Of the De Ahaz; the Syria and which Ah of Assyrie NOW Jot years, he was burie kingdom th most impiou the laws of h Israel, and sacrifices up fered his ow to the pract were also of on in this n Damascus, now at am they had sieged that progress, of And when Elath, upo bitants, he had slain the in their neig prey, he ret Now when Syrians we a match fo against him And this hi him, on ace Accordingl hundred an whose gene son in this vernor of t He also ca of the tribe the women And when returned to Now the that time in city walls; *Froin. + See wha of this histo Assur to the cerning the struction at they had procured nim the victory. And when he was beaten again, he began to honor the gods of the Assyrians; and he seemed more desirous to honor any other than his paternal and true God; whose anger was the cause of his defeat. Nay he proceeded to such a degree of contempt of God's worship, that he shut up the temple entirely; * and forbade the people to bring in the appointed sacrifices; and took away the gifts that had been given to it. And when he had offered these indignities to God, he died; having lived thirty six years, and reigned sixteen: and he left his son Hezekiah for his successor. CHAP. XIII. Of the Death of Pekah; and the Reigns of Hoshea, King of Israel, and Hezekiah, King of Judah. ABOUT the same time Pekah, § King of Israel Now died by the treachery of a friend of his, named Hoshea, who retained the kingdom || nine years; but was a wicked man, and a despiser of the divine worship. And Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, made an expedition against him, and overcame him (which must have been because he had not God favorable, nor assistant to him) and brought him to submission, and ordered him to pay an appointed tribute in the fourth year of the reign of Hoshea, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abijab, a citizen of Jerusalem. His nature was good, and religious. For when he came to the kingdom he thought nothing more necessary, or more advantageous to himself, and to his subjects, than to worship God. Accordingly he assembled the people, with the priest and the Levites, and made a speech to them, and said, "you are not ignorant how by the sins of my 2 Kings xxviii. 24. + When Josephus, together with all our Hebrew, and all our Greek copies in the Kings: and all our Hebrew and almost all our Greek copies in the Chronicles, make Ahaz, to be but twenty years old when he began to reign, and to reign sixteen years: and then, as all the copies agree, to be succeeded by Hezekiah at twenty-five years, of age it is plain there are but eleven years, or at most some odd months besides for Ahaz, the father, when the son Hezekiah was born: which is one of the greatest difficulties in all the Bible. But then, as Dr. Wall justly ob serves, this difficulty is cleared by the Greek copy and the Armenian version; which though the former in the Kings, and the latter in the Chronicles, had with the rest dropping the odd years above twenty for the age of Ahaz, when he came to the crown, yet has the former in the Chronicles 2 Chron. xxviii. 1. and the latter in the Kings preserved them, and expressly assured us there, that Ahaz VOL. INO. XIX. father, who transgressed that sacred honor which was due to God, you have had experience of many and great miseries; while you were corrupted in your mind by him; and were induced to worship those which he supposed to be gods. I exhort you therefore, who have learned by sad experience how dangerous a thing impiety is, to put that immediately out of your memory; and to purify yourselves from your former pollutions, and to open the temple to these priests and Levites who are here convened; and to cleanse it with the accustomed sacrifices, and to recover all the ancient honor which our forefathers payed to it. For by this means we may render God favorable; and he will remit the anger he hath had towards us." When the king had said this, the priests opened the temple; and when they had set in order the vessels of God, and had cast out what was impure, they laid the accustomed sacrifices upon the altar. The king also sent to the country that was under him; and called the people to Jerusalem, to celebrate the feasts of unleavened bread¶ for it had been intermitted a long time, on account of the wickedness of the aforementioned kings. He also sent to the Israelites, and exhorted them to leave off their present way of living, and to return to their ancient practices, and to worship God; for that he gave them leave to come to Jerusalem, and to celebrate, all in one body, the feast of unleavened bread; and this he said was by way of invitation only, and to be done of their own good will, and for their own advantage, and not out of obedience to him; because it would make them happy. But the Israelites, upon the arrival of the ambassadors, and upon their laying before them what they had in charge from their own king, were so far, from complying therewith, that they laughed the ambassadors to scorn, and mocked them as fools; they also affronted the prophets, who gave them the same exhortations; and foretold what they would suffer if they did not return to the worship of God; insomuch that they caught them, and was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; which directly implies that he was sixteen years old when his son Hezekiah was born; which wholly obviates the diffi culty. From An. 744 to An. 728. § Josephus says here, that Pekah was slain about the same time that Ahaz died; which chronology will not allow. Yet when we consider, that in the same chronology the fourth of Ahaz is called the twentieth of Jotham, 2 Kings xv. 30, while Jotham reigned in all but sixteen years, verse 33. it may be questioned, whether some of the copies in the days of Josephus had not hereabouts some different numbers; and that according to those numbers Pekah might have been slain about the same time that Azah died; though possibly Josephus might use these words, "about the same time," in a looser acceptation. slew them. Nor did this degree of transgressing suffice them; but they had more wicked contrivances than what have been described. Nor did they leave off, before God, as a punishment for their impiety, brought them under their enemies. But of that more hereafter. There were, however, many of the tribe of Manasseh, and of Zebulun, and of* Issachar, who were obedient to what the prophets exhorted them to do; and all these came running to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah, that they might worship God there. When these men were come, King Hezekiah went up in the temple with the rulers and all the people, and offered for himself seven bulls, and as many rams; with seven lambs, and seven kids of the goats. The king also and the rulers laid their hands on the heads of the sacrifices, and permitted the priests to complete the sacred oflices about them. So they both slew the sacrifices, and burnt the burntofferings; while the Levites stood round about them with their musical instruments, and sang hymns to God, and played on their psalteries; as they were instructed to do; and this while the rest of the priests returned the music, and sounded the trumpets which they had in their hands. And when this was done the king and the multitude prostrated themselves and worshipped God. Seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs, were sacrificed by the king, who also granted the multitude sacrifices to feast upon, six hundred oxen, and three according to the law; and appointed that the tithes and the first fruits should be given by the multitude to the priests and Levites; that they might constantly attend upon divine service, and never be taken off from the worship of God. Accordingly the multitude brought together all sorts of their fruits to the priests and the Levites. The king also made garners, and receptacles for these fruits, and distri buted them to every one of the priests and Levites, and to their wives and children. And thus did they return to their old form of divine worship. Now when the king had settled these matters after the manner already described, he made war upon the Philistines, and defeated them, and possessed himself of all their cities, from Gaza to Gath. And when the king of Assyria sent to him, threatening to overturn all his dominions, unless he would pay him the tribute which his father paid formerly, He zekiah was not alarmed; but depended on his piety towards God, by whom he enquired, and accurately knew all future events. And this much shall suf fice for the present concerning king Hezekiah. CHAP. XIV. Of the reduction of Samaria by Shalmaneser, and the removal of the ten Tribes into Media. thousand other cattle; and the priests performed all WHEN things according to the law. Now the king was so pleased herewith, that he feasted with the people, and returned thanks to God. But as the feast of unleavened bread was now come, when they had offered that sacrifice which is called the passover, they afterwards offered other sacrifices, for seven days. When the king had bestowed on the multitude, beside what they sanctified of themselves, two thousand bulls, and seven thousand other cattle; the same thing was done by the rulers. For they gave them a thousand bulls, and a thousand and forty other cattle. Nor had this festival been observed from the days of King Solomon, with such great splendor and magnificence, and when the festival was ended, they went out into the country, and purged it, and cleansed the city of all the pollution of the idols. The king also gave order that the daily sacrifices should be offered, at his own expence, and Asher, Heb. and Sept. This siege of Samaria, though not given a particular account of either in our Hebrew or Greek Bibles, or in Josephus, was so very long; no less than three years; that it is no way improbable but that parents, and partcularly mothers, might therein be reduced to eat their own children, as the law of Moses had threatened upon their disobedience. Levit, xxvi. 29. Deut. xxviii. 53-57. and as was accomplished in the other shorter sieges of HEN Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, was informed that Hoshea had sent privately to So, the king of Egypt, desiring his assistance against him. he was very angry; and made an expedition against Samaria, in the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea, And on being refused admittance into the city, he besieged Samaria + three years, and took it by force in the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, and in the seventh of Hezekiah king of Jerusalem; and quite demolished the government of the Israelites, and transplanted all the people into Media and Per sia; among whom he took king Hoshea alive; and when he had removed these people out of their land, he transplanted other nations out of a place called Cuthah, into Samaria, and into the country of the Israelites. So the ten tribes of the Israelites were removed out of Judea, nine hundred and forty seven years after their fore-fathers came out of the land of Egypt, and possessed themselves of this country; but eight hundred years after Joshua both the capital cities Jerusalem, and Samaria; the former mentioned Jer. xix. 9. Lam. ii. 20. iv. 10. Antiq. IX. 4. Of the War, VI. 3, 4. the latter mentioned 2 Kings, vi. 2629. See my Boyle's Lectures, page, 209---2014. That our Chrology is certain, as far backward as this captivity of the ten tribes; and that to a single year, during the interval of 2456 years, see demonstrated from the sabbatical years, in the Lit. Accompl. of Proph.. Supplem. page 75. had been their leader; and two hundred and forty years, seven months, and seven days, after they had revolted from Rehoboam, the grandson of David, and had given the kingdom to Jeroboam. And such a conclusion overtook the Israelites, when they had transgressed the laws, and would not hearken to the prophets, who foretold that this calamity would come upon them, if they would not leave off their transgressions. What gave birth to these evil doings, was that sedition which they raised against Rehoboam, the grandson of David: when they set up his servant Jeroboam to be their king; who by sinning against God, and bringing them to imitate his bad example, made God to be their enemy; while himself underwent that punishment he justly deserved. And now the king of Assyria invaded all Syria and Phoenicia in a hostile manner. The name of this king is also set down in the archives of Tyre; for he made an expedition against Tyre in the reign of Eluleus. And Manander attests to it; who, when he wrote his Chronology, and translated the archives of Tyre into the Greek language, gives us the following history. One whose name was Eluleus reinged thirty-six years: the king, upon the revolt of the Citteans, sailed to them, and reduced them again to submission. Against these did the king of Assyria send an army, and in an hostile manner over-ran all Phoenicia; but soon made peace with them, and returned back. But Sidon and Ace Paletyrus revolted, and many other cities there were which delivered themselves up to the king of Assyria. Accordingly when the Tyrians would not submit to him, the king returned, and fell upon them again; while the Phoenicians had furnished him with sixty ships, and eight hundred men to row them. And when the Tyrians had come upon them in twelve ships, and the enemies ships were dispersed, they took five hundred men prisoners. And the reputation of all the citizens of Tyre was thereby increased. But the king of Assyria returned, and placed guards at their river and aqueducts; who *Josephus says here, that instead of lions, as in our other copies, 2 Kings, xvii. 26, a plague or pestilence was sent among these Cutheans or Samaritans. He also confirms this afterwards, XII. 5. by an epistle of these Cutheans or Samaritans to Antiochus Ephiphanes: which says should hinder the Tyrians from drawing water. This continued for five years; and still the Tyrians sustained the siege, and drank of the water they had out of the wells they dug." And this is what is written in the Tyrian archives concerning Shalmaneser, king of Assyria. * But now the Cutheans, who removed into Samaria, (for that is the name they have been called by to this time; because they were brought out of the country called Cuthah, which is a country of Persia, and there is a river of the same name in it,) each of them according to their nations, which were in number five, brought their own gods into Samaria; and by worshipping them, as was the custom of their own countries, they provoked Almighty God; to send a plague upon them, by which they were destroyed. And when they found no cure for their miseries, they learned by an oracle, that they ought to worship Almighty God; as the method for their deliverance. So they sent ambassadors to the king of Assyria; and desired. him to send them some of those priests of the Israelites whom he had taken captive. And when he thereupon sent them, and the people were by them taught the laws, and the holy worship of God, they worshipped him in a respectable manner; and the plague ceased immediately. And indeed. they continued to make use of the same customs to this very time; and are called in the Hebrew tongue. Cuthians, but in the Greek tongue, Samaritans. And when they see the Jews in prosperity, they pretend that they are allied to them, and call them kinsmen; as though they were derived from Joseph, and had by that means an original alliance with them. But when they see them falling into a low condition, they say they are no way releated to them: and that the Jews have no right to expect any kindness from them; but they declare that they are sojourners, that come from other countries. But of these we shall have a more seasonable opportunity to discourse hereafter +. nothing of lions; but expressly mentions these frequent plagues. So that Josephus's reading seems to be the most accurate in this place. † See Book XI. Chap. 8. and XII. 5. BOOK BOOK X. Containing an Interval of One Hundred and Eighty-two Years and a half. FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF THE TEN TRIBES, TO THE FIRST OF CYRUS. CHAP. I. Of Sennacherib's Expedition against Hezekiah; the Threatenings of Rabshakeh: the failure of the Expedition, and the subsequent Death of Sennacherib. IT : T was now the fourteenth year of the government of Hezekiah, king of the two tribes; when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, made an expedition against him, with a great army; and took all the cities of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin by force,* And when he was ready to bring his army against Jerusalem, Hezekiah sent ambassadors to him, promising to submit, and to pay what tribute he should appoint. Hereupon Sennacherib resolved not to proceed in the war, but to accept of the proposals that were made him and if he might receive three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold,he promised that he would depart in a friendly manner; and gave security upon oath to the ambassadors that he would then do Hezekiah no harm, but go away as he came. So Hezekiah submitted, and emptied his treasures, and sent the money; as supposing he should be freed from his enemy, and from any farther distress about his kingdom. Accordingly the Assyrian took it and yet had no regard to what he had promised; but while he himself went to the war against the Egyptians and Ethiopians, he left his general Rabshakeh, and two other of his principal commanders, with great forces to destroy Jerusalem. The names of the two other commanders were Tartan and Rabsaris.† Now as soon as they were come before the walls, they pitched their camp, and sent messengers to Hezekiah, and desired that they might speak with him. But he did not himself come out to them for * 2 Kings, xviii. 13. Isaiah, xxxvi. 1. 2 Kings, xviii. 17. This title of Great King, both in our Bibles, 2 Kings, fear; but sent three of his most intimate friends: viz. Eliakim, who was over the kingdom: Shebna, and Joah the recorder. So these men came out, and stood over against the commanders of the Assyrian army. And when Rabshekah saw them, he bade them go and speak to Hezekiah in the following manner that "Sannacherib, the great king desires to know of him, on whom it is that he relies, and depends, in flying from his lord, and refusing to admit his army into the city? Is it on account of the Egyptians, and in hopes that his army would be beaten by them? Where upon he lets him know, that if this be what he expects, he is a foolish man, and like one who leans on a broken reed; while such an one will not only fall down, but will have his hand pierced and hurt by it: for he ought to know, he makes this expedition against him by the will of God; who hath granted this favour to him, that he shall overthrow the kingdom of Israel; and that in the very same manner he shall destroy those that are his subjects also."- When Rabsha keh had made this speech in the Hebrew tongue, for he was skilful in that language, Eliakim was afraid lest the multitude that heard him should be disturbed. So he desired him to speak in the S rian tongue. But the general, nuderstanding what he meant, and perceiving the fear that he was in, replied with a louder voice in the Hebrew tongue; and said Since they all hear what are the king's commands, they will consult their own advantage in delivering up themselver to us: for it is plain that both you and your king dissuade the people from submitting by vain hopes; and so induce them to resist. But if you be courageous, and think to drive our forces away, I am ready to deliver to you two thousand of these horses that are with me, for your use; if you can set as many horsemen on their backs, and shew their strength. But what you have " xviii. 19. Isaiah, xxxiv. 4. and here in Josephus, is the same that Herodotus gives this Sennacherib; as Spanheim takes notice in this place. not, |