also which were left therein by the Babylonians: But the next day fourscore men came out of the country, with presents to Gedaliah, none of them knowing what had befallen him; when Ishmael saw them, he invited them into Gedaliah, and when they were come in, he shut up the court, and slew them, and cast their dead bodies down into a certain deep pit, that they might not be seen; but of these fourscore men Ishmael spared those that entreated him not to kill them, till they had delivered up to him what riches they had concealed in the fields, consisting of their furniture and garments, and corn: but he took captive the people that were in Mispah, with their wives and children; among whom were the daughters of king Zedekiah, whom Nebuzaradan, the general of the army of Babylon, had left with Gedaliah: And when he had done this, he came to the king of the Ammonites.

5. But when Johanan and the rulers with him heard of what was done at Mispah by Ishmael, and of the death of Gedaliah, they had indignation at it, and every one of them took his own armed men, and came suddenly to fight with Ishmael, and overtook him at the fountain in Hebron: And when those that were carried away captives by Ishmael saw Johanan and the rulers, they were very glad, and looked upon them as coming to their assistance; so they left him that had carried them captives, and came over to Johanan; then Ishmael, with eight men, fled to the king of the Ammonites; but Johanan took those whom he had rescued out of the hands of Ishmael, and the eunuchs, and their wives and children, and came to a certain place called Mandra, and there they abode that day, for they had determined to remove from thence, and to go into Egypt, out of fear lest the Babylonians should slay them, in case they continued in the country, and that out of anger at the slaughter of Gedaliah, who had been by them set over it for governor.

6. Now while they were under this deliberation, Johanan, the son of Kareah, and the rulers that were with him, came to Jeremiah the prophet, and desired that he would pray to God that because they were at an utter loss about what they ought to do, he would discover it to them, and they sware that they would do whatsoever Jeremiah should say to them: And when the prophet said he would be their intercessor with God, it came to pass, that after ten days God appeared to him, and said, "That he should inform Johanan and the other rulers, " and all the people, that he would be with them while they "continued in that country, and take care of them, and keep "them from being hurt by the Babylonians, of whom they were afraid, but that he would desert them, if they went

When he had thus discoursed to them, he dismisse that every one might dwell in what place of the co pleased.

3. Now when this report was spread abroad as f nations that bordered on Judea, that Gedaliah kin tained those that came to him, after they had fled a this [only] condition, that they should pay tribute of Babylon, they also came readily to Gedaliah, ed the country. And when Johanan and the rule with him observed the country, and the human liah, they were exceedingly in love with him, a that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, had se kill him by treachery, and secretly, that he m dominion over the Israelites, as being of the roy they said, that he might deliver himself from t design, if he would give them leave to slay Is body should know it, for they told him they when he was killed by the other, the entire maining strength of the Israelites would ens fessed, That he did not believe what they "told him of such a treacherous design, in "been well treated by him, because it was

ઃઃ

one who, under such a want of all things

"thing that was necessary for him, should
"ed and ungrateful towards his benefa
"would be an instance of wickedness in t
"had he been treacherously assaulted b

vour, and that earnestly, to kill him
"That however, if he ought to suppose
"be true, it was better for himself to be
"than to destroy a man who fled to h
"trusted his own safety to him, and co
"disposal."

4. So Johanan, and the rulers that
ing able to persuade Gedaliah, went a
terval of thirty days was over, Ishma
liah, to the city Mispah, and ten mer
had feasted Ishmael, and those that
did manner at his table, and had gi
came disordered in drink, while he
merry with them; and when Ishm
and that he was drowned in his cu
bility, and fallen asleep, he rose u
friends, and slew Gedaliah and the
the feast, and when he had slain i
and slew all the Jews that were in

ylon, took ildren, and › remarkable ness of their ands of tutors, He also made e took also with in the flower of rom his own table, of the country, and they had now exwisdom which he had Now among these siah, of most excellent ed, Daniel, another was the fourth Azarias: And names, and commanded er names; Daniel he called ael, Meshach, and Azarias, in esteem, and continued to ent temper they were of, and earning, and the progress they

0.

men, had resolved to use a severe use kinds of food which came from ely to forbear to eat of all living › Ashpenaz, who was that * eunuch n was committed, and desired him to

by foreign colonies, to be a like indication, that the people it again themselves, at their so long expect❤

one of those eunuchs of which Isaiah prophesied, Isa. idren his companions also, seems to me plain, both Our copies of Daniel, Dan. i. 3, 6 7-11, 18. although ome married persons, that had children, were sometimes eral acceptation for courtiers, on account that so many were real eunuchs. See Gen. xxxix. 1.

"into Egypt, and out of his wrath against them, would inflict "the same punishments upon them which they knew their "brethren had already endured." So when the prophet had informed Johanan and the people, that God foretold these things, he was not believed, when he said that God commanded them to continue in that country, but they imagined that he said so to gratify Baruch, his own disciple, and belied God, and that he persuaded them to stay there, that they might be destroyed by the Babylonians. Accordingly, both the people and Johanan disobeyed the counsel of God, which he gave them by the prophet, and removed into Egypt, and carried Jeremiah and Baruch along with him.

7. And when they were there, God signified to the prophet, that the king of Babylon was about making an expedition against the Egyptians, and commanded him to foretel to the people that Egypt should be taken, and the king of Babylon should slay some of them, and should take others captive, and bring them to Babylon; which things came to pass accordingly for on the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the twenty-third of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he made an expedition against Celesyria, and when he had possessed himself of it, he made war against the Ammonites and Moabites; and when he had brought all those nations under subjection, he fell upon Egypt, in order to overthrow it; and he slew the king that then reigned, and set up another; and he took those Jews that were there captives, and led them away to Babylon. And such was the end of the nation of the Hebrews, as it hath been delivered down to us, it having twice gone beyond Euphrates; for the people of the ten tribes were carried out of Samaria by the Assyrians, in the days of king Hoshea; after which the people of the two tribes that remained after Jerusalem was taken, [were carried away] by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon and Chaldea. Now as to Shalmanezer, he removed the Israelites out of their country, and placed therein the nation of the Cutheans, who had formerly belonged to the inner parts of Persia and Media, but were then called Samaritans, by taking the name of the country to which they were removed; but the king of Babylon, who brought out the two tribest, placed no other nation in

* Herodotus says, this king of Egypt [Pharoah Hophra, or Apries] was slain by the Egyptians, as Jeremiah foretold his slaughter by his enemies, Jer. xliv. 29, 30. and that as a sign of the destruction of Egypt [by Nebuchadnezzar.] Josephus says, this king was slain by Nebuchadnezzar himself.

+We see here that Judea was left in a manner desolate after the captivity of the two tribes, and was not repeopled with foreign colonies, perhaps as an indication of Providence that the Jews were to repeople it without opposition themselves. I also esteem the later and present desolate condition of the same coun

their country, by which means all Judea and Jerusalem, and the temple, continued to be a desert for seventy years: but the entire interval of time which passed from the captivity of the Israelites, to the carrying away of the two tribes, proved to be an hundred and thirty years six months and ten days.

§ 1.

СНАР. Х.

Concerning Daniel, and what befel him at Babylon.
BUT

UT now Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took some of the most noble of the Jews that were children, and the kinsmen of Zedekiah their king, such as were remarkable for the beauty of their bodies, and the comeliness of their countenances, and delivered them into the hands of tutors, and to the improvement to be made by them. He also made some of them to be eunuchs; which course he took also with those of other nations, whom he had taken in the flower of their age, and afforded them their diet from his own table, and had them instructed in the institutes of the country, and taught the learning of the Chaldeans; and they had now exercised themselves sufficiently in that wisdom which he had ordered they should apply themselves to. Now among these there were four of the family of Zedekiah, of most excellent dispositions, the one of whom was called, Daniel, another was called Ananias, another Mesael, and the fourth Azarias: And the king of Babylon changed their names, and commanded that they should make use of other names; Daniel he called Baltasar, Ananias Shadrach, Misael, Meshach, and Azarias, Abednego. These the king had in esteem, and continued to love, because of the very excellent temper they were of, and because of their application to learning, and the progress they had made in wisdom.

2. Now Daniel and his kinsmen, had resolved to use a severe diet, and to abstain from those kinds of food which came from the king's table, and entirely to forbear to eat of all living creatures: So he came to Ashpenaz, who was that eunuch to whom the care of them was committed, and desired him to

try, without being repeopled by foreign colonies, to be a like indication, that the same Jews are hereafter to repeople it again themselves, at their so long expect ed future restoration.

* That Daniel was made one of those eunuchs of which Isaiah prophesied, Isa. xxxix. 7. and the three children his companions also, seems to me plain, both here in Josephus, and in our copies of Daniel, Dan. i. 3, 6 7-11, 18. although it must be granted, that some married persons, that had children, were sometimes called eunuchs, in a general acceptation for courtiers, on account that so many of the ancient courtiers were real eunuchs. See Gen. xxxix. 1.