divine mission, he 
 took salt and cast it into the waters, "and said, Thus saith the 
 Lord, I have healed these waters ; there shall not be from thence 
 any more death or barren land ; and the waters were healed." 
 
 He now passes on from Jericho to Bethel, another school of 
 the prophets. On his way thither, there came out little children 
 (or perhaps young men,) instigated by their idolatrous parents, 
 "and mocked him, saying, Go up, thou bald-head; go up, thou 
 bald-head." There was an evident allusion to the ascent of 
 Elijah in these words, and an impious assertion of their unbelief. 
 God was insulted by the insults heaped upon his prophets : Elisha, 
 inspired to pronounce their sentence, turned back, and pro- 
 nounced a curse upon them, "in the name of the Lord." The 
 judgment was speedily executed; "there came forth two she- 
 bears from the wood, and tore forty and two children of them." 
 The prophet then went on to Carmel and Samaria. 
 
 The history of Elisha now falls in with the civil history of the 
 kingdom. Joram was better than his father Ahab. Either from 
 the influence of the prophet, or from the influence of Jehosha- 
 phat, with whom he was in alliance, he took away the statue of 
 Baal. The reformation, however, went no further than this. There 
 was no attempt made to correct the sin of Jeroboam. After the 
 death of Ahab and the defeat at Ramoth, the king of Moab, 
 who had been tributary to Israel, revolted. Joram persuaded 
 Jehoshaphat to join him in an expedition to bring this king back 
 to his allegiance. It was probably impossible for him now to reach 
 or subdue Moab in any other way. The ways on the east of 
 the Dead Sea were shut in by the victorious Syrians under Ben- 
 hadad. The joint armies of Judah and Israel, with the army 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 393 
 
 of the king of Edom,* were therefore led through the wilder- 
 ness of Edom. After a seven days march, they were distressed 
 for the want of water. Joram was in despair at the calamity, 
 but Jehoshaphat inquires for a prophet. One of Joram's ser- 
 vants told him that Elisha was present in the camp ; upon learn- 
 ing this, the three kings went down to his tent. "And Elisha 
 said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee ? get thee 
 to the prophets of thy father and mother." The king urges 
 the danger and straits of the army, and impliedly confesses the 
 inability of his father's gods to help. Still, however, the prophet, 
 unsatisfied with this insincere profession, continues, "As the 
 Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not 
 that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I 
 would not look toward thee." Then calling for a minstrel to 
 sooth his agitated spirit, he commands them in the name of the 
 Lord, "Make this valley full of ditches; for thus saith the Lord, 
 ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain ; yet that valley 
 shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your 
 cattle. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord ; he 
 will deliver the Moabites also unto your hand, and ye shall smite 
 their cities, and mar their land." According to the prediction, in 
 the morning the water came, and that in great abundance. 
 
 The same water proved a snare to the Moabites. Learning 
 the approach of the kings, they had marshalled their forces, and 
 were now in sight of their enemies. Looking upon the water, 
 as it lay under the light of the morning sun, they supposed it 
 to be blood, and that the allied forces had smitten each other. 
 They then rushed on, confident of victory. Instead, however, 
 of a deserted camp, they met the Israelitish army ready for 
 battle. They fled at once in the greatest panic, and were pur- 
 sued to their own land; their cities were beaten down, their 
 trees felled, their land marred with stones, and the king himself 
 besieged in his capital. In despair at his misfortunes, the king 
 of Moab attempts to cut his way through the forces of his 
 enemies and escape. Failing in this, he then sacrificed his 
 eldest son, as a burnt-offering, on the wall of his capital city. 
 Struck with horror at this dreadful act, the kings of Judah and 
 Israel withdrew their armies and returned into their own land. 
 
 The narrative turns at once from this last extremity of war 
 to the mission and deeds of Elisha as a messenger of good. 
 The widow of a prophet tells him that her husband, having 
 died in debt, the creditor was come to take her sons as bond- 
 men, and pleads for his assistance. Elisha asks what she had 
 wherewith she could aid herself. She replied, there was nothing 
 
 * The king of Edom mentioned here, 2 Kings, iii. 9, could only have been a 
 viceroy or governor, as we are expressly told 1 Kings xxii. 47, that there was no 
 king in Edom at this time. 
 
394 HISTOEY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 left save one pot of oil. He then 'commanded her to borrow 
 empty vessels from her neighbours, and fill them from the single 
 vessel until they were full. The widow did as she was directed, 
 and selling the oil, thus miraculously multiplied, paid her debt, 
 and saved her children from bondage. 
 
 In the course of his journeyings Elisha came to Shunem, 
 "where lived a "great woman." She often entertained the pro- 
 phet hospitably. Perceiving him to be "a holy man of God," 
 and longing to enjoy his converse, she at length proposed to her 
 husband that they should build a chamber for the prophet, where 
 lie might rest in his journeys. The chamber was built and 
 furnished, and eventually the prophet became its occupant. 
 Grateful for this constant kindness, he commanded Gehazi, his 
 servant, to call the woman, and said, "Behold, thou hast been 
 careful for us with all this care : what is to be done for thee ? 
 Wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of 
 his host?" She chose, however, to decline the prophet's offer, 
 "and to dwell among her own people." Still she lacked, as 
 Gehazi had learned, one thing to complete her happiness. " She 
 had no child." Upon learning this, Elisha had her recalled, 
 and promised her a son. The child grew up until he was able 
 to accompany his father into his harvest-field, and then the 
 hopes of his friends were crushed by his sudden death. The 
 godly mother immediately turns herself to him from whom she 
 had received her son by promise. She had faith that he who 
 had given her the child could now restore him to her. She 
 accordingly goes with all haste to the man of God. To the re- 
 monstrance of her husband, she simply answers, "It shall be 
 well." "So she came to the man of God, at Carmel;" and to 
 the questions of Gehazi, who had been sent to meet her, " Is it 
 well with thee, and thy husband, and thy child?" she answers 
 with a wonderful faith and resignation, "It is well." When 
 she came where the prophet was, with all the depth and tender- 
 ness of a mother's sorrow, she informs him of her loss. " Did 
 I desire a sou of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?" 
 Elisha immediately sent Gehazi to lay his staff upon the child. 
 But the mother, conscious that her son was dead, was not thus 
 easily satisfied. "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, 
 I will not leave thee," was her steadfast purpose. Gehazi's 
 errand, as the mother had conjectured, was in vain. "The 
 child had not awaked." When Elisha reached the house, he 
 found indeed that it was no swoon, but natural death. " He 
 went in, therefore, and shut the door, and prayed unto the 
 Lord." Then using the natural means, which Elijah had used 
 in a like case before him, his prayer was answered, and the child, 
 raised to life, was restored again to its mother. 
 
 The next event recorded in the history of Elisha was heal- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 395 
 
 ing of the poisoned pottage. " There was a dearth in the land, 
 and the sons of the prophets were seething their pottage." 
 One of their number, by mistake, had gathered a poisonous 
 fruit, and mingled it with their food. As they were about to 
 eat, they discovered the mistake, and, appealing to Elisha, he 
 cast meal into the pot, and miraculously neutralized the poison, 
 so that they eat with safety. 
 
 He then feeds and sustains, with twenty small loaves, an 
 hundred of his brother prophets a miracle which reminds us, 
 very strongly, of those which were wrought by our Saviour, in 
 his day. 
 
 Some time in the course of the previous events, occurs the 
 history of Naaman, the Syrian general. This man was of 
 great importance to his king; by his hand, indeed, had God 
 given deliverance to Syria. But, with all his greatness, he was 
 an incurable leper. Among the servants of his wife there was 
 a captive Israelitish maid, who had heard of Elisha, and gave 
 utterance to her faith, "Would God my lord were with the pro- 
 phet in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy." 
 This saying was told to Naaman, and by him to the king. Naa- 
 man went to the king of Israel, with letters from the king of 
 Syria, and a large present in silver and gold. The king saw 
 in it only a plan to provoke a war ; but Elisha sent to him to 
 let Naaman " come to him, and he should know that there is a 
 prophet in Israel." Naaman went accordingly, with all his 
 train, and stood at the door of Elisha. As a leper he could not 
 enter the house, and Elisha went not out to meet him, as he had 
 expected, but sent and told him to " Go and wash in Jordan 
 seven times, and thou shalt be clean." Enraged at this, be- 
 cause he was not healed in the way he expected to be, Naaman 
 was about to return home; but, yielding to the wise entreaties 
 of his servants, he at length went to the Jordan and washed, 
 " and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and 
 he was clean." Gratitude soon led him back to the door of the 
 prophet, which he had just left in pride and anger. He pro- 
 fesses his faith in the God of Israel as the only true God, and 
 urged the prophet to take a reward. But Elisha refused. He 
 then asks for earth enough to build an altar unto the Lord, "for 
 thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offerings nor 
 sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord." He sought, 
 however, the indulgence to attend the king of Syria into his 
 idol temple of Rimmon. Elisha, without answering directly his 
 request, dismissed him in peace. Scarcely had he departed, 
 when he was overtaken by Gehazi, who, less scrupulous than 
 his master, had followed the lordly Syrian, and with a lie in 
 his mouth sought from him a gift in the name of his master. 
 Naaman, in the flow of his gratitude, urged upon him double 
 
396 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 what he asked. Gehazi returned with his ill-gotten spoil, and 
 having laid it away, "went in and stood before his master." 
 The prophet asked him where he had been ; and on his answer- 
 ing, No whither, Elisha, clothing himself in the attributes of a 
 judge, rebuked sternly his avarice, and pronounces upon him 
 the terrible doom, "The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto 
 thee and thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence, 
 a leper as white as snow." 
 
 Whatever may have been the morals of the people, the 
 prophets maintained their integrity. An instance of this oc- 
 curs in the narrative. In the increase of their number they 
 went out to build beside the Jordan, and Elisha went with them. 
 In the course of their labours, while cutting a beam, the axe 
 head of one of them fell into the river. The loss was small, 
 but the axe was borrowed, and this added greatly to the loser's 
 distress. Elisha, however, relieved his anxiety, by miraculously 
 causing the iron to swim. 
 
 In the course of the history, Elisha appears again as con- 
 nected with the interests of the state. The kingdoms of Israel 
 and Syria were again at war. All the plans which Benhadad 
 laid were revealed unto Elisha, and by him made known to the 
 king of Israel. The king of Syria, thus frustrated in every 
 attempt, suspected some traitor in his camp, but on inquiry his 
 servants told him that it was Elisha "who tellest the king of 
 Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber." Upon 
 this Benhadad sent an armed band, "a great host, to compass 
 Dothan, and bring the prophet to his camp." He does not seem 
 to have thought that this plan could be foreseen and frustrated, 
 as well as the others which he had laid. When they rose in the 
 morning "the host compassed the city with horses and chariots." 
 The servant of Elisha was alarmed ; but Elisha calmed his fears, 
 and in answer to his prayer, " the Lord opened the eyes of the 
 young man, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of 
 horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." The prophet 
 now went forth to meet the enemy, and in answer to his prayer 
 again, "the Lord smote the Syrians with blindness." Elisha 
 then led them to Samaria, where their blindness was removed, 
 and the astonished Syrians saw the prophet in the midst of the 
 city. Jehoram, who saw his enemy thus within his power, would 
 have put them to death, but the prophet prevented him, and 
 sent them back to their master. This put an end to the present 
 campaign. The king of Syria saw that it was vain to contend 
 against supernatural power, and abandoned the contest for the 
 present. 
 
 Soon after this, however, Benhadad again led his armies into 
 Israel, and laid siege to Samaria. So strict was the siege, that 
 all communication was cut off, and Samaria suffered the horrors 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 397 
 
 of a famine. The famine was so severe that the very vilest 
 substances were sold at an enormous price. Nor was this all. 
 Parents, mothers were found feeding upon their deceased 
 children. In his distress, at such scenes at this, the king 
 plunges deeper and deeper into sin, and at last, by a solemn 
 oath, swears to take the life of Elisha. But God forewarns the 
 prophet of his danger ; and to the messengers who were come 
 to take him, he predicts by the word of the Lord, "to-morrow, 
 about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, 
 and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Sa- 
 maria." This promise was incredible to the faithless Israelites, 
 notwithstanding all the miraculous deliverances which they had 
 witnessed* A lord who heard the assurance, openly expressed 
 his unbelief, and the prophet rebuked him with the sentence, 
 " thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof." 
 On the following night "the Lord caused the Syrians to hear 
 the noise of a great host," as of the Hittites and the Egyptians, 
 and they arose and fled, and left their tents filled with gold and 
 food. Four lepers, who were hanging around the gate, had 
 resolved, in despair, to cast themselves upon the mercy of the 
 Syrians. When they reached their camp, they found that they 
 had fled. Loading themselves thrice with the spoil, from the 
 Syrian camp, they at length brought the " good tidings to the 
 city." The news was communicated rapidly to the king. Jo- 
 ram at first suspected a snare; that the Syrians had feigned a 
 retreat to lure them from the city, and then turn upon them 
 and take them before they could find a refuge within its walls. 
 Sending out spies, however, he found that the flight was real. 
 As far as Jordan "the way was strewn with garments and 
 vessels which the Syrians h'ad cast away in their haste." " And 
 the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians," so 
 that the prediction of Elisha was literally fulfilled. Another 
 prophecy also was fulfilled. The lord who had expressed his 
 unbelief of the prophet so boldly and tauntingly, was made 
 keeper of the gate, and in the press of the people, to secure the 
 food, "he was trodden and died;" he saw the abundance, but 
 did not eat thereof. 
 
 At some interval after the siege and deliverance, though 
 directly following it in the narrative, we have given to us God's 
 gracious care of the pious Shumanite. As a seven years' famine 
 was about to come, Elisha warned her "to go with her house- 
 hold and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn." She did 
 as Elisha advised, " and went with her household and sojourned 
 in the land of the Philistines." At the end of seven years she 
 returned, but found her land in the possession of others. She 
 went immediately to the king with her cause; who was just then, 
 providentially, listening to Gehazi's account of Elisha's miracles. 
 
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Gehazi told the king that this was the woman whose son Elisha 
 had raised to life. Impressed with this coincidence, the king 
 ordered an officer " to restore all that was hers, and all the 
 fruits of the field since the day that she left the land until now." 
 We find Elisha next in Damascus. He went, probably, to 
 fulfil the command given long before to Elijah his master. 
 Hearing of his presence, Benhadad sent Hazael with a present 
 "to the man of God, to inquire whether he should recover 
 from the disease" under which he was then suffering. Elisha 
 answered, "Thou mayest certainly recover; howbeit the Lord 
 hath showed me that he shall surely die." The prophet "then 
 settled his countenance and wept." Upon being asked the 
 cause of this, by Hazael, he replied, "I know the evil thou wilt 
 do in Israel : their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, their young 
 men, women, and children, wilt thou slay." "Hazael said, is 
 thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? Elisha 
 answered, The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king 
 over Syria." Hazael went from the prophet, and commenced 
 his career of crime by murdering his master. Soon after this, 
 Elisha sent one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu son 
 of Nimshi king over Israel. Having thus fulfilled the com- 
 mand given to Elisha, we hear no more of him till the reign of 
 Joash. His efforts to reform the people were comparatively 
 fruitless. At length, in a good old age, he was called to follow 
 his master. Among those who gathered around the dying 
 prophet was Joash king of Israel. The king wept over him 
 as the stay and hope of Israel. The prophet once more feeling 
 the inspiration of God upon him, directed the weeping king to 
 take a bow and arrows, and "shoot from the window, eastward." 
 The arrows were symbolical of the Lord's deliverance, and the 
 deliverance from Syria. He then told him "to smite with the 
 arrows upon the ground, and he smote thrice and stayed." 
 Elisha reproved him for not smiting oftener, "for then hadst 
 thou smitten Syria until thou hadst consumed it, but now thou 
 shalt smite it but three times." "Then Elisha died and was 
 buried:" and as if to honour him after death, his bones were 
 gifted by God with the power of restoring a dead body to life. 
 Elisha was little less eminent than Elijah. Though less stern, 
 he was still severe in his reproof of the apostate kings. His 
 miracles were numerous and stupendous; but they failed in 
 accomplishing that for which many of them were wrought. He 
 died as he lived, in the midst of a general apostacy, and with 
 the sad conviction that the chosen people were still to suffer as 
 a consequence of their sins. Men were more willing to weep 
 over his death, as a public calamity, than to yield to his in- 
 structions while living. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 399 
 
 Having thus followed out the life of Elisha, we turn back to 
 bring up the history of Judah and Israel to the rebellion of 
 Jehu, which exerted so important an influence on both kingdoms. 
 Upon the death of Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoram, who had 
 reigned for some years jointly with his father, succeeded "to the 
 kingdom of his father." Fenced cities were given to the other 
 members of the royal family. Jehoram did not follow the ex- 
 ample of his pious father; " but walked in the ways of the kings 
 of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab." This departure from 
 the faith was due to the influence of his wife, the daughter of 
 Ahab and Jezebel, a woman, who, like her mother, knew no 
 restraints in crime. The deplorable results of Jehoshaphat's 
 alliance with Ahab were already manifest. " Howbeit the Lord 
 would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he 
 had made with him, and promised him and his children a light 
 for ever." 
 
 During his reign the Edomites revolted from the dominion of 
 Judah, "and made themselves a king." Jehoram marched with 
 a large army to recover his dominion, but though successful in a 
 single battle, he was not able to subdue the rebels so as to bring 
 them under tribute. At the same time Libnah revolted, "be- 
 cause he had forsaken the Lord." The specific act which gave 
 rise to this revolt, was probably the inhuman murder of his 
 brothers by the wicked king ; such an act might very naturally 
 excite discontent in the fenced cities over which these brothers 
 were placed. Aside from the loss of the Edomites, his kingdom 
 was invaded by the Philistines and Arabians, who ravaged the 
 land, plundered the royal palace, and carried captive the wives 
 and sons of the king, except the youngest son Jehoahaz. 
 
 In the midst of his wretchedness and idolatry, he received a 
 warning from Elijah, (who though now dead had been inspired 
 to write this warning, and delivered to one of the prophets to 
 give to the king,) denouncing heavy calamities and personal af- 
 flictions, as a punishment for his apostacy and crimes. The sick- 
 ness which the prophet threatened came upon, him in his latter 
 days. After a short reign of eight years, and suffering two 
 years under sore diseases, he died, and public opinion denied 
 him the customary honors of a royal funeral, and refused him 
 burial in the sepulchres of his fathers. 
 
 Ahaziah, (Jehoahaz,) his youngest son reigned in his stead. 
 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and 
 he reigned but one year; "like his father he walked in the ways 
 of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord." Jehoram's ad- 
 visers, and the queen-mother Athaliah, were his only counsellors, 
 "to his destruction." 
 
 He immediately joined himself with Joram king of Israel, in 
 a war against Hazael at Ramoth-gilead. In the battle Joram 
 
400 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 was severely wounded, "and returned to Jezreel to be healed of 
 his wounds." While lying in his palace he received a visit from 
 the king of Judah, and then occurred the rebellion of Jehu, 
 which was so fatal to both. 
 
 SECTION XVII. 
 
 JEHU'S CONSPIRACY AND HEIGN ATHALIAH USURPS THE THRONE OF JUDAH 
 
 JOASH THE KING OF JUDAH JOASH KINO OF ISRAEL THE HISTORY OF AMAZIAH 
 AND JEROBOAM (II.) THE REIGNS OF UZZIAH AND JOTHAM THE CONSPIRACY 
 AGAINST ZECHARIAH KING OF ISRAEL THE CIVIL WAR UNDER MENAHEM, AND 
 THE INVASION FROM ASSYRIA. 
 
 JEHU was anointed king in the camp at Ramoth-gilead. At 
 the command of Elisha. one of the prophets came to the camp, 
 and calling Jehu "from among the captains of the host," 
 "poured oil on his head," and said, Thus saith Jehovah, God of 
 Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, 
 and thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, that I may avenge the 
 blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the ser- 
 vants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel." Jehu returned to the 
 council of his fellow captains, and informed them of the com- 
 mission he had received. They -were prepared for the intelli- 
 gence, and without dissent hasted "to the top of the stairs," 
 and spread their garments beneath his feet, "and blew with 
 trumpets, saying, Jehu is king." This was done in presence of 
 the army, and without any opposition. Jehu lost no time and 
 took no half measures. He immediately entered his chariot and 
 drove for Jezreel, to be the first to tell of his own conspiracy. 
 Joram and Ahaziah were both at Jezreel. Jehu's coming was seen 
 by the watchmen of Jezreel, and two messengers, one after an- 
 other, were sent by the king to meet him, and were commanded 
 by Jehu to fall in with his own company in the rear. By this 
 time the watchmen recognised the driving as that of Jehu. The 
 king himself now went forth to meet him, and Ahaziah went with 
 him. They met in the field of Naboth. Joram saluted his gen- 
 eral with, " Is it peace, Jehu?" "And he answered, What peace, so 
 long as the idolatries of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts 
 are so many." Joram turned to flee, but Jehu, who knew no 
 warning, drew a bow with his full strength, and shot the king 
 through the heart. He then ordered the body to be cast into the 
 field of Naboth, that the word of the Lord by Elijah might be 
 fulfilled : " The blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons will I 
 requite thee in this field." (Ahaziah escaped, but he was pur- 
 sued and wounded so that he died at Megiddo, a town west of 
 Jezreel, and not far from the mountains of Carmel. " His ser- 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 401 
 
 vants carried him to Jerusalem and buried him in the sepulchres 
 of his fathers.")* 
 
 Jehu went on and entered the city. The news of his conspi- 
 racy, however, went before him. Jezebel in the mean time at- 
 tiring herself in her queenly dress, stood at the window and 
 saluted Jehu as he passed, " Had Zimri peace, who slew his 
 master?" Jehu, unmoved at her question, commanded the eu- 
 nuchs to throw her down. They did not hesitate to obey his com- 
 mand, and this proud and guilty woman was trodden under 
 foot by Jehu's horses. After he had obtained possession of the 
 palace, and had dined, Jehu sent his servants to bury Jezebel. 
 They found only a few remnants of her body, and as they came 
 to tell their fierce master, he quotes the prophecy of Elijah, 
 " In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel." 
 
 Samaria, the capital, was still in the hands of Ahab's sons. 
 Jehu therefore wrote letters to the elders of the city, telling 
 them to choose one of Ahab's seventy descendants, and make him. 
 king ; but upon receiving a submissive answer, he commands 
 them to show their submission, by beheading their master's sons. 
 The command was executed, and the heads of the slain were 
 brought to him at Jezreel. As he came forth the next morning, 
 he found them lying at the entering of the gate. In the sight 
 of these heads, Jehu explains his conduct as the executioner of 
 the Divine purpose: "and of the word which the Lord had 
 spoken by his servant Elijah." After this he "slew all that 
 remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, his kinsfolks and his 
 priests." He then proceeded to Samaria. On the way thither 
 he fell in with the brethren, (relatives, probably nephews,) of 
 Ahaziah, who had heard nothing of the conspiracy, and were on 
 their way to salute the king and queen. These also were taken, 
 by this blood-thirsty man, and slain, to the number of forty-two. 
 Further on, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and took him 
 into his chariot, that he might "show him his zeal for the Lord," 
 which was now plainly only a cover for his own fierce ambition. 
 When he reached Samaria, he repeated the same exterminating 
 process which he had carried on at Jezreel. With these fell the 
 house and family of Ahab, and the third dynasty of Israel. 
 
 Still, however, a large part of his commission remained un- 
 executed. The adherents and priests of Baal were yet living, 
 and these were strictly within the scope of his commission. 
 To reach his end, Jehu feigns himself a zealous worshipper of 
 Baal, and " proclaimed a solemn assembly" for the idol god. All 
 
 * The account in Chronicles xxii.9, varies slightly from that given! in the Kings, 
 which we have followed, (2 Kings ix. 28.) It seems probable that the events re- 
 lated in the rest of the 9th, and first part of the 10th chapters, occurred before the 
 death of Ahaziah. This would reconcile all the main differences in the two accounts. 
 The narrative of the chronicler is here more condensed. 
 
 26 
 
402 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the worshippers of Baal were brought to this feast. The temple 
 at Samaria was thronged with worshippers, who were clothed 
 with priestly vestments. Those who were suspected of any 
 attachment to the Lord God of Israel, were, by the command 
 of Jehu, carefully excluded. When the temple was thus full, 
 soldiers were posted at every door, who, at a signal from the 
 king, rushed in and put every worshipper to the sword. The 
 images were then brought out and burned, and the temple 
 broken down and defiled. 
 
 Although Jehu was thus zealous against the service of Baal, 
 he failed utterly of entering into the true spirit of his calling. 
 He fell readily into the policy of Jeroboam, and maintained the 
 worship of the calves at Bethel and Dan. For this partial 
 obedience he received the assurance " that his children, to the 
 fourth generation, should sit on the throne of Israel." For 
 his disobedience in following the sin of Jeroboam, his dynasty 
 was limited to four generations, and his own reign was troubled 
 with the inroads of the Syrians under Hazael. All the east of 
 Jordan was wrested from his dominion. We hear no more of 
 him than that he reigned twenty-eight years, and was buried in 
 Samaria. Jehu was remarkable for the energy and decision of 
 his character. He was fierce, but his passion never mastered 
 his reason. His plans were adopted, and never flinched from, 
 whatever their execution might cost. His zeal was selfish ; it 
 reached no farther than the interests of religion squared with 
 his own ambition. He was raised up by God for special ends, 
 but the methods by which he reached those ends were only his 
 own ; and he only is accountable for them. His motives were 
 bad; and we cannot but feel horror-struck at the cruelties and 
 barbarous deeds which everywhere mark his course. Jehoahaz, 
 his son, reigned in his stead. 
 
 While the worship of Baal was thus exterminated in Samaria, 
 it fled and established itself in the holy city. Athaliah, the 
 daughter of Jezebel, was yet in power at Jerusalem. When 
 she heard of the murder or execution of her mother, and her 
 son, she determined to grasp the sceptre herself. Seizing the 
 opportunity, she put all her grandchildren to death except Joash, 
 an infant son of Ahaziah, who was rescued by her daughter, 
 the wife of Jehoiada, the priest, and kept secretly "in the house 
 of the Lord for six years." In the seventh year of Athaliah, 
 Jehoiada revealed the secret to the officers of the guard, "the 
 chief of the fathers, and to the Levites." Finding them loyal 
 to the true heir to the throne, he "brought them into the temple 
 and showed them the king's son." The whole assembly swore 
 allegiance to Joash. Every thing was secretly arranged by 
 Jehoiada, and the Levites and officers, for the crowning of the 
 young king. The courses of the Levites were not dismissed, 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 403 
 
 so that a large number were congregated in and about the 
 temple. The spears and shields, which had been dedicated and 
 placed in the temple, were given to the captains of the guard. 
 On the day appointed, the young king was brought out into the 
 court of the temple, the crown was placed upon his head, the 
 testimony was given to him, "and they anointed him king." 
 They then clapped "their hands, and shouted, God save the 
 king." 
 
 When Athaliah heard the joyful shouts of the people, and 
 the music of the instruments, she came to the temple, and, seeing 
 the newly crowned king surrounded by the people, rent her 
 clothes, and cried, "Treason!" Jehoiada ordered her to be 
 removed from the courts of the temple, and slain. 
 
 "Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord, and the 
 king, and the people, that they should be the Lord's people." 
 Having thus solemnly covenanted with God, we naturally expect 
 to find them jealous for his honour. From the place of cove- 
 nanting they rose up and " went to the house of Baal (which 
 Athaliah had built) and brake it down;" its altars and images 
 were broken to pieces, and its priest slain before the altar. 
 The orders and courses of the temple service were restored, 
 and the kingdom settled upon a firm foundation. This revolu- 
 tion was so discreetly planned and executed, that but two 
 persons perished; the usurper and the idolatrous priest. 
 
 Joash began to reign in his seventh year. His mother's 
 name was Zibiah of Beersheba. During the minority of the 
 king, Jehoiada was regent, and the government was well ad- 
 ministered: "but the high-places were not taken away; the 
 people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high-places." 
 Even Jehoiada found it impossible to break up this custom to 
 which the people were wedded. The attention of Joash was 
 soon turned to the dilapidated condition of the temple, and 
 orders were "given to the priests that the money and dedicated 
 things should be brought into the house of the Lord;" and 
 with the avails of these they were directed to repair the 
 breaches of the house. The priests, however, were not so 
 earnest as the king. In the twenty-third year of his reign 
 nothing had been done. The priests were now called to an 
 account, and another expedient adopted to secure the end. A 
 proclamation was made through Judah, to bring to the Lord 
 the collection that Moses laid upon Israel in the wilderness. 
 "Jehoiada took a chest, and made a hole in the lid of it," and 
 in this all the money-gifts for the temple were deposited. The 
 people offered willingly. After a time the high-priest, and the 
 king's scribe, took the money and counted it, "and gave it to 
 those that did the work, that had the oversight of the temple." 
 "So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by 
 
404 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strength- 
 ened it." They made no vessels of gold and silver until the 
 temple was thoroughly repaired, and then, from the money left, 
 these vessels were made. In all this work, the officers "dealt 
 faithfully," though held to no strict account for the money they 
 received. 
 
 Jehoiada died at the advanced age of an hundred and thirty 
 years. "And they buried him among the kings, because he 
 had done good in Israel, (Judah,) both toward God and toward 
 his house." After his death, Joash, seduced by the princes of 
 Judah, who had never heartily consented to Jehoiada's religious 
 government, "left the God of his fathers, and served groves 
 and idols." The prophets were sent with their warnings, but 
 were not heard. The infatuated king, galled by the bold reproof 
 of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, notwithstanding all the kind- 
 ness he had received from Jehoiada, "stoned his son with 
 stones," till he died. And when Zechariah "died, he said, The 
 Lord look upon it, and require it." For this apostacy fron^ the 
 faith, and this ingratitude to the family of Jehoiada, Joash was 
 visited with the Divine displeasure. The Syrians came into his 
 land, with a small band defeated his army, devastated the 
 country, and besieged the king in Jerusalem. He was able to 
 bribe Hazael to depart, with the treasures of the temple and 
 the crown, and thus preserve himself from entire destruction. 
 Beside these outward calamities, he was visited with a painful 
 disease, and at last died by the hands of his own subjects, who 
 conspired against him " for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada 
 the priest." He was buried in the city of David, but not in the 
 sepulchre of the kings. " Amaziah his son reigned in his stead." 
 
 During the long reign of Joash king of Judah, the kingdom 
 of Israel had been undergoing serious changes. Jehoahaz the 
 son of Jehu came to the throne when its power was shut in on 
 every side by the victorious Syrians. The whole land east of 
 Jordan, which constituted two-fifths of the kingdom, was in 
 the possession of Hazael. He did nothing to recover his domi- 
 nion; but was hemmed in more and more by the armies of 
 Hazael, until at length "all his forces amounted to only fifty 
 horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen." Reduced 
 to this extremity, " Jehoahaz besought the Lord ; and the Lord 
 hearkened unto him, and gave Israel a saviour, so that they 
 went out from the hand of the Syrians, and dwelt in their 
 tents as beforetime." This saviour was Joash his son, who 
 reigned for two years with his father, and then succeeded him 
 in the throne. He bears a fairer character than the most of 
 the Israelitish kings, though he also followed the steps of Je- 
 roboam. It was this king who came and wept at the death-bed 
 of Elisha, and was assured by the prophet that he should be 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 405 
 
 victorious over the Syrians. The prediction of Elisha was soon 
 fulfilled. In three successive battles the Syrians were defeated, 
 and the cities which they had taken restored to the kingdom of 
 Israel ; " for the Lord was gracious unto his people, and had 
 compassion on them ; and would not destroy them because of 
 his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 
 
 Meanwhile Amaziah had also been strengthening himself 
 against his foreign enemies. "He did that which was right in 
 the sight of the Lord, but not as David his father." As soon 
 as he ascended the throne he "slew the servants which had 
 murdered his father." "But the children of the murderers he 
 slew not, according to the law of Moses" "that the children 
 should not die for the sin of their fathers." He immediately 
 prepared to check the inroads of the Edomites. For this pur- 
 pose he gathered the thousands of Judah and Benjamin, from 
 twenty years old and upward. To this immense army he added, 
 as hired forces, " an hundred thousand mighty men of valour 
 out of Israel." As he was about to march, a prophet directed 
 him to dismiss his hired forces. Amaziah obeyed, (and thus 
 manifested that he knew his true position as subordinate to 
 Jehovah, the real king,) though it cost him the loss of their aid, 
 and the sacrifice of the reward he had given them. The Israel- 
 ites were, however, exasperated at their treatment, and on their 
 homeward march "fell upon the cities of Judah, smote three 
 thousand of their inhabitants, and took much spoil. Amaziah 
 led his army "into the Valley of Salt," (the old battle-ground 
 of David's army and the Edomites,) smote ten thousand of the 
 Edomites, captured Selah, their capital city, and cruelly mur- 
 dered ten thousand of the captives by hurling them from the 
 tops of their native rocks. 
 
 After this complete victory, the king strangely adopted the 
 gods of the nation he had conquered, and worshipped them as 
 his gods. For this the anger of the Lord was kindled against 
 him. A prophet was sent to remonstrate against this sin and 
 folly, but his counsel was rejected. The king was hardened to 
 his own destruction. 
 
 Puffed up with his victory over the Edomites, Amaziah sent 
 a challenge to Joash, inviting him to battle. Joash, at first, 
 tauntingly declined the challenge ; but Amaziah pressed it upon 
 him, and, at last, he marched out and met the king of Judah at 
 Beth-shemesh. The men of Judah were routed; and Joash, 
 capturing the boastful king, entered Jerusalem without resist- 
 ance. He then " brake down the wall for four hundred cubits," 
 "took the gold and silver, and the vessels that were found in 
 the temple, and the king's treasures, and returned to Samaria." 
 This disastrous fortune came upon Judah "because they sought 
 after the gods of Edom." Amaziah, however, still reigned upon 
 
406 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the throne of David. He never regained the confidence of his 
 subjects, and, like his father, fell a victim to conspiracy. He 
 was slain at Lachish, but brought to Jerusalem and buried in 
 the royal sepulchre. Azariah (Uzziah) his son, who was only 
 sixteen years of age, came to the throne. 
 
 After his victory over Judah, Joash returned to Samaria. 
 He did not long survive his conquest. His reign, on the whole, 
 was prosperous. Under his dominion Israel was partially re- 
 stored to its former glory. He died in peace, at Samaria, and 
 Jeroboam, his son, reigned in his stead. Jeroboam followed in 
 the steps of his father. His reign was long and flourishing. 
 He prosecuted successfully the war with Syria, restored the 
 ancient border, retook Damascus and Hamath, and, so far as 
 the short account reaches, was universally victorious. From 
 the prophet Amos (who wrote during this reign) it appears 
 that this outward success was not followed by any religious re- 
 formation. The prophet, accordingly, threatens the Divine dis- 
 pleasure. Nation after nation is called into judgment, and at 
 last the guilty Israelites are cited, and the sentence of God's 
 justice pronounced. Jeroboam reigned forty-one years, and left 
 the kingdom to Zachariah his son. 
 
 After this short history of Jeroboam, the narrative brings us 
 back to the kingdom of Judah. Uzziah was made king by the 
 popular will. During the first part of his reign, (while Zecha- 
 riah, a man of eminent piety, lived,) "he sought God," and 
 prospered. He was successful in his wars against the Philis- 
 tines, Arabians, and Ammonites. He built the walls and 
 towers of Jerusalem. He dug wells and erected towers in the 
 desert, for his flocks. "He loved husbandry," and fostered it. 
 He organized the army anew, into bands, under twenty-six 
 hundred chiefs, who were sent to war by rotation. For all this 
 host he provided armour, "spears, and helmets, and bows, and 
 slings." He had engines "for shooting arrows and great 
 stones," invented, and placed upon the towers and bulwarks of 
 Jerusalem. "And his name spread far abroad, for he was 
 marvellously helped until he was strong." 
 
 At length, however, his heart was lifted up to his destruction ; 
 "he went into the temple of the Lord, to burn incense, and 
 transgressed against the Lord his God." Azariah, the priest, 
 reproved him for his daring presumption, and prevented him 
 from the sacrilege he designed. In the midst of his strife with 
 the bold and conscientious priest, and in the very act of burning 
 incense, he was smitten with the leprosy, and thrust out by the 
 priests. "And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper 
 unto the day of his death, and he dwelt in a several house: 
 and Jotham was over the house, judging the people of the land." 
 
 This took place some time before the close of his reign, and 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 407 
 
 Jotham therefore was associated with his father in the govern- 
 ment. Upon the death of Uzziah, Jotham began his reign 
 alone, and reigned sixteen years. He did that which was right 
 in the sight of the Lord, avoiding the sin of his father. He 
 ruled in the fear of God, and he was prospered accordingly. 
 The Ammonites were constrained to pay a heavy tribute : 
 "The high gate of the temple was built" new fortifications 
 were constructed in Jerusalem, "castles and towers" were 
 erected "in the mountains of Judah, and in the wilderness." 
 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways 
 before the Lord his God." Jotham died, lamented by his 
 people, and was buried in the city of David : and Ahaz his son 
 reigned in his stead.* 
 
 While the kingdom of Judah was enjoying these long and 
 prosperous reigns, the neighbouring kingdom was in the midst 
 of civil war. Jeroboam had scarcely died when we find the 
 restless spirit of this people manifesting itself. There appears 
 to have been no strong attachment to any reigning family. 
 Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam, had scarcely seated himself on 
 the throne, when Shallum "conspired against him, and slew 
 him before the people, and reigned in his stead." With this 
 king the dynasty of Jehu ceased, according to the word of the 
 Lord to him, " Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel until 
 the fourth generation." 
 
 Shallum reigned but one month, when he, in turn, was slain 
 by Menahem, the son of Gadi. Menahem spared no cruelties 
 to establish himself upon the throne ; every one who opposed 
 his usurpation was put to the sword. Like the other kings 
 of Israel, he followed in the steps of Jeroboam, "and did 
 that which was evil in the sight of the Lord." The most 
 memorable event in his reign was the invasion of Pul, tho 
 king of Assyria. This is the first that we hear of that 
 kingdom or empire, which was to exert such an influence upon 
 these kingdoms, and which occupies so large a space in the 
 world's history. Menahem at once purchased a peace, and 
 exacted the money, by an arbitrary and oppressive tax, from 
 his people. The ambitious monarch of Assyria was satisfied 
 for the present ; but the extortion of Menahem left him little to 
 hope from the loyalty of his people. While he lived, all insur- 
 rections were suppressed; but when, after a reign of eleven 
 years, he left the throne to Pekahiah, a conspiracy broke out 
 immediately. One of his captains, Pekah, son of Remaliah, 
 rose up against him, and slew him in the royal palace, "and 
 reigned in his room." Pekah's reign was not a peaceful one. 
 
 * In the days of these kings, we have Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, the prophets. 
 From the warnings in which these prophets abound, we cannot fail to see that the 
 nation was becoming more and more corrupt. 
 
408 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 He had scarcely obtained the kingdom when another invasion 
 from Assyria threatened the land. This time the king was not 
 to be satisfied with a bribe he came for spoil. All the north- 
 ern part of the kingdom fell a prey to his power, and its inhabi- 
 tants were carried captive to people his capital. Thus began the 
 fulfilment of that threatening which God had uttered by Moses, 
 against his apostate people. So general was this devastation, 
 that Ephraim alone henceforth expresses the whole kingdom. 
 This terrible calamity drew forth the prophet Isaiah. We hear 
 him lamenting over Ephraim, and yet adding, as the end of all, 
 the mournful conviction: "for all this his anger is not turned 
 away, but his hand is stretched out still." Indeed, none of 
 God's judgments, terrible as they were, made any salutary 
 impression on the people. 
 
 SECTION XVIII. 
 
 THE REIGN OF AHAZ THE FALL OF SAMARIA, AND DESTRUCTION OF THE KINGDOM 
 
 OF ISRAEL THE GOOD REIGN OF HEZEKIAH MANASSEH REIGNS WICKEDLY THE 
 
 REIGN OF AMON. 
 
 HAVING thus lost a large part of his kingdom, and finding 
 himself unable to reclaim it, Pekah allies himself with Rezin 
 king of Damascus, in an attack against the quiet land of Judah. 
 To this kingdom we must now return. From the prophet Isaiah, 
 we learn that the war was cruel as it was unexpected. It began 
 in the latter days of Jotham. The fortresses which he had 
 constructed were now of great service. But just at this junc- 
 ture, when his experience was most needed, he was removed 
 from the throne, and the kingdom left to the young and 
 inexperienced Ahaz. To add to their calamity, Ahaz proved 
 one of the most corrupt of the kings of Judah. " He walked 
 in the ways of the kings of Israel, made molten images for 
 Baalim, caused his sons to pass through the fire, and sacrificed 
 and burnt incense in every high place." As we might expect, 
 the armies of such a king could not stand against their foes. 
 They were given into the hands of Rezin and Pekah. A large 
 number of the people were carried captive to Damascus. In the 
 battle with Pekah, one hundred and twenty thousand fell, and a 
 greater number still were taken captive. But as the king of 
 Ephraim returned to Samaria* " with his captives and his spoils," 
 the prophet Obed met him and forbade the enslavement of their 
 brethren. The nobles of Ephraim generously seconded the 
 
 * Rezin appears to have gone on with his army across the kingdom of Ahaz, to 
 the desert of Arabia, and captured the city of Elath, at the head of the Red Sea. 
 This shows clearly how effectually Ahaz was subdued, when a hostile army could 
 pass through the land without opposition. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 409 
 
 message of the prophet, and said unto them that caihe from the 
 war: " Ye shall not bring in the captives hither ; for whereas we 
 have offended against the Lord, ye intend to add more to our 
 sins and our trespass." Upon this double remonstrance, the 
 captives were fed and clothed, and carried back to their brethren 
 at Jericho. 
 
 While Ahaz was thus suffering from the allied powers of 
 Syria and Ephraim, he was also attacked by the Philistines on 
 the south, who took possession "of six towns, with their vil- 
 lages." At the same time the Edomites threw off the yoke of 
 Ahaz, marched into Judah, "and carried away captives."* 
 "For the Lord brought Judah low, because of Ahaz, who made 
 Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord." 
 
 The distress of Ahaz wrought no reformation. Though 
 warned by Isaiah (vii. 10.) not to fear, and assured of de- 
 liverance from his foes, he yet "sent messengers to Tiglath- 
 pileser, king of Assyria," "to save him from the hand of Syria 
 and Israel." With the ambassadors he sent all the treasures, 
 royal and sacred, and even became tributary to the monarch 
 of Assyria. The Assyrian king accepted the conditions, 
 marched immediately against Rezin, slew him in battle, and 
 captured Damascus. Upon this, Ahaz went to Damascus to 
 meet his new ally. While there, he sacrificed to the gods of 
 Syria. Nor was this all ; he determined to carry the nation 
 with him in his idolatry. He found Urijah the priest a fit 
 instrument for his purpose. Against the king's return, Urijah 
 had constructed an altar after the pattern which had been 
 sent from Damascus. Upon this altar the king himself, with 
 his more guilty priest, offered offerings and sacrifices continu- 
 ally. The brazen altar was removed from its place, the lavers 
 were taken from their bases, the brazen sea taken down from 
 the oxen "that were under it, the doors of the house of the Lord 
 were shut up," "and altars built in every corner of Jerusalem." 
 Thus, having abolished the public worship of God, and made 
 high places unto other gods in every city, this miserable king 
 passes from our notice. The only record which remains is, 
 "that he was not buried in the sepulchre of the kings." He 
 had lived to see his country wasted, his subjects made captive, 
 and his kingdom pass into a more tributary power. The ally 
 which he sought in his distress proved a troublesome protection, 
 whose temporary favour could be bought only with the wealth of 
 the kingdom. Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his stead. 
 
 In the meantime, the kingdom of Israel was rapidly tend- 
 ing to its fall. Pekah did not long enjoy his victory over Ahaz. 
 He was slain in a conspiracy by Hoshea, the son of Elah. 
 
 * Perhaps we may place the prophecy of Obadiah here. 
 
410 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 " Hoshea did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but 
 not as the kings of Israel before him." Fearing the Assyrian 
 power, Hoshea entered into an alliance with So, king of Egypt, 
 and failed in his tribute to Assyria. This caused Shalmanezer, 
 king of Assyria, to march an army into the land of Israel and 
 besiege Samaria. After a three years' siege Samaria was 
 taken, "and the people of Israel carried away into Assyria." 
 Hoshea had reigned nine years,* and with him the kingdom of 
 Israel came to its end. "For so it was, that the children of 
 Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought 
 them out of the land of Egypt, and had feared other gods." 
 For this they were punished. Although warned by the pro- 
 phets, and besought to turn from their evil ways, yet they had 
 rejected his statutes and his covenant, and gone after the hea- 
 then and their vanities. They had left the commandments of 
 the Lord, and worshipped Baal. " They had caused their sons 
 to pass through the fire, and used enchantments, and sold them- 
 selves to do evil." " Therefore, the Lord was very angry, and 
 removed them out of his sight: as he had said by all his ser- 
 vants, the prophets." They had not fallen from any political 
 necessity, but solely from their apostacy and sin. From the 
 days of Jeroboam, onward, every king had failed utterly to 
 recognize his true relation to God, and therefore they were 
 rejected. 
 
 While the Israelites were thus removed to other parts of the 
 Assyrian empire, men from Babylon, Ava, Sepharvaim, and 
 Hamath, were brought in to supply their place. These inhabi- 
 tants brought their idolatry with them, and, being infested with 
 lions, sent to the king of Assyria. A priest accordingly was 
 sent to them, " who should teach them the way (as they termed 
 it) of the God of the land." Thus originated the mixed re- 
 ligious worship of the Samaritans; "they feared Jehovah and 
 served their own gods." This sad end of Israel did not fail to 
 attract the notice of the prophets of Judah. Their calamity is 
 made the ground of warning to the nobles of Jerusalem. A 
 warning, alas! not heeded, though faithfully and repeatedly 
 pressed upon their attention. 
 
 Still, however, the kingdom of Judah was yet to experience 
 the favour of God. The prophecy of Isaiah received its first 
 fulfilment in the coming of a better earthly king. Hezekiah 
 came to the throne at the age of twenty-five, and immediately 
 began to restore the true religion. " He did that which was 
 
 * The chronology of this reign is much perplexed. Some have supposed that 
 there was a space of ten years between Pekah and Hoshea. The duration of the 
 kingdom of Israel (whatever means we may adopt to reconcile different dates) will 
 be about two hundred and fifty years. We may refer a part of the prophecy of 
 Hosea to this reign. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 411 
 
 right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his 
 father had done." The temple was again opened and repaired; 
 the priests and Levites were restored to their offices ; all the 
 high-places, and images, and groves, with " the brazen serpent 
 that Moses had made," were destroyed. The pious king, con- 
 fessing the sin of his fathers, acknowledging the justice of God 
 in his punishments, calls upon the priests to sanctify themselves, 
 and join him "in a covenant with the Lord God of their fathers, 
 that his fierce wrath may turn away from us." 
 
 The priests and Levites seem to have entered cordially into 
 the plans of the king. In large numbers they sanctified them- 
 selves, and then "cleansed the house of the Lord." They 
 began their work on the first day of the month, and finished 
 upon the sixteenth. Hezekiah, having thus kindled the zeal of 
 the priests, and purified the temple from all its abominations 
 which Ahaz had brought into it, "gathered the rulers of the 
 city," "and went up to the temple" to sacrifice sin-offerings 
 " for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah." In the 
 most solemn manner they confessed their sin, "laying their 
 hands upon the head of the victims," "and sprinkling the altar 
 with their blood," "and thus made an atonement for all (Israel) 
 Judah." While the sacrifices were going on, the services of the 
 public temple-worship were re-instituted. The king and all the 
 congregation bowed and worshipped, and the Levites, with their 
 instruments, "sang praises unto the Lord in the words of David, 
 and of Asaph the seer." Then followed a multitude of thank- 
 offerings, "from all the free-hearted of the congregation." So 
 the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. "And 
 Hezekiah rejoiced and all the people, that God had prepared 
 the people, for the thing was done suddenly." 
 
 This revival of genuine religion was evidently a work of the 
 Spirit of God, and brought with it a renewal of the great 
 annual feasts. It was resolved to keep the passover on the 
 second month, one month after the ordinary time, "for the 
 priests were not sanctified, and the people were not gathered" at 
 the usual time. Accordingly posts were despatched to the 
 remnant of Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to "turn 
 unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel," and join 
 in this service. "Be not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but 
 turn again unto the Lord, and enter his sanctuary. For if ye 
 turn again, your brethren and your children shall find compas- 
 sion before them that lead them captive, and shall come again 
 into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, 
 and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto 
 him." Some of the Israelites laughed the couriers to scorn. 
 Some received the message gladly, and came to Jerusalem. All 
 Judah came as with one heart, "moved by the hand of God." 
 
412 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 The multitude having assembled, they first took the altars of 
 incense in the city, "and cast them into the brook Kidron." 
 Then they killed the passover, and the priests sanctified them- 
 selves, "and presented the offerings according to the law of 
 Moses." Many of the people, gathered in such haste, were not 
 ceremonially clean, but Hezekiah prayed, "The good Lord 
 pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God 
 of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the pu- 
 rification of the sanctuary." The prayer was heard, and the 
 people were healed. So profound was the impression of this 
 service, that the whole multitude resolved to keep "other 
 seven days : and they kept them with gladness." During 
 these days the Levites were employed in teaching the people. 
 "So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time 
 of Solomon there was not the like in Jerusalem. Then the 
 priests blessed the people; and their voice was heard, and 
 their prayer came up to his holy dwelling-place, even unto 
 heaven." 
 
 From this feast, the people, full of pious enthusiasm, went 
 throughout the land, breaking the images in pieces, cutting 
 down the groves, and throwing down the high-places and 
 altars, till they had destroyed every vestige of idolatry, when 
 every man returned to his own abode. 
 
 The courses of the priests and Levites were next set in order, 
 the set feasts established, and the tithes secured. From every 
 quarter the willing people brought in abundance, "from the 
 third to the seventh month." Store-rooms were prepared for 
 that which was left, after the abundant supply of the priests. 
 Over these free- will-offerings and dedicated things men were 
 appointed, whose office it was to distribute to the priests accord- 
 ing to their genealogy. "Thus did Hezekiah throughout all 
 Judah ; and in every work that he began in the service of the 
 house of God, he did it with all his heart and prospered." 
 "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him there 
 was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that 
 were before him." 
 
 Having thus accomplished this great work of reformation, he 
 marched his armies against the Philistines, "and smote them 
 unto Gaza." Encouraged by this success, he threw off the yoke 
 of Assyria. Sennacherib the king of Assyria came at once with 
 an army to bring him to subjection. Unable to cope with so 
 formidable a power in battle, Hezekiah prepared himself and 
 Jerusalem for a protracted siege. The fountains were closed, 
 the walls were repaired, and a second wall built around the city ; 
 weapons were made, and captains set over the men. In this 
 emergency the king encourages his men, "Be strong, and not 
 dismayed, for there be more with us than with him. With him 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 413 
 
 is an arm of flesh ; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, 
 and to fight our battles."* 
 
 At length, however, when the Assyrians had reached Lachish, 
 Hezekiah's courage and faith failed, and he sent to Sennache- 
 rib, saying, "I have offended; return from me: that which thou 
 puttest on me will I bear." Sennacherib consented to with- 
 draw his army on payment of " three hundred talents of silver, 
 and thirty talents of gold." Hezekiah gave him the gold and 
 silver of the royal treasures, and of the temple, and the gold 
 which was upon the pillars of the temple. 
 
 The Assyrian king broke faith with Hezekiah, and still carried 
 on the war. While he continued at Lachish he sent forward his 
 servant, Rabshakeh. Coming to Jerusalem, Rabshakeh deliv- 
 ered his message in the most insulting manner to the king, and 
 to Jehovah, whom they worshipped. He charges them with 
 relying upon Egypt; he blasphemes the God in whom they 
 trusted; he taunts them with their weakness; and at last pleads 
 that he was obeying a divine commission in thus seeking to 
 destroy Jerusalem. Turning from the king's messengers, he 
 addresses himself to the people; urges them to renounce their 
 trust in Jehovah, to rebel against their king, to pay a tribute 
 to Sennacherib, to wait until he should come and remove them 
 from their land, and closes his oration with a blasphemous 
 assertion that the God whom they trusted was in no way differ- 
 ent or more powerful than the gods of Hamath or Arpad. To 
 this insulting speech no answer was given. When the report 
 came to Hezekiah, he went at once to the temple. His only 
 refuge now was in God. To Isaiah the prophet, the king sent 
 a report of this speech; with an expression of his hope and 
 confidence that God would hear the words of the king of As- 
 syria, and vindicate his own name and honour. For this result 
 he asks the prophet to pray. To this message Isaiah was di- 
 rected by God to reply, "Be not afraid of the words which thou 
 hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have 
 blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he 
 shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I 
 will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." 
 
 Meanwhile Rabshakeh had returned to his master, who was 
 now besieging Libnah. He heard the rumour that the king of 
 Ethiopia was coming to meet him. Enraged at his disappoint- 
 ment, he sent again to Hezekiah other messengers, with a 
 threatening letter containing much the same boasting and insult 
 as before. 
 
 With this letter Hezekiah went in before the Lord and 
 prayed: "0 Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the 
 
 * From Isaiah xxx., which was written about this time, it appears that some of 
 the nobles (probably not the king) had sent to Egypt for aid. 
 
414 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the king- 
 doms of the earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear; open, 
 Lord, thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, 
 which he hath sent to reproach the living God." "Now there- 
 fore, Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his 
 hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou 
 art the Lord God, even thou only." 
 
 Isaiah was sent with an answer to this prayer, strengthening 
 the faith of the king. He charges Sennacherib with his blas- 
 phemy ; shows him the true position in which he stands, as the 
 instrument of God, and not, as he supposes, doing what he did 
 for his own aggrandizement: tells him that his work was ac- 
 complished, and that it was the purpose of God that he should 
 go no further. He then promises blessings to the remnant of 
 Judah, and the escaped of Zion; and closes with a most posi- 
 tive prediction, that the king of Assyria should not so much as 
 come near the city, "for, saith the Lord, I will defend this city, 
 to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.'' 
 " On that very night the angel of the Lord went out and smote 
 in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred and eighty-five thou- 
 sand." "Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, and as he was 
 worshipping in the house of his god, his own sons smote him 
 with the s\vord." Thus Jehovah interfered for his own honour, 
 and saved his people who trusted in him. 
 
 But Hezekiah was to experience another salvation at the hand 
 of God. At the same time that he was delivered from the As- 
 syrians, "he fell sick unto death." Isaiah came to him with a 
 message from the Lord confirming his worst fears. " Thus 
 saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and 
 not live." The love of life, and the state of his kingdom, led 
 him to pray that the sentence might be changed ; " I beseech 
 thee, Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in 
 truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is 
 good in thy sight." The prayer was heard. Before the prophet 
 had left the palace, the word of the Lord came to him, " Tell 
 Hezekiah, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears : be- 
 hold, I will heal thee ; on the third day thou shalt go up to the 
 house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 
 At Isaiah's command a lump of figs was laid upon the boil, and 
 he recovered. In the meantime, however, while the cure was 
 going on, Hezekiah demanded a sign to confirm his faith. At 
 his request the sign was given him, the shadow of the sun went 
 back upon the dial of Ahaz, "ten degrees, which it had gone 
 down." * 
 
 * In the account of this miraculous cure, given us in Isaiah xxxviii., we have the 
 song of Ilezekiah upon his recovery. With the close of Hezckiah's reign, a large 
 part of the prophet's duties were finished. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 415 
 
 The miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army, and cure of 
 Hezekiah, drew the attention of foreign powers. Among others, 
 the king of Babylon sent presents, " for he had heard of Heze- 
 kiah's sickness." "Hezekiah's heart was lifted up" at his im- 
 portance, and made a display of all his treasures to the Baby- 
 lonish ambassadors. For this he was reproved by the prophet, 
 with this startling announcement, that all that was in his house, 
 and his own descendants, should be carried captive by this very 
 kingdom of Babylon. With his usual submission to the provi- 
 dence of God, Hezekiah replied, " Good is the word of the 
 Lord, which thou hast spoken, is it not good if peace and truth 
 be in my days." The rest of his reign was prosperous. He 
 increased in wealth, beautified Jerusalem, increased the number 
 of store cities, and after the fifteen years were passed, he was 
 gathered to his fathers, and slept in the chiefest of the sepul- 
 chres of the sons of David. His character and memory were 
 held in the highest respect, and he was sincerely mourned by a 
 whole people, the best tribute to the life of a wise and good king. 
 He is the most spotless of the kings of Judah. 
 
 His son Manasseh came to the throne at the early age of 
 twelve years. The enemies of Hezekiah's reform appear to 
 have had the control of his early years. Either from this cause, 
 or from his own disposition, he took directly the opposite course 
 from his father: "He did evil in the sight of the Lord, after 
 the abominations of the heathen." The altars which Hezekiah 
 had broken down, were again rebuilt; altars for Baal were 
 placed again in the temple, even in its very courts ; his sons were 
 made to pass through the fire ; familiar spirits were sought for, 
 and a graven image that he had made, placed in the house of 
 God, where Jehovah had placed his name. Under the influ- 
 ence of this king, the people were seduced to do more evil than 
 did the nations which God had cast out before them. 
 
 Prophets were sent to reprove him, but in vain. The judg- 
 ments which had fallen upon Samaria were shown to be im- 
 pending over Jerusalem, but they excited no alarm : instead of 
 a reformation, they hardened the infatuated king, and he added 
 to his iniquities " by shedding innocent blood very much, till he 
 had filled Jerusalem from one end to another." At length the 
 threatenings of God's just displeasure were executed. The As- 
 syrian generals came with an irresistible host. Manasseh at- 
 tempted flight, "but was overtaken among the thorns, bound 
 with fetters, and carried away to Babylon." In this affliction, 
 he came to himself, "and besought the Lord his God, and 
 humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." As 
 if to show that sincere prayer was never vain, this miserable 
 king was heard and restored to his kingdom in Jerusalem. On 
 his return he built the wall without the city of David, fortified 
 
416 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the city, " took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the 
 house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had huilt in Jeru- 
 salem, and repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed there- 
 on. He could not, however, remedy the effects of his own 
 early bad example. " The people sacrificed still in the high- 
 places, but unto the Lord only." After a long but disastrous 
 reign of fifty-five years, "he slept with his fathers, and was 
 buried in the garden of his own house." The happy scene of 
 his father's reign was thus quickly overcast with heavy clouds ; 
 and though his repentance seems sincere, yet we may see how 
 little a late repentance can atone for an early crime, and how 
 little in itself it stays the progress of God's justice. He did 
 much evil, though we may hope that he died a good man. 
 
 Amon succeeded his father at the age of twenty-two. "He 
 also did that which was evil, as his father Manasseh did, and 
 served and worshipped the idols that his father served, arid for- 
 sook the Lord God of his fathers." He did not, however, follow 
 his father in his good days. " He did not humble himself as his 
 father did." After a reign of two years, of which we hear 
 nothing, " he was slain by his servants in his own house." The 
 people, however, revenged the murder of the king, and slew 
 those "who had conspired against Amon," "and made Josiah 
 his son king in his stead." 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 JOSIAH'S REIGN THE FINDING OF THE COPY OF THE LAW JOSIAH'S REFORMATION 
 
 JEHOAHAZ AND JEHOIAKIM THE FIRST REMOVAL OF THE PEOPLE TO BABYLON 
 
 JEHOIAKIM THE SECOND REMOVAL TO BABYLON ZEDEKIAH, THE LAST KING OF 
 
 JUDAH THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 JOSIAH was only eight years of age when he was placed upon 
 the throne. But the change was a happy one for the kingdom. 
 From the first he was well inclined. " He did that which was 
 right," followed the steps of David, " and turned not aside to the 
 right hand or to the left." In his sixteenth year he began to show 
 more clearly his disposition, and in the twentieth he commenced 
 the work which characterized his reign. Judah and Jerusalem 
 were again purged of the high-places, the altars of Baalim were 
 broken down, and the images and groves cut down, and the mol- 
 ten images ground to "dust and sown upon the graves of those 
 who had sacrificed to them." The bones of the priests were 
 burnt upon the altars. Not content with cleansing Judah and 
 Jerusalem, he went also and did the same in the cities which 
 had belonged to Israel. 
 
 In the eighteenth year of his reign, and twenty-sixth of his 
 age, he began to repair the house of the Lord his God. Ac- 
 cording to the king's commandment, the officers over the treasury 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 417 
 
 went to Hilkiah the priest, and took the sum of the money 
 which the people had offered, "and gave it to the workmen who 
 had the oversight of the house of the Lord." The men did the 
 work faithfully and honestly. 
 
 In the course of this pious work, Hilkiah the high-priest 
 found "a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses," 
 which seems to imply that it was the original copy as written 
 by Moses himself. When this was read to the king, it produced 
 the greatest consternation. Whether he was entirely ignorant 
 of the law previously, which is scarcely probable, or whether 
 the denunciations against the sins of the land, coming from that 
 venerable and authoritative copy, may have produced convic- 
 tions of sin which other copies had failed to produce ; in what- 
 ever way we may account for it, the reading of this book alarmed 
 even this pious king with the sense of his sin, and the fearful 
 sins and dangers of the kingdom. 
 
 In his alarm, Josiah sent his servants with Hilkiah, "to in- 
 quire of the Lord for them that are left in Israel and Judah." 
 They went "to Huldah the prophetess," with the message of 
 the king. Her answer assured him that the wrath which he 
 feared should surely come. " Thus saith the Lord, I will bring 
 evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all 
 ;the curses that are written in the book" of the law: "Because 
 they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods, 
 therefore my wrath shall be poured upon this place, and shall 
 not be quenched." The piety of Josiah was not, however, left 
 unrewarded. His repentance, and humility, and prayers, gained 
 for him the sentence that he should "be gathered to the grave 
 in peace, and his eye should not see all the evil" that was to 
 come upon Jerusalem. 
 
 Upon receiving this answer from the prophetess, the king 
 immediately " gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, 
 and went up to the temple, with the priests and prophets, and 
 all the people, both small and great," and read the book of the 
 law in their hearing. "And he stood by a pillar, and made a 
 covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, to keep his 
 commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all 
 their heart, and with all their soul, to perform the words of this 
 covenant that were writen in this book. And all the people 
 stood to the covenant." 
 
 Having thus in their hearts returned to God, they at once 
 carried out a thorough reformation throughout the land. The 
 temple was cleansed of its remaining pollutions; the images and 
 altars of Baal were everywhere destroyed ; all the idolatrous 
 priests were put down ; the high-places, where they had burned 
 incense, were defiled. Moreover, the king, in person, went to 
 Bethel, brake down the altar and grove, took the bones of the 
 27 
 
418 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 idolatrous priests " and burned them upon the altar, according 
 to the word of the Lord," which he spake by the man of God to 
 Jeroboam. As he had done in Bethel, so he did throughout 
 Samaria breaking down the altars, slaying the idolatrous 
 priests, and polluting their places of worship with the bones of 
 men. All the workers with familiar spirits were banished. 
 
 When this was done, and the king had returned to Jerusalem, 
 he prepared to celebrate the passover. Placing the priests in 
 their charges, and the Levites in their courses, according to 
 the writing of David, he commanded to kill the passover, and 
 sanctify themselves "according to the word of the Lord by the 
 hand of Moses." Josiah, and the princes and the priests, gave 
 willingly to the people victims for the passover and offerings. 
 Every thing was done carefully, and strictly in accordance with 
 the institution given by Moses. The singers, also, were present. 
 In its conformity with the Mosaic institution, and perhaps in 
 its magnificence, " there was not holden such a passover from 
 the days of Samuel the prophet ; neither did all the kings of 
 Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept." 
 
 But all this availed not to avert the calamities which were 
 now threatening them. The hour of God's mercy had passed, 
 for "the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath, 
 wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all. 
 the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him." 
 
 The time for that removal which had been promised Josiah 
 was now at hand. His kingdom was probably tributary to 
 Assyria or Chaldea; and when Pharaoh-nechoh went up against 
 Assyria, Josiah came out to meet him. Pharaoh sent ambas- 
 sadors to persuade the king of Judah not to fight ; urging that 
 he was in haste to execute the commands of God. "But Josiah 
 would not turn his face from him." The battle was fought in 
 the valley of Megiddo, and the king of Judah was wounded in 
 the fight. His servants took him from his war-chariot, and 
 brought him to Jerusalem, where he died, after a reign of thirty- 
 one years. No king so "followed the Lord with all his heart" 
 as Josiah. No king was more sincerely lamented by his people. 
 By the good, he was universally mourned. The prophet Jere- 
 miah composed an elegiac ode to his memory, which was long 
 preserved among the people.* He did what he could to stay 
 the progress of the destruction fast coming upon his kingdom ; 
 and though his efforts were vain, he was yet kindly taken away 
 from the evil which was approaching. 
 
 Josiah fell in battle, and did not appoint his successor. The 
 
 * This prophet commenced his prophecy in the thirteenth year of .Tosiah. From 
 the general strain of his prophecy, we may infer that in the midst of the external 
 reformation under Josiah, the mass of the people were still corrupt. Subsequent 
 history proves this. 
 
TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 419 
 
 people therefore took (Shallum) Jehoahaz his son, and anointed 
 him king. He did that which was evil, (notwithstanding his 
 father's example) and reigned but three months. It seems 
 strange, that in this short time he could so have corrupted him- 
 self, as to deserve this bad character. But there are no limits 
 to the evil heart, aside from the grace of God. At the end of 
 three months Pharaoh returned from a successful expedition, 
 took Jehoahaz captive, placed his elder brother (Eliakim) Je- 
 hoiakim on the throne, and laid the land under a heavy tribute. 
 
 Jehoiakim was compelled to tax the people, in order to raise 
 the tribute money for Pharaoh. He also, like his brother, did 
 evil in the sight of the Lord. It is plain now that many of the 
 royal household could not have partaken in the revival of pure 
 religion under Josiah. The hearts of these sons remained 
 untouched. We hear little of the first year of his reign, but 
 from hints in the prophecy of Jeremiah, we may gather that he 
 was oppressive to the people, and the determined enemy of the 
 prophets. In the third year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king 
 of Babylon came against him and took him captive, with the 
 design of removing him to Babylon; but afterwards restored 
 him to the throne. Some of the vessels of the temple, and a 
 number of the people, among whom was Daniel, were at this 
 time carried to Babylon. In the following year the Egyptians 
 were defeated on the banks of the Euphrates. (Jer. xlvi. 2.) In 
 the same year Jeremiah caused a collection of his prophecies to 
 be made, and to be publicly read in the temple. Jehoiakim 
 sent for it, to hear what it contained. Displeased with its bold 
 reproofs, he took the leaves as they were read and cast them 
 into the fire. Upon this a new roll was made, to which were 
 added heavier denunciations still. But all this had no effect 
 upon the king. 
 
 After three years he^ threw off the yoke of the Chaldeans, in 
 the face of the earnest remonstrances of Jeremiah. For this 
 he lost his throne. The armies of the Chaldeans soon came, 
 and took possession of Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was slain, and 
 his body left without burial, as Jeremiah had foretold. He 
 reigned eleven years. The king of Babylon placed his son 
 Jehoiachin on the throne; but soon afterwards returned and 
 besieged Jerusalem. When Nebuchadnezzar appeared before 
 the city, Jehoiachin immediately went out and surrendered, 
 with all his family and the whole court. He was carried to 
 Babylon, with all his household, princes, artificers, craftsmen, 
 and smiths, to the number of ten, or perhaps eighteen thou- 
 sand men. With these there were taken also the royal trea- 
 sures, the treasures of the temple, and the vessels of the temple, 
 which Solomon had made. Little was left now but the mere 
 form of nationality. Still it was not now Nebuchadnezzar's 
 
420 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 purpose to destroy Jerusalem. Accordingly he placed (Matta- 
 niah) Zedekiah, the youngest son of Josiah,.upon the throne. 
 Jehoiachin, as we afterwards learn, was held as a captive until 
 Nebuchadnezzar's death, when he was taken from prison, and 
 made to sit at the king's table, "and his throne was placed 
 above the thrones of all the captive kings at Babylon." 
 
 Zedekiah was but twenty-one when he began to reign. He 
 followed in the footsteps of "his father, and, as a consequence, 
 was left of God without support in his afflictions. He followed 
 the advice of his nobles, rather than that of Jeremiah. In the 
 fourth year of his reign (Jer. li. 59) he went to Babylon, and 
 returned. In the face of the most solemn oath, he rebelled 
 against the king of Babylon, (probably about the ninth year of 
 his reign,) and made alliance with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar 
 soon came to punish his faithless vassal. In the ninth year 
 and the tenth month, he laid siege to Jerusalem. For a year 
 and a half it resisted the whole force of the Chaldeans. While 
 the siege was going forward, the king of Egypt came and in- 
 terrupted the progress of the Chaldean arms. In these mo- 
 ments of respite, Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah to inquire what 
 would be the fate of the war, and to ask his prayers for success. 
 Jeremiah replied that the Chaldeans should return and capture 
 the city. When the prophet attempted to pass from the city, 
 to the land of his inheritance, he was arrested, under the pre- 
 tence that he was about deserting to the enemy, and cast into 
 prison. For a time he was cruelly treated ; afterwards he was 
 placed in the court of the prison, but at last, at the instigation 
 of the nobles, cast into a loathsome dungeon, from which he was 
 taken at the request of Ebed-melech, one of the king's servants.* 
 
 As Jeremiah foretold, the Chaldeans returned; and in the 
 eleventh year of Zedekiah, and the fourth month, the city was 
 broken up, and the men of war fled. It was only by the closest 
 blockade that this result was secured. Zedekiah was pursued 
 and overtaken at Jericho, and brought to Nebuchadnezzar, who 
 was then at Kiblah. By the command of the Babylonian king, 
 his sons were inhumanly slain before his eyes, and his eyes 
 then put out, and the miserable king, loaded with irons, was 
 borne to Babylon. 
 
 In the following month, Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, 
 came to Jerusalem, burnt the temple, the royal palace, all the 
 houses of the nobles, and brake down the walls. The brazen 
 pillars, and all the vessels of the temple which remained, were 
 now carried to Babylon. The officers of Zedekiah were taken 
 
 * The prophetic writings of Jeremiah, while they do not contain so many histo- 
 rical statements, are yet so connected with the history, that we must read them in 
 connection with these latter reigns, if we wish to gain any correct view of the 
 moral state of the nation. 
 
' TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY. 421 
 
 to Riblah and slain. The common people were scattered over 
 the land for the purpose of tillage ; and a number still were 
 carried to Babylon. The kingdom of Judah had thus existed 
 about three hundred and eighty-seven years after the separation. 
 It fell solely from the transgressions of the people and their 
 rulers. God dealt with them in great forbearance, " sending to 
 them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending ; because 
 he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place. 
 But they mocked, the messengers of God, and despised his 
 words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord 
 arose against his people, till there was no remedy." Therefore 
 they were carried as servants unto Babylon; "until the land 
 should enjoy her sabbaths." The history of these nations of 
 Judah and Israel, would be worth studying (if for no other 
 reason) for the lessons of political wisdom which might here be 
 learned; for God deals with nations now as then. The prin- 
 ciples of his administration are always the same. The causes 
 of national prosperity or adversity lie in the moral condition of 
 the people. The decay of national strength must go on at 
 equal steps with the progress of national corruption. We mis- 
 take greatly, and deprive ourselves of the benefit of this part of 
 history, if we suppose that the Israelites are, or were, the only 
 nation who suffer for their sins. They are not the exception, 
 but the example; whose history has been written in its true 
 light, and stands out as a warning and a lesson to those who 
 are engaged in the work of governing the nations. 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE JEWS IN THEIR CAPTIVITY. 
 
 JEREMIAH was found among the captives at Riblah, and left 
 free to go into Babylon or remain in the land. He chose to 
 return to Judah, and placed himself with Gedaliah, who had been 
 made ruler over the people in Judah. Gedaliah was successful in 
 recalling around him a number of the men of Judah, who took 
 the oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews also, from 
 Moab, and Edom, and Ammon, returned and placed themselves 
 under Gedaliah. His course, however, was soon ended. A part 
 of those who had escaped the Babylonians, regarded him as in 
 some way the cause of their misfortune. Among these was 
 Ishmael, "one of the seed royal," who, with ten others, con- 
 spired agaist Gedaliah, and slew him at Mizpah. All the Jews 
 who were with the governor were slain also. These conspira- 
 tors, in turn, were conquered by Johanan, one of Gedaliah's 
 officers, and driven to take refuge among the Ammonites. 
 
422 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 Johanan, fearing the vengeance of the Chaldeans, in spite of 
 Jeremiah's remonstrances, took the remnant of Judah, and the 
 king Zedekiah's daughters, and Jeremiah the prophet, and fled 
 into Egypt. 
 
 Five years afterwards, Nebuzar-adan again visited Jerusa- 
 lem, and made a final deportation of the inhabitants to Baby- 
 lon. The remnant which was left attract no more attention. 
 They seem to have been without any government, or perhaps 
 to have fallen under the mixed population and religion of 
 Samaria. The land was utterly desolate, and enjoyed its 
 Sabbaths. 
 
 The Jews in captivity were gradually gaining in favour with 
 their conquerors, though oftentimes insulted and reproached for 
 their faith (see 137th Psalm.) Yet, as Daniel came into 
 power, and the throne of Babylon became vacant by the insan- 
 ity of Nebuchadnezzar, the reign of their bondage was mate- 
 rially alleviated. 
 
 We learn also from Ezekiel, as well as from the circumstances 
 attending their return, that they were acquiring wealth and im- 
 portance. 
 
 In the meantime they saw the power which had subdued 
 them gradually going to decay. Rent with intestine quarrels, 
 and threatened with the growing power of the Persians, it could 
 not long endure. At last the Persian army came to Babylon 
 itself. The Chaldee forces were no match for these new foes. 
 After a single battle the Babylonian king fled, and took refuge 
 in his capital. After a siege of one year, Babylon itself, unex- 
 pectedly, while the king was revelling in his sensual pleasures, 
 (and had sacrilegiously turned the vessels from the temple into 
 drinking cups for himself and his princes,) fell into the hands 
 of Cyrus. With his accession began the Jews' release. 
 
PAKT V. 
 
 FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY TO THE CON- 
 QUEST OF JUDEA BY THE ROMANS.* 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 FROM THE EDICT OF CYRUS, PERMITTING THEIR RETURN TO THEIR OWN LAND, 
 TO THE FINISHING OF THE SECOND TEMPLE. 
 
 CYRUS, king of Persia, having taken Babylon, and become the 
 sole sovereign by the death of his uncle, who in Scripture is 
 called Darius the Mede, made a decree, that as many of the 
 children of Israel as chose should return to Judea, and rebuild 
 their city and temple. To aid them in this pious and patriotic 
 work, he directed that supplies should be granted them from 
 his own revenues ; and, also, that they should be at liberty to 
 receive donations from their brethren who chose to remain in 
 Chaldea. It is said, that Cyrus was induced to resolve on this 
 measure, by having the remarkable prophecies which related to 
 himself shown to him by Daniel the prophet, who was still 
 alive at Babylon, though very old. 
 
 The decree of Cyrus for the rebuilding of Jerusalem was 
 issued about five hundred and thirty-six years before the birth 
 of Christ. On this occasion, Cyrus brought out all the ves- 
 sels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple at Jeru- 
 salem, and gave them into the hands of the leaders of the Jews, 
 who were about to return to their own land. The chief leaders 
 were Zerubbabel, who was of the royal seed, and Joshua, who 
 was by regular descent the high-priest of the nation. 
 
 * The principal authorities depended on for the facts recorded in the following 
 history, are Josephus, Joseph Gouonides, and the author of the First book of Mac- 
 cabees. As far, however, as the Jewish history is connected with that of other 
 nations, the facts may be corroborated by the testimony of Grecian and Roman 
 historians. The compiler of this work acknowledges, however, that the statement 
 of facts and dates, in this period, have been, for the most part, extracted from the 
 learned work of Dean Prideaus, entitled "CONNEXION, &c.," of which it may be 
 considered an abridgment. 
 
424 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 The number of vessels of gold and silver, delivered by Cyrus 
 into the hands of Zerubbabel and Joshua, was five thousand 
 four hundred. They who returned to Judea, at this time, were 
 not all from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, carried captive 
 by Nebuchadnezzar ; but some of the other tribes, carried away 
 by Tiglath-pilezer, Shalmanezer, and Esarhaddon, also returned 
 with their brethren. The whole number of this first company 
 was fifty-two thousand three hundred and sixty ; whereas they 
 who are numbered in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, as belong- 
 ing to Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, amounted to no more than 
 thirty thousand. Of the twenty-four courses of priests institu- 
 ted by David, no more than four returned, making up the num- 
 ber of four thousand two hundred and eighty-nine persons. 
 The rest either remained, or had become extinct. But to 
 keep up the ancient number of courses, each of these four 
 divided itself into six, and took the names of those which had 
 become extinct. 
 
 The first work to which they addressed themselves, after their 
 return, was the erection of an altar of burnt-offerings ; so that 
 the daily service of God, according to the law of Moses, might 
 immediately be resumed. 
 
 Next, they proceeded to lay the foundation of the temple. 
 This they erected exactly on the site of the old edifice, and 
 made it of the same length and breadth, and according to the 
 same plan ; but as they were poor and few in number, the build- 
 ing fell very far short of the glory and riches of the first temple, 
 built by Solomon. So that when it was finished, many of the 
 old men, who had seen the former edifice, wept aloud, on ac- 
 count of the meanness of this second temple, when compared 
 with the glory of the first. 
 
 The Jews are accustomed to say, that five things were want- 
 ing in the second temple, which existed in the first. These were, 
 1. Urim and Thummim. 2. The ark of the covenant with its 
 sacred contents. 3. The holy fire on the altar, enkindled from 
 heaven. 4. The Shechina, or visible symbol of the Divine pre- 
 sence, over the mercy-seat. 5. The spirit of prophecy. To 
 which might be added as a 6th, The holy anointing oil, made 
 by Moses for the consecration of the priests, and of the kings. 
 
 It is a tradition among the Jews, that all the copies of the 
 Holy Scriptures were lost; and that Ezra, by inspiration, 
 restored the whole. But this is manifestly incorrect ; for 
 Daniel had the books of the Prophets, and " Ezra was a ready 
 scribe in the law of his God;" and as soon as the people 
 returned, we find, that they had copies of the law. The auto- 
 graphs of these books, preserved in the temple, were doubtless 
 lost, and many new copies were probably now made under the 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 425 
 
 direction of Ezra; and from these circumstances, probably, the 
 tradition just mentioned took its rise. 
 
 When the ten tribes were carried away from the land of 
 Israel, the king of Assyria brought inhabitants from other 
 countries to occupy their place. These were heathen, and 
 worshipped various false gods, but knew nothing of the worship 
 of Jehovah. Being greatly infested with beasts, they attributed 
 this judgment to their not knowing " the manner of the God 
 of the land." Whereupon the king of Assyria ordered, that 
 one of the priests who had been carried away from that land, fTU f 
 should return and teach the people how to serve the God of the / / 
 country. This priest took up his residence in Bethel, and. 
 having brought with him a copy of the law of Moses, instruct- 
 ed the people how Jehovah should be worshipped : nevertheless, 
 they did not abandon, at first, their former deities, but united 
 the worship of them with that of the true God. In process of 
 time, these foreigners became incorporated with the poorer! 
 people of Israel, who were left in the country; and the mongrel/ 
 race received the name of Samaritans, which name the few who 
 remain there to this day still retain. The Samaritans were\ 
 more despised by the Jews than the heathen themselves. 
 They were also called Cutheans, and no greater reproach could 
 be cast on any one by a Jew, than to call him a Samaritan 
 or a Cuthean. After some time, they seem to have abandoned 
 their gross idolatry, and pretended that mount Gerizim was the 
 place originally appointed by God for his worship. They pre- 
 served among them the law received from the Israelitish priest, 
 copies of which, in their peculiar character, have come down to 
 our times ; but the other books of the Jewish Scriptures they 
 did not receive. 
 
 Upon the return of the Jews to rebuild their temple, the Sa- 
 maritans came to them, and expressed a great desire to unite 
 with them in the work, and in the worship of God ; pretending, 
 that ever since the days of E^arhaddon, they had been worship- 
 pers of Jehovah. But Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the elders 
 of Israel, utterly refused to have any connection with them, and 
 informed them that tne decree of Cyrus related only to the 
 Jews. This refusal to admit the Samaritans to their commu- 
 nion, was because they suspected them of insidious designs, and 
 knew, that whatever they might now profess, their religion was 
 corrupt. The Samaritans were greatly offended at this repulse, 
 and set themselves, by every means, to obstruct the building of 
 the house: and, although, they could not alter the decree of 
 Cyrus, yet by bribes and other underhand dealings, they had 
 influence with his ministers, to cause many hinderances to be 
 thrown in the way of the Jews. By this means the animosity 
 between the two nations was enkindled to a flame ; so that, ever 
 
426 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 afterwards, no people ever hated each other with a more hitter 
 hatred ; which is sufficiently evident in the gospel history. 
 
 Daniel, although living when the Jews returned to build 
 Jerusalem, was too old to revisit his native country. He must at 
 this time have heen eighty or ninety years of age : for he was 
 carried away from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and was then 
 a young man; since which time, seventy years had elapsed. 
 He was a man greatly honoured by God, and had great influence 
 and authority, both during the reign of the Chaldean and Per- 
 sian kings. Josephus informs us, that he built a famous palace 
 at Susa, which, he says, was remaining in his time ; and finished 
 it with wonderful art ; in which it became the custom to bury 
 the Persian and Parthian kings ; and in honour to the founder, 
 it was always committed to the custody of members of the Jew- 
 ish nation. Here, according to tradition, Daniel died and was 
 buried, where they pretend to show his sepulchre to this day. 
 The place is now called Tuster. The year of his death is uncer- 
 tain, but he did not long survive the restoration of his country- 
 men : and the loss of such a wise and influential friend at the 
 court of Persia, must have been great indeed to all the Jews ; 
 but especially to those engaged in the arduous enterprise of 
 rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. 
 
 But about seven years after this work commenced, the Jews 
 met with a still heavier loss, by the death of Cyrus himself. 
 Concerning the place and circumstances of the death of this 
 extraordinary man, we have no record in the sacred writings, 
 and other historians are so entirely disagreed, that we cannot 
 speak with certainty. Xenophon makes him die in his bed in 
 Persia, when a little above seventy years of age ; but Herodo- 
 tus, Diodorus Siculus, and Justin, relate, that he made an un- 
 successful attack upon Scythia, where being defeated and slain 
 by the queen of that country, his head was cut off, and placed 
 in a barrel of blood. 
 
 Cyrus was succeeded by his son Cambyses, who is thought 
 by some to be the Ahasuerus of Scripture, the husband of 
 Esther. This man was exceedingly different in character 
 from his father; and, indeed, during Mis whole reign, acted 
 more like a madman than a person in his senses. Having 
 taken offence at Amasis, king of Egypt, he marched a power- 
 ful army into that country, which he subdued. Amasis, how- 
 ever, was dead before his arrival, but he prosecuted the war 
 with great violence, and having got possession of Memphis, the 
 capital, put the young king, the son of Amasis, to death, by 
 causing him to drink bullock's blood. The body of Amasis he dug 
 up, and treated with the greatest indignity. The stratagem 
 which he used to take Pelusium, was, to place cows, cats, dogs, 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 427 
 
 &c.., before his army, and thus march up to the walls ; these 
 being objects of worship with the Egyptians, they chose rather 
 to be conquered, than to run the risk of killing any of the vene- 
 rated animals. He made a second expedition to Ethiopia, which 
 was unsuccessful. At this time he sent forty thousand men to 
 destroy the temple of Jupiter Hammon, all of whom were over- 
 whelmed in a storm of sand. Finding the people of Memphis 
 rejoicing on account of the discovery of the bull Apis, he com- 
 manded that he should be brought to him, and on seeing the 
 animal which the superstitious people adored, he ran his 
 sword into the thigh of the bull, of which wound he died. The 
 priests, he ordered to be whipped, and in every way manifested 
 his contempt and detestation for the superstitions of the peo- 
 ple ; for the Persians worshipped no idols, but only the sun and 
 fire. 
 
 It is related, that the king of Ethiopia sent Cambyses his 
 bow, with a message, that when the Persians could bend such a 
 bow, they might think of invading Ethiopia. Smerdis, the son 
 of Cyrus, and brother of the king, being the only man in the 
 army who could with ease bend the bow, Cambyses became jeal- 
 ous of him, and sent him off to Persia, where, in consequence of 
 a dream, he had him put to death. He had onejbeautiful 
 sister, the daughter of Cyrus, whose name was Meroe; her 
 he married, contrary to all law and usage. From her is 
 derived the name of an island in the Nile, between Egypt and 
 Ethiopia. This woman he was accustomed to take with him in 
 all his expeditions. But on a certain occasion, in a fit of 
 passion, he struck her a blow, which, she being pregnant, 
 caused her death. 
 
 Cambyses, having reigned nearly eight years, and being on his 
 return from Egypt, a herald from Shushan, the palace of the 
 kings of Persia, met the army, and proclaimed Smerdis the son 
 of Cyrus, king. Now Smerdis had already been put to death, 
 secretly, by the order of Cambyses, as stated above; but the case 
 was this, the prince whom Cambyses had left to govern Persia ^ 
 in his absence, had a brother who bore a remarkable resem- 
 blance to Smerdis. This young man the crafty Magian set 
 upon the throne, having learned the secret of the death of the 
 true Smerdis. Cambyses seized the herald, and after a careful 
 examination having ascertained that his own brother was really 
 dead, and that this pretended Smerdis was the brother of the 
 governor, set forward with his army to dethrone the impostor, 
 and punish the governor; but as he mounted his horse, his 
 sword slipping from its scabbard, gave him a wound in the 
 thigh, of which he died in a few days. The Egyptians consid- 
 ered this as a special judgment on the king for his impiety, in 
 
428 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 killing Apis ; for they remarked, that the part of his thigh into 
 which the sword entered, was the same which he had wounded 
 in the bull. 
 
 During the reign of Cambyses, the work of rebuilding the 
 temple, we have reason to believe, advanced very slowly. The 
 Samaritans, we know, sent a petition to obtain an order to 
 have the building arrested ; but how it was received, or whether 
 it produced any effect, we are not informed. 
 
 The pretended Smerdis reigned only seven months. By 
 profane historians he is called by several other names ; but in 
 Scripture he is named Artaxerxes. As soon as he was settled 
 on the throne, after the death of Cambyses, the Samaritans 
 wrote a letter to him, setting forth that the Jews were rebuild- 
 ing their city and temple at Jerusalem ; and that, as they had 
 always been a rebellious people, there was much reason to sus- 
 pect, that as soon as the work was accomplished, they would 
 withdraw their allegiance from the king. For proof of what 
 they alleged, they referred to the ancient records of the king- 
 dom ; requesting, that search might be made, whether the facts 
 stated by them were not true. Upon which, Artaxerxes having 
 ascertained that the Jews had carried on obstinate wars with 
 his predecessors, and that their city had been taken and des- 
 troyed by Nebuchadnezzar, gave order, that the building should 
 cease; whereupon, the Samaritans came immediately to Jeru- 
 salem, and by force caused them to desist from the further 
 prosecution of the work. 
 
 Smerdis, or Artaxerxes, endeavoured by every method to in- 
 gratiate himself with the people; and, with this view, remitted 
 all the taxes due to the government. And to secure himself on 
 the throne, he took to wife Atossa, daughter of Cyrus, who had 
 before been the wife of Cambyses her brother. 
 
 At length, however, it began to be suspected among the 
 nobles of Persia, that this was not the true Smerdis. One of 
 them whose name was Otanes, undertook to make a discovery, 
 by means of one of the wives of the king. He had ascertained, 
 that the Magian who resembled Smerdis, had on some occasion 
 lost his ears ; wherefore this woman was to find out whether her 
 husband had ears or not. It being found that he had none, it 
 became certain that he was an impostor. Otanes, then, associ- 
 ated six others of the nobles of Persia with him, who entering 
 into the palace slew the king, and his brother Patizethes, who 
 had been the contriver of the whole plot ; and bringing out their 
 heads, showed them to the people, and laid open the whole im- 
 posture. Such was the indignation of the multitude against 
 these men, that they slew all the Magians whom they could 
 find. 
 
 The idolatry of the world, at this time, was divided between 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 429 
 
 the worshippers of images, who were called Sabeans, and the 
 worshippers of fire, who were called Magians. The Magian 
 sect, who were followers of Zoroaster, prevailed greatly in 
 Persia, and a few of their successors are still found in the moun- 
 tains of that country, under the name of Gauri or fire-wor- 
 shippers. 
 
 Smerdis being now out of the way, a consultation was held 
 by the nobles of Persia respecting the form of government 
 which should be adopted. Otanes was in favour of democracy, 
 Megabyzus of aristocracy, and Darius Hystaspes of monarchy. 
 The last mentioned opinion prevailed, and Darius himself was 
 advanced to the throne. He was the son of Hystaspes, a noble 
 Persian, who had followed Cyrus in all his wars. The other 
 nobles concerned in this revolution, stipulated that they should 
 enjoy peculiar privileges, one of which was, that they should 
 always have free access to the royal presence, without ceremony, 
 except when the king was in his harem. 
 
 The building of the temple having been arrested by an edict 
 of Smerdis, the work was not immediately resumed upon the 
 accession of Darius. The remissness of the Jews in prosecu- 
 ting this sacred object, occasioned severe judgments on the land ; 
 and to awake them from their apathy, Haggai the prophet was 
 sent to them with a message from Jehovah, which is recorded 
 in the book which bears his name. This solemn exhortation, 
 had the effect of stirring up the leaders and the people to return 
 to the work of rebuilding the temple. Towards the close of the 
 same year, another message was sent to the Jews, by the same 
 prophet, announcing that the glory of the second house should 
 be greater than the glory of the first ; and that THE DESIRE or 
 ALL NATIONS should come, and that this temple should be filled 
 with the glory of Jehovah. Zechariah the prophet was also 
 commissioned to preach to the people at the close of the same 
 year. 
 
 At the beginning of the second year of Darius, the work was 
 recommenced; but the Samaritans betook themselves to their 
 old malicious practices ; and to obstruct the work, applied to 
 Tatnai, who had been appointed governor, on this side the river. 
 They alleged that the Jews were acting wholly without autho- 
 rity in this business. Tatnai, to satisfy himself, came to Jeru- 
 salem, and upon being shown a copy of the edict of Cyrus, did 
 not forbid the work, but wrote an account of the whole matter 
 to the king. Whereupon, search being made, the decree of 
 Cyrus was found among the rolls, in the royal palace at Ecba- 
 tana, in Media. Darius, upon this, ordered that the decree of 
 Cyrus should be carried into complete effect, and threatened 
 severe punishments against any who should dare to obstruct the 
 work. 
 
' 
 
 430 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 The seventy years captivity, predicted by Jeremiah, may be 
 considered as commencing either in the fourth year of Jehoi- 
 akim, when the first Jews were carried captive to Babylon, and 
 then the end of this period will be in the first year of Cyrus : 
 or, eighteen years afterwards, when Jerusalem was destroyed 
 and the temple burnt by Nebuchadnezzar, and then the close 
 of the seventy years will be on the second year of Darius, when 
 the decree of Cyrus was renewed and republished, and all ob- 
 structions to the carrying on the work taken out of the way. 
 
 The kings of Persia having removed their residence from 
 Babylon to Shushan, the inhabitants of the former city began 
 to think of a revolt from the dominion of the Persians. For 
 several years they were employed in collecting and treasuring 
 up provisions, within the walls of the city. In the fifth year of 
 Darius, the revolt took place ; the Babylonians openly renoun- 
 cing their allegiance. Darius now collected a mighty army and 
 besieged the city; but the walls were so thick and high, and 
 the gates so strong, that all attempts to reduce it by force must 
 have been ineffectual: and there was so much vacant ground 
 within the city and so large a store of provisions had been 
 accumulated, that there seemed no prospect of reducing it by 
 famine. The desperate determination of the besieged was also 
 manifested in a very extraordinary way. In order to lessen 
 the number of consumers of their stock of provisions, they 
 resolved to put to death all persons who could not be useful in 
 the defence of the city; especially, all the females were slain, 
 except one for each family. And the probability was strong 
 that they would have been able to defend themselves success- 
 fully against the Persian army, had it not been for the device 
 of a nobleman, by the name of Zopyrus, who having cut off his 
 own ears and nose, fled to the Babylonians, pretending that he 
 had been thus cruelly treated by Darius. They received him 
 confidently, for there seemed to be no room to suspect treachery, 
 in such a case; and, by degrees, he so insinuated himself into 
 their favour, that they gave him the command of the city; upon 
 which he immediately opened the gates to the Persians. Darius 
 took signal vengeance on the leaders of this rebellion, by cruci- 
 fying no less than three thousand of the nobles. And to pre- 
 vent the danger of a second revolt, he almost levelled the walls 
 of the city, reducing them from two hundred, to fifty cubits ; 
 and took away the hundred brazen gates, by which the entrance 
 had been guarded. The reign of Darius was long, but turbu- 
 lent. He invaded Scythia with an army of seven hundred 
 thousand men, but the expedition was not prosperous. He suc- 
 ceeded, however, in subduing Macedonia, and in bringing under 
 his authority some of the western provinces of India. Towards 
 the latter part of his reign he was involved in wars with the 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 431 
 
 lonians, who had revolted, and with the states of Greece ; which 
 disputes led on to the great war between the Greeks and Per- 
 sians, which was so signal in the reign of his successor. 
 
 In the sixth year of Darius, according to the Jewish compu- 
 tation, the temple of Jerusalem was finished, and was dedicated 
 with great joy and solemnity, in the month Adar. 
 
 Twenty years had elapsed from the second of Cyrus to the 
 seventh of Darius; so long was the second temple in building. 
 At this dedication, it seems, that the 146th, 147th, and 148th 
 Psalms were sung; for in the Septuagint version, they are 
 called the Psalms of Haggai and Zechariah, by whom they 
 were probably composed for this solemn occasion. 
 
 The decree of Darius for finishing the temple having been 
 granted at Shushan, the eastern gate, in memory of that event, 
 received the name Shushan ; on which was engraved a picture 
 of that city, which remained until the final destruction of the 
 temple by the Romans. 
 
 On the 14th of Nisan, the next month after the dedication 
 of the temple, the passover was celebrated at Jerusalem. This 
 was a season of great rejoicing to the Jews who had returned 
 to Judea. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 FROM THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE, TO THE MISSION OF 
 
 NEHEJtIAH. 
 
 THE Samaritans, when the temple was finished, refused to pay 
 the tribute for carrying on the building which had been first 
 assigned for this purpose by Cyrus, and afterwards by Darius. 
 The Jews, therefore, sent Zerubbabel the governor, with 
 Mordecai and Ananias, two principal men among them, to 
 make a complaint to Darius, of the injury which they sus- 
 tained, in being deprived of the king's bounty, contrary to 
 the edict which he had made in their favour. The king, upon 
 hearing this complaint, issued an order to his officers in 
 Samaria, requiring them to see to it that the Samaritans 
 obeyed his edict, in paying their tribute to Jerusalem, as for- 
 merly, and give the Jews no further cause to complain of 
 them. 
 
 The Tyrians, after the taking of their city by Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, having been reduced to a state of servitude, continued 
 under the yoke for seventy years, agreeably to the prophecy 
 of Isaiah xxiii. 15-17. But when this time was expired, 
 Darius permitted them again to have a king of their own, 
 which favour seems to have been granted, because of the ser- 
 vice rendered to him in his naval expeditions. After this 
 
432 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 restoration, they arose speedily to a state of prosperity and 
 power. 
 
 Darius lived to be an old man, and was a prince distin- 
 guished for wisdom, clemency, and justice. Before his death, 
 being desirous of fixing the succession to the throne, he 
 appointed Xerxes the son of Atossa (the daughter of Cyrus) to 
 be his successor; for, although he had other sons who were 
 older than Xerxes, yet they having been born before Darius 
 ascended the throne, he judged that it was most proper to 
 grant the kingdom to him who was first born after his acces- 
 sion to royal authority; and, no doubt, the influence which 
 Atossa had over Darius was the principal reason of this deter- 
 mination. But it deserves to be remarked, as an uncommon 
 fact, and much to the honour of the parties concerned, that 
 while this matter was under consideration, it created no aliena- 
 tion of the affections of the competitors for the crown, from 
 each other. And, when Xerxes was raised to the throne, 
 Artabazanes, the eldest son, gave no indications of envy or dis- 
 satisfaction, but treated his brother with all affection, served 
 him with fidelity in his wars, and at last died in his service, 
 being slain in battle. 
 
 Darius did not long survive the settlement of the succession 
 to the throne upon his son Xerxes. He died in the thirty- 
 sixth year of his reign, and four hundred and eighty-six years 
 before the birth of Christ. 
 
 The tradition of the Jews is, that in the last year of Darius, 
 died the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, from which 
 time the spirit of prophecy ceased from among the children of 
 Israel. 
 
 Xerxes, having ascended the throne, confirmed to the Jews 
 all the privileges granted by his father; especially, the right 
 to the tribute from Samaria, for furnishing the temple with 
 sacrifices for the service of God, according to the law of Moses. 
 The Egyptians having revolted before the death of Darius, 
 Xerxes went against them with an army ; and, in a short time, 
 the rebels were reduced again, and their yoke made heavier 
 than before. 
 
 Xerxes, being much elated by his success against the Egyp- 
 tians, listened the more readily to the counsel of his son-in-law 
 Mardonius and others, who persuaded him to undertake an ex- 
 pedition against Greece. Three years were spent in making 
 preparations for this war, and troops were collected from every 
 part of the Persian empire. In the fifth year of his reign, 
 which was the four hundred and eighty-first before the Chris- 
 tian era, he led his enormous army towards Asia Minor, and 
 took up his winter quarters at Sardis. 
 
 To distract the attention of the Greeks, Xerxes entered into 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 433 
 
 a league with the Carthagenians, who it was agreed should fall 
 upon the Greeks who dwelt in Sicily and Italy. 
 
 The army with which Xerxes marched into Greece was much 
 the most numerous recorded in history. The infantry alone 
 are said to have been one million seven hundred thousand men, 
 and the cavalry eighty thousand; which, with the necessary 
 drivers of the chariots and camels, must raise the number of 
 his land-army to one million eight hundred thousand men. His 
 fleet consisted of twelve hundred and seven ships, besides gal- 
 lies, transports, &c., which were three thousand more, manned 
 by five hundred and seventeen thousand six hundred men. 
 It was moreover, reckoned, that the nations who submitted to 
 him on the way, and after he crossed the Hellespont, increased 
 his army by the addition of three hundred thousand men, 
 besides those on board of the two hundred and twenty ships 
 added to his fleet, who were calculated to be at least twenty- 
 four thousand more. Herodotus says, the whole number of 
 fighting men were two millions six hundred and forty-one thou- 
 sand six hundred and ten; who, with the servants, sutlers, 
 mariners, women and children, make the whole number of per- 
 sons not less than five millions. Other historians make the 
 number smaller; but no one makes it less than two millions. 
 Xerxes occupied a whole week, day and night, in crossing 
 the Hellespont, by two bridges of boats; the army passing upon 
 one, and the carriages and beasts of burden on the other. 
 At the straits of Thermopylae, he was met by Leonidas, king 
 of Sparta, who, with a baud of six thousand men, had the des- 
 perate resolution to oppose the progress of this mighty host ; 
 and for three days, this devoted band of patriots actually hin- 
 dered the Persian army from proceeding, and killed twenty 
 thousand of their men. But at length a passage was effected 
 over the dead bodies of the devoted Spartans, who determined 
 to perish, rather than see their country laid waste by a hostile 
 army. The Persian monarch had the pusillanimity to treat 
 the dead body of the brave Leonidas with dishonour, by cutting 
 off the head, and suspending the trunk upon a gallows. 
 
 Xerxes would not have succeeded so soon in forcing his way 
 through the straits of Therm opylse, had not a secret path been 
 pointed out by a treacherous Greek, by means of which the 
 Persians were enabled to attack the Greeks in the rear. Upon 
 this, all fled except Leonidas and three hundred of his followers, 
 who had resolved to devote themselves for their country. 
 Besides the twenty thousand Persians slain on this occasion, 
 Xerxes lost two of his own brothers. 
 
 The fleets of the belligerents soon met in conflict, and naval 
 battles occurred, in which much blood was spilt, and much exe- 
 cution done; but nothing decisive took place until the battle of 
 28 
 
434 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Salamis, in which the Grecian fleet, under the command of 
 Themistocles, gained a great decisive victory. To witness this 
 action, Xerxes had ascended an eminence on the neighbouring 
 promontory, where, seated on a splendid throne, he had the 
 mortification to see the utter ruin of his great fleet; and fearing 
 lest his retreat should be cut off, he hastened to recross the 
 Hellespont; but upon his arrival found that the bridges which 
 he had erected with so much labour and expense, had been 
 broken by a storm ; so that he was forced to cross in a common 
 fishing boat, and betake himself immediately to Sardis. 
 
 On the same day, according to Herodotus, on which the 
 victory of Salamis took place, the Carthagenians, the confede- 
 rates of Xerxes, met with a dreadful overthrow at Panormus in 
 Sicily; where their fleet was burnt, their general, Hamilcar, 
 slain, and one hundred and fifty thousand fell in the field of 
 battle. Others, however, maintain, with more probability, that 
 this defeat occurred on the day in which Leonidas arrested the 
 progress of the Persian army at Thermopylae. 
 
 Mardonius, the general of Xerxes, being left m Greece with 
 three hundred thousand men, (the rest of the army having 
 followed the king to Sardis,) endeavoured to make peace with 
 the Grecians, but they, elated with victory, and confident in 
 their own strength, declined all negotiation, and collected an 
 army of one hundred and twenty thousand men, on the isthmus 
 of Corinth. Mardonius, however, although his army was now 
 not less than three hundred and fifty thousand, withdrew from 
 their neighbourhood. The Grecian army under the command of 
 Pausanias the Lacedemonian, and Aristides the Athenian, 
 pursued him ; and, at the city of Platea, a decisive engagement 
 took place, in which Mardonius was slain, and the Persian 
 army cut to pieces. Artabazus, one of the Persian generals, 
 foreseeing the event of the battle, made his escape with forty 
 thousand men : all the rest were destroyed, except about four 
 thousand. On the same day a naval action took place, at 
 Mycale, in which the Persian fleet was burnt. 
 
 Thus was this vast armament, the greatest which the world 
 ever saw, almost annihilated by a mere handful of men. Xer- 
 xes returned home chagrined and mortified ; and taking Baby- 
 lon on his way to Shushan, plundered the temple of Belus, and 
 carried away the dedicated treasures ; and, especially a golden 
 table, which Darius had not ventured to remove. 
 
 Scaliger is of opinion that Xerxes was the Ahasuerus of 
 Scripture, in which he is followed by many, especially by Jahn 
 in his history of the Hebrew Commonwealth. One principal 
 reason alleged in favour of this opinion, is derived from the name 
 of one of Xerxes' queens, which was Hamestris, between which 
 and Esther there is a strong resemblance; but Prideaux objects, 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 435 
 
 that Xerxes had a son by Hamestris, who was of marriageble 
 age, according to Herodotus, in the seventh year of his reign : 
 whereas, Esther was not married to Ahasuerus until the seventh 
 year of his reign ; and the putting away of Vashti occurred in 
 the fourth year of his reign, when Esther was first selected, 
 among other virgins, for the king's purposes. It seems, there- 
 fore, impossible, that Hamestris the wife of Xerxes, and Esther 
 the wife of Ahasuerus, were the same person. Moreover, 
 Hamestris was a woman of licentious character, of which many 
 instances are given by the Greek historian; but no such thing 
 can be said of Esther. But Jahn considers Xerxes to be not 
 only Ahasuerus of the book of Esther, but also the Artaxerxes 
 of the book of Ezra, as he is mentioned next after Darius 
 Hystaspes; and observes, that the names Ahasuerus and Artax- 
 erxes, were given to many kings; and that Daniel, (ch. ix. 1.) 
 calls Astyages of the Median line, Ahasuerus. The opinion of 
 Usher is, that Darius Hystaspes was the Ahasuerus of Scripture, 
 and that Atossa the daughter of Cyrus, was Vashti, and Arty- 
 sona the Esther of the Scriptures; but according to Herodotus, 
 this queen was also the daughter of Cyrus, but Esther we 
 know was a Jewess. Moreover, he informs us that Atossa, 
 before she was divorced, had four sons and one daughter, all 
 born after Darius was king, which is altogether inconsistent 
 with what we read in the book of Esther that Vashti was put 
 away in the fourth year of the reign of Ahasuerus. 
 
 Josephus mentions that there were many Jews in the great 
 army of Xerxes which marched into Greece, and the same may 
 be inferred from the description of the various nations and lan- 
 guages, composing this immense army, by Herodotus ; and, as 
 a great multitude of Jews were still resident in Babylonia and 
 Media, it would be strange if this had not been the fact. 
 
 The restored Hebrews do not appear, during all this time, to 
 have been in a prosperous condition. They seem to have had 
 no stable and regular government, and the administration of 
 justice was exceedingly defective. 
 
 Xerxes, after many unsuccessful efforts to subdue the Greeks, 
 relinquished all further attention to this war, and gave himself 
 entirely to a life of voluptuous ease ; in consequence of which 
 he fell into contempt with the people. Artabanus, the captain 
 of his guards, formed a conspiracy against him, and having 
 slain him in his bed, went to Artaxerxes his third son, and 
 charged the murder on his elder brother, Darius; which the 
 young man believing, went immediately to the chamber of Da- 
 rius, and by the assistance of Artabanus slew him also. The 
 second son, Hystaspes, was absent; Artabanus, therefore, had 
 no difficulty in placing Artaxerxes on the throne; but his real 
 object, in this plot, was to secure the kingdom for himself and 
 
436 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 his sons, of whom he had seven, all occupying stations of im- 
 portance. The young king, however, discovered his design, 
 and prevented its execution by cutting him off with his adhe- 
 rents. Artaxerxes is said to have been the handsomest man of 
 the age in which he lived; but was surnamed Longimanus,' or 
 long-handed; because, when he stood upright, his hands reached 
 as low as his knees. He is said to have been a prince of mild- 
 ness and clemency. Notwithstanding all that has been said in 
 favour of other hypotheses, it is much more probable that Ar- 
 taxerxes Longimanus was the husband of Esther ; and this is 
 expressly asserted by Josephus. The Septuagint version, also, 
 uniformly renders Ahasuerus by Artaxerxes; and the apocry- 
 phal additions to the book of Esther call him by the same 
 name. This opinion has many advocates among both the an- 
 cients and the moderns, is more free from difficulties than any 
 of those already mentioned, and accords entirely with the ex- 
 traordinary kindness towards the Jews, manifested in his send- 
 ing, first Ezra, and then Nehemiah, to their assistance. Jahn, 
 however, seems to think that Ezra was sent to Jerusalem in the 
 reign of Xerxes, who he supposes is called Artaxerxes, as well 
 as Ahasuerus ; but this is improbable. 
 
 Artaxerxes Longimanus, having put Artabanus out of the 
 way, was still exposed to danger from two quarters. First, the 
 seven sons of Artabanus still lived, and had great power; and 
 secondly, his brother Hystaspes, whose birth-right the throne 
 was, had an army in Bactria, and would doubtless claim his 
 right. He soon, however, mastered the first difficulty, by taking 
 signal vengeance upon all who had any connection with the 
 murderers of his father. To subdue his brother, he sent an 
 army into Bactria ; which, though at first repulsed, succeeded 
 the next year in subduing him. 
 
 It seems to have been -in consequence of having conquered 
 all his enemies, that he made the festival mentioned in Esther, 
 which was prolonged for one hundred and eighty days. This 
 feast was celebrated in Shushan; on which occasion, his queen 
 Vashti refusing to exhibit herself, was divorced; and, soon 
 afterwards, Esther was selected to become queen in her place. 
 Her uncle Mordecai was of the number of those carried captive 
 from Jerusalem, in the reign of Jeconiah; and having no 
 children of his own, had undertaken the education of Hadassah 
 or Esther, the daughter of his deceased brother. This young 
 woman being exceedingly beautiful, was among the virgins 
 selected by Hegai, the king's chamberlain; and after under- 
 going a year's purification, was introduced to the king; and 
 being by him preferred to all the rest, was advanced to the 
 dignity of queen. By her interposition, the Jews, scattered 
 throughout the Persian empire, were preserved from total dc- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 437 
 
 struction, which had been prepared for them by Haman, the 
 favourite of the king. 
 
 In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and the 
 458th B. C., Ezra received an ample commission to return to 
 Jerusalem, and to take with him as many of his nation as were 
 willing to accompany him ; with full authority to regulate and 
 reform the Jewish commonwealth, according to their own laws. 
 This great favour was probably granted in consequence of the 
 request of Esther, who before this had been introduced into the 
 king's harem. Ezra was a descendant of Seraiah the high- 
 priest, who was slain by Nebuchadnezzar at the time Jerusalem 
 was taken. He is indeed called in sacred Scripture the son of 
 Seraiah; but it was scarcely probable that he was a son of the 
 first generation, and we know that the Hebrews call all descend- 
 ants sons. He was a holy man, and profoundly skilled in the 
 knowledge of the Scriptures. In the king's commission, Ezra 
 is called "a ready scribe in the law of Moses." Ezra vii. 6. He 
 left Babylon, for Jerusalem, on the first day of the month Nisan, 
 and stopping at the river Ahava, until all his company should 
 come, he there proclaimed a day of solemn prayer and fasting, 
 to implore the blessing of God on their journey. On the first 
 of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, and presented the 
 various gifts with which he was intrusted for the service of the 
 temple. 
 
 The Egyptians, ever impatient of a foreign yoke, revolted 
 again in the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes, and called 
 in the Athenians to their assistance; who, having at that time 
 a fleet of two hundred sail at Cyprus, gladly laid hold of the 
 opportunity of crushing the Persian power in Egypt. Artax- 
 erxes intended to go himself at the head of the expedition 
 against Egypt; but being dissuaded from exposing his own 
 person, he sent one of his sons; or, as some say, one of his 
 brothers, Achaamenides, who marched with an army of three 
 hundred thousand men, and encamped on the banks of the Nile. 
 But in the meantime the Athenians had beaten the Persian 
 fleet at sea, sailed up the Nile, and joined Inarus, whom the 
 Egyptians had set up for their king ; and falling on the Persian 
 army, defeated them in a great battle, killing one hundred 
 thousand men, and among the rest Achsemenides the general; 
 whereupon the remainder of the Persian army fled to Memphis, 
 but were immediately pursued by the Egyptians and Athenians, 
 who took two parts of the city. The Persians, however, kept 
 possession of the other part, which was the largest and strongest, 
 when they suffered a siege of nearly three years ; during which 
 time they valiantly defended themselves against their assailants, 
 until at length they were succoured by the arrival of a reinforce- 
 ment from Persia. 
 
438 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Themistocles, the famous Athenian general, who had gained 
 so glorious a naval victory at Salamis, being banished from his 
 own country by the ostracism, sought refuge in the Persian 
 court, where he was received with great kindness, and treated 
 with much attention. Artaxerxes being now resolved to send 
 an army into Attica, that he might divert the Athenians from 
 Egypt, selected Themistocles to be the general of this expedi- 
 tion against his own country. The Athenian general, not 
 willing to disoblige the king from whom he had received so many 
 favours, and at the same time, abhorring the idea of making 
 war on his native country, determined to put an end to his own 
 life; therefore, inviting all his friends together, and having 
 sacrificed a bull, he drank its blood, and died. 
 
 An army of three hundred thousand men was sent against 
 Greece, under the command of Megabyzus. This general, when 
 Inarus the king of Egypt submitted, had promised a general 
 amnesty, which was confirmed by Artaxerxes ; but the latter, at 
 the instigation of his mother, was at length induced to put 
 Inarus, and fifty other leading Egyptians, to the death of the 
 cross. Megabyzus was so much displeased at this want of good 
 faith in the king, that he revolted with the troops under his 
 command, and twice defeated the royal forces sent against him ; 
 but was afterwards received again into favour. 
 
 The Peloponnesian war, so famous in Grecian history, between 
 the Lacedemonians and Athenians, commenced in the thirty- 
 fourth year of Artaxerxes. This war, so destructive to the 
 power of Greece, lasted for twenty-seven years; but although 
 application was made to Artaxerxes for aid by the Lacedemo- 
 nians, he prudently declined all interference in the contest. 
 The miseries brought upon Greece by this war, were greatly 
 increased by the desolating plague, which prevailed, especially, 
 at Athens. 
 
 Ezra exerted himself greatly at Jerusalem to have the wor- 
 ship of God completely restored; but the work for which he 
 has been most celebrated, both by Jews and Christians, was the 
 collection and revision of the sacred books. In this work, it is 
 said, he was assisted by the Great Synagogue of one hundred 
 and twenty men, among whom the Jews reckon Daniel and his 
 three friends, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai, and Simon 
 the Just; but between the first and last of these there was an 
 interval of two hundred and fifty years. It seems, therefore, 
 more reasonable to suppose that the Great Synagogue were 
 not at all contemporaries, but a succession of learned men, who 
 devoted their attention to the preparation of correct copies of 
 the Scriptures. 
 
 There is a story (already referred to) in the second apocry- 
 phal book of Esdras, and believed by most of the Christian 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 439 
 
 fathers, that all the sacred books were lost, daring the cap- 
 tivity; but this is directly contradicted by Scripture. No 
 doubt, the autographs preserved in the temple, were destroyed 
 with the ark; but that all copies were destroyed, is a ground- 
 less opinion. It is probable, however, that correct copies were, 
 at the restoration, few in number; and therefore, Ezra, who 
 was a "ready scribe," and an inspired man, took pains to pre- 
 pare authentic copies of all the sacred books, and collected 
 them into one volume, that the people might have the oppor- 
 tunity of becoming acquainted with the whole of that reve- 
 lation, which God, from time to time, had caused to be penned 
 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But as many of the 
 people who returned from captivity had lost the knowledge of 
 the Hebrew tongue, by so long a residence in a foreign coun- 
 try, Ezra appointed certain persons who were skilled in both 
 the Hebrew and Chaldean languages, to give a version or para- 
 phrase of the lessons which were publicly read from the Scrip- 
 tures. These paraphrases, at first, were not written, but the 
 sacred text was explained to the people by the interpreter, 
 sentence by sentence, as the reader proceeded; but in process^ 
 of time, several persons undertook to commit them to writing ; j 
 a number of which have come down to our times under the} 
 name of Targums, or Chaldee Paraphrases ; which are nothing! 
 else than a free translation of the Hebrew into the Chaldee,) 
 with explanatory remarks. The oldest and best of the Tar-' 
 gums, are those of Onkelos on the Law, and Jonathan on the 
 Prophets; the language of which is purely Chaldaic, and 
 approaches near to the style of Chaldee found in the book of 
 Daniel and Esther. The language of the later Targums is 
 impure, being much mixed with foreign words and idioms. 
 
 No authentic history of the origin of these Paraphrases has 
 reached us. They seem to have been altogether unknown to 
 Origen and Jerome, the only persons among the fathers who 
 understood Hebrew. From this, some learned men have 
 argued, that they were written after the fourth century: but 
 considering the style of the oldest of them, this opinion is 
 destitute of all probability. It seems most reasonable to 
 believe, that the Targums, at least those of Onkelos and Jona- 
 than, were written in Babylonia, where a large number of Jews 
 resided from the time of the captivity, until long after the 
 Christian era. This supposition best accords with the style of 
 these paraphrases, and accounts for the ignorance of the 
 fathers, above mentioned, in relation to them. As to the age 
 in which they were written, nothing can be said with certainty. 
 They are commonly referred to the first century, or a period 
 somewhat earlier; but this is matter of mere conjecture. 
 They may have been written long before the Christian era; 
 
440 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 but however this may be, they probably contain the old here- 
 ditary comment of the Jews who lived before the time of L 
 Christ, and are therefore of great importance in controversies 
 with the modern Jews. 
 
 About this time also, it is probable, commenced the syna- 
 gogues of the Jews, of which we read so much in the New Tes- 
 tament, and which to this day, form so considerable a part of 
 the religious institutions of the Jews. As the custom of read- 
 ing a portion of the Law every Sabbath now take place, it 
 would soon be found convenient to have houses set apart, every 
 where, for this purpose. In the public reading of the Law it 
 was the custom to go over the whole of the books of Moses, in 
 the course of the year, which led to a division of the Pente- 
 teuch into sections or lessons ; which division is still found in 
 all Hebrew Bibles. The reading of the prophets in the syna- 
 gogue was not customary until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, 
 when the Jews being forbidden any longer to read the Law, 
 introduced the reading of certain select portions from the 
 prophets, which was continued after the reading of the Law 
 was resumed. 
 
 In the latter part of the administration of Ezra, great dis- 
 tress and confusion arose from the transgression of the people, 
 in taking strange wives who were not of Jewish extraction. 
 Many of the priests and leaders of the people were involved in 
 this great guilt. Ezra was deeply afflicted on this account, and 
 wept bitterly for the sins of the people, casting himself prostrate 
 on the ground. He also assembled around him all who trembled 
 at the word of the Lord; and with them he prayed, and 
 lamented, and fasted, "because of the transgression of them 
 that had been carried away." At length proclamation was 
 made by authority, that all who would not, within three days, 
 according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, come and 
 put away their strange wives, should be punished with the 
 forfeiture of their substance, and should moreover, be themselves 
 separated from the congregation of the Lord. This severity had 
 the desired effect, for the people being generally assembled at 
 Jerusalem, and being solemnly and tenderly warned by Ezra, 
 made public confession of their sin, and agreed to put away 
 their strange wives. And for a warning to future ages, the 
 principal persons who were guilty in this affair, were recorded 
 by name. (See Ezra x.) 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 441 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 FROM THE ARRIVAL OF NEHEMIAH TO THE INVASION OF ASIA BY ALEXANDER THE 
 
 GREAT. 
 
 IN the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, Nehemiah, 
 the cup-bearer of the king, obtained permission to visit Jerusa- 
 lem, and bringing a commission from the king, to act with 
 plenary authority as governor, he of course superseded Ezra, 
 and took the supreme direction of all affairs into his own hands. 
 Nehemiah was a man of uncommon piety ; and immediately on 
 his arrival, devoted himself to the business of repairing, or 
 rather rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and setting up the 
 gates, for which work he had obtained an express commission 
 from the king. That which stirred up the heart of this good 
 man was, the reports brought to him of the desolate condition 
 of the holy city, and the deep affliction of the people there. 
 
 It is altogether probable that his petition to the king, was 
 rendered successful, in a great measure, by queen Esther ; for 
 it is particularly mentioned, that the queen was sitting by the 
 king. (Neh. ii. 6.) 
 
 A royal decree was issued for the rebuilding of the walls of 
 Jerusalem; and the king, to give honour as, well as safety to the 
 mission of his favorite courtier, sent with him a guard of horse. 
 Still, however, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Samari- 
 tans, continued to cast obstructions in the way of the execution 
 of this work. Not only were they influenced by their old hatred 
 of the Jews, but during the captivity they had seized on their 
 vacant lands, which they were now required to relinquish. But 
 Nehemiah, in spite of all opposition, pushed on the work, distri- 
 buting to particular persons and companies, the several parts 
 of the wall ; so that in fifty-two days after the commencement 
 of the work, the wall was finished. 
 
 Sanballat the Horonite, Tobias the Ammonite, and Geshem 
 the Arabian, were the men who continually endeavoured to 
 obstruct the work in which Nehemiah was engaged. They laid 
 many snares for his life, which by his courage and wisdom he 
 was enabled to escape. During part of the time, however, the 
 people were obliged to work on the wall with their weapons in 
 their hands ; and as they were far separated from each other, 
 on different parts of the wall, the Tirshatha or governor, gave 
 orders that in case of attack, the trumpet should sound, and all 
 hands should immediately resort to him. After the walls were 
 finished and the gates set up, a public dedication was celebrated 
 with great solemnity, by the priests, Levites, and all the people. 
 
 The people having much public work to perform, and many 
 
442 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 of them being poor, were under the necessity of borrowing 
 money, of which necessity avaricious usurers took advantage, 
 by lending out their money at exorbitant interest ; by which 
 means multitudes were ruined in their circumstances, and were 
 forced to mortgage their lands, and sell their children for bond- 
 men, to obtain bread for their subsistence. Nehemiah was 
 much displeased upon hearing of this iniquity, so contrary to 
 the Jewish law. He therefore set himself with energy to cor- 
 rect the abuse. After expostulating with the transgressors, he 
 had a decree enacted in a full assembly of the people, that all 
 money exacted for usury should be returned, and that all mort- 
 gaged lands should be restored, and thus the yoke of oppres- 
 sion was broken off from the necks of the poor. 
 
 Nehemiah having spent twelve years at Jerusalem, prepared 
 to return to the Persian court, for he had received permission 
 to be absent only for a limited time. Having arranged affairs 
 as well as he could, 'and appointed Hanani and Hananiah to 
 be governors of Jerusalem, he returned to Persia. This fact is 
 not stated in the sacred text, but it may be inferred from the 
 appointment of the aforementioned persons as governors, which 
 could not have been necessary, had he continued there. 
 
 His object in returning to Persia was not to remain there, 
 but to obtain a new commission from the king, to carry on the 
 reformation of the Jewish church and state. It seems proba- 
 ble, that he was not absent much more than one year, after 
 which he came back to Jerusalem, and continued his pious and 
 useful labours, by establishing a strict and regular police in the 
 city. But observing that the number of inhabitants was still 
 too small to occupy the place, he invited the rulers and great 
 men of the nation to build houses in Jerusalem, and dwell 
 there : and also caused every tenth man of the tribes to be 
 taken by lot, whom he compelled to make this the place of their 
 residence. Every thing being now well regulated, and the city 
 well supplied with inhabitants, it arose rapidly to a state of 
 prosperity; so that Herodotus, the historian, who visited it not 
 long after this time, compares it to Sardis, the metropolis of 
 Asia Minor. 
 
 Nehemiah now addressed himself to the work of having the 
 genealogies of the people, and especially of the priests, correct- 
 ly made out; which was necessary, not only for the regulation 
 of the landed property of the nation, but also for the ser- 
 vice of the temple; so that no person not of the sacerdotal 
 race might be permitted to officiate there. He, therefore, 
 searched for the genealogies of those who first returned from 
 captivity, under Joshua and Zerubbabel, and from these he 
 formed new tables, by striking out such families as had become 
 extinct, and inserting the names of those who had returned 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 443 
 
 since that time. This will account for the discrepance between 
 the genealogies recorded in the book of Ezra, and in that of 
 Nehemiah. 
 
 Although after the arrival of Nehemiah at Jerusalem, the 
 government devolved upon him, yet Ezra continued his biblical 
 labours; and by the time that Nehemiah made his second visit, 
 he had copies of the Scriptures corrected and prepared, and 
 began the public reading of them at the feast of trumpets. 
 This occurred on the first day of Tisri, which had always been 
 reckoned the first month of the year, until the time when 
 the Israelites left Egypt, after which they were directed to 
 commence their year with the month Nisan. Still, however, 
 for all merely civil matters, Tisri was reckoned the beginning 
 of the year. At this festival, the people being assembled 
 from all parts at Jerusalem, Ezra was requested to bring 
 out the law and read it. A pulpit, or scaffold of wood, was 
 erected, that he might be elevated above the people, and that 
 there might be room, this pulpit was set up in the widest street 
 in the city. And so intent were the people on hearing, that 
 they assembled for the same purpose the next day, and although 
 there fell a hard rain during the time, they remained in their 
 place. 
 
 When Ezra had read as far as to the twenty-third chapter of 
 Leviticus, it was found that the law of God required the peo- 
 ple to make booths of the branches of trees, and for seven days 
 to celebrate a feast. Upon the hearing of which they deter- 
 mined, that when the appointed day arrived, (the fifteenth of 
 Tisri,) they would literally comply with the requisitions of the 
 law ; which accordingly they did, and celebrated this feast with 
 a solemnity exceeding any thing that had been witnessed since 
 the days of Joshua. At this festival, also, Ezra took advantage 
 of the collection of all the people, and went on with the reading 
 and expounding of the law, which had been commenced at the 
 feast of trumpets: and, during the whole seven days, he read 
 to the people out of the law. The people, on hearing the pre- 
 cepts and commandments of the Lord, were greatly troubled on 
 account of their transgressions, which they now found were very 
 numerous. 
 
 Ezra and Nehemiah, to improve the present convictions and 
 penitent feelings of the people, proclaimed a fast immediately 
 after the feast was over. At this time they engaged the people 
 to enter into solemn covenant with God, obliging themselves, 
 1st. Not to intermarry with the heathen. 2. To observe the 
 Sabbath, and the Sabbatical years. 3. To pay their annual 
 tribute for the support of the temple. 
 
 The conviction that the people now felt, that their transgres- 
 sions were very much owing to their ignorance of the law, was 
 
444 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the occasion of that frequent reading of it, which eventually led 
 to the building of synagogues, wherever a sufficient number of 
 Jews were settled to bear the expense, and conduct the worship. 
 
 Artaxerxes died 424 B.C., after a reign of forty-one years and 
 a few months, and was succeeded by Xerxes, the only son that 
 he had by his queen. By his concubines he had seventeen sons, 
 among whom were Sogdianus, Ochus, and Arsites. Xerxes, 
 having made himself drunk at a public feast, and having retired 
 to his chamber, Sogdianus, taking advantage of it, went in and 
 slew him, when he had sat but forty-five days on the throne. 
 The mother of Xerxes died on the same day. 
 
 Sogdianus having rendered himself odious to the people, by 
 the murder of his brother, and also by that of one of his father's 
 most faithful eunuchs, found himself very unsafe on the throne, 
 which he had obtained so unrighteously ; whereupon, he grew 
 very jealous of his brothers, and especially of Ochus, whom he 
 sent for, to come to him. But Ochus, apprehending some mis- 
 chief, drew together a large army and marched against him. 
 professing that it was his purpose to avenge the death of his 
 brother. Upon which many of the nobility revolted from Sog- 
 dianus, and went over to Ochus, and having put the royal dia- 
 dem on his head, declared him king. Sogdianus finding himself 
 abandoned, entered into negotiation with Ochus, who having 
 got him into his hands, put him to death by throwing him into 
 a furnace of ashes. 
 
 As soon as Ochus had possession of the throne, he changed 
 his name to Darius. Among the Greek historians he is known 
 by the name of Darius Nothus. He for a while yielded himself 
 up to the direction of his eunuchs and his wife. He ascended 
 the throne 423 B. C. His brother Arsites revolted against him, 
 but was unsuccessful, and being taken, was, like Sogdianus, 
 thrown into a furnace of ashes a cruel death in use among the 
 Persians, in which the person died of suffocation, very gradu- 
 ally. Another insurgent, named Pysuthnes, was executed in 
 the same manner. About the year 410 B. C., the Egyptians 
 threw off the Persian yoke, and made one Amyrtaeus king. 
 With the aid of the Arabians, they expelled the Persians from 
 Egypt, pursued them as far as Phenicia, and maintained their 
 independence sixty-four years. Ochus or Darius sent another 
 army into Egypt, which, marching through Judea, inflicted 
 many evils on the Jews. 
 
 Eliashib, who was high-priest when Nehemiah came to Jeru- 
 salem, died, 413 B. C., and was succeeded by his son Joiada. 
 He had continued in the office of high-priest for no less tfran 
 forty years. 
 
 About this time, Diagoras the Melian, who had settled him- 
 self at Athens, was condemned for teaching atheism ; and though 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 445 
 
 he made his escape, the sentence was pronounced on him, while 
 absent, and a talent offered to whomsoever should kill him, 
 wherever he might be found. About twenty years before this 
 time, the Athenians had proceeded against another philosopher, 
 called Protagoras, for only expressing a doubt concerning the 
 existence of God. 
 
 According to Dr. Prideaux, the first of the seventy prophetic 
 weeks of Daniel ended with the fifteenth year of Darius Nothus ; 
 for then the restoration of the Jewish state, and the worship of 
 the temple was completed. The last act of Nehemiah, which is 
 recorded, (Neh. xiii. 23 31,) was just forty-nine years after 
 the work had been begun by Ezra, in the seventh year of 
 Artaxerxes Longimanus. This last act was the separation of 
 those from their heathen wives, who had transgressed the law 
 in regard to marriage, and the prohibition of all such alliances 
 for ever after. But it seems to have been impossible to prevent 
 the continual repetition of this evil, and that by men in the 
 highest stations; for Manasseh, as he is called by Josephus, 
 the son of Joiada, married the daughter of Sanballat the 
 Horonite, and when Nehemiah was using his utmost power to 
 enforce the law, and cause the people to put away their strange 
 wives, Manasseh rather than comply, left the nation; and 
 relinquishing all his prospects of distinction, took up his abode 
 with his father-in-law, the governor of Samaria. 
 
 This event gave rise to an important transaction, which per- 
 petuated the hatred between the Jews and Samaritans. San- 
 ballat obtained leave from Darius Nothus, to build on mount 
 Gerizim, at Samaria, a temple, in imitation of the temple at 
 Jerusalem, of which he made his son-in-law Manasseh the high- 
 priest. Josephus places this event much lower down in another 
 reign, but he has probably fallen into a chronological mistake. 
 Samaria having now a rival house of worship, became the 
 asylum of all renegado Jews. This ready reception of rebel- 
 lious and excommunicated persons, produced a bitterness of 
 hatred in the Jews against the Samaritans, which induced them 
 to denounce against them an awful curse, and reject them from 
 every sort of friendly intercourse; and even prevented their 
 exercising towards them the common rites of humanity, of 
 which there is sufficient evidence in the Gospels, as has been 
 said before. The Jews went so far in their anathemas against 
 the Samaritans, that they excluded them from all part in the 
 resurrection, and would on no account receive them as pros- 
 elytes. 
 
 After their temple was built, the Samaritans pretended that 
 this was the mountain which God had chosen for his place of 
 worship. They asserted that here Abraham and Jacob offered 
 sacrifices and built altars ; and that Joshua, when he brought 
 
446 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 the people into Canaan, caused the blessings to be pronounced 
 from this mountain, and on it built an altar of the twelve stones 
 taken out of Jordan ; and that very altar, they averred, was the 
 one on which they sacrificed. But in regard to this they were 
 guilty of a sacrilegious impiety in changing the sacred text in 
 their copies ; for, in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is said that Ebal 
 was the mount on which the altar was built, for which the 
 Samaritans substituted Gerizim. This corruption the Jews 
 loudly charge upon them ; but they with equal violence retort it 
 upon the Jews, insisting that they are the corrupters of the 
 Sacred Text; and bringing for argument, that Gerizim being 
 the mount appointed for the pronunciation of the blessings, 
 was a fit place for the altar, but not Ebal, from which the curses 
 were pronounced. But all other copies of the Pentateuch, and 
 all versions are against them. They have also added, in Exod. 
 xx., after the tenth commandment, a command to erect an altar 
 in Gerizim. 
 
 These two mountains are in the tribe of Ephraim. In the 
 valley between them is Shechem, now called Naplous. This 
 place the Jews by way of reproach called Sichar, which means, 
 drunken. Near this was the field which Jacob gave to his son 
 Joseph, and Jacob's well, where our Saviour asked water of the 
 Samaritan woman. 
 
 The opinion is entertained by some, that Nehemiah did not 
 return to Jerusalem until towards the close of the reign of 
 Darius Nothus, when he was growing old. Josephus relates 
 that he lived to a very advanced age; and this opinion, which 
 brings down the second administration of Nehemiah to a much 
 later period than the date commonly assigned, will accord with 
 the facts recorded in the thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah : for 
 it can scarcely be conceived that so great abuses could have 
 crept in during one year : such as the profanation of the tem- 
 ple ; the violation of the Sabbath ; the neglect of sending in the 
 tithes and prescribed offerings, and various abuses in the official 
 duties of the priests. All that the Scriptures say in regard to 
 the absence of Nehemiah, is, "But in all this time was not I at 
 Jerusalem; for in the two-and-thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, 
 king of Babylon, came I unto the king, and after certain days 
 obtained I leave of the king; and I came to Jerusalem," &c. 
 The expression "after certain days," literally is, at the end of 
 days; a phrase which, according to the idiom of Scripture, may 
 signify a longer or shorter time. Jahn, who adopts the above 
 opinion, supposes that the second administration of Nehemiah 
 was contemporaneous with the events referred to in the book of 
 Malachi, where the desolations of Edom or Idumea are spoken 
 of, which he thinks were occasioned by the perpetual wars carried 
 on during during this period between the Persians and Egyp- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 447 
 
 tians, whose armies often marched through this land, and laid 
 it waste. It is expressly asserted that Joiada was high-priest 
 during the last administration of Nehemiah, (Neb. xiii.) and the 
 Alexandrian chronicon places the death of Eliashib, the father 
 of Joiada, in the eleventh year of Darius Nothus, which answers 
 to the 412 B. C. The second arrival of Nehemiah must, there- 
 fore, be placed much later, and is by Dr. Prideaux referred to 
 the fifteenth year of Darius Nothus, but even this date is 
 probably too early. 
 
 We have now arrived at a period where we can derive no 
 further aid from the Scriptures of the Old Testament, for the 
 thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah, contains the latest history 
 found in the sacred record; and the prophecy of Malachi closes 
 the canon of the Old Testament, which, as was observed, refers 
 to the same state of things as is referred to in the closing chap- 
 ter of Nehemiah. There is, it is true, in the twelfth chapter 
 of Nehemiah, an extension of the genealogy of the high-priests, 
 for a long time after this, even to Jaddua, who was in office 
 when Alexander the Great visited Jerusalem; but, undoubt- 
 edly, the high-priests who came after Joiada, were added by 
 some one, after the canon was closed; most probably by 
 Simon the Just. 
 
 How long Nehemiah lived, is nowhere said, but he must 
 have been about seventy years of age at the time when the 
 facts occurred, which are last recorded in his book. After 
 him, the king of Persia appointed no one to be governor of 
 Judca, but seems to have annexed this country to the province 
 of Syria. 
 
 Darius Nothus continued to have wars with the Egyptians, 
 until they were subdued; and also with Medes, who had 
 revolted, and whom he brought under a heavier yoke than 
 before. His policy towards tjie Lacedemonians and Athenians, 
 in the Peloponnesian war was, to leave them to waste and 
 destroy each other ; occasionally directing his generals to assist 
 the weaker party, so that the war might be the more pro- 
 longed. The general who was intrusted with the management 
 of this delicate and difficult business, was Tissaphernes, a man 
 of great talents. 
 
 In the seventeenth year of his reign, (407 B. C.,) the king 
 sent his younger son Cyrus, to be commander-in-chief of all 
 the provinces of Asia Minor. Cyrus must have been, at this 
 time, a very young man, scarcely above sixteen years of age. 
 On receiving his commission, he was directed by his father, 
 contrary to the policy pursued by Tissaphernes, to help the 
 Lacedemonians. The impolicy of this course was soon mani- 
 fest, for the Lacedemonians, by the aid of the Persians, soon 
 became completely victorious over the Athenians; and being 
 
448 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 thencefoward released from this troublesome war, they turned 
 their forces against the Persians themselves, and actually sent 
 several armies to invade the country; one of which was com- 
 manded by the famous Agesilaus. 
 
 Cyrus gave great offence to his father, while he resided at 
 Sardis, by putting to death two of his own cousins, sons of a 
 sister of Darius, for no other reason, than because they, upon 
 meeting him, did not wrap up their hands in their sleeves, as 
 was customary on meeting with the king. An order was 
 therefore sent for the recall of Cyrus, by his father, but 
 assigning as the reason, that he was sick. Cyrus, before he 
 set out on his return, had sent to Lysander the Lacedemonian 
 general, subsidies, which enabled him to put his fleet into such 
 a condition as to gain over the Athenians that decisive victory 
 at the Goats' River, on the Hellespont, which put an end to 
 the Peloponnesian war. 
 
 Soon after the return of Cyrus, Darius Nothus died, after a 
 reign of nineteen years. By the interposition of his mother, 
 Cyrus was reconciled to his father ; and, not contented with 
 this, she entreated to have her favourite made king, on the 
 same principle as Xerxes was, because he was the first born 
 after the accession of his father. Darius, however, would not 
 yield this point, but gave the crown to Arsaces, the eldest son 
 of Parysatis the queen, who, on ascending the throne, took the 
 name of Artaxerxes, and to whom the Greeks gave the name 
 of Mnemon, on account of his extraordinary memory. 
 
 It is said, that when the father was near his end, this son, 
 appointed his successor, asked him to inform him by, what art 
 he had been able to manage the government so prosperously. 
 To which he is reported to have made the following memorable 
 reply: "By doing, in all things, that which was just toward 
 Crod and man." 
 
 Cyrus, being disappointed in his ambitious views, of ascend- 
 ing the throne quietly, began, as soon as his father was out 
 of the way, to plot against the life of his brother ; which, being 
 discovered, he was taken into custody, and condemned to die; 
 but his mother again interposing in his behalf, prevailed on the 
 king to send him back to the government of Asia Minor, which 
 had been left to him by his father's will. But no sooner did 
 this ambitious young man find himself at liberty, and invested 
 with authority again, than he began, on various pretences, to 
 raise an army; and the cities under the government of Tissa~ 
 phernes revolting from him, joined themselves to Cyrus, which 
 occasioned a war between them. This served as a pretext for 
 what Cyrus now did, in collecting forces. As Artaxerxes sup- 
 posed, that the only object was to oppose Tissaphernes ; and to 
 blind the king yet more, he wrote letters to him, complaining 
 
TO THE .CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 449 
 
 bitterly of the conduct of Tissaphernes, and entreating him to 
 grant him aid against him. He now applied to the Lacede- 
 monians, who were under great obligations to him, for the sub- 
 sidies afforded them for the aid of their fleet, which they 
 readily granted. All this time, Artaxerxes seems to have had 
 no suspicion of the true designs of Cyrus. When he had 
 raised and mustered his forces, he threw off the mask, and 
 marched his army directly against his brother. It consisted 
 of thirteen thousand Greeks, who were the flower of his army, 
 and about a hundred thousand besides, drawn together from all 
 parts, under the command of Clearchus. With this force, 
 Cyrus marched forward without meeting much opposition, until 
 he came to the plains of Cunaxa, in the province of Baby- 
 lon, where Artaxerxes met him with an army of nine hundred 
 thousand men, and a decisive battle was fought, in which 
 Cyrus was slain at the very moment when his auxiliary Greeks 
 were on the point of gaining a great victory. These Grecian 
 troops, of whom about ten thousand remained, were now left in 
 a most embarrassing situation, in the midst of the Persian 
 empire, in the presence of a vast hostile army, and with a long 
 distance between them and home ; the inhabitants of the inter- 
 vening countries being all inimical to the Greeks. But by 
 valour and consummate generalship, they succeeded in reach- 
 ing one of the Grecian cities on the Euxine sea, after a march 
 of two thousand three hundred and twenty-five miles. This is 
 the most famous retreat of which we have any account in his- 
 tory, and of which Xenophon, who was their leader, has given 
 us so lively and interesting a description, in his work entitled 
 Anabasis. 
 
 The death of Cyrus, and the retreat of the ten thousand, 
 occurred in the fourth year of the reign of Artaxerxes Mne- 
 mon, (401 B. C.,) being the very year in which Socrates was 
 put to death at Athens. 
 
 The reign of Artaxerxes Mnemon was long, extending to 
 forty-six years ; that is, from the year 404 to 358 B. C. He 
 carried on wars with the Lacedemonians, Egyptians, Cadusians, 
 &c., but no great success attended his arms. Shortly before 
 his decease he appointed his son Darius his successor, but on 
 discovering that he was engaged in a plot against his life, he 
 had him executed. The second son by the queen, destroyed 
 himself by poison. The succession to the crown then fell to 
 Ochus, in the year 358 B. C. He assumed also the name Ar- 
 taxerxes, which seems to have been among the Persian kings 
 what Pharaoh was among the Egyptians; but in history, this 
 monarch is known by his own proper name of Ochus. 
 
 During the greater part of the long reign of Artaxerxes 
 29 
 
450 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Mnemon the Jews enjoyed peace; except when the Persian 
 armies marched along the coast of the Mediterranean into 
 Egypt. On one occasion there were assembled on their bor- 
 ders no less than two hundred thousand barbarian soldiers, and 
 twenty thousand Greeks, together with a vast fleet, which ren- 
 dezvoused at Acre. 
 
 The high-priest Joiada died in the thirty-second year of Ar- 
 taxerxes Mnemon, and was succeeded by his son Jonathan, or 
 Johanan, or Ptolemais, or John, who held the office for thirty- 
 two years, and was the occasion of much trouble to his country. 
 The brother of the high-priest Johanan, whose name was 
 Joshua, having ingratiated himself into the favour of Bagoses 
 governor of Syria, through his agency and influence obtained a 
 royal order that he should be made high-priest instead of his 
 brother. Johanan not yielding to this, a contest took place 
 between the two brothers, within the temple, when Joshua was 
 rashly murdered by Johanan. Bagoses, on hearing of this 
 outrage, came to Jerusalem to examine into the affair, and 
 demanded to be admitted into the temple where the murder 
 was committed; and when this was 1 refused, on account of the 
 sanctity of the place, he answered with indignation, "What! 
 am not I as pure as the dead carcass which lies in your temple," 
 and immediately forced his way into the interior, where Joshua 
 had been slain. As a punishment for the murder of Joshua, he 
 inflicted a fine of fifty drachms on every lamb which should be 
 offered up in the temple. Some say the mulct was five hundred 
 drachms, but this has arisen from a manifest mistake in the 
 text of Josephus. This tax continued no longer than during 
 the government of Bagoses, a space of about seven years. 
 
 Ochus, upon ascending the throne, was guilty of shocking 
 cruelties towards his own relations. As soon as the death of 
 Artaxerxes and the accession of Ochus were known in Asia 
 Minor, all the provinces in that quarter revolted. 
 
 In the third year of his reign, (356 B. C. 100th Olympiad, 
 and 385 after the building of Rome,) Alexander, surnamed the 
 Great, was born at Pella, in Macedonia, on the same day that 
 Erostratus attempted to immortalize himself by setting fire to 
 the temple of Diana at Ephesus. 
 
 About the fifth year of Ochus, died Mausolus king of Caria, 
 an event rendered famous in history by the extraordinary grief 
 of his wife Artemisia, who was also his sister. For having 
 gathered together his ashes, and powdered his bones, she took 
 a portion of them every day in her drink till she had, in 
 this manner, drank them all; thus making her own body the 
 sepulchre of her deceased husband, and in two years pined 
 away with grief. But before her death she erected for him 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 451 
 
 that famous monument at Halicarnassus, which was reckoned 
 among the seven wonders of the world, and from which all 
 monuments of unusual splendour are called Mausoleums. 
 
 In the eighth year of the reign of Ochus, the Sidonians and 
 Phenicians revolted and entered into a confederacy with Nec- 
 tanebis, king of Egypt. He sent to their aid a large hody of 
 Grecian mercenaries, by whose assistance the Persians were 
 driven entirely out of Phenicia. The Jews also seem to have 
 taken part in this revolt of the Phenicians. The Cyprians, too, 
 encouraged by the success of the Phenicians, threw off the 
 Persian yoke and joined the confederacy. 
 
 Ochus perceiving that his wars with the Egyptians had been 
 badly managed by his generals, determined to go in person at 
 the head of his army; and having collected three hundred 
 thousand foot, and twenty thousand horse, marched into Pheni- 
 cia. Mentor, who commanded the Grecian mercenaries, being 
 terrified at the approach of so great an army, sent privately to 
 Ochus, offering to deliver up the city of Sidon to him, and 
 engaged Tennes, the king of Sidon, in the same treachery. 
 Ochus was rejoiced at this proposal, and promised them their 
 own terms. The Sidonians, to cut off all hope of escape from 
 the inhabitants, that they might make a more desperate resist- 
 ance, had purposely burned all their ships. When they found 
 that they were betrayed, and that the enemy was within their 
 their walls, retired to their houses, and setting fire to them, 
 perished in the flames, to the number of forty thousand, and 
 among the rest, Tennes, their king, whose treason did not save 
 him. This was the commencement of the destruction of that 
 ancient and famous city, predicted by the prophets in such 
 glowing language. The Phenicians, terrified with the over- 
 throw of the Sidonians, submitted to the conqueror without a 
 struggle. 
 
 Ochus having subdued the Sidonians and Phenicians, marched 
 into Judea, besieged and took Jericho, and carried many of the 
 Jews into captivity, taking some with him into Egypt, and 
 sending many others into Hyrcania. The latter were planted 
 near the borders of the Caspian Sea, where some modern travel- 
 lers think they have discovered their posterity, at this day. 
 (See Morier's Travels.) Not wishing to be diverted from Egypt, 
 on which his attention was fixed, Ochus made peace with the 
 Cyprians, by relieving them from some of the burdens of which 
 they complained. 
 
 Ochus, arriving with his army in Egypt, besieged Pelusium, 
 while a part of his fleet sailing up the river, encamped in an 
 advantageous spot, and being attacked by the Grecian mercena- 
 ries in the service of the Egyptians, defended themselves, and 
 slew a large number of the enemy. Upon which Pelusium capi- 
 
452 HISTORY OF THE ISKAEI.JTISH NATION 
 
 tulated, and Nectanebis fled to Memphis, his capital; but on 
 the approach of Ochus, he retired from Egypt into Ethiopia, 
 thus abandoning his country, to which he never afterwards re- 
 turned. He was the last native king who reigned in Egypt, for 
 ever since that devoted country has been in the hands of foreign- 
 ers. By this a remarkable prophecy of Ezekiel is fulfilled.* 
 (Ezek. xxix. 13 16.) Mentor the Khodian, having been of 
 great service in this war, Ochus rewarded him with a hundred 
 talents, and made him governor of the provinces in Asia Minor, 
 where he acted with great fidelity to the king, and brought over 
 to him his two brothers, Memnon and Artabazus, who were also 
 men of extraordinary talents, who had been engaged in the war 
 against Ochus. These brothers were of the greatest service to 
 the king's interest, by bringing back to their allegiance many 
 revolted provinces. 
 
 In the eleventh year of Ochus, (348 B. C.,) which answers to 
 the 108th Olympiad, died the celebrated Athenian philosopher, 
 Plato. Among his scholars, Aristotle was by far the most 
 eminent, the founder of the Peripatetic sect. This man was 
 born at a small town on the river Strymon, called Stagira ; on 
 which account he is often called the Stagirite. But the succes- 
 sor of Plato in the school was Speusippus. Aristotle, after the 
 death of his master, went into Asia, and lived with the king of 
 Atarna, a city of Mysia, whose niece he married ; but after the 
 death of this person, he went to Mytilene, and from thence to 
 Macedonia, and became preceptor to Alexander the Great, with 
 whom he remained eight years. After this he returned to 
 Athens, and taught the Peripatetic philosophy for twelve years 
 in the Lyceum. But being accused of teaching something 
 contrary to the established religion of the State, and being un- 
 willing to expose himself to the fate of Socrates, he retired to 
 Chalcis, a town in Eubae, where he died, two years afterwards, 
 in the sixty-third year of his age. Josephus informs us that 
 Aristotle, while he resided with Hermias, in Mysia, became 
 acquainted with a learned Jew, from the upper parts of Asia, 
 who had come there on business. This fact, he says, he learned 
 from a book written by Clearchus, one of Aristotle's principal 
 scholars. 
 
 After Ochus had brought Egypt and all his other revolted 
 provinces into subjection, he gave himself up entirely to ease and 
 luxury, and took no more concern about the government of the 
 empire, which he committed to Bagoas, his favourite eunuch, 
 and Mentor the Rhodian. In the eighteenth year of this reign, 
 (341 B. C.,) died Johanan or John, the high-priest of the Jews, 
 after holding the office for thirty-two years. He was succeeded 
 by his son Jaddua, who held it twenty years. Ochus came to 
 
 * See Newton on the Prophecies. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 453 
 
 his end by means of poison, 'administered by his favourite 
 eunuch Bagoas, (338 years B. C.,) after a reign of twenty-one 
 years. 
 
 Bagoas, after the death of Ochus, having the whole power in 
 his hands, raised Arses, the youngest of the king's sons, to the 
 throne, and then murdered all the rest ; thinking to free him- 
 self from all control by placing one upon the throne who was a 
 king merely in name. About this time, Philip king of Mace- 
 don, having made himself master of all Greece, determined to 
 carry on war against the Persians, by an invasion of their 
 country. With this view he called a general assembly of the 
 States of Greece, at Corinth, where he caused himself to be 
 chosen captain-general of the Grecian forces, and required 
 every city to furnish a certain number of men. But while he 
 was making these preparations, intending shortly to put himself 
 at the head of his troops, he was slain, at the nuptials of his 
 daughter Cleopatra with Alexander king of Epirus. The as- 
 sassin was Pausanias, a young Macedonian, who having received 
 great injury from one of the king's favourites, and obtaining no 
 satisfaction from Philip, he watched his opportunity, and slew 
 the king as he was passing in great pomp to the theatre. He 
 was succeeded by his son Alexander, then only twenty years of 
 age. 
 
 Bagoas, finding that Arses, whom he had placed on the Per- 
 sian throne, began to suspect his villainy, resolved to be before- 
 hand with him, and accordingly destroyed him. After pro- 
 ducing a vacancy in this iniquitous manner, he elevated to the 
 throne Codomanus, who assumed the name of Darius, after he 
 was made king. He was descended from Darius Nothus. As 
 Ochus, on his accession to the throne, had killed nearly all the 
 descendants of Darius Nothus, it is not certainly known how 
 Codomanus escaped. The first appearance which he makes in 
 history is, in the character of courier, in the early part of the 
 reign of Ochus. When this king was engaged in a war with 
 the Cadusians, a champion of that nation challenged the whole 
 Persian army to send out a man to fight him, in single combat. 
 When all declined this challenge, Codomanus accepted it, and 
 killed his antagonist; as a reward for which, he was made 
 governor of Armenia. 
 
 Bagoas, however, finding that Darius was not a man to suit 
 his purpose, determined to put him out of the way, as he had 
 done his predecessors ; but the king being informed of his pur- 
 pose to poison him with a certain potion, when it was brought, 
 forced Bagoas to drink it himself; and thus the traitor fell by 
 his own artifice. In regard to personal appearance, courage, 
 and bodily strength, Darius had no superior in all his empire. 
 He was also, it is said, of a mild and generous disposition ; but 
 
454 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 it was his misfortune to have to contend with that irresistible 
 conqueror, Alexander the Great. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 REIGN OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT INVASION OF ASIA BY ALEXANDER CONQUEST 
 OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF TYRE ALEXANDER'S VISIT TO 
 JERUSALEM IS MET BY JADDUA AND THE OTHER PRIESTS HIS STRANGE BE- 
 HAVIOUR HIS KIND TREATMENT OF THE JEWS CONDUCT TOWARDS THE SAMA- 
 RITANS DEATH OF DARIUS INVASION OF INDIA VOYAGE OF NEARCHUS CA- 
 PRICIOUS AND VIOLENT CHARACTER OF ALEXANDER HIS DEATH. 
 
 ALEXANDER, having been appointed successor to his father as 
 generalissimo of all the forces of Greece destined to go against 
 Persia, after subduing all his enemies at home, set off for 
 Persia, with no more than thirty thousand infantry and five 
 thousand horse. Encountering the Persian army at the river 
 Granicus, he totally defeated it, though five times more numer- 
 ous than his own. His victory put him in possession, not only 
 of all the treasures of Darius, in Sardis, but all the provinces 
 of Asia Minor came over to him, or were subdued by force. 
 Before he went into winter quarters, he gave permission to all 
 his newly married soldiers to return home, and spend the winter 
 with their wives; which custom being found among no other 
 but the Jews, it is probable that it was borrowed from them. 
 
 Darius finding his empire so seriously menaced, exerted him- 
 self to prepare for the approaching contest, and mustered six 
 hundred thousand men, near Babylon. He also had recourse 
 to policy, for knowing that the Grecian States were not friendly 
 to Alexander, he sent Memnon, the wisest of his generals, with 
 a fleet to the Grecian seas, where the Athenians and Lacede- 
 monians would have been ready to join him ; but after taking 
 possession of a few islands, he died, and the scheme was not 
 prosecuted. 
 
 Darius, contrary to the advice of some of the most experi- 
 enced and skilful of his generals, who advised him to wait for 
 Alexander in the champaign country, marched to get posses- 
 sion of the straits which led from Cilicia into Syria. In conse- 
 quence of the unfavourableness of the ground, Darius was 
 unable to bring but a small part of his immense host into the 
 field at once; and the Macedonians soon broke the first lines of 
 the Persian army, and drove them back on the second, and then 
 on the third ; and thus the whole was soon thrown into perfect 
 confusion. Such was the press of the crowd, in the narrow 
 defiles of the mountains by which they were enclosed, that more 
 perished that day, by being trodden to death by their own men, 
 than were slain by the enemy. It was with the greatest diffi- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 455 
 
 culty that Darius made his escape ; but his camp and baggage, 
 with his mother, wife, and children, fell into the hands of the 
 enemy. This battle was fought at Issus, in Cilicia, towards the 
 close of the year. The result of this victory was the conquest 
 of all Syria, and its capital, Damascus, whither Darius had sent 
 his most precious treasures, with his concubines, and most of 
 the ladies of his court. The governor of this town, as soon as 
 he heard of the flight of Darius, delivered it up to Alexander, 
 who sent Parmenio to take possession. 
 
 Alexander now pursued his march through Phenicia, where 
 all submitted to his arms, except the Tyrians ; who refused him 
 admittance into their city, depending on its insular and inacces- 
 sible situation. Alexander, naturally impetuous, and now 
 flushed with victory ; resolved, that cost what it might, he would 
 take the place. The first thing he attempted, was to raise a 
 bank between the main land and the island on which Tyre 
 was now built; and by this means, after some delay he took 
 the city. In making this causeway, he employed the rubbish 
 of the old town, which had stood on the continent, before it was 
 destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Since the time of Alexander, 
 the island has disappeared, or rather forms a part of the main 
 land. Among the captives taken at Damascus, there was one, 
 who, by her extraordinary beauty, captivated the conqueror of 
 the world. This was Barsena, the widow of Memnon, a famous 
 Persian general, of whom mention has already been made. 
 Her, Alexander married, and by her had a son whom he named 
 Hercules. 
 
 Tyre, being altogether devoted to commerce, was dependant 
 on other countries for her supplies of grain ; which were com- 
 monly obtained from Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. Alexander, 
 therefore, during the seige, was obliged to look to the same 
 quarter for supplies for his army, and ordered the inhabitants 
 to furnish him with all necessaries. The Jews pleaded, that 
 they were bound by an oath to Darius, and refused to obey 
 Alexander's commands. This answer greatly provoked him, 
 who, as soon as he had finished the siege of Tyre, marched his 
 army directly towards Jerusalem, with the intention of punish- 
 ing the Jews as severely as he had done the Tyrians, for not 
 obeying his orders. In this exigence, Jaddua the high-priest, 
 and others who had now the chief authority in Jerusalem, 
 being in great perplexity, and all Jerusalem with them, had no 
 other resource, but to throw themselves on the merciful protec- 
 tion of God. Accordingly, they earnestly sought his favour, 
 by prayers, sacrifices, and oblations. In answer to which, it is 
 reported by Josephus, that God appeared to Jaddua by night, 
 in a dream, directing him to go forth to meet Alexander, 
 dressed in his pontifical robes, accompanied by all the priests 
 
456 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 in their sacerdotal habits, and all the people of Jerusalem, 
 clothed in white garments. This divine admonition they 
 obeyed, and marched in procession to an elevated spot, not far 
 from Jerusalem, called Sapha, where they arranged themselves 
 in solemn order, and waited for the coming of Alexander ; who, 
 when he saw them, was struck with a solemn awe, and bending 
 down, saluted Jaddua, with profound and religious veneration. 
 All his attendants were astonished at this conduct, and the 
 enemies of the Jews in his train were greatly disappointed, for 
 they expected nothing else but to see the Jews devoted to 
 destruction. 
 
 Parmenio could not refrain from asking him the reason, why 
 he, whom all adored, should pay such reverence to the Jewish 
 high-priest. He answered, that he did not worship the priest, 
 but that God whom he served. For he said, that when he was 
 at Dio in Macedonia, and was hesitating about undertaking 
 this expedition, this very person had appeared to him in a 
 dream, in the very same robes in which he now appeared, and 
 had encouraged him to pass boldly into Asia ; promising him, 
 that God would guide him during the whole expedition, and 
 would make him master of the Persian empire. Alexander 
 then kindly embraced Jaddua, and entered Jerusalem with him 
 in a friendly manner. Here Jaddua showed him the prophecies 
 of Daniel, which predicted the overthrow of the Persian empire 
 by a Grecian prince; (see Dan. chap, viii.) This, it is said, 
 inspired him with the utmost confidence of success ; not doubt- 
 ing but that he was the person intended in the prophecy. All 
 which disposed him to treat the Jews with great kindness, so 
 that when they petitioned for the freedom of their country, 
 laws, and religion, and exemption from tribute every seventh 
 year, he readily granted them all their requests. No sooner 
 had he left Jerusalem, than the Samaritans met him with great 
 pomp and parade, and begged that he would also visit their city 
 and temple. Now the Samaritans had a strong ground for 
 their plea, because when the Jews refused to send supplies to 
 the army of Alexander, the Samaritans readily complied with 
 his orders; and moreover, sent eight thousand men to assist 
 him in the siege. Alexander answered them kindly, and told 
 them that he was then hastening to Egypt, but on his return, 
 would consider their petition, and grant to them what they 
 desired, as far as was consistent. They then requested freedom 
 from tribute, every seventh year. Upon which he asked them 
 whether they were Jews, to which they answered they were 
 Hebrews, who observed the same laws as the Jews ; and neither 
 sowed nor reaped, in the seventh year; and that as this immu- 
 nity had been granted to the Jews, they hoped it would not be 
 withheld from them. Alexander not being at leisure to make 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 457 
 
 the necessary inquiries, deferred a decision, on this point also, 
 till his return. 
 
 On coming to Gaza, he found it strongly garrisoned, under 
 one of Darius's eunuchs, named Betis, a valiant and faithful 
 man, who defended the city for his master as long as he could: 
 as it was at the very entrance into the country claimed by 
 Egypt, he could not pass until he had taken it. But notwith- 
 standing all the force and art by which it was assailed, it de- 
 tained Alexander two whole months. This delay, together 
 with two dangerous wounds received during the siege, led him 
 to treat the commander and inhabitants with inexcusable cruelty. 
 He put to death ten thousand of them, and sent all the rest 
 into slavery. Alexander now marched immediately to Egypt. 
 When he arrived at Pelusium, the Egyptians flocked to meet 
 him as a deliverer; for such was their hatred to the Persians 
 that they were ready to welcome any other master. He was, 
 therefore, received with open arms, and Egypt was possessed 
 without a struggle. Even the Persian governor at Memphis, 
 seeing that it was in vain to resist such a torrent, submitted to 
 Alexander. 
 
 From Memphis, he projected a journey through the desert 
 to the temple of Jupiter Hammon, situated in the sands of 
 Lybia, at the distance of two hundred miles from Egypt. The 
 famous temple erected here was probably in honour of Ham, 
 the first settler of Egypt after the deluge. Alexander's errand 
 to this place was very foolish and vainglorious. It was no 
 other than to get himself acknowledged as the son of the god 
 called Jupiter Hammon. In order to effect his purpose, he 
 had sent before him messengers to bribe the priests, so that 
 when he came, the oracle might declare what he vaingloriously 
 and impiously wished. On his way, his sagacious eye observed 
 a spot near the coast, over against the island of Pharos, very 
 suitable for a city. He immediately resolved that one should 
 be built, which he intended to make the capital of his empire, 
 and called it Alexandria, after his own name. According to 
 the course of trade, in those days, no situation could be more 
 eligible; for it has before it the Mediterranean, and behind it 
 the Nile, with a short and easy communication with the Red 
 Sea. But the state of the world as to commerce is now entire- 
 ly changed, and at present Alexandria is famous for nothing 
 but its ruins, the remains of its former grandeur. Having laid 
 out the city, he left the work in the hands of the famous archi- 
 tect, Democrates, the builder of the celebrated temple of Diana, 
 at Ephesus, while he went on his projected journey to the tem- 
 ple of Jupiter Hammon, where he received from the oracle the 
 answer which he wished, that he was the son of the god wor- 
 shipped in that temple. Upon which he returned in great tri- 
 
458 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 umph. In making this journey, his army ran great hazards in 
 passing through the sands, for two hundred miles ; where Cam- 
 byses, as we have hefore mentioned, lost an army of forty or 
 fifty thousand men. In one instance, he was preserved from 
 death by a seasonable, but almost miraculous shower of rain. 
 
 On his return, he collected inhabitants from all quarters to 
 people his new city, and among the rest, invited many Jews to 
 settle there, offering them the free exercise of their own laws 
 and religion; and even granting them the same privileges as 
 were conferred on the Macedonians themselves. Varro relates 
 that about the time of building Alexandria, the use of the papy- 
 rus, as a material for writing on, was discovered. 
 
 While Alexander was gone to Egypt, he left as governor of 
 Syria and Palestine, a special favourite, whose name was 
 Andromachus, who had his residence at Samaria. The Sama- 
 ritans, it would seem, chagrined at not receiving equal privi- 
 leges with the Jews, or on some other ground, set fire to the 
 house of the governor, who was consumed in the flames. At 
 this, Alexander was exceedingly exasperated, and on his return, 
 put to death all who had taken any part in this affair ; drove 
 the rest out of the city, replaced them with Macedonians, and 
 gave their land to the Jews. Those who escaped, went and 
 settled at Sichem, under mount Gerizim, which has been ever 
 since the principal residence of the Samaritans. 
 
 Darius, having several times in vain solicited peace from 
 Alexander, at last determined to make a mighty effort, and 
 collecting a vast army, marched towards Nineveh, where he 
 was pursued by Alexander, and overtaken at an inconsiderable 
 village called Guagimola, where a great battle was fought, and 
 Darius' army entirely defeated, though it was twenty times as 
 numerous as that of Alexander; and where he had all the 
 advantage of an extensive plain to bring his whole force into 
 active operation. This battle is usually named, not from the 
 obscure village where it was fought, but from the city of 
 Arbela, which was at no great distance. Any one may see in 
 these events, how remarkably the prophecies of Daniel were 
 fulfilled, which relate to "the ram and the he-goat," and which 
 were interpreted to mean the kings of Persia and of Grecia. 
 (See Dan. vii. 6; viii. 5-7, 20, 21.) Darius now fled to Media. 
 Alexander pursued him as far as Arbela, where he took all his 
 treasure and royal equipage, which was of very great value. 
 Alexander then turned his course to Babylon, which city was 
 given up to him at once by the governor. 
 
 Alexander now gave himself up to feasting and every species 
 of dissipation. When inflamed with wine, he often acted like 
 a perfect madman, as an example of which we may mention, 
 that, one night to gratify the caprice of a famous Athenian 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 459 
 
 courtezan, he, and all his companions, seizing torches, set fire 
 to Persepolis, and burned it to the ground. Hearing that 
 Darius was collecting another army in Media, Alexander pur- 
 sued after him ; and on his arrival, finding that he had fled to 
 Parthia, he continued his pursuit. This unfortunate monarch, 
 being thus driven from country to country, and subjected to 
 great privations and sufferings, grew desperate, and refused to 
 proceed further. Upon which his attendants inflicted several 
 mortal wounds on him, and left him ; in which situation he was 
 found by one of Alexander's generals ; but breathed his last 
 before Alexander himself arrived. When he saw the dead 
 body of so great a prince, thus forsaken and mangled, the con- 
 queror wept, and throwing his cloak over it, commanded that 
 it should be conveyed to Susa, and be honoured by a royal 
 burial. Thus ended the Persian empire, after it had endured, 
 from the first year of Cyrus, two hundred and nine years. 
 
 The enterprise of conquering India was another example of 
 the excessive vainglory of this prince. Having read in the 
 fabulous histories of Greece, of the heroic exploits of Hercules 
 and Bacchus, in the invasion of this remote country, he was 
 ambitious of equalling them, as he now gave himself out to be 
 the son of Jupiter, and began to require divine honours to be 
 paid to him. One of his worst actions was the putting Callis- 
 thenes the philosopher to death, because he remonstrated 
 against this foolish expedition. About the same time, also, he 
 put Clitus to death with his own hand. 
 
 When Alexander crossed the river Indus, he gave orders to 
 build ships, with the view of sending them down the river, and 
 along the coast, until they should reach Persia. This fleet was 
 committed to Nearchus, who coasted along the southern shores 
 of Asia, until he reached the gulph of Ormus, in Persia, much 
 about the same time that Alexander arrived in those parts, in 
 his dreary march by land, through the barren sands of the 
 southern parts of Persia. In this march, which was also in 
 imitation of Hercules and Bacchus, he lost more than half his 
 men. After his return, he married the eldest daughter of 
 Darius, and gave the youngest to Hephestion his chief favour- 
 ite ; and most of his leading generals were married at the same 
 time, to noble Persian ladies. 
 
 The mind of Alexander was capable of the most enlarged 
 and comprehensive views, and he was full of grand projects, 
 which few others would have conceived. One of these was the 
 circumnavigation of Africa; another, the restoration of Baby- 
 lon, which had suffered greatly, from the time that Cyrus 
 removed the mounds which restrained the waters of the 
 Euphrates in their channel. A third was a survey of the Cas- 
 pian sea. But when unoccupied with his wars, he gave himself 
 
460 HISTORY OF THE ISBAELITISH NATION 
 
 up to luxury, especially to hard drinking, in which he would 
 often spend whole days and nights ; until, at length he brought 
 on a fever by his excesses, which in a few days put an end to 
 his life, at Babylon. The death of Alexander occurred in the 
 first year of the 146th Olympiad, (323 B. C.) As is very com- 
 mon, in regard to the end of great princes, his death was 
 attributed to poison, and this report was not only current, but 
 fully believed among the Macedonians : and to give plausibility 
 to the story, a great many particular circumstances, as to the 
 manner in which the poison was concealed and administered, 
 were circulated. 
 
 After the death of Alexander, great confusion ensued about 
 the succession. But eventually the supreme authority was 
 divided among his four principal generals, Cassander, Lysima- 
 chus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. Cassander had for his allotment, 
 Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus, Thrace and those parts 
 of Asia which lay along the Hellespont and Bosphorus ; Ptole- 
 my, Egypt, Lybia, Arabia, and Syria; and Seleucus all the 
 rest. 
 
 Thus the prophecy of Daniel (chapter viii. 8) respecting 
 the breaking of the horn of "the he-goat," was most exactly 
 and wonderfully verified. The words of the prophet are, 
 " Therefore the he-goat waxed very great, and when he was 
 strong, the great horn was broken, and for it came up four 
 notable ones," taken in connection with the interpretation, 
 given to Daniel by the angel : " The ram which thou sawest 
 having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia. And 
 the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn 
 between his eyes, is the first king. Now, that being broken, 
 whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out 
 of the nation, but not in his power." The same events are 
 predicted in chap. vii. 5, 6, under a different prophetical em- 
 blem. "After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, 
 which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast 
 had also four heads, and dominion was given to it." 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 FROM THE TIME OF THE IMMEDIATE SUCCESSORS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, TO 
 THE DEATH OF ONIAS THE HIGH-PRIEST. 
 
 INCESSANT wars were carried on between these generals, to 
 give an account of which, is not consistent with our plan, except 
 BO far as they are connected with the fortunes of the Jewish 
 people. 
 
 Perdiccas, who was left in Babylon, and to whom was com- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 461 
 
 mitted the guardianship of the young kings, the half brother, 
 and the infant son of Alexander, was a man of great ambition, 
 and very soon began to meditate important conquests. He 
 first invaded Egypt, and then waged war against Ptolemy ; but 
 Ptolemy, having governed in Egypt with great wisdom and 
 moderation, was beloved by the people, and even the Grecian 
 soldiers in the army of Perdiccas were so unwilling to fight 
 against him, that they revolted from their leader and put him 
 to death, after which event all the Macedonians who invaded 
 Egypt came over to the side of Ptolemy. This prince, now 
 observing how convenient it would be for him to regain the 
 possession of Phenicia and India, resolved to make himself 
 master of these provinces, which having been assigned to Lao- 
 medon the Mitylenian, one of Alexander's captains, in the ori- 
 ginal division, and confirmed to him in the second partition 
 made by Antipater, had remained in his undisturbed possession, 
 from the death of Alexander until this time. Ptolemy at first 
 attempted to purchase them, and offered large sums for this 
 purpose ; but failing in these measures, he had recourse to war, 
 and sent Nicanor with a fleet into Syria, while he invaded 
 Phenicia. But while all the country beside yielded to her 
 power, the Jews alone refused to submit, and, for some time, 
 stood out against him ; upon which Ptolemy marched against 
 Judea, and besieged Jerusalem. The reason of their opposi- 
 tion was, a conscientious regard to the oath which they had 
 taken to Laomedon. Jerusalem being by nature strong, and 
 being also well fortified, might have resisted long, had not 
 Ptolemy taken advantage of their too strict observance of their 
 Sabbath, and chosen that day for a general assault. The place 
 fell into his hands, because none of the Jews would, on the 
 Sabbath, defend their walls against him. Josephus, indeed, 
 gives a different account of this transaction, but he was proba- 
 bly induced to conceal the truth, for fear of the ridicule of the 
 Greeks. And we know that until the time of Matthias, the 
 Jews did consider it wrong to fight on the Sabbath. 
 
 When Ptolemy got possession of Jerusalem and Judea, he 
 carried away one hundred thousand of the Jews to Egypt ; but 
 observing how faithful they were to those whom they served, he 
 chose out thirty thousand of them, to govern those towns which 
 it was most important to preserve. And having recently added 
 Lybia and Gyrene to his dominions, he sent many of them 
 to occupy that country. This was the origin of the Jewish 
 colony, who long resided there, and who were numerous in the 
 time of our Saviour, and long afterwards. Although the real 
 power of the empire had been usurped by Alexander's generals, 
 yet there was an agreement among them that Aridseus his half 
 brother, should have the title of king, and Alexander, the son 
 
462 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 of the conqueror by his wife Roxana, who was born after his 
 father's death, was also joined with the former in the title of 
 king, and many wars carried on by those in actual power, were 
 professedly in the name of these kings; the first of whom was 
 an idiot, and the other an infant. About this time Aridaeus 
 the king, having been carried into Macedonia, was there seized 
 by Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, and put to 
 death. After this, the infant Alexander only had the title of 
 king; but almost all the time that he bore it, he was a prisoner, 
 and it was not long before he also was put to death. 
 
 In the year 312 B. C., Seleucus, one of Alexander's gene- 
 rals, having seized on Babylon, speedily and unexpectedly 
 arose to great power; for, by his clemency, justice, and wisdom, 
 he so conciliated the affections of those under his authority, 
 that from being the most obscure, he became the greatest of 
 Alexander's immediate successors. His name is introduced 
 here, on account of a famous chronological era, called Seleucidse, 
 or the era of contracts, which was made use of all over the 
 East, by Jews, Christians, and Mohammedans. The Jews gave 
 it the name of the era of contracts, because while under the 
 Syro-Macedonian kings, they were found to use it in all their 
 contracts ; and it grew so much into use, that for a thousand 
 years after Christ, they knew no other method of computing 
 their time. In the eleventh century they were driven from 
 the East, and settled in Spain and in other countries in the 
 West of Europe. The commencement of this era corresponds 
 with 953 of the Julian period. The Arabs call it Tarikh Dhil- 
 karnain, the era of the two-horned, by which they mean Alex- 
 ander; whose coins were often impressed with a figure of two 
 horns. In the books of the Maccabees, this era is called the 
 era of the kingdom of the Greeks. It corresponds with the 
 year 312 B. C. 
 
 During the incessant struggles which agitated the empire, 
 Judea had passed out of the hands of Ptolemy into those of 
 Antigonus, whose power in the East had become enormous. 
 Ptolemy, however, again made himself master of the country, 
 and sent his general to seize upon Upper Syria; but the sons 
 of Antigonus defeated him. Upon which Antigonus joined his 
 sons, and they marched against Ptolemy, who not being able to 
 stand his ground, withdrew to Egypt, and all these countries 
 fell again under the power of Antigonus. But many of the 
 inhabitants of these regions were so much better pleased with 
 his government than that of Antigonus, that they followed him 
 into Egypt; and among the rest a great many Jews; which 
 still increased the number of this people there. In Alexandria, 
 which Ptolemy wished to make the capital of all Egypt, they 
 had a particular quarter of the city assigned to them when it 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 463 
 
 was first built, the inhabitants of which now increased to many 
 thousand families. 
 
 Among those who went with Ptolemy to Egypt, on this 
 occasion, was a man eminent for his wisdom and virtues, by the 
 name of Hezekias, of the sacerdotal race. Hecatseus the his- 
 torian, who accompanied Ptolemy on this expedition, makes 
 particular mention of him, as a man not only of great prudence, 
 but of great eloquence. He, moreover, says, that from him he 
 learned the religion, policy, and manners of the Jews, which, 
 he observed, Hezekias had with him, written in a book. This, 
 doubtless, was no other than the Law of Moses. And from his 
 acquaintance with this person, no doubt, it was, that he enter- 
 tained so favourable an opinion of the Jews and their religion. 
 
 This Hecatseus composed a history of the Jews, from Abra- 
 ham down to his own time ; the materials for which, he proba- 
 bly derived from Hezekias. This led a heathen writer, in 
 the time of Trajan, as Origen informs us, to doubt whether 
 Hecatseus ever wrote the history; for he supposed, either that 
 it was written by some Jew, under the name of Hecataeus, or 
 that if he was the true author, he must have been converted to 
 the Jewish religion. Hecataeus was a native of Abdera, a Gre- 
 cian city of Thrace, memorable as the birth-place of several 
 other great men. He was brought up with Alexander, followed 
 him in all his wars, and lived with him in Egypt, where he 
 became acquainted with the history, religion, and customs of 
 the Jews. The book is no longer extant, but Josephus gives 
 several extracts from it, in his first book against Apion. This 
 man must not be confounded with another historian, by the 
 same name, who lived in the time of Darius Hystaspes. Jose- 
 phus informs us of another Jew, who, about this time, followed 
 Ptolemy, and enlisted in his cavalry. His name was Mosollam. 
 And from Hecatseus he gives us the following anecdote of him. 
 "As I was travelling towards the Red Sea, there was a certain 
 man in company, called Mosollom, who excelled all the Greeks 
 and barbarians of his time in archery. While several of us 
 were travelling on together, a certain soothsayer undertook to 
 foretell the fortunes of our journey. He bade us all stand still ; 
 on which the Jew asked why we stood. 'Look ye,' answered 
 he, throwing him a bird. ' If that bird stands, ye are to stand. 
 If he rises and flies, ye must go forward ; but if he flies the con- 
 trary way, ye must all go back. Upon which the Jew without 
 speaking a word lets fly an arrow and kills the bird : at which 
 the diviner and some others expressed great indignation. 'Are 
 ye not all mad, said the Jew, to make so much ado about a 
 foolish bird? How could that poor creature show us our for- 
 tune, who knows so little of his own?' " 
 
 The Arabs of the desert were, in those times, of the same 
 
464 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 character as now. They had their stations in the recesses of 
 the wilderness, but their occupation was that of robbers. The 
 Nabathean tribe had Petra for their chief residence. The 
 Hebrews called it Selah, the Arabs Hagar, all which names 
 signify, a rock. Antigonus sent an army against them under 
 Athenseus, who came upon Petra, when the men were all out 
 on a predatory expedition, and carried away the women and 
 children ; but the Arabs soon returning, pursued after him, and 
 came upon him in the dead of night, and slew all of them, 
 except about fifty horsemen, and recovered all that had been 
 taken from them. 
 
 Antigonus, next, sent Demetrius to take signal vengeance on 
 these robbers ; but they had early intelligence of it, and leaving 
 a strong garrison in Petra, the rest of them took their wives, 
 children, and friends, and buried themselves in the recesses of 
 the wilderness. Demetrius finding it in vain to contend with 
 such a people, offered them favourable terms of peace, and 
 returned. In his return, it is mentioned, that after travelling 
 thirty-six miles from Petra, he came to the lake Asphaltites, 
 called also, the Sea of Sodom, because Sodom once stood there ; 
 and, the Dead Sea, because of the heavy, stagnant nature of its 
 waters ; and in the Scriptures, the Salt Sea, on account of its 
 great saltness. Demetrius, observing the vast quantities of 
 bitumen formed here, suggested to Antigonus the advantage 
 which might result to his revenue, if he would send proper per- 
 sons to gather it up. With this hint, Antigonus was pleased, 
 and accordingly sent workmen to collect the bitumen ; but when 
 they had succeeded in getting it together, the Arabs, to the 
 number of six thousand, fell upon them, and either slew or 
 drove them away. 
 
 Antigonus, hearing of the rising power of Seleucus at Baby- 
 lon, sent his son Demetrius to subdue that place ; but although 
 successful at first, he was ultimately baffled in his design, and 
 Seleucus retained his power undiminished. 
 
 In this year, (318 B. C.) a treaty of peace took place, 
 between the contending powers; according to which, it was 
 agreed, that Lysimachus should have Thrace ; Ptolemy, Egypt, 
 Lybia, and Arabia; Antigonus, all Asia. But this compact 
 was of short duration. The increasing power of Antigonus 
 filled the others with continual alarm, and they set about mea- 
 sures to curtail it, which brought on new wars. 
 
 The philosopher, Epicurus, began this year (312 B. C.) to 
 disseminate his pestiferous doctrine. He first taught at Myti- 
 lene, in the island of Lesbos, and afterwards, at Lampsacus, 
 and the Hellespont; and finally, at Athens, of which city he 
 was a native. Here he kept his school, in a garden, from the 
 thirty-seventh to the sixty-third year of his age, when he died. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 465 
 
 The sum and substance of his doctrine was, that all things 
 exist and take place by chance. He did not deny the being of 
 God, but held that he lived at his ease, having nothing to do 
 either with the creation or government of the world. He 
 taught that this world was man's all; and, therefore he was 
 wisest who sought and attained the greatest share of earthly 
 pleasure ; but, at the same time, he taught, that this end was 
 most certainly attained by a life of temperance and virtue. 
 
 While the power of Antigonus was rising so high in the west 
 of Asia, that of Seleucus was extending itself still more rapidly 
 beyond the Euphrates; so that it now reached the Indus on 
 the East, and he began to invade the territories of Antigonus, 
 to the West. This brought on war again between these great 
 powers. And while Antigonus was called to the defence of his 
 dominions against Seleucus, Ptolemy thought it a good oppor- 
 tunity for recovering Syria and Palestine. This he soon 
 accomplished, with the exception of Tyre and Sidon, which 
 being well garrisoned, were able to hold out against him. This 
 return of Judea under the dominion of Ptolemy, occurred in 
 the year 301 B. C. In this same year, the armies of Antigo- 
 nus and Seleucus came to a battle, in Phrygia in which Anti- 
 gonus, then above fourscore, was slain, and his army entirely 
 defeated. This was the period at which that fourfold do- 
 minion of Alexander's empire, mentioned before, took place. 
 The other competitors were now out of the way, the nominal 
 kings, as well as almost all Alexander's kindred, being dead. 
 Ptolemy now took undisputed possession of Egypt, Lybia, 
 Arabia, Syria, and Palestine. Lysimachus took Thrace, Bithy- 
 nia, and some other provinces along the Hellespont; Cassan- 
 der, Macedon and Greece ; and Seleucus all the rest of Asia. 
 
 This division of the empire, into four great kingdoms, did 
 not take place until about twenty-two years after the death of 
 Alexander. These were the four horns of "the he-goat" which 
 came up in the place of "the great horn;" the four heads of 
 the leopard ; and the four kingdoms, into which the kingdom of 
 the mighty should be broken and divided toivards the four 
 winds of heaven, who should not be of his posterity. 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 THE ACCESSION OF SIMON THE JUST MEGASTHENES, HISTORIAN OF INDIA BUILDINO 
 
 OF SELEUCIA DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION OF BABYLON DEATH OF SIMON. 
 
 IN the year 300 B. C. died Onias the high-priest of the Jews. 
 He was succeeded by his son Simon, surnamed the Just, on 
 account of the holiness of his life, and the strict justice which 
 marked all his actions. He was the first of that name who was 
 30 
 
466 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 invested with this office, and continued in it nine years. He is 
 the last, according to the Jewish tradition, of the Great Syna- 
 gogue, who, they say, assisted Ezra in preparing the sacred 
 books, and settling the canon. After the battle in which 
 Antigonus was slain and his army defeated, Seleucus took pos- 
 session of the greater part of Asia Minor, and gave himself up 
 very much to the building of cities. Sixteen he called by the 
 name of Antioch, in honour of his father and son, both of whom 
 were named Antiochus. The principal of these was on the 
 river Orontes, about seventy miles from its mouth, which became 
 the most famous city in all the western part of Asia. There 
 Christianity early took root, and flourished under the ministry 
 of Paul, Barnabas and others. Here the disciples were first 
 called Christians. In the early ages of Christianity it was a 
 metropolitan city, and its bishop held rank with the first four in 
 the world. This city continued to be famous in the East for 
 sixteen hundred years. 
 
 In A. D. 1265, Antioch was taken from the Christians by 
 the Sultan of Egypt, soon after which it fell into decline, and 
 since that time Aleppo has become the chief city in those 
 regions; which, however, has itself been overthrown by an 
 earthquake. Another town by the name of Antioch, in Pisidia, 
 is mentioned in the Acts of Apostles. About this time flour- 
 ished Megasthenes, who wrote a history of India, some frag- 
 ments of which are preserved by Josephus, and Eusebius. He 
 is often quoted by Strabo, Athenseus, Arrian, Pliny, Cicero 
 and Solinus. In this work, mention was made of Nebuchad- 
 nezzar and the greatness of his power. But the book is not 
 now extant. 
 
 In the year 293 B. C., Seleucus built Seleucia, on the Tigris, 
 about forty miles from Babylon. It was situated on the west 
 side of the river, opposite to the place where Bagdad now stands, 
 and soon grew to be a very great city. Pliny tells us it had 
 six hundred thousand inhabitants. One reason of its rapid 
 growth was, that Babylon becoming every year less habitable, 
 on account of the inundation of the river, which turned its 
 level grounds into a fen, the inhabitants were glad to seek a 
 more commodious habitation. The Babylonians, therefore, 
 flocked in great numbers to the new city. And, moreover, 
 Seleucus having called it after his own name, gave it many 
 privileges above the other cities of the East. 
 
 The prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah respecting the utter 
 desolation of this great city, have been most remarkably fulfill- 
 ed, even to this day. Three hundred years before Christ, it 
 began to be forsaken. Pliny says, that in his time it was 
 exhausted of its inhabitants, and brought to desolation. Strabo 
 says the same. Pausanias tells us that Babylon, once the 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 467 
 
 greatest city in the world, had, in his time, (second century,) 
 nothing left but the walls. These remained long, for they 
 served as a park for the Parthian kings, for the keeping of 
 wild beasts for their hunting. And in this state it was in 
 Jerome's time, in the fourth century, for he tells us, that 
 "except the walls, which were repaired for enclosing wild 
 beasts, all within was desolation." And in another place, 
 " that Babylon was nothing else but a chase of wild beasts, 
 kept within its ancient walls, for the hunting of the king." For 
 in Jerome's time, a race of Persian kings had possession of 
 this country, who continued until they were dispossessed by 
 the Saracens. 
 
 From the time of Jerome, no writer speaks of Babylon for 
 several centuries. How the walls were demolished we know not. 
 Benjamin the Jew, tells us, in his Itinerary, that he was on the 
 place where the old city formerly stood, and found it then 
 wholly desolate. "Only," says he, "some ruins of Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's palace were then still remaining; but the men were 
 afraid to go near them, by reason of the many serpents and 
 scorpions that were then in the place." 
 
 Texeira, a Portuguese traveller, tells us, " that there was 
 nothing then remaining of this old and famous city, but only some 
 faint vestiges ; and that there was no place in all the country 
 less frequented than that tract of ground, whereon it formerly 
 stood." 
 
 Rawolf, a German traveller, who passed that way A. D. 
 1574, says, "the village of Elugo lieth on the place, where old 
 Babylon the metropolis of Chaldea did stand. The harbour 
 lieth a quarter of a league off, where those are to go who intend 
 to travel to the famous city of Bagdad, which is situated further 
 to the east on the river Tigris, at the distance of a journey of a 
 day and a half. This country is so dry and barren, that it 
 cannot be tilled, and so bare that I should have doubted very 
 much, whether this powerful city (which was once the most 
 famous in the world) did stand there, if I should not have known 
 it by its situation and antiquities, that are still standing here- 
 about in great desolation. First, by the old bridge over the 
 Euphrates, of which some piers and arches are still remain- 
 ing, built of burnt brick, and so strong that it is admirable. 
 Just before Elugo is the hill on which the castle did stand, in a 
 plain, where some ruins are still visible. Behind it, and near it, 
 did stand the town of Babylon. This we see still, and it is half 
 a league in diameter ; but so completely ruined and low, and 
 so full of venemous reptiles, that have bored holes through it, 
 that we cannot come near it within half a mile but only in two 
 months in the winter, when they come not out of their holes. 
 Among these reptiles, there is a species, in the Persian language 
 
468 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 called Eglo, that are very poisonous. They are bigger than 
 any lizards." 
 
 Of the ruins of Babylon on the -western side of the river, 
 none of these travellers make the least mention, for they speak 
 of Nebuchadnezzar's palace, which we know was on the eastern 
 side. One reason for introducing here, a description of the 
 situation of Babylon is, that the reader may compare it with 
 the prophecy of Isaiah, (ch. xiii. 19 22.) "Babylon, the 
 glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall 
 be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall 
 never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation 
 to generation : neither shall the Arabian pitch his tent there, 
 neither shall the shepherds make their folds there; but wild 
 beasts of the desert shall live there ; and their houses shall be 
 full of doleful creatures ; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs 
 shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry 
 in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces ; 
 and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be pro- 
 longed." 
 
 Whenever we read of Babylon, as inhabited, after the time 
 of her desolation mentioned above, we must understand Seleu- 
 cia ; for that city is often called by the name of Babylon. At 
 first it was called Babylonia Seleucia, then Babylonia, and 
 finally Babylon. Simon the Just, high-priest of the Jews, 
 died in the year 292 B. C., leaving only an infant son named 
 Onias. Eleazar, the brother of Simon, therefore succeeded to 
 that high office. 
 
 Simon, of whom mention has already been made, was cer- 
 tainly a very extraordinary person, as may be gathered from 
 the fiftieth chapter of Ecclesiasticus, where his pious and bene- 
 ficent acts are set forth. But his chief work was the comple- 
 tion of the canon of the Old Testament. It is evident that the 
 canon could not have been completed by Ezra, for the books of 
 Nehemiah and Malachi were pretty certainly written after his 
 time : and Chronicles, Ezra, and Esther, were probably written 
 by himself. All these, it is probable, were added to the canon 
 by Simon the Just, who, on account of his attention to this 
 business, is mentioned as the last of the men of the Great Syna- 
 gogue, concerning which the Jewish writers have so much to say. 
 The main reason, however, for ascribing this work to Simon, 
 is, that the genealogies contained in Nehemiah and Chronicles, 
 seem to reach down near to his time, but none of them go 
 farther. Thus in Neh. xii. we have mention of Jaddua, who 
 was high-priest when Alexander visited Jerusalem; and in 
 1 Chron. iii. we have so many generations of the descendants of 
 Zerubbabel mentioned, that they must in all probability reach 
 to the time of Simon. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 469 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 RETROSPECT OF THE SUCCESSION OF KINGS AND HIGH-PRIESTS WHO HAD AUTHORITY 
 
 OVER JUDEA, UNTIL THE DEATH OF SIMON THE JUST SIMON SUCCEEDED BY ELEA- 
 
 ZAR IN THE PRIESTHOOD BY ANTIGONUS AS PRESIDENT OF THE SANHEDRIM 
 
 MISHNICAL DOCTORS SANHEDRIM HOW CONDUCTED CHANGES IN THE JEWISH 
 WORSHIP. 
 
 HAVING brought the history down to the close of the canon 
 of the Old Testament, it may not be amiss to take a brief 
 retrospect of the several kings and high-priests, who were in 
 authority during this period. 
 
 As our history commences with Cyrus, he will of course 
 stand first on the list. 
 B. C. 536 Cyrus. 
 
 529 Cambyses. 
 522 Smerdis. 
 521 Darius Hystaspes. 
 465 Xerxes I. 
 464 Artaxerxes Longimanus. 
 424 Xerxes II. 
 424 Sogdianus. 
 423 Darius Nothus. 
 404 Artaxerxes Mnemon. 
 358 Darius Ochus. 
 337 Arses. 
 
 335 Darius Codomanus. 
 
 This last was the Darius who was conquered by Alexander 
 the Great. 
 
 The nominal kings, after the death of Alexander, were Ari- 
 dseus, his half-brother, and Alexander Egus his son by Roxana ; 
 the first of whom was put to death about 313 B. C. The latter 
 lived to be only fourteen years of age, and was put to death by 
 Cassander, about 310 B. C. After the death of Alexander, 
 numerous competitors arose from among his officers, who laid 
 claim to whatever countries they were able to seize. Hence 
 arose a confusion of historical facts, which it is almost impos- 
 sible to reduce to any order. But after a series of revolutions, 
 and incessant wars, about the year 313 B. C., the whole empire 
 was divided between four principal successors of the conqueror. 
 This division of the empire, however, did not continue long. 
 Cassander had Macedon and Greece. 
 Lysimachus, Thrace, Bithynia, &c. 
 Ptolemy, Egypt, Lybia, Arabia. 
 Seleucus, the other Asiatic provinces. 
 
 The Jewish nation, though they changed masters several 
 times, remained for the most part in connexion with Egypt, and 
 
470 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 under the government of Ptolemy, by whom, as well as by Alex- 
 ander before him, multitudes of them were transported to Egypt, 
 especially to Alexandria, and also to Lybia, in the region of 
 Cyrene. 
 
 The high-priests, who, in succession, filled that high and 
 sacred office, from the return of the Jews from captivity, on the 
 accession of Cyrus, until the time of Simon the Just, were as 
 follows; though some have doubted whether there might not 
 have been others between those here named, of whom we have 
 no account. 
 
 B. C. 536 Joshua, who continued in office 49 years. 
 483 Joakim, " " 30 " 
 
 453 Eliashib, " " 60 " 
 
 413 Joiada, " " 40 " 
 
 373_Johanan or John, " 32 " 
 
 351 Jaddua, " " 20 " 
 
 321 Onias, " " 21 " 
 
 300 Simon the Just, 9 " 
 
 Simon the Just was succeeded by his brother Eleazar, his own 
 son being too young to be invested with the office. Eleazar, 
 the brother of Simon, executed this high office for fifteen years. 
 Simon the Just was also president of the Sanhedrim, or 
 grand council of the Jews, in which office he was not succeeded 
 by Eleazar, but by Antigonus of Socho, who was advanced to 
 it on account of his great learning; for he was an eminent 
 scribe in the law of God, and a great teacher of righteousness 
 among the people. 
 
 The death of Simon, and accession of Eleazar, are placed in 
 the year 241, B. C., and in the fourteenth of Ptolemy Soter. 
 At this time commences the succession of those called Doctors 
 of the Mishna. The first was Antigonus above mentioned, and 
 the last Judah Hakkadosh, who committed the Mishna to 
 writing, in the middle of the second century. They were some- 
 times called scribes, sometimes lawyers, or such as sat in Moses' 
 seat. All these titles mean the same thing, viz: that they who 
 were honoured with them had been brought up in the knowledge 
 of the law of God, and the tradition of the elders concerning it, 
 as taught in the Jewish schools and synagogues; by which the 
 judgment of the Sanhedrim was regulated. Out of this pro- 
 fession were always chosen the members of the Sanhedrim, and 
 of the court of twenty-three, which existed in every considerable 
 town. Such were Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and Ga- 
 maliel, mentioned in the New Testament. They were also 
 called elders, councillors, and rulers, for to them the judgment 
 and execution of the law belonged. 
 
 The Jews tell us of great changes which occurred in their 
 worship after the death of Simon the Just; as that before his 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JTJDEA. 
 
 time the scape-goat was always broken to pieces when cast down 
 from the precipice, but afterwards he escaped and was eaten by 
 the Saracens ; and that before the death of this high-priest, the 
 lot on the day of expiation always came out on the right hand, 
 but afterwards on the left. In his days the western lamp in 
 the golden candlestick, always continued burning, but after his 
 death sometimes it did not. So, likewise, as long as he lived, 
 the fire on the altar burned bright and clear, and when they had 
 laid on two sticks of wood, they needed no more all the day. 
 Before this event the blessings of God so attended the distribu- 
 tion of the two loaves waved at the feast of Pentecost, that when 
 they were distributed, every priest after being satisfied had 
 something left ; whereas, afterwards, the quantity was so small 
 that the modest priests would not take any part, and the greedy 
 were not satisfied. Here we may see at what period the age of 
 superstition commenced among the Jews. 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 THE REIGN OF PTOLEMY PHILADELPHIA TOWER OF PHAROS SEPTUAGINT VER- 
 SION LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 PTOLEMY SOTER, having reigned twenty years in Egypt, from 
 the time of his assuming the title of king, and thirty-nine from 
 the death of Alexander, placed his son Philadelphus, as a part- 
 ner, on the throne. This event occurred in the year 285 B. 0. 
 
 In the first year of Ptolemy Philadelphus, the famous light- 
 house on the island of Pharos was finished. It has been reck- 
 oned among the seven wonders of the world. It was built 
 entirely of white marble, and was furnished with lights on the 
 top for the direction of seamen. It is said to have cost eight 
 hundred talents; which, if estimated by the value of the attic 
 talent, will amount* to more than seven hundred thousand dollars, 
 and if according to the Alexandrian, to double that sum. The 
 architect, Sostratus, practised an ingenious fraud to perpetuate 
 his own fame; for being directed to inscribe the name of the 
 king, at whose expense it was erected, deeply in the marble, 
 accompanied with a suitable device, he first inscribed his own. 
 name, which he plastered over with white mortar, and on this 
 he placed the inscription directed by the king, so that for a 
 while nothing else was seen ; but when the mortar wore away, 
 there appeared the indelible name of the artist. But as an 
 evidence of the transitory nature of all human glory, the build- 
 ing itself is not to be found. 
 
 Here it may be mentioned, that what was formerly the island 
 of Pharos is now connected with the main land, of which it 
 forms a peninsula. 
 
472 HISTOKY OF THE ISKAELITISH NATION 
 
 Ptolemy Soter died in the second year after his son Philadel- 
 phus ascended the throne, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. 
 He was the wisest and best of his race, and left behind him an 
 example of prudence, decency, and justice, which none of his 
 successors were emulous to imitate. During his long reign of 
 forty years, Egypt, notwithstanding the continual wars in which 
 she was engaged, was brought into a very prosperous condition. 
 
 This first Ptolemy was a great patron of learning, to promote 
 which, he instituted a society of learned men at Alexandria, 
 and laid the foundation of that famous library, which was after- 
 wards greatly augmented by his successors. Ptolemy Philadel- 
 phus, at his death, left in it no less than a hundred thousand 
 volumes; and his successors went on adding to it, until at 
 length, it amounted to the number of seven hundred thousand 
 volumes. 
 
 One method of obtaining books for this library was not very 
 honourable. They seized the MSS. of every learned stranger, 
 who came into the country, and had a fair transcript made, 
 which they presented to the owner, while the original was 
 placed in the library. 
 
 When Julius Caesar besieged Alexandria, one part of this 
 immense library was burned, containing four hundred thousand 
 volumes. But Cleopatra afterwards augmented it by the addi- 
 tion of two hundred thousand volumes, brought from Pergamus ; 
 and others, until it was fully as large as it ever had been before 
 the disaster above mentioned. 
 
 This library continued to be famous until the year 642. It 
 is said to have been burnt by order of the Caliph Omar, whose 
 memorable reason for this barbarous act is often repeated : 
 "If those works," said he, "contain nothing but what is in the 
 Koran, they are useless; but if they contain something different 
 from what is read there, they are impious:" and accordingly 
 the order was given to commit the whole of them to the flames. 
 They were distributed for the purpose of heating the baths, 
 which end they answered, during a period of six months. By 
 some, however, all this is denied. 
 
 The person principally depended on by Ptolemy Soter, in 
 the collection and general superintendence of this library, was 
 Demetrius Phalereus. Indeed, according to Plutarch, he was 
 properly the projector of the whole scheme, by whose persua- 
 sion Ptolemy was induced to engage in the enterprise. After 
 the death of Ptolemy, only two of the captains of Alexander 
 remained, Seleucus and Lysimachus, both of them above eighty 
 years of age. But old as they were, and wide as the world was 
 over which they ruled, they again engaged in war with each 
 other ; the result of which was the overthrow and death of Ly- 
 Bimachus, which left Seleucus master of all that had belonged 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 473 
 
 to him. This, however, he did not live long to enjoy, for on 
 his way to Macedonia, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Cerau- 
 nus, whom he had most kindly received and entertained in his 
 family. A more base act of ingratitude is hardly to be found 
 in the annals of any age. 
 
 Upon the death of Seleucus, which occurred in the year 280 
 B. C., his son Antiochus succeeded him in the empire of Asia, 
 over which he ruled for nineteen years. 
 
 According to Usher, the version of the Old Testament into 
 Greek, commonly called the Septuagint, was executed in the 
 year 277 B. C., and if we give any credit to the history of 
 Aristseas, it must have occurred about this time ; for he tells us 
 that this translation was made while Eleazar was high-priest of 
 the Jews, who died about the beginning of the following year. 
 And it cannot be placed at an earlier period, because Eleazar 
 addressed an epistle to Ptolemy, in which, according to the 
 aforesaid author, he speaks of his queen, Arsinoe, to whom he 
 was not married before this year. 
 
 The account given by Aristaeas, and implicitly followed by 
 Josephus, is briefly this. Demetrius Phalereus, while collecting 
 the royal library, of which some account has been given, had 
 heard of the book of the Jewish law, and told the king that it 
 would be desirable to obtain a correct copy of it, and also a ver- 
 sion in the Greek tongue. 
 
 On this occasion, certain persons, of whom Aristseas himself 
 was one, petitioned the king for the release of the Jewish cap- 
 tives, who were held in bondage, alleging that unless they were 
 released, it would be in vain to expect from the Jews a correct 
 copy of their law, or a faithful translation of it. Upon which 
 the king made a decree for the release of all Jewish captives, 
 whose number amounted to more than a hundred thousand, and 
 ordered that an equivalent for their redemption should be paid 
 to their owners, which was computed at four hundred talents ; 
 but to this must be added the sum requisite for the redemption 
 of the children of the captives, which raised the whole amount 
 to the enormous sum of six hundred and sixty talents. An 
 epistle was then addressed to Eleazar the priest, by the king, 
 requesting a correct copy of the Law of Moses, and six elders 
 out of each tribe to translate it into Greek. The messengers 
 sent on this embassy were Aristseas, the author of the narra- 
 tive, and Andreas, who carried as a present for the use of the 
 temple, one hundred talents, from the king. 
 
 On their arrival at Jerusalem, they were received with great 
 respect by Eleazar the high-priest, and by all the people of the 
 Jews, and their requests were finally granted. A copy of the 
 Law, written in letters of gold, was sent, and six men out of 
 each tribe, well skilled in both languages, to turn it into Greek. 
 
474 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 When these men arrived at Alexandria, they were received 
 with much honour by the king, and the island of Pharos was 
 selected as a suitable place for their residence, while occupied 
 with the translation. Demetrius attended them all the time, 
 and when by mutual conference, the interpreters had agreed on 
 the version of any portion of the Law, he immediately wrote 
 it down. Thus, in seventy-two days, the work was completed. 
 The king having heard and approved the version, and presented 
 to each of them three suits of garments and two talents of gold, 
 with a cup of gold of the weight of a talent, sent them back to 
 their own country. 
 
 The next author who makes mention of this version, is Aris- 
 tobulus, an Alexandrian Jew, who flourished about 125 B. C. 
 He is said to have written a commentary on the five books of 
 Moses, and to have spoken of the Greek version, made under 
 the superintendence of Demetrius Phalereus, by the command 
 of Ptolemy Philadelphus. This book is not now extant ; all 
 that remains are a few fragments, preserved by Clemens Alex- 
 andrinus and Eusebius, who cite this author to prove that the 
 Holy Scriptures were partly translated into Greek before the 
 time of Alexander, but that a more perfect translation was 
 made of the whole, by the care of Demetrius Phalereus. 
 
 The next who speaks of this version, is Philo, also an Alex- 
 andrian Jew, who was contemporary with our Saviour. His 
 account agrees with that of Aristseas, as to Ptolemy's sending 
 to Judea for elders to make this version; and their returning 
 to the island of Pharos, all which he undoubtedly took from 
 Aristseas; but he adds this remarkable circumstance, that in 
 their interpretation they all agreed, to a word, whence he con- 
 cludes they were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of 
 God. He also states, that the Jews of Alexandria celebrated 
 the event by a solemn anniversary, when they went to Pharos, 
 and praised God for his divine assistance in making this ver- 
 sion. 
 
 Josephus, who wrote his antiquities towards the close of the 
 first century of the Christian era, closely follows Aristseas. 
 
 The first Christian writer who speaks of the origin of this 
 version, is Justin Martyr, who flourished in the middle of the 
 second century. He had been to Alexandria, and informs us 
 that the account of the wonderful agreement of all the inter- 
 preters, as related by Philo, was the common belief of the Jews 
 then residing in Alexandria; and adds, that each interpreter 
 had a separate cell, the ruins of which were shown to him. 
 
 All the Christian fathers who come after Justin, and make 
 mention of this subject, agree as to the foregoing facts. But 
 by the time when Epiphanius wrote, the story of Aristseas had 
 gathered new circumstances to render it more marvellous. He 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 475 
 
 says, that the interpreters were shut up in cells by pairs ; and 
 that to each pair one book was given, and that the whole of 
 the books of the Old Testament were by them rendered into 
 Greek: that when one pair had finished a book, another was 
 given to them ; and so every pair made a separate version of 
 each book; that is, each of the twenty-seven books was trans- 
 lated thirty-six times. By modern critics, the whole story is 
 believed to be fictitious, and to have been written, not by 
 Aristseas, but by some Jew, to give celebrity to the version. 
 And it is probable, that some fabulous circumstances are con- 
 nected with the history, which were increased from time to 
 time. But in a matter of historical fact, it seems dangerous to 
 set aside such an array of testimony, Jewish and Christian, on 
 the ground of probable arguments. Leaving out the wonder- 
 ful facts of this story, there is nothing incredible in the sub- 
 stance of the narrative ascribed to Arislseas. If that history had 
 been entirely fabulous, would it have been so implicitly adopted 
 by Josephus and Philo, and by all the Christian fathers? 
 It seems safest to receive ancient facts on the uncontra- 
 dicted testimony of the ancients, rather than reject them upon 
 the critical conjectures of the moderns. It should be admitted 
 then, that this version (or at least that of the Law) was made 
 by order of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and by seventy-two men 
 obtained from Judea, for the purpose. 
 
 But whatever may be thought of the origin of the Septua- 
 gint version, there is no doubt entertained by any, that it was 
 made at Alexandria, and by learned men of the Jewish nation, 
 in the days of the Ptolemies. The only doubt is, whether the 
 whole Bible was translated at once, and by the same interpre- 
 ters. None of the authors quoted above, say this, except 
 Epiphanius, whose testimony in such a case is of little value. 
 Aristseas, Josephus, &c., speak only of the Law of Moses; and 
 there is internal evidence sufficiently strong to convince us that 
 all the books were not translated by the same interpreters ; for 
 there is a marked difference in the style as well as in the words 
 used to express particular things. The faithfulness and skill 
 too, with which the version of the several parts is executed, 
 proves conclusively that the whole is not the work of one man, 
 nor of one set of translators. The probability is, that the five 
 books of Moses were first turned into Greek, in the reign of 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus, about 277 B. C., and that the other 
 books were added after no long interval, by different interpre- 
 ters, until all the books of the Old Testament were finished. 
 
 There is no reason, however, to believe that any of these 
 translators were divinely inspired. It has every mark of being 
 a human production ; yet its value is great. And this version 
 for a long time was held in the highest veneration by the Jews, 
 
476 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 not only in Egypt, but also in Judea, where it came into 
 common use in those towns, in which the Greek language was 
 spoken, and was even read in some of their Synagogues. But 
 after the introduction of Christianity, when disputes became 
 common and violent between Jews and Christians, the former 
 thinking that the latter had the advantage from this version, 
 disowned it, and betook" themselves to the Hebrew original. 
 But, as many Jews did not understand Hebrew, several persons 
 in the second century undertook new versions of the Old Tes- 
 tament into Greek. The principal of these translators were, 
 Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. The version of Aquila 
 is servilely literal, and therefore pleased the Jews; that of 
 Symmachus was paraphrastical ; and Theodotion's a medium 
 between the two, and more like the Septuagint. In our pres- 
 ent copies of the latter, the book of Daniel is from Theodo- 
 tion's version ; for the fathers, finding this very faulty in the 
 Alexandrian translation, substituted the other in its place : the 
 original however is still preserved. But it does not come 
 within the compass of our work to give any history of these 
 versions. 
 
 The most important fact, in regard to the Septuagint, with 
 which we are concerned, is, that the writers of the New Testa- 
 ment, in their citations of the Old Testament, commonly quote 
 in the words of this version. This fact proves, not only that it 
 was in common use when the books of the New Testament were 
 written, but also that it was considered as sufficiently faithful 
 and accurate to be generally referred to, for the conveyance of 
 inspired truth. It cannot, however, be hence inferred, that the 
 whole of it is sanctioned by these quotations, for sometimes the 
 inspired penmen give a more correct version of what they 
 quote, and in many instances do not exactly follow the Septua- 
 gint. 
 
 Between this version and the Hebrew original, there are 
 some important discrepances, not commonly affecting doctrines 
 and facts, but names and dates. In chronology, the difference 
 is great, and learned men are still divided in opinion as to this 
 subject; some greatly preferring the Septuagint chronology, 
 while most Christians prefer the Hebrew. But this is not the 
 place for discussing such a subject. 
 
 The pretence, however, that the Septuagint must be more 
 correct than the present Hebrew copies, because taken from a 
 copy made probably when the autograph of Ezra was extant, 
 has no weight; because, waiving all doubts which might be 
 started respecting the accuracy of the copy from which the 
 seventy translated, the copies of this version have been subject 
 to as great, and indeed much greater injuries from the careless- 
 ness of transcribers, than the Hebrew copies. We know that 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 477 
 
 as early as the time of Origen it had become very much cor- 
 rupted. Still, the value of this version is great, as furnishing 
 proof of the early existence of the prophecies of the Old Testa- 
 ment; as helping us, in some cases, to detect errors which have 
 crept into the Hebrew text ; and, above all, as furnishing us 
 with the source whence the writers of the New Testament bor- 
 rowed their peculiar dialect and use 01 the Greek language. 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE SADDUCEES BEEOSUS, THE CHALDEAN HISTORIAN RICHES AND 
 
 COMMERCE OF TYRE ALEXANDRIA ARSINOE, HER DEATH AND MONUMENT 
 
 CHARACTER OF PTOLEMY. 
 
 ANTIGONUS of Socho, already mentioned as the successor of 
 Simon the Just, in the presidency of the Sanhedrim, died about 
 the year 263 B. C. He was also the great master and teacher 
 of the principal theological school in Jerusalem ; and also the 
 first of the doctors who gave regular instructions concerning 
 the traditions of the fathers, which were added to the written 
 law, for the explanation of the ceremonies. These were after- 
 wards called Mishnical Doctors. His successors in the school 
 were Joseph the son of Joazar, and Joseph the son of John ; 
 the first of whom was also president of the Sanhedrim, and the 
 other vice-president. 
 
 In the days of Antigonus, the sect of the Sadducees took its 
 rise, of which he was the occasion, although not the founder. 
 For he having inculcated the doctrine that men ought not to 
 serve God from mercenary, but disinterested motives ; not from 
 the hope of future reward, but from love to God himself, two of 
 his disciples, Sadoc and Baithus, inferred that there were no 
 rewards after this life; and separating themselves from the 
 school of their master, they taught that there was no resurrec- 
 tion nor future state. Many persons being seduced by this false 
 doctrine, a sect arose, which received the name of Sadducees, 
 from Sadoc, one of its founders. This, therefore, is the oldest 
 sect which we read of among the Jews. Its commencement 
 must have been more than 263 years before Christ; for in that 
 year Antigonus of Socho died. About this time flourished 
 Berosus, the famous Babylonish historian. He must have 
 written in the reign of Antiochus Theus, for his history is dedi- 
 cated to this prince. He was, according to Tatian, a priest of 
 Belus at Babylon; and lived in the time of Alexander, but 
 dedicated his work to the third in succession from him, which 
 was Antiochus Theus; Seleucus Nicator being the first, and 
 Antiochus Soter the second. If this account of Tatian be cor- 
 rect, Berosus must have been of a great age when he published 
 
478 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 his history ; for if he was only twenty years of age when Alex- 
 ander died, he must have been fourscore in the first year of 
 Antiochus. Only some fragments of his history are extant, 
 preserved by Josephus and Eusebius ; but these are very impor- 
 tant, as without them the series of the Babylonian kings could 
 not be made out, and they cast much light on some passages of 
 the Old Testament. 
 
 The greatness and wealth of Tyre were owing to her exten- 
 sive trade, especially her commerce with the East. But now 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus laid his plans to give a new direction to 
 the precious commodities of India, and bring them to Alexan- 
 dria, which he in a great degree accomplished, by establishing a 
 depot on the western side of the Red Sea, considerably south 
 of its northern termination, where there was a good depth of 
 water. This place he called Berenice, after his mother. And 
 as the road between the Nile and Red Sea lay through deserts 
 where there was no water, Ptolemy, to remedy this inconveni- 
 ence, formed a canal from Coptus on the Nile, all along the 
 road, to supply the caravans which carried their goods with 
 water, and at convenient distances he established inns. To 
 protect the trade, he formed large fleets, both in the Mediterra- 
 nean and Red Seas. By these wise arrangements, Alexandria 
 became the emporium of most of the commerce between the 
 East and the West. In consequence of which, Tyre began 
 thenceforward to languish, until at length the prophecies re- 
 specting her utter desolation were completely fulfilled. 
 
 About the year 249 B. C., a war broke out between Ptolemy 
 and Antiochus, the events of which it is not necessary that we 
 should here relate. 
 
 Onias, the son of Simon the Just, being an infant at the time 
 of his father's death, could not be invested with the office of 
 high-priest, which was therefore bestowed upon Eleazar, Simon's 
 brother. Eleazar also dying before Onias was of legal age, the 
 priesthood was given to Manasseh the son of Jaddua, who exe- 
 cuted it for six-and-twenty years, and died in the year 276 
 B. C. Onias now succeeded to the office. 
 
 A great revolt having taken place against Antiochus in the 
 eastern part of his empire, he became weary of the war with 
 Ptolemy, and a peace was made between them, 249 B. C. The 
 condition of this treaty was, that Antiochus should divorce 
 Laodice, his former wife, and marry Berenice, the daughter of 
 Ptolemy. Accordingly, Antiochus put away his wife, who was 
 also his half-sister, by whom he had two sons; and Ptolemy 
 having taken his daughter to Seleucia, near the mouth of the 
 Orontes, and delivered her to Antiochus, the marriage was 
 solemnized with great pomp. Thus was the prophecy of Daniel 
 literally fulfilled. (Dan. xi. 5, 6.) "For the king's daughter 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 479 
 
 of the South shall come to the king of the North, to make an 
 agreement." By South and North in this passage, must be 
 understood Egypt, which lay south of Judea, and Syria which 
 was situated to the north. 
 
 In the year 248 B. C., Arsinoe the wife of Ptolemy died, 
 which caused him great grief; for although she was much older 
 than himself, he doted on her. To commemorate her, he formed 
 an extravagant project, which was, to erect a monument having 
 a vault lined with load-stone, which should, by its attraction, 
 cause an image of her to remain suspended in the air. This 
 design was conceived by Dinocrates, a famous architect of that 
 time ; and so pleased Ptolemy that he commanded the work to 
 be immediately commenced ; but neither the king nor the artist 
 lived to have it completed. This probably gave rise to the 
 fable so long current respecting the coffin of Mohammed. 
 
 Ptolemy did not long survive his beloved wife. He was natu- 
 rally of a weak constitution, which was greatly debilitated by 
 luxurious indulgence; so that when grief for the loss of his wife 
 was added, he sunk under the burden, and expired in his grand 
 climacteric, after having reigned over Egypt thirty-eight years. 
 
 Ptolemy was the greatest patron of learning and the fine arts 
 among all the kings of antiquity. Seven celebrated poets of 
 that age are said to have resided in his court. The works of 
 four of these, (Theocritus, Callimachus, Lycophron and Aratus,) 
 are still extant. Manetho, the Egyptian historian, dedicated 
 his work to him. Zoilus, the snarling critic, who distinguished 
 himself by abusing Homer, also frequented the Egyptian court, 
 but received no countenance from Ptolemy. 
 
 Ptolemy had also a passion for building. He rebuilt Acco in 
 Palestine, on the Mediterranean, which he called Ptolemais, 
 after his own name. This place has been famous in the history 
 of all ages, especially in the wars of the crusades. It is now 
 called Acre, and in our own times has been famous for the 
 unsuccessful siege which it sustained from Bonaparte. 
 
 The city formerly famous under the name of Rabbah, he 
 rebuilt,, and called it Philadelphia after his own surname. It 
 has long been desolate. Such was his taste for fine buildings, 
 that it became proverbial to call an edifice of more than usual 
 magnificence, Philadelphian. Notwithstanding the great ex- 
 penses necessarily attendant on his favourite pursuits, he died 
 exceedingly rich, leaving no less than seven hundred and forty 
 thousand Egyptian talents in the treasury. He left also large 
 and well furnished fleets, both in the Red Sea and the Mediter- 
 ranean. 
 
480 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 PTOLEMY EUERGETES BEEENICE PROPHECIES FULFILLED THE AHT7NDELIAN 
 
 MARBLES. 
 
 As SOON as Antiochus heard of the death of Ptolemy, he put 
 away Berenice, and invited his former wife, Laodice, to return ; 
 but she knowing his fickleness, caused him to be poisoned by 
 his servants, and placing a man who greatly resembled him in 
 his bed, to personate him as being confined by sickness, she con- 
 cealed his death until by orders, forged under her hand, she 
 placed her own son Seleucus on the throne, which he occupied 
 for twenty years. She also pursued Berenice and her son, 
 with unrelenting vengeance, until she had them both put to 
 death by the treachery of some who were about them. And 
 here again we see the fulfilment of the sequel of the prophecy 
 of Daniel before cited. After predicting the marriage of the 
 king of the North to the daughter of the king of the South, as 
 the band of agreement, he goes on to say: "But she" that is 
 Berenice "shall not retain the power of the arm; neither 
 shall he" that is Antiochus "stand, nor his arm: but she" 
 that is Berenice "shall be given up, and they that brought 
 her" that is, her Egyptian friends "and he that begat her, 
 and he that strengthened her." (Daniel xi. 6.) 
 
 While Berenice was besieged by Laodice in Daphne, where 
 she had fled for refuge, with her son, her brother Ptolemy 
 Euergetes, who had succeeded his father on the throne of 
 Egypt, marched with a powerful army to her relief; but before 
 he arrived at Daphne, both she and her son were killed. He 
 avenged himself, however, by putting Laodice to death, and 
 making himself master of all Syria and Cilicia. He even 
 extended his conquests, beyond the Euphrates, as far as the 
 Tigris, and was in a fair way to reduce under his dominion all 
 the Eastern provinces of the Syrian empire, when he was sud- 
 denly recalled to Egypt, by a sedition that had arisen there. 
 He greatly endeared himself to the Egyptian people, on his 
 return from this expedition, by bringing back from Persia their 
 gods, which Cambyses had carried away ; and on this account, 
 he received the name, Euergetes, or Benefactor. All these 
 events were in exact fulfilment of the prophecies of Daniel, who 
 tells us, that after the queen of the South, with her son and 
 attendants, should be cut off, and her father, who was her chief 
 support, should be dead, "there should one arise out of a 
 branch of her roots, in his estate" that is, her brother 
 Ptolemy Euergetes and that " he should come with an army 
 and enter into the fortress of the king of the North, and prevail 
 against him, and carry captive into Egypt, their gods, with 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 481 
 
 their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and gold ; 
 and then come into his kingdom, and return into his own land." 
 Now, how exactly all this was fulfilled, the history of Ptolemy 
 Euergetes most manifestly shows. Again, it is said, in the 
 same prophecy, that " the king of the South should continue 
 more years than the king of the North," and such was the 
 event, for Ptolemy Euergetes survived Seleucus Callinicus, 
 whom Laodice had placed on the throne of Syria, four years. 
 
 The wife of Ptolemy Euergetes, also named Berenice, being 
 very apprehensive of danger to her husband in his northern 
 expedition, made a vow, that she would consecrate her hair, of 
 which she was vain, as being very beautiful, if he should return 
 safe. Accordingly it was cut off and sent to the temple which 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus had built in Cyprus, but, by some acci- 
 dent, was lost, an occurrence by which Ptolemy was much dis- 
 turbed. It happened that Conon of Samos, a distinguished 
 mathematician, was then at Alexandria, who, to relieve the 
 king's mind, and also to ingratiate himself into his favour, pre- 
 tended that this hair was caught up into heaven ; and showed 
 seven stars, near the tail of the Lion, not before connected with 
 any constellation, which he said was the consecrated hair of 
 the queen; which conceit being countenanced by subsequent 
 astronomers, a new constellation was added, called Coma Ber- 
 enices, the hair of Berenice. Callimachus, the poet, wrote a 
 hymn to celebrate the hair of Berenice. 
 
 Ptolemy Euergetes, who seems to have been of a devout turn 
 of mind, on his return from his Syrian expedition, took Jerusa- 
 lem in his way, and there caused many sacrifices to be offered 
 up to the God of Israel, as an acknowledgment for the great 
 success which he had experienced in his contest with the king 
 of Syria. And it is not improbable, that the prophecies of 
 Daniel, relative to these events, might have been shown to him. 
 
 Seleucus, in the years 245 and 244 B. C., entered into new 
 wars with Ptolemy, for the recovery of his lost dominions, but 
 the issue was as unfortunate as before ; for being overcome in 
 battle, he was obliged to flee to Antioch, accompanied only by 
 a few of his followers. In consequence of the broken and dis- 
 astrous state of his affairs, he invited his brother Antiochus, 
 who was then at the head of an army, to join with him. Antio- 
 chus although he was only fourteen years of age, yet being of 
 an ambitious turn, readily accepted the proposal, not so much 
 to aid his brother, as to gain the empire for himself. At this 
 time, the cities of Smyrna and Magnesia, as a testimony of 
 their affection for Seleucus, entered into a combination to assist 
 him with their might, and erected a column of marble, on which 
 their mutual agreement was engraved. And it is a remarkable 
 fact, that this identical marble is now standing in the court- 
 31 
 
482 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 yard of the theatre at Oxford, with the inscription still dis- 
 tinctly legible, in Greek capital letters. It was brought from 
 Asia, by Thomas, earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles the 
 First, and was given, with other marbles, to the University of 
 Oxford, by Henry, duke of Norfolk, his grandson, in the reign 
 of Charles the Second. These are commonly spoken of under 
 the name of the Arundelian marbles. 
 
 The union of the two brothers against Ptolemy was attended 
 with no great issue ; for the latter made a peace with Seleucus, 
 while Antiochus went on with his preparations for war. These, 
 his brother soon suspected, were intended against himself. He, 
 therefore, marched an army over mount Taurus, to surprise 
 him. A battle was fought between them near Ancyra in Asia 
 Minor, in which Seleucus was overthrown, and scarcely escaped 
 with his life. It fared little better with Antiochus, for the 
 Galatians, or Gauls of Asia, whom he had taken into his ser- 
 vice, upon a rumour that Seleucus was slain, immediately plot- 
 ted the death of the other brother, thinking, that if he were out 
 of the way, the whole empire would fall into their hands. 
 Antiochus having no other method of saving his life, gave all 
 his treasure as a ransom for it. 
 
 Eumenes, king of Pergamus, taking advantage of the dis- 
 tracted state of the Syrian empire, made an attack on the 
 Gauls and on Antiochus, and gained a victory over them. 
 About the same time, Theodotus and Arsaces, revolting against 
 Seleucus in the East, seized Parthia and Hyrcania. But not- 
 withstanding all these disasters, the war continued. Fraternal 
 discord is the most difficult to be reconciled. 
 
 The seat of war was now transferred to Mesopotamia; and 
 about this time probably occurred the battle mentioned (2 
 Maccab. viii. 20) by Judas Maccabgeus, in which he says that 
 eight thousand Jews, with four thousand Macedonians, van- 
 quished the Galatians, and slew one hundred and seventy thou- 
 sand men. About this time, it was customary for the Jews to 
 hire themselves as soldiers, to all parties, in the wars which 
 were then carried on by the kings of the East ; and their servi- 
 ces in these wars were held in the highest estimation. 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 PTOLEMY EUERGETES AN ENCOURAGER OF LEARNING SELEUCUS DEFEATED AND 
 
 TAKEN PRISONER ORIGIN OF THE KINGDOM OF THE PARTHIANS REMARKABLE 
 
 HISTORY OF JOSEPH GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN THE EAST. 
 
 PTOLEMY EUERGETES being now relieved from war, devoted his 
 attention to the arts of peace ; especially to the promotion of 
 learning, and the increase of the vast library which his father 
 had founded in Alexandria. Of this he made Erastosthenes, a 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 483 
 
 learned Athenian, the keeper, after the death of Zenodotus, 
 who was appointed librarian by Ptolemy Philadelphus. The 
 person now advanced to this office was one of the most learned 
 men of his age, as appears from the manner in which he is 
 frequently referred to by Pliny, Strabo, and others. He was 
 the author of many works, none of which are now extant. 
 The only writing of his, which still remains, is an important 
 document, preserved by Syncellus, containing a catalogue of all 
 the kings who reigned at Thebes in Egypt, from Menes or Mis- 
 raim, down to the time of the Trojan war. It contains a series 
 of thirty-eight kings, and has been of great service in writing 
 the Egyptian chronology. It is one of the most authentic and 
 important documents of remote antiquity extant in profane 
 history. It was extracted from the most ancient records of the 
 country, by order of Ptolemy Euergetes, and was probably 
 intended to supply the defects of Manetho's catalogue, which 
 commences exactly where that of Erastosthenes' ends. 
 
 In the year 230 B. C., Seleucus marched against Arsaces, 
 who had seized Parthia and other districts in the East; but the 
 event of this expedition was most disastrous to him, for he was 
 not only defeated, but taken prisoner. This was the origin of 
 the kingdom of the Parthians, which became so terrible in after 
 times, even to the Romans, who were a terror to all others. 
 The day on which Arsaces obtained this victory was long cele- 
 brated as an anniversary in Parthia. From this time, the con- 
 queror styled himself king, and all his successors assumed his 
 name, just as the kings of Egypt, for a long period, took the 
 name of Ptolemy. 
 
 Onias, the high-priest of the Jews, who was a weak and rash 
 man, having neglected to pay the customary tribute to Ptolemy 
 Euergetes, and the arrears continually increasing, the king sent 
 Athenion, one of his courtiers, to demand full payment. The 
 arrival of this minister created a great sensation at Jerusalem ; 
 for it did not appear what course could be taken to appease the 
 king's displeasure, as the sum requisite to satisfy the demand 
 could by no means be raised. In this emergency, a young man 
 by the name of Joseph, a near relation of Onias, who was in 
 great reputation among the Jews, for prudence, justice, and 
 sanctity, came to Jerusalem from his residence in the coun- 
 try, and going immediately to his uncle, the high-priest, 
 expostulated with him freely on the course which he had pur- 
 sued in relation to the tribute ; and exhorted him to go immedi- 
 ately to Egypt and endeavour to satisfy the king. But this was 
 a business for which Onias was by no means qualified ; besides, 
 he was now old and feeble. Upon his declining the journey, 
 Joseph offered his own services on the occasion, which were 
 joyfully accepted by his uncle and the people. Joseph went 
 
484 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 immediately to find Athenion, whom he took to his own house, 
 and entertained sumptuously while he remained ; and so gained 
 the esteem of the Egyptian minister, that he returned to the 
 king with kind feelings toward the Jewish people, and the most 
 favourable impressions of the character of Joseph. He also 
 conveyed to the king the intelligence that this excellent young 
 man would shortly attend upon him, to explain every thing 
 which related to the tribute, so long due. 
 
 Joseph, as soon as the ambassador was gone, began to pre- 
 pare for his journey, and having prepared himself with proper 
 equipage, set off for the court of Ptolemy. On the way he 
 happened to fall in company with some noblemen of Phenicia 
 and Coelo-Syria, who were going to Egypt for the purpose of 
 farming the revenues of their respective provinces. During 
 the journey, he learned much from these persons of the value 
 of the revenues, which knowledge he afterwards turned to good 
 account. Finding, when he arrived at Alexandria, that the 
 king was at Memphis, he hastened thither, and fortunately met 
 him returning in a chariot with his queen and Athenion. The 
 latter no sooner espied Joseph, than he pointed him out to the 
 king as his young Jewish friend, concerning whom he had before 
 so often spoken to him. Upon which the king invited him into 
 his chariot, and conversed freely with him. He complained of 
 the ill conduct of Onias in withholding the tribute for so many 
 years. Joseph excused his uncle on the ground of his age and 
 weakness, in so handsome a manner, that he not only pacified 
 the king, but gained for himself his particular favour. When 
 they arrived in Alexandria, the king ordered that he should be 
 lodged in the palace and maintained at his own table. 
 
 On the arrival of the day for farming the revenues of the 
 provinces, which were set up to the highest bidder, Joseph 
 observed that the highest sum bid for Judea, Samaria, Coelo- 
 Syria, and Phenicia, by his companions in travel, was no more 
 than eight thousand talents, and being assured, from their con- 
 versation on the way, that they were worth, at least, double 
 that sum, he bade sixteen thousand talents, exclusive of the 
 forfeitures. 
 
 Ptolemy was pleased with the prospect of such an augmenta- 
 tion of his revenues, but was doubtful of the young man's ability 
 to give adequate security. When Joseph was asked what surety 
 he would give, he facetiously answered, that they should be 
 persons beyond all exception, and immediately named the king 
 and queen. The king was so delighted with the pleasantness 
 and confidence manifested by this answer, that he trusted him 
 on his own word, dispensing with all other pledges. Receiving 
 now the appointment of receiver-general of the king's revenues, 
 in the provinces above named, he set off on his way home, 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 485 
 
 accompanied with a guard of two thousand men, for his support 
 in the execution of his office. On his arrival at Askelon, the 
 people not only refused to pay the tribute to him, but used op- 
 probrious language towards him ; whereupon he commanded his 
 soldiers to seize twenty of the ringleaders, on whom he executed 
 exemplary punishment, and sent their forfeited estates to the 
 king's treasury. The same process was repeated at Scythopo- 
 lis, by which all the other places in the provinces were so inti- 
 midated, that he had no further trouble in collecting the king's 
 revenues. 
 
 The conduct of Joseph in this high office was so marked with 
 justice and energy, that he was continued in it, not only while 
 Ptolemy Euergetes lived, but during the reign of his successor, 
 Ptolemy Philopater, and also of Ptolemy Epiphanes, until these 
 provinces were wrested from him by Antiochus the Great. Se- 
 leucus, who, it has been seen, was taken prisoner in Parthia, 
 remained there in custody, but royally entertained by Arsaces, 
 until the year 326 B. C., when he was killed by a fall from his 
 horse. He left two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus, and a daugh- 
 ter, who was given in marriage to Mithridates, king of Pontus, 
 with Phrygia for her dower. Seleucus being the oldest of his 
 two sons, succeeded him in the throne, and took the name of 
 Ceraunus. He was a weak prince, and his reign was very 
 short. 
 
 Antiochus, the brother of Seleucus, was sent to Babylonia for 
 his education, and was there at the time of his brother's death ; 
 on which event he was sent for to Antioch, and ascended the 
 throne, which he occupied for thirty-six years. On account of 
 his many great actions, he received the surname of Crreat. 
 
 In the year before Christ two hundred and twenty-two, there 
 happened a very violent earthquake in the East, which made 
 great devastations in many places, especially in Caria, and the 
 island of Rhodes. It threw down not only the walls of the city 
 of Rhodes and the houses, but also the great colossus, which be- 
 strided the harbour, and was reckoned one of the seven wonders 
 of the world. It was a prodigious statue of brass, erected to 
 the sun; one hundred and five feet in height, and everything 
 else in proportion. Chares was twelve years employed in its 
 erection, and sixty years afterwards it was thrown down. The 
 Rhodians sent ambassadors to all the neighbouring countries to 
 beg money for the purpose of raising this colossus again ; but 
 after collecting vast sums, they pocketed the money, pretending 
 that an oracle had forbidden the erection of the colossus. 
 There it lay for eight hundred and ninety-four years, when 
 Moawiah, the sixth caliph of Damascus, having taken Rhodes, 
 sold the brass to a Jewish merchant, who loaded with it nine 
 hundred camels; so that it would seem that its original weight 
 
486 HISTOEY OF THE ISEAELITISH NATION 
 
 
 
 could not have fallen greatly short of a million of pounds. To- 
 wards the close of the year 222 B. C. died Ptolemy Euergetes, 
 king of Egypt, after having reigned over that country for five 
 and twenty years. He was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Phi- 
 lopater, a very profligate and vicious prince. He was suspected 
 of putting an end to his father's life by poison ; and soon after 
 he was seated on his throne, he added the murder of his mother, 
 and of his brother Magas; and also of Cleomenes, king of 
 Sparta, who had taken refuge in the court of Ptolemy Euerge- 
 teSj and was a person of great wisdom and sagacity. 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 ACCESSION OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATER TO THE THRONE OF EGYPT HIS CONTEST WITH 
 ANTIOCHUS HIS CRUELTY VISITS JERUSALEM AND ATTEMPTS TO ENTER THE 
 SANCTUARY RESOLVES TO EXTERMINATE THE JEWS THEIR PROVIDENTIAL DE- 
 LIVERANCE HE DIES AND LEAVES THE KINGDOM TO HIS SON PTOLEMY EPIPHA- 
 NES, ONLY FIVE YEARS OF AGE. ANTIOCHUS ENDEAVOURS TO CONQUER EGYPT 
 
 ENGAGES IN WAR WITH THE ROMANS MARCHES AN ARMY TO THE EAST, TO 
 
 COLLECT TRIBUTE ROBS THE TEMPLE OF BELUS OF ITS TREASURES BUT IS SLAIN 
 
 BY THE ENRAGED POPULACE REMARKABLE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS SON HYR- 
 CANUS. 
 
 As SOON as Ptolemy Philopater ascended the throne, Anti- 
 ochus formed the design of recovering Syria, which he prosecu- 
 ted with various success for several years, until about the year 
 219 B. C., he took Damascus, and reduced all Phenicia, Gali- 
 lee, and Gilead beyond Jordan, under his dominion. 
 
 In the year 217 B. C., Antiochus marched for Egypt with a 
 large army, and a great battle was fought between Gaza and 
 Rhinocrura, with the two kings at the head of their respective 
 forces ; on which occasion, the presence of mind and masculine 
 courage of Arsinoe, queen of Egypt, was strikingly exhibited, 
 in her encouraging the soldiers, and remaining by the side of 
 her husband through the whole battle. The result was, that 
 although the right wing of the Syrian army, commanded by 
 Antiochus in person, drove the Egyptians before them, the 
 contrary occurred on the left wing, where the Syrians gave 
 way and fled, and the Egyptians turning on the flank and rear 
 of the other part of the Syrian forces, gained a complete 
 victory; for Antiochus had, in his ardour, pursued so far, that 
 he did not return in time to give any aid to his routed troops. 
 This battle was fought on the same day that Hannibal defeated 
 Flaminius the Roman general, at the lake Thrasimenus. 
 
 On the retreat of Antiochus, the cities of Coelo-Syria and 
 Palestine were forward to make their submission to Ptolemy; 
 for they had been long accustomed to the Egyptian yoke, and 
 were better pleased with it than with the government of Antio- 
 chus. Many ambassadors presented themselves before Pto- 
 lemy, with the submission of their respective cities, and with 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 487 
 
 presents, all of whom he received kindly.' Among these, the 
 Jews were not last. Ptolemy now made a progress through 
 the provinces which he had regained, and among the cities vis- 
 ited, Jerusalem was not forgotten. Here he took a view of the 
 temple, and offered many gifts and sacrifices to the God of 
 Israel. But not contented with an exterior view of this sacred 
 edifice, he resolved to enter into the sanctuary, and even into 
 the most holy place. On this occasion all Jerusalem was in an 
 uproar. The priests and Levites were convened to hinder it, 
 and the people to deprecate the impious act. Great lamenta- 
 tions were every made, and many supplications offered to God, 
 to preserve his sacred house from profanation. But entreaties 
 availed nothing with Ptolemy; the more he was opposed, the 
 more he seemed resolved to execute his impious purpose. 
 Accordingly, he pressed into the inner court ; but here he was 
 struck with such a terror and confusion of mind, that he could 
 proceed no farther, and was carried out, in a manner half dead. 
 On this, he left the city, filled with great wrath against the 
 Jews, and uttering many menaces against the nation. 
 
 The high-priest now in oflice, who had the courage to with- 
 stand Ptolemy, was Simon, the son of Onias the second ; for 
 his father having deceased towards the close of the former 
 year, the son had been consecrated in his room. This, there- 
 fore, was among the first acts of his pontificate : and it was 
 well that a man of firmness and wisdom was now in authority; 
 for affairs had been negligently managed during the whole of 
 the administration of Onias, who was not only a weak man, but 
 extremely covetous. 
 
 During the incessant wars between the great Northern and 
 Southern powers, Judea, as lying exactly between the belliger- 
 ents, suffered exceedingly by the passage of hostile and 
 friendly armies. The old hatred of the Samaritans also, was 
 not dormant during this period ; but often when they observed 
 the Jews to be unable to make resistance, they ravaged the 
 country lying near them : carrying off many of the inhabitants, 
 and selling them into slavery. 
 
 Antiochus, on his return, finding his own subjects in an 
 unsettled state, thought it best to make peace with Ptolemy, 
 which he effected by resigning all title to Coelo-Syria, Pales- 
 tine, and Phenicia. 
 
 When Ptolemy returned to Alexandria, his anger against 
 the Jewish nation was undiminished, and he determined to 
 revenge himself on all those who inhabited that city. He 
 made a decree, and had it engraven on a pillar at the gates of 
 his palace, forbidding all to enter, who did not sacrifice to the 
 gods he worshipped. 
 
 Alexander the Great had, in the division of the people into 
 
488 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 ranks, placed the Jews in the first, on a level with his own Ma- 
 cedonians ; but Ptolemy now degraded them to the third rank, 
 among the common people of Egypt. But this was not the 
 worst which these devoted people had to suffer. He enacted a 
 law that they should all be branded with the badge of his god 
 Bacchus, or be reduced to slavery. However, he provided that 
 those who were willing to be initiated into the heathen religion 
 should retain their privileges. Of the whole number in Alex- 
 andria, only three hundred took advantage of this immunity. 
 All the rest stood firm to their religion, rather choosing to suffer 
 the greatest extremities than depart in the least from it. And 
 those who for worldly considerations had apostatized, were held 
 in the utmost abhorrence, and excommunicated from all inter- 
 course with their brethren. 
 
 The king, considering their measures as indicative of hostility 
 to him, now determined that he would destroy the whole nation, 
 wherever found. He accordingly sent out orders, that all Jews 
 who resided in Egypt should be brought in chains to Alexan- 
 dria. This being executed, he directed that all of them should 
 be assembled in the Hippodrome, a large open space prepared 
 for horse-races, where his purpose was to destroy them by his 
 elephants, and then march to Judea and treat the Jews there in 
 the same manner. But on the day appointed, when all were 
 ready, the king did not make his appearance; for having been 
 up late at a carousal he overslept himself, until the hour for the 
 intended spectacle was over. It was, therefore, deferred until 
 the next day; but another disappointment occurred from the 
 same cause. 
 
 During all this time the Jews were kept shut up in the Hip- 
 podrome; but they ceased not day and night, with uplifted 
 hands and loud voices, to pray to God for deliverance, which 
 he in mercy was pleased to vouchsafe. For, on the next day, 
 when the king being present, the elephants were brought forth 
 drunk with wine and frankincense, that they might with more 
 rage destroy the devoted Jews, they became ungovernable, and 
 instead of rushing upon the Jews, turned upon the spectators, 
 and killed many of them. It is also said, that appearances 
 were seen in the air, which terrified the king and all the spec- 
 tators. This remarkable interposition of Providence had such 
 an effect on Ptolemy, that he relinquished his bloody purpose, 
 and not only set the Jews at liberty, but fearing the vengeance 
 of Heaven, restored them to all their former privileges, and gave 
 them leave to put to death all those Jews who had apostatized 
 from their religion. 
 
 It must be confessed, however, that the evidence of the truth 
 of this history is not as satisfactory as could be wished. Jose- 
 phus, in his Antiquities, does not mention it, though he does in 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 489 
 
 his book against Apion; but this we have only in the Latin 
 translation of Ruffin. He also places it in another reign. The 
 narrative here given is from the third book of Maccabees, which 
 whole book relates to the persecutions endured by the Jews. 
 It became common, after the name Maccabees was given to 
 Judas and his brethren, of whom we shall speak hereafter, for 
 all who suffered for their religion among the Jews, to be called 
 Maccabees, for which reason the third book of the Maccabees 
 received this title, although it treats of matters which occurred 
 long before their time. This book is found in all the ancient 
 copies of the Septuagint, and also in the Syriac version ; but is 
 extant in no copy of the Latin Vulgate. The first authentic 
 mention of it is in the Alexandrian Chronicon. It is also 
 named in the eighty-fifth of the apostolical canons, but their 
 date is altogether uncertain. 
 
 Antiochus spent seven years on an expedition against Par- 
 thia, Bactria, Hyrcania, and other eastern provinces, which 
 had revolted from the empire, and declared themselves indepen- 
 dent. In this expedition he discovered great skill and general- 
 ship, but finding that there was no prospect of bringing these 
 countries permanently under subjection, he made peace with 
 Arsaces and the other leaders, and returned to Antioch, in the 
 year 205 B. C. 
 
 The next year, 204 B. C., died Ptolemy Philopater king of 
 Egypt, after having sat on the throne for seventeen years. 
 He was a most flagitious and cruel man, and brought himself 
 to a premature end by his debaucheries. 
 
 He was succeeded by Ptolemy Epiphanes, his son, a child of 
 five years of age. The people finding that the vile associates 
 of Philopater's guilty pleasures, were plotting against the young 
 king and those who would be likely to oppose their measures, 
 brought them to the Hippodrome, and slew them. 
 
 The young king was now committed to the care of Sosibius, 
 an old, crafty politician, who had contrived by his cunning, to 
 retain his power in the court for more than sixty years : and 
 who had kept in favour with the late king, by consulting and 
 anticipating all his voluptuous inclinations. 
 
 Antiochus, king of Syria, and Philip, king of Macedonia, 
 on the death of Ptolemy Philopater, entered into a league to 
 conquer Egypt, and divide the kingdom between them ; but the 
 rulers of Egypt, to defend themselves against this formidable 
 coalition, sent an embassy to the Romans whose power had now 
 risen to greatness, and who were ever disposed to extend it 
 more and more. Just about this time, Scipio had defeated 
 Hannibal in Africa, so that the Romans being delivered from a 
 dangerous enemy, were now at liberty to turn their attention 
 
490 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 to the east. Accordingly, they did not hesitate to take the 
 young king under their protection. 
 
 The Jewish writers the worst historians that ever lived 
 inform us, that in the year 203 B. C., Joshua the son of Pera- 
 chia, was made president of the Sanhedrim, and Nathan the 
 Arbelite, the vice-president. Of the latter they have given us 
 no information, but of the former they tell a story the most 
 absurd and inconsistent with chronology. The sum of it is, 
 that for reproving Alexander, the Asmonean king, who had 
 slain the doctors at Jerusalem, he was obliged to flee to Egypt ; 
 and that Jesus Christ being his scholar, accompanied him 
 thither ; whereas, the time which they assigned for this man's 
 entering on his presidency was many years before the reign of 
 Alexander the Asmonean, and two hundred years before the 
 birth of Christ ! 
 
 The war between Antiochus and the Egyptians went on, not- 
 withstanding the Romans had sent a formal embassy to the 
 former, announcing that they had undertaken the guardian- 
 ship of the young king ; and Antiochus having defeated Scopas 
 the Egyptian general, in a great battle at Paneas, near the 
 scources of the Jordan, soon got possession of all Palestine and 
 Coelo-Syria. 
 
 At this time the Jews were much disaffected towards the 
 Egyptian government; and when Antiochus came with his 
 army to Jerusalem, they received him with gladness, and enter- 
 tained his whole army and elephants bountifully, as long as he 
 remained. Antiochus, in return, granted them many privi- 
 leges, and particularly ordained, that no stranger, of whatever 
 quality, should pass over the sept, into the sacred inclosure of 
 the temple. 
 
 But Antiochus was no stranger to the Jews, before this visit 
 to Jerusalem. Many of them resided in Babylonia, who were 
 very serviceable to him in his eastern expedition, and of whose 
 fidelity he entertained the highest opinion. And a sedition 
 having once arisen in Phrygia and Lydia, he transplanted two 
 thousand Jewish families from Mesopotamia into those regions, 
 with a view to keep the people quiet, by stationing them in the 
 strongest fortresses. The descendants of these Jews were 
 found in great numbers in Asia Minor, when the gospel 
 was first propagated in those regions, by the labours of- the 
 apostles. 
 
 In the year 195 B. C., Hannibal, the famous Carthagenian 
 general, who had lived quietly at Carthage, being suspected of 
 inimical designs by the Romans, fled to the court of Antiochus. 
 When he arrived, the latter had been debating with himself 
 about engaging in a war with the Romans ; which point, how- 
 ever, was soon decided after the arrival of Hannibal, who had 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 491 
 
 in many battles vanquished the Romans, and who induced 
 Antiochus to believe that with his aid they could be easily 
 overcome. 
 
 In the same year, 195 B. C., Simon the high-priest of the 
 Jews died, and was succeeded by his oldest son, Onias the 
 third, who held that office twenty-four years. . He had the 
 character of being a worthy good man, but happened on evil 
 times, and perished in them, as shall be related in its place. 
 About this time died Erastosthenes, the second keeper of 
 the famous library of Alexandria, in the eighty-fourth year 
 of his age, and was succeeded by Apollonius Rhodius, the 
 author of the Argonautics, who had been a scholar of Calli- 
 machus. He was called Rhodius, not because he was born at 
 Rhodes, for he was a native of Alexandria; but he had long 
 resided in that island, from which he was recalled to take 
 charge of the library. 
 
 Antiochus, having determined on war with the Romans, 
 used a wise policy in strengthening himself, by forming allian- 
 ces and matrimonial connexions with the kings who might have 
 it in their power to aid or injure him. And if he had listened 
 to the counsel of Hannibal, who would have had him land an 
 army immediately in Italy, agreeably to the plan pursued so 
 successfully by himself, there is no knowing what the event 
 might have been. But by some means, the old African gene- 
 ral had fallen into suspicion with Antiochus, and his counsels 
 were not followed. On the contrary, it was determined to 
 commence hostilities in Greece. But in all his designs against 
 the Romans, he was unsuccessful, and at last was forced to 
 retire from all the countries of Europe, and quit all Asia west 
 of mount Taurus, and pay the whole expenses of the war, 
 which were estimated at fifteen thousand talents. 
 
 Antiochus, finding it very difficult to raise so large a sum of 
 money, marched into the eastern provinces to collect the 
 arrears of tribute which were then due. When he had come 
 into the province of Elymais, hearing that a vast treasure lay 
 concealed in the temple of Belus, he seized the temple by 
 night, and rifled it of its treasures. On account of this act of 
 sacrilege, the inhabitants actuated by the fury of religious zeal, 
 rose against him, and slew him and all that were with him. In 
 this statement, Diodorus Siculus, Justin, Strabo, and Jerome, 
 agree ; but Aurelius Victor says, he was slain by some of his 
 own followers. 
 
 Antiochus was a prince of clemency, justice, and beneficence; 
 and until the fiftieth year of his age, administered his affairs 
 with much discretion ; so that his enterprises were attended 
 with almost uniform success, which obtained for him the name 
 of Great. But in the latter part of his life, declining in wis- 
 
492 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 dom as well as vigour, his course became disastrous, and his 
 bright prospects were greatly clouded over; for being van- 
 quished by the Romans, he was driven out of the best part of 
 his dominions, and was forced to accept very hard and disgrace- 
 ful terms of peace. And at last lost his life while engaged in 
 an impious enterprise; so that the close of his career formed a 
 perfect contrast to the glory of his early exploits. 
 
 The prophecies of Daniel, recorded in the eleventh chapter, 
 from the tenth to the nineteenth verse, had their exact fulfil- 
 ment in the actions of Antiochus. 
 
 In the year that Antiochus died, Cleopatra his daughter, and 
 queen of Egypt, the wife of Ptolemy Epiphanes, having given 
 birth to a son, who afterwards succeeded his father, by the 
 name of Ptolemy Philometor, all the great men and nobility of 
 Coelo-Syria and Palestine hastened to Alexandria to present 
 their congratulations to the king. Joseph, the king's receiver 
 general, of whom we have spoken before, and who had con- 
 tinued in office all this time, being now too old to take such a 
 journey, sent his son Hyrcanus to make his compliments to the 
 Egyptian court. 
 
 Josephus gives a very curious account of the circumstances 
 connected with the birth of Hyrcanus ; a brief outline of which 
 I shall now lay before the reader. 
 
 Joseph, having often occasion to visit Alexandria, in the 
 execution of his office, on one occasion took with him a 
 brother by the name of Solymius, who having a very beautiful 
 daughter of marriageable age, took her along, probably with 
 the view of obtaining for her a respectable connexion in mar- 
 riage with some wealthy Jew of Alexandria. While they were 
 at court, Joseph was desperately smitten with the beauty of a 
 young Egyptian girl, whom he had seen in one of the dances 
 which took place in the palace. Being unable to suppress the 
 violence of his passion, he solicited his brother to endeavour to 
 obtain this beautiful dancing girl as a concubine for him. So- 
 lymius, while he seemed to assent to his brother's proposal, yet 
 resolved to prevent his forming such a connexion with a heathen 
 woman ; and the method which he took, according to our ideas 
 of propriety, were very unbecoming in the father of a young 
 virgin. For, as Josephus tells the story, instead of introducing 
 to his brother's bed the Egyptian girl, he substituted his own 
 daughter, and the affair was so managed that for some days the 
 cheat was not discovered. But Joseph becoming more and 
 more attached to his Egyptian concubine, as he supposed she 
 was, expressed his devoted attachment to his brother, who then 
 confessed to him what he had done, and avowed as his motive, 
 the desire of keeping him from violating the law of God, by 
 taking a strange wife, against which the displeasure of the 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 493 
 
 Lord had been so strongly manifested in the days of Ezra and 
 Nehemiah. Joseph was so far from expressing any displeasure, 
 that he thanked his brother for his friendship in thus taking 
 measures to preserve him from a disgraceful transgression of 
 the law of God. Joseph now received his brother's daughter 
 as his lawful wife; for the Jews hold that for a man to marry 
 his niece is no violation of the law of Moses, nor of the law of 
 nature ; but for a man to marry his aunt is forbidden, and is 
 contrary to the law of nature; because it reverses the order of 
 reverence and obedience which younger persons naturally owe 
 to their near relatives of superior age and relative standing. 
 This story should not have been introduced here, but for the 
 important figure which Hyrcanus, the fruit of this marriage, 
 makes in the subsequent history of the Jews. 
 
 Joseph had seven other sons by another wife, all older than 
 Hyrcanus, to each of whom he offered the commission to go as 
 his deputy to the court of Ptolemy ; but they all refusing, Hyr- 
 canus, then a very young man, undertook it. And as he had a 
 very large sum of the collected tribute to pay into the king's 
 treasury, he persuaded his father not to send presents from 
 Judea, but to permit him to purchase in Alexandria such 
 articles as would be suitable for the occasion. Accordingly, an 
 order was given by Joseph to Arion his agent, to let his son 
 have as much money as he should need. But Hyrcanus, on 
 his arrival, instead of demanding ten talents, or any moderate 
 sum, required a thousand talents to be paid to him ; equal to a 
 hundred thousand pounds sterling. With this money he pur- 
 chased one hundred beautiful boys, as a present for the king, 
 and as many beautiful maidens for the queen. Each of these, 
 when presented, carried a talent in their hands. By this means 
 he so ingratiated himself into the favour of the king and queen, 
 that he came away with a commission to collect the king's 
 revenues in all the country beyond Jordan. Having thus 
 overreached his father, and having obtained for himself most of 
 that authority and influence which his father had so long pos- 
 sessed, his brothers were so enraged against him, that they laid 
 a plot to assassinate him ; but being well attended, he got the 
 better of them in the affray, and left two of them dead on the 
 spot ; on which account, his father being greatly exasperated, 
 as well as for his unfair dealing in Egypt, refused any longer to 
 own him. Hyrcanus now passed over Jordan, to execute his 
 office ; but his father dying soon afterwards, a violent dissension 
 arose between him and his remaining brothers, about the pos- 
 session of his estate, which was carried on with such violence 
 on both sides, that for some time the peace of Jerusalem was 
 disturbed by their quarrels. 
 
 The high-priest and people of Jerusalem, generally, took part 
 
494 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 with the brothers ; and Hyrcanus was obliged to retreat again 
 beyond Jordan, where he built a strong fortress which he called 
 Tyre, and from which he carried on a predatory war with the 
 neighbouring Arabs. These events occurred while Seleucus 
 Philopator, the son of Antiochus the Great, reigned in Persia; 
 but when Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded to the throne, and had 
 regained these provinces, Hyrcanus attracted his attention, and 
 he threatened to execute vengeance upon him for his lawless 
 conduct. On hearing of this, Hyrcanus fell on his sword, and 
 killed himself. Before his death, however, he had contrived to 
 gain over Onias, the high-priest, who undertook the safe-keep- 
 ing of his treasure, and laid it up for him in the temple, which 
 was probably the first occasion of the quarrel between Onias 
 and Simon the governor of the temple, who is believed to have 
 been the brother of Hyrcanus. 
 
 It seems that Joseph had been appointed governor of the 
 temple. He was, perhaps, the first who held that office ; for 
 before this time, the high-priest seems to have had the sole autho- 
 rity in Jerusalem. But the kings who ruled over Palestine, no 
 doubt found it convenient to have an officer of their own selec- 
 tion stationed in that important city ; and Joseph being greatly 
 in favour of the Ptolemies, as he was ever faithful to their inte- 
 rests, was probably clothed with authority to act for them in 
 Jerusalem. However this may be, we find Simon a Benjamite, 
 holding this office in the year 176 B. C., who is believed to have 
 been the son of Joseph, as before hinted. Between this man 
 and Onias the high-priest, a difference arose; and when Simon 
 could not prevail, he and his associates, who are called the sons 
 of Tobias, fled from Jerusalem, and went to Apollonius, 
 governor of Ccelo-Syria, informing him that great treasures 
 were concealed in the temple of Jerusalem ; in consequence of 
 which intelligence, the king sent his treasurer, Heliodorus, to 
 bring them away. 
 
 An account of what befell Heliodorus in consequence of this 
 sacrilegious attempt to rifle the temple of Jehovah, is related at 
 large in the third chapter of the second book of Maccabees. 
 
 The substance of this account is, that Heliodorus, on coming 
 to Jerusalem, notwithstanding the determined opposition of 
 Onias the high-priest, the solemn and importunate entreaties of 
 the other priests and Levites, and the mournings and supplica- 
 tions of all ranks and sexes, would not be diverted from his 
 purpose. But when, with his guard, he had penetrated to the 
 treasury, he was met with a fearful apparition ; for " there ap- 
 peared unto him a horse with a terrible rider upon him, and 
 adorned with a very fair covering ; and he ran fiercely and 
 smote at Heliodorus with his fore-feet ; and it seems that he that 
 sat upon the horse had complete harness of gold. Moreover, 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 495 
 
 two other young men appeared before him, notable in strength, 
 excellent in beauty, and comely in apparel, who stood by him on 
 the other side, and scourged him continually, and gave him 
 many sore stripes. And Heliodorus fell suddenly upon the 
 ground, and was compassed with great darkness; but they that 
 were about him took him up and put him upon a litter." And 
 he was restored only through the prayers of the high-priest. 
 (See the account in full, 2 Mac. ii. 3.) 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 JUDEA FALLS UNDER THE POWER OF ANTIOCHUS PREDICTIONS RESPECTING 
 
 SELEUCUS GOOD CHARACTER OF ONIAS THE HIGH PRIEST JASON'S WICKED 
 
 CONDUCT AND THE MORE WICKED OF MENELAUS DEATH OF ONIAS ROBBERY 
 
 OF THE TEMPLE BY LYSIMACHUS STRANGE SIGHTS SEEN AT JERUSALEM TEM- 
 PLE DESECRATED BY ANTIOCHUS WRETCHED END OF MENELAUS ANTIOCHUS 
 INVADES EGYPT, BUT IS MET BY AN EMBASSY FROM BOME DREADFUL PER- 
 SECUTION OF THE JEWS BY ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. 
 
 AFTER the battle of Paneas, before mentioned, Judea and all 
 the neighbouring provinces came under the power of Antiochus 
 the Great. But when he made peace with Ptolemy, and gave 
 his daughter Cleopatra in marriage to him, these provinces it 
 was agreed should go with her, as a part of her dowry. There 
 is, however, reason to believe, that this treaty was never execu- 
 ted, so far as relates to these intermediate countries : for in the 
 reign of Seleucus, the successor of Antiochus, we find them 
 still under the Syrian government ; yet if the story of Josephus, 
 related above, respecting Hyrcanus, is worthy of credit, they 
 must have belonged to Egypt at the birth of Ptolemy Philome- 
 tor. There seems to be, therefore, a chasm in the history of 
 Judea, about this period. It is certain, however, from the 
 testimony both of Josephus and the author of the second book 
 of Maccabees, that they were in the possession of Seleucus king 
 of Syria, at the time of his decease. 
 
 The prophet Daniel, who was so particular in predicting the 
 fortunes of Antiochus the Great, has not passed over his succes- 
 sor Seleucus, without notice. He is spoken of as his successor, 
 in the words following : " There should stand upon his estate 
 a raiser of taxes." And it is a fact, that Seleucus was occupied 
 during his whole reign in collecting money from all quarters to 
 pay what had been laid upon his father, by the Romans. The 
 whole sum was fifteen thousand Eubaean talents, which they 
 agreed should be paid by instalments of a thousand talents 
 annually, and the last of the years of this tribute, was the last 
 of his life ; so he did little else than gather taxes. But the 
 prophecy goes on to say, that, " Within a few years he should 
 be destroyed, and that neither in anger, nor in battle." And 
 
496 HISTOKY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 so it turned out, for he was neither slain in foreign war, nor 
 sedition at home, but fell by the treachery of one of his own 
 friends. 
 
 Seleucus died in the year 175 B. C., and Heliodorus, who 
 was the treacherous author of his death, used every effort to 
 place himself on the throne. Antiochus the brother of Seleu- 
 cus, hearing of his death at Athens, and of the treasonable 
 designs of Heliodorus, who had secured a powerful party in his 
 favour, applied to Eumenes the king of Pergamus, and to Atta- 
 lus his brother, to assist him in getting possession of the throne, 
 to which he was the legitimate heir; which, through policy, 
 they did. Fearing a war with the Romans, they knew that 
 the friendship of the king of Syria would be important. Antio- 
 chus, when seated on his throne, took the name of Epiphanes, 
 which signifies illustrious, the very opposite of his true charac- 
 ter. The unerring pen of the prophet gives an exact descrip- 
 tion of this prince, when he is called " a vile person ." (Dan. xi. 
 21.) The original, however, would be more correctly rendered, 
 a despicable person. But the truth of this character is also 
 confirmed by the most unexceptionable testimony of profane 
 writers. Polybius, Philarchus, Livy, and Diodorus Siculus, the 
 two first of whom were contemporary with him, all concur in 
 describing him as a king of corrupt manners, of which they give 
 many pertinent examples. Indeed his conduct was so extrava- 
 gant and so unbecoming his royal station, that he appeared to 
 many to be a fool or insane ; and for shameless impudence, and 
 beastly lust and intemperance, no one could be more debased. 
 
 Onias, who was now high-priest, was held in great esteem by 
 all the people for his piety and justice; but he had a brother 
 named Jason, of a very opposite character. The ambition of 
 this man led him to the impious attempt to supplant his brother. 
 And knowing the high esteem in which Onias was held, he pre- 
 vailed upon Antiochus to call him to Antioch, that he might be 
 out of his way. To induce Antiochus, who was in great need 
 of money, to comply with his wishes, he offered him a large sum. 
 In addition to what Jason gave the king for the priesthood, he 
 offered a hundred and fifty talents more for the liberty of erect- 
 ing a gymnasium and an ephibeum, according to the manner 
 of the Greeks, in the city of Jerusalem. He also bargained 
 with the king to have as many of the Jews, as he wished, made 
 freemen of Antioch. This introduction of Grecian customs 
 and Grecian amusements, had a powerful tendency to corrupt 
 the young people of the Jewish nation, who appear by their 
 long captivity to have been entirely weaned from their propen- 
 sity to idolatry. But now, through the dissolute principles of 
 Jason, a great corruption of manners took place. The services 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 497 
 
 of the altar were often neglected, and many of the Jews aposta- 
 tized from their religion. 
 
 Upon the death of Ptolemy Philometor, Cleopatra his queen, 
 the sister of Antiochus Epiphanes, administered the affairs of 
 the kingdom with much prudence. But on her decease, Ptolemy 
 Philometor being still an infant, the administration fell into the 
 hands of some of the nobility; who speedily involved the 
 country in a war with Antiochus Epiphanes, by a demand of 
 the provinces of Coelo-Syria, Palestine, and Phenicia, which 
 had always belonged to Egypt, until the times of Antiochus the 
 Great. 
 
 Ptolemy Philometor, having reached his fourteenth year, was 
 crowned king, and inaugurated with great pomp. Jason, now 
 high-priest, sent his brother Menelaus to the king at Antioch, 
 to carry the tribute due from the province of Judea. This man, 
 being even more unprincipled than his brother, availed himself 
 of the favourable opportunity which this embassy afforded, to 
 supplant Jason, as Jason had Onias. The king, regardless of 
 the Jewish law and of the wishes of the people, for the sake of 
 a higher price, agreed to advance Menelaus to the priesthood; 
 but on his arrival, the party of Jason proved too powerful for 
 him, so that he was obliged to return to Antioch. Here he 
 showed how little he cared for the priesthood or the religion of 
 his fathers, by offering, with his adherents, to embrace the reli- 
 gion of the king. His only object in aspiring to the office of 
 high-priest, was to obtain the civil power which had been con- 
 nected with it since the days of Nehemiah; for during this long 
 period, the high-priests were invested with the principal author- 
 ity in all civil as well as ecclesiastical affairs. Antiochus being 
 much gratified with the offer of Menelaus to conform to his 
 religion, sent now along with him to Jerusalem a sufficient force 
 to place him in the office. Jason was therefore obliged to flee 
 to the land of the Ammonites. 
 
 Menelaus, being now advanced to the high-priesthood, was 
 little careful to pay the money which he had promised for the 
 office : on which the king summoned both him and the captain 
 of the temple to appear before him at Antioch. When they 
 arrived at that city, the king was gone to suppress an insurrec- 
 tion in Asia Minor. This gave Menelaus time to make an exer- 
 tion to raise the money, which he effected by purloining some 
 of the golden vessels which belonged to the temple, and caus- 
 ing them to be sold at Tyre. By this means, he not only 
 raised the sum due to the king, but was able to bribe Androni- 
 cus, and some other of the courtiers, to use their influence in 
 his favour. 
 
 Onias still resided at Antioch, and by his piety and virtue 
 had greatly won the affections of the people. When he was 
 32 
 

 498 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 informed of the sacrilege of his brother Menelaus, he sharply 
 reproved him ; by which he was so deeply offended, that he got 
 Andronicus to agree to murder Onias. Onias obtaining infor- 
 mation of this plot, fled to the famous asylum at Daphne; but 
 Andronicus, by various flattering and false pretences, having 
 enticed him from the sanctuary, immediately destroyed him. 
 "With this act of cruelty towards so good a man, the inhabi- 
 tants of Antioch were so much displeased, that when the king 
 returned, they made complaint of Andronicus. Antiochus as 
 soon as he had satisfied himself of the truth of the charge, 
 ordered Andronicus to be taken and killed on the very spot 
 where he had slain Onias. The time of the priesthood of Onias 
 until his death, was twenty-four years. 
 
 In the meantime a great mutiny arose at Jerusalem, respect- 
 ing the vessels which had been taken from the temple by order 
 of Menelaus. He having gone to Antioch, had left Lysima- 
 chus, another brother no better than himself, to manage his 
 affairs during his absence. He used his instrumentality to pro- 
 cure the vessels above mentioned, which he sold at Tyre. The 
 report of this sacrilegious action having got wind among the 
 people, produced a wonderful tumult. Lysimachus, to defend 
 himself against the multitude, collected around him about 
 three thousand men ; but the multitude becoming outrageous, 
 fell upon them, and having slain many of them, found their 
 way to the presence of Lysimachus, whom they put to death. 
 
 The war having commenced (170 years before Christ) be- 
 tween Antiochus and the king of Egypt, while he was at Tyre 
 with his army, the Jews sent an embassy of three respectable 
 citizens to complain of the conduct of Menelaus. These 
 ambassadors were commissioned by the Sanhedrim, and on 
 being admitted to an audience, made good their accusation. 
 Menelaus, to avoid the sentence which he deserved, bribed with 
 a great sum, one of the king's chief favourites, by whose influ- 
 ence it was brought about, that Antiochus, instead of punishing 
 the sacrilegious priest, put to death the three envoys from 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 At Jerusalem, about this time, there were seen strange 
 sights in the air, for forty days together; horseman and foot- 
 men armed with shields, spears and swords, and in great com- 
 panies fighting with each other, as in battle array ; which are 
 supposed to have been ominous of the calamities which speedily 
 fell on that city. Similar appearances were beheld before its 
 utter destruction by the Romans. 
 
 Antiochus met with but small resistance from the young 
 king of Egypt, who seems voluntarily to have put himself into 
 the power of his enemy. "While he was in Egypt, the report 
 reached him of a revolt among the Jews. Jason, thinking this 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. ' 499 
 
 a good opportunity for recovering his lost power, marched to 
 Jerusalem with more than a thousand men and took the city, 
 forcing Menelaus to take refuge in the castle, and exercising 
 the utmost cruelty on the citizens putting to death without 
 mercy as many of his adversaries as he could lay hands on. 
 Antiochus marched with all hia forces into Judea; and on being 
 told that the people of Jerusalem had greatly rejoiced at a 
 report which had been circulated of his death, he was exceed- 
 ingly exasperated ; and in great rage laying siege to Jerusalem, 
 and taking the city by force, slew of the inhabitants, in three 
 days, forty thousand persons, and sold as many more for 
 slaves to the neighbouring nations. But the impious king not 
 contented with these cruelties, found his way into the temple, 
 under the guidance of Menelaus; and entering into its inmost 
 recesses, polluted by his presence not only the holy place, but 
 also the holy of holies. To complete the climax of his impieties, 
 he sacrificed a sow upon the altar of burnt-offerings; and having 
 ordered broth to be made of part of the flesh, he had it sprin- 
 kled all over the temple, that its defilement might be carried to 
 the very uttermost. After this, he proceeded to plunder it, by 
 taking away the golden altar, the table of shew-bread, and the 
 golden candlestick, and other vessels, to the value of eighteen 
 hundred talents of gold. Having completed the desecration 
 and robbery of the temple, the wicked wretch marched home to 
 Antioch, laden with the spoils of both Egypt and Judea. To 
 increase the vexation of the Jews, he appointed one Philip, a 
 Phrygian, of ferocious temper, to be ruler of Samaria ; and, 
 what was to them the worst of all, left Menelaus in the office of 
 high-priest. As soon as Antiochus approached Jerusalem, 
 Jason fled again to the Ammonites; but being there accused 
 by Aretas king of the Arabians, of some injury done to his 
 dominions in that vicinity, he fled to Egypt, and thence to 
 Greece, hated and despised of all men, and receiving counte- 
 nance from none, until at last he died miserably in exile, with- 
 out even a decent burial. 
 
 When the Egyptians found that through the imbecility of 
 Ptolemy Philometor, their country was fallen under a kind of 
 vassalage to Antiochus, they made his brother king in his 
 room, whose name was at first Ptolemy Euergetes; but on 
 account of his corpulency through luxury, he was afterwards 
 known by the name of Ptolemy Physcon, i. e. The Fat. This 
 led Antiochus to make another expedition to Egypt, where, 
 upon his arrival, he laid siege to Alexandria; but being unable 
 to take the city, he went to Memphis, and pretended to put 
 the whole country into the hands of the elder brother, but 
 reserved in his own hands Pelusium, the key of the country. 
 After his departure, the brothers were reconciled, through the 
 
500 EXTORT OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 influence of Cleopatra their sister, by which means peace was 
 restored to Egypt; the youngest brother having yielded the 
 throne to Philometor. As soon as Antiochus heard of this 
 revolution, he was filled with rage ; for he had laid his plans to 
 set them at war with each other, by which means he hoped the 
 country would fall an easy prey to himself. He, therefore, 
 sent a large fleet to Cyprus, from which island he designed to 
 invade Egypt. This he soon after did, and having reduced it 
 as far as Memphis, laid siege to Alexandria, which he would 
 have taken, had he not been met by a Roman embassy, which 
 put an end to all his fond hopes of subduing Egypt. As Popi- 
 lius, the chief of this embassy, had been an intimate friend of 
 Antiochus, when he resided, in his younger days, at Rome, he 
 offered to embrace him in a friendly manner; but Popilius drew 
 back, and told him that private friendship must yield to the 
 public interest ; and when he observed that Antiochus wished to 
 gain time and not to give an immediate answer, he took his staff, 
 and making a circle round him in the sand, peremptorily told 
 him, that he should not move out of that circle, until he had 
 given his reply. This interposition of the Romans was brought 
 about by an embassy to Rome from Cleopatra and Ptolemy 
 Physcon, during the former siege of Alexandria. The ambas- 
 sadors, on that occasion, represented the dangerous height of 
 power to which Antiochus was likely to arise, if Egypt should 
 be added to the other countries under his dominion. 
 
 Antiochus, enraged at the failure of his design upon Egypt, 
 but not daring to resist the Roman power which was now grow- 
 ing formidable in Greece, where Paulus Emilius had just 
 obtained a great victory over the Macedonians, turned his wrath 
 against Judea. On his march homeward from Egypt, he 
 detached from his army two and seventy thousand men, and 
 sent them, under the command of Apollonius, to destroy Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 The arrival of Apollonius at the holy city was just two years 
 after Antiochus had been there himself, as related above. At 
 first he behaved peaceably, until the Sabbath arrived, when, the 
 people being all collected in their synagogues, he let loose his 
 soldiers among them; giving them orders to kill all the men, 
 and seize the women and children, that they might be sold as 
 slaves. This order was executed with the most horrid cruelty. 
 The streets of Jerusalem were made to swim with the blood of 
 its innocent inhabitants. None were spared on whom the sol- 
 diers could lay hands. Having completed this work of des- 
 truction, Apollonius spoiled the city of all its riches, pulled 
 down the walls, and set fire to it in several places. Out of the 
 ruins of the walls he built a strong fortress over against the 
 temple, so as completely to command that edifice. In this for- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 501 
 
 tress he placed a strong garrison, and there deposited great 
 quantities of arms and munitions of war, together with the 
 spoils which he had taken from the city. From this fortress, 
 the garrison attacked all who came up to the temple with their 
 sacrifices, or to worship, and shed their hlood around the courts 
 and the altar; so that in a little time, the service of the temple 
 fell into neglect ; for no one durst come up thither to make his 
 offerings according to the law; and in this condition did affairs 
 remain for three years and a half. At this time many of the 
 pious Jews fled into the wilderness, where they concealed them- 
 selves in caves and among the rocks, living upon herbs and 
 such scanty provisions as the wilderness afforded. 
 
 Antiochus, after his return to Antioch, issued a decree that all 
 the nations within his dominions should worship the same gods 
 which he did. This was particularly intended for the destruc- 
 tion of the Jews, not only those in Palestine, but also those 
 who were scattered through the surrounding countries. The 
 heathen conformed without scruple to the king's edict, as one 
 form of idolatry was as good, in their view, as another. The 
 Samaritans, also, who were forward, when the Jews were in pros- 
 perity, to claim kindred with them, now pretended that they 
 were of Sidonian origin, and manifested no opposition to con- 
 forming to the king's edict. The whole weight of this decree, 
 therefore, fell on the afflicted Jews. The Samaritans, moreover, 
 petitioned that their temple on mount Gerizim, might hence- 
 forth be dedicated to the Grecian Jupiter ; which being favour- 
 ably received by Antiochus, he sent Nicanor to Samaria to see 
 that it was done according to their wish. It is also a melan- 
 choly truth, that under this grievous persecution, many of the 
 Jews also fell away into heathen idolatry, and became bitter 
 enemies to the religion of their fathers; joining with the king 
 in all his cruel persecutions of their brethren. 
 
 Antiochus showed that he was in good earnest in executing 
 this decree; for he sent one Athenaeus, an old man, well skilled 
 in all the rites of the Gentiles, to carry it into full effect in 
 Judea and Samaria. All sacrifices to the God of Israel were 
 now prohibited, and all the observances of the Jewish religion 
 were suppressed: their children were forbidden to be circum- 
 cised, and their law, wherever a copy could be found, was seized 
 and destroyed. The temple itself was consecrated to Jupiter 
 Olympus, whose image was set up over the altar of burnt-offer- 
 ings, just before which they built a smaller altar, on which 
 sacrifices were offered to Jupiter. The same change was made 
 in the public worship at Samaria, but with the full consent of 
 the people. Their temple was dedicated to Jupiter, under the 
 name of Protector of Strangers. 
 
 The severity with which this cruel and impious decree was 
 
502 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 executed, -will appear by the following narrative : Two women 
 were discovered in Jerusalem to have circumcised their new- 
 born sons. The officers suspended the children around the 
 necks of their mothers, and then led them through the streets 
 of Jerusalem, until coming to a high part of the wall, they 
 precipitated them from the top, and slew all who had given any 
 assistance in the performance of the sacred rite. With the 
 same cruelty they persecuted all who were found practising 
 any part of their old religion. And to propagate paganism 
 more effectually, chapels for idols were erected in every city, 
 and sacrifices offered to their false deities. The feast of Bac- 
 chus was especially celebrated, in which the Jews were forced 
 to join the procession, carrying in their hands branches of ivy. 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 ASMONEAN FAMILY OF MODIN CONSTANCY OF MATTATHIAS HE AND HIS FRIENDS 
 
 TAKE REFUGE IN THE MOUNTAINS MARTRYDOM OF ELEAZAR OF THE MOTHER 
 
 AND HER SEVEN SONS ASSIDEANS ANTIOCHU9 AIMS TO DESTROY ALL COPIES OF 
 THE LAW DEATH OF MATTATHIAS JUDAS MACCABjEUS BOOKS OF THE MACCA- 
 BEES VICTORIES OF JUDAS ANTIOCHUS RESOLVES TO DESTROY THE WHOLE JEW- 
 ISH NATION WONDERFUL SUCCESS OF JUDAS OCCUPIES JERUSALEM CLEANSES 
 
 AND DEDICATES ANEW THE TEMPLE PROPHECIES RESPECTING ANTIOCHUS EPI- 
 FHANES. 
 
 WHILE these efforts were making utterly to suppress the Jewish 
 religion, and to introduce the impure rites of heathenism, 
 Apelles, one of the officers who had charge of this matter, came 
 to the town of Modin, where Mattathias, a priest of the course 
 of Joarib, had his residence. He was the son of John, the son 
 of Simon, the son of Asmongeus; from whom the family had 
 the name of Asmoneans. This man was truly zealous for the 
 law of his God; and had, five sons, all valiant men, and equally 
 zealous for the law as himself. The names of these young men 
 were, John, surnamed Kaddis, Simon, called Thassi, Judas, sur- 
 named Maccabaeus, Eleazar, named Avaran, and Jonathan, 
 whose surname was Apphus. 
 
 Apelles having called together the inhabitants of Modin, 
 informed them of the purpose of his visit, and persuaded them 
 to comply with the king's mandate; and especially he addressed 
 himself to Mattathias, as being the principal man of the place ; 
 promising, that if by his example he would induce the other 
 inhabitants to obey, he should be advanced to great power and 
 wealth. To which the venerable Mattathias answered with a loud 
 voice, so as to be heard by all the people, that no consideration 
 should induce him or any of his family to forsake the law of 
 their God ; but that they would still adhere to the covenant which 
 he had made with their forefathers. When he had made this 
 public declaration of his steadfastness, he saw one of the Jews 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 503 
 
 coming up to offer sacrifice on the heathen altar ; at the sight 
 of which, being transported with zeal, like Phinehas of old, he 
 fell upon the apostate and slew him at the altar. After this, 
 he and his sons put Apelles and all his attendants to the sword, 
 ajid inviting all who were zealous for the law to follow him, 
 retired to the mountains. Many others, in various places, fol- 
 lowed this example ; so that the wilderness was filled with the 
 refugees who had escaped from the cruel persecution which 
 raged throughout Judea. Against them Philip the Phrygian, 
 governor of Samaria and Jerusalem, went out with an army. 
 At first he persuaded them quietly to submit to the king's 
 authority; promising a complete amnesty for all that was past. 
 To this they all answered, that they would rather die than for- 
 sake the law of their God. On which Philip then laid siege to 
 the cave where they were collected, and knowing their sacred 
 regard to the Sabbath, he waited till the arrival of that day of 
 rest, when he fell upon them, not a hand being raised in their 
 defence, and all the men, women, and children, who were col- 
 lected in that cave, were butchered. 
 
 Mattathias and his friends, who were in another part of the 
 mountain, when they heard of this disaster, and the reason of 
 it, held a solemn consultation; whether, in such circumstances 
 they were bound by the laws of the Sabbath, foreseeing, that 
 on these principles, they must all inevitably perish. The result 
 of their deliberation was, that in such a case the law of God 
 did not bind them to refrain from self-defence. Accordingly, 
 it was resolved, that after this time, when assaulted by their 
 enemies upon the Sabbath, they would fight for their lives. 
 Having ratified this decree by the consent of all the priests 
 and elders who were with them, they sent it to those through- 
 out the land who stood up for the observance of the law ; by 
 whom it was received with the like consent; and ever after- 
 wards it was made the rule, in all the wars which the Jews 
 waged against their enemies. 
 
 The next year, 167 B. C., Antiochus hearing that his edict 
 met with opposition from the Jews in many places, came him- 
 self to see its execution ; and to strike terror into the other 
 Jews who adhered to their law, he exercised the greatest cruel- 
 ties on such as fell into his hands. It was on this occasion, 
 as we read in the second book of Maccabees, that Eleazar 
 suffered martyrdom; and a mother and her seven sons, who 
 bravely encountered death, "not accepting deliverance;" (Heb. 
 xi. 35,) of which transactions Josephus has also given a very 
 particular account. 
 
 In the meantime, Mattathias and his company lay concealed 
 in the fastnesses of the mountains, where they were scarcely 
 accessible; and as soon as Antiochus had returned home, great 
 
504 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 numbers of the Jews who were zealous for their religion, 
 resorted to Mattathias, to fight for the law of their God, and 
 for their liberties. Among these, there was a company called 
 Assideans, men mighty in valour, and of great zeal for the 
 law, who had voluntarily devoted themselves to a more rigid 
 observance of it than others; whence they obtained the name 
 of Chasidim, or Assideans, that is, the pious. For after the 
 return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, there were 
 two sets of religious men among them. The first were called 
 Zadikim, the righteous; who were contented with an exact 
 observance of the written law; the others, Chasidim, the pious; 
 who, to the written law, added many observances, which they 
 had received from the tradition of the elders. 
 
 The company of Mattathias increased so much, that they 
 began to assume the appearance of a little army. He no 
 longer, therefore, confined himself to his fastnesses, but came 
 boldly forth into the inhabited country, and going from village 
 to village, pulled down the heathen altars, caused the male 
 children to be circumcised, and cut off all apostates and perse- 
 cutors, wherever he came. He, moreover, re-establised the 
 worship of the true God ; and having recovered several copies 
 of the law, restored the worship of the synagogue. 
 
 One object at which Antiochus aimed in his persecution, was 
 to destroy all copies of the law. A proclamation was therefore 
 made by him, that every person, who was in possession of a 
 copy, should, upon pain of death, deliver it up to his officers. 
 By this means, all the copies of the law fell into the hands of 
 the persecutors, except such as were carried away by those who 
 fled into the wilderness. And when they did obtain them, 
 they either destroyed them, or polluted them by painting on 
 their margins the images of their gods; so that the Jews could 
 make no further use of them. This work of destruction, how- 
 ever, had relation only to the books of Moses ; for these only, 
 had before this time been read in the synagogues. Those 
 Jews, therefore, who still persisted in attending to the worship 
 of God, being destitute of copies of the law, began now to read 
 select portions of the prophets; and this practice has been 
 continued in the synagogues ever since. The law and the pro- 
 phets are both read every Sabbath day, wherever there is a 
 synagogue of the Jews. 
 
 Mattathias, being advanced in years, was soon worn out with 
 this state of perpetual warfare, and died the very next year 
 after he had commenced his resistance to the impious edict of 
 the king, 166 B. C. Before his death, the old man called his five 
 sons together and exhorted them to stand up manfully for the 
 law of their God, and with a steady courage and constancy to 
 fight the battles of Israel, against their present persecutors. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 505 
 
 That there might be no contention among them about pre-emi- 
 nence, he, knowing the character of each, appointed Judas to 
 be their captain, and Simon to be their counsellor. Mattathias 
 was then buried by his sons in Modin, in the sepulchres of his 
 forefathers, and great lamentation was made for him by all the 
 faithful in Israel. But the place of this good patriarch was more 
 than supplied by his son Judas Maccabseus ; for as soon as his 
 father's funeral was over, he took on him the chief command of 
 the forces collected, according to his father's will ; and his army 
 being continually increased by those resorting to him from all 
 parts, who were zealous for the law, he erected his standard and 
 marched forth to meet the enemies of his God. The inscription 
 on his standard consisted of the initial letters of the words, mi 
 camo-Jca baalim Jehovah; the meaning of which motto is, "who 
 is like unto thee among the gods, Jehovah?" Hence, Judas 
 was called Maccabseus, and all who followed his standard were 
 denominated Maccabees or Maccabseans. Such abbreviations, 
 and names formed from them, are so common among the Jews, 
 that it will be unnecessary to give particular instances. Because 
 Ruffin has called the eldest of the seven brothers who suffered 
 martyrdom, Maccabaeus, some have supposed that the name was 
 derived from him; but there can be little doubt that Ruffin 
 called him by that name, because, in this war the chief defend- 
 ers of the law were so denominated. 
 
 The books which have received the title, Maccabees, are four 
 in number. The first and second are contained in the Apocry- 
 pha of our Bibles, and are reckoned to be canonical by the 
 Romanists. The third is a book, already mentioned, which 
 contains the history of Ptolemy Philometor's attempt to destroy 
 all the Jews in Egypt by his elephants. The fourth is a histo- 
 ry of the martyrdom of Eleazar and the mother and her seven 
 sons, by Josephus the Jewish historian. 
 
 Antiochus, the king, having heard that Paulus Emilius, after 
 his victory over Perseus king of Macedon, had celebrated 
 games at Amphipolis, on the river Strymon, proposed to do the 
 same in imitation of him, at Daphne, near Antioch. These 
 games were celebrated with much pomp and at great expense, 
 for several days, during which time, the king gave himself up to 
 his usual impudent folly and vileness, to such a degree, that many 
 decent people left the games in utter disgust, at the indecency 
 of his behaviour. But while Antiochus was thus playing the 
 fool at Daphne, Judas was playing another sort of game in Judea. 
 He went round the cities, as his father had done before, destroy- 
 ing the whole apparatus of idolatry, and slaying all apostates 
 from the true religion; and not only delivered the faithful 
 worshippers of God from their oppressors, but fortified the 
 towns, and rebuilt the fortresses, in which he placed strong 
 
506 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 garrisons, that henceforward they might be in a state of 
 security. 
 
 Apollonius, who was left governor of those regions, now 
 thought it high time to arrest the alarming progress of a force, 
 which, in the beginning, appeared too despicable to create any 
 apprehensions. But Judas, on the first meeting with this 
 impious foe, who had spilled so much innocent blood in Jerusa- 
 lem, fell upon his army with such vehemence and determined 
 courage, that they could not stand before him. Apollonius 
 himself was slain in the battle, and a great slaughter was made 
 among his soldiers. Among the spoils taken, was the sword of 
 Apollonius the general, which Judas took to himself, and used 
 ever afterwards, in all his battles. 
 
 Seron, deputy governor of some part of Coelo-Syria under 
 Macron, on hearing of the overthrow of Apollonius, collected 
 all the forces that were at his command, and marched into 
 Judea, calculating on reaping a rich harvest of renown, by 
 speedily conquering Judas, whose name now began to be terri- 
 ble. But on meeting with this valiant captain, with his little 
 army, the event was very different from the expectation of the 
 haughty Syrian: for he met with the same fate as Apollonius, 
 being vanquished and slain in battle by Judas, and a great 
 slaughter made among his men. 
 
 When Antiochus heard of these two defeats, his indignation 
 and fury were enkindled to the highest pitch, and he immedi- 
 ately gave orders, that all his forces should be collected, intend- 
 ing to march in person at their head into Judea, and inflict 
 tremendous vengeance on Judas and his associates. Upon ex- 
 amination of his treasury, however, it was found that there 
 was not money sufficient to pay his troops, which rendered it 
 necessary to suspend his design of utterly extirpating the Jews, 
 on which he had resolved. 
 
 Antiochus was a king of great profusion and magnificence, 
 dealing out to his followers munificent gifts, so that he obtained 
 the name of the magnanimous and munificent. And thus also his 
 character exactly answered to the description of the prophet, 
 that "he should scatter among his followers the prey, and the 
 spoil and riches." Another prophecy of Daniel was also ful- 
 filled at this time. " Tidings came to him out of the East, and 
 out of the North, that troubled him ;" (Dan. xi. 24 44.) For 
 he now received intelligence, that Artaxias, king of Armenia, 
 had revolted against him ; this was from the North ; and from 
 Persia, in the East, he learned that his taxes, of which he now 
 stood in so much need, were no longer duly paid. This failure 
 was the effect of his laws requiring uniformity in religion, by 
 which the minds of the Persians were disturbed and alienated. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 507 
 
 In this difficult state of his affairs, he resolved to divide his 
 army, and to send the one half of his forces against Judea, 
 under Lysias ; and with the other half, to march himself into 
 Armenia and Persia. Accordingly, having invested Lysias, 
 who was of the royal family, with authority over all the coun- 
 tries on this side the Euphrates, and having committed to his 
 tutelage his infant son, then seven years of age, he set out on 
 his march to the East, taking the route over mount Taurus into 
 Armenia; where, having vanquished Artaxias, and made him 
 prisoner, he marched directly into Persia. 
 
 Lysias, intent on executing the king's orders, which required 
 him utterly to destroy and extirpate the whole nation of the 
 Jews, and to settle the country with people brought from among 
 other nations, among whom the lands of the Jews were to he 
 divided, made haste to send an army into Judea; which seemed 
 to become more necessary every day, as intelligence was con- 
 stantly received of the progress made by Judas, in bringing all 
 places under his authority. The conduct of this army was 
 committed to Ptolemy Macron, governor of Coelo- Syria, who 
 appointed Nicanor his lieutenant, and sent him before him with 
 twenty thousand men. Gorgias, an old and experienced soldier, 
 was associated with him in command. But Ptolemy was not 
 long in following with the rest of the forces, which, when joined 
 together, amounted to an army of forty thousand infantry and 
 seven thousand horse. They met with no obstacle to their 
 march until they came near to Jerusalem, where they encamped 
 at a village called Emmaus. To this place also resorted mer- 
 chants to the number of one thousand, who came to purchase 
 slaves. For, Nicanor having it in view to raise two thousand 
 talents to pay the tribute due to the Romans, had made procla- 
 mation in all the neighbouring countries, that ninety Jews 
 would be sold for a single talent. The plan was to kill all the 
 full grown people and sell the rest for slaves. 
 
 Judas, finding his country threatened with utter destruction, 
 for the orders of the king in relation to the extirpation of the 
 Jewish nation were known, resolved, with his associates, to 
 stand on their defence, and bravely fight for their laws, their 
 lives, and their liberties. Having about six thousand men, he 
 divided them into four bands of fifteen hundred each. Of one 
 of these Judas himself took the command, and committed the 
 others to three of his brothers ; he then led his little army to 
 Mizpah, there to supplicate God for his divine aid, in this time 
 of imminent danger. This place was chosen for this solemn 
 purpose, because it had formerly been one of the places chosen 
 of God for his worship, and Jerusalem was now in the hands of 
 the ememy. When they arrived at Mizpah, a day was spent 
 
508 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 in prayer and fasting before the Lord, immediately after which 
 they marched to meet the Syrian host. 
 
 Judas, who was fighting for the law of his God, was very 
 careful to observe all the precepts of that law himself. He, 
 therefore, made proclamation, that all who had recently mar- 
 ried wives, built houses, or planted vineyards, were at liberty 
 to return home: for he knew that the battle was not to the 
 strong, and that God could save by few as well as by many. 
 In consequence of this permission, his army was reduced from 
 six to three thousand, with which diminished force he valiantly 
 resolved to encounter an enemy of fifty thousand veterans. 
 He, therefore, went and pitched his camp very near to the 
 Syrian host, informing his men that it was his purpose early 
 the next morning to attack the enemy ; for which they pre- 
 pared accordingly. During the night he received intelligence 
 that Gorgias, by the guidance of certain apostate Jews acquaint- 
 ed with the country, was leading five thousand selected men by 
 unfrequented paths, to attack him by surprise. He immediately 
 determined on a counter-march, and on an enterprise of the 
 boldest kind. For instead of waiting for the attack of Gorgias, 
 he marched his force directly on the camp of the enemy, now 
 weakened by having its best soldiers detached on this secret 
 expedition. This bold and well-planned manoeuvre was attended 
 with complete success, for the Syrians left in the camp were 
 taken by surprise, and were thrown into confusion, so that they 
 made scarcely any resistance, but fled in all directions, leaving 
 three thousand of their men dead on the ground. 
 
 Judas, finding himself master of the Syrian camp, would not 
 permit his men to lay their hands on the spoil, because the corps 
 of Gorgias, superior in numbers to his force, and chosen men, 
 were untouched; but as, soon as his soldiers heard of the total 
 defeat of their main army, they threw down their arms and fled 
 also. Judas, on being informed of this fact, engaged in the 
 pursuit of the fugitives, nine thousand of whom he slew, and 
 wounded many more. When he and his men returned to the 
 Syrian camp, they found it full of riches, and there got posses- 
 sion of the large sums of money which had been brought to 
 purchase their wives and children as slaves. Judas and his 
 associates, flushed with this great victory, and their number 
 being increased by the addition of many who now were encour- 
 aged by their success, to join them, resolved to march over 
 Jordan, and attack Timotheus and Bacchides, who were collect- 
 ing forces in that country. Accordingly, they met the army of 
 the enemy and overthrew them in a great battle, killing twenty 
 thousand of their men, and enriching themselves with abund- 
 ance of spoil. On this occasion the vengeance of Heaven over- 
 took two men who had distinguished themselves by acts of 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 509 
 
 impiety and cruelty. The one was Philarches, the author of 
 many evils to the Jews, who was slain in battle; the other, 
 Callisthenes, the man who set fire to the gates of the temple 
 and burnt them down ; he was pursued into a small house, which 
 being set on fire, he perished in the flames. 
 
 Nicanor, the Syrian general, escaped home with his life, but 
 was ever after held in the utmost contempt, on account of his 
 total failure in this expedition. To excuse himself, he was con/ 
 strained to acknowledge the great power of the God of Israel, 
 who, he said, fought for his people. As to Ptolemy Macron, 
 he seems not to have been present, for although he came to 
 Emmaus, it is probable that he returned before the battle. When 
 Lysias heard of the total defeat of all his armies by Judas with 
 his small band of associates, he was utterly confounded : but 
 knowing how much the king had the execution of his orders at 
 heart in relation to the Jews, he set himself about collecting 
 another army. Having mustered sixty-four thousand men, and 
 five thousand horse, he put himself at their head, and marched 
 into Judea, aiming at nothing less than the utter destruction of 
 the country. On entering Judea, he pitched his camp at a 
 place called Bethsura, not far to the south of Jerusalem. Here 
 Judas met him with ten thousand men, and having unshaken 
 confidence in God, he did not hesitate to engage with the whole 
 Syrian army of seventy thousand chosen men. And God, in 
 whom he trusted, did not disappoint his expectations; for he 
 completely defeated the army of the Syrians, slaying five thou- 
 sand men, and putting the rest to flight. Lysias, being greatly 
 dismayed, returned home to Antioch with the scattered remains 
 of his forces, intending to return with a more numerous army 
 the next year. This extraordinary success of Judas took place 
 in the year 165 B. C. 
 
 By the retreat of Lysias, the whole country being left under 
 the power of Judas, he proposed to his brethren, that they 
 should march to Jerusalem, and after cleansing the place, 
 restore the worship of Jehovah. When they arrived, and 
 beheld the destruction of the city, which was a heap of rubbish, 
 and the defilement of the sanctuary of the Lord, they were all 
 affected with the deepest grief, and were urgent, that the work 
 of cleaning and rebuilding the place should immediately com- 
 mence. But as Antiochus had carried away the altar of 
 incense, the table of shew-bread, and the golden candlestick, 
 Judas caused to be made out of the gold taken from the 
 Syrians, other holy furniture for the sanctuary, exactly accord- 
 ing to the pattern of those which they had lost. By his care, 
 too, all other vessels and utensils, necessary for the service of 
 God, were provided. The ensigns of idolatry being thus re- 
 moved, and the house of God cleansed, it was determined to 
 
510 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 dedicate it anew, in a solemn manner. For this celebration, 
 the twenty-fifth of the month Cisleu was appointed, which was 
 about the time of the winter solstice, and the very day on 
 which, three years and a half before, the temple had been pro- 
 faned and desolated by Apollonius. 
 
 This feast of dedication was celebrated for eight days 
 together, with great joy and thanksgiving, for the deliverance 
 which God had wrought for his people. They commenced the 
 solemnities by offering sacrifices according to the law, upon 
 the new altar which they had erected. The fire was obtained 
 by striking two flints together ; and from the same fire they 
 lighted the seven lamps of the golden candlestick, which stood 
 in the holy place. All other parts of the divine service were 
 now restored, according to the prescriptions of the law, and the 
 usage of former times. This feast continued to be observed by 
 the Jews on the same day of the year, the twenty-fifth of 
 Cisleu, as long as the temple stood. It is once mentioned in 
 the New Testament, and our Saviour was at Jerusalem at the 
 time of its celebration. (John x. 22.) That it was the anniver- 
 sary of this dedication, and not of that of Solomon, or of 
 Zerubbabel, is manifest, from the season of the year in which it 
 occurred, which is expressly stated to have been the winter ; 
 whereas, both the other dedications occurred at other seasons. 
 This was sometimes denominated the feast of lights, because, 
 during its celebration the Jews were accustomed to set up can- 
 dles at every door. Although the temple was now recovered 
 and purified, and the worship of God restored, the fortress or 
 castle, which overlooked and commanded the temple, remained 
 in the hands of the enemy, and was strongly garrisoned by 
 them, partly with heathen soldiers, and partly with apostate 
 Jews. The people who came up to the temple to worship, 
 were, therefore, greatly annoyed by the soldiers of the garri- 
 son ; who often sallied out upon them, and sometimes slew those 
 who were bringing their sacrifices to the temple. This castle 
 stood on a mount which received the name of Acra, on account 
 of the fortress on the top. Judas, at first, stationed some of 
 his men, so as to prevent these sallies from the garrison; but 
 that plan not succeeding, he built high walls around the moun- 
 tain of the temple, and so fortified the place, as to secure those 
 who were coming to the temple to worship. As a barrier 
 against the Idumeans, who were now troublesome to the Jews, 
 Judas fortified Bethsura which was on their borders. But it 
 should be remarked, that what is here called Idumea, is not 
 the same country as the land of Edom, so often mentioned in 
 the Old Testament. This lay between the Dead Sea and Red 
 Sea, and was afterwards known by the name of Arabia-Petrea : 
 but while the Jews were in captivity, the Edomites took posses- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 511 
 
 sion of the south part of the land which had been assigned to 
 the tribe of Judah, in the original distribution ; and also, that 
 part of the land of Simeon which was included in the general 
 survey of the lot of Judah. There they dwelt ever afterwards, 
 and in process of time, all went over to the Jewish religion. 
 
 Antiochus, while in Persia, heard the news of the repeated 
 defeats of the Syrians in Judea, at which he was so much 
 enraged, that he immediately turned his face towards that 
 country in haste, to inflict vengeance on the Jews; for his 
 whole soul seemed to be fired with wrath against this people, 
 especially when he heard that Judas had pulled down all his 
 heathen altars, and restored the worship of God. But while 
 on his march to Babylonia, which lay in his way, he was seized 
 with a painful and incurable disease in his bowels, for which no 
 remedy could be found; and yet so ardent was his desire of 
 vengeance on the Jews, that he could not be persuaded to stop, 
 nor to slacken his march. While pressing on, however, with 
 redoubled speed, the chariot in which he rode was overturned, 
 and he was bruised in a fearful manner. He was now obliged 
 to stop in a small village, where he lay suffering excruciating 
 pains. A loathsome ulcer began to discharge fetid matter, and 
 was soon filled with vermin; in which distressing condition he 
 continued until his death. And the hand of God seemed to be 
 heavy upon him, in spirit as well as body; for his conscience 
 was agonized with a sense of his crimes, and especially of his 
 sacrilegious conduct in regard to the temple at Jerusalem. 
 Polybius relates the fact of his agony of mind on account of 
 this crime, but ascribes it to the attempt to rob the temple of 
 Diana, in Elymais. Josephus, however, and the author of the 
 book of Maccabees, refer it all to his actual and horrid pro- 
 fanation of the temple of God, at Jerusalem. 
 
 Antiochus being the greatest enemy of the church and peo- 
 ple of God, who ever arose, the prophecies have been very par- 
 ticular in describing him. The eleventh chapter of Daniel, 
 from the twenty-fifth verse to the forty-fifth, seems to be 
 entirely occupied with predicting the character and deeds of 
 this enemy to all righteousness. 
 
 The revolt of Ptolemy Macron from Ptolemy Philometor, is 
 referred to in the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth verses. The 
 twenty-seventh verse relates to the free and apparently 
 friendly intercourse, which took place between the two kings 
 at Memphis, when Antiochus and Ptolemy often eat at the 
 same table; but tliey spoke lies to one another, while they pre- 
 tended friendship. In the twenty-ninth and thirtieth verses, 
 there is a prediction of the last visit of Antiochus to Egypt, 
 after he had taken off the mask, for then " Tie returned again 
 toivards the south, that is, to Egypt; but he did not then pre- 
 
512 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 vail, as in the former and latter attempts;" that is, in the two 
 former expeditions; because of the ships that come from Chit- 
 tim; that is, the Grecian ships that brought Poplius and the 
 other Roman ambassadors into Egypt, to Alexandria, whose 
 arrival put an end to all his expectations of conquering that 
 country; for they made him, "to his great grief, return out of 
 Egypt." "What is said in verses forty-third and forty-fourth of 
 his stretching forth his hand upon the land of Egypt, " and his 
 having power over the treasures of gold and silver, and all 
 other precious things of that country," was fulfilled exactly, in 
 the frequent expeditions to that country, from which he carried 
 off great spoils. 
 
 The prophet in this chapter (xi.) also predicts, in strong 
 language, the disappointment of Antiochus, upon his being pre- 
 vented by the Romans from seizing on Egypt, which was just 
 ready to fall into his hands : and, also, how he turned his ven- 
 geance against the holy city, and desecrated the sanctuary of 
 God. "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; 
 therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation 
 against the covenant: so shall he do; and he shall have intel- 
 ligence with them that forsake the covenant. And arms shall 
 stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of 
 strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall 
 place the abomination that maketh desolate." 
 
 These prophecies respecting Antiochus Epiphanes, so exactly 
 correspond with the events related of him by all the historians, 
 that Porphyry, who wrote largely against the Scriptures, 
 acknowledged the exact coincidence, but pretended that these 
 predictions were never penned by Daniel, but by some writer 
 who lived after the time of Antiochus. And to make this the 
 more probable, he compared what is contained in this eleventh 
 chapter of Daniel, with the accounts of all the historians extant 
 in his time, most of which are now lost, and proved that the 
 agreement was most exact; from which he drew the inference, 
 that this chapter must have been written after the events took 
 place. This work of Porphyry is now lost, and also several 
 answers to it by learned Christians. All we now have of it is 
 found in Jerome's Commentary on Daniel. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 513 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 HISTORY OF JUDAS CONTINUED DISTRESSING CONDITION OF THE JEWS DEATH OF 
 
 ELEAZAR, BROTHER OF JUDAS DEATH OF ANTIOCHUS MISERABLE END OF MENE- 
 LAUS CIVIL WAR BETWEEN THE TWO BROTHERS IN EGYPT INTERPOSITION OF 
 THE ROMANS DEMETRIUS SUCCEEDS ANTIOCHUS ALCIMU8 APPOINTED HIGH-PRIEST 
 THE QUARREL OF THE TWO BROTHERS, PTOLEMY PHII.OMETOR AND PTOLEMY 
 PHYSCON, BROUGHT BEFORE THE ROMAN SENATE AND DECIDED. 
 
 JUDAS MACCABEUS was not permitted to be idle; for although 
 the Syrians were driven from Judea, the neighbouring nations 
 seemed to have entered^into a general conspiracy against the 
 Jews. Judas, therefore, turned his arms against the Edomites, 
 who had been foremost in forming this confederation. Of 
 them he slew twenty thousand men. He next passed over 
 Jordan to the land of the Ammonites, where he fought many 
 battles, and having vanquished the enemies of the Jews in that 
 quarter, and taken Jazar, returned to Judea. 
 
 The heathen about Gilead, hearing of the discomfiture of so 
 many of their friends, rose against the Jews, and having slain 
 a thousand of them in the land of Tob, forced the rest to take 
 refuge in a castle. The people of Phenicia also rose against 
 the Jews of Galilee ; and Judas, receiving urgent calls for help 
 from both these places, was at a loss which way he should 
 march. He, therefore, consulted the Sanhedrim, who advised 
 him to divide his forces. Accordingly, he and Jonathan passed 
 over Jordan, and arrived just in time to relieve the Jews who 
 were besieged in Dathema. 
 
 Simon took another division of the army and marched to 
 Galilee, where also he met with great success ; for in many 
 conflicts with the enemy, he came off uniformly victorious. 
 But finding that the Jews in those parts could not be protected 
 from the heathen round about, he took measures to have them 
 transplanted into Judea. While these two divisions of the 
 army had been completely successful, a third which had been 
 left at Jerusalem, under Joseph and Azarias, having under- 
 taken an expedition against Jamnia, on the seacoast, where 
 Gorgias commanded, were by him repulsed with great loss. 
 
 Lysias, who, after the death of Antiochus, had seized upon 
 the chief authority, as he had the young king in his power, 
 now resolved to march with a great army against Judas. He 
 collected sixty thousand infantry, as many cavalry as he could 
 find, and eighty elephants, and with this force marched towards 
 Judea. This great army commenced the war by laying siege 
 to Bethsura ; but Judas, coming upon them, slew eleven thou- 
 sand of his infantry, and sixteen hundred of his cavalry, and 
 put the rest to flight. Lysias, growing weary of this unsuc- 
 33 
 
51<i HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 cessful war, now made peace with Judas and his people. Quin- 
 tillus Memmius, and Torquatus Manlius, who were then ambas- 
 sadors from the Romans, in Syria, were very helpful to the 
 Jews on this occasion. The edict of Antiochus, requiring the 
 people to conform to the heathen worship, was entirely rescind- 
 ed ; and liberty was given them to live according to their own 
 laws. But this law was not of long continuance. The nations 
 by whom the Jews were surrounded, began to raise disturb- 
 ances as soon as Lysias was gone. Judas was soon called to 
 inflict punishment on Joppa, where two hundred Jews had been 
 drowned. He burned their shipping, and then turning to 
 Jamnia treated them in the same manner, and for a similar 
 offence. 
 
 He was next called into Gilead, where Timotheus continued 
 to raise disturbances. He had now collected a more numerous 
 army, which was entirely overthrown by Judas, and thirty thou- 
 sand qf his men slain. Timotheus himself was in his flight 
 taken prisoner; but on the promise that he would release many 
 Jews whom he had in his power, he was permitted to go free. 
 Judas, finding that the Jews beyond Jordan would be perpetu- 
 ally molested, treated them as Simon had the Galileans, and 
 transplanted them into the land of Judea. As the garrison, 
 however, in the fortress at Jerusalem was a perpetual thorn in 
 the sides of the Jews, Judas collected a great force, and pre- 
 pared all sorts of engines of war used in sieges, and pressed 
 with all his might to take it; but the apostate Jews who were 
 in the garrison, knowing that they should receive no mercy if 
 the castle were taken, several of them made their escape, and 
 going to the king at Antioch, urged their suit so earnestly, that 
 he was persuaded to collect a great army of a hundred thousand 
 foot, twenty thousand horse, and thirty-two elephants, at the 
 head of which he marched himself, accompanied by Lysias his 
 guardian. When they arrived in Judea, they laid siege to 
 Bethsura, when Judas making an attack upon them in the night, 
 slew about five thousand men, and returned without suffering 
 any loss. The next day Judas encountered the whole Syrian 
 army with his small force; but finding that he must be over- 
 whelmed by the multitude, withdrew to Jerusalem. 
 
 In this battle, Eleazar, one of Judas' brothers, lost his life by 
 a very daring act. Observing that one. of the elephants was 
 much larger than the rest, he imagined that the king was car- 
 ried on the back of this large animal, and that by destroying 
 him he should deliver his country, and obtain everlasting re- 
 nown ; he ran under the elephant and pierced his belly with his 
 sword ; but before he could make his escape, the wounded beast 
 fell upon him, and crushed him to death. 
 
 Bethsura, now, after a brave defence by its garrison, fell into 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 515 
 
 the hands of the Syrians. Antiochus marched immediately to 
 Jerusalem, and laid siege to the sanctuary: and when they were 
 reduced to great straits, deliverance was obtained in an unex- 
 pected manner. When Antiochus Epiphanes was near his end, 
 he had called one of his generals named Philip, and in a formal 
 manner appointed him the guardian of his young son; and 
 committed to him his signet and his crown. But before Philip 
 arrived at Antioch, Lysias, who had been left governor of Syria 
 and guardian of the young king, had taken the supreme power 
 into his own hands, and retained possession of the king's person, 
 refusing to resign either the one or the other to Philip. But 
 now, while Lysias and all the best troops were absent, he watched 
 his opportunity for seizing Antioch, and endeavouring to make 
 himself master of the Syrian empire. Lysias, hearing of this 
 event, found it necessary to return back, and thereupon, again 
 made peace with the Jews. 
 
 Menelaus, the wicked high-priest of the Jews, had a great 
 hand in instigating the king to engage in this war, and accom- 
 panied the Syrian army into Jerusalem, with the hope that he 
 would be restored to his office ; and also that the government 
 of the whole country would be put into his hands. But when 
 the issue of the war proved to be unfortunate, Lysias was so 
 much exasperated against this wretch, that he accused him to 
 the king as the author of all the mischief: on which he was 
 condemned to death, and carried to Berhoea, a city of Syria, 
 where he was cast headlong into a tower of ashes which was in 
 that place. This punishment was inflicted for treason, sacri- 
 lege, and such other crimes as were considered more than com- 
 monly enormous; and was well adapted to the shocking crimes 
 of which this man had been so long and signally guilty. 
 
 On the death of Menelaus, the office of high-priest should 
 have descended to Onias, the son of that Onias whom Menelaus 
 caused to be put to death at Antioch ; but it was conferred on 
 one Alcimus, or Jacimus, as he is sometimes called ; a man not 
 less wicked than Menelaus himself. Onias being much dissatis- 
 fied that he was thus deprived of his right, escaped from An- 
 tioch, where he had resided from the time of his father's death, 
 and fled into Egypt, where he succeeded in insinuating himself 
 into the favour of Ptolemy Philometor and his queen Cleopatra. 
 
 On the return of the king and Lysias with the Syrian army, 
 Antioch was without difficulty recovered, and Philip, seeking 
 safety in flight, soon after perished. 
 
 It has been seen that there were two brothers in Egypt, 
 Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy Physcon, both of whom had 
 been crowned ; and although for a while there was a compro- 
 mise between them, their rival pretensions soon involved them 
 
516 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 in a fresh quarrel. In this contest Ptolemy Physcon had pre- 
 vailed against his brother, and driven him out of the kingdom. 
 
 The Koman senate, hearing of this civil war in Egypt, sent 
 orders to their ambassadors in Syria, Cneius Octavius, Spurius 
 Lucretius, and Lucius Aurelius, to go to Egypt and settle the 
 dispute between the two brothers. But while they were on 
 their journey, Philometor had fled, and was on his way to Rome, 
 on foot, and in a sordid habit. Demetrius, the son of Seleucus 
 Philopater, late king of Syria, who was then a hostage at Rome, 
 being informed of the fact, provided a royal equipage and robes 
 for Philometor, and met him before he reached the city. He 
 not only refused, however, to accept them, but would not even 
 permit Demetrius to accompany him. He did this, that the 
 senate, seeing his miserable condition, might be the more dis- 
 posed to compassionate his cause, and grant him the assistance 
 which he asked. As soon as the senate heard of his arrival, 
 they sent for him, and immediately directed that he should be 
 furnished with everything answerable to his royal dignity; and 
 having heard his complaint, decreed that the kingdom should 
 be restored to him, appointing Quintus and Canuleius, two 
 of their own body, to see that their decree was executed. These 
 ambassadors, on their arrival in Egypt, made a compromise 
 between the two brothers, assigning Egypt and Cyprus to Phi- 
 lometor, and Lybia and Gyrene to Physcon. 
 
 The Roman ambassadors who were sent to Syria, finding that 
 the Syrian fleet contained more ships, and the Syrian army 
 more elephants, than were allowed by the treaty made with 
 Antiochus the Great, proceeded to burn the supernumerary 
 ships, and slay the supernumerary elephants. Many of the 
 Syrians were exceedingly indignant at this arbitrary proceeding 
 of the ambassadors, and, one Leptines was so transported with 
 rage, that he fell upon Cneius Octavius while he was anointing 
 himself at Laodicea and slew him in the gymnasium. This 
 Octavius had recently been consul at Rome, and was the first 
 of his family who had attained that high honour. From him 
 was descended Octavius Cesar, (commonly called Augustus,) 
 who was so long emperor of Rome. It was supposed that 
 Lysias had secretly instigated the man to commit this violation 
 of the law of nations; but he immediately dispatched ambassa- 
 dors to Rome to disclaim this act, on the part of the govern- 
 ment. The Senate heard them, but returned no answer, saying 
 that they would reserve their judgment of the true authors of 
 the murder, until future inquiry. 
 
 Demetrius, having made another unsuccessful attempt to 
 obtain permission to return to his own country, by the advice of 
 his friends, (among whom was Polybius the historian,) made his 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 517 
 
 escape from Rome. As soon as he arrived at Tripoli, he gave 
 out that he was sent by the Roman Senate to take possession 
 of the kingdom. The cause of Eupator being now considered 
 desperate, most of the people joined themselves to Demetrius; 
 and Lysias was put to death by his own soldiers. 
 
 The first act of Demetrius, after his accession to the throne, 
 was the punishment of two tyranical governors, whom Antiochus 
 had set over the province of Babylonia. This act of prompt 
 and salutary justice rendered him so exceedingly popular in 
 that region, that they gave him the surname of /Soter, which 
 he ever afterwards retained. Alcimus, who, as was before said, 
 received the appointment of high-priest from the king of Syria, 
 when he came to Jerusalem to enter on the office, was rejected 
 by the people, because he was one of those who had conformed 
 to the religious customs of the Greeks, in the time of Anti- 
 ochus Epiphanes. Upon this he collected all the apostate 
 Jews, then living at Antioch, and went with them in a body to 
 Demetrius, to petition for relief against Judas and his brethren ; 
 accusing them of slaying many of the king's friends, and expel- 
 ling others from the country. 
 
 Demetrius was so exasperated against Judas, in consequence 
 of these misrepresentations, that he forthwith sent Bacchides, 
 governor of Mesopotamia, with an army into Judea, and re- 
 newed the appointment of Alcimus to be high-priest, joining 
 him also with Bacchides in authority over the country. On 
 their first arrival, they attempted to circumvent Judas, by 
 offering conditions of peace ; but he was aware of their designs, 
 and escaped the snare. Others, however, were deceived by 
 them, and among the rest a company of Assideans, and some 
 of the rulers ; who relying on the pacific professions of Bac- 
 chides and Alcimus, committed themselves to them. No sooner 
 however, had they got them in their power than they put them 
 all to death. 
 
 Bacchides now returned home, leaving Alcimus part of his 
 forces to secure him in the possession of the country, who had 
 influence to draw over many deserters, and in no small degree 
 to disturb the state of Israel. But no sooner was Bacchides 
 gone, than Judas came forth with his forces, and took ven- 
 geance on those who had revolted from him, Alcimus being 
 unable to stand before him. This wicked disturber of the pub- 
 lic peace, now resorted again to the king, and renewed his 
 complaints against Judas and his brethren ; declaring that as 
 long as Judas lived, the king's authority could never be estab- 
 lished in that country. This being confirmed by other enemies 
 of the Jews about the king's person, Demetrius, more incensed' 
 than ever, sent another army against them under the command 
 of their old enemy, Nicanor, with peremptory orders, to cut off 
 
518 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Judas, disperse his followers, and so reinstate Alcimus in the 
 office of high-priest. Nicanor knowing the power of Judas, as 
 having heen already defeated by him, was afraid to encounter 
 him in battle. He, therefore, endeavoured to enter into nego- 
 tiation for peace, and accordingly a treaty was made between 
 them ; after which Judas and Nicanor communed together in 
 a friendly manner. But Alcimus not liking the treaty, as 
 thinking that his own interest had not been sufficiently pro- 
 vided for, went a third time to the king, and so prepossessed 
 him against the peace, that he refused to ratify it ; and sent 
 positive orders to Nicanor to renew the war, and not to cease 
 until Judas was slain, or sent prisoner to Antioch. Nicanor 
 was then, though reluctantly, obliged to engage in new hostili- 
 ties with Judas. 
 
 When the agreement made between the two Ptolemies was 
 laid before the Senate, they were not satisfied with the division 
 which the ambassadors had made, thinking that too much had 
 been allotted to Philometor, and too little to Physcon. They, 
 therefore, determined that Cyprus should be taken from Phi- 
 lometor and given to his brother. This was brought about 
 very much by the presence of Physcon at Rome, where, in 
 person, he had the opportunity of urging his suit with the 
 senators. Ambassadors were now sent back with him, to 
 obtain the consent of Philometor to this new arrangement. 
 While they went forward to Alexandria, to carry on the nego- 
 tiation, Physcon waited on the borders of the kingdom for the 
 result. Philometor treated the ambassadors with great respect, 
 but contrived to spin out the negotiation for forty days, and 
 then peremptorily refused to comply with the last arrange- 
 ment; but professed his willingness to abide by the allotment 
 first agreed on. 
 
 At the same time the affairs of Physcon became more 
 involved in difficulty, on account of the conduct of the Cyre- 
 nians ; who having heard an ill report of him, were unwilling to 
 come under his government, and raised the standard of rebel- 
 lion against him. This event prevented his return to Rome, 
 but Merula, the Roman ambassador, who had been employed 
 in the negotiation, spread before the Senate a full account of 
 the whole transaction : on which it was decreed, that all friend- 
 ship and alliance with Philometor should be broken off; and 
 his ambassador was ordered to leave Rome forthwith. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 519 
 
 SECTION XVI. 
 
 THE WAR RENEWED SUICIDE OF RAZIS VICTORY OF JUDAS AND DEATH OF NICA- 
 NOR BACCHIDES IS SENT TO SUCCEED NICANOR DEATH OF JUDAS DREADFUL 
 STATE OF THE JEWS JONATHAN AND SIMON, BROTHERS OF JUDAS, MAKE A SUC- 
 CESSFUL STAND DEATH OF ALCIMUS THE JEWS ENJOY REST FOR TWO YEARS WAR 
 BETWEEN THE TWO PTOLEMIES RENEWED DEMETRIUS ABANDONS HIMSELF TO DIS- 
 SIPATION AN IMPOSTOR ARISES TO CLAIM HIS CROWN BOTH COURT THE AID OF 
 
 JONATHAN JONATHAN ASSUMES THE OFFICE OF HIGH-PRIEST ALEXANDER BALAS 
 
 OBTAINS THE THRONE OF SYRIA. 
 
 NICANOR, having received his orders to renew the war, came to 
 Jerusalem with his army, and endeavoured, by craft, to get Judas 
 into his power. For, in the first place, he invited him to a 
 conference, with which Judas complied, relying on the peace 
 which had been agreed upon; but soon finding that there was 
 an ambush laid for him, he made his escape; after which all 
 confidence was at an end, and the war again commenced. Iii 
 the first action, Nicanor lost five thousand men, and was forced 
 to retreat; and being greatly chagrined and mortified at his 
 defeat, he vented his rage on Razis, a venerable senator of the 
 Jewish Sanhedrim, who was held in the highest esteem by the 
 people for his pious and benevolent acts. Nicanor therefore 
 judged that it would be felt as a sore calamity to the Jews, if he 
 were cut off; he therefore sent a body of men to take him, 
 intending to put him to death. This man, however, was in a 
 castle, where he defended himself for some time with great 
 bravery; but finding that the place could not hold out any 
 longer, he rashly put a termination to his own life, by falling on 
 his sword. This act is spoken of with approbation by the wri- 
 ter of the Maccabees, which is a clear proof that he was not an 
 inspired man. No countenance is given to such acts of bravery 
 any where in the Holy Scriptures. The idea that suicide in 
 such cases, was not only lawful, but noble and heroic, was 
 derived from intercourse with the Greeks and Romans. It is, 
 moreover, related, that when he found that the wound did not 
 produce immediate death, he thrust his hand into it, and pulled 
 out his own bowels. For this act, he has been reckoned a 
 martyr by the Jews; but St. Augustine, in his Epistle to Dul- 
 cilius, has given unanswerable reasons to prove that it was un- 
 justifiable. 
 
 Nicanor then went up into the fortress, situated on the moun- 
 tain of the temple, and demanded that Judas and his associates 
 should be delivered up ; threatening, in case of refusal, that he 
 would pull down the altar and burn the temple, and in their 
 place erect a temple to Bacchus. At the same time he uttered 
 many blasphemous words against the temple, and against the 
 God who was there worshipped. But he soon experienced the 
 
520 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 power and vengeance of Him whose name and worship he dared 
 to blaspheme. For coming out with all his forces to encounter 
 Judas, Nicanor was slain on the very first onset, on which the 
 whole of his army took to flight; and all the country rising 
 up against them, scarcely a man of them was able to effect his 
 escape. When Judas and his men returned from the pursuit, 
 to the field of battle, and found Nioanor among the slain, they 
 cut off his head and his right hand, and hanged them up in the 
 temple, as a memorial of the vengeance of Jehovah. This vic- 
 tory was gained on the 13th of the month Adar; and on account 
 of the wonderful deliverance obtained on that day, it was 
 resolved that, ever afterwards, it should be observed as an 
 anniversary of thanksgiving: accordingly, it is so commemora- 
 ted by the Jews until this day. 
 
 Judas was not only a valiant and skilful general, but a wise 
 politician. Finding that there was likely to be no end to the 
 Syrian invasions, and having heard of the power and magnani- 
 mity of the Romans, he sent ambassadors to Rome, to obtain 
 their protection against the Syrians. These ambassadors, 
 Jason and Eupolemus, were kindly received, and a decree was 
 made that the Jews should be acknowledged as the friends and 
 allies of the Romans. A letter was at the same time written to 
 Demetrius, ordering him to desist from vexing them, and threat- 
 ening him with war if he persisted. But before this favour- 
 able intelligence reached Judea, Judas was no longer in the 
 land of the living. 
 
 Demetrius, upon hearing of the defeat and death of Nicanor, 
 collected another army of chosen troops, and again sent Bac- 
 chides and Alcimus into Judea. When this army arrived, Judas 
 had with him no more than three thousand men ; and most of 
 these were so terrified at the mighty force which they had to 
 oppose, that they deserted his standard; so that he was left 
 with only eight hundred men. But such was the undaunted 
 spirit and unshaken confidence of the man, that with this hand- 
 ful of soldiers he dared to engage the host of the Syrians. In 
 this instance his courage seems to have degenerated into rash- 
 ness ; or, at least, the event naturally suggests this idea ; for in 
 this unequal battle, Judas himself was slain. I do not believe, 
 that in all the annals of the world, there is exhibited to our 
 view a character more distinguished for bravery and extraordi- 
 nary success ; taking into view the small number of his soldiers, 
 and the numerous and well appointed armies, headed by expe- 
 rienced generals, to which he was opposed. But he evidently 
 was actuated by a spirit superior to mere human courage. His 
 confidence was firmly fixed on God, in whose aid he relied in all 
 difficulties, and in all times of danger. 
 
 After the death of Judas, the Syrians overran the land ; the 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 521 
 
 apostate Jews came forward in multitudes, and Alcimus was put 
 in possession of the object of his ambition. Now a time of great 
 distress was experienced by all the faithful Jews ; not surpassed 
 even by the persecutions in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. 
 Bacchides used great diligence in finding out, and punishing, 
 all the Maccabseans, wherever they could be found; putting them 
 to death with every species of indignity and cruelty. At length, 
 Jonathan and Simon, the brothers of Judas, collected a small 
 force of those who were disposed to resist the tyranny and 
 cruelties of Bacchides and Alcimus, and retreated into the wil- 
 derness of Tekoa; where, being defended by the river Jordan 
 on the one hand, and a morass on the other, they could not with 
 advantage be attacked. 
 
 To secure their goods in these dangerous times, Jonathan and 
 Simon sent their brother John with all their carriages and bag- 
 gage, to their friends, the Nabatheans, to be kept for them until 
 they should be in a condition to reclaim their property : but 
 while he was on his journey, he was attacked by the Jambrians, 
 a tribe of Arabians, who slew him, and seized all the goods 
 which he had under his care. To revenge this unprovoked vio- 
 lence, Jonathan and Simon having learned that a great marriage 
 was to be solemnized on a certain day, at Medaba, the chief 
 town of the Jambrians, placed an ambush by the road along 
 which the bridegroom and bride with their numerous attendants 
 were to pass, in meeting each other, who killed most of the 
 party, and took from them much rich spoil. 
 
 Bacchides, learning that Jonathan and his adherents were 
 encamped on the bank of the Jordan, made an assault on them, 
 on the Sabbath day, calculating upon no resistance ; but Jona- 
 than, agreeably to the decision made in the days of Mattathias 
 his father, exhorted his brethren to resist the enemy, which 
 they did so manfully, that they killed a thousand men : but 
 not being able to withstand so great a multitude, they swam the 
 Jordan and escaped. 
 
 The next year died Alcimus, the great troubler of Israel. 
 As soon as he was established in the priesthood, he set himself 
 to corrupt and change the Jewish religion, endeavouring to 
 bring it to a nearer conformity with the religious institutions of 
 the Greeks. When the temple was rebuilt after the return 
 from captivity, there was erected around the sanctuary, a low 
 wall, it is said, by order of the prophets Zechariah and Haggai, 
 beyond which, no uncircumcised person was permitted to pass. 
 This wall, commonly called Hil, Alcimus directed to be removed, 
 that the Gentiles might be put on a level with the Jews. But 
 during the progress of this work, he was struck with the palsy, 
 and suddenly expired. 
 
 After the death of Alcimus, Bacchides was recalled to Anti- 
 
522 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 och, and for two years the land had rest. This was probably 
 owing to the letter which Demetrius received from the Roman 
 Senate; for he was solicitous not to provoke the displeasure of 
 that formidable power ; and, indeed, they had never recognized 
 him as the lawful king of Syria. For, as has been related, he 
 fled from Rome, when residing there as a hostage, and coming 
 into Syria, usurped the throne, and slew Antiochus Eupator, 
 the reigning king. He, therefore, took every opportunity of 
 gratifying the Romans, and so earnestly and repeatedly urged 
 his petition for reconciliation, with their ambassadors, that at 
 length he accomplished his wish, and was acknowledged king of 
 Syria, by the Roman Senate, and all the treaties made with the 
 former kings of Syria were renewed with him. The death of 
 Alcimus occurred in the year 160 B. C. 
 
 The Jews having now, as was before said, two years of unin- 
 terrupted quiet, Jonathan exerted himself to restore every thing 
 to its proper state : but the Jews who were ill affected to him 
 and his cause, sent again to Antioch, and procured an order for 
 Bacchides to return with his army into Judea. A conspiracy 
 was also formed to seize Jonathan and his brothers, and deliver 
 them up ; but he, receiving intelligence of it, seized about fifty 
 of the conspirators and put them to death. He and Simon 
 then retreated to the strong fortress called Bethbasi, where one 
 of them remained to defend the place, while the other hung 
 upon the skirts of the Syrian army, until Bacchides grew weary 
 of the war, and turned his wrath against some of those who 
 induced him to undertake the expedition. At which time Jona- 
 than and Simon made to him offers of peace, which he gladly 
 accepted, and solemnly swore that he would never any more 
 carry on war with the Jews, with which he complied ; for he 
 never after this returned in a hostile manner to Judea. 
 
 In the year 166 B. C. another war broke out between the two 
 Ptolemies. Physcon became so odious to his subjects, that 
 some of them way-laid him, and in attempting to assassinate 
 him, wounded him severely. He attributed it to his brother, 
 who, he supposed, had hired these assassins to kill him; on 
 which, he repaired again to Rome, where he showed his scars, 
 and entered grevious complaints against his brother. The 
 Romans, without much inquiry, directed an army to accompany 
 him, and put him in possession of Cyprus, which Philometor 
 refused to give up. Being met, however, on the island, by 
 Philometor, he was vanquished and taken prisoner ; but his 
 mild and affectionate brother, instead of putting him to death, 
 according to his deserts, restored him to his kingdom in Lybia 
 and Gyrene, and added some other territories, to render the 
 possession more valuable. 
 
 Demetrius now gave himself up entirely to drinking and dis- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA. 523 
 
 sipation. He relinquished all care of the public administra- 
 tion, and shut himself up in a castle, near Antioch, from which 
 he seldom came out. But while he was thus indulging himself 
 in indolence and pleasure, an unexpected enemy arose. Her- 
 aclides, a favourite of Antiochus Epiphanes, whom Demetrius 
 had banished from Babylonia, on account of his maladminis- 
 tration, found an obscure young man, called Balas, who was 
 willing to subserve his views, by acting the part of an impostor, 
 and pretending that he was the son of Antiochus Epiphanes. 
 This imposture could have had little effect, had not several of 
 the crowned heads of the neighbouring countries favoured it ; 
 but Ptolemy, Attains, and Ariarthes, having all received great 
 provocation from Demetrius, were disposed to lend their coun- 
 tenance to any scheme which would have a tendency to annoy, 
 or ruin him. 
 
 The three kings, above mentioned, having acknowledged the 
 impostor, under the name of Alexander son of Antiochus, Her- 
 aclides took him to Rome ; and to give colour to the deception, 
 carried with him Laodice, the real daughter of Antiochus. 
 There, by craft and false pretences, he got him acknowledged, 
 and obtained a decree, not only permitting him to return to 
 Syria, for the recovery of his kingdom, but granting him aid in 
 accomplishing this object. 
 
 These events roused Demetrius from his inactivity ; and as 
 he had a high opinion of the powers and fidelity of Jonathan, 
 and thought it would be important to secure his services, he 
 appointed him his general, in Judea, with authority to raise 
 forces. As soon as Jonathan received this letter, he caused it 
 to be read in the hearing of the officers of the garrison, in 
 Jerusalem ; by which they were induced to give up the host- 
 ages which they had in the fortress. 
 
 Alexander, hearing what Demetrius had done to gain Jona- 
 than, sent proposals to him also. He offered to make him 
 high-priest, with the title of the king'' 's friend. He also sent 
 him a purple robe, such as princes only wear, and a crown of 
 gold. On this, Demetrius sent new offers to Jonathan, promis- 
 ing him all that had been offered by Alexander, together with 
 extraordinary privileges to the Jewish people. But the Jews, 
 remembering the long and bitter enmity of Demetrius to their 
 nation, and how much injury he had done them, could place no 
 confidence in him, and therefore resolved to take sides with 
 Alexander. 
 
 Jonathan now entered on the office of high-priest, which had 
 been vacant for seven years; and from this time the office 
 became settled in the family of the Asmoneans, and so continued 
 until the days of Herod. From the Babylonish captivity, the 
 office descended on the family of Jozadak, until the time of 
 

 524 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Onias the third. After his expulsion, it was occupied by Jason 
 his brother, then by Menelaus an older brother; and then by 
 Alcimus. Whether the Asmoneans were of the family of Joza- 
 dak, is nowhere said ; but they were of the course of Joarib, 
 which was the first class of the sons of Aaron. 
 
 Alexander, backed by the three kings already mentioned, and 
 his title being acknowledged by the Romans, was in a condition 
 to cope with Demetrius, on equal footing. Demetrius, on the 
 other hand, was not inactive in preparing for a contest, in which 
 his kingdom was at stake. The hostile armies met, and a deci- 
 sive battle took place, in which, although the wing commanded 
 by Demetrius himself gained some advantage, the left wing was 
 put to flight, and Demetrius slain in the pursuit. 
 
 Alexander, having now obtained the throne of Syria, sent to 
 k Ptolemy, king of Egypt, requesting his daughter Cleopatra in 
 marriage. To this Ptolemy consented, and carried her to Pto- 
 lemais, where the nuptials were celebrated. To this wedding 
 Jonathan the high-priest of the Jews was invited, and was re- 
 ceived with signal favour by both the kings ; especially by Alex- 
 ander, who had him clothed in purple, and enrolled among the 
 chief of his friends. And although his enemies presented accu- 
 sations against him, the king would listen to none of them, but 
 sent him back with honour to Judea. 
 
 SECTION XVII. 
 
 ONIAS OBTAINS THE FAVOUR OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF EGYPT BUILDS THERE 
 
 A TEMPLE SIMILAR TO THAT AT JERUSALEM CONTENTIONS BETWEEN THE JEWS 
 
 AND SAMARITANS ABOUT THE PLACE OF WORSHIP HIPPARCHUS THE ASTRONO- 
 MER WAR BETWEEN ALEXANDER THE IMPOSTOR AND DEMETRIUS THE FORMER 
 FORSAKEN BY HIS FATHER-IN-XAW IS OVERTHROWN AND SLAIN. 
 
 ONIAS, who on being disappointed of the high-priest's office 
 had fled into Egypt, became a favourite both with the king and 
 queen ; for he was a great soldier and a great politician. By 
 degrees he was advanced to the highest station in the army, 
 and also at court; and had influence to introduce another Jew 
 of talents into the royal favour, whose name was Dositheus : 
 these two, in fact, managed all the affairs of the kingdom. 
 Onias made use of his influence to induce the king to permit 
 him to erect, in Egypt, a temple similar to that at Jerusalem, 
 with the grant that the office of high-priest should for ever be 
 continued in his family. He did not find it difficult to persuade 
 the king that this would be good policy, since it would induce 
 many of the Jews to settle in Egypt. But the difficulty was, 
 to reconcile the minds of the Jews to the idea of worshipping 
 any where else but at Jerusalem, which had been selected by 
 

 TO THE CONQUEST OF JTJDEA. 525 
 
 God himself as the site of his temple. To satisfy their minds, 
 he referred to the prophecy of Isaiah, (Isa. xix. 18, 19,) where 
 it is said, "In that day, shall five cities in the land of Egypt 
 speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts: 
 one shall be called the city of Destruction. In that day shall 
 there be an altar to the Lord, in the midst of the land of Egypt, 
 and a pillar at the border thereof, to the Lord." The place 
 selected for this temple was Heliopolis, only twenty-four miles 
 from Memphis, where formerly a temple had stood, which was 
 now in ruins. Onias made it exactly according to the pattern 
 of that at Jerusalem, although not so high, nor so costly ; and 
 furnished it with all the apparatus for worship; an altar of 
 burnt-offerings, an altar of incense, a table of shew-bread, and 
 other utensils and vessels, such as were used in the temple at 
 Jerusalem; except, that instead of a candlestick with seven 
 lamps, one large lamp was suspended in the holy place. In 
 this temple daily sacrifices were offered, and the whole ritual 
 service of the law performed by priests, just as it was at Jeru- 
 salem; and continued so to be, until after the destruction of 
 the temple at Jerusalem, when it was shut up, and soon after- 
 wards utterly demolished. The building of this temple took 
 place about the year 150 B. C. 
 
 There is pretty strong internal evidence that the prophecy 
 of Isaiah was translated into Greek, by Jews who worshipped 
 at this temple, and consequently, that the version was made 
 after its erection ; for the text cited above, is here rendered, 
 not the city of destruction, as in the Hebrew, but (noiuj AosSix 
 x^eqattat, v} pia Ttojus-,) one of the cities shall be called the city of 
 righteousness. 
 
 About this time there arose a great commotion in Alexan- 
 dria between the Jews and Samaritans, respecting the place 
 appointed by God for his worship. Ptolemy, in order to quell 
 it, appointed a day to hear both parties, before himself and 
 council. On this trial, the Samaritans failed entirely in their 
 proof, and their leaders were condemned to death, for exciting 
 so great a disturbance without cause. 
 
 As soon as Alexander found himself in quiet possession of a 
 rich kingdom, he gave himself up to luxury and vice. He sur- 
 rounded himself with lewd women, and relinquished all atten- 
 tion to the government. The principal management of affairs 
 was left to one Ammonius, who acted in a very cruel manner 
 towards the people. By such a course of life, Alexander soon 
 became odious to his subjects, and Demetrius, the son of the 
 late king, now grown to manhood, thought this a fit opportunity 
 to recover his crown. Accordingly, he landed in Syria, with 
 some mercenaries from Crete, and soon gathered a considerable 
 army, which was greatly strengthened by the revolt of Apol- 
 
526 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 lonius, the governor of Coelo-Syria, who declared in favour of 
 Demetrius. 
 
 Jonathan, who had entered into a treaty with Alexander, 
 adhered to his interest. Apollonius, therefore, turned his 
 forces, in the first place, against him ; and drawing together a 
 large army at Jamnia, sent a challenge to Jonathan to meet 
 him in battle. Jonathan marching out of Jerusalem with ten 
 thousand men, took Joppa, in the presence of Apollonius and 
 his army ; and then joining battle with him, vanquished him in 
 the open field, and pursued his broken forces to Azotus. 
 Having taken the place, he set it on fire and burnt it down, 
 together with the temple of Dagon, which was in it. In conse- 
 quence of this victory, Alexander sent Jonathan a buckle of 
 gold, such as was used only by the royal family, and gave him 
 the city of Ekron. 
 
 About the year 147 B. C. flourished the celebrated philoso- 
 pher Hipparchus of Nice, in Bithynia. He spent thirty-four 
 years in studying the motions and relative positions of the 
 heavenly bodies. The Jews call him Abrachus, and his name 
 is deservedly great among them ; for their rabbis received from 
 him that form of the year which has been in use among them 
 ever since. 
 
 The war between Alexander and Demetrius, for the crown of 
 Syria, still continued ; and Ptolemy Philometor, being desirous 
 of assisting Alexander his son-in-law, marched with a great 
 army into Palestine ; where he was met by Jonathan the high- 
 priest of the Jews, whom he received with great honour and 
 friendship, and took him with him to his camp at Ptolemais. 
 But here he found that snares were laid for his life by Ammo- 
 nius, the general of Alexander; and when he demanded of 
 this prince that Ammonius should be delivered up to him, for 
 punishment, he met with a refusal. Ptolemy was, on this 
 account, so much displeased with Alexander, that he not only 
 ceased to aid him, but even took away his daughter from him, 
 and gave her to Demetrius, his competitor for the crown. 
 
 The people of Antioch had Ammonius in such hatred, that 
 they rose up tumultuously against him, and slew him ; and at 
 the same time revolted from Alexander, and opened their gates 
 to Ptolemy, whom they invited to be their king. This ofier he 
 declined, and recommended to them Demetrius, the legitimate 
 heir of the kingdom, whom accordingly they received into 
 Antioch, and placed on the throne of his ancestors. 
 
 Alexander, who was then in Cilicia, hearing of these events, 
 hastened towards Antioch, where he laid waste the surround- 
 ing country; until, being met by the army of Demetrius, he 
 was overthrown in a decisive battle, and made his escape with 
 only five hundred horse, to Zabdiel, an Arabian prince, to 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 627 
 
 whom he had privately sent his children for security. But 
 here, in a few days, he was murdered by those in whom he 
 most confided. Such was the end of this successful impostor, 
 after a reign of five years. 
 
 The head of Alexander was brought by his murderers to 
 Ptolemy, who was greatly delighted at the sight of it; but 
 his joy was short-lived, for in a few days afterwards, he him- 
 self received a wound which caused his death, after a reign of 
 thirty-five years. 
 
 SECTION XVIII. 
 
 CARTHAGE AND CORINTH DESTROYED IN THE SAME YEAR HISTORY OF POLYBIDS CLEO- 
 PATRA MARRIES PHYSCON, WHO MURDERS HER SON BY HER FORMER HUSBAND SYRIA 
 
 IN A. DISTURBED STATE TYRANNICAL CONDUCT OF DEMETRIUS TRYPHON CONSPIRES 
 
 AGAINST HIM AND OVERCOMES HIM THEOS IS MADE KING, WHO GRANTS GREAT PRI- 
 VILEGES TO JONATHAN AND SIMON. 
 
 THE year 147 B. C. was not only famous for the death of the 
 kings of Egypt and Syria, within a few days of each other, 
 but also for the destruction of the two famous cities, Carthage 
 and Corinth. The former by Scipio Africanus, the latter by 
 L. Mummius. In the burning of Corinth, all the brass was 
 melted down, and mingled with other metals, which formed the 
 famous Corinthian brass of the ancients. With this year ends 
 the history of Polybius, which he wrote in forty books ; extend- 
 ing from the beginning of the second Punic war to the end of 
 the third. Of these, only five are now extant ; which are writ- 
 ten with so much spirit and correctness, that they serve to 
 increase our regret for the loss of all the rest. Polybius was a 
 native of Megapolis in Arcadia, the son of Lycortas, the 
 famous supporter of the Achsean league. Being overcome by 
 the Romans, a thousand of the principal youth were carried to 
 Rome as hostages, of whom Polybius was one. It was here 
 that he wrote his history. 
 
 Ptolemy Philometor being dead, his wife, Cleopatra who 
 was also his sister wished to secure the succession to her son, 
 then an infant; but Ptolemy Physcon, king of Gyrene, the 
 brother of Philometor, now laid in his claim. On this occasion, 
 Onias and Dositheus surrounded the queen with an army of 
 Jews ; but the Romans interposing, to prevent a civil war, pro- 
 posed that Physcon should marry his brother's widow, and that 
 after his death, the son of Cleopatra should succeed to the 
 throne. This was agreed to ; but on the very day of the nup- 
 tials, this unprincipled and unfeeling wretch murdered the son 
 of his brother, in his mother's arms. The afiairs of Syria were 
 
528 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 also in a disturbed state, under Demetrius, who was a young 
 and inexperienced man, and of an unhappy disposition. 
 
 Jonathan, finding all quiet in Judea, resolved to reduce the 
 fortress of Jerusalem. But as soon as he commenced the 
 siege, complaints Avere made against him to Demetrius, who 
 coming to Ptolemais, summoned Jonathan to appear before 
 him. He accordingly came down, attended by some of the 
 priests and chief people of Jerusalem, and bringing with him 
 valuable presents for the king. And he so managed, as to 
 obtain the favour of Demetrius, who not only confirmed him in 
 his priesthood, but admitted him to a chief place among his 
 friends, and bestowed on him several cities which had formerly 
 belonged to the Samaritans. 
 
 Demetrius conducted himself in a very tyrannical manner 
 at Antioch, so that the inhabitants became greatly disaffected 
 towards him; and. on one occasion rose in arms, and would 
 have destroyed him, had it not been for a body of Jewish sol- 
 diers, whom Jonathan sent to his aid, in consideration of a pro- 
 mise, that the garrison should be removed from the fortress in 
 Jerusalem, which he was unable to reduce, either by violence 
 or stratagem. These Jewish soldiers fell upon the inhabitants 
 of Antioch ; and, it is said, slew no less than a hundred thou- 
 sand of them. Thus retaliating the massacres of the Syrians 
 in the streets of Jerusalem, in former days. 
 
 A man called Tryphon, observing how odious Demetrius 
 had become to his subjects by his tyranny, formed the design of 
 placing one of Alexander's sons on the throne; or rather, as is 
 commonly supposed, of availing himself of his name and claims, 
 to ascend the throne. With this view, he went to Zabdiel the 
 guardian of Alexander's children, and prevailed on him to com- 
 mit Antiochus the son of Alexander into his hands, and 
 brought the boy immediately to Syria, and proclaimed him 
 king. On this, the soldiers who had been disbanded by Deme- 
 trius, and many others, flocked to his standard. He was soon 
 in a condition to march against Demetrius, whom he vanquished 
 in battle, driving him into Seleucia, and taking all his ele- 
 phants. The result of this victory was, that Antioch fell into 
 his hands; and he was placed on the throne. The people gave 
 him the name of Theos, or divine. 
 
 The new king, anxious to secure Jonathan in his interest, 
 immediately sent an embassy to him, with a confirmation of all 
 the grants which he had received from former sovereigns, with 
 the privilege of wearing purple, and the golden buckle. Simon 
 was at the same time made commander of all the king's forces 
 from the border of Syria to Egypt, on condition that the two 
 brothers should declare for him ; which they were very ready 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 529 
 
 to do, on account of the perfidious conduct of Demetrius, who 
 had neither withdrawn the garrison from Jerusalem, nor 
 released the country from tribute, according to his promise. 
 The brothers, therefore, raised a large army in Palestine and 
 Coelo-Syria, and Jonathan, leaving Simon in Judea, went to 
 Galilee, where he was very near being taken prisoner, by 
 being drawn into an ambush : but his men rallying, after being 
 put to flight, rescued their leader, and gained the victory. 
 Bethsura, which had a strong garrison, was reduced, to the 
 great comfort of the surrounding inhabitants, who had been, 
 long annoyed by the heathen soldiers. 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 JONATHAN RENEWS HIS LEAGUE WITH THE ROMANS AND LACEDEMONIANS HE AND 
 
 SIMON CALL A GREAT COUNCIL OF THE NATION TRYPHON TREACHEROUSLY MUR- 
 DERS JONATHAN SIMON SUCCEEDS HIM ERECTS A FAMOUS MONUMENT FOR HIS 
 
 BROTHERS DEMOLISHES THE STRONG FORTRESS AT JERUSALEM DEMETRIUS GOES 
 
 AGAINST THE PARTHIANS, AND FALLS INTO THEIR HANDS HIS LIFE IS SPARED 
 BY MITHRIDATES, WHO GIVES HIM HIS DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE CLEOPATRA 
 MARRIES ANTIOCHUS SIDETES, WHO INVADES SYRIA, AND OVERCOMES AND SLAYS 
 
 TRYPHON SIMON SENDS AN EMBASSY TO ROME TO OBTAIN THEIR CONFIRMATION; 
 
 OF HIS AUTHORITY ANTIOCHUS SEEKS THE DESTRUCTION OF SIMON BEASTLY 
 
 CHARACTER OF PTOLEMY PHYSCON AND ATTALUS SIMON TREACHEROUSLY MUB- 
 DERED AT JERICHO. 
 
 JONATHAN being now relieved from all disquietude at home, sent 
 ambassadors to Rome to renew the treaty which had been con- 
 cluded with Judas. They were kindly and honourably received, 
 and obtained all that they wished. The ambassadors, agreea- 
 bly to their orders, on their return renewed the former league 
 with the Lacedemonians, and other allies of the Jews in Greece. 
 The general of Demetrius, who had been defeated in Galilee by 
 Jonathan, returned with a greater force, but was again obliged 
 to fly ; and the two brothers brought the whole country under 
 subjection to Antiochus. 
 
 When the country was freed from invading foes, Jonathan 
 and Simon convened the great council of the nation to consult 
 about repairing and fortifying Jerusalem, and other strong 
 places in Judea. At this meeting it was agreed that the walls 
 of the city should be repaired, and a new wall erected between 
 the town and the castle, so as to prevent all intercourse between 
 the garrison and the inhabitants ; by which means it was hoped, 
 that for want of supplies, they would before long be under the 
 necessity of surrendering. 
 
 Tryphon, who had brought back the young king, supposed 
 
 that the time was now come to execute his nefarious scheme of 
 
 putting him to death, and seizing the crown for himself. But 
 
 foreseeing that Jonathan would never countenance such villany, 
 
 34 
 
530 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 he resolved to remove him out of the way, in the first place. He 
 therefore marched into Judea with a strong force, but found 
 Jonathan prepared to meet him at the head of forty thousand 
 men. He therefore assumed the appearance of friendship, and 
 informed Jonathan that the purpose of his coming was to put 
 Ptolemais into his hands; and so deceived him by his specious 
 pretexts, that he was induced to send away all his men except 
 one thousand. With these he went to Ptolemais, to receive the 
 city, which Tryphon had sworn to surrender to him; but no 
 sooner was he within the walls, than he ordered the gates to be 
 shut, and resolved to put Jonathan and his all men to the sword. 
 
 The Jews, greatly intimidated and distressed by the loss of 
 their leader, appointed Simon to be their captain ; who soon 
 collected a formidable force, and marched to meet Tryphon, 
 then on his way to besiege Jerusalem, and relieve the garrison. 
 To Simon he pretended that his only reason for seizing Jona- 
 than was because he owed the king a debt, which, if he would 
 pay, his brother should be released. Simon saw through the 
 deception, but lest any censure should light upon himself for 
 not ransoming his brother, he raised the money and sent it to 
 him. But this wicked wretch, instead of complying with his 
 promise, put Jonathan to death. Thinking that the only obsta- 
 cle to the accomplishment of his ambitious purpose was now 
 removed, he finished by making way with Antiochus. 
 
 As soon as Simon heard of his brother's death, he sent and 
 brought away his bones from Bascama, and buried them at Mo- 
 din, in the sepulchre of his father; over which he built a splen- 
 did monument of marble. Near this monument he erected 
 seven pyramids, one for his father, another for his mother, four 
 for his brothers, and the seventh for himself. The architec- 
 ture of this monument is said to have been very excellent, and as 
 it was erected on an eminence near the seacoast, it served as a 
 light-house to mariners. Josephus says that it was entire in 
 his time, and considered an admirable piece of architecture. 
 Eusebius, who lived two hundred years later, informs us that it 
 was still standing when he wrote. 
 
 I Tryphon, now very anxious to conciliate the Romans, sent 
 them as a present, a golden image of victory, valued at ten 
 thousand pieces of gold ; hoping to be recognized as king of 
 Syria. The Roman Senate accepted the present ; but ordered 
 the name of Antiochus, whom Tryphon had murdered, to be 
 inscribed on the image, as if it had been received from him. 
 Simon, also, sent ambassadors to Rome, after his brother's 
 death, who were received with distinguished honour; and had 
 all their former grants and promises renewed. The same 
 ambassadors renewed their leagues with the other allies of the 
 Jews, who lay in their way home. 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 531 
 
 The Jews who had joined the young king, in opposition to 
 Demetrius, now felt disposed to return to his aid against Try- 
 phon the usurper, who had perfidiously inflicted on them so 
 deep an injury. Simon, therefore, sent an embassy to Deme- 
 trius, with a crown of gold. This aid was so much needed by 
 Demetrius and so seasonable, that he not only confirmed 
 Simon in the priesthood, and renewed all former grants, with 
 an amnesty for all acts done against his government; but 
 actually conferred the sovereignity of the country on Simon, 
 by which means the land was freed from a foreign yoke. The 
 Jews, therefore, from this time, instead of dating their con- 
 contracts by the years of the Syrian kings, dated them by the 
 years of Simon and his successors. Simon now made a pro- 
 gress through the land, reducing such fortresses as were gar- 
 risoned by the heathens, and fortifying those places which 
 served for the defence of the country. He made Bethsura a 
 despository of the munitions of war ; and Joppa, the seaport of 
 Jerusalem, it being the nearest place on the Mediterranean. 
 Gazara, which had revolted on the death of Jonathan, he 
 reduced, driving off the heathen garrison, and building a house 
 there for himself. 
 
 In the year 142 B. C. the strong fortress at Jerusalem which 
 overlooked the temple, was reduced to the necessity of surren- 
 dering for the want of provisions and other necessaries, by 
 which means the inhabitants were delivered from a great and 
 long continued grievance. That they might never again be 
 subjected to a similar annoyance, Simon not only demolished 
 the fortress, but proposed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to 
 take away the hill itself on which it had been built. This pro- 
 posal met with universal acceptance; and for three years they 
 were engaged in this herculean labour. Simon, also, renewed 
 and strengthened the fortifications of the temple; and built for 
 himself and his attendants, a house within the circuit of the 
 outer wall, which probably occupied the site where the tower 
 called Antonia was afterwards erected. John, the son of 
 Simon, afterwards called Hyrcanus, being a valiant man, and 
 skilled in military matters, his father made him general of all 
 the forces of Judea, and sent him to live at Gazara, as being a 
 frontier town ; and also, that he might be near Joppa, to 
 superintend the works, which he was erecting there to ren- 
 der it a commodious place for commerce. 
 
 Demetrius found, this year, 141 B. C., a new ememy rising 
 up against him in the east. The Parthians had extended their 
 conquests from the Euphrates to the Indus ; his friends in the 
 eastern provinces therefore invited him to come over and 
 secure his territory from the grasp of usurpers. In compliance 
 with this invitation, Demetrius passed the Euphrates, leaving 
 
532 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Tryphon in possession of a considerable part of Syria, behind 
 him. At first, he defeated the Parthians in many battles ; 
 but at length being drawn into a snare, he was taken prisoner 
 by Mithridates, king of Parthia, and his whole army cut to 
 pieces. By this event, the Parthian power was established in 
 the east, and became a formidable enemy to all, even to the 
 Romans. Mithridates was the fourth in descent form Arsaces, 
 who, by his revolt, laid the foundation of this empire. He 
 extended his conquests far into India, and to the west as far 
 as the Euphrates. Having got Demetrius into his power, he 
 carried him about, through all the provinces which formerly 
 belonged to him, to let the people see the man in whom they 
 had confided for deliverance from his power. But he treated 
 him in a manner suitable to his dignity; and after awhile, 
 gave him his own daughter in marriage, though he still retained 
 him as a captive. 
 
 Simon having received from the king of Syria the sovereignty 
 of the nation, all that was necessary to make him a lawful king 
 was the free and explicit consent of the people; and this was 
 given in a general congregation of the priests, elders, and 
 people. Here it was agreed that the office of high-priest, and 
 the supreme power of the nation, should be settled on Simon, 
 and his family, for ever. A copy of this act they caused to be 
 engraved on tablets of brass, and hung up in the sanctuary; 
 and the original writing was laid up among the archives belong- 
 ing to the treasury of the temple. From this time Simon 
 assumed the state, style, and authority of a royal prince ; and 
 all public acts were in his name. 
 
 Cleopatra, the wife of Demetrius, when she heard of his cap- 
 tivity, and of his marriage to the daughter of Mithridates, sent 
 to his brother Antiochus, Sidetes, and offered him her hand and 
 the crown of Syria, if he would come and assist her against Try- 
 phon : which offer he gladly accepted. 
 
 In the year 139 B. C., Antiochus Sidetes wrote a letter to 
 Simon, king of Judea, complaining of the usurpation of Tryphon ; 
 and to gain him over to his interests, made him many promises. 
 (Mac. xv. 2 9.) Having landed in Syria with a large body of 
 mercenaries, he marched against Tryphon, whose soldiers having 
 become much disaffected towards him, deserted in great num- 
 bers, and joined the standard of Antiochus. The forces of the 
 latter, by the accessions which he received in Syria, soon 
 amounted to more than a hundred thousand men. Tryphon, 
 not being able to withstand such a force, fled from place to 
 place, until he came to Apamia, where he was taken and put to 
 death. 
 
 Simon thought it would add much to the stability of hia 
 government if he could get the Romans to confirm him in his 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 533 
 
 authority. He therefore sent an embassy to Rome, which was 
 received very favourably, as all former embassies from the Jews 
 had been. In compliance with their request, letters were writ- 
 ten to all the kings whose territories lay near Judea, informing 
 them that the Jews were the allies and friends of the Romans, 
 and forbidding all persons to molest or injure them. But the 
 letters to the king of Syria, being addressed to Demetrius, who 
 was then in captivity, they were of no service to the Jews, for 
 as soon as Antiochus was settled on the throne, he sought an 
 opportunity to quarrel with Simon. In pursuance of this design, 
 he sent an ambassador to Simon, to demand the restoration of 
 Gazara, Joppa, and the fortress of Jerusalem or five hundred 
 talents in lieu of them and five hundred more for injuries done 
 in other parts of his dominions. Simon answered that he was 
 willing to pay one hundred talents for Joppa and Gazara, but 
 as for his other demands, the places belonged to the inheritance 
 of his forefathers, which had for a while been unjustly taken 
 from them, but which he was now resolved to keep. 
 
 Antiochus, on hearing this answer, immediately sent Coende- 
 beus into Judea with an army to enforce his demands. Simon, 
 now too old to take the field himself, sent his two sons, John 
 and Judas, with twenty thousand men, to meet the Syrian army. 
 A battle was fought not far from Modin, in which the Syrians 
 were defeated, and two thousand of them slain. They were 
 pursued as far as Azotus, where John took their towers of de- 
 fence and burned them, and then returned to Jerusalem in 
 triumph with his brother. 
 
 Two greater brutes in human shape, perhaps, never appeared 
 in the world at one time, than Ptolemy Physcon, king of Egypt, 
 and Attalus Philometor, king of Pergamus. Folly and mad- 
 ness were never more completely exemplified, than in the con- 
 duct of them both. The former either killed or banished all 
 the friends of his late brother, and so oppressed and terrified 
 the inhabitants of Alexandria, that most of them fled to other 
 countries, leaving the city almost destitute. To supply their 
 places, he invited strangers of all sorts to come and occupy 
 the vacant habitations. By the dispersion of men of letters, 
 and of artizans, the countries of Greece and Asia Minor were 
 filled with learning of various kinds ; for after the conquests of 
 Alexander, literature flourished nowhere so much as in Egypt, 
 under the fostering patronage of the Ptolemies. 
 
 About this time, the Romans sent ambassadors to visit all 
 the countries in alliance with them; a prudent measure, fre- 
 quently adopted. Of this embassy was Publius Scipio Afri- 
 canus, Sp. Mummius, and L. Metellus, who made Egypt the 
 first object of their attention. At Alexandria they were re- 
 ceived with great honour, and every luxury was provided for 
 
534 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 them ; but their simple republican manners formed a complete 
 contrast with the luxurious effeminacy of the Egyptians. Scipio, 
 then the greatest man at Rome, had in his train only one friend 
 and five servants. In the midst of the most sumptuous enter- 
 tainments provided expressly for them, they refused to take 
 more than what was necessary for sustenance and refreshment. 
 
 Physcon the king was at this time one of the most disgust- 
 ing sights that could be seen. He was naturally deformed, 
 very short of stature, and very thick, with a belly so promi- 
 nent, that from this circumstance his name was derived. But 
 to render himself still more odious, he wore a dress entirely 
 transparent, by which means the turpitude of his deformed 
 body was rendered altogether visible. 
 
 In the year 135 B. C., Simon, making a progress through 
 Judea, to settle every thing on a proper footing, came to Jeri- 
 cho with his two sons, Mattathias and Judas, where he was in- 
 vited to an entertainment by Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who had 
 married one of his daughters. But this perfidious wretch, aim- 
 ing to make himself master of all Judea, and having, it is sup- 
 posed, concerted the plan with Antiochus Sidetes, had concealed 
 assassins in his house, who at a concerted signal rushed into 
 the room, and slew the venerable old man and his two sons. 
 It was also a part of the design to murder John, who was gov- 
 ernor of Gazara ; but he had received early intelligence of what 
 was done at Jericho, so that when the persons commissioned to 
 murder him arrived, he fell on them and cut them off. Then, 
 hastening to Jerusalem, he secured the city and the mountain 
 of the temple against those sent by Ptolemy to take possession 
 of them. John was now declared high-priest and prince of the 
 Jews, who took measures immediately to provide for the securi- 
 ty of the country. Ptolemy, the traitor, fled, but what became 
 of him afterwards, is not recorded in history. 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 ANTIOCHUS INVADES JUDEA BESIEGES IIYRCANUS IN JERUSALEM TERMS OF PEACE 
 FAMILY OF JOSEPHUS BOOK OF ECCLESIASTICUS ANTIOCHUS SIDETES MARCHES AN 
 ARMY INTO THE EAST, WHERE HE IS ATTACKED AND SLAIN BY PHRAATE3 HYRCANUS 
 SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY OF DELIVERING HIS COUNTRY FROM SUBJECTION TO THE 
 SYRIAN YOKE DEMETRIUS RESTORED TO HIS THRONE INVADES EGYPT IS CALLED 
 BACK BY A REVOLT AT ANTIOCH PTOLEMY RAISES UP A YOUTH WHO PttETENDS TO 
 BE THE SON OF ALEXANDER BALAS HE RAISES AN ARMY AND DEFEATS DEMETRIUS, 
 
 WHO IS SLAIN AT TYRE ALEXANDER ZEB1NA REIGNS OVER SYRIA VAST SWARM OF 
 
 LOCUSTS ZEBINA DEFEATED AND PUT TO DEATH. 
 
 ANTIOCHUS, the king, on hearing of the death of Simon and his 
 sons, immediately marched with a powerful army into Judea, 
 and overran the country. Hyrcanus being driven from the 
 field by a superior force, shut himself up in Jerusalem, where 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 535 
 
 he was besieged by the whole Syrian army, which Antiochus 
 divided into seven camps, that the city might be entirely sur- 
 rounded. But the besieged defended themselves valiantly, and 
 often sallied out to burn the engines and works of the assail- 
 ants. To render it more difficult for those within the walls to 
 hold communication with the country, Antiochus caused two 
 large and deep ditches to be drawn round the city. Hyrca- 
 nus, to lesson the pressure of famine, put without the gates, all 
 such persons as were unable to be of any service within the 
 walls ; but by means of the ditches they could not make their 
 escape, and he was obliged to take them in again. 
 
 When the time for celebrating the feast of tabernacles ap- 
 proached, Hyrcanus sent to Antiochus requesting that there 
 might be a truce, during the festival ; which he not only granted, 
 but himself sent into the city beasts for sacrifice ; which act of 
 generosity gave Hyrcanus such an opinion of the character of 
 the king, that he sent again to sue for terms of peace. A treaty 
 was accordingly concluded. The conditions were, that Jerusa- 
 lem should be dismantled ; and that for Joppa and other towns 
 held out of Judea, five hundred talents should be paid. Antio- 
 chus wished to have the fortress in Jerusalem rebuilt and gar- 
 risoned again ; but with this Hyrcanus would not comply. 
 
 When this treaty was made, the Jews were reduced to the 
 last extremity, and could not have held out much longer. Their 
 enemies were urgent with Antiochus, not to make peace with 
 them; but utterly to destroy the hated nation. And it is 
 admitted, not only by Josephus, but Diodorus Siculus, that it 
 was entirely owing to the generosity and clemency of this prince 
 that the whole nation of the Jews was not extirpated. 
 
 Three hundred talents of the sum laid upon Hyrcanus was 
 paid upon the spot ; for the remainder time was given. Jose- 
 phus tells a very improbable story, respecting the manner in, 
 which the money was obtained by Hyrcanus. He says he 
 robbed the sepulchre of David, and took from thence three 
 thousand talents. If there is any truth in this account, it must 
 have been, that many rich men, in the times of trouble which 
 the nation had experienced, hid their treasures in this sepul- 
 chre, to preserve them from the rapacity of their enemies; for 
 certainly these treasures could not have remained there un- 
 touched, from the time of David, and especially during the 
 captivity. About this time, Mattathias. a priest of the course of 
 Joarib, married a daughter of Jonathan, the late high-priest 
 and prince of the Jews; of whom was born Mattathias Curtis; 
 and from him another Mattathias, whose son, Josephus, was the 
 father of a third Mattathias ; of whom was born Josephus, the 
 celebrated Jewish historian, in the first year of the emperor 
 
536 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Caligula, which answers to the thirty-seventh of the Christian 
 era. 
 
 In the year 133 B. C. died Attalos Philometor, the mad king 
 of Pergamus, who left all his dominions, by his will, to the 
 Romans, which they did not hesitate to take possession of with- 
 out delay. 
 
 In the year 132 B. C., Jesus the son of Sirach, a Jew of 
 Jerusalem, came into Egypt, and translated out of Hebrew into 
 Greek, for the use of the Jews, who spoke that language, the 
 book of Jesus his grandfather ; the same which we now have in 
 the Apocrypha, by the name of Ecclesiasticus. 
 
 In the year 131 B. C., Antiochus Sidetes marched a vast 
 army over the Euphrates, under pretence of delivering his bro- 
 ther from captivity, but in reality to recover the eastern pro- 
 vinces of the Syrian empire, which had been wrested from its 
 princes. The Parthian king, Phraates, was overthrown by him 
 in many battles. On this expedition he was accompanied by 
 John Hyrcanus, prince of the Jews, who returned home at the 
 end of the year with much glory. 
 
 In the year 130 B. C., Antiochus having remained in the 
 east with his army, was obliged to disperse them in places 
 remote from each other, for the sake of subsistence. Phraates. 
 having ascertained how the Syrians were scattered, formed a 
 plan of a simultaneous attack upon their several encampments. 
 Antiochus hastened to the help of those who lay nearest to 
 him, but was overpowered and slain; and of that vast mul- 
 titude, said to have been three hundred thousand, who crossed 
 the Euphrates with him, not one returned to Syria to tell the 
 doleful tidings. Of this army, however, more than one-half 
 were butlers, bakers, cooks, confectioners, and others who only 
 ministered to the luxury of the soldiers. As soon as Antio- 
 chus had crossed the Euphrates, the king of Parthia released 
 Demetrius, his brother, and sent him back to claim the king- 
 dom in Syria, hoping thus to withdraw him from the east: but 
 upon obtaining this complete victory over the Syrian army, he 
 sent messengers after him, to arrest him and bring him back. 
 Demetrius, however, had made so much haste, that he had 
 passed the Euphrates before they arrived. Phraates took up 
 the body of Antiochus from among the slain, and enclosing it 
 in a silver coffin, sent it into Syria, to be honourably buried 
 among his friends : and finding among the captives a daughter 
 of the king, he was so smitten with her beauty, that he took 
 her for his wife. 
 
 After the death of Antiochus, Hyrcanus seized the favour- 
 able opportunity of rendering his country entirely independent 
 of Syria. He also took possession of several strong places 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 537 
 
 beyond his own borders, as Medaba, Samega, and several 
 others. From this time, Judea was no more subject to the 
 kings of Syria. Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple, 
 which was built by Sanballat, on mount Gerizim. The Sama- 
 ritans, however, still offered sacrifices on an altar there, as 
 they have continued to do unto this day. 
 
 In the year 129 B. C., Hyrcanus, having conquered the 
 Idumeans, gave them their choice, to leave the country, or to 
 embrace the Jewish religion ; they chose the latter, and became 
 incorporated with the Jewish church and nation. 
 
 The Parthians, in the war with the Syrians, having called in 
 the aid of the Scythians, these were so much pleased with the 
 country, that as soon as the war was over, they began to seize 
 upon it for themselves. And now Phraates was guilty of a 
 second folly; for having taken, in the late victory, a multitude 
 of Grecian mercenaries, he put arms into their hands and 
 employed them against the Scythians. But these veteran 
 soldiers, resenting the cruel treatment received from the Par- 
 thians, went generally over to the Scythians ; and having with 
 them ravaged the country, then returned home. 
 
 Hyrcanus next sent an embassy to Rome, to renew the 
 treaty made with his father Simon, to which the Roman Senate 
 readily consented. And as Antiochus Sidetes had made war 
 upon the Jews, contrary to the provisions of that treaty, and 
 had exacted from them a heavy tribute for Gazara and Joppa, 
 and by besieging Jerusalem, had forced them to a disadvan- 
 tageous peace, it was now resolved, that those cities should be 
 restored to them, free from all tribute: and that the Syrians 
 should be accountable for all damages which they might have 
 incurred, while in their possession. And, moreover, it was 
 ordered, that the expenses of the Jewish ambassadors should 
 be paid out of the public treasury. 
 
 A war having broken out in Egypt, between Cleopatra the 
 wife of Philometor, and Physcon, the latter was, for a while, 
 driven from Egypt, and took refuge in Cyprus; but collecting 
 an army, he afterwards defeated the forces of Cleopatra; on 
 which she sent to Demetrius, now restored to the throne of 
 Syria, to come to her aid, promising him the possession of the 
 kingdom. 
 
 Demetrius readily complied with this invitation, and invaded 
 Egypt; but while he was absent, a revolt was raised against him 
 at Antioch, on account of his tyrannical behaviour. Cleopatra, 
 being now disappointed in her expectation of aid from Deme- 
 trius, whose affairs required his presence at home, took all her 
 treasures, and putting them into a ship, sailed to Ptolemais, 
 where her daughter Cleopatra resided. This daughter had first 
 married Alexander Balas, the king of Syria, and afterwards 
 
538 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Demetrius, in her father's life-time; but when Demetrius was 
 taken prisoner, in Parthia, she was married to his brother Anti- 
 ochus; and after his death returned again to the bed of De- 
 metrius. 
 
 Ptolemy now returned to the throne of Egypt, and out of 
 resentment for the hostile conduct of Demetrius, raised up a 
 youth called Alexander Zebina, who he pretended was the son 
 of Alexander Balas ; and sent him into Syria, where his pre- 
 tensions were countenanced by many, out of hatred to Deme- 
 trius. In a short time he was strong enough to meet Demetrius 
 in the field. A battle was fought near Damascus, in which De- 
 metrius being defeated, fled to Cleopatra, at Ptolemais. But 
 she being not fully reconciled to him for marrying Rhodoguna, 
 the Parthian, refused to admit him into the city ; on which he 
 was obliged to fly to Tyre, where he was slain. Zebina now 
 reigned over the greater part of Syria; Cleopatra being per- 
 mitted to hold in her possession a certain part. John Hyrca- 
 nus, who was a politic man, formed a close alliance with Zebina, 
 by which means he enlarged and strengthened his territory. 
 
 In the year 125 B. C., a vast swarm of locusts came into 
 Africa, and destroyed all the verdure, and fruits of the earth, 
 wherever they came; and being driven into the sea by the wind, 
 on the coasts of Lybia and Cyrene, and carried on shore by the 
 tide, they occasioned such a plague in those regions, as carried 
 off, according to report, above eight hundred thousand persons. 
 
 Seleucus, the son of Cleopatra queen of Syria, being now 
 twenty years of age, aspired to the crown of Persia, with which 
 his mother was so much displeased that she murdered him with 
 her own hands ; but finding that she needed some one to bear 
 the royal title, whose claim would be respected, she sent to 
 Athens for Antiochus, her other son, who was then pursuing 
 his education, intending that his power should be merely nomi- 
 nal, as she was ambitious to rule the country herself. This 
 young man, who was not more than twenty years of age, was 
 declared, on his arrival, king of Syria. To distinguish him 
 from others of the same name, he has been called Grypus; 
 though Josephus calls him Philometor; and the name Epi- 
 phanes is on his coins. 
 
 Zebina, not discovering a disposition to hold Syria as a 
 dependent of the crown of Egypt, according to the wishes of 
 Physcon, who had set him up, he was not permitted by the 
 latter to retain the quiet possession of his power ; for he, enter- 
 ing into an agreement with Cleopatra, married his daughter 
 Tryphoena to Grypus her son, and sent an army into Syria. 
 Zebina being overthrown in battle, fled to Antioch, where, 
 being detected in an attempt to rob the temple of Jupiter, he 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 539 
 
 was expelled from the city ; and wandering about for a while, 
 was at length put to death. 
 
 SECTION XXI. 
 
 REMARKABLE SEASON CLEOPATRA DIES BY A POTION PREPARED FOR HER SON DISTURB- 
 ANCES IN SYRIA JOHN HYRCANUS GOES ON PROSPEROUSLY IS OPPOSED BY THE PHARI- 
 SEES ORIGIN OF THIS SECT HYRCANUS JOINS THE SADDUCEES HIS DEATH TUB 
 
 CASTLE OF BARIS. 
 
 THE year 121 B. C., (L. Opimius and I. Fab. Maximus being 
 consuls at Rome,) was distinguished for the excellency of it8 
 seasons, and value of its productions. The wine made this 
 year was so excellent, that some of it was kept for two hun- 
 dred years, and is celebrated by the poets under the name of 
 the Opimian wine. The next year, 120 B. C., Grypus having 
 attained to manhood, began to exercise the power of a king, as 
 he had before assumed the name; on which, Cleopatra was 
 so much displeased, that she resolved to dispatch him, as she 
 had done his brother ; and, accordingly, prepared a poisonous 
 potion, which he made her drink herself. Nor did it fail of its 
 effect; for in a little time, this ambitious and wicked woman 
 was a corpse, by the draught which she had prepared for her 
 own son. 
 
 In the year 117 B. C., Ptolemy Physcon having reigned 
 twenty-nine years after the death of his brother, died at Alex- 
 andria. His vile character has already been given. He was 
 succeeded by his son Lathyrus, as he is commonly called in 
 history; though the name assumed by himself, was Soter. 
 
 Grypus had been married to Cleopatra, but he was forced to 
 put her away and take Tryphcena her sister ; on which the for- 
 mer married Cycizenus, the half brother of Grypus. This 
 young man was brought up in private, to preserve him from 
 death, because an object of jealousy to Grypus; so that he was 
 under the necessity of fighting for the crown as his only means 
 of safety. But being defeated at Antioch, he fled, leaving 
 Cleopatra in an asylum. Her sister, however, would not be 
 satisfied until she was destroyed, although her husband entreat- 
 ed for her life. But her death, which took place in the temple 
 whither she had fled, was not unavenged; for her husband, col- 
 lecting another army, was more successful in a second battle, 
 in which he obtained the victory, and got Tryphcena into his 
 hands, whom he sacrificed to the ghost of his departed wife, 
 putting her to a cruel death. Grypus and Cycizenus at length 
 divided the Syrian empire between them, the former residing 
 at Antioch, the latter at Damascus. 
 
 John Hyrcanus, while these disturbances existed in Syria, 
 
540 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 was increasing in power and wealth. He found that he had 
 little to fear from either of the kings of Syria, and therefore 
 sent two of his sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus, to besiege Sa- 
 maria. The inhabitants sent for Antiochus Cycizenus to bring 
 them assistance; who, coming with a great army, was van- 
 quished by them, and with difficulty escaped alive. 
 
 The two brothers, after the gaining of this victory, returned 
 to the siege of Samaria, and pressed it so hard, that the be- 
 sieged sent a second time to Cycizenus; but he, not having 
 force enough of his own, sent to Lathyrus, king of Egypt, and 
 obtained from him six thousand auxiliaries, much to the dissatis- 
 faction of Cleopatra, his mother; for she had then at court 
 Chelcias and Ananias, the sons of Onias, prime favourites, and 
 she did not wish to disoblige them. These auxiliaries being 
 joined by the Syrians from Damascus, wasted the open country ; 
 but at length they were obliged to withdraw, and several Syrian 
 towns fell into the hands of the Jews ; and Samaria, after a siege 
 of one year, was obliged to surrender. The city was utterly 
 demolished by Hyrcanus, not out of hatred to the Samaritans, 
 as some have said, for as we have before seen, they were all 
 gone from the place, and its present inhabitants were of Mace- 
 donian descent. The siege of Samaria occurred 109 B. C. 
 
 John Hyrcanus now became master of all Judea, Samaria, 
 and Galilee, and being freed from all foreign enemies, enjoyed 
 a high degree of prosperity ; but in the latter part of his life, 
 met with some trouble from the Pharisees, a sect which had 
 recently sprung up, and were distinguished for their pride, 
 authority, and ostentatious display of strictness in religion. 
 They are now first heard of in history, but they must have been 
 in existence some time before, as they were at this time so nu- 
 merous and powerful as to be formidable even to a prince of so 
 decisive a character as John Hyrcanus. They were probably a 
 branch of the people called Chasidim, or Assideans, who rigid- 
 ly followed the traditions of the fathers, and received their 
 name, Pharisees, from a Hebrew word, which signifies, to sepa- 
 rate; on account of their separating themselves from the rest 
 of the people, on pretence of their not being holy enough for 
 their society. As this sect was always held in veneration by 
 the people, on account of their sanctity, Hyrcanus wished to 
 gain them over to his own interests; for he himself had been 
 brought up in their discipline, and professing himself to be of 
 their number, had always patronized them to the utmost of his 
 power. He, therefore, invited all the leaders of the sect to a 
 feast, and then addressing them, said, that his purpose ever had 
 been to serve God, and do justly towards man, according to the 
 doctrine of the Pharisees ; but knowing the frailty of men, he 
 wished now to hear from them, whether they had observed any 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 541 
 
 thing defective in his conduct, that he might amend it. All 
 united in giving him unqualified praise, except an old austere 
 man, by the name of Eleazar, who sternly said, "If you would 
 approve yourself a just man, quit the high-priesthood, and con- 
 tent yourself with the civil government." Upon being asked 
 why he gave this advice, he said, "Because, we have it from 
 good authority, that your mother was a captive, in consequence 
 of which you are incompetent to hold the office, by the law of 
 Moses." 
 
 Hyrcanus was much displeased, but receiving it as the ill say- 
 ing of an individual, he intended to take no further notice of 
 it. But Jonathan, a Sadducee, and an intimate friend, insisted 
 that Eleazar merely expressed the sentiment of the whole 
 sect ; and suggested that this could be put to the test by con- 
 vening them again, and requiring them to declare what punish- 
 ment this man deserved, for reviling God's high-priest. Hyr- 
 canus pursued this method, and to his astonishment, he heard 
 from them that defamation was not a capital crime, and could 
 only be punished by scourging, or some inferior penalty. Hyr- 
 canus was so much offended with the whole sect, especially as 
 his mother's fame was called in question, that from that day he 
 forsook them, and went and joined the Sadducees. Hyrcanus 
 did not long survive this change of sect ; for the next year he 
 died, having held the supreme power of Jerusalem twenty-nine 
 years after the death of Simon. This event occured in the year 
 107 B. C. He built the castle called Baris, on a steep rock, 
 where afterwards all the members of the Asmonean family re- 
 sided, and where the robes of the high-priest were laid up the 
 same spot on which the castle of Antonia was afterwards erect- 
 ed by Herod, cased with polished marble, so that it was impos- 
 sible for any one to climb to the top. 
 
 SECTION XXII. 
 
 HYRCANUS SUCCEEDED BY ARISTOBULUS, HIS SON, WHO FORCES THE ITUREANS TO 
 
 EMBRACE THE JEWISH RELIGION, AS HIS FATHER HAD THE IDUMEANS SLAYS HIS 
 
 BROTHER ANTIGONU3, BUT REPENTS AND DIES IN GREAT AGONY STORY OF JUDAS 
 
 THE ESSENE ORIGIN OF THIS SECT ALEXANDER SUCCEEDS HIS BROTHER, ARISTO- 
 
 BULUS SIEGE OF PTOLEMAIS DEFEAT OF ALEXANDER BY LATHYRUS CIVIL WAR 
 ANNA THE PROPHETESS DEATH OF ALEXANDER JANNEUS. 
 
 JOHN HYRCANUS, at his death, left five sons; Aristobulus, 
 Antigonus, Alexander, and Absalom : the name of one of them, 
 the fourth in order, is nowhere mentioned. Aristobulus, being 
 the oldest, succeeded his father, both as high-priest and civil 
 ruler; and as soon as he found himself settled in authority, he 
 put a diadem on his head, and assumed the title of king; being 
 the first elevated to this honour after the Babylonish captivity. 
 
542 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 His mother by the will of Hyrcanus, claimed the sovereignty 
 while she lived; but Aristobulus cast her into prison, and there 
 caused her to be starved to death. His brother Antigonus, 
 was, for a while, his favourite ; but his other brothers he shut 
 up in prison, and kept them there as long as he lived. 
 
 Cleopatra being much displeased with her son Lathyrus, 
 found means to expel him from the throne, and from Egypt ; 
 and calling from Cyprus her youngest son, Alexander, placed 
 him on the throne ; forcing Lathyrus to take Cyprus in place 
 of the kingdom of Egypt. 
 
 Aristobulus, when settled in his authority at home, made war 
 on the Itureans, and compelled them to embrace the Jewish 
 religion, as Hyrcanus had the Idumeans before. For he re- 
 quired them, either to forsake their country, and seek new 
 habitations, or to become proselytes; and in this manner the 
 Asmonean princes dealt with all the countries which they con- 
 quered. Iturea lay to the north-east of Judea, and was origi- 
 nally a part of Coelo-Syria. It seems to have received its name 
 from Hur, one of the sons of Ishmael; who, in our English ver- 
 sion, is called Jetur; (Gen. xxv. 15.) Aristobulus, returning 
 home sick from Iturea, left his brother Antigonus with the 
 army, to finish the war which he had begun. This country is 
 the same which is sometimes called Auranitis. 
 
 While Aristobulus lay sick, his queen, and some of his court- 
 iers, were continually insinuating things to the disadvantage of 
 Antigonus, his favourite brother. When Antigonus had com- 
 pleted the war, he returned in triumph to Jerusalem, and went 
 immediately to the temple, to pay his devotions there, without 
 putting off his armour or changing his dress. This was rep- 
 resented to Aristobulus, now sick in bed, as a very suspicious 
 circumstance. On which he sent word to Antigonus to come 
 to him unarmed ; and having stationed soldiers along a subter- 
 ranean gallery, through which he must pass, he gave them 
 orders, if Antigonus came unarmed, not to interrupt him, but if 
 he came with his armour on, to fall upon him and put him to 
 death. The queen having heard these orders, bribed the mes- 
 senger to tell him, that the king wished him to come to him 
 completely armed, that the queen might see his new suit of 
 armour, of which she had heard so much. Accordingly, Anti- 
 gonus presented himself armed, when the guards, agreeably to 
 their orders, fell upon him and slew him. No sooner was this 
 murder perpetrated, than Aristobulus repented it grievously. 
 His murder of his own mother now also rushing upon his con- 
 science, occasioned such perturbation, that it brought on a vom- 
 iting of blood. The servant in attendance, in carrying out the 
 basin of blood, stumbled and spilled it on the very spot where 
 Antigonus had been slain; which accident affected him so 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 643 
 
 exceedingly, that he could no longer restrain his feelings, but 
 bitterly accused himself of both these unnatural murders. So 
 great was his agony, that, in conjunction with the disease, it 
 soon brought him to a dreadful and premature death, after 
 having reigned no more than one year. 
 
 Josephus relates a remarkable story respecting one Judas, 
 an Essene, which, though it has not a little of the marvellous 
 in its composition, it may not be improper briefly to state. 
 This man, it seems, pretended to be a prophet, and had pre- 
 dicted that Antigonus should die at the tower of Straton, on 
 that very day on which he returned to Jerusalem ; but on see- 
 ing him come into the temple he was filled with indignation, 
 thinking that his prophecy would fail of its accomplishment; 
 for Straton's tower was two days journey from Jerusalem, on 
 the seacoast. After the murder of Antigonus, however, he 
 found upon inquiry, that the tower immediately over the spot 
 where he was killed, was called by the same name. This, I 
 believe, is the first mention of the sect of the Essenes, by Jose- 
 phus. They were devoted to an ascetic life, and inhabited 
 remote and desert places, far from the bustle of worldly com- 
 merce, and from the promiscuous intercourse of men. Their ori- 
 gin and history is buried, even in more obscurity than those of 
 the Pharisees and Sadducees ; and though largely treated of by 
 Philo, and Josephus in other parts of his work, are not once 
 mentioned in the New Testament. The most probable occa- 
 sion of this sect was, the long and severe persecutions of the 
 Jews, in consequence of which, many, for the sake of a good 
 conscience, fled far into the recesses of the wilderness, where 
 they devoted themselves to acts of piety and contemplation. 
 Being shut out from the service of the temple and the syna- 
 gogue, they formed a rule of life, according to which external 
 ceremonies were, little depended on ; which mode of religious 
 life they were so much delighted with, that they continued to 
 pursue the same, after the necessity which first drove them into 
 the wilderness had ceased to exist. Immediately upon the 
 death of Aristobulus, his wife Salome released his three bro- 
 thers, who had been kept in prison while he lived; and Alex- 
 ander surnamed Janneus, the eldest, took the kingdom. His 
 next brother, having made some attempt to supplant him, was 
 put to death ; but Absalom being contented to live a private 
 life, enjoyed his favour and protection, and lived for forty 
 years after this ; and when Jerusalem was taken by Pompey, 
 he was made a prisoner. 
 
 The wars between Grypus who reigned at Antioch, and 
 Cycizenus who had Damascus as the seat of his kingdom, were 
 incessant. This furnished an opportunity for many towns 
 belonging to the Syrian empire to declare themselves indepen- 
 
544 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 dent. Others was seized upon by tyrants, who reigned with- 
 out responsibility to either of the kings of Syria. This occur- 
 red in regard to Tyre, Sidon, Ptolemais, Gaza, Gadara, Stra- 
 ton's Tower, &c. 
 
 The year 106 B. C. was famous for the birth of two noble 
 Komans, whose names fill a large space in the history of after 
 time. The one was Cn. Pompey, the other Marcus Tullius 
 Cicero. 
 
 Alexander, as soon as he found himself firmly established in 
 authority, besieged Ptolemais. The inhabitants sent for aid 
 to Lathyrus, now king of Cyprus; but on his arrival, they 
 were as much afraid of him as of the Jews, and refused him 
 admittance into their city; on which, he accepted the invita- 
 tion of Zoilus the petty tyrant of Gaza, to join him in laying 
 waste the country of Judea. Alexander now offered Lathyrus 
 a large sum, if he would deliver up Zoilus; to which he con- 
 sented; but before the treaty was executed, he found that 
 Alexander was not acting with good faith, for he was at the 
 same time treating with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, about 
 driving him out of Palestine. He, therefore, broke off the 
 negotiation, and having now determined to do him all the 
 harm he could, left a part of his army to besiege Ptolemais, 
 while with the rest, he invaded the territories of this prince, 
 and took several towns in Galilee, with many captives. Alex- 
 ander now marched to meet Lathyrus, with an army of fifty 
 thousand men. A great battle was fought between them, near 
 the banks of Jordan; in which Alexander was completely 
 defeated, and lost thirty thousand of his men. Lathyrus pur- 
 sued the victory to the uttermost ; and after the battle, finding 
 the villages full of women and children, he slaughtered them 
 as sheep, and put their limbs into great cauldrons, as if prepar- 
 ing for a feast. 
 
 The affairs of Alexander, after this defeat, must have been 
 in a ruined condition, had not Cleopatra come to his aid against 
 her own son ; for she feared if he conquered Phenicia and 
 Judea, he would become strong enough to recover Egypt. 
 She, therefore, sent an army into Phenicia, under Chilkias and 
 Ananias, the two favourite Jews already mentioned. 
 
 Ananias expected to be received into Ptolemais, and being 
 refused, laid siege to the town ; while Chilkias pursued Lathy- 
 rus into Coelo-Syria, where he lost his life. Lathyrus now 
 marched his army directly into Egypt, expecting that in the 
 absence of his mother and the best troops, there would be little 
 resistance made. But he was repulsed and driven back to Phe- 
 nicia, where he took up his winter quarters at Gaza. 
 
 Cleopatra continued the siege of Ptolemais until it fell into 
 her hands, after which she would have seized on Alexandria, and 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 545 
 
 brought the country under the Egyptian yoke, had it not been 
 for the sage advice of Ananias; who alleged, that this would 
 prejudice the world against her, and unite all the Jews in the 
 world in opposition to her. Alexander was, therefore, permit- 
 ted to return to Jerusalem in safety. 
 
 Ptolemy Lathyrus finding it in vain to continue any longer 
 in Palestine, as his mother thwarted all his schemes, returned 
 to Cyprus ; but he carried on a negotiation with Cycizenus to 
 aid in recovering Egypt, which becoming known to Cleopatra, 
 she negotiated with his rival Grypus; and to engage him to 
 declare war, she gave him her daughter Selene, whom she had 
 taken away from Lathyrus. A new war therefore broke out 
 between the two kings, which prevented the invasion of Egypt. 
 
 Ptolemy Alexander, observing how his mother acted towards 
 his brothers, and that nothing could stand before her ambition, 
 fled from Egypt. Nor was it without great solicitation, that he 
 consented to return ; for the Egyptians would not permit Cleo- 
 patra to exercise the sovereignty in her own name. 
 
 Alexander, 102 B. C., marched an army beyond Jordan, 
 where he took Gadara and Amathus; but Theodorus, prince of 
 Philadelphia, collecting a large force, fell suddenly on him, over- 
 threw him with the slaughter of ten thousand men, and not only 
 recovered his own treasure, but took all Alexander's baggage. 
 The Pharisees, who had become enemies to all the family of 
 Hyrcanus, were especially inimical to Alexander; and having 
 great influence with the people, soon rendered them disaffected 
 to his government. 
 
 In the year 97 B. C., Alexander, after a long and destructive 
 siege, took Gaza, which was delivered up to him by treachery. 
 At first he showed clemency to the vanquished; but when he 
 found the place completely in his power, he let loose his soldiers 
 to plunder and kill at their own pleasure. This was in resent- 
 ment for the injury which he had sustained in consequence of 
 the Gazeans calling in Lathyrus to their aid, against him. In 
 this same year, 97 B. C., died Grypus king of Syria, by the 
 treachery of one of his dependents, named Heracleon. He 
 left five sons Seleucus, Antiochus, Philip, Demetrius Euchurus, 
 and Antiochus Dionysius. 
 
 Ptolemy Apion died 96 B. C., and willed his kingdom of 
 Gyrene to the Romans, which they would not receive ; but gave 
 freedom to the people, which, however, only served to bring 
 them under the power of petty tyrants, who seized on particu- 
 lar cities, and subjected them to a more cruel bondage than, 
 they had endured before. Cycizenus, on the death of Grypus, 
 seized on Antioch, and endeavoured to make himself sovereign 
 of the whole empire; but Seleucus took possession of many 
 35 
 
546 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 cities, and drew together great forces, to assert his right to his 
 father's dominions. 
 
 In the year 95 B. C., Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the 
 tribe of Aser, of whom mention is made, Luke ii. 36, was mar- 
 ried to her husband, and from this time, lived with him seven 
 years ; when, on his death, she became a widow, in which state 
 she continued fourscore years. Alexander, while officiating 
 this year, 95 B. C., at the feast of tabernacles, was openly 
 insulted by the people, who publicly reproached him, calling 
 him slave, and pelting him with citrons, which so enraged him, 
 that he fell upon them with his soldiers, and slew six thousand 
 men. The disaffection of the people and the insult publicly 
 offered, were owing to the instigation of the Pharisees, who 
 could lead the people as they would. 
 
 In the year 94 B. C., Alexander marched against the Arabi- 
 ans, and brought the inhabitants of Moab and Gilead under his 
 dominions. Seleucus having collected a large force about him, 
 Cycizenus went out to attack him, but was overthrown in bat- 
 tle, taken prisoner, and put to death. By this event, Seleucus 
 became master of the whole Persian empire, but could not 
 long retain it; for Antiochus Eusebes, the son of Cycizenus, 
 having collected an army of his father's old soldiers, overthrew 
 Seleucus, who being forced to flee to Mopsuesta, in Cilicia, was 
 there burnt to death by the inhabitants. The brothers of 
 Seleucus endeavoured to avenge his death on the inhabitants 
 of Mopsuesta, but on their return were met by Eusebes ; and 
 Antiochus, in attempting to swim the Orontes, was drowned. 
 Philip having escaped, and collected large forces, the contest 
 for the Syrian empire now lay between him and Eusebes. 
 
 Eusebes, to strengthen himself in the kingdom, married 
 Selene, the widow of Grypus, at which Lathyrus, whose wife 
 she first was, being offended, sent for Demetrius the fourth son 
 of Grypus, and made him king of Damascus. The contest 
 between Philip and Eusebes prevented either of them from 
 interposing. When the forces of these rivals came to an 
 engagement, Eusebes was defeated, and was obliged to flee to 
 Parthia. 
 
 Alexander, ever fond of military expeditions, marched into 
 Gaulonitis, a district of country on the east of the lake Genne- 
 sareth, and there engaged in battle with Obedas an Arabian 
 king; by whom he was led into an ambush and lost most of his 
 men. The Jews, when he returned to Jerusalem, were in 
 rebellion against him. A civil war now ensued which lasted 
 for six years, by which the country was exceedingly wasted. 
 
 In the year 89 B. C., Cleopatra was plotting to put her son 
 Alexander to death, but he being aware of her designs, pre- 
 
TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA. 547 
 
 vented it by putting her to death. The Egyptians under- 
 standing that she fell by her own son, could not "endure his 
 presence among them; and banishing him from the country, 
 recalled Lathyrus, and replaced him on the throne of Egypt. 
 Alexander soon after perished near Cyprus, in a battle at sea. 
 The civil war continued to rage between Alexander and the 
 Jews; and the latter not having command of soldiers and 
 treasures, sent for aid to Demetrius Eucheros; but when he 
 approached, the very people who sent for him turned against 
 him. 
 
 In the year 88 B. C., Anna, the prophetess, being left a 
 widow, went into the temple, where she remained day and 
 night, serving God with fasting and prayers, for eighty-four 
 years. The civil war between Alexander and the Jews still 
 raged; and although he was generally successful, he could 
 bring them to no terms. 
 
 During the year 87 B. C., the civil war raged more violently 
 than ever. In a decisive battle, Alexander inflicted a terrible 
 blow upon his enemies, and shut up those who remained, in 
 Bethsura. In the year 86 B. C. the place was taken. He 
 then carried eight hundred of the principal persons to Jerusa- 
 lem, where he caused them all to be crucified in one day, and 
 their wives and children to be slain before their eyes, while 
 hanging on the cross. To enjoy this scene the more, he had a 
 feast prepared for himself, his wives, and his concubines, near 
 the place of execution, whence the whole scene was visible. 
 This shocking cruelty obtained for him the name of Thracian. 
 Thus ended this rebellion, which cost the Jews about fifty thou- 
 sand lives. 
 
 In the year 84 B. C., Pella and Dia, beyond Jordan, were 
 taken by Alexander. 
 
 The Syrians, worn out with the continual wars between the 
 princes of the east and Seleucus, resolved to call in some for- 
 eign prince, and place him over them. Accordingly, they sent 
 for Tigranes, king of Armenia, who reigned over Syria eighteen 
 years. 
 
 In the years 83 and 82 B. C., Alexander Janneus extended 
 his conquests in the country beyond Jordan, taking Gaulana, 
 Seleucia, and the strong fortress of Gamala. After this, he 
 gave himself up to luxury and drunkenness. 
 
 In the year 81 B. C., Thebes, in Upper Egypt, was taken 
 by Lathyrus, and so ruined and demolished that it never after- 
 wards made any figure; soon after which he died, having 
 reigned in all, thirty-six years. He was succeeded by Beren- 
 ice, his only legitimate child. She was also called Cleopatra, 
 as were all the queens of Egypt; just as all their kings were 
 called Ptolemy. 
 
548 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 In the year 80 B. C., Alexander, son of him who murdered 
 his mother,- came to Egypt to claim the kingdom, and a com- 
 promise was made, by giving him Cleopatra to wife. But in a 
 few days he put her to death, and reigned alone, forty years. 
 
 In the year 79 B. C., Alexander Janneus, being affected 
 with a quartan ague which had hung upon him for a long time, 
 thought he would try the effect of exercise and exertion. He, 
 therefore, marched over Jordan, and besieged Razaba, a castle 
 in the country of Gerasans, where, labouring too hard, he 
 brought on a paroxysm of his disorder, of which he died in the 
 camp. 
 
PAET VI. 
 
 FROM THE CONQUEST OP JUDEA BY THE ROMANS 
 UNTIL THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 ALEXANDER BEQUEATHS THE KINGDOM OF JUDEA TO ALEXANDRA HIS WIFE COUNSELS 
 
 HER TO CONCILIATE THE PHARISEES ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY OF THE HERODS DIS- 
 PUTES ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD POMPEY COMES INTO THE EAST HIS HEAD QUARTERS 
 AT DAMASCUS THE QUARREL BETWEEN ARISTOBULU8 AND HYRCANUS BROUGHT 
 
 BEFORE HIM IMPRUDENT CONDUCT OF ARISTOBULUS POMPEY IS RECEIVED INTO 
 
 JERUSALEM ENTERS THE SANCTUARY PLACES HYRCANUS IN THE OFFICE OF HIGH- 
 PRIEST ORDERS THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM TO BE DEMOLISHED LEAVES A GARRISON 
 IN THE CITY, AND DEPARTS. 
 
 ALEXANDER left two sons, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, but 
 bequeathed the government to his wife Alexandra, with the 
 power to appoint whichever of his sons she pleased, to succeed 
 her. She being with him on this expedition, when she found 
 that he was near his end, was full of apprehensions of the dan- 
 gers which surrounded her. But he called her to him, and 
 advised her to conceal his death until the castle was taken ; 
 then to march back to Jerusalem, in triumph, and to call 
 together the leaders of the sect of the Pharisees, whose enmity 
 had embittered his life, and to lay his corpse before them, that 
 they might cast it out with indignity, or treat it as they 
 pleased; and to promise them, that she would undertake 
 nothing without their advice. All this she exactly followed, 
 and the effect was what he foresaw. Their hatred for Alexan- 
 der was turned into veneration, and they became the warm 
 friends of Alexandra. When she had settled herself firmly on 
 the throne, she made her eldest son Hyrcanus, high-priest; 
 and to gratify her new friends, the Pharisees, she repealed the 
 edict of John Hyrcanus, in which he forbade their attention to 
 traditions; restored them to all their former privileges, and 
 released all that her husband had confined in prison. The 
 Pharisees, however, insisted on having condign punishment 
 
550 HISTORY OF THE ISKAELITISH NATION 
 
 inflicted on all who advised Alexander to crucify the eight 
 hundred persons, already mentioned; and on such pretexts, 
 they caused her to gratify their revenge on all their enemies, 
 but often sorely against her will. 
 
 In the year 76 B. C. Bithynia became a Roman province, by 
 the bequest of its king Nicomedes. Gyrene was also reduced 
 to the form of a province, which had been before left to them, 
 in the same manner. The progress of the Romans in the east 
 became more and more rapid. The only king who gave them 
 much serious opposition, was Mithridates, king of Pontus ; but 
 it does not lie in our way to give a history of these wars. 
 
 Alexandra having given herself up to the counsels and 
 government of the Pharisees, all that were known or suspected 
 of advising or aiding the late king in his measures hostile to 
 their sect, were now persecuted with unrelenting severity. 
 They, of the adverse party, seeing no end of this oppression, 
 collected in a body, and with Aristobulus at their head, went 
 to the queen to remonstrate against these proceedings. If 
 they could not be protected at home, they begged that they 
 might be permitted to leave the country, or might be distributed 
 among the garrisons, where they might be exempt from these 
 cruel persecutions, which they endured for no other reason but 
 because they were the devoted friends and servants of the late 
 king. The queen pitied them from her heart, but knew not 
 how to relieve them without bringing on herself the vengeance 
 of the Pharisees, who had the people on their side. She how- 
 ever, agreed to place them in the garrisons of the fortresses. 
 
 This year, 72 B. C., was born Herod the Great, who was 
 afterwards king of Judea. His father Antipas was a noble 
 Idumean, and his mother of an illustrious family among the 
 Arabians. The name Antipas was changed to Antipater, to 
 make it more conformable to the usage of the Greeks. This 
 man was governor of Idumea under Alexander Janneus. As 
 he was an Idumean, he was, of course, brought up in the Jew- 
 ish religion ; for all the Idumeans had embraced Judaism. 
 
 In the year 70 B. C. died Alexandra, queen of the Jews, in 
 the seventy-third year of her age. She was a woman of great 
 wisdom and clemency ; but unhappily was under the necessity 
 of yielding to the Pharisees a faction which she had no power 
 to withstand. As soon as Antiochus saw that his mother was 
 past recovery, having resolved to seize the kingdom, he private- 
 ly withdrew and repaired to the castles, where his father's 
 friends had sought an asylum ; and by means of these, all the 
 strong places in the country were soon in his hands. 
 
 The Pharisees were much disturbed at these proceedings, and 
 as Alexandra was yet alive, though very low, they went to her 
 to get her to say, that Hyrcanus should possess the supreme 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 551 
 
 power; but she told them that she -was not in a condition to 
 decide on such weighty affairs; and having submitted every 
 thing to their management, soon afterwards expired. By the 
 advice and aid of the Pharisees, Hyrcanus raised an army against 
 his brother; when a decisive battle was fought, in which most of 
 the soldiers of Hyrcanus going over to Aristobulus, he was 
 obliged to flee to Jerusalem ; but soon, almost all his adherents 
 declaring for his brother, he agreed to resign the priesthood and 
 the supreme power, and to lead a private life. Thus ended the 
 tyranny of the Pharisees, which had been exercised over the 
 nation from the death of Alexander Janneus. Aristobulus now 
 exercised the office of high-priest, and of supreme ruler of the 
 nation, for six years and six months; Hyrcanus having been in 
 authority only three months after the death of his mother. 
 
 In the year 66 B. C., Pompey the Great succeeded Lucullus 
 in the chief command of the Roman army in Syria. Pompey 
 drew into alliance with him, Phraates king of Parthia, and 
 made an offer of peace to Mithridates ; but he, calculating on 
 the aid and friendship of the Parthian king, declined the over- 
 ture. But when he understood that Pompey had been before- 
 hand with him, then of his own accord, he proposed to come to 
 terms. Pompey, however, would listen to nothing but the 
 unconditional surrender of all deserters, and a cessation of all 
 hostilities. 
 
 Pompey soon conquered both Tigranes and Mithridates, and 
 marched against the Iberians, a northern people, who had 
 never been subdued. After his return, all the Syrian empire 
 on this side of the Euphrates was reduced into Roman pro- 
 vinces. 
 
 In the year 65 B. C. a disturbance arose in Judea, through 
 the ambition of Antipater, the father of Herod. He having 
 had his education in the court of Alexander Janneus, ingratia- 
 ted himself into the favour of Hyrcanus ; but when Aristobulus 
 succeeded to the office and power of his brother, all this man's 
 schemes of advancement were broken. He now saw no way of 
 retrieving his fortune, but by attempting to raise a party in 
 favour of the deposed Hyrcanus. His first step was to nego- 
 tiate with Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea, to aid him with 
 troops; and he gathered together many of the scattered Jews, 
 who were ready for an enterprise of this kind. But the great- 
 est difficulty was to excite Hyrcanus himself, who was a man of 
 a weak and quiet spirit. At length, however, he persuaded 
 him, that his life was in danger in Judea, and induced him to 
 flee to the court of Aretas, who in a little time came back with 
 him, accompanied with fifty thousand men. In a battle with 
 Aristobulus, the latter was completely defeated, and was forced 
 to take refuge in the mountain of the temple, where they 
 
552 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 besieged him. This occurred during the passoyer, on~which 
 occasion, there not being lambs enough "within the wall, Aristo- 
 bulus bargained with the besiegers for a sufficient number, and 
 let down the money outside the wall ; on receiving it, however, 
 they refused to send in the sacrifices. 
 
 Another impious act of which they were guilty, was their 
 treatment of Onias, a holy man, held in great veneration, 
 because it was believed, that by his intercessions rain had 
 once been obtained in time of drought; him they brought 
 out, and insisted that he should curse Aristobulus; sup- 
 posing that his curses would be as efficacious as his blessing. 
 Upon which he lifted up his hands, and said, " Lord God, 
 since they who are besieged, are thy priests, and these without 
 are thy people, hear the prayers of neither against the other !" 
 On which, they were so enraged, that they stoned him to 
 death. Aristobulus now sent to Scaurus, the Roman general, 
 who was at Damascus, and promised him four hundred talents 
 for his aid ; Gabinius, also, was offered three hundred talents. 
 Both then wrote to Aretas to withdraw from Jerusalem; 
 which he immediately did, and Aristobulus pursued after him, 
 and coming on him unawares, slew a great part of his men, 
 and among the rest, a brother of Antipater whose name was 
 Cephaleon. About this time, 65 B. C., Pompey came to 
 Damascus, and received rich presents from most of the kings 
 of the neighbouring countries. The ambassadors of Egypt 
 presented him with a crown of gold of the value of five thou- 
 sand pieces of gold, and those from Judea with a golden vine 
 of the value of four hundred talents, which was afterwards 
 deposited in the temple of Jupiter at Rome, and was there 
 inscribed as the gift of Alexander. It is said, that no fewer 
 than twelve kings came- in person to pay their respects to 
 Pompey, while he resided at Damascus. 
 
 Pompey had a great ambition to extend his conquests as far 
 as the Red Sea. He had, while in Africa and Spain, ex- 
 tended them to the western ocean on both sides of the Mediter- 
 ranean; and had lately subdued the country to the borders of 
 the Caspian Sea; and he felt a vain ambition to extend his vic- 
 tories as far as the Red Sea. Having returned to Damascus 
 again, from Pontus, he was waited on by Antipater, from Hyr- 
 canus, and by one Nicodemus, from Aristobulus, each of them 
 soliciting his patronage. Pompey gave them both fair words, 
 and ordered that the two brothers should appear before him. 
 There is reason to believe, however, that Antipater managed 
 his cause with much more address than the ambassador of Aris- 
 tobulus. 
 
 In the year 64 B. C. died Mithridates, king of Pontus, and 
 long the implacable enemy of the Romans. His last effort 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 553 
 
 against them, was an attempt, in imitation of Hannibal, to 
 march an army by land into Italy; and for this purpose he 
 collected a great multitude of soldiers, and actually set out on 
 his expedition. But his army finding out his purpose, and that 
 a march of more than two thousand miles lay before them, over 
 deserts, mountains, rivers, and through hostile countries, revolt- 
 ed against him, and placed his son Pharnaces in his stead. 
 Upon this, Mithri dates put an end to his life. At first he 
 attempted it by poison, but not succeeding in this, he fell on his 
 sword. Mithridates was one of the most extraordinary men 
 who has appeared in any age. His natural endowments were 
 very great, and he added all manner of acquired improvements. 
 No learning of these times escaped his attention. Although he 
 had under him nations who spoke twenty-two different lan- 
 guages, he was able to address them each in their own tongues. 
 He was also a man of great spirit; capable of forming and 
 executing enterprises of the utmost magnitude and difficulty. 
 And although he was fortunate in his wars with the Romans, 
 yet if he had lived to execute his last project, he might have 
 proved the most formidable enemy they ever had. Cicero, in 
 speaking of him, says that he was the greatest king next to 
 Alexander the Great. He was, however, ambitious, voluptuous, 
 and often cruel, even to his own children, wives and concubines. 
 The cause of the two brothers, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, 
 was now brought before Pompey, at Damascus, where they both 
 appeared in person, according to his order. Ptolemy being 
 solicitous to prosecute his Arabian war, gave no decision at 
 present ; but Aristobulus clearly perceived from what he said, 
 that his cause was not viewed in a favourable light. He, there- 
 fore, left the place unceremoniously, and returning into Judea, 
 collected an army for his defence; by which proceeding, Pom- 
 pey was much incensed. He marched, however, agreeably to 
 his purpose, into Arabia; took Petrea, and made Aretas the 
 king prisoner, but afterwards released him, on his agreeing to 
 all his terms. On his way back, being informed of the hostile 
 movements of Aristobulus, in Judea, he marched into that 
 country. Aristobulus had shut himself up in a strong fortress, 
 built by his father on the top of a mountain, and called after 
 him, Alexandrion. Pompey surrounded the place, and obliged 
 him to come down; when he agreed to give up all the fortified 
 places in his hands. But no sooner was he free from restraint, 
 than he fled to Jerusalem, whither he was followed by Pompey. 
 When Pompey arrived at Jerusalem, this unsteady man again 
 came out to meet him, and promised full submission, and a sum 
 of money. Gabinius was sent to receive the money, but he 
 found the gates shut against him, and no money to be had. 
 Pompey, not enduring to^ be thus mocked, cast Aristobulus, 
 
554 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 whom he had retained with him, into chains, and marched with 
 his whole army directly to Jerusalem. Within the city there 
 were two factions ; that of Hyrcanus, and that of Aristobulus. 
 The former were disposed to open the gates to the Romans, 
 and they were the more numerous; but the other party retired 
 into the mountain of the temple; and having cut off all com- 
 munication with the city, resolved there to maintain themselves. 
 
 Pompey having been received into the city by the other 
 party, immediately laid siege to the mount of the temple. 
 Most of the sacerdotal tribe were shut up within the temple ; 
 but the greatest part of the people were without. Battering 
 engines were brought from Tyre, and an assault was made on 
 the north side of the temple; and, although the siege was 
 pressed vigorously by the Romans, the garrison held out for 
 three months ; and might have held out much longer, but for 
 the unwillingness of the Jews to work on the Sabbath, which 
 gave a great advantage to the assailants ; for, on that day, the 
 Romans would fill up the ditches drawn round the temple for 
 defence, and bring forward their batteries, and place them to 
 the best advantage. During the whole of the siege, the service 
 of the temple was never interrupted; the priests being deterred 
 neither by the death of their friends or rage of their enemies; 
 and many of them, while officiating at the altar, had their own 
 blood mingled with that of the sacrifices. This unshaken con- 
 stancy was greatly admired by Pompey himself, and indeed is 
 scarcely to be paralleled in history. After three months the 
 temple was taken ; that is, in the first year of the 179th Olym- 
 piad; and on the very day observed as a fast on account of 
 the capture of the city by Nebuchadnezzar. All those who 
 were considered the prime leaders of this revolt were put to 
 death. 
 
 Pompey, not contented with viewing the exterior of this 
 sacred edifice, impiously penetrated the interior, not only 
 entering the sanctuary, but into the holy of holies, examined 
 all the arcana of that sacred place ; thus inflicting the deepest 
 wound on the feelings of the Jews, who considered this intru- 
 sion as the highest possible profanation. But although he 
 found two" thousand talents laid up in the temple, he neither 
 took them away, nor disturbed any thing else belonging to the 
 furniture of the place. And, as if to make amends for what he 
 had done, in entering the temple, he now ordered it to be 
 cleansed, and the divine service to be resumed. But it has 
 been observed, that although successful in all the previous acts 
 of his public life, from this time no success ever attended him. 
 Having concluded the war, he reinstated Hyrcanus in the oifice 
 of high-priest, and made him also prince of the commonwealth. 
 But the walls of Jerusalem he ordered to be demolished. 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 555 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 OCTAVJUS CESAR BORN DIODORUS 8ICULUS ALEXANDER, SON OF ARISTOBULU8, ESCAPES 
 
 FROM ROME SEIZES SEVERAL STRONG PLACES GABINIUS, GOVERNOR OF SYRIA 
 
 ARISTOBULUS HIMSELF ESCAPES FROM ROME, AND RAISES NEW DISTURBANCES IN 
 
 JUDEA CRASSUS VISITS JERUSALEM AND ROBS THE TEMPLE OF ITS TREASURES 
 
 THE JUDGMENT OF GOD OVERTAKES HIM BATTLE OF PHARSALIA CESAR CONFIRMS 
 HYRCANUS IN THE PRIESTHOOD ANTIPATER ACCOMPANIES CESAR IN ALL HIS EXPE- 
 DITIONS HIS FOUR SONS HEROD ARRAIGNED FOR ILLEGALLY PUTTING CERTAIN 
 THIEVES TO DEATH MEDITATES THE DESTRUCTION OF HYRCANUS AND THE WHOLE 
 SANHEDRIM RECEIVES FROM SIXTUS THE GOVERNMENT OF CCELO-SYRIA. 
 
 IN this same eventful year, 61 B. C., was born Octavius Cesar, 
 afterwards emperor under the name of Augustus, whose mother 
 was the sister of Julius Cesar. About this same time, 60 B. C., 
 flourished Diodorus Siculus, the famous Greek historian. He 
 was born in Sicily, from which he derives his name. He was 
 thirty years in collecting materials for his history, and in com- 
 posing the work; and that he might obtain accurate infor- 
 mation, he travelled over most of the countries of whose affairs 
 his history treats. In this very year he went to Egypt. His 
 Bibliotheca contained forty books, of which only fifteen are 
 now extant. Those which remain are the five first and from 
 the tenth to the twentieth ; all the rest are lost, except frag- 
 ments preserved by other authors. 
 
 In the year 57 B. C., Alexander, the oldest son of Aristo- 
 bulus, who had been carried to Rome by Pompey, having made 
 his escape, came into Judea, and collected an army of ten 
 thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse, and seized Alexan- 
 drion, Macherus, and several other strong castles, which he 
 garrisoned and fortified; and from thence ravaged all the sur- 
 rounding country. Hyrcanus being able to oppose no effectual 
 resistance, sent for aid to Gabinius, governor of Syria, the 
 general of the horse under him being the famous Mark 
 Antony. Here also, the Roman army was joined by Antipa- 
 ter, and other adherents of Hyrcanus. They came to a battle 
 with Alexander, who was completely overthrown; three thou- 
 sand of his men being slain in battle, and as many taken 
 prisoner. He himself took refuge in the castle called Alexan- 
 drion, where he was besieged by Gabinius. While this siege 
 was carried on, the Roman general took a progress through 
 the country, and found many of its once famous cities lying in 
 ruins, which he ordered to be rebuilt or repaired. While 
 Gabinius was thus occupied, he met with the mother of Alex- 
 ander, a woman remarkable for her discretion. She being 
 very solicitous about the safety of her husband, Aristobulus, 
 who had been carried to Rome, endeavoured, by acts of kind- 
 ness, to ingratiate herself into the favour of Gabinius, and sue- 
 
556 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 ceeded to her wishes ; for upon her representations, he made 
 peace with Alexander, who surrendered all his castles ; which, 
 by her advice, were dismantled or demolished. Gabinius now 
 went up to Jerusalem, and having settled Hyrcanus in the 
 priesthood, made great alterations in the form of the Jewish 
 commonwealth; and from a monarchy transformed it to an 
 aristocracy. Hitherto, the government had been managed by 
 a prince, with the aid of the grand council or Sanhedrim, con- 
 sisting of seventy-two persons, with an inferior court of twenty- 
 three in every considerable town. Instead of this, Gabinius 
 established five independent courts ; the first, at Jerusalem ; 
 the second, at Jericho; the third, at Gadara; the fourth, at 
 Amathus; and the fifth, at Sephoris. The tyranny of Alex- 
 ander Janneus had made the Jews weary of monarchy ; and 
 they petitioned Pompey for its abolition, when the trial of the 
 two brothers took place before him at Damascus ; and he so 
 far complied as to take away the diadem and the name, but 
 left the supreme power in the hands of Hyrcanus. But now, 
 they renewed their petition to Gabinius, and obtained the 
 change which has been mentioned. But when Julius Cesar 
 afterwards passed through the country, he restored things to 
 their former condition. Towards the close of this year, Aris- 
 tobulus, who had been led in triumph by Pompey with his son 
 Antigonus, made his escape from Rome, and came into Judea, 
 where he excited new troubles, for many resorted to his 
 standard, and he seized several fortresses, which he began to 
 fortify ; but Gabinius came upon him and subdued him. He 
 and his son Antigonus were sent back again to Rome. Gabin- 
 ius, however, in compliance with a promise given to his wife, 
 obtained the release of the latter. 
 
 In the year 55 B. C., Gabinius having been called into Egypt 
 to settle the disturbances of that kingdom, Alexander, the son 
 of Aristobulus, excited new troubles in Judea. Having collect- 
 ed a great army, he ravaged the whole country, killing all the 
 Romans he could meet with, and driving the rest to take refuge 
 in mount Gerizim, where he besieged them closely. Gabinius 
 seeing what a force he had collected, thought it best to deal with 
 him by fair means, and sent Antipater with conditions of peace, 
 promising an oblivion of all that was past. But Alexander, 
 confiding in his strength, encountered Gabinius in battle, but 
 was overthrown, with the slaughter of ten thousand of his men. 
 After this victory Gabinius went to Jerusalem and regulated 
 every thing according to the wishes of Antipater; and then 
 marched against the Nabatheans, whom he subdued. 
 
 In the year 54 B. C., Pompey and Crassus being consuls, 
 the latter had Syria and the East assigned to him. Whereupon, 
 coming into Syria, with an eager desire to amass as much wealth 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OP JERUSALEM. 557 
 
 as possible, and hearing of the riches of the temple at Jerusa- 
 lem, he marched directly thither. At that time, Eleazer a 
 priest, was the treasurer of the temple. Among other precious 
 things under his charge, was a bar of solid gold of immense 
 value, which to conceal he enclosed in a wooden beam, and then 
 placed the beam over the entrance, from the holy into the most 
 holy place, and suspended the veil upon it. But when he found 
 Crassus very intent on finding treasure, Eleazer told him that 
 he would discover it to him if he would spare the temple and 
 its other treasures. This Crassus swore he would religiously 
 perform ; but the perfidious and sacrilegious wretch, no sooner 
 had the beam in possession, than he entered into the temple, and 
 took away the two thousand talents which Pompey had left 
 untouched, and robbed it of other valuable treasures, to the 
 amount of ten thousand talents ; by which he thought himself 
 well provided for the Parthian war. But speedy vengeance pur- 
 sued the rapacious and sacrilegious Crassus ; for, being decoyed 
 by the enemy into an unfavourable situation, the Parthians fell 
 upon him, defeated his army, and slew his son and twenty 
 thousand of his men. Crassus himself, while endeavouring to 
 escape, fell under the conduct of a treacherous guide, and being 
 led by him to Sarinas, the general of the Parthians, was imme- 
 diately put to death. The Parthians, supposing that there 
 would be nothing to oppose their progress, crossed the Euphrates 
 and invaded Syria ; but here they were met by Cassius, defeated, 
 and driven back to their own country. 
 
 In the year 49 B. C., Cesar released Aristobulus from 
 prison, and sent him into Judea with two legions, to promote 
 his interest there, and in the neighbouring countries of Pheni- 
 cia, Syria, and Arabia. But some of Pompey's friends found 
 means to give him poison on the way, of which he died. Alex- 
 ander, his son, having been informed of the expected arrival of 
 his father, began to raise forces to join him as soon as he came. 
 Pompey sent orders to Scipio to put him to death; who, caus- 
 ing him to be apprehended and brought to Antioch, he was 
 there subjected to a formal trial, in which, being condemned, 
 his head was cut off. 
 
 In the year 48 B. C., the contest between Cesar and Pom- 
 pey was brought to a decision, by the famous battle of Pharsa- 
 lia in Thessaly ; in which Pompey was defeated, and obliged to 
 flee to Africa, where he was beheaded. Cesar, having con- 
 quered Egypt, passed into Syria, where Antigonus, the son of 
 Aristobulus the late king of the Jews, came to him, and 
 lamenting the death of his father and brother, begged Cesar to 
 have compassion on him ; and at the same time, made heavy 
 complaints against Hyrcanus and Antipater. But Antipater 
 being then with Cesar, defended himself and Hyrcanus so much 
 
558 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 to his satisfaction, that he rejected the accusations of Antigonus 
 as of a turbulent and seditious person, and decreed, that Hyr- 
 canus should possess not only the priesthood, but the sovereign 
 power, as formerly, and his descendants after him. 
 
 Antipater accompanied Cesar in all his expeditions through 
 Syria, and greatly conciliated his favour. When Cesar left this 
 province, Antipater returned to Judea, and regulated every 
 thing to the best advantage for Hyrcanus. He was a man of 
 consummate policy, and by his skilful management had acquired 
 an unbounded influence, not only in Judea, but in Phenicia, 
 Syria, Arabia, &c. 
 
 Antipater had married a noble Arabian lady, whose name 
 was Cyprus, by whom he had four sons now grown to mature 
 age. The oldest was called Phaselus ; the second, Herod ; the 
 third, Joseph ; and the youngest, Pheroras. He had, also, one 
 daughter by the same wife, named Salome, who, as well as her 
 brother Herod, is famous in the history of the following years. 
 Antipater, having acquired such influence in Judea and the 
 neighbouring countries, and being so much in favour with Cesar, 
 was now able to make provision for his own sons. Accord- 
 ingly, he appointed Phaselus to be governor of Jerusalem, and 
 Herod, his 'second son, to be governor of Galilee; he being 
 then no more than twenty-five years of age. In the printed 
 text of Josephus, it is only fifteen, but this, by a collation of 
 other passages, appears to be a mistake of the copyists. 
 
 Herod being a young man of an active disposition, and 
 wishing to signalize himself, made an attack on a horde of 
 thieves who infested the country; and having taken their 
 leader Hezekias, with several of his associates, he put them all 
 to death. By this action he gained much applause, even from 
 Sixtus, the governor of the province; but those who were 
 enemies of Antipater, represented to Hyrcanus that Herod 
 had put these men to death without legal trial, and obtained 
 from him an order that Herod should be cited to appear before 
 the Sanhedrim, to answer for his conduct. Herod appeared 
 before this august tribunal clothed in purple, and surrounded 
 by his guard, by which the judges were so intimidated, that not 
 one of them had courage to open his mouth, except an old 
 councillor, by the name of Samias. He first accused Herod of 
 audacity, in appearing as he did, before that court, and then 
 turned his accusation against Hyrcanus the president, and the 
 members of the council, for their want of firmness and dignity; 
 predicting that this same Herod would be the means of 
 executing wrath upon the Sanhedrim ; which was actually ful- 
 filled, for Herod put every member of the Sanhedrim, after- 
 wards, to death, except this same Samias, and one other indivi- 
 dual. 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 559 
 
 Hyrcanus did all he could to get Herod cleared, as he had a 
 great partiality for the young man, whose father had been the 
 chief cause of all his power and prosperity. But finding that 
 he could not procure his acquittal, he got the cause adjourned 
 until the next day ; and, in the mean time, advised Herod to 
 leave Jerusalem, which he did ; and went to Damascus, where 
 putting himself under the protection of Sixtus Cesar, he set the 
 Sanhedrim at defiance, and refused again to appear before 
 them. 
 
 "While Herod was with Sixtus, he so ingratiated himself, that 
 he obtained from him the government of Coelo-Syria. He now 
 raised an army and marched into Judea, to be revenged on the 
 Sanhedrim for the indignity offered him, by bringing him to a 
 trial before them. His purpose was to depose Hyrcanus from 
 the priesthood, and cut off the whole Sanhedrim. But his 
 father, and brother Phasael, interposed, and made him desist 
 from his design. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 THE JULIAN YEAR DEATH OF CESAR MALICHUS, HIS INFLUENCE AND CHARACTER 
 
 DEATH OF ANTIPATER BATTLE OF PHILIPPI ANTIGONUS, YOUNGEST SON OF AR1STOBU- 
 
 LUS, CLAIMS THE KINGDOM THE PARTHIANS AGAIN CROSS THE EUPHRATES ARE HIRED 
 
 TO INVADE JUDEA TO MAKE ANTIGONUS, SON OF ARISTOBULUS, KING HIS ADHERENTS 
 
 ARE RESISTED BY HEROD AND PHASAEL CIVIL WAR WITHIN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM 
 
 FLIGHT OF HEROD AND DEATH OF PHASAEL. 
 
 IN the year 46 B. C., Cesar having returned from his African 
 expedition, undertook, in virtue of his office as Pontifex maxi- 
 mus, to reform the calendar; which he happily effected, by 
 establishing the Julian year, of three hundred and sixty-five 
 days, six hours ; or, in actual computation, three years of three 
 hundred and sixty-five days, and the fourth, of three hundred 
 and sixty-six: which is in use at this time. 
 
 In the following year, 45 B. C., Julius Cesar was murdered 
 in the Senate house, by a band of conspirators whose leaders 
 were Brutus and Cassius. Their professed object was to destroy 
 the tyrant, and restore liberty to the Senate and people. Cesar 
 was a man of very extraordinary abilities and learning. He 
 was, also, naturally humane and generous ; but he was ambitious, 
 voluptuous, and irreligious. Upon the death of Cesar, the 
 greatest confusion ensued, not only in Home, but in all the^. pro- 
 vinces. Of these events, it would be here out of place to give 
 a particular account, except so far as they may be intimately 
 connected with Jewish history. Next to Antipater, Malichus 
 had the chief authority in Judea. They had been long associ- 
 ated in the support of Hyrcanus ; but this man now began to 
 act a very wicked and ungrateful part toward his patron, Anti- 
 
560 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 pater. He was not contented to be the second man in the coun- 
 try, but was ambitions to be the first ; especially, as he was a 
 native Jew, and Antipater an Idumean. He, therefore, plotted 
 against the life of Antipater; and when the latter obtaining 
 some intelligence of his design was preparing to oppose him, he 
 came to him with so fair a face, and so played the hypocrite, 
 that he removed all suspicion from his mind. Nay, when Mur- 
 cus would have put Malichus to death, he was spared at the in- 
 tercession of Antipater. But, notwithstanding all this, when he 
 was dining one day with Hyrcanus, Malichus bribed the butler to 
 administer poison to him, of which he died. Malichus now took 
 possession of the power which had been exercised by Antipater ; 
 but the sons of the latter were not easily to be deceived, and 
 not disposed to leave their father's death unavenged. Although 
 Malichus denied having had any hand in the death of Antipater, 
 they were convinced of the contrary. Herod was in favour of 
 openly attacking the murderer at once; but Phasael recom- 
 mended a more crafty proceeding, as one less likely to bring on 
 a civil war. In the meantime, the brothers acquainted Cassius, 
 who then had possession of Syria, with the circumstances of 
 Antipater 's death, and obtained from him the liberty of putting 
 the murderer to death; of which order, notice was given to the 
 commanders of the garrison at Tyre. When Cassius had taken 
 Laodicea, all the princes and chief lords of Syria and Palestine 
 came to Tyre to congratulate him. Hyrcanus and Malichus, 
 were on the road for the same purpose. Herod made a great 
 supper, and on pretence of sending invitations to his guests, 
 informed them of Cassius' orders, and the approach of Mali- 
 chus ; on which, men were sent to meet him, who, according to 
 their orders, fell on Malichus and slew him. It was ascer- 
 tained that he had formed a plot, after getting his son who was 
 at Tyre into his possession, to return to Judea, and excite the 
 Jews to revolt ; and while the Romans were busy with their civil 
 wars, to make himself king. But the plot of Herod against 
 him was better laid, and took complete effect. 
 
 In the year 42 B. C. was fought the decisive battle at Phi- 
 lippi, in Macedonia, beween Octavianus arid Antony on the 
 one side, and Brutus and Cassius, the slayers of Cesar, on the 
 other. In this battle, the latter were overthrown, and their 
 cause ruined; and both Brutus and Cassius were driven to 
 such desperation, that they put an end to their own lives. 
 After Cassius had left Syria, the friends of Malichus raised a 
 great tumult, to revenge his death on the sons of Antipater; 
 and had influence to gain over to their party Hyrcanus, and 
 also Felix the commander of the Roman forces, at Jerusalem. 
 At the same time, a brother of Malichus seized the castle of 
 Massada, and several other strong places in Judea. Herod 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 561 
 
 was at this time confined with sickness at Damascus, whither he 
 had gone to see Fabius the Roman governor. The whole of 
 this storm, therefore, fell on Phasael, who withstood it success- 
 fully ; for he drove Felix and all his party out of Jerusalem. 
 When Herod returned, the brothers were soon able to put down 
 the opposite faction, and recover the strong fortresses. About 
 this time a marriage took place between Herod and Mariamne, 
 the granddaughter of Hyrcanus, which seemed to reconcile all 
 differences. But this peace was of a short duration. Anti- 
 gonus, the youngest son of Aristobulus the late king, was 
 made the instrument of the discontented faction at Jerusalem ; 
 for his father and older brother being dead, as related above, 
 he claimed the kingdom as his right. In these pretensions, he 
 was supported by Marion king of Tyre, Fabius governor of 
 Damascus, and Ptolemy prince of Chalcis. The last of these 
 had married the sister of Antigonus. Coming with a large 
 army, Antigonus invaded Judea, but he had scarcely entered 
 its borders, when Herod encountered and overthrew him, and 
 returned to Jerusalem in great triumph. 
 
 In the year 41 B. C. the Parthians again crossed the 
 Euphrates, instigated and led on by some of the adherents of 
 Pompey, who had fled for refuge to the Parthian court. This 
 army was under the conduct of Labianus and Pacorus, who 
 ravaged a large part of Asia Minor, and ' took Sidon and 
 Ptolemais. By these generals, a large party was sent to 
 invade Judea, for the purpose of making Antigonus, the son of 
 Aristobulus, king of that country. They were prevailed on to 
 pursue this course, by Lysanias king of Chalcis, who promised 
 them as a reward, one thousand talents, and five hundred Jew- 
 ish women, if they would restore Antigonus to his father's 
 kingdom. Antigonus himself, having collected an army of 
 Jews from about Mount Carmel, marched with them into 
 Judea; and having vanquished those who first came against 
 him, pursued them to Jerusalem, where having got within the 
 city, he had many skirmishes with the brothers, Phasael and 
 Herod; in which, the followers of Antigonus being worsted, 
 retreated within the mount of the temple, and the other party 
 into the palace ; which two places became the head-quarters of 
 the two parties. Their conflicts continued until the time of the 
 feast of Pentecost, when, numbers of people coming to the city 
 from all parts, some took part with one, and some with the 
 other, until the confusion was so great, that the leaders began 
 to think of some means of putting an end to these troubles. 
 Proposals of peace being made to Antigonus, he received them 
 hypocritically, offering to refer the dispute to the Parthian 
 general, whom Pacorus, according to agreement, had sent after 
 him. By this stratagem, the Parthian who was the cup-bearer 
 36 
 
562 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 of Pacorus, was introduced into the city, and lodged with five 
 hundred of his horse within the walls. Here he played his 
 game so artfully, that he pursuaded Phasael to take Hyrcanus 
 with him, and go to Barzapharnes, who then governed Syria, 
 under Pacorus. Herod had no confidence in the Parthians, 
 and remonstrated against the course which his brother had 
 determined to pursue. 
 
 When Phasael and Hyrcanus came to Galilee, they were met 
 by a guard from Barzapharnes, and the cup-bearer returned to 
 Jerusalem. They were, at first, treated with a show of kind- 
 ness, until it was supposed that the Parthian general had time to 
 reach Jerusalem and seize Herod, when they were both put in 
 chains. But Herod, aware of the danger, fled from Jerusalem 
 with his family and treasures, and seized the fortress of Mas- 
 sada, on the west side of the Dead Sea, where he left his fam- 
 ily, and went to Arabia to solicit assistance of Malchus, who 
 had succeeded Aretas. But Malchus, though under great obli- 
 gations to Herod for services performed, ungratefully refused 
 to receive or entertain him. He then directed his course 
 towards Egypt, but before he arrived he heard of the death of 
 his brother Phasael. For the Parthians, when they found 
 Herod gone, made Antigonus king, and delivered up Phasael 
 and Hyrcanus into his hands. The former, knowing that his 
 death was determined, beat out his own brains against the wall. 
 The life of Hyrcanus was spared, but to render him incapable 
 of officiating as high-priest, they cut off both his ears ; and then 
 delivered him to the Parthians, who carried him with them into 
 the east. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 HEROD OBTAINS THE FAVOUR OF ANTONY, AND IS SOLEMNLY APPOINTED KING OF 
 JUDEA IS SUCCESSFUL AGAINST HIS EMEMIES ANTONY SENDS HIM TWO LEGIONS 
 
 TO REDUCE JERUSALEM, STILL IN THE POSSESSION OF ANTIGONUS HEROD GOES TO 
 
 SAM03ATA TO MEET ANTONY RETURNS TO JUDEA WITH FRESH FORCES HIS BRO- 
 THER JOSEPH SLAIN IN AN EXPEDITION AGAINST JERICHO HEROD LAYS SIEGE TO 
 JERUSALEM MAHIAMNE THE WIFE OF HEROD JERUSALEM TAKEN AND GIVEN UP 
 TO PILLAGE ABJECT SPIRIT OF ANTIGONUS. 
 
 HEROD, upon hearing of the death of his brother, did not 
 return, but went on to Pelusium, and thence to Alexandria. 
 Not meeting with any promise of effectual succour in Egypt, he 
 sailed by way of Rhodes to Rome, where he made his complaint 
 and application to Antony, beseeching him, \>y the friendship 
 which subsisted between him and his father, to pity the dis- 
 tracted and miserable condition of Judea. Antony, in consid- 
 eration of the promise of a very large sum of money, entered with 
 much zeal into the interests of Herod, and obtained for him 
 much more than he expected. For he thought of nothing more 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 563 
 
 than succeeding to the power which his father exercised under 
 Hyrcanus. But Antony, first securing the influence of Octa- 
 vianus in favour of the measure, had Herod introduced to 
 the senate, with a full exhibition of the merits of his family 
 towards the Roman people; on which he was recognized as 
 king of Judea by the unanimous vote of the Senate, and Anti- 
 gonus was declared to be an enemy to the Roman people. 
 Herod was then conducted to the capitol, with Antony on one 
 side, and Octavianus on the other, where he was solemnly in- 
 augurated into his new office, according to the Roman usage : 
 and this act of the Senate was laid up among the archives of the 
 State. 
 
 Herod, having met with such success at Rome, hastened back 
 to Judea. This whole transaction, by which he was solemnly 
 advanced to the royal dignity, occupied no more than seven 
 days. Indeed, his whole journey, both by sea and land, from 
 the time he left Judea until his return to Ptolemais, occupied 
 only three months. His first object after his return was to 
 relieve his wife, mother, sister, and other friends, who were 
 shut up in the castle of Massada, and had been besieged by 
 Antigonus ever since his departure. They were now reduced 
 to such distress for want of water, that his brother Joseph, who 
 had been left in command of the place, had formed the purpose 
 of breaking through the besiegers, and escaping to Malchus, 
 king of Arabia, who, he heard, was now much better disposed 
 to lend them aid than when applied to by Herod. But the 
 night before he had designed to carry his purpose into effect, 
 there fell such plentiful showers of rain as filled all their cis- 
 terns ; so that they were able to hold out until Herod came to 
 their relief. 
 
 Herod had no small difficulty in collecting a suificient force 
 to meet the besieging army. He received all into his service 
 whom he could enlist, whether Jews or foreigners ; but his prin- 
 cipal reliance was on Ventidius and Silo, Roman generals, who 
 were then in Palestine with a considerable force. These, how- 
 ever, did him as much harm as good; for having come into 
 Judea to obtain money, they were ready to help him who would 
 pay them best. And, indeed, they received money from both 
 parties, and so managed as to give little real assistance to 
 either. Herod, however, finally succeeded in reducing Galilee, 
 and after a siege of considerable length took Joppa. Having 
 delivered his family and friends from their unpleasant situation 
 in Massada, he placed them in Samaria, and sent his brother 
 Joseph into Idumea, to secure that region in his interests. At 
 this time, Galilee was infested with multitudes of robbers, to 
 suppress whom Herod now adopted measures. "With some dif- 
 ficulty he succeeded in vanquishing a large body of them who 
 
564 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 advanced to meet bis army, and compelled them to cross the 
 Jordan. It was some time, however, before the country was 
 entirely freed from these banditti. 
 
 Jerusalem, and many other places, still continued in the 
 possession of Antigonus ; and the war between him and Herod 
 still went on. To aid the latter, Antony sent Macheras with 
 two legions and one thousand horse, who, approaching the 
 walls of Jerusalem for the purpose of conferring with Antigo- 
 nus, was beaten back by the archers and slingers on the ram- 
 part ; by which he was so enraged, that on his retreat from the 
 place he killed all the Jews he could lay hands on. Among 
 them, many of Herod's friends were cut off; on account of 
 which, he went directly to make complaint to Antony, but 
 Macheras overtook him and so explained and apologized, that 
 Herod agreed to think no more of the affair. Still, however, 
 he prosecuted his journey, to visit Antony, who was then 
 at Samosata, who received him with distinguished honour. 
 While there Herod rendered signal service in carrying on the 
 siege of the place. While Herod was absent, his brother 
 Joseph, neglecting the orders which he had received, made an 
 expedition against Jericho with such forces as he was able to 
 bring together. Being circumvented by the enemy, he was there 
 slain, and most of his men cut to pieces. In consequence of 
 this disaster, many in Idumea and Galilee revolted from 
 Herod. The intelligence of these unfortunate events reached 
 Herod at Daphne, on his way home, and hastened his return. 
 Coming to mount Libanus, he there raised eight hundred men, 
 and with these and one Roman cohort, marched to Ptolemais, 
 and proceeded to subdue those who had revolted in Galilee. 
 Then marching to Jerusalem to avenge his brother's death, he 
 was encountered by the friends of Antigonus and defeated, 
 being himself wounded in the conflict. But soon rallying, he 
 collected more soldiers, and fought another battle with the flower 
 of the troops of Antigonus, under the command of Pappus, and 
 entirely overthrew them, Pappus himself being among the slain. 
 Had it not been winter, he might have marched directly to 
 Jerusalem, and taken that place. 
 
 Early the next year, 38 B. C., Herod took the field with a 
 great army, and proceeded directly to Jerusalem, where he 
 commenced a regular siege of the place. While the necessary 
 works were carrying on, he went to Samaria, and consummated 
 his marriage with Mariamne, who had been betrothed to him 
 four years before. Mariamne was the daughter of Alexander, 
 the son of king Aristobulus, by Alexandra the daughter of 
 Hyrcanus the second. She was a lady of extraordinary beauty 
 arid great virtue, and accomplished above any woman of her 
 time. Herod, in selecting her for a wife, was influenced not 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 565 
 
 merely by affection, but by political motives ; for he thought, 
 that by an alliance with the Asmonean family, so highly vene- 
 rated by the Jews, he would gain a great influence over that 
 people. After the return of Herod from Samaria, the siege 
 was prosecuted with uncommon vigour; for the governor of 
 Syria came to his assistance with a large number of soldiers. 
 The whole force engaged in the siege was no less than eleven 
 legions and six thousand horse, besides the Syrian auxiliaries. 
 But the city held out until the next year, which was 37 B. C., 
 when many breaches being made in the walls, the assailants 
 entered, and exasperated by the length of the siege, and the 
 hardships which they had endured, filled the whole town with 
 blood and devastation. Herod did all he could to prevent this, 
 but without effect, as Sosius, the governor of Syria, encouraged 
 the soldiers in these lawless and cruel proceedings. At length, 
 when remonstrance failed to put a stop to the utter devastation 
 of the city, Herod redeemed it from further spoliation, by the 
 promise of a large sum of money. 
 
 Antigonus seeing that all was lost, surrendered himself to 
 Sosius, and in a very abject manner cast himself at his feet; 
 which, instead of moving the compassion of this stern Roman, 
 only provoked his contempt; for he ever afterwards called him 
 Antigona. It was, at first, designed to preserve him to grace 
 the triumph of Antony; but Herod wishing to remove all dan- 
 ger of new disturbances from the claims of this last male of the 
 Asmonean family, never ceased to petition Antony to have 
 him put to death; which was accordingly done, by the hands 
 of the common executioner, without the least regard to his 
 royal dignity. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 HEROD ESTABLISHED ON THE THRONE OF JUDEA DESTROYS THE WHOLE SANHEDHI5I 
 
 EXCEPT TWO HILLEL AND SHAMMAI THEIR DISTINGUISHED DESCENDANTS 
 
 SIMON GASIALIEL JUDAH HAKKADOSH SCHOLARS OF HILLEL CHALDEE PARA- 
 PHRASES THEIR HIGH ESTIMATION AMONG THE JEWS JONATHAN BEN UZZIEL 
 
 AND ONKELOS. 
 
 HEROD was now in full possession of the kingdom of Judea. 
 But as he had made his way to the throne through much blood, 
 so now, when seated on it, he found it necessary to resort to 
 the sword, to subdue the obstinacy of the leaders of the opposite 
 faction, who would not consent to submit to his authority. Of 
 this number was the whole Sanhedrim, the grand council of 
 the nation, every one of whom he put to death, as was before 
 mentioned, except Sameas and Pollio. During the whole siege, 
 these two had declared in favour of receiving Herod as their 
 king, alleging, that God in displeasure for their sins, had 
 
 v 
 
566 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 decreed to give them up to the government of this man, as a 
 punishment. The others, on the contrary, went about the city 
 encouraging the people, and assuring them that God would cer- 
 tainly protect his temple. On which account, Herod put them 
 all to death; remembering also, the affront which they had put 
 upon him, when they cited him before them as a criminal. It 
 is remarkable, however, that he spared Sameas, who had so 
 boldly denounced him on that occasion ; and who was of all the 
 most vehement in requiring its condemnation. 
 
 These two men are very famous among the Mishnical doctors 
 of the Jews, and in the rabbinical writings are known by the 
 names of Hillel and Shammai. Of the Sanhedrim, which was 
 now formed, Hillel was made the president, and Shammai the 
 vice-president. The former is called Pollio by Josephus, and 
 was one of the most eminent men for learning and authority, 
 who ever appeared in the Jewish nation. The Jewish writers, 
 with one consent, concede to him the highest place, in the 
 knowledge of the Jewish law and traditions. For forty years 
 lie was president of the Sanhedrim, and acquired higher repu- 
 tation for the justice and wisdom of his decisions, than any one 
 who had occupied that high seat of judgment since the days of 
 Simon the Just. The posterity of this eminent doctor were 
 also famous for a long time. It is said, that his descendants 
 occupied the same high office for ten generations. Simeon, his 
 son, is supposed to have been the very person, who in the tem- 
 ple took our blessed Saviour in his arms. (Luke ii. 25 35.) 
 The third in descent was Gamaliel, who presided in the Sanhe- 
 drim when Peter and the other apostles were called before that 
 council ; (Acts v. 34 ;) and was the distinguished master at whose 
 feet the apostle Paul was brought up. (Acts xxii. 3.) In the 
 Jewish writings he is called Gamaliel the Old, because he lived 
 to extreme old age; his death occurring only eighteen years 
 before the destruction of Jerusalem. Next to Gamaliel, was 
 Simon, the second of that name. He perished in the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem. The fifth in descent was Gamaliel the 
 second. To him succeeded Simon the third. Then we come 
 to Judah Hakkadosh, or Judah the Holy, who composed the 
 Mishna, the great body of Jewish Traditionary Law, which 
 forms the text of the Talmud. 
 
 After Judah Hakkadosh, we have, in regular succession, the 
 names of Gamaliel the third, Hillel, and Gemaricus, all lineal 
 descendants of the Hillel of whom we are now speaking. 
 Hillel was born and brought up in Babylonia, where he resided 
 until the fortieth year of his life. After that, he came to 
 Jerusalem and betook himself to the study of the law, in which 
 he became so eminent, that when eighty years of age, he was 
 made president of the Sanhedrim, in which office he continued 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 567 
 
 for forty years more, so that he lived to the great age of one 
 hundred and twenty years. When Hillel was first made presi- 
 dent of the Sanhedrim, one Menahem was the vice-president ; 
 a leading man among the Essenes. Josephus says, that he had 
 the spirit of prophecy, of which he gives the following instance. 
 One day, meeting with Herod among his school-fellows, he 
 saluted him by saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" and laying 
 his hand on his shoulder, foretold, that one day he should be 
 advanced to that dignity. When Herod was actually made 
 king, remembering this prediction, he sent for Menahem and 
 asked him whether he should reign as many as ten years. He 
 is said to have answered, "Yea ten, twenty, thirty years," and 
 then paused, because Herod did not wish to inquire further. 
 
 Shammai, who is called Sameas by Josephus, was next to 
 Hillel in reputation as a Mishnical doctor. He had been the 
 disciple of Hillel; but when appointed vice-president of the 
 Sanhedrim he did not always concur with his old master in 
 opinion. These differences of opinion between the masters, 
 caused great disputes and dissensions among their scholars, 
 which sometimes arose to such a height, as to cause the shed- 
 ding of blood. But, finally, the school of Hillel prevailed over 
 that of Shammai. The tempers of these eminent men were 
 diverse ; for while Hillel was of a mild and peaceable disposi- 
 tion, Shammai was of an irascible and fiery spirit. 
 
 Hillel, it is said, bred up no less than one thousand scholars 
 in the knowledge of the law, of whom eighty were of the first 
 distinction. Of these the Jewish writers say, that thirty were 
 so eminent, as to be worthy that the divine glory should rest on 
 them, as it did on Moses ; and thirty, for whom the sun might 
 have stood still, as it did for Joshua. 
 
 The most eminent of them all, however, was Jonathan Ben 
 Uzziel, the author of the Chaldee Paraphrase on the Prophets, 
 who was contemporary with Onkelos, the author of the Chalde,e 
 Paraphrase on the Law. Whether Onkelos was also a scholar of 
 Hillel, we are nowhere informed. These paraphrases are trans- 
 lations of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, from the 
 Hebrew into the language of the Chaldeans, which was used 
 through Assyria, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine. 
 They were called Targums, which means versions or transla- 
 tions. As was before mentioned, they had their origin after 
 the return of the Jews from captivity, when the common people, 
 and especially the youth, not being familiar with the Hebrew, 
 needed a version in the vulgar tongue, which was Chaldee. 
 These versions were at first made by learned men, verbally ; 
 but in process of time, when Synagogues multiplied, it became 
 expedient to have them in writing, that they might be used 
 
568 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 when there were none sufficiently learned to render the He- 
 brew, with correctness, into the vernacular dialect. 
 
 There are now extant a number of paraphrases, by different 
 hands, and composed in different ages. The principal are, The 
 Paraphrase of Onkelos on the Law that of Jonathan on the 
 Prophets another on the Law ascribed also to Jonathan The 
 Jerusalem Targum on the Law The Targum on the Megilloth ; 
 that is, on the five small books, Kuth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, 
 Song of Solomon, and the Lamentations. There are, more- 
 over, two other paraphrases on the book of Esther. Next, we 
 have the Targum of one-eyed Joseph on the Psalms, Proverbs, 
 and Job, and an anonymous Targum on the books of Chronicles. 
 These versions are of little value, except the paraphrases of 
 Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel, which are very important j 
 especially in teaching us how the ancient Jews interpreted the 
 Scriptures which relate to the Messiah. That the Targums of 
 Onkelos and Jonathan were composed a short time before the 
 birth of Christ, is the opinion of both Jewish and Christian 
 writers, and is strongly confirmed by internal evidence. The 
 only reason for supposing that they were of a later date, is the 
 fact, that they seem to have been entirely unknown to Origen, 
 Jerome, and the other Christian fathers. But if these men 
 did not understand the Chaldee language, they, of course, 
 could not be acquainted with these paraphrases; and they 
 might have been composed and principally used in Babylonia ; 
 which supposition well corresponds with the language in which 
 they were written ; which is rather the eastern than the western 
 Aramean. These versions are held in the highest esteem by 
 the Jews, and, therefore, furnish the best weapons for carrying 
 on the controversy with them. They are, undoubtedly, the 
 oldest Jewish writings extant, with the exception of the Scrip- 
 tures; unless we reckon the Greek version of the Old Testa- 
 ment as a Jewish composition. 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 569 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 ANANELUS MADE HIGH-PRIEST HYRCANUS A CAPTIVE AMONG THE PAHTHIANS 
 
 HIS DESIRE TO RETURN ALEXANDRA, THE MOTHER OF AHISTOBULUS AND MARI- 
 AMNE HIS SISTER, DISSATISFIED THAT HE WAS PASSED OVER WHEN ANANELUS WAS 
 
 EXALTED TO BE HIGH-PRIEST HEROD CAUSES ARISTOBULU8 TO BE DROWNED 
 
 CLEOPATRA VISITS JERUSALEM HER MANNERS SO LICENTIOUS THAT EVEN HEROD 
 
 IS DISGUSTED GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN JUDEA ANTONY ENTIRELY DEFEATED AT 
 
 ACTIUM HEROD NOW SEEKS TO CONCILIATE THE FAVOUR OF THE CONQUEROR, 
 
 AND SUCCEEDS MARIAMNE MANIFESTS THE UTMOST HATRED OF HEROD HEROD 
 
 BECAME FURIOUS WITH JEALOUSY, AND PUT BOTH HIS UNCLE JOSEPH AND MARI- 
 AMNE TO DEATH IMMEDIATELY HE WAS SEIZED WITH INTOLERABLE REMORSE, 
 
 AND FELL SICK BECOMES MORE SEVERE IS INSTIGATED TO ACTS OF CRUELTY BY 
 ALEXANDRA AND OTHERS CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIS LIFE. 
 
 HEROD, on the death of Antigonus, made Ananelus high-priest 
 in his stead. He was an obscure priest, residing in Babylonia; 
 but being well known to Herod, and of the pontifical family, 
 he sent for him, and put him into this office. He seems to 
 have chosen an obscure man, that there might be no collision 
 between the sacerdotal and royal dignity. Hyrcanus, who had 
 been carried away by the Parthians, still lived, and was treated 
 with much kindness by Phraates the king, who, when he under- 
 stood his former dignity, released him from his chains, and 
 allowed him full liberty to live among the Jews who resided in 
 that country. For, at this time, there were more Jews in 
 Babylonia and other countries beyond the Euphrates, than in 
 Judea. Hyrcanus, on hearing that Herod was made king of 
 the Jews, expressed a strong desire to return ; for as he had, 
 in one instance saved Herod's life, he expected to be treated 
 kindly. Herod was no less solicitous for the return of Hyrca- 
 nus, but for a very different reason. He wished to get the old 
 man into his power, that he might make away with the only 
 survivor of the Asmonean family, who could have any claim to 
 the throne of Judea. He therefore sent a special embassy to 
 Seleucia, with the double object of getting Phraates to give 
 him up, and of persuading Hyrcanus to come. In both, they 
 were successful, and the aged man, contrary to the advice of 
 his best friends, returned again to the land of his nativity. 
 
 In making Ananelus high-priest, Herod had passed by Aris- 
 tobulus, the son of Alexander, to whom by right of succession 
 it belonged. This produced no small disturbance in his own 
 family; for Alexandra, the mother of Aristobulus, and Mari- 
 amne his sister, could not bear to see an obscure stranger 
 exalted to that office, while the rightful heir was overlooked. 
 These two ladies not only teased Herod continually respecting 
 the matter, but began to intrigue with Cleopatra, queen of 
 Egypt, for the advancement of Aristobulus. The king, there- 
 fore, to make peace at home, resolved to gratify them; so, 
 deposing Ananelus, he put Aristobulus in his room, a youth 
 
570 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 only seventeen years old. But Alexandra, the mother of Aris- 
 tobulus, being an ambitious woman, knew that her son had just 
 as much right to the kingdom as he had to the priesthood, and 
 therefore, began to intrigue further with Cleopatra, for this 
 end also. Herod confined her to the palace, and set spies over 
 her ; but she contrived a method of escape, and set off with her 
 son to the court of Cleopatra. Herod, after letting her pro- 
 ceed some distance, sent and brought her back. Aristobulus 
 now became more and more the object of the king's jealousy. 
 At one of the great festivals, when he officiated at the altar in 
 his pontifical robes, the people were struck with admiration at 
 the beauty and gracefulness of the young high-priest, and 
 their mouths were full of his praises. Herod could endure this 
 no longer; he determined, therefore, to put an end to one who 
 gave him so much uneasiness. He invited him, with this view, 
 to a feast at Jericho, where the young man was enticed to go 
 out to bathe, with a number of others. They, by the direction 
 of Herod, held him under the water until he was drowned ; and 
 then it was pretended that his death was accidental. Herod 
 himself put on mourning, and affected the deepest grief for the 
 loss of the high-priest. But his hypocrisy was not concealed, 
 and he was abhorred by the people on account of this cruel 
 act. As to Alexandra, she was inconsolable, and probably 
 would not have survived her beloved son, had it not been for 
 the desire of revenge which now took full possession of her 
 breast. 
 
 This murder of Aristobulus took place in the year 34 B. C. 
 Alexandra acquainted Cleopatra, by letter, with the circum- 
 stances of her son's death, and fully engaged her interest in 
 opposition to Herod. Antony being then very much under the 
 influence of Cleopatra, was easily induced to cite Herod to 
 answer for his conduct in relation to this matter. But when 
 Antony came into Syria, Herod so mollified him that he drop- 
 ped the proceedings altogether. While Herod was gone to 
 wait on Antony, he left Mariamne in the care of his uncle 
 Joseph, who had married his sister Salome. Fearing lest, if 
 anything should happen to him, Mariamne would fall into 
 the power of Antony, who already seemed to be in love with 
 her from the report of her beauty, he ordered Joseph, as soon 
 as he was dead, immediately to kill his wife also. This secret 
 Joseph inadvertently let out, one day, when expatiating on the 
 greatness of Herod's love to her. On Herod's return, she 
 reproached him with it, which threw him into a transport of 
 passion ; being persuaded, that nothing but an illicit connexion 
 with Joseph, (of which she had been accused by Salome,) could 
 have extorted such a secret, he drew his dagger, and was about 
 to plunge it in her bosom, but his love for her unnerved his 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 571 
 
 arm ; then, immediately turning his vengeance on Joseph and 
 Alexandra, he put the first to death without allowing him even 
 a hearing, and throwing the latter into chains, shut her up in 
 prison. 
 
 Cleopatra, having accompanied her paramour Antony as far 
 as the Euphrates, visited Jerusalem on her way home, where 
 she was splendidly entertained by Herod; but her manners 
 were so voluptuous, and even licentious, that Herod himself 
 was exceedingly disgusted with her. While she was in his 
 power, he once thought of making away with her, both on 
 account of her former machinations against his kingdom, and 
 out of fear of what she might still continue to effect against 
 him ; but he was restrained by a fear of Antony's displeasure. 
 
 Herod, being of a suspicious and jealous temper, resolved to 
 select some strong place, and fortify it to the utmost. The 
 tower of Massada seemed to suit his purpose best. He there- 
 fore furnished it with arms for ten thousand men, that in all 
 events, he might have a place of refuge for himself. As 
 Antony had promised several kingdoms to Cleopatra, among 
 which was that of Malchus, in Arabia, Herod was directed to 
 make war with him. In this expedition he at first gained a 
 complete victory ; but in a second engagement, he was defeat- 
 ed, and scarcely escaped with the fragments of his army. 
 
 In the year 31 B. C. there occurred an earthquake, which 
 shook the whole land of Judea in a more terrible manner than 
 was ever experienced before. No less than thirty thousand 
 persons were killed by this convulsion of nature. Herod was 
 so much affected with this heavy disaster, that he sent to solicit 
 peace with the Arabians ; but they, having heard that the ruin 
 from the earthquake was much greater than it really was, put 
 the ambassadors to death, and invaded Judea, expecting to 
 meet with no resistance. But Herod's soldiers happened to 
 be abroad when the earthquake occurred, so that they remain- 
 ed uninjured, and now collecting them together, he fell upon 
 the Arabian army, and having killed five thousand men, besieg- 
 ed the rest in their camp. Being there distressed for want of 
 water, they ventured another battle, in which he slew seven 
 thousand of them, and took the rest prisoners. The Arabians, 
 in their turn, were now forced to sue for peace, and were glad 
 to accept whatever terms Herod chose to prescribe. 
 
 Antony, having been entirely defeated by Octavianus in the 
 battle at Actium, fled to Egypt, where he again gave himself 
 up to the charms of Cleopatra. Herod perceiving that he 
 could depend no longer on his protection, began to think of 
 conciliating Octavianus. But still indulging his suspicions of the 
 aged Hyrcanus, who was now resident at Jerusalem, he pre- 
 tended to discover a plot to render assistance to Malchus king 
 
572 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 of Arabia, on which he immediately had the old man put to 
 death, though now in his eightieth year. 
 
 Herod, intent on securing the favour of Octavianus, if possi- 
 ble, shut up Mariamne and Alexandra her mother, in the for- 
 tress of Alexandrion, under a strong guard, and having placed 
 his own mother and sister in the strong fortress of Massada, 
 set off to pay his respects to Octavianus. Herod, in his 
 address to Cesar, spoke with such ingenuousness, in acknow- 
 ledging every thing which he had done in opposition to him 
 from friendship to Antony, that he won him over to his 
 interests: Cesar, therefore, confirmed him in his kingdom, and 
 caused him to resume the diadem which he had laid down at 
 his feet. Herod, upon this, made him very rich presents, which 
 he had brought with him for the purpose. Herod was now in 
 high spirits on account of his unexpected success, in obtaining 
 all he wished from Octavianus, and returned to Judea to com- 
 municate his good fortune to his family and friends. But his 
 beloved wife, Mariamne, received him with the utmost aversion, 
 and gave herself up to sighs and groans. The reason of this 
 strange behaviour was, that she had by some means learned 
 that he had again given orders, that in case of his death she 
 should immediately be put to death. He had also given orders 
 that Alexandra her mother should also be put to death; and 
 that his brother Pheroras should inherit the kingdom. 
 
 Octavianus having conquered Antony at Actium, pursued 
 him into Egypt. On his way, he stopped at Ptolemais, where 
 Herod met him, and gave him and his army a most splendid 
 entertainment ; and besides which, he presented Octavianus 
 with eight hundred talents, by which munificent hospitality he 
 greatly conciliated the friendship of the conqueror. Antony 
 having been defeated on all sides, and all his attempts to obtain 
 peace proving ineffectual, in despair of ever retrieving his 
 affairs, he fell upon his sword, and left the world to his rival. 
 As soon as Herod heard of his death, he hastened to Egypt to 
 pay his respects to the conqueror, by whom he was received 
 with signal kindness and honour. He accompanied him on his 
 return as far as Antioch, and received from him several grants, 
 by which his power and kingdom were enlarged considerably. 
 
 On the return of Herod from this visit to Egypt, he found 
 his domestic troubles increased rather than diminished. Mari- 
 amne still expressed for him the utmost abhorrence, and 
 upbraided him on account of her father, grandfather, brother, 
 and uncle, all of whom he had put to death ; but she concealed 
 the true reason of her excessive displeasure, out of regard to 
 the life of Sohemus, from whom she had received the secret. 
 At length, Herod losing all patience, endeavoured to extort from 
 her attendants, by the rack, the secret cause of her grief and 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 573 
 
 anger, but he could only learn that it was owing to something 
 communicated by Sohemus, that she was so exceedingly dis- 
 turbed. The king then suspected that his secret orders, in 
 case of his own death, had been betrayed ; and, as before, in the 
 case of Joseph, that this never would have been done unless 
 there had existed an illicit intercourse between them. He was 
 now so fired with jealousy, that he immediately put this man to 
 death, and then forming a court of his own dependents for the 
 trial of Mariamne, she was, as a matter of course, condemned 
 to die. It was not, at first, intended to carry the sentence into 
 execution, but merely to shut her up in one of the strong 
 fortresses. The jealous tyrant, however, fearing some insur- 
 rection of the people, was induced to precipitate the execution. 
 Mariamne suffered death with unshaken fortitude. She was a 
 truly magnanimous and virtuous woman of greater beauty 
 and accomplishments than any other of the age in which she 
 lived. As she was led to the execution, her mother Alexandra, 
 reproached her in the most cruel manner, for treating an excel- 
 lent husband with so much unkindness; but all this was hypo- 
 crisy, to save her own life, for she had reason to fear that her 
 time would come next. No sooner was Mariamne executed, 
 than the grief and remorse of Herod became intolerable. He 
 found no rest day nor night. Wherever he went, the image of 
 Mariamne haunted him and filled him with the bitterest reflec- 
 tions, until, at length, he became subject to fits of temporary 
 madness. Immediately after the execution of the queen, a 
 grievous pestilence occurred, which carried off great numbers, 
 both of the common people and the nobility. This, all considered 
 as a just judgment of God upon the wicked king. Herod's 
 disorder of mind was increased by this calamity; so that not 
 knowing what to do with himself, he gave up all care of the 
 public business, and retired to Samaria, where he fell into a 
 grievous sickness. When, with much difficulty he was recover- 
 ed, and had returned to Jerusalem, he was observed to be more 
 disposed to acts of cruelty than before, which continued to be 
 his disposition to the end of life. While Herod lay sick at 
 Samaria, Alexandra, expecting that he would die, began to 
 intrigue for the supreme power. To accomplish her purpose, 
 she negotiated with the governors of the strong fortresses in 
 Jerusalem. The pretext which she used in these negotiations 
 was, that she wished to secure the government for Herod's chil- 
 dren by Mariamne. These officers, however, immediately com- 
 municated the whole matter to Herod, who sent orders to have 
 her put to death. This happened in the year 28 B. C. 
 
 In the year 26 B. C., Salome, Herod's sister, whose first 
 husband was Joseph, and who afterwards married Costobarus, 
 an Idumean, having become weary of her husband, gave him a 
 
574 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 bill of divorcement, contrary to the usage of the Jews, which 
 permits a husband to divorce his wife, but not a wife her hus- 
 band. But by the authority of Herod the transaction was 
 sanctioned. 
 
 Salome having now returned to her brother, to render her- 
 self agreeable to him, pretended to reveal a conspiracy which 
 had been entered into by her late husband with several other 
 distinguished men of Idumea, against his government. To gain 
 the more credit to her story, she informed him where Costo- 
 barus had concealed the sons of Babas, whom Herod had direct- 
 ed him to put to death. On sending to the place, this account 
 was verified, which induced Herod to believe all that she said 
 respecting the conspiracy. He, therefore, gave orders that all 
 who were accused by Salome should be put to death. Having 
 now cut off all the branches of the Asmonean family, and all 
 that favoured their pretensions, Herod thought that he might, 
 without danger, make some innovations on the usages of the 
 Jews. He, therefore, erected at Jerusalem a theatre and an 
 amphitheatre; and in honour of Octavianus, (now the Emperor 
 Augustus,) celebrated games and exhibited shows. These 
 things, however, were exceedingly offensive to the Jews. This 
 led ten persons among them to form a conspiracy against the 
 king, who by his spies obtained some knowledge of the plot; so 
 that when these men came to the theatre, with daggers under 
 their garments, they were seized, and put to death with the 
 most exquisite torments. Nor did he cease to make inquiry 
 until he had discovered every one of the conspirators, and put 
 them all to death. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 DIVINE JUDGMENTS ON THE LAND HEROD ERECTS A STATELY PALACE ON MOUNT ZrON 
 ERECTS ANOTHER PALACE ON A BEAUTIFUL HILL SEVEN MILES FROM JERUSA- 
 LEM ARISTOBULUS AND ALEXANDER, SONS OF MARIAMNE, SENT TO ROME FOR EDUCA- 
 TION HEROD REPAIRS TO MITYLENE, TO VISIT AGR1PPA AUGUSTUS HIMSELF VISITS THE 
 EAST IS WAITED ON BY HEROD ALL ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM TURN OUT TO HIS 
 BENEFIT UNDERTAKES TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE THE WORK COMMENCED JUST 
 FORTY-SIX YEARS BEFORE CHRIST'S FIRST PASSOVER. 
 
 HEROD was moved by his dread of conspiracies, to fortify other 
 strong places besides those in Jerusalem, and selected Sama- 
 ria as a suitable site for one. The place was now reduced very 
 low, having been destroyed by John Hyrcanus, as before 
 related. It was, indeed, no more than a small village when 
 Herod undertook its restoration. When it was rebuilt, he 
 named it Sebaste, in honour of Augustus ; Sebastos in Greek, 
 being of the same import as Augustus in Latin. In this place 
 he colonized six thousand people, collected from all parts; 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 575 
 
 among whom he divided the circumjacent country, which being 
 fertile, the town soon became rich and populous. 
 
 In the thirteenth year of the reign of Herod, great calami- 
 ties fell on the people of Judea ; for a long drought produced 
 a famine, and the famine a pestilence, which swept away multi- 
 tudes of people. On this occasion, Herod did a very popular 
 and praiseworthy action. He melted down the plate of his 
 palace his treasury being empty and turning it into money, 
 sent to Egypt for corn; by which means so great an abundance 
 was brought into Judea, that they were able to send a supply 
 to the Syrians, who were suffering under the same calamity. 
 The flocks of Judea having also been cut off by the drought, 
 and there being a want of wool for the clothing of the inhabi- 
 tants, Herod took care to have a sufficient supply imported from 
 foreign countries. By these acts of generosity and sound 
 policy, he greatly won upon the affections of the people; and 
 among the surrounding nations acquired the reputation of a wise 
 and generous prince. But he could not long refrain from acts 
 of cruelty, which sullied the fame of all his good deeds. 
 
 Herod being now at peace with all the surrounding nations, 
 and the country being in a prosperous state, he resolved to 
 build a stately palace on mount Zion, the highest part of Jeru- 
 salem. This edifice he made of such size and magnificence, 
 that in appearance it rivalled the temple. Within, he prepared 
 two apartments very large and sumptuous; one of which he 
 named Cesareum, in honour of Augustus, and the other Agrip- 
 peum, in honour of Cesar's chief favourite. 
 
 There was at this time in Jerusalem a young lady of exceed- 
 ing great beauty, named Mariamne, the daughter of one Simon, 
 a common priest. Her, Herod married, and to exalt her family, 
 made her father high-priest, turning out Jesus the son of Phebes, 
 to make room for him. 
 
 Herod having a passion for building, or finding in this occu- 
 pation some relief to the troubles of his mind, engaged in 
 another expensive work. He erected a palace about seven 
 miles from Jerusalem, where he had obtained a victory over 
 the Parthians, when his affairs were in a very critical situation. 
 This palace was built on the summit of a beautiful hill, which 
 had a regular declivity on all sides, and commanded an exten- 
 sive and delightful prospect of the surrounding country. This 
 palace he called Herodium, after his own name. When this 
 work was finished, Herod went on to build a city at the place 
 on the seacoast, called Straton's Tower. This city he named 
 Cesarea, after the emperor ; and on it he spent much time and 
 expense. Before this time, the harbour was very dangerous, 
 so that no ship could ride safely in it when the wind was from 
 the south-west ; but by running a mole, or breakwater, in a cir- 
 
576 HISTORY OF THE ISKAELITISH NATION 
 
 cular form around the harbour, to the south-west, he made it 
 safe and commodious, and sufficiently capacious for a large 
 fleet. The expense of this work alone was immense ; for the 
 stones used in its construction were brought from a great dis- 
 tance, and were of almost incredible dimensions ; some of them 
 being fifty feet long and eighteen broad, and nine in thickness. 
 The foundation of this mole was laid in the sea, at the depth 
 of twenty fathoms. Herod was occupied twelve years, before 
 he completed all his works at Cesarea. 
 
 Alexander and Aristobulus, the sons of Herod by Mariamne, 
 being now of sufficient age, were sent to Home to be educated. 
 They were committed to the particular care of Pollio, an inti- 
 mate friend; but Augustus, as a special mark of his friendship 
 for the father, took the sons into his own palace, where apart- 
 ments were prepared for them. To give further evidence of 
 his attachment to Herod, he gave him the privilege of choosing 
 his own successor, from among his sons; and added to his 
 kingdom, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Batania. When Agrippa 
 was sent by Augustus to the east, he made Mitylene, on the 
 island of Lesbos, his chief residence. As soon as Herod heard 
 of his arrival in the east, he set off" to pay him a visit, and 
 renew their former friendship. Soon after his departure, the 
 Gadarenes, at the instigation of one Zenodorus, a farmer of 
 the revenues, came to Agrippa with complaints against Herod; 
 but he would not listen to them, and to gratify his friend, 
 threw the accusers into chains, and sent them to Herod, who, 
 in order to conciliate them, set them free. 
 
 In the year 21 B. C., Augustus himself made a progress 
 through the east. When he arrived at Antioch, Herod visited 
 him, and was, as usual, received with great kindness. But his 
 old enemy Zenodorus, hoping to be more successful with 
 Augustus than he had been with Agrippa, brought new charges 
 against Herod in the name of the Gadarenes, accusing him of 
 rapine, tyranny, and sacrilege. These accusations so far influ- 
 enced the emperor, that he appointed a day for Herod to 
 appear and vindicate himself; but when his accusers observed 
 the tenderness and partiality with which he was treated, they 
 gave up their cause as desperate; and the following night, 
 several of them put an end to their lives; among whom was 
 Zenodorus. This was construed by Augustus as very favour- 
 able to the character of Herod. He, therefore, added to his 
 dominions the tetrarchy, which had been possessed by Zeno- 
 dorus, and joined him in commission with the governor of 
 Syria, as his procurator, in that province. He also gave 
 Herod's brother Pheroras, a tetrarchy in those parts. As an 
 acknowledgment of all these favours, Herod built near the 
 mountain Panias, from which the Jordan issues, an elegant 
 
' TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 577 
 
 palace of white marble. On his return to Jerusalem, Herod 
 found the people much dissatisfied on account of his various 
 innovations on their religion and laws, in compliance with the 
 customs of the Greeks and Romans. To prevent the evils 
 which seemed to threaten him, he in the first place forbade all 
 clubs and meetings where many persons convened, and had 
 spies in all parts to bring him intelligence of all that was said 
 and done. He also purposed to require an oath of fidelity 
 from all his subjects ; but Hillel and Shammai, with all their 
 followers, and all who belonged to the sects of the Pharisees 
 and Essenes, refusing to take it, he was obliged to relinquish 
 the design. 
 
 In the year 19 B. C., Herod formed the project of rebuild- 
 ing the temple at Jerusalem, by which he promised himself that 
 he should not only conciliate the Jewish nation, but raise for 
 himself a lasting and honourable monument. The second tem- 
 ple was, originally, greatly inferior to that of Solomon ; and, in 
 the course of five hundred years, had suffered exceedingly, not 
 only from slow decay by the lapse of time, but more especially 
 from the almost perpetual wars which had been carried on, in 
 which it was always the last refuge of those pressed by a supe- 
 rior force. His purpose was, to take down the whole edifice, 
 and build it anew with the best materials. He, therefore, con- 
 vened a general assembly of the people, and laid before them 
 his plan ; but they were alarmed at his proposal, fearing lest 
 when he had pulled down the old edifice, something might occur 
 to prevent the erection of another. To quiet their fears, there- 
 fore, he promised that he would not begin to take down the old 
 temple, until all the materials for the new were prepared, and 
 on the ground. Accordingly, he set himself to work to make 
 all manner of preparations for this great work; employing for 
 the purpose a thousand wagons for carrying the stones and tim- 
 ber, ten thousand artificers to fit and prepare these materials, 
 and a thousand priests, skilled in architecture, to take the 
 supervision of the whole work. By these exertions, in two 
 years, having got all things ready for the building, he began to 
 pull down the old edifice, to the very foundations. The propo- 
 sal of Herod to rebuild the temple, was made in the latter part 
 of the eighteenth year of Herod's reign, 18 B. C. 
 
 In the year 17 B. C., all the preparations being completed, 
 the erection of the new edifice was begun, just forty and six 
 years before the first passover of Christ's personal ministry, to 
 which reference is had in John ii. 20, "Forty and six years 
 was this temple in building;" for, although in nine years and a 
 half it was so far finished as to be fit for the public service, the 
 work was carried on until some time after the public ministry 
 37 
 
578 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 of our Saviour, -when eighteen thousand workmen were dis- 
 missed at one time. 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 HEROD VISITS HIS SONS AT ROME ATTENDS THE OLYMPIC GAMES ON HIS WAY IS 
 RECEIVED WITH HONOUR BY AUGUSTUS BRINGS HIS SONS BACK TO JERUSALEM THE 
 REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE IS DRIVEN ON IMPRUDENT SPEECHES OF HEROD's SONS, 
 ALEXANDER AND ARISTOBULUS DOMESTIC TROUBLES OF HEROD INCREASE BECOMES 
 MORE SUSPICIOUS THE YOUNG MEN, HIS SONS, CONTINUE TO INDULGE IN RASH 
 SPEECHES ARCHELAUS, KING OF CAPPADOCIA AND FATHER-IN-LAW TO ALEXANDER, 
 
 COMES TO JERUSALEM HEROD'S EXPEDITION TO ARABIA DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
 
 HIM AND HIS SONS INCREASES AUGUSTUS RECOMMENDS A COUNCIL HEROD ACCUSES 
 
 HIS SONS, AND THE JUDGES PRONOUNCE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST THEM 
 
 HEROD CAUSES THIS SENTENCE TO BE CARRIED INTO EXECUTION AT SEBASTE, BY 
 
 STRANGULATION. 
 
 THE next year, 16 B. C., Herod made a visit to Rome to pay 
 his respects to Augustus, and to see his two sons, who were 
 there pursuing their education. On his way he attended the 
 Olympic games, on the 191st Olympiad, at which he presided ; 
 when finding that these games had much declined in their repu- 
 tation, in consequence of the poverty of the Elians, which pre- 
 vented them from keeping them up in their former splendour, 
 lie settled a permanent revenue upon them ; in honour of which 
 munificence they appointed him perpetual president of the 
 games, as long as he should live. On his arrival at Rome he 
 was received with great honour and kindness by Augustus; and 
 having received his sons, whose education was now completed 
 in the best manner, he returned with them into Judea ; soon 
 after which he provided suitable wives for both of them ; mar- 
 rying Alexander to Glaphyra, the daughter of Archelaus, king 
 of Cappadocia; and Aristobulus to Berenice, the daughter of 
 his own sister, Salome. These young men, by the comeliness 
 of their persons, the agreeableness of their manners, and their 
 other amiable qualities, were the admiration of the Jews. But 
 the intriguing Salome pursued them with the envy and jeal- 
 ousy which she had always entertained towards their mother 
 Mariamne. 
 
 In the rebuilding of the temple, those parts where divine 
 service was celebrated were first finished. The sanctuary and 
 holy of holies, together with the porch, were completed in 
 one year and a half after the work was commenced ; that there 
 might be as little interruption in the public service as possible. 
 But even during this period, the daily service was constantly 
 performed in the court where the altar of burnt-offerings was 
 situated. 
 
 In the year 13 B. C., Alexander and Aristobulus, having re- 
 sided with their father three years after their return from Rome, 
 fell under his grievous displeasure. The cause was this. The 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 579 
 
 young men let fall many rash words, expressing strong resent- 
 ments against those who had occasioned the death of their 
 mother. Salome and Pheroras, having been the chief advisers 
 of this measure, began to be alarmed; and in their own defence, 
 laid plots for the ruin of the young princes. All these rash 
 speeches of Alexander and Aristobulus were carried to Herod, 
 by his brother and sister, and represented in the strongest 
 colours, with insinuations that they were all directed against 
 his life. And to facilitate the design, these crafty courtiers 
 engaged persons to draw them into free discussion, and provoke 
 them to say what otherwise would never have .been uttered. 
 Herod was so much affected by these representations, that to 
 humble the princes, he sent for his oldest son Antipater, by 
 his first wife Doris; but as she was divorced when Mariamne 
 was espoused, her son was educated in private. But now his 
 father placed him over these two brothers, which had no other 
 effect than to exasperate them the more. 
 
 The Jews of Asia Minor and Gyrene having suffered much 
 oppression from the heathen inhabitants of the countries where 
 they resided, who would not permit them to live according to 
 their own laws and religion, and deprived them of the privi- 
 leges formerly enjoyed, sent an embassy to Augustus, to make 
 their complaint and pray for redress. Accordingly, an edict 
 was made in their favour, by which all that they desired was 
 granted to them. 
 
 Domestic troubles continued to increase in the family of 
 Herod. Salome, Pheroras, and Antipater, were unwearied in 
 their efforts to fill the king's mind with suspicions and prejudices 
 against his two young sons; until, at length, they so far 
 accomplished their purpose, that an open breach took place 
 between them and their father. By their malicious artifices, 
 these enemies so filled the old man's mind with suspicion and 
 fear, that he was unable to sleep, or obtain rest of any kind. 
 To make discoveries, he put all their confidants to the rack; 
 and some, to obtain relief, would say any thing which they sup- 
 posed would have that effect. Some of their extorted confes- 
 sions bearing hard on Alexander, the eldest son, he was cast 
 into prison. On which, becoming desperate, he determined to 
 create as much vexation as possible to his father, and sent him 
 papers in which he confessed a plot which never had any 
 existence; in which he named Salome and Pheroras, and two 
 of the confidential ministers of Herod, as being his accomplices. 
 This had the effect of driving the old tyrant almost to distrac- 
 tion. He now suspected everybody and knew not whom to 
 trust. He raged like a madman against all around him ; tor- 
 tured some upon the rack, and put others to death; so that his 
 palace was little better than a slaughter-house. 
 
580 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Just at this crisis, 8 B. C., Archelaus, king of Cappadocia, 
 and father-in-law of Alexander, came on a visit to Jerusalem. 
 Hearing the accusations against his son-in-law, he affected to 
 be even more violent in his rage against him than Herod him- 
 self; and threatened to take away his daughter from him, which 
 after a while had the effect of making Herod his advocate. 
 Upon observing this temper in the old man, he was soon able 
 to bring about a reconciliation between him and his son. 
 Herod was very sensible of the kindness conferred on him by 
 Archelaus, and in acknowledgment of the favour he gave him 
 very valuable presents; and when he returned, accompanied 
 him as far as Antioch, where he reconciled him to Titus Volum- 
 nius, the Roman governor of Syria, with whom Archelaus had 
 had a difference. 
 
 A reconciliation having taken place between Herod and his 
 sons, he thought it necessary to pay another visit to Rome, to 
 inform Augustus of the improved state of his domestic affairs ; 
 he having before informed him, by letter, of the breach between 
 him and his sons ; and having accused them to the emperor of 
 many high crimes and treasonable practices against him. While 
 he was absent, the thieves of Trachonitis returned to their old 
 trade, and ravaged all the country of Coelo-Syria and Judea, 
 which was accessible to them. When, as before related, Herod 
 had driven these banditti out of his territories, about forty of 
 the ringleaders fled into Arabia Petrea, when Sylleus, the gov- 
 ernor of that country, not only received them, but granted 
 them a strong fortress called Repta. When Herod went on his 
 last journey to Rome, they invaded Judea and Coelo-Syria, and 
 ravaged the country in a distressing manner. Sylleus, the 
 governor, felt no disposition to discourage these depredations, 
 for he cherished a mortal hatred to Herod, because he had re- 
 fused to let him have his sister Salome as a wife, unless he 
 would consent to be circumcised and become a Jew. Herod, 
 on his return, finding the country much injured by the incursion 
 of this band of robbers, and not having it in his power to pun- 
 ish the perpetrators of the mischief, determined to wreak his 
 vengeance upon their friends and relatives in Trachonitis. 
 This exasperated them so much that they made new inroads 
 into his territory, and wasted the country more than ever. 
 When the principal buildings connected with the temple were 
 finished, after nine years and a half from the commencement of 
 the work, Herod appointed a day for its solemn dedication, 
 which falling on the anniversary of his being made king, aug- 
 mented the pomp and solemnity of the celebration. To put a 
 stop to the incursion of the robbers who infested the country, 
 Herod applied to Saturninus and Volumnius, the Roman gov- 
 ernors of Syria, and lodged a complaint against Sylleus for 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 581 
 
 harbouring them. He also sued him for a debt of sixty talents 
 which he had borrowed from himself. To answer to these 
 charges, Sylleus was obliged to appear at Berytus, before the 
 governors ; and Herod having made good his allegations, Syl- 
 leus, to get clear, bound himself by oath, within thirty days to 
 pay the money and deliver up all fugitives. But when the day 
 came he performed neither of these engagements, but went to 
 Rome to complain to Cesar. Herod now obtained permission 
 from Saturninus and Volumnius to do himself justice. He, 
 therefore, marched into Arabia, destroyed Repta, and slew as 
 many of the robbers as fell into his hands; then returned with- 
 out injuring the country, but not without leaving three thousand 
 men in Idumea, to prevent the further incursion of the thieves. 
 
 Sylleus, now at Rome, having received an account of these 
 transactions, went to Augustus with a doleful account of the 
 injustice of this invasion, and greatly exaggerating every thing, 
 he so represented the affair that the emperor was much dis- 
 pleased, and wrote to Herod a sharp letter of reproof, and for 
 some time he was actually out of favour with the emperor. 
 Nor was he restored to favour soon. 
 
 Dionysius of Halicarnassus began this year, 7 B. C., to write 
 his Roman history, which he finished in twenty books, continued 
 to the time of the first Punic war, at which point the history of 
 Polybius commences. But of these twenty books, only eleven 
 are extant. The work is written in Greek, and is the fullest 
 and most accurate history of the Roman affairs in existence. 
 He was twenty-two years collecting materials at Rome. 
 
 The next year, 6 B. C., the quarrel between Herod and his 
 sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, was revived. This, combined 
 with the defeat of his Idumean guards by the Arabians, and 
 the loss of the favour of Augustus, fell heavily on the old man. 
 To conciliate the emperor, he sent two embassies to Rome, 
 neither of which was admitted to an audience. He, therefore, 
 sent a third, and employed in it Nicolas Damascus. Augustus 
 now wrote him a kind letter, and condoling with him on account 
 of his domestic troubles, gave him leave to proceed against his 
 sons as he should judge best. And as to Sylleus, Augustus 
 ordered him to return to Arabia, and pay his debt to Herod, 
 after which he commanded that he should be put to death. To 
 adjust the difference between Herod and his sons, Augustus 
 directed that a council should meet at Berytus, consisting of 
 the governors of the neighbouring provinces, together with 
 Archelaus, king of Cappadocia, and other friends of distinction, 
 who should have power to hear and determine the whole mat- 
 ter. Herod immediately summoned this council to meet at the 
 place appointed, calling thither Saturninus and Volumnius, 
 governors of Syria, and all others mentioned by Augustus, 
 
582 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 except Archelaus, whom he considered too nearly related to 
 one of the parties to be an impartial umpire. Before this 
 tribunal Herod personally appeared as the accuser of his two 
 unfortunate sons, and laid so many things to their charge, and 
 urged his suit with so much vehemence, that the majority of 
 the court were influenced to pass a judgment of condemnation 
 against the princes, leaving the execution of the sentence to 
 their father. 
 
 Herod, in pursuance of this sentence, sent Alexander and 
 Aristobulus to Sebaste, and caused them to be strangled. Thus 
 did these two promising young men come to a premature end, 
 through the envy and malice of an intriguing woman. No 
 doubt they acted imprudently, and in resentment for their 
 mother's death, uttered many rash speeches. Nay, when exas- 
 perated by persecution and false accusations, it is probable, 
 that they were precipitated into crimes of deeper dye. But no 
 one can read the history of their tragical end, without lament- 
 ing their unfortunate connexion with a court, in which deceit 
 and craft had such a predominant influence. 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 ANTIPATER CONSPIRES AGAINST THE LIFE OF HIS FATHER PHERORAS DISPLEASES HIS 
 
 BROTHER BY REFUSING ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS AND MARRYING A MAIU-SERANT 
 
 HE JOINS THE PLOT OK ANTIPATER THE TEMPLE OF JANUS AT ROME CLOSED THE 
 ANGEL GABRIEL SENT TO MARY AT NAZARETH BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST AT BETHLE- 
 HEM THE REGISTRATION WHICH CALLED THEM THITHER LUKE AND JOSEPHUS 
 
 RECONCILED VISIT OF THE MAGIANS MASSACRE OF THE INFANTS HEROD CAUSES 
 HIS SON ANTIPATER TO BE PUT TO DEATH GIVES ORDERS TO SLAY ALL THE EMINENT 
 MEN OF THE COUNTRY, THAT THERE MIGHT BE MOURNING AT HIS OWN DEATH, WHICH 
 
 HE PERCEIVED WAS NEAR DEATH OF HEROD HIS FAMILY AND DESCENDANTS 
 
 DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM AMONG HIS SONS. 
 
 ABOUT this time Zacharias beheld the vision in the temple, 
 as he there officiated in his course, which is recorded in the 
 first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Antipater, the oldest son 
 of Herod, who was of a cruel, crafty, and ambitious temper, 
 seeing nothing now in the way of his ascending the throne but 
 his father's life, conspired with Pheroras to put the old man 
 out of the way, by poison. 
 
 Herod, it is true, had always acted the part of an affectionate 
 brother to Pheroras ; but of late, circumstances had occurred 
 to alienate them from each other. Herod wished his brother 
 to marry one of his daughters by Mariamne : but he having 
 fallen in love with a maid-servant, for her sake rejected the 
 offer of the king's daughter, which gave great offence. Herod 
 then gave his daughter in marriage to a son of his older 
 brother Phasael. But having another daughter, he offered her 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OP JERUSALEM. 583 
 
 to Pheroras, if he would divorce his ignoble wife, which he 
 promised with an oath, that he would do; but when the 
 time arrived, he again refused. There was another thing 
 which widened the breach between the two brothers. The 
 whole nation of the Jews were required to take an oath of alle- 
 giance to Augustus, and to the king. This the Pharisees, as 
 before, to the number of seven thousand, absolutely refused, 
 from conscientious motives ; believing it unlawful to swear alle- 
 giance to any foreign prince. To punish their contumacy, 
 Herod imposed a pecuniary mulct on the whole body; which 
 sum the wife of Pheroras, on account of her attachment to this 
 sect, paid down for them. The Pharisees were so much de- 
 lighted with this act of generosity, that they willingly received, 
 and gave circulation to a pretended prophecy, which some 
 visionary had uttered, that the kingdom would be transferred 
 from the family of Herod to the descendants of Pheroras by 
 this woman. This report having reached the ears of Herod, 
 he was so exasperated that he put several of the Pharisees to 
 death. Then, convening a council, he laid open before them, 
 the whole affair, and peremptorily required that Pheroras 
 should immediately put away this woman, or never expect to 
 be treated by him as a brother any more. To which Pheroras 
 replied, that nothing should induce him to part with his beloved 
 wife; that he would rather die than be separated from her. 
 Herod, greatly resenting this obstinacy, forbad Pheroras to 
 enter his house, and commanded Antipater and all the other 
 members of his family to have no manner of intercourse with 
 him or his wife. This rough treatment prepared Pheroras to 
 listen to the plot of Antipater, to take off the old king by poi- 
 son. 
 
 Antipater, to avoid all suspicion, managed to have himself 
 called to Rome, to wait upon Augustus; and Pheroras gladly 
 complied with the king's commands to leave Jerusalem, and 
 go to his tetrarchy; swearing that he would never return as 
 long as Herod lived. This resolution he kept; for although 
 he was sent for by his brother when he was sick, he would not 
 come; yet, when he was taken ill, Herod visited him and 
 treated him very kindly. After the death of Pheroras, some 
 of his servants accused his wife to Herod, of poisoning him. 
 This led to a strict inquiry, which resulted in the discovery of 
 the plot, in which he and Antipater had been engaged against 
 the king's life. It appeared, that Antipater had got a friend 
 in Alexandria, to prepare the poison, whence it was brought to 
 Jerusalem to Pheroras, who had agreed to administer it to his 
 brother. 
 
 The wife of Pheroras, on being questioned by the king, con- 
 
584 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 firmed the whole matter ; but said, that after his kind visit to 
 Pheroras. he changed his mind, and commanded her to throw 
 the poison in the fire, which she did in his presence, except a 
 small quantity, which she reserved for her own use, if she 
 should need it. The whole testimony went to show, that Anti- 
 pater, after procuring the death of his two brothers, had now 
 laid a most wicked plot for the poisoning of his father. 
 
 The temple of Janus, at Rome, was closed this year. The 
 custom was, to keep the gates open in time of war, and to shut 
 them in time of peace. They had been closed before only four 
 times since the building of the city. The first time was in the 
 reign of Numa ; the second after the end of the first Punic 
 war; the third after Augustus had vanquished Antony; the 
 fourth, when Augustus returned to Rome from the conquest of 
 the Cantabrians. In the same year, the most memorable in the 
 annals of man, the angel Gabriel, who had appeared to Zacha- 
 rias in the temple, was sent to Nazareth, a city of Galilee, to 
 Mary, a virgin of the house of David, lately espoused to Joseph, 
 of the same lineage, to declare to her the good tidings, that of 
 her should be born THE SON OF GOD; and, accordingly, being 
 overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, she conceived and brought 
 forth a son who was, CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Joseph and Mary, having their residence at Nazareth, were 
 providentially called to Bethlehem of Judea, by the following 
 circumstances. It was customary in the Roman empire, to 
 take a survey or assessment of all persons and estates every 
 fifth year. In taking this account, a register was made of all 
 sorts of persons women and children, as well as men ; with the 
 ages, occupations, and estates of each. Augustus was the first 
 who extended this survey, or registration, to the provinces. 
 During his long reign, he . caused it to be executed in all the 
 provinces three times. Such a registration was at this time 
 going on throughout the Roman empire. The decree requiring 
 it was issued in the year 8 B. C. ; but, as our present era begins 
 four years later than the birth of Christ, the date of this de- 
 cree was only three or four years before he was actually born. 
 During these years, it had been going forward in Ccelo-Syria, 
 Phenicia, and Judea, until this year, when it extended to 
 Bethlehem. 
 
 Joseph and Mary, belonging to the family of David, whose 
 city was Bethlehem, were required to attend there, to be regis- 
 tered with the other branches of that family. While they were 
 there on this occasion, JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD was 
 born in that place, according to the prophecy of Micah, v. 2 : 
 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among 
 the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 585 
 
 unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have 
 been from of old, from everlasting." 
 
 It need excite no surprise that we have allowed three years 
 for the execution of this decree, since it is known that it was 
 always committed to the governors of the provinces, and they 
 were not always expeditious. To perform such a work, in the 
 whole province of Syria, when the survey was required to be so 
 particular, both as to persons and estates, would take much 
 time. Joab was nine months and twenty days in taking a cen- 
 sus of ten tribes of Israel, and only reckoned the men fit for 
 war. When William the Conqueror had a survey made of 
 England that recorded in Dooms-day book it occupied six 
 years. But, although the object of this registration was for the 
 purpose of laying taxes, no taxes were collected at the time, nor 
 until twelve years afterwards, when Archelaus was banished, 
 and a Roman procurator put in his place. The procurator 
 under whom this taxing actually took place, was P. S. Quirinius, 
 called by the Evangelist, Cyrenius, who was at that time gover- 
 nor of Syria. A correct understanding of this matter will 
 easily reconcile Luke with Josephus. Thus, in the first verse 
 of the second chapter of Luke, it is said, "that in those days 
 there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world 
 should be taxed," or rather, should be assessed or registered, in 
 order to be taxed. Then, in the second verse, it is said, " and 
 this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of 
 Syria." That is, the decree took effect, and the taxing was 
 first actually made several years afterwards, when Cyrenius was 
 first governor of Syria; for when Christ was born, Cyrenius 
 never had been governor of Syria. 
 
 In this same year, the fourth before the vulgar Christian era, 
 certain wise men of the Magian sect, came from the east, under 
 the guidance of a star, and worshipped the infant Messiah at 
 Bethlehem. Soon after this, Herod put all the children at 
 Bethlehem to death, who were under two years of age. Macro- 
 bius, a writer of the fifth century, says that one of Herod's own 
 children was of this number, and that Augustus when he heard 
 it, said "that it was better to be Herod's hog than his son;" 
 but the story is not probable. The sarcasm of Augustus was 
 probably uttered, upon hearing of his having put to death his 
 three sons, Alexander, Aristobulus, and Antipater. For Antipa- 
 ter, having returned from Rome without knowing that his wicked 
 plot was discovered, was immediately arrested, and being 
 brought before Q. Varus, the new governor of Syria, was con- 
 victed of the crime of treasonably designing the death of his 
 father; on which he was condemned, and the sentence being 
 approved by Augustus, was put to death. 
 

 586 HISTORY OF THE ISKAELITISH NATION 
 
 Herod lived only five days after the execution of his son. 
 He died in the seventieth year of his age, and the thirty-seventh 
 of his reign. Knowing that he was detested by the Jews, and 
 that the report of his death would be a matter of rejoicing to 
 the people, he formed a project, perhaps the wickedest that ever 
 entered into the mind of man. Having summoned all the most 
 eminent men in his kingdom to attend him at Jericho, where he 
 then lay in the pangs of death, as soon as they arrived, he or- 
 dered them to be shut up in the circus ; and then sending for 
 Salome his sister, and her husband Alexas, he gave command 
 that as soon as he was dead they should send the soldiers to 
 put them all to death ; for this, said he, will provide mourners 
 for my funeral throughout Judea. But wicked as Salome and 
 her husband were, they would not fulfil their promises, in exe- 
 cuting an order of such unprecedented cruelty; though, per- 
 haps, they were restrained by a fear of the people, rather than 
 by any aversion to the commission of such a crime. 
 
 After the death of Herod, therefore, all these men were set 
 free. The enormous wickedness of this last act of the tyrant's 
 life, seems to remove all objection that might arise in the minds 
 of any, against the account of the massacre of the infants of 
 Bethlehem, on the ground that no one could be guilty of such 
 cruelty. The disease with which this wicked tyrant was carried 
 out of the world, was attended with such circumstances as led 
 all the people to believe that the just vengeance of Heaven was 
 pursuing him. Josephus, and after him Eusebius, give the fol- 
 lowing account: "Herod's disease grew yet more and more 
 grievously violent ; God exacting this vengeance on him as the 
 punishment of the many great enormities of which he had been 
 guilty. He had a slow fever, which inwardly consumed him. 
 His appetite was voracious and insatiable. His bowels were 
 ulcerated, especially the colon, which occasioned grievous pains. 
 His feet were swollen, and oozed out a fetid humor. An ulcer 
 broke out in the lower part of his belly, which bred worms and 
 lice abundantly. His breath was short and the smell fetid. He 
 had also a troublesome flux of rheum, with asthmatic difficulty 
 of breathing; and the termination of life was at length pro- 
 duced by convulsions of the whole body." His pains were ter- 
 rible to the very last moment. 
 
 Herod married nine wives, by whom he had several children. 
 Three of his sons, as we have seen, he put to death. Of his 
 other children, it will only be necessary to mention those who 
 are noticed in Scripture. By his wife Malthace, he had Ar- 
 chelaus and Herod Antipas ; by Cleopatra, Philip ; and by Ma- 
 riamne, Herod Philip. His son Aristobulus, whom he put to 
 death, was married to Berenice, by whom he had Agrippa, 
 commonly called Herod Agrippa, the same who put James the 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 587 
 
 apostle to death, and was smitten of God at Cesarea for bis im- 
 pious pride. Herodias was also the daughter of the same 
 parents. She was first married to her uncle, Herod Philip, but 
 eloped from him and became the wife of Herod Antipas. By 
 her first husband she had Salome, who went with her, and was 
 the damsel whose dancing pleased Herod so exceedingly, and 
 occasioned the death of John the Baptist. 
 
 To Agrippa, mentioned above, there was born a son, also 
 named Agrippa, and two daughters, Drusilla and Berenice. 
 Before these Paul pleaded his cause. (Acts xxv. 26.) Drusilla 
 was married to Felix, the procurator or governor of Judea. 
 
 Herod distributed his dominions among his sons, above men- 
 tioned, as follows : Archelaus was left heir to the kingdom of 
 Judea ; Herod Antipas had the tetrarchy of Galilee and Perea ; 
 and Philip, Auranitis, Trachonitis, Paneas, and Batanea. 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 JOSEPH RETURNS FROM EGYPT VULGAR ERA ARCHELAUS GOES TO ROME AND 19 
 
 DEPOSED CYRENIUS GOVERNOR OF SYRIA THE JEWS RESIST THE TAXATION BY 
 THE ROMANS ANNAS APPOINTED HIGH-PRIEST BY THE ROMANS DEATH OF AUGUSTUS. 
 
 AFTER the death of Herod, Joseph being warned by an angel in 
 a dream, arose and took the young child and his mother, and 
 returned trom Egypt into the land of Israel; but when he heard 
 that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father, he 
 went to Galilee, and again resided at Nazareth, with Mary his 
 wife. There Jesus abode until he entered on his public min- 
 istry. 
 
 The Christian era, which is now in common use, by the mis- 
 take of Dionysius Exiguus, who introduced it in the sixth 
 century, commences four years later than the real time of the 
 birth of Christ. If Christians had from the beginning used 
 this era, there could have been no mistake in the case ; but as 
 the birth of our Saviour was not used as an era for chronologi- 
 cal purposes, for more than five hundred years, it is not strange 
 that a mistake of a few years should have occurred. Some, 
 indeed, make the difference only two years, but most of the 
 learned follow Usher, who makes it four. 
 
 Archelaus, who succeeded his father in the kingdom, con- 
 ducted himself in a manner so tyrannical, that ambassadors 
 were sent to Rome, both from the Jews and Samaritans, to 
 complain of his mal-administration. In consequence of these 
 accusations he was cited by Augustus to appear before him and 
 answer for his conduct. When Archelaus went to Rome, 
 Herod Antipas did the same ; and also Salome, Herod's sister. 
 The object of Herod was to solicit the kingdom for himself, m 
 
588 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 which he had the interest of the rest of the family on his side ; 
 for Archelaus was held in detestation by all. After Archelaus 
 had left Judea, with the leave of Varus the procurator, an em- 
 bassy of fifty of the chief men of Jerusalem went to Rome to 
 petition Augustus to permit them to live according to their own 
 laws, under a Roman governor. When he arrived, not being 
 able to justify himself before the emperor, but being found 
 guilty of all that was charged against him, he was deposed 
 from his kingdom, had all his goods confiscated, and was him- 
 self banished to Vienne in Gaul. The duration of his reign in 
 Judea was only ten years. After the deposition of Archelaus, 
 Augustus appointed Cyrenius (Quirinius) to be governor of 
 Syria, and sent with him Coponius a Roman knight, to be pro- 
 curator of Judea, under the authority of Cyrenius, Judea being 
 a part of the province of Syria. When they arrived at Jeru- 
 salem, they seized on the goods of Archelaus and changed the 
 civil government of the Jews. The power of life and death 
 was now taken from the Jews and assumed by the officers of 
 the emperor ; and taxes were paid directly into the treasury of 
 the Romans, which was never done before. 
 
 The raising of these taxes caused great disturbances among 
 the Jews. Some thought that they were under obligations to 
 serve no king but God ; most believed that it was wrong for the 
 Jews to be subject to any foreign power. Those who made 
 opposition on the first ground, were fanatical and seditious men, 
 who were led on by one Judas of Galilee, a very turbulent man, 
 of whom mention is made in the Acts of the Apostles, (v. 37,) 
 but he was soon cut off, and all his followers dispersed. They 
 who resisted on the latter ground, were a more formidable 
 body, and included the whole sect of the Pharisees. Their 
 opinions were received by the mass of the people. And hence 
 we may learn the reason why the Publicans, or tax-gatherers, 
 were so odious to the Pharisees. 
 
 While Cyrenius was at Jerusalem, among other important 
 changes, he removed Jaazar from being high-priest, and ap- 
 pointed Annas, the son of Seth, as his successor. In the same 
 year, our Lord and Saviour being now twelve years of age, 
 came up to Jerusalem with Joseph and Mary, and entered the 
 temple, where the doctors of the law were convened, heard 
 their discourses, and engaged in the discussion of important 
 points with them, so that all who heard him were astonished. 
 
 In the year ten of the vulgar era, Coponius was recalled from 
 being procurator of Judea, and Marcus Ambivius was put in 
 his place. In this year also died Salome, the sister of Herod, 
 whose crafty and malicious intrigues had been the occasion of 
 unspeakable evil to her brother's family. 
 
 A. D. 12. Augustus, now old, associated Tiberius with him 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 589 
 
 in the empire. From this date, his reign is reckoned by Luke, 
 where he speaks of the " fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius 
 Cesar;" Luke iii. 1. Judea was now destined to a very fre- 
 quent change of masters, for in A. D. 13, Ambivius was suc- 
 ceeded in his office of procurator by Annius Rufus. 
 
 A. D. 14. Augustus Cesar departed this life, after he had 
 nearly attained the age of seventy-six years. The length of 
 his reign was fifty-six years, reckoning from the time of the 
 first consulship ; but if we reckon from the victory of Actium, 
 it was forty-four years. He ended his days at Nola, in Cam- 
 pania, not far from Rome. The whole power of the empire 
 now devolved on Tiberius, who had been made a partner with 
 his father before his death. He was at this time fifty-five years 
 of age, and reigned twenty-two years and a half. 
 
 SECTION XL 
 
 FROCURATORSHIP OF VALERIUS GRATUS ANNAS REMOVED FROM THE OFFICE OF HIGH- 
 PRIEST AND ISMAEL SUBSTITUTED ELEAZAR, SON OF ANNAS IS PUT IN HIS PLACE, 
 AND THE NEXT YEAR GRATUS REMOVES HIM, AND SUBSTITUTES SIMON SON OF 
 
 CANN1TH CAIAPHAS GRATUS RECALLED AND SUCCEEDED BY PONTIUS PILATE 
 
 PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST BAPTISM OF CHRIST DEATH OF JOHN PUBLIC 
 
 MINISTRY OF CHRIST DEATH OF CHRIST HIS RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION 
 
 PILATE'S ACCOUNT OF CHRIST, SENT TO THE EMPEROR PILATE REMOVED BY VITEL- 
 LIUS, GOVERNOR OF SYRIA, AND SENT TO ROME, WHENCE HE WAS BANISHED TO 
 GAUL TIBERIUS DIES, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY CAIUS CALIGULA. 
 
 A. D. 15, VALERIUS GRATUS was sent into Judea by Tiberius, 
 to be procurator, in which office he continued eleven years. 
 
 A. D. 23, Valerius Gratus removed Annas from the office of 
 high-priest, and substituted in his place Ismael the son of 
 Fabus. Annas held the office fifteen years. But the very 
 next year, A. D. 24, becoming dissatisfied with Ismael, he 
 deposed him, and put in his place Eleazar, the son of Annas, 
 whom he had deprived of the office. The year following, A. D. 
 25, the capricious Gratus removed Eleazar, and put Simon the 
 son of Cannith in the office. A. D. 26, Simon was displaced to 
 make way for Joseph, surnamed Caiaphas, the son-in-law of 
 Annas, who had been deposed. These are the persons spoken 
 of in the Gospels, who had the chief concern in the pro- 
 secution of our Saviour. And the facts mentioned above, 
 will serve to explain several things in the sacred history. 
 Caiaphas is said to have been the high-priest for that year, as if 
 the office had been an annual one ; whereas, it was for life, by 
 the law, if the person did not become disqualified ; but we see 
 from the preceding history, that for a number of years no one 
 person had, in fact, filled the place for more than a year. 
 
 A. D. 26, Valerius Gratus was recalled, and Pontius Pilate 
 sent to be procurator of Judea; a man ready for every evil 
 
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 work. Philo Judeus charges him with selling justice, and 
 giving any sentence for money ; also of cruelty, rapine, mur- 
 der, and injuries of every sort. 
 
 In this year, A. D. 26, according to the vulgar era, John 
 the Baptist began to preach in the wilderness of Judea. This 
 was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius. He con- 
 tinued his ministry for about three years and a half. When 
 John was engaged in his public ministry, preaching repentance 
 and baptising the people, and announcing that the Messiah's 
 reign was near at hand, Jesus Christ came forth from his retire- 
 ment at Nazareth, and presented himself to John for baptism. 
 At first this good man scrupled to perform the rite, but imme- 
 diately complied, when he heard the reason assigned by Jesus 
 for desiring it. 
 
 When Jesus was baptized in Jordan, the heavens were open- 
 ed, and a voice was heard from heaven, saying, "THIS IS MY 
 BELOVED SON;" and the Holy Ghost descended as a dove, and 
 rested on him. John knew the divine character of Jesus, and 
 was therefore willing to see all men flocking after him, though 
 his own popularity was thereby diminished. He pointed him 
 out to his own disciples as the Messiah, and corrected their 
 wrong feelings flowing from attachment to himself. Jesus now 
 entered on the public exercise of his ministry, in which he 
 laboured incessantly, until the day of his death. 
 
 John, while preaching in Galilee, fell under the notice of 
 Herod the tetrarch, who was pleased to hear his discourses, and 
 so much influenced by them as to make a partial reformation in 
 his conduct. But on John's faithfully reproving him for taking 
 his brother's wife, he was so much offended that he cast him 
 into prison. Herodias was urgent to have him put to death, 
 which Herod declined, more for fear of the people than from 
 any higher motives. But on Herod's birth-day, Salome, the 
 daughter of Herodias, so delighted him by her dancing, that he 
 made her a promise, confirmed with an oath, to give her what 
 she should ask. The girl, instructed by her mother, demanded 
 the head of John, which the king, though reluctantly, com- 
 manded to be brought to her in a dish. 
 
 The history of the Evangelist respecting Herod Antipas is 
 corroborated by Josephus, who says: "About this time there 
 happened to be a difference between Aretas king of Petrsea and 
 Herod, upon this occasion : Herod the tetrarch, had married the 
 daughter of Aretas ; but in a journey which he took to Rome, 
 he made a visit to his brother Herod (Philip). Here falling in 
 love with Herodias, his brother's wife, he ventured to make her 
 proposals of marriage. She consented, and agreed that when 
 he was returned from Rome she would go and live with him ; 
 and he promised to put away the daughter of Aretas." 
 
<TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 691 
 
 Josephus also informs us, that Herodias had a daughter by 
 her first husband, whose name was Salome. Josephus, more- 
 over, represents Herodias to have been a woman of great ambi- 
 tion, and one who had much influence over Herod ; for by her 
 persuasions he was induced to go to Rome to solicit his 
 brother's crown. The defeat which Herod met with in his war 
 with Aretas, the father of his former wife, is represented by 
 Josephus as a judgment of God upon him for what he had done 
 to John, called the Baptist; for, says he, "Herod slew him, 
 who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise 
 virtue, both towards one and another and towards God, and so 
 to come to baptism." Josephus, indeed, while he states the 
 fact, seems not to have been informed of the true cause of 
 John's death, but supposes that it was owing to Herod's 
 jealousy of John's popularity, and influence with the people, 
 which might put it in his power to excite them to revolt. 
 
 The only mention which the Jewish historian makes of Jesus 
 Christ, is in*the following remarkable passage. " Now, there 
 was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call 
 him a man ; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of 
 such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over 
 to him, both many of the Jews and of the Gentiles. He was 
 the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the prin- 
 cipal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those 
 that loved him at the first did not forsake him ; for he appear- 
 ed to them alive again, the third day, as the divine prophets 
 had foretold these and many other things, concerning him. 
 And the sect of Christians, so named from him, is not extinct 
 at this day." Most modern critics, it is true, have pronounced 
 this passage an interpolation, and contend that it was never 
 written by Josephus ; but no convincing arguments have been 
 adduced to prove that it is spurious. 
 
 Jesus Christ having spent about three years and a half in his 
 public ministry, during which time he performed innumerable 
 miracles, was apprehended by the malice of his enemies; and 
 after being subjected to much injustice, reproach, and cruel 
 treatment, was condemned to be crucified ; which painful pun- 
 ishment, he accordingly endured, in circumstances of great 
 ignominy. At his death, many prodigies occurred, a par- 
 ticular account of which is given in the Gospels. On the 
 third day he arose again, and appeared unto his disciples ; and 
 for forty days conversed frequently with them, and permitted 
 them, by their sense of feeling, as well as of sight and hearing, 
 to be fully satisfied of the reality of his resurrection. Having 
 finished giving his disciples those instructions which he deemed 
 it necessary to communicate in person, he ascended to heaven, 
 in their sight, from Mount Olivet, while in the act of blessing 
 
592 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 them. Before he left them, he promised to send the HOLT 
 GHOST, or PARACLETE, to teach and comfort them ; which pro- 
 mise was fulfilled at the feast of Pentecost, about ten days after 
 his ascension; when this divine Instructor came upon them, and 
 furnished them with all the wisdom, strength, and miraculous 
 endowment, necessary for the accomplishment of the great and 
 arduous work for which they were commissioned. 
 
 Pilate sent to the emperor, according to the usage in such 
 cases, an account of the character and crucifixion of Jesus of 
 Nazareth, which was extant and appealed to in the second cen- 
 tury. But this document is now lost. 
 
 Vitellius being now governor of Syria, the Samaritans, who 
 had been treated with severity by Pilate on account of an im- 
 poster who arose among them, sent an embassy to the governor 
 complaining of his tyrannical conduct. The consequence was, 
 that Vitellius removed him from his office, and ordered him to 
 Rome to answer for his conduct, appointing Marcellus to be 
 procurator in his place. This was about the year A. D. 37. 
 In the following year, A. D. 38, Tiberius died, and was suc- 
 ceeded in the government by Caius Caligula, before whom the 
 cause of Pilate came; and who banished him to Vienne in Gaul, 
 where it is said he put an end to his life. 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN AND ENSUING PERSECUTION! 
 
 CONVERSION OF PAUL CAIAPHAS REMOVED FROM THE HIGH-PRIESTHOOD BY VI- 
 
 TELLIUS, AND ANANAS SUBSTITUTED AGRIPPA ACQUIRES THE SUPREME POWER OF 
 JUDEA HEROD ANTIPAS BANISHED TO GAUL EMBASSY FROM ALEXANDRIA TO ROME 
 
 PHILO JUDEUS CAIUS SUCCEEDED BY CLAUDIUS THEOPHILUS REMOVED FROM 
 
 THE PRIESTHOOD AND SIMON PUT IN HIS PLACE PETRONIUS, GOVERNOR OF SYRIA, 
 SUCCEEDED BY MARSUS AGRIPPA ZEALOUS FOR THE JEWISH RELIGION, BUT SEVERE 
 
 TOWARDS THE CHRISTIANS REMARKABLE DEATH OF AGRIPPA HIS CHARACTER 
 
 AND SUCCESSORS. 
 
 AFTER the apostles of Jesus began to preach his resurrection, 
 an attempt was made to suppress them by force, but this proved 
 ineffectual. A violent persecution, however, was carried on 
 against the disciples, in which Stephen was condemned to death 
 by the Sanhedrim, and stoned. It would seem, from this fact, 
 that when this event occurred there was no Roman governor or 
 procurator at Jerusalem ; or the Sanhedrim would not, in con- 
 tempt of his authority, have dared to inflict capital punishment 
 on any one. It is probable, therefore, that the martyrdom of 
 Stephen took place after Pilate was removed, and before an- 
 other had succeeded him. 
 
 The persecution after the death of Stephen, became very 
 hot, chiefly through the zeal of a young Pharisee, whose name 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 593 
 
 was Saul. He was one of the Sanhedrim who gave his vote 
 for the death of the proto-martyr, and superintended his execu- 
 tion. Being determined to extirpate the rising sect, he went 
 from place to place apprehending men and women and com- 
 mitting them to prison. But finding that many fled, and that 
 Damascus was a place of refuge for them, he obtained a com- 
 mission from the high-priest, and a guard to proceed to that 
 place, to bring bound to Jerusalem all that he should find who 
 were followers of Jesus of Nazareth. But before he reached 
 the place, while journeying, about noon, he was overwhelmed 
 with a blaze of light, surpassing the light of mid-day, and by 
 terror, or some irresistible power, being struck to the ground, 
 he heard a person speaking to him, and in the midst of the 
 light saw near to him the very Jesus whom he was persecuting 
 The young man when he arose was blind, and was led into 
 Damascus, where he remained blind, neither eating nor drink- 
 ing for three days; when a disciple, being divinely directed, 
 came to him and instructed him in the doctrines of Christ, and 
 then baptized him. From this time to the close of life, Saul, 
 afterwards called Paul, was a most zealous, able, and successful 
 propagator of the faith of Jesus. 
 
 About A. D. 39, Vitellius, the governor of Syria, paid a 
 visit to Jerusalem, and bestowed on the Jews many favours and 
 immunities. One method which Herod had devised of govern- 
 ing that turbulent people, was to keep in his possession the 
 costly robes which were worn on solemn occasions by the high- 
 priest. They were preserved in the castle of Antonia, which 
 he had built, and continued in the possession of his successors 
 in power until this visit of Vitellius, at the passover, when 
 they were given into the possession of the Jews. 
 
 Vitellius, on some complaint against Caiaphas, deprived him 
 of his office, and made Jonathan the son of Annas, or Ananas, 
 high-priest in his stead, and then returned home. For some 
 time after this the Christian churches seem to have been undis- 
 turbed by persecution, and to have increased in numbers very 
 rapidly. Soon after the events above related, we find Judea 
 under the power of Herod Agrippa. He was the son of Aris- 
 tobulus, one of the sons of Herod by Mariamne, whom his 
 father put to death. Few men ever experienced greater vicis- 
 situdes of fortune than this Herod. Josephus gives a detailed 
 account of his adventures, which our limits do not permit us to 
 repeat. Suffice it to say, that after suffering innumerable dis- 
 appointments and disasters, and being for two years imprisoned 
 by Tiberius, he was not only released by Caligula, but received 
 from him the gift of a golden chain, and a diadem. He was 
 first made king of Lysanias, Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, and 
 Batanea. 
 38 
 
594 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 The success of Agrippa in obtaining the title of king, so 
 excited the envy and inflamed the ambition of Herodias, that 
 she would not suffer Herod Antipas, her husband, to rest until 
 he should also go to Rome to seek for himself a kingdom. But 
 the event was very different from their wishes and expectations, 
 for as soon as Herod Agrippa heard of their visit to Rome, he 
 wrote to Caius Caligula, that Antipas had held secret commu- 
 nications with the Parthians, and had collected vast military 
 stores. Upon this the emperor instead of making him a king, 
 banished him to Lyons, whither Herodias went with him. His 
 tetrarchy was now added to the dominions of Herod Agrippa. 
 
 About this time, A. D. 41, the famous embassy from Alex- 
 andria to Rome, composed both of Jews and Greeks, took place. 
 The celebrated Philo went as the principal of the Jewish 
 ambassadors, and one Apion, at the head of the Greeks ; of all 
 which, Philo and Josephus have given a detailed account. The 
 dissension between them principally related to the refusal of the 
 Jews to worship the image of the emperor. 
 
 Caligula now recalled Vitellius from the government of Syria, 
 and appointed Petronius to succeed him. At the same time he 
 sent express orders that the emperor's image should be set up 
 in the temple at Jerusalem. To enforce this order, Petronius 
 came to Ptolemais with an army, where he was met by many 
 thousand Jews, who expressed their determination never to sub- 
 mit to such a profanation. But by the intercession of king 
 Agrippa, who was then at Rome, the order was countermanded. 
 "When he heard of the resistance of the Jews, however, he was 
 greatly enraged, and wrote an angry letter to Petronius, whom 
 he suspected of acting in concert with the Jews. This year, 
 A. D. 41, Caligula was assassinated. 
 
 Claudius Drusus succeeded Caius Caligula as emperor of 
 Rome. By his advancement, Herod Agrippa was promoted to 
 be king of Samaria and Judea, in addition to his former domin- 
 ions ; and, moreover, he manifested his particular friendship for 
 him by having him appointed one of the consuls of Rome. To 
 Herod, the brother of Agrippa, Claudius also gave the little 
 kingdom of Chalcis. 
 
 The Jews, who had been much oppressed under the govern- 
 ment of the cruel Caligula, were greatly favoured by Claudius, 
 who permitted them everywhere to live agreeably to their own 
 law, and put the Jews of Alexandria in possession of their for- 
 mer privileges. 
 
 A. D. 42, Agrippa returned to Jerusalem to take possession 
 of his newly acquired dominion, on which occasion he offered 
 many sacrifices of thanksgiving, and as a memorial, suspended 
 in the temple the golden chain which he had received from 
 Caligula, when released from prison. At this time, Theophilus 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 595 
 
 officiated as high-priest of the Jews ; but soon after, Agrippa 
 removed him from office, and substituted in his place Simon 
 Cantharus, the son of Simon Bocthus. The year following, 
 however, he offered the place to Jonathan, who declined it, but 
 recommended his brother Matthias, on whom the office was 'con- 
 ferred. About this time, A. D. 42 or 43, Petronius was recalled 
 from the government of Syria, and was succeeded by Marsus. 
 He was far less favourable to the Jews than his predecessor, 
 and when Agrippa undertook to raise and strengthen the walls 
 around a part of the city, which had been recently built, Mar- 
 sus interposed, represented the undertaking to the emperor 
 as dangerous to the Roman empire, and obtained an edict for- 
 bidding the further progress of the work. , 
 
 Agrippa was much attached to the Jewish nation, and strict 
 in his observance of all religious ceremonies of the law. Jose- 
 phus says of him, " That he was of a mild and gentle dispo- 
 sition, and good to all men ; beneficent to strangers, but espe- 
 cially kind to the Jews, with whom he sympathized in all their 
 troubles." His residence, after he became king of Judea, was 
 almost constantly at Jerusalem, where he practised the Jewish 
 ceremonies, and did not let a day pass without worshipping 
 God, according to the law of Moses. 
 
 It may seem to be inconsistent with the character here given 
 'of Agrippa, that he should carry on a cruel persecution against 
 the inoffensive Christians, of which Luke gives the following 
 account: "Now about that time, Herod the king stretched 
 forth his hands, to vex certain of the church; and he killed 
 James the brother of John with the sword, and because he saw 
 it pleased the Jews, he proceeded farther to take Peter also." 
 (Acts xii. 1, 2, 3.) But we have seen that this prince was 
 superstitiously attached to all the Jewish ceremonies, and that 
 he made it a primary object to please the nation in his whole 
 administration ; and as they could not be more gratified by any 
 thing than the death of the leading teachers in the Christian 
 church, he was induced to pursue a course in regard to this 
 matter, not altogether consonant with his general character. 
 Luke, in the passage quoted, adverts to the true motive of his 
 conduct, when he says, "because he saw it pleased the Jews, he 
 proceeded farther to take Peter also." But his design against 
 the life of Peter was frustrated by a miraculous interposition. 
 An angel was sent to release him from his confinement. 
 
 Whatever the character of Herod Agrippa might have been 
 in other respects, he seems to have been a very vainglorious 
 person. There is a remarkable coincidence between the narra- 
 tives of Luke and Josephus, in regard to the circumstances of 
 the death of this prince. Luke says, " And he went down from 
 Judea to Cesarea and there abode. And upon a set day, 
 
596 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made 
 an oration to them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is 
 the voice of a god and not of a man ; and immediately the angel 
 of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and 
 he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." 
 
 The words of Josephus are these: "Having now reigned 
 three whole years over Judea, he went to the city Cesarea, 
 formerly called Straton's Tower. Here he celebrated shows 
 in honour of Cesar. On this occasion, there was a vast resort 
 of persons of rank and distinction from all parts of the coun- 
 try. On the second day of the shows, early in the morning, 
 he came into the theatre, dressed in a robe of silver, of most 
 curious workmanship. The rays of the rising sun, reflected 
 from so splendid a garb, gave him a majestic and awful appear- 
 ance. In a short time they began, in several parts of the 
 theatre, flattering acclamations, which proved pernicious to 
 him. They called him a god, and entreated him to be propi- 
 tious to them; saying, 'Hitherto we have respected you as a 
 man, but now we acknowledge you to be more than mortal.' 
 The king neither reproved these persons nor rejected the impi- 
 ous flat'tery. Soon after this, casting his eyes upwards, he saw 
 an owl, sitting on a cord over his head. He perceived it to be 
 a messenger of evil to him, as it had been before of his pros- 
 perity, and was struck with the deepest concern. Immediately 
 after this, he was seized with pains in his bowels, extremely 
 violent from the first. Then turning himself to his friends, he 
 spoke to them in this manner: 'I, your god, am required to 
 leave this world ; fate instantly refuting these false applauses 
 bestowed upon me. I, who have been called immortal, am hur- 
 ried away to death. But God's appointment must be submit- 
 ted to.' While he was speaking, his pains became more violent : 
 he was carried, therefore, with all haste to his palace. His 
 pains continuing to increase, he expired in five days time, in 
 the fifty-fourth year of his age, &c." 
 
 Agrippa left behind him one son, also named Agrippa, about 
 seventeen years of age, and three daughters. One of these, 
 Berenice, was married to Herod, king of Chalcis, her father's 
 brother; the other two, Mariamne and Drusilla, were unmar- 
 ried at the time of their father's death. Of the youngest of 
 these, Drusilla, some notice will be taken in this history here- 
 after, as she is particularly noticed in the Acts of the Apostles. 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 597 
 
 SECTION XIII. 
 
 FADUS MADE PROCURATOR OP JUDEA DEARTH IN THE REIGN OP CLAUDIUS PROSE- 
 LYTES TO JUDAISM FALSE MESSIAH FADUS RECALLED, AND SUCCEEDED BY 
 TIBERIUS ALEXANDER HEROD KING OF CHALCIS DISPLACED JOSEPH THE SON OF 
 CAMUS FROM THE HIGH-PRIESTHOOD, AND SUBSTITUTED ANANIAS THE SON OF 
 NEBEDEUS TIBERIUS ALEXANDER RECALLED, AND CUMANUS APPOINTED TO SUC- 
 CEED HIM COMMOTIONS AT JERUSALEM DISPUTE BETWEEN THE GALILEANS AND 
 
 SAMARITANS CUMANUS RECALLED AND FELIX APPOINTED PROCURATOR TUMUL- 
 TUOUS CONDUCT OF THE JEWS DEATH OF CLAUDIUS SUCCEEDED BY NERO ANAR- 
 CHICAL STATE OF JUDEA DURING THE PROCURATORSHIP OF FELIX IS SUCCEEDED 
 BY FESTUS BOTH RESIDE AT CESAREA FESTUS DIES IS SUCCEEDED BY ALBI- 
 NUS STATE OF SOCIETY MORE AND MORE DISORDERED ANANUS MADE HIGII- 
 PRIEST CEST1US GALLUS VISITS JERUSALEM. 
 
 AFTER the death of Agrippa, A. D. 45, Fadus was appointed 
 procurator of Judea. Claudius would have given the kingdom 
 to the son of his friend, but was dissuaded from it on account 
 of his youth. A contention soon arose between this officer and 
 the Jews, respecting the pontifical vestments which he ordered 
 to be deposited, as formerly, in the castle of Antonia. This 
 was by direction of the emperor. And when the Jews proved 
 refractory, Cassius Longinus, who had been sent to Syria in 
 the place of Marsus, came with an army to enforce the empe- 
 ror's edict ; but the Jews prevailed on him to wait until they 
 could petition the emperor, who was induced by the intercession 
 of Herod king of Chalcis, to relinquish his purpose. Claudius 
 then appointed this Herod to preside over the temple, and 
 select the high-priests. He removed Cantharus from office, 
 and appointed Joseph, son of Camus, to succeed him. 
 
 In the Acts we read, that "a prophet, named Agabus, stood 
 up, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be a great 
 dearth throughout all the world, which, says Luke, came to pass 
 in the days of Claudius Cesar." Now, during the reign of Clau- 
 dius, there were no less than four times of famine. The one 
 referred to above, occurred while Fadus was procurator at 
 Judea, and was the last of the four; for it extended to the 
 reign of Tiberius. About this time, the Jews received some 
 proselytes to their religion, of rather an extraordinary charac- 
 ter for rank, who proved themselves to be very sincere con- 
 verts, by their munificence to the Jewish nation ; especially in 
 the time of the forementioned famine. The persons to whom 
 I refer, were Helena, queen of Adiabene, in Mesopotamia, and 
 her son Izates. At the time when this dearth occurred, 
 Helena, was at Jerusalem, and supplied the people with large 
 quantities of provisions; and Izates sent them, at the same 
 time, large sums of money. These royal personages had built, 
 near Jerusalem, a sepulchre of magnificent workmanship, in 
 which after their death they were interred. 
 
598 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 While Fadus was procurator of Judea, a false Messiah made 
 his appearance, who deluded great multitudes of people, and 
 persuaded them to follow him to Jordan, where he promised 
 that he would divide the waters, and lead them over on dry 
 ground. But while this multitude was on their way, they were 
 overtaken by a troop of Roman cavalry, sent after them by 
 Fadus. The imposter was brought back and beheaded, and all 
 his followers were dispersed. Josephus calls this impostor 
 Theudas, but from what Gamaliel said in the Jewish Sanhedrim, 
 (Acts v. 36,) it appears that Theudas was before Judas the 
 Gaulonite, and was accompanied by only four hundred men, 
 who all forsook him. Probably, therefore, Josephus was mis- 
 taken about the name; unless, which is not improbable, there 
 were two of the same name. 
 
 A. D. 46, Fadus was recalled, and a man of Jewish origin, 
 by the name of Tiberius Alexander, was made procurator of 
 Judea. 
 
 A. D. 47, Herod, king of Chalcis, having received autho- 
 rity from the emperor to appoint the high-priest at Jeru- 
 salem, displaced Joseph, the son of Camus, and gave the office 
 to Ananias, the son of Nebedeus. This was among his last 
 acts; for he died shortly after, and his kingdom was given 
 to Claudius Agrippa, the son of king Agrippa, with the same 
 authority over the temple and priesthood which had been 
 possessed by Herod, king of Chalcis. In the same year, A. D. 
 47, Claudius recalled Tiberius Alexander, and appointed V. 
 Cumanus to be procurator in his stead. 
 
 The following year, A. D. 48, during the celebration of the 
 passover, a cohort of Roman soldiers were stationed before the 
 gates of the temple to preserve order. But one of the soldiers, 
 by an indecent action, so, provoked the Jews, who were going 
 up to the temple to worship, that some rash young men assaulted 
 the soldiers with stones. Cumanus, at first, endeavoured to 
 allay the irritation of the populace ; but failing in this, he sum- 
 moned the soldiers into the castle of Antonia, by which the 
 Jews understood that he was about to make an attack on the 
 temple. So great a panic seized the multitude who were within 
 the walls, that when a violent rush took place to escape through 
 the gates, more than a thousand of them were crushed to death. 
 Another tumult took place in consequence of the impious con- 
 duct of a Roman soldier, who, having seized a copy of the law, 
 tore it in pieces, with insulting and blasphemous language. A 
 complaint was made to Cumanus, who, seeing no other method 
 of appeasing the people, ordered the offending soldier to be 
 beheaded. The commotions among the people increased every 
 day. A dispute now arose between the Galileans and the 
 Samaritans, on account of a murder committed on a Jew in one 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OP JERUSALEM. 599 
 
 of the Samaritan villages. The Roman officer refusing to do 
 them justice, the Jews undertook to revenge themselves, by 
 invading and plundering the Samaritan territory ; hut Cumanus 
 coining on them with his cavalry, S9on dispersed them. Many, 
 however, about this time, joined themselves to troops of robbers, 
 and by their predatory incursions, greatly disturbed the peace 
 of the country. 
 
 H. Quadratus had been made governor of Syria, in the place 
 of Longinus ; and he being now at Tyre, complaints were made 
 to him, both by the Jews and Samaritans. He determined, 
 therefore, to come to Judea, and examine into the affair for 
 himself. At first, he felt disposed to condemn the Samaritans, 
 but on learning that the Jews had acted in a rebellious manner, 
 in defiance of the Roman authority, he ordered such of them as 
 Ananus had taken, to be crucified. He, moreover, put to 
 death a leading man whose name was Doras, and several others ; 
 and sent the high-priests Jonathan and Ananus the president of 
 the temple, in chains to Rome. Finally, he ordered all parties, 
 and the procurator himself, to go to Italy, and submit their 
 cause to the emperor; and then returned to Antioch. When 
 the cause came before the emperor, the Jews had justice done 
 them, through the influence of Agrippa, who was then at 
 Rome. The Samaritans were condemned, and three of their 
 leaders ordered to be executed. The Roman tribune, who had 
 been guilty of exciting the disturbance, was ordered to be 
 sent back to Jerusalem, and to be dragged through the streets, 
 and then beheaded. Cumanus himself, also was recalled. 
 
 A. D. 53, Felix a freed-man, was appointed procurator of 
 Judea, and continued in office a number of years. Agrippa 
 seems to have been as much a favourite of Augustus as his 
 father ; for in place of his little kingdom of Chalcis, he gave 
 him the tetrarchy which had belonged to Philip, the son of 
 Herod the Great. 
 
 Drusilla, the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa, was 
 given by her brother in marriage to Azizus, king of Emesa, 
 who to obtain her, had submitted to circumcision. But Felix, 
 who had already two wives, became enamoured of her ; and 
 by means of one Simon a sorcerer, made her offers of mar- 
 riage, and gained her consent. 
 
 Although Claudius showed himself favourable to the Jews, 
 so many tumults were raised by them in the city of Rome, that 
 he published an edict that they should all leave the city, 
 which however was never fully executed. He, however, strictly 
 forbade all public meetings among them. During all this pe- 
 riod, the Romans made no distinction between Jews and Chris- 
 tians; for the latter were considered as merely a new sect 
 among the Jews. They, therefore, fell under the operation of 
 
600 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 all edicts which related to the Jews. Accordingly, we read in 
 the Acts (xviii) that "a certain Jew, named Aquila, born in 
 Pontus, lately had come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, 
 because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from 
 Rome." 
 
 Claudius the emperor died A. D. 55 or 56, and was succeed- 
 ed by Nero, the son of his wife Agrippina, by her former 
 husband. Nero was a cruel tyrant when in power, although he 
 appeared to be mild and amiable in private life. Soon after 
 his accession to the throne, he put several persons to death, 
 to gratify his own malignant temper; and among the rest, 
 Agrippina his own mother, to whom he owed the possession of 
 the empire. Agrippa, however, shared the favour of Nero as 
 he had done that of his predecessor; for he increased his 
 dominions, by the addition of the cities of Tarichosa, Tiberias, 
 Abila, and Julias, with the territories which appertained to 
 them. 
 
 At the time when Felix arrived in Judea, the country was 
 almost in a state of anarchy. The curse of God seemed 
 evidently to be brooding over that ill-fated nation. The whole 
 land was infested with robbers, and swarmed with impostors. 
 About this time, also, arose the Sicarii, a desperate set of 
 assassins, who received their name from a short sword or 
 dagger which they carried under their outward garment. These 
 men, by mingling with the crowd, would suddenly strike their 
 victim, and then concealing their weapon, hide themselves 
 among the multitude. 
 
 Felix employed these men to put Jonathan the high-priest 
 out of the way; for by his intrusion as an adviser, he had 
 become troublesome to the procurator. Jonathan, having had 
 a chief influence in getting Felix appointed to this office, 
 thought he had a right to exercise a good deal of freedom in 
 advising and admonishing him. But he dearly paid for his 
 officiousness, for Felix was not a man that could endure reproof. 
 
 Among the many sorcerers, jugglers, and other impostors, 
 who appeared about this time, there was an Egyptian Jew, who 
 drew after him thirty thousand persons, whom he led to the 
 mount of Olives, promising that he would cause the walls of 
 Jerusalem to fall down at his word ; but Felix fell upon the 
 deluded multitude, and slew about four hundred of them, and 
 took two thousand prisoners. The impostor himself made his 
 escape. Many other impostors led their followers out into the 
 wilderness, where they promised that they would show great 
 signs and miracles; but Felix showed no mercy to such men, 
 and caused many of them to be put to death. The Jew above 
 mentioned, is probably the man to whom Lysias, the captain of 
 the temple, had reference, when he said to Paul, (Acts xxi. 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 601 
 
 37,) "Art thou not that Egyptian which before these days, 
 madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four 
 thousand men, that were murderers." 
 
 Felix, as well as his successors, resided at Cesarea. We 
 find, therefore, (Acts xxiii. 23 35,) that the captain of the 
 temple, Claudius Lysias, when he had learned that a conspi- 
 racy was formed by about forty Jews to kill Paul, sent him off 
 by night, escorted by a strong guard, to Felix the governor, at 
 Cesarea. Here he was kept in confinement during the remain- 
 ing time of Felix's administration, which was two whole years ; 
 but liberty was given for his friends to visit him. 
 
 On a certain occasion, Felix, and his wife Drusilla, already 
 mentioned, heard Paul preach ; and the effect of his discourse, 
 "while he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judg- 
 ment," was such that Felix trembled, and he seems to have in- 
 terrupted the apostle, not wishing to hear any more about these 
 matters at that time ; but promising that when he should have 
 a convenient season he would call for him. And he did fre- 
 quently send for Paul, and converse with him ; but bis object 
 was to obtain money for his release; thinking, probably, that 
 some of his friends, would be willing to pay a large sum for his 
 ransom. 
 
 This history of Luke is corroborated fully by Josephus, and 
 in some important particulars, by Tacitus. The marriage of 
 Felix to Drusilla, a Jewess, is particularly mentioned by the 
 Jewish historian, who relates that she was the most beautiful 
 woman of her time, and had been married to Azizus, the king 
 of Emesa, but was seduced by means of one Simon, a Jew of 
 Cyprus, to forsake her husband, and become the wife of Felix. 
 Tacitus says, " That, while Felix was procurator of Judea, he 
 acted in a very arbitrary manner, and scrupled no kind of in- 
 justice." When Felix returned to Rome, the Jews forwarded 
 complaints against him to Nero, on account of his cruelty and 
 injustice while procurator of Judea. 
 
 The conduct of Felix towards Paul was very reprehensible. 
 When he vacated his office, he left him a prisoner, for no other 
 reason but because he wished to gratify the Jews. The words 
 of Luke are, "But after two years Porcius Festus came into 
 Felix's room : and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, 
 left Paul bound." 
 
 The exact year in which Festus came into office, is not easi- 
 ly ascertained; but it must have been between A. D. 57 and 
 A. D. 60. That he was the successor of Felix as procurator, 
 is often asserted by Josephus. Soon after his arrival in Judea, 
 he visited Jerusalem, where the Jews renewed their accusations 
 against Paul, and requested that he might be brought up to 
 Jerusalem for his trial. But Paul, knowing the malice and 
 treachery of the Jews, in order to avoid this, made use of his 
 
602 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 privilege as a Roman citizen, to appeal to Cesar ; on which, 
 Festus, after consultation with his council, resolved to send him 
 to Rome. 
 
 Soon after this, Festus received a visit from king Agrippa 
 and his sister Berenice. These being Jews, Festus, sensible of 
 his ignorance of Jewish customs, was desirous that they should 
 hear Paul, and then advise him what he should write to the 
 emperor respecting him. Agrippa expressed a strong desire to 
 have an opportunity of hearing the defence of a man who had 
 become so famous by his preaching and his sufferings. Accord- 
 ingly, on a day appointed, Festus, Agrippa, Berenice, and the 
 chief captains and principal men of Cesarea, came with great 
 pomp into the hall of audience, where Paul was brought before 
 them, chained; and on receiving permission from Agrippa, en- 
 tered on his defence, in which he gave a succinct account of 
 his life, and especially of his miraculous conversion. At the 
 close of his oration he made a solemn appeal to the conscience 
 of Agrippa, as a Jew who believed in the prophecies, and ex- 
 torted from him that remarkable expression of his feelings, 
 "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 
 
 During the administration of Festus, the state of society 
 among the Jews rather grew worse than better. Agrippa hav- 
 ing, as was before mentioned, the presidency of the temple, 
 produced a great excitement, by adding to the palace of Herod 
 a high building which overlooked the whole city, and gave him 
 the opportunity of seeing what was going on within the enclo- 
 sure of the temple. To prevent this, the Jews built a high 
 wall between that and the temple, which entirely intercepted the 
 view from Agrippa's tower. Agrippa, backed by the authority 
 of Festus, gave orders that this wall should be taken down : 
 but the chief men of Jerusalem urged that they might be per- 
 mitted to lay the whole matter before the emperor. Nero, 
 influenced, it is said, by his wife Poppea, who is thought to have 
 been a secret proselyte, gave permission for the wall to stand. 
 But for some reason he detained all the members of the embas- 
 sy sent to him on this occasion, among whom was Ismael the 
 high-priest. That office being then left vacant, Agrippa, by 
 the authority vested in him, appointed Joseph Cabis, the son of 
 Simon, to fill the place. After the death of Festus, which 
 occurred about A. D. 63, Albinus was appointed procurator of 
 Judea. He was no better a man than his predecessors, for he 
 was in the habit of compromising with the robbers seized by 
 public authority, for a sum of money. The number of robbers 
 and sicarii, was greatly increased about this time by the dis- 
 mission of eighteen thousand labourers from the temple; that 
 work being now entirely finished. These men thus turned 
 adrift and having no regular occupation, betook themselves very 
 generally to unlawful means of procuring a subsistence. Every 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 603 
 
 day, therefore, the state of society became more disorderly and 
 miserable. In fact nearly all the bonds of civil society seemed 
 to be severed. Albinus was not wanting in severity against the 
 disturbers of the peace; except when they could gratify his 
 avarice by a round sum of money; so that many of the ring- 
 leaders escaped punishment, and no salutary purpose was an- 
 swered by the executions which took place. Just before the arri- 
 val of Albinus in Judea, Agrippa had given the office of high- 
 priest to Ananus, the son of the former priest of that name. 
 He was a zealous Sadducee, and according to the spirit of his sect, 
 was severe in executing punishment upon delinquents. When 
 he first entered on his office Festus was dead, but his succes- 
 sor was not yet arrived. In this interregnum, Josephus informs 
 us, "that he assembled the Sanhedrim and brought before them 
 the brother of Jesus, who is called Christ, and whose name was 
 James, and some others ; and having accused them before this 
 tribunal, as violators of the law, he delivered them to be 
 stoned." Of this proceeding most of the Jews disapproved, 
 and begged of Agrippa to write to the high-priest, and forbid 
 his acting in so unjustifiable a manner. And some of them 
 went to meet Albinus, who was on his way to Judea, and by 
 their representations induced him to send a threatening letter 
 to Ananus. Agrippa found it necessary to dismiss him from 
 office a few months after he had been made high-priest, and 
 appointed Jesus, son of Damneus, his successor. 
 
 Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus, as procurator of Judea, 
 A. D. 65. This man was of a more detestable character than 
 any of his predecessors. The Jews thought Albinus a very 
 bad man ; but in comparison with Florus, they called him good. 
 Florus was rapacious and cruel, and his avarice insatiable. He 
 was openly the patron of the bands of robbers, in whose 
 wicked gains he shared. No wonder then that robbers in- 
 creased, until their oppression became so intolerable, that 
 many Jews emigrated from their own country and went to 
 reside in foreign lands. The revolt of the Jews is less won- 
 derful, when we reflect on the distracted and desperate condi- 
 tion of the nation. They were now ripening fast for those 
 dreadful calamities which were preparing to burst upon them. 
 
 Cestius Gallus, governor of Syria, visited Jerusalem at the 
 feast of the passover; and to form some estimate of the num- 
 ber of persons collected at Jerusalem, on this festival, he 
 ordered the number of lambs used on the occasion to be 
 counted. They were found to be two hundred and fifty-six 
 thousand ; but this number, Josephus thinks falls short of the 
 truth, which he supposes was not less than three hundred thou- 
 sand. Now, if we reckon ten persons to every lamb for small 
 households united in this fesitval the number of Jews at Jeru- 
 lem, during that passover, will be three millions. 
 
604 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 SECTION XIV. 
 
 ROME SET ON FIRE BY NERO DISTURBANCES AT CESAREA FLORUS, THE PROCURA- 
 TOR, EXCITES INSURRECTION HIS CRUELTY THE JEWS COMPLAIN TO AGRIPPA 
 
 ELEAZAR SON OP THE HIGH-PRIEST, AND MASTER OF THE TEMPLE, PERSUADES 
 THE PRIESTS TO REJECT ALL PAGAN SACRIFICES DREADFUL COMMOTION'S IN 
 
 JUDEA, AND MASSACRES IN THE TEMPLE CESTIUS GALLUS MARCHES AN ARMY 
 
 TOWARDS JERUSALEM THE JEWS ASSEMBLED AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, 
 
 FURIOUSLY RUSH ON THE HOSTILE ARMY, AND SLAY FIVE HUNDRED MEN AGRIPPA 
 INTERPOSES PERSUADES THE JEWS TO HAKE PEACE, BUT IN VAIN GALLUS 
 
 BRINGS BACK HIS ARMY TO THE GATES OF JERUSALEM RETIRES AGAIN TO SCO- 
 
 PAS IS ATTACKED IN THE DEFILE OF AN AMBUSCADE, AND FLIES WITH A FEW 
 HUNDRED MEN JOSEPHUS, THE HISTORIAN, APPOINTED TO THE COMMAND OF GALI- 
 LEE AND GAMALA NERO SENDS VESPASIAN TO JUDEA HE FIRST SUBDUES GALI- 
 LEE BANDS OF ROBBERS INFEST THE COUNTRY THE ZEALOTS PARTIES IN JERU- 
 SALEM CRUELTIES PERPETRATED. 
 
 IN the year A. D. 65, the city of Rome was burnt; set on 
 fire by Nero himself, as all believed, but laid to the charge of 
 the hated and persecuted Christians; who were subjected to 
 the most horrid cruelties, and torturing deaths, as if they had 
 indeed been the perpetrators of this enormous crime. 
 
 A. D. 66, disturbances took place at Cesarea in consequence 
 of an imperial edict, which gave to the Syrian and Greek in- 
 habitants of the place a rank above the Jewish citizens. The 
 spirit of hostility between the parties began to grow hot. Oc- 
 casions of dispute were not wanting. A Greek, in building his 
 house, nearly closed the entrance into the Jewish synagogue ; 
 and on the Sabbath, to insult the Jewish worship, began to 
 sacrifice birds on an earthen vessel, near the door of the syna- 
 gogue. The parties became exceedingly exasperated against 
 each other, and were just ready to break out into acts of hos- 
 tility. The master of horse came forward to quell the tumult, 
 but was driven back by the Greeks. The Jews now carried 
 away their sacred books from the synagogue, and made their 
 complaint to the procurator, who was then at Sebaste; but 
 Florus put the embassy, consisting of twelve distinguished men, 
 in prison; alleging as a reason, the removal of their sacred 
 books from Cesarea. 
 
 It seems evidently to have been the wish of Florus to excite 
 insurrection, by goading the Jews to desperation. He demand- 
 ed a large sum of money to be paid to him out of the treasury 
 at Jerusalem, and when this produced a tumult, and called forth 
 bitter reproaches against the rapacity of the procurator, he 
 came in person, accompanied by a body of soldiers, horse and 
 foot. The people came out to receive him with the usual marks 
 of external respect, but he drove them back. He now demand- 
 ed that all who had joined in the tumult and reproaches against 
 him should be given up, and would hear no apology, but gave 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 605 
 
 orders to his soldiers to plunder the upper market. In the 
 execution of these orders, they were guilty of great disorders, 
 and some massacres. Peaceable citizens were dragged before 
 Floras, and among the rest, some of the chiefs of the publicans, 
 who held the rank of Roman knights, and who, after being 
 scourged, were crucified. The next day Floras ordered the 
 Jews to go out of the city and meet with the usual shout of joy 
 and respect, two cohorts of soldiers who had been ordered from 
 Cesarea; but he sent secret orders to these soldiers to receive 
 them with insult, and if they showed any dissatisfaction, to fall 
 upon them. The result was, that many were wounded, and 
 others crushed to death in the crowd. His next attempt was 
 to press into the temple with his soldiers, but the Jews offered 
 so determined a resistance that the Romans were repulsed, and 
 forced to take refuge in the castle. The Jews now the more 
 effectually to prevent the Romans from entering into the tem- 
 ple, broke down the covered way which led from the castle An- 
 tonia to the temple. 
 
 Florus, after these commotions, returned to Cesarea, leaving 
 only one company of soldiers at Jerusalem. But he sent an 
 account of these disturbances to Cestius Gallus; and the prin- 
 cipal Jews, with Berenice, forwarded their account, in which 
 they complained grievously of the unreasonable and cruel con- 
 duct of the procurator. 
 
 Cestius, while he ordered an army to be in readiness, sent a 
 confidential messenger to see what the existing state of affairs 
 was. This man met Agrippa on his return from Egypt, at 
 Jamnia, and both together went to Jerusalem, where they were 
 met by the people with loud complaints against Florus. But 
 they received Agrippa with joy, and treated the message of 
 Gallus with respect. Nay, when Agrippa, in an oration, urged 
 them to obedience, they promised acquiescence, and paid up 
 their arrears of taxes to the Romans, and built up the portico 
 which they had recently demolished. But, afterwards, when 
 Agrippa exhorted them to remain obedient to Florus until an- 
 other should be sent, they were so enraged that they drove him 
 with stones out of the city. 
 
 Eleazar the son of the high-priest Ananus, being now the 
 president of the temple, rashly persuaded the priests to reject 
 all sacrifies which came from Pagans; so that the sacrifices 
 offered by the emperor were henceforth discontinued. The 
 orderly part of the inhabitants now sent to Florus and Agrippa 
 for a body of soldiers, to preserve order. The former gave 
 them no answer, but Agrippa, who now resided at Cesarea, sent 
 them a force of three thousand horse. With these, the party in 
 favour of obedience took possession of the upper city, while the 
 temple and lower town remained under the power of the fac- 
 
606 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 tions. These men were actuated by an insane and fiery zeal, 
 and would not so much as suffer the other party to enter the 
 temple for worship. Skirmishes daily took place between them ; 
 and the revolters, aided by the Sicarii, actually broke into the 
 upper city, and set fire to the palace of king Agrippa ; and the 
 next day made an attack on the castle of Antonia, which they 
 took, and put the Roman garrison to the sword. 
 
 The strong fortress of Masada had been, some time before 
 this, surprised by a band of robbers, and the Roman garrison 
 put to the sword. At this time, many Jews of distinction had 
 fled for refuge to the castle of Herod, where they defended 
 themselves bravely against the revolters. Among these was 
 Menahem, the son of the notorious Judas of Galilee; who, 
 going to Masada, broke open the armory and obtained arms for 
 a set of robbers and desperadoes, with whom, returning to the 
 castle at Jerusalem, he proclaimed himself king, and took the 
 command of its defence. The besieged at length begged per- 
 mission to depart, which was granted to all except the Romans. 
 The next day, Ananus was found dead in the palace ; and his 
 brother Hezekiah was also put to death by the robbers. Soon 
 after this, Menahem was slain in the temple, with most of his 
 followers, by Eleazar and his party. 
 
 During this year, A. D. 66, the whole Jewish nation was in 
 a state of terrible commotion. At Jerusalem, the factious 
 Jews who continued to besiege the Romans in the castle were 
 guilty of a horrible act of treachery and cruelty; for having 
 promised safety to the besieged, if they would lay down their 
 arms, they, nevertheless, massacred every one of them. On 
 the same day, all the Jewish inhabitants of Cesarea were mas- 
 sacred by the Greeks; and this served as a signal for an 
 insurrection of the two parties, in opposition to each other. In 
 all the cities, where there was a mixed population, there was no 
 safety for any man, but in the strength of his own party. At 
 the same time, the Jews of Alexandria were attacked, and all 
 who could not make their escape were put to death. Fifty 
 thousand Jews, are said to have been slain there in one day. 
 
 Cestius Gallus, to quell the spirit of insurrection which had 
 made its appearance in Palestine, marched an army thither, 
 and invaded Galilee, sacked many cities and slew thousands of 
 Jews. Having apparently reduced the rebellious to subjection, 
 near the close of the year, he marched his army towards Jeru- 
 salem, and encamped within a few miles of the city. The 
 Jews were at this time assembled from all parts at Jerusalem, 
 to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. When the multitude 
 heard of the approach of the hostile army, they seized such 
 arms as they could get, and rushed forth with incredible fury 
 on the Sabbath, and killed above five hundred of the enemy, 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 607 
 
 while they suffered the loss of only a few men. And the 
 Romans were again attacked on their retreat by Simon Gioras, 
 and suffered considerable loss. 
 
 Agrippa now interposed, and sent two ambassadors to per- 
 suade the Jews to peace, and to offer them an amnesty for the 
 past; but such was their inconsiderate fury, that they fel^i upon 
 these messengers of peace and murdered them. 
 
 Cestius Gallus now came back with his army to Jerusalem, 
 and having waited in vain for three days to receive proposals of 
 peace, proceeded to obtain possession of two of the northern 
 districts of the city, and drive the rebels into the inner city. 
 He then attacked the upper city, and for five days the most 
 strenuous efforts were used to gain possession of the wall, but 
 they were unsuccessful. 
 
 Cestius then formed a testudo,* and was about setting the 
 gates on fire, under the cover of this defence, on which many 
 of the rebels fled from the city, and the peaceable inhabitants 
 invited him to enter. But distrusting the apparent friendship 
 of the inhabitants, he marched his army back to Scopas, which 
 encouraged the rebels to attack him on his way, so that it was 
 with difficulty he reached his entrenchments that night, and 
 made his way the next day to Gabao. After remaining at 
 this place a few days, Cestius endeavoured to draw off his army 
 to Antipatris, but the robbers and rebels increasing in number 
 and confidence, not only pursued him, but way-laid him in the 
 defiles of the mountains, and so obstructed his course, that he 
 left the main body and the military engines, and fled by night 
 with a few hundred men. 
 
 The state of things became now so distracted and desperate 
 at Jerusalem, as Josephus informs us, that the more prudent 
 citizens left the city. No doubt he has reference to the 
 departure of the whole body of Christians, who agreeably to 
 the warning of their Master, (Matt. xxiv. 15 20,) fled from the 
 city, and went over Jordan, wherever they could find a secure 
 abode ; but the largest body took up their residence at Pella. 
 
 The rebels, after the defeat of Cestius, were so elated that 
 they thought of nothing but resistance, and constrained all the 
 peaceable inhabitants to join with them. Ananus the high- 
 priest, and Joseph the son of Gorian, were appointed com- 
 manders. Eleazar, on account of his rash and arbitrary dispo- 
 sition, had no office in the new arrangement of government; 
 but having appropriated to himself a large part of the spoils 
 taken from Cestius, he was able by his largesses to gain over 
 the populace to his interest. As resistance was fully deter- 
 
 * The Romans, when attacking a walled town, disposed their troops in a pecu- 
 liar manner, which, from the appearance of their shields, held up and joined 
 together, they called testudo or tortoise. 
 
608 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 mined on, generals, or prefects were appointed for every dis- 
 trict of the country. Among these we recognise Flavius Jose- 
 phus, the historian, who has handed down to us an account of 
 these events. To him was assigned for his command, Galilee 
 and Gamala. Having repaired to Galilee, he began by ap- 
 pointing a council of seventy, to manage all important civil 
 affairs ; and in every city, seven judges, to attend to matters of 
 less importance. He took care to fortify all the towns which 
 were capable of standing a siege ; and by his industry and 
 address, soon collected an army of one hundred thousand men. 
 But notwithstanding this formidable force, which he took care 
 to have organized and disciplined after the Roman manner, 
 such was the spirit of turbulence and revolt among his sol- 
 diers, that his own life was often in jeopardy. It was with 
 much difficulty that he escaped the machinations of John of 
 Gischalus, a very crafty leader of banditti. 
 
 Ananus the high-priest, finding that all prospect of peace 
 was gone, endeavoured to put Jerusalem into a state of defence. 
 As Simon of Gioras was committing great devastation with his 
 band of lawless followers, he sent an army against him. But 
 Simon fled to Masada, which had now become a mere den of 
 thieves. 
 
 Nero, on hearing of these commotions in Judea, was greatly 
 displeased with the governor of Syria, to whose negligence he 
 attributed all these misfortunes. To put a stop to the growing 
 evil, he commissioned Vespasian, who had just returned from 
 a victorious campaign against the Germans and Britons, to take 
 the command in Syria. He also sent Titus, the son of Vespa- 
 sian, to Alexandria, with orders to transport into Judea two 
 Roman legions which were stationed there. 
 
 The Jews, in the meantime, made an attempt to take the 
 strong city of Askelon, but were repulsed with the loss of ten 
 thousand men. A second attempt was not more successful; 
 for falling into an ambush, they lost eight thousand men, and 
 the remainder took refuge in the town of Bezedel, which the 
 Romans set on fire, and they perished in the flames. 
 
 A. D. 67, Vespasian arrived at Ptolemais accompanied by 
 Agrippa, and having collected troops from all the Roman sta- 
 tions in the surrounding country, and being joined by his son 
 Titus, with the two legions from Egypt, he found himself at 
 the head of an army of sixty thousand effective men. 
 
 Vespasian first turned his course to Galilee, where Josephus 
 commanded. The inhabitants were at once filled with conster- 
 nation, and most of the soldiers of Josephus forsook him and 
 fled. As many Jews had taken refuge in Jotapata, one of the 
 strongest places in Galilee, Josephus threw himself, with the 
 few men whom he had left, into that city. Vespasian soon ap- 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 609 
 
 peared before the place with his army, and commenced a regu- 
 lar siege. Josephus and the garrison made a brave defence, 
 but after enduring a siege of forty-seven days, the place was 
 taken. Forty-thousand Jews were slain during the siege, and 
 the city was utterly demolished. Josephus, with forty other 
 Jews, concealed himself in a cave ; but they were betrayed by 
 a woman, who knew their place of refuge. The Romans en- 
 treated him to yield, and promised to spare his life, but his 
 companions would not permit him to surrender. At the sug- 
 gestion of Josephus, it was agreed that they should by lot des- 
 troy one another ; but after all were slain except Josephus and 
 one other, they surrendered themselves to the Romans. At 
 first Josephus was put in chains, but after he had predicted 
 that Vespasian would be exalted to the imperial throne, he was 
 treated with kindness and respect. 
 
 While the siege of Jotapata was in progress, Trajan and 
 Titus assailed the town of Joppa, in the vicinity, where twenty- 
 thousand men were slain, and none left but women and children. 
 The winter having now commenced, Vespasian marched back 
 to Ptolemais, and sent two legions to Cesarea, and two to Scy- 
 thopolis. Having visited Cesarea Philippi, in the kingdom 01 
 Agrippa, he and his army were splendidly entertained by that 
 prince, for twenty days. 
 
 The remaining cities of Galilee were next reduced. The 
 only place which made much resistance was Gamala, on the sea 
 of Gennesareth, and situated on the top of a precipitous moun- 
 tain, accessible only on one side. After Agrippa had besieged 
 this place for seven months, Vespasian sat down before it, and 
 pitched his camp on the accessible side. Agrippa, while sum- 
 moning the town to surrender, was wounded by a sling, and 
 repulsed. When a breach was at length made in the walls, and 
 the Romans attempted to enter, most of the assailants were slain ; 
 and Vespasian himself was once so surrounded by the enemy, 
 that he escaped with much difficulty. At last many made their 
 escape by clambering down the rocks or creeping through the 
 sewers. But one of the towers having been undermined, fell, 
 and a way was opened for the entrance of the Romans. The 
 Jews now fled to the citadel, but this was scaled, and all the in- 
 habitants put to the sword, women and children not excepted. 
 
 The fortress on mount Tabor was soon reduced, but the town 
 of Gischala, held by John, the leader of a band of robbers, 
 was among the last in Galilee which yielded. John at length 
 left it, after which the people willingly admitted Titus. 
 
 John of Gischala, being now obliged to relinquish his strong 
 hold, went directly to Jerusalem, and though he concealed as 
 much as he could, the disastrous state of affairs in Galilee, 
 enough was known to produce deep depression in the inhabi- 
 tants of that place. At this time the companies of robbers 
 39 
 
610 HISTORY OP THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 spread alarm and devastation through the country. Many of 
 these freebooters having taken refuge in the city of Jerusalem, 
 began to carry on the same trade there. For a while, by their 
 violence and their numbers, they carried all before them, and 
 meeting with no resistance, proceeded with still increasing au- 
 dacity, until they set aside the most sacred rights and institu- 
 tions. They made one Phannias high-priest, who, although of 
 the sacredotal race, had been bred to labour in the field, and 
 knew nothing of the duties of his office. These men gave 
 themselves the name of Zealots, and to secure themselves from 
 any attack, withdrew to the temple and occupied it as their 
 citadel. At length Ananus Gorion the son of Joseph, and 
 Simon the son of Gamaliel, succeeded in persuading the people 
 to resist. But before they could arm themselves completely, 
 they were attacked by the Zealots, and an obstinate battle was 
 fought, in which many were killed and wounded on both sides. 
 These conflicts afterwards became matters of almost daily 
 occurrence, and generally the Zealots had the advantage. 
 On one occasion, however, Ananus succeeded in driving them 
 in, and followed so closely that he entered the outer gates of 
 the temple with his men. On this, the Zealots retreated to the 
 inner temple, whither Ananus, through reverence, would not 
 follow them. But he introduced within the outer wall of the 
 temple a guard of six thousand men, who were periodically 
 relieved by others. 
 
 John of Gischala was secretly in league with the Zealots, but 
 openly professed himself on the side of Ananus. Some sus- 
 picion of his fidelity having arisen he purged himself by a 
 solemn oath, by which Ananus was so completely deceived, 
 that he sent him with proposals of peace to the Zealots, when 
 he took the opportunity of advising them to call to their aid 
 the Idumeans. In a short time several thousands of these 
 people presented themselves at the gates of Jerusalem, but were 
 refused admittance, on which they encamped without the walls. 
 While things were in this posture, a very stormy night occur- 
 red, in which there was much wind and thunder as well as rain. 
 In the middle of the night the Zealots passed the guard in the 
 temple, without being noticed, and found means to open the 
 gates of the temple. Then proceeding to the gates of the city, 
 they let in the Idumeans, and conducted them to the court of 
 the temple, where they fell on the guard, who were totally 
 unprepared for such an attack. The noise soon awaked the 
 inhabitants of the city, but as no timely assistance could be 
 afforded to the men shut up in the temple, they were nearly all 
 cut off. The Idumeans and Zealots then attacked the inhab- 
 itants, and slew many of them, among whom was Ananus the 
 high-priest, whose body was found in the morning. 
 
 The loss of this man at this time was irreparable, for he 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 611 
 
 was a friend of peace, and by degrees was gaining an influence 
 over the minds of the people favourable to peace; so that 
 Josephus expresses it as his opinion, that if he had lived, a 
 reconciliation with the Romans would have been brought about. 
 But Providence had other things in view for this devoted people. 
 
 Great cruelties were now exercised by the Zealots and their 
 auxiliaries on the citizens. They endeavoured first to make 
 them join their party, and those who refused were massacred, 
 scourged, or imprisoned in the temple. Many now sought 
 refuge among the Romans, who looked on with pleasure, to 
 see their enemies destroying one another. But all who were 
 taken in an attempt to fly were immediately put to death by 
 the Jews. In the midst of this confusion, John of Gischala, 
 a brave and sagacious, but wicked man, watched his opportuni- 
 ty for making himself master of the city, but met with deter- 
 mined opposition. His adherents and opposers, however, divi- 
 ded the citizens into two factions, between whom there were 
 many bloody conflicts. While these things were transacted 
 within the city, the state of affairs in the country was very 
 little better; for, the Sicarii increased daily, and laid the 
 country waste, sometimes even massacreing the people of whole 
 villages. One thing which proved that the protection of God 
 was departed from the nation, was that now, when the males 
 went up to Jerusalem to the solemn feasts, these robbers and 
 murderers attacked the towns, killed the women and children, 
 and carried off the property, a thing unknown in all the former 
 history of this people ; for God had promised to restrain their 
 enemies at such times. 
 
 When Vespasian heard of the wretched condition of Jerusa- 
 lem, he wished to march his army immediately to the place ; 
 but not thinking it proper to leave towns unsubdued in his rear, 
 he set himself with vigour to reduce the country to subjection. 
 Placidius was sent against Perea, where the Jews made an 
 obstinate resistance. At Jericho, a battle was fought on the 
 banks of the Jordan, when multitudes of the wretched Jews 
 were driven into the river and drowned; twelve thousand 
 were slain in the field, and several thousand taken prisoners. 
 The other towns then submitted. This was A. D. 68. 
 
 A. D. 69, Vespasian had subdued all the region of Judea 
 round about Jerusalem, so that the communication between the 
 city and country was cut off, and the Zealots prevented those 
 within, who desired it, from joining the Romans. It was now 
 the intention of the Roman general to invest the city of Jerusa- 
 lem and bring the war to a conclusion ; but the intelligence from 
 Italy perplexed him. First, he heard that Vindex had rebelled 
 in Gaul ; next, that Nero was dead, and that Galba was pro- 
 claimed emperor by the army in Spain ; then, that Galba, after 
 a reign of seven, months, had been murdered j and that Otho 
 
612 HISTOKY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 had been declared emperor. Being greatly interested in these 
 revolutions, he deferred the siege of Jerusalem, and waited at 
 Cesarea for further intelligence. This short respite given by 
 the Romans, only rendered the situation of the Jews more 
 wretched; for without and within the walls, all was disorder 
 and mutual conflict. 
 
 Simon, son of Gioras, a man of desperate courage, had joined 
 himself to the robbers of Masada, and by his bold exploits 
 became so famous, that multitudes flocked to his standard. He 
 had now at his command an army of forty thousand men. This 
 daring robber extended his depredations far and wide, until he 
 came into Judea. The Zealots sent out an army against him, 
 but they were defeated and driven back to Jerusalem, while 
 Simon himself came up to the very walls, and by his violence 
 and threats, filled the Zealots with dismay. Simon now 
 returned to Idumea, and carried on his work of murder and 
 robbery. The Idumeans fled to Jerusalem, and he pursued 
 them to the very walls. Within the city, the Zealots, and 
 especially John the Gischalite and his party, were guilty of 
 unheard of wickedness. All laws, human and divine, were 
 trampled under foot. To plunder and murder the rich, and to 
 ravish the women, were occurrences of every day. Josephus 
 says that "the whole city was one great brothel, a horrid den 
 of thieves, and a hateful cave of murderers." 
 
 The Idumeans, after entering the city this second time, 
 attached themselves to the party opposed to John and the 
 Zealots, and by them many of the latter were slain. They 
 plundered the palace which John had made the depository of 
 his treasures. Upon this, the Zealots scattered through the 
 different parts of the city, united their forces to make an attack 
 on the Idumeans and the people. These, doubting their own 
 strength to resist the force of their enemies, now opened their 
 gates to Simon and his men, who, coming in, closely besieged 
 John in the temple. 
 
 SECTION XV. 
 
 VESPASIAN'S PRKPARATIONS FOR CARRYING ON THE WAR STATE OF PARTIES IN JERU- 
 SALEM TITUS MARCHES HIS ARMY TO JERUSALEM AND COMMENCES THE SIEGE 
 
 GREAT MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE WALLS EXTERNAL PART OF THE CITY 
 TAKEN BY TITUS GREAT EFFORTS MADE TO BRING THE JEWS TO TERMS, BUT IN 
 VAIN CASTLE OF ANTONIA DEMOLISHED A LADY EATS HER OWN CHILD IN THE 
 FAMINE THE TEMPLE IS SET ON FIRE AND DESTROYED, CONTRARY TO THE WISHES 
 AND ORDERS OF TITUS THE WALLS THROWN DOWN, AND THF. SITE OF THE TEMPLE 
 PLOUGHED OVER DREADFUL INFATUATION OF THE JEWISH NATION THEIR RESTORA- 
 TION CLEARLY PREDICTED. 
 
 BEFORE the close of this year, A. D. 69, Vespasian received 
 intelligence that the German legions had raised Vitellius to the 
 throne of the empire. At this, he and his whole army were 
 much dissatisfied. Aft^r some consultation, therefore, they 
 
TO THE DESTKUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 613 
 
 proclaimed Vespasian emperor of Rome, and entreated him to 
 uphold the sinking empire. From entreaties they proceeded to 
 threats, declaring that they would put him to death if he re- 
 fused to accept the honour. 
 
 ^ Vespasian first wrote to Tiberius Alexander, in Egypt, con- 
 tinuing him in his office, and engaging him to secure the fidelity 
 of the two legions stationed there. The news of his advance- 
 ment spread rapidly, and before he left Berytus, many ambas- 
 sadors waited on him, to congratulate him. In the meantime 
 Vitellius was defeated at Cremona, by Priscus, and Sabinus 
 had taken possession of the capitol at Rome, in the name of 
 Vespasian. Vitellius was murdered in the streets of Rome, 
 and Mucianus, sent with an army by Vespasian, having arrived . 
 at Rome, Vespasian was universally acknowledged emperor. 
 Vespasian was at Alexandria when this pleasing intelligence 
 reached him. He, therefore, sent his son Titus back to Judea, 
 to finish the war, and set sail himself for Rome, immediately, 
 although it was in the midst of winter. 
 
 A. D. 70. At the commencement of this year a third party 
 arose in Jerusalem, under the conduct of Eleazar, the son of 
 Simon, of whom some account has been already given. He, 
 being jealous of John's power, formed a party and took posses- 
 sion of the inner temple. Thus John had to contend with 
 Simon, who had possession of a large part of the city, and at 
 the same time with Eleazar, who had shut himself up in the 
 inner temple. By the continual conflicts between John and 
 Simon, the whole of that part of the city which was adjacent 
 to the temple, was laid waste, and the houses burnt, by which 
 vast quantities of provisions were consumed. And often the 
 streets were covered with the dead bodies of the slain, Avhich 
 lay there unburied. Nor could any one escape, for the gates 
 were carefully watched, and even the kcpearance of discontent 
 exposed a man to death, as a friend to tne Romans. 
 
 A. D. Tl. Titus now marched his army from Cesarea to- 
 wards Jerusalem, and encamped about thirty furlongs from the 
 city. He then rode, with a few hundred horse, to reconnoitre 
 the situation of the town, and to see whether the Jews within 
 were at all disposed to yield. But when he came near, the 
 rebels rushed out and separated him from the main body of his 
 party, so that he had no way of escape, but to break through 
 his enemies, which, at great risk, he accomplished. He now 
 moved forward two legions within seven furlongs of the city, 
 and formed a line of intrenchments behind them. The legion 
 from Jericho he stationed on the mount of Olives, six furlongs 
 from Jerusalem, and began a line of circumvallation. But now 
 the three parties in Jerusalem, seeing the enemy at the door, 
 united their forces and sallied out against the legion on the 
 mount of Olives. These sallies were made very frequently, 
 39* 
 
614 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 and in one of them Titus was again in imminent danger of his 
 life. But this union of parties in the city did not last long. 
 As Eleazar opened the gates of the temple to all who came to 
 worship, John sent in some of his party, with their weapons 
 concealed under their garments. These fell upon the Zealots 
 of Eleazar's party, and a bloody massacre ensued. Thus John 
 made himself master of the whole temple; and there remained 
 now but the two parties of John and Simon. 
 
 Titus now summoned the city to surrender, but on receiving 
 no favourable answer, he levelled the land from Scopas, where 
 his camp was, up near to the city, cutting down all the trees 
 and removing the gardens. The Jews now made a sally on 
 the Romans with considerable success; but Titus advanced his 
 army within two furlongs of the city, and stationed some of his 
 best soldiers near the walls. It was now the season of the pass- 
 over, and vast multitudes of the Jews were collected within the 
 walls of the city. As to the forces within the city, Simon had 
 two thousand men, and five thousand Idumeans, and held pos- 
 session of the upper and lower city. John had six thousand 
 men, with twenty-five hundred Zealots, and had also possession 
 of the temple, and such parts as were fully commanded by it. 
 Titus was now prepared to make an assault on the outer wall. 
 But before the attack commenced, Flavius Josephus was sent 
 to make peace, but the only answer returned, was a shower of 
 arrows, which wounded a Roman officer who accompanied him. 
 Mounts were now raised near the walls, in erecting which, the 
 soldiers were protected by their military engines. On these 
 mounts three moveable towers were erected, and the battering 
 rams were brought to bear on the walls in three several places. 
 These tremendous engines produced such terror in the city, that 
 the two parties again united and made a desperate sally, to set 
 the machines on fire, but many of the Jews were taken and 
 crucified before the city. One of the moveable towers fell, but 
 it caused no obstruction to the progress of the siege. The bat- 
 tering rams soon made a breach in the wall, through which the 
 Romans rushed into the new city, and took possession of it on 
 the fourteenth day of the siege. They then demolished a great 
 part of the outer wall, and the Jews retired within the second 
 wall. The Roman camp was now removed within the outer 
 wall, and an assault made on the second wall ; and in five days 
 a practicable breach was effected. The Jews made a brave 
 resistance, so that for three days the Romans were unable to 
 enter the breach; or, as often as they entered were repulsed. 
 The Romans, therefore, did what Titus had at first resolved not 
 to do; they demolished almost the whole of the second wall. 
 
 Titus, having now obtained possession of the interior part of 
 the city, gave his soldiers a respite of four days, suspending 
 operations, in hopes that the Jews would surrender; for he 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 615 
 
 knew that they began to be sorely pressed with famine. But 
 finding no desire of peace among them, he prepared to make 
 an assault on the castle of Antonia, and pressed on the siege 
 with vigour. Being very solicitous to preserve the city from 
 total destruction, he sent Josephus again to persuade the Jews 
 to make peace ; but they treated the offer with scorn. Some 
 found means of escaping from the city, whom Titus permitted 
 to pass through his camp, and go wherever they would. The 
 famine, within the city, now increased every day, and the rob- 
 bers began, in search of food, to break into the houses of the 
 citizens, exercising horrid cruelties on those who were unable 
 to supply them, supposing that they had concealed their pro- 
 visions in some secret place. The rich were often prosecuted 
 on false accusations, merely for the purpose of getting posses- 
 sion of their wealth ; for there was no difficulty in finding false 
 witnesses to swear to any charge. The state of morals was 
 probably never worse among any people on earth than it was 
 at this time in Jerusalem. It is the remark of Josephus, that 
 "a race of men so abandoned as those who then had possession 
 of the city, never appeared on earth; and that Titus was com- 
 pelled, by their abominable excesses, to destroy the city." 
 
 Multitudes of unhappy wretches, pressed with hunger, ven- 
 tured out of the city in search of food, most of whom fell into 
 the hands of the Romans, by whom they were commonly cruci- 
 fied in some conspicuous place. Five hundred were often thus 
 executed in one day; but the leaders within the city persuaded 
 the people that those numerous executions were of the deserters 
 who left the city to join the Roman camp. Titus cut off the 
 hands of some of the prisoners, to inform the people that no 
 deserters would be punished, but only such as were made pri- 
 soners of war. At the same time, he sent a message to Simon 
 and John, exhorting them not to destroy the city by their 
 obstinacy, but to preserve their own lives, and those of their 
 fellow citizens. To which, from the walls, they returned a 
 taunting answer, saying that they cared not for their own lives, 
 nor for their country. 
 
 Preparations being now made for an assault on the tower of 
 Antonia, by three mounts reared in the most convenient points, 
 John, the leader of the Zealots, dug a mine under one of these 
 towers, and overthrew it ; and Simon sallied out and set fire to 
 the towers and machines on the other two. Nay, these daring 
 men pursued the Romans into their very camp. Titus now built 
 a wall round the whole circumference of the city, that those 
 within, being more completely blocked up, might be compelled 
 by famine, to surrender. This wall, thirty-nine furlongs in the 
 extent of its circuit, was supplied with thirteen towers, and was 
 finished in ten days. 
 
 The distresses of the famine now became dreadful beyond 
 
616 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 conception. At first, the dead were buried at the public ex- 
 pense ; but after a while the dead bodies were thrown over the 
 wall, as it was found impossible to bury them all. And all par- 
 ties within were so much weakened by the famine, that they 
 could make no more sallies to obstruct the besiegers. 
 
 Titus pitying the wretched condition of those pent up in the 
 inner city, determined once more to renew his attack on the 
 castle of Antonia; and for that purpose brought wood, which 
 could no longer be had near the city, from a distance of ninety 
 furlongs. But the distress of the famine produced no effect on 
 the tyranny of Simon. He now put to death Matthias the 
 high-priest, who had let him in the city; and also his three 
 sons, besides the high-priest Ananias, and fifteen others of the 
 first distinction. 
 
 Judas, an officer who had the command of a tower, with ten 
 other men of distinction, had, on account of the intolerable 
 cruelty of Simon, resolved to surrender the city to the Romans ; 
 but while they delayed through distrust of the enemy's sincerity, 
 Simon came upon the conspirators and cut them all off. 
 
 Titus being still unwilling to abandon the hope of preserving 
 the city, and especially the temple, sent Josephus a third time, 
 to endeavour to persuade his countrymen to make peace. But 
 he was now more roughly handled than on any former occa- 
 sion ; for as he was going round the walls, he was wounded in 
 the head with a stone, by which he was knocked down senseless 
 to the ground; nor was it without great difficulty that the 
 Romans could rescue him from the Jews, who made a great 
 effort to seize, and drag him into the city. As it was found- 
 that some of the Jews, to conceal their gold, had swallowed it, 
 the Syrians and Arabs cut open in one night two thousand living 
 deserters, to search for money in their bowels. This cruel 
 practice Titus prohibited on pain of death, as its continuance 
 would have stopped entirely all desertions from the city. 
 
 The number of dead bodies carried through a single gate, in 
 one month, was declared by Manneus, who fled to the Romans, 
 to be one hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and 
 eighty-eight; besides those buried by their relatives. The 
 whole number of dead bodies carried out during the siege, was 
 stated by some deserters to be six hundred thousand. The 
 number buried elsewhere could not be ascertained. After the 
 famine came to the worst, however, they were not carried out 
 at all, but were heaped up in ditches and corners, which pro- 
 duced an intolerable stench. 
 
 On the third day of July, a part of the wall of the town of 
 Antonia was thrown down by the battering rams ; but the Jews 
 had constructed an interior wall, in an attempt to scale which, 
 the Romans were repulsed. About three o'clock in the night, 
 however, the guards marched up to the town in silence, slew 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. C17 
 
 the Jewish sentinels, and immediately blew their trumpets; on 
 which, the Jewish guard fled, supposing that the whole Roman 
 army was upon them. 
 
 Titus brought up his army as soon as possible, and entered 
 into the court of the temple, when an obstinate battle was 
 fought, which continued from three o'clock till noon next day. 
 But the Romans were at length compelled to withdraw from 
 the temple, and be contented, for the present, with the con- 
 quest of Antonia. Orders were now given by the Roman 
 general for the complete demolition of this castle, that he 
 might have the more room to station his army, in their assault 
 upon the temple. When Titus heard that the daily service of 
 the altar had ceased, he sent Josephus again to hold a confer- 
 ence, with John, and ascertain whether he would be willing to 
 agree to some terms which might preserve the temple from 
 destruction, offering to permit the daily service to be continued 
 by men of his own selection. But John declared that the tem- 
 ple could never be taken, and would enter into no accommoda- 
 tion. Titus, himself, now most earnestly addressed the Jews, 
 entreating them to preserve their beautiful temple Josephus 
 acting as interpreter but it was all ineffectual. The Zealots 
 attributed this moderation to mere cowardice. Titus, there- 
 fore, brought up his army, and at three o'clock in the morning 
 the temple was attacked. The Jewish guards were found at 
 their posts, and soon sounded an alarm ; but the night was so 
 dark that the Jews were unable to distinguish friends from 
 foes, and actually slew many of their own men. This the 
 Romans avoided by their watchword. The battle, thus com- 
 menced, lasted till noon, without any decisive advantage on 
 either side. In seven days the castle of Antonia was demol- 
 ished, and on the space where it had stood, four mounts were 
 reared before the temple. These mounts were designed to 
 bring the battering rams to bear upon the buildings on the 
 northern side of the temple, to which buildings the Jews them- 
 selves set fire. The sufferings, by the famine, were extreme. 
 The people devoured any thing which they could lay hold of; 
 even their girdles, shoes, and the leather of their shields. ^ 
 
 A woman, whose name was Mary, of a respectable family in 
 the country, having been often plundered by the robbers, had 
 taken refuge in Jerusalem. Being destitute of food, and with- 
 out means of obtaining any, she roasted her own infant child, 
 and having eaten part of it, reserved the remainder for another 
 occasion, when the soldiers, allured by the smell, rushed into 
 the house and demanded food. She boldly declared what she 
 had done, and showed them the half of the child whicl 
 left. This horrid transaction was soon known through the city 
 and in the camp of Titus, who protested that these miseries 
 were not owing to him. 
 
618 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION 
 
 Early in August the battering rams were brought to bear 
 upon the temple, and were plied for several days, without mak- 
 ing any sensible impression. Next an attempt was made to 
 undermine the northern gate of the temple, but it was unsuc- 
 cessful, as was also the attempt to scale the cloisters Avith lad- 
 ders ; for the Jews fought so bravely that they repulsed the 
 Romans, and got possession of one of their standards. Titus, 
 having relinguished the hope of preserving the temple, now 
 gave orders to set the gates on fire. By this means the flames 
 spread into some of the contiguous buildings. The fire con- 
 tinued to rage the whole day, for the Jews made no effort to 
 extinguish it. On the next day, however, it was extinguished 
 by the order of Titus. 
 
 A counsel was now called to deliberate whether the temple 
 should be destroyed. Some were in favour of its destruction, 
 in order to guard against future rebellions of the Jews; but 
 Titus persisted in his resolution to preserve this splendid edi- 
 fice. He accordingly issued an order that the sanctuary should 
 not be injured. Titus now resolved to storm the temple with 
 his whole army; but while he was preparing for the assault, 
 the Jews made several sallies from the eastern gate. The 
 Romans, in driving them back on one of these occasions, pene- 
 trated, after them, into the interior of the temple, when a 
 Roman soldier seized a fire-brand and threw it through a win- 
 dow or small door into a passage, which led to the apartments 
 on the north side of the sanctuary. From this place the 
 flames soon burst out. When Titus heard of it, he hastened 
 to arrest the progress of the flames, but could not command 
 the attention of his men, who were engaged in conflict with the 
 Jews ; and even the soldiers who followed him disregarded his 
 commands, and instead of extinguishing, did what they could 
 to increase the conflagration. The battle now raged around 
 the altar, streams of blood flowed into the outer court, and 
 the surrounding space was covered with dead bodies. Titus 
 now went, with his chief officers, into the sanctuary, and into 
 the most holy place, and then made one more attempt to have 
 the fire extinguished, but with as small success as before. The 
 soldiers appeared to be actuated by a sort of fury, and applied 
 firebrands to every combustible part. Finding it impossible to 
 save the temple, Titus retired from the scene. The chambers 
 of the inner court were now consumed, and all the rest of the 
 edifice, except the buildings on the east and south, which were 
 afterwards destroyed. 
 
 About six thousand persons, mostly women and children, 
 were burnt in the temple, who, trusting to the predictions of a 
 false prophet, that God would work a miracle for their deliver- 
 ance, went into the temple, and there remained until it was 
 destroyed. According to the testimony of Josephus, there 
 
 
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 619 
 
 were then many false prophets employed by the leaders, to 
 deceive the people. 
 
 The gold taken by the Roman soldiers, in and about the tem- 
 ple, was in such abundance, that its value, for a time, was not 
 more than one-half of what it had previously been. The lower 
 city was now fully in possession of the Romans, by whom it 
 was burnt as far as the pool of Siloam. The Zealots, there- 
 fore, were compelled to retreat to the upper city, where they 
 were closely besieged, and whence they had no opportunity of 
 making their escape. New mounts were now raised, and the 
 machines of war were brought into play; and early in the 
 month of September, the upper city, after a feeble but desper- 
 ate resistance, fell into the hands of the Romans. Very little 
 mercy was shown to the vanquished. They were slaughtered 
 in heaps in every street and house, and multitudes of dead 
 bodies were found in the houses of those who had died with 
 famine, as well as in the vaults and common sewers. When 
 Titus surveyed the city, he expressed great astonishment at the 
 strength of its fortifications, and exclaimed, that it was surely 
 God himself who expelled the Jews from fortifications from 
 which they never could have been driven by man. The cap- 
 tives were very numerous. The handsomest were selected for 
 the triumph. A large number were presented by Titus to 
 the theatres of the provinces, but the majority were sent into 
 Egypt, to be sold as slaves. John, the leader of the Zealots, 
 was found almost dead with hunger, in one of the vaults. He 
 begged for his life, which was granted, but he was kept in 
 chains until his death. 
 
 The Romans now set themselves to destroy the walls, and 
 all that remained of the city. Josephus says, expressly, that 
 the ground was levelled, as though no buildings had ever stood 
 upon it. Three of the highest of the towers and a part of the 
 western wall were kept standing, as a monument to future ages 
 of the ancient splendour of the city. The tenth legion was 
 left as a garrison, and the other soldiers were all sent away. 
 
 The obstinacy of the resistance of the Jews has been some- 
 times attributed to an expectation of assistance from their 
 brethren in Babylonia, but was really owing to fanatical infatu- 
 ation. During the siege, ninety-seven thousand became cap- 
 tives, and eleven hundred thousand perished. For the siege 
 took place at a time when the city was full of strangers, in 
 attendance on the passover, and of refugees from the surround- 
 ing country. 
 
 Titus proceeded from Jerusalem to Cesarea, on the coast, 
 where he left part of his army. He then visited Cesarea 
 Philippi, where he celebrated games; and, for the amusement 
 of the people, caused many of the Jewish captives to be cast 
 to the wild beasts, and many more to kill one another, in the 
 
620 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION. 
 
 show of gladiators. He exhibited the same cruel spectacle at 
 Cesarea, on the sea-coast, and at Berytus; at the former of 
 which places he celebrated the birth-day of his brother, and at 
 the latter, that of his father. 
 
 The fate of John, the leader of the Zealots, has been men- 
 tioned. At the close of the siege Simon was not found, but 
 after the removal of the Roman army, he came forth like a 
 spectre from one of the vaults, where he had concealed himself 
 until his provisions were exhausted. Having surrendered him- 
 self to the governor of the place, he was sent in chains to 
 Titus, at Cesarea, who directed him to be reserved to grace his 
 triumph. 
 
 The same infatuation which brought destruction on the Jews 
 of Palestine, seems to have infatuated those who dwelt in other 
 countries. In Egypt and Gyrene, particularly, they exposed 
 themselves, by their madness, to the same destruction which 
 had so awfully overtaken their brethren in Judea. Their tem- 
 ple in Egypt was destroyed, by order of Vespasian, after it 
 had stood three hundred and forty-three years. 
 
 The same reckless fury seems to have actuated the relics of 
 this nation for several ages. In the reign of Trajan, and of 
 Adrian, they were guilty of great disorders, and rose in insur- 
 rection against the Roman government, which occasioned the 
 destruction of multitudes of this devoted people. Nor was 
 this all. To this very day, they have been driven from coun- 
 try to country, everywhere oppressed and persecuted no 
 where finding rest, and never able to collect into a body, or to 
 gain any permanent residence of their own yet preserved in 
 existence as a distinct people, retaining their national charac- 
 teristics and their own religious customs, without mingling with 
 the people among whom they dwell. 
 
 Thus do they stand, a ' monument of God's displeasure 
 against their nation's sin, in rejecting and crucifying the SON 
 OF GOD, the promised Messiah, and of the truth of divine 
 revelation, by the fulfilment of numerous prophecies, which 
 foretold their future condition. Still, however, they are pre- 
 served in mercy, as well as judgment. For it is clear from 
 prophecy, that, as a nation, they will be restored to the privi- 
 leges of the Church from which for so long a time they have 
 been cut off by unbelief. For a season, until the time ap- 
 pointed, God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that in the 
 day of visitation, he may have mercy on all. "So ALL ISRAEL 
 
 SHALL BE SAVED." 
 
 THE END. 
 

 
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