Elisha* also sent a hasty message to Joram, and exhorted him to take care of that place; for that therein were some Syrians lying in ambush to kill him. So the king did as the prophet exhorted him, and avoided going a hunting. And when Benhadad missed of the success of his lying in ambush, he was angry with his own servants as if they had betrayed his concealment to Joram, and he sent for them, and said, they were the betrayers of his secret counsels; and he threatened that he

* Dr. Hudson, with very good reason, suspects that there is no small defect in our present copies of Josephus, just before the beginning of this paragraph, and that chiefly as to that distinct account which he had given us reason to expect in the preceding one, and to which he seems to refer, chap. viii. concerning the glorious miracles which Elisha wrought; which indeed in our Bibles are not a few, 2 Kings iv-ix. but of which we have several omitted in Josephus's present copies. Nor does the following incoherence here, which requires Joram to beware of that place, as 2 Kings vi. 10, whereas no certain place had, in his present copies, been mentioned before, at all agree with the foregoing coherence, and context, as it does in our other copies. One of those histories, omitted at present, was evidently in his Bible. I mean that of curing Naaman's leprosy, 2 Kings v. for he plainly alludes to it, III. 11, where he observes, that "There were lepers in many nations, who yet have been in honour; and not only free from reproach, and avoidance; but who have been great captains of armies, and been intrusted with high offices in the commonwealth, and have had the privil ege of entering into holy places and temples." But what makes me most to regret the want of that history in our present copies of Josephus, is this, that we have here, as it is commonly understood, one of the greatest difficulties in all the Bible, I mean that in 2 Kings v. 18, 19, where Naaman, after he had been miraculously cured by a prophet of the true God, and had thereupon promised, that he would thenceforth offer neither burnt-offerings nor sacrifices unto other gods, but unto the Lord; adds, "In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing." And Elisha said unto him, "Go in peace." This looks like a prophet's permission for being partaker in idolatry itself, out of compliance with an idolatrous court. The Septuagint in our ordinary copies, plainly understood it so, by using the verb bowing down, in the future tense; although Theodoret cites it as in the past tense. And the great Bochart has shewn, that in the original, it more properly belongs to the times past, Op. page 892, 894, 898, and only contains bis desire of pardon for what he had formerly done, while he was a gross idolater; and not of being indulged in any such thing for the time to come. The permission of which seems utterly inconsistent with both the Old and New Testament. It is therefore a great pity that Josephus's copies should be defective in so remarkable a place. Nor is it very unlikely, that what Josephus promised to speak of afterward, V. 1. concerning the curse on the rebuilder of Jericho, but is not now found in his present books, was contained in what is here wanting upon occasion of Elisha's miracle there, 2 Kings ii. 18-22.

would put them to death: since such their practice was evident, because he had intrusted this secret to none but them; and yet it was made known to his enemy. But one that was present said, that he should not mistake himself, nor suspect that they had discovered to his enemy his sending men to kill him; but that he ought to know that it was Elisha the prophet who discovered all to him, and laid open all his counsels. So he gave order that they should send some to learn in what city Elisha dwelt. Accordingly those that were sent brought word that he was in Dothan. Wherefore Benhadad sent to that city a great army with horses and chariots, to take Elisha. So they encompassed the city round about by night, and kept him therein confined. But when the prophet's servant in the morning perceived this, and that his enemies sought to take Elisha, he came running, and crying after a disordered manner to him, and told him of it. But he encouraged him, and bade him not be afraid, but to despise the enemy, and trust in the assistance of God; and he besought God to manifest to his servant his power and presence, so far as was possible, in order to the inspiring him with hope and courage. Accordingly God heard the prayer of the prophet, and made the servant see a multitude of chariots and horses encompassing Elisha, till he laid aside his fear, and his courage revived, at the sight of what he supposed was come to their assistance. After this Elisha did farther intreat God, that he would dim the eyes of their enemies, and cast a mist before them, whereby they might not discern him. When this was done he went into the midst of his enemies, and asked them, who it was that they came to seek? And when they replied, the prophet Elisha, he promised he would deliver him to them, if they would follow him to the city where he was. So these men were so darkened by God in their sight and in their mind, that they followed him very diligently. And when Elisha had brought them to Samaria, he ordered Joram the king to shut the gates, and to place his own army round about them; and prayed to God to clear the eyes of these their enemies* and take the mist from before them. Accordingly when they were freed from the obscurity they had been in, they saw themselves in the midst of their enemies.

And as the Syrians were strangely amazed and distressed, as was but reasonable, at an action so divine and surprising, and as king Joram asked the prophet, if he would give him leave to shoot at them: Elisha forbade them so to do; and said, that it was just to kill those that were taken in battle; but that these men had done no harm; but, without knowing it, were come thither by the divine power. So that his counsel was to treat them in a hospitable manner at his table; and then send them away, without hurting them. Wherefore Joram obeyed the prophet: and when he had feasted the Syrians in a splendid and magnificent manner, he let them go to Benhadad their king.*

Now when these men were come back, and had shewed Benhadad how strange an accident had befallen them: and how they had experienced the God of Israel's power, he wondered at it: as also at that prophet with whom God was so evidently present. So he determined to make no more secret attempts upon the king of Israel, out of fear of Elisha; but resolved to make open war with them; as supposing he could be too hard for his enemies by the multitude of his army and his power. So he made an expedition with a great army against Joram; who, not thinking himself a match for him, shut himself up in Samaria, and depended on the strength of its walls. But Benhadad supposed he should take the city, if not by his engines of war, yet that he should overcome the Samaritans by famine and the want of necessaries; and brought his army upon them, and besieged the city. And the plenty of necessaries was brought so low with Joram, that, from the extremity of want, an ass's head was sold in Samaria for eighty pieces of silver; and the Hebrews bought a sextary of dove's dung, instead of salt, for five pieces of silver. Now Joram was in fear lest some persons should betray the city to the enemy, by reason of the famine, and went every day round the walls and the guards,

* Upon occasion of this stratagem of Elisha's in Josephus, we may take notice, that although Josephus was one of the greatest lovers of truth in the world, yet, in a just war, he seems to have had no manner of scruple upon him by all such stratagems possible to deceive public enemies. See this Josephus's account of Jeremiah's imposition on the great men of the Jews in somewhat a like case, X. 7. See him also, VII. 9. And see our own Bible, 2 Sam. xvi. 16, &c. and xvii. 1— 16, 20.

to see whether any such were concealed among them; and by being thus seen, and by taking such care be deprived them of the opportunity of contriving any such things. One day upon a certain woman's crying out. "Have pity on me, my lord;" he thought that she was about to ask for somewhat to eat; and imprecated God's curse upon her, saying, he had neither threshing-floor, nor wine-press; whence he might give her any thing at her petition. Upon which she said, she did not desire his aid in any such thing; nor troubled him about food: but desired that he would do her justice as to another woman. And when he bade her let him know what she desired, she said, she had made an agreement with another woman, who was her neighbour and her friend; that because the famine was intolerable, they should kill their children, each of them having a son of her own, and live upon them two days, the one day upon one son, and the other day upon the other: "And," said she, "I have killed my son, the first day, and we lived upon him yesterday; but this other woman will not do the same thing, but hath broken her agreement, and hath concealed her son." This story affected the king so deeply that he rent his garment and cried out with a loud voice; and conceiving great wrath against Elisha the prophet, he resolved to have him slain; because he did not pray to God to provide them some way of escape out of the miseries with which they were surrounded. Accordingly a messenger was immediately despatched to kill the prophet: but Elisha was not unacquainted with the wrath of the king against him. For as he sat in his house by himself, with none but his disciples about him, he told them, that Joram,† who was the son of a murderer, had sent one to take away his head. "But," said he, "when he that is commanded to do this, comes, take care that you do not let him come in;

This was threatened as a punishment for disobedience, in Levit. xxvi. 29, and Deut. xxvii. 53, 57.

This son of a murderer was Joram, the son of Ahab, which Ahab slew, or permitted his wife Jezebel to slay the Lord's prophets, and Naboth, 1 Kings xviii. 4. xxi. 19. and he is here called by this name, I suppose, because he had now also himself sent an officer to murder him. Yet is Josephus's account of Joram's coming to himself at last, as repenting of his intended cruelty, much more probable than that in our copies, 2 Kings vi. 33, which rather implies the contrary. See the place which seems to be imperfect in those copies.

but press the door against him, and hold him fast there: for the king himself will follow him, and come to me, having altered his mind." Accordingly they did as they were bidden, when he that was sent by the king to kill Elisha came. But Joram repented of his wrath against the prophet; and for fear he that was commanded to kill him should have done it before he came, he made haste to hinder his slaughter. And when he came, he accused him that he did not pray to God for his deliverance from the miseries the people now lay under, but saw them so sadly destroyed by them. Hereupon Elisha promised, that the very next day, at the very same hour in which the king came to him, they should have a great plenty of food; and that two seahs* of barley should be sold in the market for a shekel; and a seah† of fine flour should be bought for a shekel. This prediction made Joram, and those that were present, very joyful; for they did not scruple believing what the prophet said, on account of the experience they had of the truth of his former predictions. And the expectation of plenty made the want they were in that day, with the uneasiness that accompanied it, appear a light thing to them. But the captain of the third band, who was a friend of the king's, and on whose hand the king leaned, said, “Thou talkest of incredible things, O prophet! for as it is impossible for God to pour down torrents of barley, or fine flour, out of heaven; so it is impossible that what thou hast said, should come to pass." To which the prophet made this reply, "Thou shalt see these things come to pass; but thou shalt not be in the least a partaker of them."

What Elisha had thus foretold, came to pass in the following inanner: There was a law at Samaria, that those who had the leprosy, and whose bodies were not cleansed from it, should abide without the city. And there were four men that on this account abode before the gates, while nobody gave them any food by reason of the extremity of the famine. And as they

* About a peck.

↑ Half a peck.

This law of the Jews, for the exclusion of lepers out of the camp in the wilderness, and out of cities in Judea, is a known one. Levit. xiii. 46, and Numb. v. 1-4. Antiq. III. 11. See the examples of its constant obtaining in practice, Numb. xji. 10-14. 2 Kings vii. 3. xv. 5. 2 Chron. xxvi. 21. Antiq. IX. 10.