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AN. 1016.]

ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.

But although Solomon was become the most || erned by them, till he came to imitate their pracglorious of kings, and the best beloved of God, tices. He was forced to give them this demonand had exceeded in wisdom and riches those that stration of his kindness and affection to them, to had been rulers of the Hebrews before him; yet live according to the laws of their countries. And did he not persevere in this happy state till he as he grew into years, and his reason became died. But he forsook the observance of the laws weaker by the length of time, it was not sufficient of his fathers, and came to an end noway suitable to recall to his mind the institutions of his own to our foregoing history of him. He grew mad country; so he still more and more contemned his in his love of women, and laid no restraint on own God, and continued to regard the gods that himself in his lusts. Nor was he satisfied with his marriages had introduced. Nay, before this the women of his own country alone; but he mar- happened, he sinned, and fell into an error about ried many wives out of foreign nations ;* Sidoni- the observance of the laws, when he made the ans and Tyrians, Ammonites and Edomites; and images of brazen oxen, that supported the brazen he transgressed the laws of Moses, which pro- sea, and the images of lions about his own throne; hibited Jews from marrying any but those that for these he made, although it was not agreeable were of their own people. He also began to wor- to piety so to do. And this he did notwithstandship their gods,† which he did in order to the ing that he had his father as a most excellent and gratification of his wives, and out of his affection domestic pattern of virtue; and knew what a glofor them. This very thing our legislator suspected, rious character he had left behind him, because and so admonished us beforehand, that we should of his piety towards God. Nor did he imitate not marry women of other countries, lest we should David, although God had twice appeared to him be entangled with foreign customs, and apostatize in his sleep, and exhorted him so to do. There from our own; lest we should leave off to honour came therefore a prophet to him, who was sent our own God, and should worship their idols. But by God, and told him, that his wicked actions Solomon was fallen headlong into unreasonable were not concealed from God; and threatened pleasures, and regarded not those admonitions. him that he should not long rejoice at what he For when he had married seven hundred wives, had done; that indeed the kingdom should not be the daughters of princes and of eminent persons, taken from him, while he was alive; because God and three hundred concubines, and these besides had promised to his father David that he would the king of Egypt's daughter;§ he soon was gov- make him his successor; but that he would take

§ Pharaoh's daughter is generally supposed to have been a * Notwithstanding the vast multitude of wives that Solomon had, the Scriptures make mention of no more than three chil- proselyte to the Jewish religion, and therefore, Solomon, in mardren, this son, and two daughters, that are spoken of, 1 Kings rying her, incurred no fault; but, in marrying so many women iv. 11, 15; and, what is strange, in the beginning of his story, besides, and these of a different religion, he committed two sins against the law; one in multiplying wives, and another in marit takes no notice, as usually it does, of his mother's nation or family, though in the conclusion of it, 1 Kings xiv. 21-31, it rying those of strange nations, who still retained their idolatry. And therefore, the wise son of Sirach, amidst all the encomiums twice reminds us, that she was an Ammonitess by birth, and that her name was Naamah. Rehoboam was born in the first that he heaps upon Solomon, could not forget this heinous ini year of his father's reign, and was therefore much about forty-quity, and terrible flaw in his character.-Thou didst bow thy loins to women, and by thy body thou wast brought into subjecone when he entered upon the government; but he was an unThou didst stain thine honour, and pollute thy seed, skilful and imprudent man, and therefore made a very false step tion. so that thou broughtest wrath upon thy children, and wast at his first accession to the throne. The author of Ecclesiasticus gives us no advantageous character of him, when he terms grieved for thy folly, Eccles. xlvii. 19, 20. Patrick's Commenthim, A man void of understanding, who turned the people away ary. B. with his counsel, chap. xlvii. 23. Nay, his own son makes but a faint apology for him, when he tells the people, that he was young, (young in understanding) and tender-hearted, and could not withstand his enemies, 2 Chron. xiii. 7; and therefore some have imagined, that his father Solomon had him in his thoughts, when he said, in his Preacher, I hated all my labour, which I had taken under the sun, because I was to leave it to a man that should come after me: and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour, wherein I have laboured: this also is vanity, chap. ii. 18, 19. Calmet's and Patrick's Commentaries. B.

† About An. 999 B. C.

These 700 wives, or the daughters of great men, and the 300 concubines, the daughters of ignoble, make 1000 in all; and are, I suppose, those very 1000 women intimated elsewhere by Solomon himself, when he speaks of his not having found one good woman among that very number, Eccles. vii. 28.

Josephus is here certainly too severe upon Solomon, who, in making the cherubims, and these twelve brazen oxen, seems to have done no more than imitate the patterns left him by DaAnd although God gave vid, which were all given David by divine inspiration. See my Description of the Temples, chap. x. no direction for the lions that adorned his throne, yet does not Solomon seem therein to have broken any law of Moses. For although the Pharisees and later Rabbins, have extended the second commandment, to forbid the very making of any image, though without any intention to have it worshipped; yet do not I suppose that Solomon so understood it, nor that it ought to be so understood. The making any other altar for worship, but that at the tabernacle, was equally forbidden by Moses: Antiq. IV. 3, yet did not the two tribes and a half offend when they made an altar for a memorial only, Josh. xxii. Antiq. V. 1.

care that this should befall his son when he was dead. Not that he would withdraw all the people from him, but that he would give ten tribes to a servant of his, and leave only two tribes to David's grandson for his sake, because he loved God; and for the sake of the city Jerusalem, wherein he would have a temple.

When Solomon heard this, he was grieved, and greatly confounded, upon this change of almost all that happiness which had made him to be admired, into so bad a state. Nor had there much time passed after the prophet had foretold what was coming, before God raised up an enemy against him, whose name was Hadad ;* who took the following occasion of his enmity to him. He was a child of the stock of the Edomites, and of the blood royal. And when Joab, the captain of David's host, laid waste the land of Edom, and destroyed all that were men grown, and able to bear arms, for six months' time, this Hadad fled away, and came to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; who received him kindly, and assigned him a house to dwell in, and a country to supply him with food. And when he was grown up he loved him exceedingly; insomuch that he gave him his wife's sister, whose name was Tahpenes, to wife, by whom he had a son, who was brought up with the king's children. When Hadad heard in Egypt that both David and Joab were dead, he came to Pharaoh, and desired that he would permit him to go to his own country. The king asked what it was that he wanted, and what hardships he had met with, that he was so desirous to leave him? and when he was often troublesome to him, and entreated him to dismiss him, he did not then do it. But at the time when Solomon's affairs began to grow worse,t on account of his aformentioned transgressions and God's anger against him for the same; Hadad, by Pharaoh's permission, came to Edom, and when he was not able to make the people to forsake Solomon, (for it was kept under by many garrisons, and an innovation was not to be made with safety,) he removed thence and came

*Hadad was a young prince of the royal family of Idumea, who fled into Egypt when David conquered that country. For David, having obtained a signal victory under the conduct of Abishai, who at that time commanded in chief, sent Joab afterwards with an order to kill all the males that should be found in the land. But Hadad had escaped into Egypt, where, finding favour in the eyes of the king, he married his wife's sister, and there settled. But, after the death of David, he returned into Idumea, and gave Solomon no small molestation. Calmet's Commentary. B.

Since the beginning of Solomon's evil life and adversity was the time when Hadad, (who was born at least twenty or thirty years before Solomon came to the crown, in the days of David, began to give him disturbance, this implies that Solo

into Syria. There he met with one Rezon, who had run away from Hadadezer,§ king of Zobah, his master, and was become a robber in that country; and joined friendship with him, who had already a band of robbers about him. So he went up and seized upon that part of Syria, and was made king thereof. He also made incursions into the land of Israel, and did in it no small mischief, and spoiled it, and that in the life-time of Solomon. And such was the calamity which the Hebrews suffered by Hadad.

There was also one of Solomon's own nation that made an attempt against him, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat; who had an expectation of rising, from a prophecy that had been made to him long before. He was left a child by his father, and brought up by his mother; and when Solomon saw that he was of an active and bold disposition, he made him the curator of the walls which he built round about Jerusalem. And he took such care of those works, that the king approved of his behaviour, and gave him as a reward for the same, the charge over the tribe of Joseph. And when about that time Jeroboam was once going out of Jerusalem, a prophet of the city Shilo, whose name was Ahijah, met him, and saluted him; and when he had taken him a little aside to the place where there was no one present, he rent the garment he had into twelve pieces, and bade Jeroboam take ten of them; saying, "This is the will of God; he will part the dominion of Solomon, and give one tribe, with that which is next it, to his son; because of the promise made to David for his succession; and will give ten tribes to thee; because Solomon hath sinned against him, and delivered himself up to women, and to their gods. Seeing, therefore, thou knowest the cause for which God hath changed his mind, and is alienated from Solomon, be thou righteous, and keep the laws; because thou hast proposed to thee the greatest of all rewards for thy piety, and the honour thou shalt pay to God; namely, to be as greatly exalted as thou knowest David to have been."

mon's evil life began early, and continued very long; which the multitude of his wives and concubines does also imply. I sup pose he was not fifty years of age.

1 Kings xi. 23.

When David made war against Hadadezer, Rezon, one of his generals, escaped from the field of battle, with the troops under his command; and, having lived for a little while by plunder and robbery, at length seized on Damascus, and reigned there. But his reign was not long. For David took Damascus, as well as the other parts of Syria, and left it in subjection to his son Solomon, till God was pleased to suffer this Rezon te recover Damascus, and there re-establish himself, to the great disturbance of the latter part of Solomon's reign. Calmet's Comment. B.

AN. 796.]

ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.

So Jeroboam was elevated by these words of | And when he was come to the city Shechem, Rethe prophet, and being a young man* of warm hoboam came thither also; for he had resolved temper, and ambitious of greatness, he could not to declare himself king of the Israelites, while they be quiet. And when he had so great a charge in were there gathered together. So the rulers of the the government, and called to mind what had been people, as well as Jeroboam, came to him and said, revealed to him by Ahijah, he endeavoured to that he ought to relax, and to be gentler than his persuade the people to forsake Solomon; to make father in the servitude he had imposed on them; a disturbance, and to bring the government over because they had borne a heavy** yoke,†† and that to himself. But when Solomon understood his in- then they should be better affected to him, and be tention and treachery,† he sought to catch him well contented to serve him under his moderate and kill him. But Jeroboam was informed of it government, and should do it more out of love beforehand; and fled to Shishak, king of Egypt; than fear. But Rehoboam told them, they should and there abode till the death of Solomon. By come to him again in three days' time, when he which means he gained these two advantages; to would give an answer to their request. This delay suffer no harm from Solomon, and to be preserved gave occasion to a present suspicion; since he had not given them a favourable answer immedifor the kingdom. So Solomon died when he was already an old man, having reigned‡ eighty years,§ ately. However they thought that his consultation and lived ninety-four. He was buried in Jerusa- about it afforded some hope of success. lem: having been superior to all other kings in happiness, riches, and wisdom; excepting that when he was grown in years, he was deluded by women, and transgressed the law, concerning which transgressions, and the miseries which befell the Hebrews thereby, I think proper to discourse at another opportunity.||

CHAP. VIII.

OF REHOBOAM'S CONDUCT AFTER HIS FATHER'S DEATH; AND THE
REVOLT OF TEN TRIBES UNDER JEROBOAM.

Now when Solomon was dead, and his son Rehoboam (who was born of an Ammonite wife, whose name was Naamah) had succeeded him in the kingdom, the rulers of the multitude sent immediately into Egypt, and recalled Jeroboam.

* This youth of Jeroboam when Solomon built the walls of Jerusalem, not very long after he had finished his twenty years' building of the temple, and his own palace; or not very long after the twenty-fourth year of his reign, 1 Kings ix. 24. 2 Chron. viii. 11, and his youth here still mentioned, when Solomon's wickedness was become intolerable; fully confirm my former observation, that such his wickedness began early, and continued very long. See Ecclus. xlvii. 14. Had we this discourse of Josephus's, wherein he intended to enlarge on this part of Solomon's life (which part is only in brief touched upon in our other copies, 1 Kings xi. and is wholly omitted in the books of Chronicles) we had probably been more fully informed of this matter.

† How Solomon came to know what was thus transacted between Ahijah and Jeroboam alone, is a question of no great difficulty. For perhaps the prophet made no scruple to report what he delivered in the name of the Lord; perhaps Jeroboam himself, being puffed up with this assurance, could not contain, but told it to some of his confidants, who spread it abroad; or perhaps his servants, though they heard not the words the prophet spake, yet, seeing him rend the garment into twelve parts, and give ten to him, might speak of this strange and unaccountable action, which Solomon, as soon as he came to hear of it, might easily understand, because the same prophet very likely had told him, but just before, that the kingdom should be rent from

Rehoboam now called his father's friends, and advised with them, what sort of answer he ought to give to the multitude. Upon which they gave him the advice which became friends, and those that knew the temper of such a multitude; they advised him to speak in a way more popular than suited the grandeur of a king; because he would thereby oblige them to submit to him with goodwill it being most agreeable to subjects, that their kings should be almost upon a level with them. But Rehoboam rejected this good and profitable advice: (it was such at least at that time, when he was to be made king:) God himself, I suppose, causing what was most advantageous to be contemned by him. So he called for the young men who were brought up with him,‡‡ and

him, and given to his servant, 1 Kings xiv. 8. Patrick's Com mentary. B.

From An. 1056 to 976 B. C.

That Josephus justly ascribes eighty years to the reign of
Solomon, see Essay on the Old Testament, page 31, 32.
This discourse is now wanting.

¶ An. 976.

** Probably in maintaining his court, and, in particular, his numerous wives and concubines.

†† What the particular grievances were that these people de. sired to have redressed, we may gather from 1 Kings iv. 7, &c. viz. the tribute Solomon exacted for his buildings, the expenses of his family, and the maintenance of his chariots and horses, which being for the honour of the nation, ought to have been borne more contentedly by a people enjoying such a large share of peace and plenty, and from a prince who had brought in such vast riches to his subjects, as made silver to be of no value at all in his days, chap. x. 21, but people are more sensible of their pressures than of their enjoyments, and feel the least burdens when they are most at ease. It is observable, however, that among all their complaints, they take no notice of Solomon's idolatry, or the strange worship which he had introduced, though this, one would think, should have been reckoned among the greatest of their grievances. Patrick's Commentary. B.

It was a common custom among the kings of the east, to

told them what advice the elders had given him, || should undergo the last of punishments in earnest. and bade them speak what they thought he ought to do. So they advised him to give the following answer to the people, (for neither their youth, nor God himself, suffered them to discern what was best,) That his little finger should be thicker than his father's loins; and, if they had met with hard usage from his father, they should experience much rougher treatment from him: and if his father had chastised them with whips, they must expect that he would do it with scorpions. The king was pleased with this advice; and thought it agreeable to the dignity of his government to give them such an answer. Accordingly when the multitude was assembled to hear his answer on the third day, all the people were in great expectation, and very intent to hear what the king would say to them; and supposed they should hear somewhat of a kind nature, but he passed by his friends, and answered as the young men had given him counsel. Now this was done according to the will of God; that what Ahijah had foretold might come to pass.

By these words the people were struck, as it were, by an iron hammer; and were so grieved as if they had already felt the effects of them; and they had great indignation at the king: and all cried out aloud, and said, "We will have no longer any relation to David, or his posterity, after this day; and will only leave to Rehoboam the temple which his father built." Nay, they were so bitter, and retained their wrath so long, that when he sent Adoram, who was over the tribute, that he might pacify them, and persuade them to forgive him, if he had said any thing that was rash or grievous to them in his youth, they would not hear it; but threw stones at him, and killed him. When Rehoboam saw this, he thought himself aimed at by those stones, with which the multitude had killed his servant: and feared lest he have their sons educated among other young lords that were of the same age, which, as it created a generous spirit of emulation, || and both endeared the prince to the nobles and the nobles to the prince, could not but tend greatly to the benefit of the public. Sesostris, the most famous prince that ever Egypt produced, is said to have been educated this way. And by the gallant youths that were his cotemporaries and fellow pupils, it was, that he afterwards did so many surprising actions. The same custom was in use among the Persians, as we may learn from the life of Cyrus; and of Alexander the Great we are told, that his father Philip had trained him up in his youth, among those young noblemen who became his great captains in the conquest of all Asia. So that Solomon's method and design, in the education of his son, was wise and well concerted, though it failed of success. Calmet's Commentary. B.

*That by scorpions is not here meant the small animals so called, which were never used in corrections; but either a shrub with sharp prickles, like the stings of scorpions, such as is our furze-bush; or else some terrible sort of whip of the like nature.

So he got immediately into his chariot,§ and fled to Jerusalem. There the tribe of Judah and that of Benjamin ordained him for their king: but the rest of the multitude forsook the sons of David, from that day; and appointed Jeroboam to be the ruler of their public affairs. Upon this, Rehoboam assembled a great congregation of those two tribes that had submitted to him, and was ready to take a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men out of the army, and to make an expedition against Jeroboam and his people; that he might force them by war to be his servants. But he was forbidden of God by the prophet Shemaiah to go to war. For that it was not just, that brethren of the same country should fight against one another. He also said, that this defection of the multitude was according to the purpose of God. So he did not proceed in this expedition. And now I will relate first the actions of Jeroboam, the king of Israel; and afterwards what are therewith connected, the actions of Rehoboam, the king of the two tribes. By this means we shall preserve the order of the history unbroken.

When Jeroboam had built him a palace in the city Shechem, he dwelt there. He also built him another at a city called Penual. And now the feast of tabernacles was approaching in a little time, Jeroboam considered, that if he should permit the multitude to go to worship God at Jerusalem, and there to celebrate the festival, they would probably repent of what they had done, and be enticed by the temple, and by the worship of God there performed and would leave him, and return to their first king; and if so, he should run the risk of losing his own life. So he made two golden heifers, and built two little temples for them; the one in the city Bethel, and the other in Dan:** which last was the t†fountains of the lesser Jordan: and he put the heifers into both the little temples, in the See Hudson's and Spenheim's Notes here, and Mr. Barker's parallel observations. † 1 Kings xii. 13.

1 Kings xii. 16.

§ This is the first time that we read of a king's riding in a chariot. Saul, David, and Solomon, rode in none: but after the division of the kingdom, mention is frequently made of the use of them, both by the kings of Judah and Israel. Patrick's Com mentary. B.

This prophet was very well known in the reign of Rehoboam. He is supposed to have wrote the annals of that prince; and of what authority he was in Judah, we may gather from this passage, where he is said to have prevailed with the king, and a hundred and four-score thousand men, to lay down their arms, and return home, merely by declaring, that the division which had happened was the appointment and order of God. Calmet's Commentary. B.

¶ 1 Kings xii. 24.

** 1 Kings xii. 29.

†† Whether these fountains of the lesser Jordan were near a place called Dan, and the fountains of the greater near a place

AN. 975.]

ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.

aforementioned cities. And when he had called the ten tribes together over whom he ruled, he made a speech to the people in these words: "I suppose, my countrymen, you know that every place hath God in it: nor is there any determinate place in which he is: but he everywhere hears and sees those that worship him. On which account I do not think it right for you to go so long a journey to Jerusalem, which is an enemy's city, to worship him. It was a man that built the temple; I have also made two golden heifers, dedicated to the same God; and the one I have consecrated in the city Bethel, and the other in Dan; to the end that those of you who dwell nearest those cities may go to them and worship God there. And I will ordain for you certain priests and Levites from among yourselves; that you may have no want of the tribe of Levi, or of the sons of Aaron. But let him that is desirous among you of being a priest, bring to God a bullock and a ram; which they say* Aaron the first priest brought also." When Jeroboam had said this, he deluded the people, and caused them to revolt from the worship of their forefathers, and to transgress their laws. This was the beginning of miseries to the Hebrews; and the cause why they were overcome in war by foreigners, and so fell into captivity. But we shall relate those things in their proper places hereafter.

When this feast of tabernacles was just† approaching, Jeroboam‡ was desirous to celebrate it himself in Bethel; as did the two tribes in Jerusalem. Accordingly he built an altar before the heifer, and undertook to be high-priest himself. So he went up to the altar, with his own priests

called Jor, before their conjunction; or whether there was only one fountain, arising at the lake Phiala; at first sinking under the ground; then rising near the mountain Paneum, and thence running through the lake Semochonites to the sea of Galilee, and so far called the lesser Jordan, is hardly certain even in Josephus himself; though the latter account be the most probable. See Reland's Palestine, tom. I. lib. I. c. 41, 43. However the northern idolatrous calf, set up by Jeroboam, was where little Jordan fell into great Jordan; near a place called Daphna, as Josephus elsewhere informs us: Of the War, IV, 1. See the note there.

* Lev. viii, 14, 22.

† An. 975.

As the Jews had their feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, so Jeroboam had a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he instituted of his own accord. Some suppose, indeed, that as this feast was appointed by God to be observed after the gathering in of the fruits, which might be sooner ripe in Jerusalem, than in the northern parts of the country, so Jeroboam might pretend, that the eighth would be a better time for it than the seventh, because then they would everywhere be gathered. Others imagine, that he might have this farther design in the alteration of this month, viz. that the people of Judah, when their own feast was over a month 33

about him. But when he was going to offer the
sacrifices, and the burnt-offerings, in the sight of
all the people, a prophet,§ whose name was
Jadon, was sent by God, and came to him from
Jerusalem; who stood in the midst of the mul-
titude, and in the hearing of the king, and direct-
ing his discourse to the altar, said thus: "God
foretells that there shall be a certain man of
the family of David, Josiah by name, who shall
slay upon thee those false priests that shall live at
that time, and upon thee shall burn the bones of
those deceivers of the people, those impostors and
wicked wretches. However, that this people may
believe these things shall come to pass, I foretell
a sign to them, that shall also be fulfilled. This
altar shall be broken to pieces immediately; and
all the fat of the sacrifices that is upon it shall be
poured upon the ground." When the prophet had
said this, Jeroboam, in a passion, stretched out
his hand, and bade them lay hold of him. But that
hand which he stretched out was enfeebled, and
he was not able to pull it in again to him; for it
was become withered, and hung down as if it were
dead. The altar also was broken to pieces, and
all that was upon it was poured out: as the
prophet had foretold should come to pass. So the
king understood that he was a man of veracity,
and had a divine foreknowledge; and entreated
him to pray unto God, that he would restore his
right hand. Accordingly the prophet did pray to
God to grant him that request. So the king having
his hand recovered to its natural state, rejoiced at
it; and invited the prophet to sup with him. But
Jadon said, he could not endure to come into his
house, nor to taste of bread or water in that city.||

before at Jerusalem, might have an opportunity to come to his, if their curiosity led them. But the plain case is, that he did every thing he could in opposition to the established religion, and his chief intention was to alienate the people from Jerusalem. Bedford's Scripture Chronology, lib. VI. c. 2. B.

§ Who this prophet was, commentators are not agreed. The Jews would generally have it to have been Iddo; but unless we may suppose that what is here related fell out in the latter end of Jeroboam's reign, Iddo could not be the person; because Iddo was alive in the days of Abijah, son of Rehoboam, whereas the prophet here spoken of died, in a manner, as soon as he had delivered this prophecy. Others therefore have thought, that this prophet who came to rebuke Jeroboam was Ahijah, the same who had foretold him of his exaltation to the crown of Israel. But besides that Ahijah was alive after the time that this prophet was slain, Ahijah was certainly a native of Shiloh, and lived in Shiloh, which is the tribe of Ephraim, and part of Jeroboam's dominions: whereas it is expressly said of this prophet, that he came from Judah. So that there is no founda God was. Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. B. tion, so much as for a conjecture, what the name of this man of

|| Why this prophet was forbid to eat or drink with the people of Bethel, the reason is obvious, because he was to have no familiarity with idolaters; but why he should not return by the

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