that though Moses and Aaron were before un-bread-corn, and made loaves of it, they should der some degree of hatred; they now laid give somewhat of what they baked to them. that hatred aside, and began to admire the Moreover, when any have made a sacred vow; judgment of God concerning them. So that I mean those that are called Nazarites,* that hereafter they applauded what God had de- suffer their hair to grow long, and use no creed, and permitted Aaron to enjoy the wine when they consecrate their hair, and priesthood peaceably. And thus God ordain- offer it for a sacrifice, they are to allot that ed him priest three several times, and he re-hair to the priests, to be thrown into the fire. tained that honor without farther disturbance. And hereby this sedition of the Hebrews, which had lasted a great while, was at length composed. And now Moses, because the tribe of Levi was made free from war and warlike expeditions, and was set apart for the divine worship; lest they should want, and seek after the necessaries of life, and so neglect the temple; commanded the Hebrews, according to the will of God, that when they should gain the possession of the land of Canaan, they should assign forty-eight good cities to the Levites; and permit them to enjoy their suburbs, as far as the limit of two thousand cubits would extend from the walls of the city. And besides this, he appointed that the people should pay the tithe of their annual fruits of the earth, both to the Levites, and to the priests. And this is what that tribe receives of the multitude. But I think it necessary to set down what is paid by all, peculiarly to the priests. Such, also, as dedicate themselves to God, as a corban, which denotes what the Greeks call a gift, when they are desirous of being freed from that ministration, are to lay down money for the priests; thirty shekels if it be a woman, and fifty if it be a man: but if any be too poor to pay the appointed sum, it shall be lawful for the priests to determine the sum, as they think fit. And if any slay a beast at home, for a private festival, but not for a religious one, they are obliged to bring the maw, and the cheek, or breast, and the right shoulder of the sacrifice, to the priests. With these Moses contrived that the priests should be plentifully maintained; besides what they had out of those offerings for sins, which the people gave them; as I have set it down in the foregoing book. He also ordered, that out of every thing allotted for the priests, their servants, their sons, their daughters, and their wives, should partake, as well as themselves excepting what came to them out of the sacrifices that were offered for sins. For of those Accordingly he commanded the Levites to none but the males of the family of the priests yield up to the priests thirteen of their forty-might eat; and this in the temple also; and eight cities; and to set apart for them the the same day they were offered. tenth part of the tithe which they every year receive of the people; as also that it was but just to offer to God the first-fruits of the entire product of the ground; and that they should offer the first-born of those four-footed beasts that are appointed for sacrifices, if it be a male, to the priests, to be slain; that they and their entire families may eat them in the holy city; but that the owners of those first-born, which are not appointed for sacrifices, in the laws of our country, should bring a shekel and a half in their stead; but for the firstborn of a man, five shekels: that they should also have the first-fruits out of the shearing of the sheep; and that when any baked * Grotius observes, that the Greeks, as well as the Jews, When Moses had made these constitutions, after the sedition was over, he removed, together with the whole army, and came to the borders of Idumea. He then sent ambassadors to the king of the Idumeans, and desired him to give him a passage through his country: and agreed to send him what hostages he should desire, to secure him from any injury. He desired also, that he would allow his army liberty to buy provisions; and if he insisted upon it, he would pay down a price for the very water they should drink. But the king was not pleased with this ambassage from Moses, nor did he allow a passage for the army, but brought his peo sometimes consecrated the hair of their heads to the gods. On Numb. vi. 18. ple armed to meet Moses, and to hinder them in case they should endeavor to force their passage. Upon which Moses consulted God by the oracle; who would not have him begin the war first and so he withdrew his forces, and travelled round about through the wilderness. * Then it was that Miriam, the sister of Moses, came to her end; having completed her fortieth year since she left Egypt; on the first day of the lunar month Xanthicus. They then made a public funeral for her, at a great expense. She was buried upon a certain mountain, which they call Sin. And when they had mourned for her thirty days, Moses purified the people after this manner. He brought a heifer, that had never been used to the plough, or to husbandry; that was complete in all its parts, and entirely of a red color; at a little distance from the camp, This heifer was into a place perfectly clean. slain by the high-priest, and her blood sprinkled with his finger seven times, before the tabernacle of God. After this, the entire heifer was burnt in that state, together with its skin and entrails, and they threw cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet wool, into the midst of the fire. Then a clean man gathered all her ashes together, and laid them in a place perfectly clean. When, therefore, any persons were defiled by a dead body, they put a little of these ashes into spring water, with hys. sop; and, dipping part of these ashes in it, they sprinkled them with it, both on the third day, and on the seventh; and after that they were clean. This he enjoined them to do also, when the tribes should come into their own land. Now when this purification, which their leader made, upon the mourning for his sister, as it has now been described, was over, he caused the army to remove, and to march through the wilderness, and through Arabia. And when he came to a place which the Arabians esteem their metropolis, which was for merly called Arce, but has now the name of Petra: at this place, which was encompassed with high mountains, Aaron went up one of them in the sight of the whole army; Moses having before told him that he was to die; for this place was over against them. He there put off his pontifical garments, and delivered them to Eleazar his son; to whom the high-priesthood belonged, because he was the elder brother; and died § while the multitude looked upon him. He died in the same year wherein he lost his sister; having lived in all an hundred and twenty-three years. He died on the first day of that lunar month, which is called by the Athenians, Hecatombæon; by the Macedonians, Lous: but by the Hebrews, Abba. CHAP. V. OF THE CONQUEST OF SIHON AND OG, KINGS OF THE AMORITES; AND THE DIVISION OF THEIR LAND BY LOT TO TWO TRIBES AND A HALF OF THE HEBREWS. THE people mourned for Aaron thirty days and when this mourning was over, Moses removed the army from that place, and came to the river Arnon; which issuing out of the mountains of Arabia, and running through all that wilderness, fell into the lake Asphaltites; and became the limit between the land of the Moabites, and the land of the Amorites. This land is fruitful, and sufficient to maintain a great number of men, with the good things it produces. Moses, therefore, sent messengers to Sihon, the king of this country, desiring that he would grant his army a passage, upon what security he should please to require: he promised that he should be no ways injured; neither as to that country which Sihon governed, nor as to its inhabitants: and that he would buy his provisions at such a price as should be to their advantage; even though he should desire to sell them their very water. But Sihon refused his offer, and put his army in array, preparing every thing in order to hinder their passage over Arnon. || because the Latin copies say, it was on the tenth; and so say the Jewish calendars also, as Dr. Bernard assures us. It is said her sepulchre is still extant near Petra, the old capital of Arabia Petræa, at this day; as also that of Aaron, not far off. § Numb. xx. 28. Numb. xxi. 23. When When Moses saw that the Amorite king was disposed to commence hostilities, he thought he ought not to bear that insult; and determining to wean the Hebrews from their indolent temper, and prevent the disorders which arose thence, which had been the occasion of their former sedition; nor indeed were they now thoroughly easy in their minds; he inquired of God, whether he would give him leave to fight? which when he had done, and God had promised him the victory, he was very courageous, and ready to proceed to fighting. Accordingly he encouraged the soldiers, and desired of them that they would take the pleasure of fighting, now God gave them leave so to do. Upon this commission, which they so much longed for, they put on their armor, and set about the work without delay. But the Amorite king was not now like to himself, when the Hebrews were ready to attack him; both himself was affrighted at the Hebrews, and his army, which before had shewn themselves to be of good courage, were then found to be timorous. So they could not sustain the first onset, nor bear up against the Hebrews: but fled away, thinking this would afford them a more likely way for their escape than fighting. For they depended upon their cities, which were strong; from which they reaped no advantage, when they were forced to fly from them. For as soon as the Hebrews saw them giving ground, they immediately pursued; and when they had broken their ranks, they greatly terrified them. And some of them broke off from the rest, and ran away to the cities. Now the Hebrews pursued them briskly, and obstinately persevered in the labors they had already undergone; and being very skilful in slinging, and very dextrous in throwing darts, or any thing else of that kind; and also having on nothing but light armor, which made them quick in pursuit, they overtook their enemies. And for those that were most remote, and could not be overtaken, they reached them by their slings and their bows, so that many were slain, and those that escaped the slaughter were sorely wounded; and *This victory is celebrated in Numb. xxi, 30. Deut. i. 4. iii. 2. iv. 46. xxix. 7, 8. Josh. xiii. 10. Judges xi. 21. Ps. cxxxv. 10, 11. cxxxvi. 18, 19. and by Philo, p. 642. these were more distressed with thirst, than with any of those that fought against them, for it was the summer season and when the greatest number of them were brought down to the river, out of a desire to drink; as also when others fled away by troops, the Hebrews came round them, and shot at them; so that, what with darts, and what with arrows, they made a slaughter of them all: Sihon also, their king, was slain. So the Hebrews spoiled their dead bodies, and took their prey.* The land also, which they took, was full of fruits, and the army went all over it without fear, and fed their cattle upon it, and took the enemies prisoners. For they could no way put a stop to them, since all the fighting men were destroyed. Such was the destruction which overtook the Amorites, who were neither sagacious in counsel, nor courageous in action. Hereupon the Hebrews took possession of their land, which is situate between three rivers, and naturally resembling an island, the river Arnon being its northern limit, and the river Jabbok determining its southern side; which, running into Jordan, loses its own name, and takes the other. While Jordan itself runs along by it, on its western coast.† When matters were come to this state, Og, the king of Gilead and Gaulanitis, fell upon the Israelites. He brought an army with him, and came in haste to the assistance of his friend Sihon. But though he found him already slain, he resolved to fight the Hebrews, supposing he should be too hard for them, and being desirous to try their valor. But failing of his hope, he was both slain in the battle, and all his army was destroyed. I So Moses passed over the river Jabbok, and overran the kingdom of Og. He overthrew their cities, and slew all their inhabitants; who exceeded in riches all the men in that part of the continent, on account of the goodness of the soil, and the great quantity of his wealth. Now Og had very few equals, either in the largeness of his body, or the beauty of his appearance. He was also a man of great activity; so that his actions were not unequal to the vast largeness and handsome appear + Numb. xxi. 24. See Numb. xxi. 35. Deut. iii. 3. Josh, xii. 4. Ps. cxxxv. 11, 12. and Philo, p. 643. CHAP. VI. OF BALAAM'S ATTEMPT TO CURSE ISRAEL, AND OF THE AR TIFICE BY WHICH THE HEBREWS WERE WEAKENED. ance of his body. And men could easily guess | dle with any other country; but were to be at his strength and magnitude, when they took contented with the possession of the land of his bed at Rabbath, the royal city of the Am-Canaan, God having forbidden them to go monites. Its structure was of iron; its breadth any farther. So he, with more haste than four cubits, and its length a cubit more than wisdom, resolved to make an attempt upon double thereto. However, his fall did not only them by words; but he did not judge it pruimprove the circumstances of the Hebrews for dent to fight against them, after they had had the present but by his death he was the occa- the prosperous successes, and even became sion of further good success to them; for they out of ill successes more happy than before; presently took those sixty cities which were but he thought to hinder them, if he could, encompassed with excellent walls, and had from growing greater; and so he resolved to been subject to him; and all the people got, send ambassadors to the Midianites about both in general and particular, a great prey. them. Now these Midianites, knowing there was one Balaam, who lived by Euphrates, and was the greatest of the prophets at that time, and one that was in friendship with them, sent some of their honorable princes along with the ambassadors of Balak, to entreat the prophet to come to them; that he might imprecate curses to the destruction of the Israelites. So Balaam received the ambassadors, and treated them very kindly. And when he had supped, he inquired what was God's will, and what this matter was for which the Midianites entreated him to come to them: but when God opposed his going, he came to the ambassadors, and told them that he was himself willing and desirous to comply with their request, but that God was opposite to his intentions, even that God who had raised him to great reputation on account of the truth of his predictions. For that this army which they entreated him to come to curse was in the favor of God. On which account he advised them to go home again, and not to persist in their enmity against the Israelites. And when he had given them that answer he dismissed the ambassadors. W THEN Moses had brought his army to Jordan, he pitched his camp in the great plain over against Jericho.* This city was a very happy situation, and very fit for producing palm trees and balsam. And now And now the Israelites began to be very proud of themselves, and were very eager for fighting. Moses then, after he had offered for a few days sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, and feasted the people, sent a party of armed men to lay waste the country of the Midianites, and to take their cities. Now the occasion which he took for making war upon them was as follows: When Balak, the king of the Moabites, who had from his ancestors a friendship and league with the Midianites, saw how greatly the Israelites were increased, he was much affrighted on account of his own and his kingdom's danger. For he was † not acquainted with this; that the Hebrews would not med *Numb. xxii. 1. + What Josephus here remarks is worthy our remark, viz. that the Israelites were never to meddle with the Moabites, Ammonites, or any other people, but those belonging to the land of Canaan, and the countries of Sihon and Og beyond Jordan, as far as the desert and Euphrates; and that, therefore, no other people had reason to fear the conquests of the Israelites; but that those countries given them by God were their proper and peculiar portion among the nations, and that all who endeavored to possess them might ever be justly destroyed by them. Numb. xxii. 6. An opinion prevailed both in those days, and in after ages, that some men had a power, by . Now the Midianites, at the earnest entrea the help of their gods, to devote not only particular persons, but whole armies, to destruction. This they are said to have done sometimes by words of imprecation, of which there was a set form among some people, which Eschines calls dogioμmy apar, the determinate curse. Sometimes they also offered sacrifices, and used certain rites and ceremonies, with solemn charms. A famous instance of this we find in the life of Crassus, where Plutarch tells us, that Atticus, tribune of the people, made a fire at the gate out of which Crassus was to march to the war against the Parthians, into which he threw certain things to make a fume, and offered sacrifices to the most angry gods, with horrid imprecations upon him; these, he says, according to ancient tradition, had such a power, that by reason of the voice of the ass, which was that of a man; the angel plainly appeared to him,* and blamed him for the stripes he had given his ass; informing him, that the creature was not in fault, but that he was himself come to obstruct his journey, as being contrary to the will of God. Upon this Balaam was afraid, and was preparing to return back, yet God excited him to go on his intended way; but added this injunction, that he should declare nothing, but what he himself should suggest.† ties of Balak, sent other ambassadors to Ba- what he was now going about, by the provilaam, who, desiring to gratify the men, in-dence of God. And when he was disturbed quired again of God; but he was displeased at this second trial, and bid him by no means to contradict the ambassadors. Balaam did not imagine that God gave this injunction in order to deceive him; so he went along with the ambassadors. But when the divine angel met him in the way, when he was in a narrow passage, and edged in with a wall on both sides, the ass on which Balaam rode understood that it was a divine spirit that met him; and thrust Balaam to one of the walls, without regard to the stripes which her master, when he was hurt by the wall, gave her. But when the ass, upon the angel's continuing to distress her, and upon the stripes which were given her, fell down; by the will of God she made use of the voice of a man, and complained of Balaam, as acting unjustly to her; that whereas he had no fault to find with her in her former service, he now inflicted stripes upon her; as not understanding that she was hindered from serving him in no man who was loaded with them could avoid being un-phet of the true God and intimates that God's answer the done. B. Numb. xxii. 31. "Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way." There are several instances to be found both in the scriptures and in profane authors, where the eyes have been opened by a divine power to perceive that which they could not see by mere natural discernment. Thus the eyes of Hagar were opened, that she might see the fountain, Gen. xxi. 19. Homer also presents us with an example of this kind. Minerva says to Diomed, Yet more, from mortal mists I purge thy eyes, Aspice; namque omnem, quæ nunc obducta tuenti En. ii. 601. Now cast your eyes around: while I dissolve Milton seems likewise to have imitated this, when he Then purg'd with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see, When God had given him this charge, the prophet came to Balak; and after the king had entertained him in a magnificent manner, he desired him to go to one of the mountains, to take a view of the state of the camp of the Hebrews. Balak himself also came to the mountain, and brought the prophet along with him, with a royal attendance. This mountain lay over their heads, and was distant sixty furlongs from the tant sixty furlongs from the camp. He then second time, permitting him to go, was ironical, and on design that he should be deceived; which sort of deception, by way of punishment for former crimes, Josephus never scruples to admit; as ever esteeming such wicked men justly and providentially deceived. But perhaps we had better to adhere closely to the text; which says, Numb. xxiii. 20, 21, that God only permitted Balaam to go along with, or in the Septuagint version to follow, the ambassadors; in case they came and called him, or positively insisted on his going along with them, on any terms. Whereas Balaam seems, out of impatience, to have risen up in the morning and saddled his ass, and rather to have called them, than staid for their calling him. So zealous does he seem to have been for his reward of divination, his wages of unrighteousness. Numb. xxii. 7, 17, 18, 37. 2 Peter ii. 15. Jude 11, which reward or wages the truly religious prophets of God never required, nor accepted'; as Josephus justly takes notice in the cases of Samuel, Antiq.VI. 4, and Daniel, Antiq. X. 17. See also Gen. xiv. 23, 24. 2 Kings. v. 15, 16, 26, and Acts viii. 18-24. Balaam required seven altars to be built, and suitable sacrifices to be prepared. The ancients were very superstitious about certain numbers, supposing that God delighted in odd numbers: Terna tibi hæc primum triplici diversa colore B. Around his waxen image first I wind + Note that Josephus never supposes Balaam to be an idolater, nor to seek idolatrous enchantments, or to prophesy falsely, but to be no other than an ill-disposed pro |