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to their political government. Whereupon God was provoked to anger, and put them in mind, first how contrary to his directions they had spared the Canaanites; and, after that, how those Canaanites, as opportunity served, used them very barbarously. But the Israelites, though they were in heaviness at these admonitions from God, yet were they still very unwilling to go to war. And since they got large tributes from the Canaanites, and were indisposed for taking pains by their luxury, they suffered their aristocracy to be corrupted also, and did not ordain themselves a senate, nor any such magistrates as their laws had formerly required. But they were very much given to cultivating their fields, in order to get wealth; which great indolence of theirs brought a terrible sedition upon them; and they proceeded so far as to fight one against another, from the following occasion.

There was a Levite,† a man of a vulgar family, that belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and dwelt therein. This man married a wife from Bethlehem, which is a place belonging to the tribe of Judah. Now he was very fond of his wife, and overcome with her beauty; but he did not meet with a return of affection, for she was averse to him; which did more inflame his passion for her. So they quarrelled one with another perpetually; and at last the woman was so disgusted at these quarrels, that she left her husband, and went to her parents, in the fourth month. husband being very uneasy at her departure, went to his father and mother-in-law, made up their quarrels, and lived with them there four days, as being kindly treated. On the fifth day he resolved to go home, and went away in the evening; for his wife's parents were loth to part with their daughter, and delayed the time till the day was gone. Now they had one servant that followed them, and an ass on which the woman rode; and when

The

*Josephus's early date of this history, before the beginning of the Judges, or when there was no king in Israel, Judges xix. 1. is strongly confirmed by the large number of Benjamites, both in the days of Asa and Jehoshaphat; 2 Chron. xiv. 8. and xvi. 17. who yet were here reduced to 600 men. Nor can those numbers be at all supposed genuine, if they were reduced so late as the end of the Judges, where our other copies place this reduction. † About An. 1460 B. C.

Reland, in his Palestina, tom. II. p. 810. finds a con

they they were near Jerusalem, having gone already‡ thirty furlongs, the servant advised them to take up their lodgings somewhere, lest some misfortune should befal them, if they travelled in the night, especially since they were not far off enemies; that season often giving reason for suspicion of dangers from even such as are friends. But the husband was not pleased with this advice, nor was he willing to take up his lodging among strangers; for the city belonged to the Canaanites; but desired rather to go twenty furlongs farther, and so take their lodging in some Israelite city. Accordingly he came to Gibeah, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, when it was just dark; and while no one that lived in the market-place invited him to lodge with him, there came an old man out of the field; one that was indeed of the tribe of Ephraim, but resided in Gibeah, and asked him, who he was? for what reason he came thither so late? and why he was looking out for provisions for supper when it was dark? to which he replied that he was a Levite, and was bringing his wife from her parents, and was going home; but he told him his habitation was in the tribe of Ephraim. So the old man, as well because of their kindred, as because they lived in the same tribe; and also because they had thus accidentally met together, took him to lodge with him. Now certain young men, of the inhabitants of Gibeah, having seen the woman in the market-place, and admiring her beauty, when they understood that she lodged with the old man, came to the doors, as contemning the weakness and fewness of the old man's family. And when the old man desired them to go away, and not to offer any violence or abuse there; they desired him to yield them up the strange woman, and then he should have no harm done to him. And when the old man alleged, that the Levite was of his kindred; and that they would be guilty of horrid wickedness if tradiction in Josephus, as to the distance of Gibeah of Saul in the tribe of Benjamin, from Jerusalem, 30 furlongs here; but of the War, V. 2. 20 furlongs, and no more. Yet is there no necessity of making these two places to contradict each other. These 20 furlongs only they had now to go to Gibeah indeed; but it was not from Jerusalem, but from the place where they now were; which might easily be eight or ten furlongs from Jerusalem in the way to Gibeah. So that here does not appear any real contradiction at all.

they suffered themselves to be overcome by their pleasure, and so offend against their laws; they despised his righteous admonition, and laughed him to scorn; they also threatened to kill him, if he became an obstacle to their inclinations. Whereupon, when he found himself in great distress, and yet was not willing to overlook his guests, and see them abused, he produced his own daughter to them; and told them, that it was* a smaller breach of the law to satisfy their lust upon her, than to abuse his guests; supposing that he should by this means prevent an injury from being done to those guests. When they no way abated of their earnestness for the strange woman, but insisted absolutely on their desires to have her, he intreated them not to perpetrate any such act of injustice: but they proceeded to take her away by force; and indulging still more the violence of their inclinations, they took the woman

* See Gen. xix. 8.

† Interpreters say but little concerning the real views of the Levite in this transaction; they merely intimate, that it was done to excite a general indignation against the authors of the injury he had sustained. His motives certainly were good and regular. He intended to unite the whole nation in vengeance against a crime, in which it was interested; but as they might be checked in the extent of the punishment by the number, the credit, and the power, of the offenders; by the natural commiseration which is felt for those who are of the same blood; or by an aversion to involve a city in destruction; he sought and seized a method which put them to the indispensable necessity of espousing his cause. The only part which he had to take was, to cut in pieces the body of his wife, which he did, or else that of an ox, or other like animal, which had been either devoted or offered in sacrifice, and to send a part of it to each tribe. In consequence of this, every tribe entered into an indissoluble engagement to see justice done him for the injury he had received. This is what the interpreters of scripture seem not to have known, and which it is necessary to explain.

But as

The ancients had several ways of uniting themselves together by strict ties, which lasted for a stipulated time, amongst these may be noticed the sacrifice of Abraham, the circumstances of which are mentioned, Gen. xvi. 9. &c. Another method was to take a bullock offered or devoted in sacrifice, cut it into pieces, and distribute it. All who had a piece of this devoted bullock were thenceforward connected, and were to concur in carrying on the affair which had given occasion for the sacrifice. this devoting and dividing was variously practised, it also produced different engagements. If he who was at the expense of the sacrifice were a public person, or in high office, he sent of his own accord a piece of the victim to all who were subject to him; and by this act obliged them to enter into his views. If the sacrifice were offered by a private person, those only who voluntarily took a piece of the sacrifice entered into a strict engagement to espouse

away to their house, and when they had abused her the whole night, they let her go about day-break. So she came to the place where she had been entertained, under great affliction at what had happened, and durst not look her husband in the face for shame; for she concluded that he would never forgive her, for what she had done. So she fell down, and gave up the ghost; but her husband supposed his wife was only fast asleep; and thinking nothing of a more melancholy nature had happened, endeavoured to raise her up, resolving to speak comfortably to her, since she did not voluntarily expose herself to those men's lust, but was forced away to their house. But as soon as he perceived that she was dead, he acted as prudently as the greatness of the misfortune would admit; and laid his dead wife upon the beast, and carried her home. Then cutting her limb by limb into twelve pieces, he sent them to every

his interest. Connections of this kind derived their force from the deities, in honour of which the sacrifice was offered; from the true God, when made by the Jews; from idols, when made by the Gentiles. The Jews were content to invoke and take the Lord to witness, whereas the Pagans never failed to place upon an altar of green turf, the deities which presided over their covenant. These deities were called common, because they were the common deities of all who were thus united, and received in common the honours which they thought proper to pay them.

oxen.

A direct proof of these facts is recorded in 1 Sam. xi. 7. "And Saul took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent." Another proof is drawn from the customs observed by the Scythians and Molossians. Lucian thus speaks of what passed between these people upon urgent occasions. "When any one had received an injury, and had not the means of avenging himself, he sacrificed an ox, and cut it into pieces, which he caused to be dressed and publicly exposed; then he spread out the skin of the victim, and sat upon it, with his hands tied behind him. All who chose to take part in the injury which had been done, took up a piece of the ox, and swore to supply and maintain for him, one five horses, another ten, others still more; some infantry, each according to his strength and ability. They who had only their person, engaged to march themselves. Now an army composed of such soldiers, far from retreating or disbanding, was invincible, as it was engaged by oath."

These circumstances, compared with the account given of the Levite's conduct, and the subsequent behaviour of the tribes, clearly point out, that the method used by the Levite to obtain redress was consistent with the established usages of the times, and effected the retribution he desired to see accomplished. B.

tribe, and gave it in charge to those that carried them, to inform the tribes of those that were the cause of his wife's death, and of the violence they had offered her.

Upon this the people were greatly disturbed at what they saw and heard; as never having had the experience of such a thing before. So they gathered themselves to Shiloh, out of a just anger; and, assembling in a great congregation before the tabernacle, they immediately resolved to take arms, and to treat the inhabitants of Gibeah as enemies. But the senate restrained them from doing so, and persuaded them that they ought not so hastily to make war upon people of the same nation with them, before they discoursed with them, by words, concerning the accusation laid against them. It being part of their law, that they should not bring an army against foreigners themselves, when they appear to have been injurious, without sending an ambassage first, and trying thereby whether they will repent or not; and accordingly they exhorted them to do what they ought, in obedience to their laws; that is, to send to the inhabitants of Gibeah, to know whether they would deliver up the offenders to them; and if they should deliver them up, to rest satisfied with the punishment of those offenders; but if they despised the message that was sent them, to punish them, by taking up arms against them. Accordingly they sent to the inhabitants of Gibeah, and accused the young men of the crimes committed in the affair of the Levite's wife; and required of them, those that had done what was contrary to the law, that they might be punished; as having justly† deserved to die for what they had done. But the inhabitants of Gibeah would not deliver up the young men, and thought it too reproachful for them, out of fear of war, to submit to other men's demands upon them; vaunting themselves to be no way inferior to any in war, neither in their number, nor in courage. The rest of their tribe also made great preparation for war; for they were so

* See IV. 8. and Deut. xx. 10. † Deut. xxii. 25.

‡ Judg. xx. 46, 47.

Josephus seems here to have made a small mistake, when he took the Hebrew word Beth-El, which denotes the house of God, or the tabernacle, Judg. xx. 18, for the proper name of a place, Bethel. It no way appearing that

insolently mad also, as to resolve to repel force by force.

When it was related to the Israelites, what the inhabitants of Gibeah had resolved upon, they took an oath that no one of them would give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite; but that they would make war with greater fury against them, than their forefathers had made war against the Canaanites. Accordingly they sent out an army of four hundred thousand against them; while the Benjamites' army was twenty-five thousand and six hundred; five hundred of whom were excellent at slinging stones with their left hands. When the battle was joined at Gibeah, the Benjamites beat the Israelites, and of them there fell twenty-two thousand men; and probably more had been destroyed had not the night come on, and broken off the fight. So the Benjamites returned to the city with joy, and the Israelites returned to their camp in great affliction at what had happened. On the next day, when they fought again, the Benjamites beat them, and eighteen thousand of the Israelites were slain, and the rest deserted their camp out of fear of a great slaughter. So they came to|| Bethel, a city that was near the camp, and fasted on the next day, and besought God, by Phineas, the high-priest, that his wrath against them might cease; and that he would be satisfied with these two defeats, and give them the victory over their enemies. Accordingly God promised them so to do, by the prophesying of Phineas.

When therefore they had divided the army into two parts, they laid the one half of them in ambush about the city Gibeah by night, while the other half attacked the Benjamites; these retiring upon the assault, the Benjamites pursued them; while the Hebrews retired by slow degrees, as desirous to draw them entirely from the city, and the other followed them as they retired, till both the old and young men that were left in the city as too weak to fight, came running out together as willing to bring their enemies under. the tabernacle was ever at Bethel. Only so far it is true, that Shiloh, the place of the tabernacle in the days of the Judges, was not far from Bethel.

§ See this account in Josephus, remarked as one of the most necessary and important emendations his temple copy affords us, different from all our other copies. Liter. Accompl. of Proph. Supplement, pag. 75, 76, 77.

tion of the tribe of Benjamin; and said to them, "We give you leave to take the whole land of Benjamin to yourselves, and as much prey as you are able to carry away with you." So these men with sorrow confessed, that what had been done was according to the decree of God, and had happened for their own wickedness, and assented to those that invited them, and came down to their own tribe. The Israelites also gave them the four hundred virgins of Jabesh Gilead* for wives. But as to the remaining two hundred, they deliberated how they might obtain wives for

However, when they were a great way from the city, the Hebrews turned back to fight them, and gave the preconcerted signal to those that lay in ambush; who rose up, and with a great noise fell upon the enemy. Now, as soon as they perceived themselves to be deceived, they knew not what to do; and when they were driven into a certain hollow place, which was in a valley, they were shot at by those that encompassed them, till they were all destroyed, excepting six hundred, which formed themselves into a close body of men, and forced their passage through the midst of their enemies, and fled to the neigh-them. And whereas they had before the war bouring mountains; but the rest, being about twenty-five thousand, were slain. Then did the Israelites burn Gibeah, and slew the women, and the males that were under age. They did the same also to the other cities of the Benjamites. And indeed they were enraged to that degree, that they sent twelve thousand men out of the army, and gave them orders to destroy Jabesh Gilead; because they did not join with them in fighting against the Benjamites. Accordingly those that were sent slew the men of war, with their children and wives, excepting four hundred virgins. To such a degree had they proceeded in their anger, because they not only had the suffering of the Levite's wife to avenge, but the slaughter of their own soldiers.

However, they afterward were sorry for the calamity they had brought upon the Benjanites, and appointed a fast upon that acCount; although they supposed those men had suffered justly for their offence against the laws. So they recalled, by their ambassa lors, those six hundred which had escaped. These had seated themselves on a certain rock called Rimmon, which was in the wilderness. So the ambassadors lamented not only the disaster that had befallen the Bjamites, but themselves also, by this destruction of their kindred; and persuaded them to take it patiently, and to come and unite with them; and not, so far as in them lay, to give their suffrage to the utter destruc

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taken an oath, that no one would give his daughter to wife to any Benjamite; some advised them to have no regard to what they had sworn; because the oath had not been taken advisedly and judiciously, but in a passion; and thought that they should do nothing against God, if they were able to save a whole tribe, which was in danger of perishing; and that perjury was only a sad dangerous thing, not when it is committed out of necessity, but with a wicked intention. But when the senate were affrighted at the very name of perjury, a certain person told them, that he could shew them a way whereby they might procure wives for the Benjamites, and yet keep their oath. And on their asking what his proposal was, he said, "Three times in a year, when we meet in Shiloh, our wives and our daughters accompany us. Let then the Benjamites be allowed to steal away, and marry such women as they can catch; while we will neither incite nor forbid them. And when their parents take it ill, and desire us to inflict punishment upon them, we will tell them, that they were themselves the cause of what had happened, by neglecting to guard their daughters; and that they ought not to be over angry at the Benjamites, since that anger had been permitted to rise up too high already." So the Israelites were persuaded to follow this advice; and decreed, that the Benjamites should be allowed thus to steal themselves wives. So when the festival† was

season of great joy, for having newly gathered their vintage, and the only season wherein the Jewish virgins were allowed to dance. At this time they dwelt in booths too, behind which the Benjamites (as they fancy) might vconveniently conceal themselves.

tunity of carrying away the virį

coming on, these two hundred Benjamites lay in ambush before the city, by two or three together; and waited for the coming of the virgins in the vineyards, and other places where they could lie concealed. Accordingly the virgins came along, playing, and suspected nothing of what was coming upon them, and walked after an unguarded manner. So those that lay scattered in the road, rose up, and caught hold of them. By this means these Benjamites got them wives, and applied themselves to agriculture, and took good care to recover their former happy state. And thus was this tribe, after they had been in danger of entirely perishing, saved by the wisdom of the Israelites. And accordingly it flourished, and soon increased to be a multitude, and came to enjoy all other degrees of happiness. And such was the conclusion of this war.

CHAP. III.

OF THE MISFORTUNES BROUGHT UPON THE ISRAELITES BY THEIR INDOLENCE AND REMISSNESS; THEIR OPPRESSION BY THE ASSYRIANS, AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT DELIVERANCE BY OTHNIEL, WHO RULED OVER THEM FORTY YEARS.

NOW

TOW it happened,* that the tribe of Dan suffered in the like manner with the tribe of Benjamin, and on the following occasion. When the Israelites had already left off the exercise of their arms of war, and were intent upon their husbandry, the Canaanites despised them, and brought together an army. Not because they expected to suffer from them, but because they had a mind to have a sure prospect of treating the Hebrews ill when they pleased; and might thereby, for the time to come, dwell in their own cities more securely. They prepared, therefore, their chariots, and gathered their soldiers together. Their cities also combined, and drew over to them Ascalon and Ekron, which were within the tribe of Judah, and many more of those that lay in the plain. They

make against this opinion is, that at any of these public festivals, the concourse of people would have been too great for a design of this nature to be put into execution, since the violence which must, of course, have been offered to the young women, would hardly have met with a general connivance. It is much more probable, therefore, that this was some festival peculiar to the people of Shiloh, which the Benjamites perhaps might know nothing of, and were therefore put in mind of it by the elders of the con

also forced the Danites to fly into the mountainous country, and left them not the least portion of the plain country to set their foot on. Since then these Danites were not able to fight them, and had not land enough for their own support; they sent five of their men into the midland country, to see for a land to which they might remove their habitation. So these men went as far as the neighbourhood of mount Libanus, and the fountains of the lesser Jordan, at the great plain of Sidon, a day's journey from the city. And when they had taken a view of the land, and found it to be exceeding fruitful, they acquainted their tribe with it. Whereupon they made an expedition with an army; and built there the city of Dan, of the same name with the son of Jacob, and of the same name of their own tribe.

The Israelites now grew so indolent,† that misfortunes came heavier upon them; which also proceeded in part from their contempt of the Divine worship. For when they had once fallen off from the regularity of their political government, they indulged themselves farther in living according to their own will; till they were full of the evil doings that were common among the Canaanites. God therefore was angry with them, and they forfeited by their luxury that happy state which they had obtained by innumerable labours. For when Chushan, king of the Assyrians, had made war against them, they lost many of their soldiers in the battle; and when they were besieged they were taken by force. Nay, there were some who, out of fear, voluntarily submitted to him; and though the tribute laid upon them was more than they could bear, yet did they pay it; and underwent all sort of oppression for eight years. After which time they were delivered in the following manner:

There was one whose name was Othniel. the son of Kenaz, of the tribe of Judah; an active man, and of great courage. He had

gregation. Josephus tells us, that it was celebrated thrice every year; and on this festival it might be a custom for the young women to go out into the fields, and there dance by themselves, which might give their ravishers the very opportunity they wanted. Le Clerc's Commentary. B. About An. 1455 B. C.

† An. 1449.

From 1449 to 1441 B. C. Judg. iii. 9.

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