ed into the temple, and when Zedekiah was sensible of it, he took his wives and his children, and his captains and his friends, and with them fled out of the city, through the fortified ditch, and through the desert: and when certain of the deserters had informed the Babylonians of this, at break of day they made haste to pursue after Zedekiah, and overtook them not far from Jericho, and encompassed him about; but for those friends and captains of Zedekiah who had fled out of the city with him, when they saw their enemies near them, they left him and dispersed themselves, some one way and some another, and every one resolved to save himself; so the enemy took Zedekiah alive, when he was deserted by all but a few, with his children and his wives, and brought him to the king. When he was come, Nebuchadnezzar began to "call him a wicked wretch, and a covenant-breaker, and one "that had forgotten his former words when he promised to "keep the country for him. He also reproached him for his "ingratitude, that when he had received the kingdom from "him, who had taken it from Jehoiachin, and given it him, "he had made use of the power he gave him against him "that gave it; but, said he, God is great who hateth that "conduct of thine, and hath brought thee under us." And when he had used these words to Zedekiah, he commanded his sons, and his friends, to be slain, while Zedekiah and the rest of the captains looked on, after which he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him, and carried him to Babylon. And these things happened to him,* as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had foretold to him, that he should be caught, and brought before the king of Babylon, and should speak to him face to face, and should see his eyes with his own eyes; and thus far did Jeremiah prophecy; but he was also made blind, and brought to Babylon, but did not see it, according to the prediction of Ezekiel. 3. We have said thus much, because it was sufficient to shew the nature of God to such as are ignorant of it, that it is various, and acts many different ways, and that all events happen after a regular manner, in their proper season, and that it foretels what must come to pass. It is also sufficient to shew the ignorance and incredulity of men, whereby they are not permitted to foresee any thing that is future, and are not *This observation of Josephus's about the seeming disagreement of Jeremiah, ch. xxxii. 4. and xxxiv. 3. and Ezek. xii. 13. but real agreement at last, concerning the fate of Zedekiah, is very true and very remarkable. See chap. vii. § 2. Nor is it at all unlikely that the courtiers and false prophets might make use of this seeming contradiction to dissuade Zedekiah from believing either of those prophets, as Josephus here intimates he was dissuaded thereby. without any guard, exposed to calamities, so that it is impossible for them to avoid the experience of those calamities. 4. And after this manner have the kings of David's race ended their lives, being in number twenty-one, until the last king, who altogether reigned five hundred and fourteen years, and six months and ten days; of whom Saul, who was their first king, retained the government twenty years, though he was not of the same tribe with the rest. 5. And now it was that the king of Babylon sent Nebuzaradan, the general of his army to Jerusalem, to pillage the temple, who had it also in command to burn it, and the royal palace, and to lay the city even with the ground, and to transplant the people into Babylon. Accordingly he came to Jerusalem in the eleventh year of king Zedekiah, and pillaged the temple, and carried out the vessels of God, both gold and silver, and particularly that large laver which Solomon dedicated, as also the pillars of brass, and their chapiters, with the golden tables and the candlesticks; and when he had carried these off, be set fire to the temple in the fifth month, the first day of the month, on the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, and on the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar : he also burnt the palace and overthrew the city. Now the temple was burnt four hundred and seventy years six months and ten days after it was built. It was then one thousand and sixty-two years six months and ten days, from the departure out of Egypt; and from the deluge to the destruction of the temple, the whole interval was one thousand nine hundred fifty-seven years six months and ten days; but from the generation of Adam, until this befel the temple, there were three thousand five hundred and thirteen years six months and ten days; so great was the number of years hereto belonging. And what actions were done during those years, we have particularly related. But the general of the Babylonian king now overthrew the city to the very foundations, and removed the people, and took for prisoners the high priest Seraiah, and Zephaniah the priest that was next to him, and the rulers that guarded the temple, who were three in number, and the eunuch who was over the armed men, and seven friends of Zedekiah, and his scribe, and sixty other rulers; all which, together with the vessels which they had pillaged, he carried to the king of Babylon to Riblah, a city of Syria. So the king commanded the heads of the high priest and of the rulers to be cut off there; but he himself led all the captives, and Zedekiah to Babylon. He also led Josedek the high priest away bound. He was the son of Seraiah the high priest, whom the king of Babylon had slain in Riblah, a city of Syria, as we have just now related. 6. And now, because we have enumerated the succession of the kings, and who they were, and how long they reigned, I think it necessary to set down the names of the high priests, and who they were that succeeded one another in the high priesthood under the kings. The first high priest then at the temple which Solomon built, was Zadok; after him his son Achimas received that dignity; after Achimas was Azarias; his son was Joram, and Joram's son was Isus; after him was Axioramus; his son was Phideas, and Phideas's son was Sudeas, and Sudeas's son was Juelus, and Juelus's son was Jotham, and Jotham's son was Urias, and Urias's son was Nerias, and Nerias's son was Odeas, and his son was Sallumus, and Sallumus's son was Elcias, and his son* [was Azarias, and his son] was Sareas, and his son was Josadoc, who was carried captive to Babylon. All these received the high priesthood by succession, the sons from their father. 7. When the king was come to Babylon, he kept Zedekiah in prison until he died, and buried him magnificently, and dedicated the vessels he had pillaged out of the temple of Jerusalem to his own gods, and planted the people in the country of Babylon, but freed the high priest from his bonds. CHAP. IX. How Nebuzaradan set Gedaliah over the Jews that were left in Judea, which Gedaliah was a little afterward slain by Ishmael: And how Jonathan, after Ishmael was driven away, went down into Egypt with the people; which people Nebuchadnezzar, when he made an expedition against the Egyptians, took captive, and brought them away to Babylon. § 1. Now the general of the army, Nebuzaradan, when he had carried the people of the Jews into captivity, left the poor, and those that had deserted, in the country, and made one, whose name was Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, a person of a noble family, their governor; which Gedaliah was of a gentle and righteous disposition. He also commanded them * I have here inserted in brackets this high priest Asarias, though he be omitted in all Josephus's copies out of the Jewish chronicle, Seder Olam, of how little authority soever I generally esteem such late rabbinical historians, because we know from Josephus himself, that the number of the high priests belonging to this interval was eighteen, Antiq. B. XX. ch. x. Vol. III. whereas his copies have here but seventeen. that they should cultivate the ground, and pay an appointed tribute to the king. He also took Jeremiah the prophet out of prison, and would have persuaded him to go along with him to Babylon, for that he had been enjoined by the king to supply him with whatsoever he wanted; and if he did not like to do so, he desired him to inform him where he resolved to dwell, that he might signify the same to the king: but the prophet had no mind to follow him, nor to dwell any where else, but would gladly live in the ruins of his country, and in the miserable remains of it. When the general understood what his purpose was, he enjoined Gedaliah, whom he left behind, to take all possible care of him, and to supply him with whatsoever he wanted: So when he had given him rich presents, he dismissed him. Accordingly, Jeremiah abode. in a city of that country which was called Mispah; and desired of Nebuzaradan, that he would set at liberty his disciple* Baruch, the son of Neriah, one of a very eminent family, and exceeding skilful in the language of his country. 2. When Nebuzaradan had done thus, he made haste to Babylon: But as to those that fled away during the siege of Jerusalem, and had been scattered over the country, when they heard that the Babylonians were gone away, and had left a remnant in the land of Jerusalem, and those such as were to cultivate the same, they came together from all parts to Gedaliah to Mispah. Now the rulers that were over them were Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, and Seraiah, and others beside them. Now there was of the royal family one Ishmael, a wicked man, and very crafty, who, during the siege of Jerusalem, fled to Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, and abode with him during that time: And Gedaliah persuaded them, now they were there, to stay with him, and to have no fear of the Babylonians, for that if they would cultivate the country, they should suffer no harm. This he assured them of by oath; and said, that they should have him for their patron, and that if any disturbance should arise, they should find him ready to defend them. He also advised them to dwell in any city, as every one of them pleased; and that they would send men along with his own servants, and rebuild their houses upon the old foundations, and dwell there: and he admonished them before hand, that they should make preparation, while the season lasted, of corn and wine, and oil, that they might have whereon to feed during the winter. * Of this character of Baruch, the son of Neriah, and the genuineness of his book that stands now in our Apocrypha, and that it is really a canonical book, and an appendix to Jeremiah, see Authent. Rec. part I. page 1-11. ރ When he had thus discoursed to them, he dismissed them, that every one might dwell in what place of the country he pleased. 3. Now when this report was spread abroad as far as the nations that bordered on Judea, that Gedaliah kindly entertained those that came to him, after they had fled away, upon this [only] condition, that they should pay tribute to the king of Babylon, they also came readily to Gedaliah, and inhabited the country. And when Johanan and the rulers that were with him observed the country, and the humanity of Gedaliah, they were exceedingly in love with him, and told him that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, had sent Ishmael to kill him by treachery, and secretly, that he might have the dominion over the Israelites, as being of the royal family; and they said, that he might deliver himself from this treacherous design, if he would give them leave to slay Ishmael, and nobody should know it, for they told him they were afraid that when he was killed by the other, the entire ruin of the remaining strength of the Israelites would ensue: But he professed, That he did not believe what they said, when they "told him of such a treacherous design, in a man that had "been well treated by him, because it was not probable that te one who, under such a want of all things, had failed of no"thing that was necessary for him, should be found so wick"ed and ungrateful towards his benefactor, that when it "would be an instance of wickedness in him not to save him, "had he been treacherously assaulted by others, to endeavour, and that earnestly, to kill him with his own hand: "That however, if he ought to suppose this information to "be true, it was better for himself to be slain by the other, "than to destroy a man who fled to him for refuge, and en"trusted his own safety to him, and committed himself to his "disposal." 4. So Johanan, and the rulers that were with him, not being able to persuade Gedaliah, went away: but after the interval of thirty days was over, Ishmael came again to Gedaliah, to the city Mispah, and ten men with him, and when he had feasted Ishmael, and those that were with him, in a splendid manner at his table, and had given them presents, he became disordered in drink, while he endeavoured to be very merry with them; and when Ishmael saw him in that case, and that he was drowned in his cups to the degree of insensibility, and fallen asleep, he rose up on a sudden, with his ten friends, and slew Gedaliah and those that were with him at the feast, and when he had slain them, he went out by night, and slew all the Jews that were in the city, and those soldiers |