themselves, though weeping still towards one another. All those who accompanied him were the senate, and Eleazar the high-priest, and Joshua their commander. Now, as soon as they were come to the mountain called Abarim, which is a very high mountain situate over against Jericho, and one that affords to such as are upon it a prospest of the greatest part of the excellent land of Canaan, he dismissed the senate; and, as he was going to embrace Eleazar and Joshua, and was still discoursing with them, a cloud suddenly overshadowed him, and he disappeared, in a certain valley ;* although he wrote in the holy books that he died which was done out of fear lest they should venture to say, that because of his extraordinary virtue he went to God. Now Moses lived in all one hundred and twenty years,† a third part of which time, abating one month, he was the people's ruler. And he died in the last month of the year, which is called by the Macedonians Dystrus; but by us Adar; on the first day of the month. He was one that exceeded all men *Deut. xxxiv. 6. But notwithstanding all this precaution of God, the Christians boast, that they have discovered the sepulchre, which had been kept secret for so many ages. For, in the year 1655, some goats that were separated from the rest of the flock went to feed in a certain place, in the mountain Nebo, and re. turned from thence so odoriferous and perfumed, that the shepherds, astonished at so wonderful a prodigy, ran presently to consult with the patriarch of the Maronites, who sent thither two monks from Mount Lebanon, and they discovered a monument, on which was this inscription, Moses, the servant of the Lord. But there is too much reason to think that this is all a fiction, on purpose to raise the reputation of the Maronites; as Basnage, in his History and Religion of the Jews, has sufficiently proved, lib. 4. cap. 17. + Deut. xxxiv. 7. B. in understanding, and made the best use of what that understanding suggested to him. He had a very pleasing way of speaking, and addressing the multitude: and, as to his other qualifications, he had such a full command over his passions, as if he hardly had any such in his soul, and only knew them by their names; as rather perceiving them in other men than in himself. He was also such a general of an army as is seldom seen, as well as such a prophet as was seldom known;§ and this to such a degree, that whatsoever he pronounced, you would think you heard the voice of God himself. So the people mourned for him thirty days. Nor did ever any grief so deeply affect the Hebrews as did this upon the death of Moses. Nor were those that had experienced his conduct the only persons that desired him; but those also that perused the laws he left behind him had a strong desire after him, and by them gathered the extraordinary virtue he was master of. And this shall suffice for the declaration of the manner of the death of Moses. Nothing can be plainer from the text, than that Moses did die, and was really buried; nay, Josephus tells us, that the Scripture affirms, that he died lest people should think, because of the excellency of his person, that he was still alive, and with God. And yet, notwithstanding this, some of the Jewish doctors do positively affirm, that he was translated into heaven, where he stands and ministers before God: and of those who admit of his death, and that his soul and body were really separated, the major part will not allow that he died a common death; for their notion is, that his soul departed with a kiss, because he is said to die, al pi, at the mouth (as it is literally in the Hebrew, i. e. according to the word) of God; but if there be any sense in the expression, it must be, that he parted with his soul with great cheerfulness and serenity of mind; Witsius's Miscel. Sacra. B. § Deut. xxxiv. 10. BOOK BOOK V. Containing an Interval of Four Hundred and Seventy-six Years. FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TO THE DE ATH OF ELI. CHAP. I. OF THE WAR CARRIED ON BY JOSHUA AGAINST THE CANAAN- of Manasseh (for half of this tribe had been permitted to have their habitation in the country of the Amorites, which was the† seventh part of the land of Canaan), he put them in WHEN Moses had been taken from among mind what they had promised Moses, and ex men, in the manner already described, horted them that, for the sake of the care that and when all the solemnities belonging to the Moses had taken of them, who had never been mourning for him were finished, Joshua com- weary of taking pains for them, no not when manded the multitude to get themselves ready he was dying, and for the sake of the public for an expedition. He also sent spies to Jeri-welfare, they would prepare themselves, and cho,* to discover what forces they had, and what were their intentions. But he put his camp in order, as intending to pass over Jordan at a proper season. And, calling to him the rulers of the tribe of Reubel, and the governors of the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe * Josh. ii. 1. Jericho was a city of Canaan, which afterwards fell to the lot of the tribe of Benjamin, about seven leagues distant from Jerusalem, and two from Jordan. Moses calls it likewise the city of palm-trees, Deut. xxxiv. 3. because there were great numbers of them in the plains of Jericho; and not only of palm-trees, but, as Josephus tells us, (Antiq. lib. 4. c. 5.) balsam-trees likewise, which produced the precious liquor in such high esteem among the ancients. The plain of Jericho was watered with a rivulet, which was formerly salt and bitter, but was afterwards sweetened by the prophet Elisha, 2 Kin. ii. 21, 22; whereupon the adjacent country, which was watered by it, became not only one of the most agreeable, but most fertile, spots in all that country. As to the city itself, after it was destroyed by Joshua, it was, in the days of Ahab king of Israel, rebuilt by Hiel the Bethelite, 1 Kings, xvi. 24. and in the times of the last kings of Judea yielded to none except Jerusalem. For it was adorned with a royal palace, wherein Herod the Great died with an hippodromus, or place where the Jewish nobility learned to ride the great horse, and other arts of chivalry, with an amphitheatre and other magnificent buildings; but, during the siege of Jerusalem, the treachery of its inhabitants provoked the Romans to destroy it. After the siege was over, there was another city built, but not upon the same place where the two former stood, for the ruins of them are seen to this day. Of what account and bigness it was we have no certain information: but some later travellers inform us, that at present it is no more than a poor nasty readily perform what they had promised. So he took fifty thousand of them, and marched with them, from Abila to Jordan, sixty furlongs. When he had pitched his camp, the spiest came to him immediately, well acquainted village of the Arabs; Well's Geog. of the Old and New The eastern writers tell us, that these spies (whom they make to be Caleb and Phineas) were valiant and religious men, and in the prime of their youth; that, to pass unobserved, they changed their habits, as if they had come from a distant country; and, if any one asked them any questions, their reply was to this effect: "We are peo before sun-setting, and were gone away; who might easily be taken, if they were any terror to the city, or likely to bring any danger to the king. So these messengers being thus *deluded by the woman, and suspecting no imposition, went their ways, without so much as searching the inn: but they immediately pursued them along those roads which they most probably supposed them to have gone, and those particularly which led to the river; but could hear no tidings of them, so they left off any farther pursuit. But, when the tumult was over, Rahab brought the men down, and desired them, as soon as they should have obtained possession of the land of Canaan, when it would be in their power to make her amends for her preservation of them, to remember what danger she had undergone for their sakes; for, that if she had been caught concealing them, she could not have escaped a terrrible destruction, she and all her family: and so bid them go home, and desired them to swear to her, to preserve her and her family when they should take the city, and destroy with the whole state of the Canaanites. For at first, before they were all discovered, they took a full view of the city of Jericho without disturbance, and saw which parts of the walls were strong, and which parts were insecure, and which of the gates were so weak as might afford an entrance to their army. Now those that met them took no notice of them when they saw them, and supposed they were only strangers, who used to be very curious in observing every thing in the city, and did not take them for enemies. At even they retired to a certain inn that was near the wall, whither they went to eat their supper; but when they had finished their repast, and were considering how to get away, information was given the king, that there were some persons come from the Hebrews' camp to view the city, as spies; and that they were in the inn kept by Rahab, and were very solicitous that they might not be discovered. So he sent immediately and commanded to catch them, and bring them to him that he might examine them by torture, and learn what their business was there. As soon as Rahab understood that these messen-all its inhabitants, as they had resolved to do. gers were coming, she hid the spies under stalks of flax, which were laid to dry on the top of her house; and said to the messengers that were sent by the king, that certain unknown strangers had supped with her, a little ple from the east, and our companions have heard of this powerful people, who were forty years in the wilderness, without either guide or provision; and it was reported to us, that they had a God whom they call the King of Hea. ven and earth, and who (as they say) hath given them both your and our country. Our principals have therefore sent us to find out the truth hereof, and to report it to them.We have likewise heard of their captain, whom they call Joshua, the son of Nun, who put the Amalekites to flight, who destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of Midian and Moab. Woe, therefore, be to us, and you, and all that flee to us for shelter! They are a people who pity none, leave none alive, drive all out of their country, and make peace with none. We are all accounted by them infidels, profane, proud, and rebellious. Whoever of us or you, therefore, that intend to take care of themselves, let them take their families and be gone, lest they repent of their stay when it is too late." By this means they imposed upon the people; and, as Josephus informs us, went whither they would, and saw whatever they had a mind to, without any stop or question. They took a view of the walls, the gates, the ramparts, and passed the whole day for men of curiosity only, without any design. So that, if any credit may be given to this account, it was but just that they who thus imposed upon the Canaanites should, in the same manner, be imposed upon by the For so far, she said, she had been assured by those divine miracles of which she had been informed. So these spies acknowledged that they owed her thanks for what she had done already, and withal swore to requite her kind 2222. Gibeonites; Chronicon Samaritanum Arabice scriptum, page 65. B. *It plainly appears by the history of these spies, and the innkeeper Rahab's deception of the king of Jericho's messengers, by telling them what was false, in order to save the lives of the spies, and yet the great commenda. tion of her faith and good works in the New Testament, Heb. xi. 31. Jam. ii. 25. as well as by many other parallel examples both in the Old Testament, and in Josephus, that the best men did not then scruple to deceive those public enemies who might justly be destroyed: as also to deceive ill men, in order to save life, and deliver themselves from the tyranny of their unjust oppressors; and this by telling direct falsehoods. I mean all this where no oath was demanded of them; otherwise they never durst venture on such a procedure. Nor was Josephus himself of any other opinion or practice; as I shall remark in the note on Antiq. IX. 4, 3. And observe, that I still call this woman Rahab an innkeeper, not a harlot; the whole history both in our other copies, and especially in Josephus, implying no more. It was indeed so frequent a thing that women who were innkeepers were also harlots, or maintainers of harlots, that the word commonly used for real harlots was usually given them. See Dr. Bernard's note here, and Judg. xi. 1. and Josephus, Antiq. V. 7. ness, ness not only in words, but in deeds; but water being restrained; and the sand appearthey gave her this advice, that when she ing at the bottom, because the current was should perceive that the city was about to be neither so strong nor so swift, as to carry it taken, she should put her goods, and all her away by its force; so they all passed over the family, by way of security, in her inn; and river without fear, finding it to be in the very hang out scarlet threads before her doors, or same state as God had foretold he would put it windows, that the commander of the Hebrews | in. But the priests stood still in the midst of might know her house, and take care to do the river, till the multitude should be passed her no harm. "For," said they," we will over, and should get to the shore in safety; and inform him of this matter, because of the con- when all were gone over, the priests came out cern thou hast had to preserve us; but if any also, and permitted the current to run freely as of thy family fall in the battle, do not blame it used to do before. Accordingly, the river, us: and we beseech that God, by whom we as soon as the Hebrews were gone out of it, have sworn, not then to be displeased with us, arose again presently, and came to its proper as though we had broken our oaths." So these height as before.* men, when they had made this agreement, went away; letting themselves down by a rope from the wall, and escaped; and came and told their own people whatsoever they had done in their journey to this city. Joshua also told Eleazar the high-priest, and the senate, what the spies had sworn to Rahab, who confirmed what had been sworn. Now while Joshua, the commander, was in fear about their passing over Jordan, for the river ran with a strong current, and could not be passed over with bridges, for there never had been bridges laid over it hitherto; and while he suspected that if he should attempt to make a bridge, the enemies would not afford him time to perfect it; and ferry-boats they had none: God promised so to dispose of the river that they might pass over it, and that by taking away the main part of its waters. So Joshua, after two days, caused the army and the whole multitude to pass over in the following manner:-The priests went first, having the ark with them; then went the Levites, bearing the tabernacle and the vessels that belonged to the sacrifices; after which the entire multitude followed, according to their tribes, having their children and their wives in the midst of them, as being afraid for them, Jest they should be borne away by the stream. But as soon as the priests had entered the river first, it appeared fordable; the depth of the * Josh. iv. 10. It has been a custom in all nations to erect monuments of stone, in order to preserve the memory of covenants, victories, and other great transactions: and though there was no inscription upon these stones, yet the num So the Hebrews went on farther fifty furlongs, and pitched their camp at the distance of ten furlongs from Jericho. But Joshua built an altar of those stones † which all the heads of the tribes, at the command of the prophet, had taken out of the river; to be afterward a memorial of the division of the stream; and upon it offered sacrifice to God: and in that place celebrated the Passover, and had great plenty of all things which they had wanted hitherto: For they reaped the corn of the Canaanites, which was now ripe; and took other things as prey; for then it was that their former food, which was manna, and of which they had eaten forty years, failed them. While the Israelites did this, and the Canaanites did not attack them, but remained quiet within their own walls, Joshua resolved to besiege them. So on the first day of the feast of the Passover, the priests carried the ark, round about which was some part of the armed men to be a guard to it. These priests went forward, blowing with their seven trumpets, and exhorted the army to be of good courage, and went round the city with the senate following them; and when the priests had only blown with their trumpets, for they did nothing more at all, they returned to the camp. And when they had done this for six days, on the seventh Joshua gathered the armed men and all the people together, and told them ber of them, and the place where they lay, which was not B. so they were slain, and their throats cut, some in the ways, and others as caught in their houses; nothing afforded them assistance, but they all perished, even to the women and the children, and the city was filled with dead bodies, and not one person escaped. They also burnt the whole city, and the country about it, but they saved alive Rahab, with her family, who had fled to her inn; and when she was brought to him, Joshua owned that they owed her thanks for her preservation of the spies. He also said he would not appear to be behind her in his benefaction to her; and therefore he the city should now be taken; since God would on that day give it them, by the falling down of the walls; and this of their own accord and without their labor. However, he charged them to kill every one whom they should take; and not to abstain from the slaughter of their enemies either for weariness or for pity; and not to fall on the spoil, and be thereby diverted from pursuing their enemies as they ran away; but to destroy all the animals, and to take nothing for their own peculiar advantage. He commanded them also to bring together all the silver and gold, that it might be set apart as first fruits unto God, out of this glorious ex-gave her certain lands immediately, and held ploit, as having gotten them from the first city her in great esteem ever afterwards. they took; only that they should save Rahab and her kindred alive, because of the oath which the spies had sworn to her. * If any part of the city escaped the fire, he overthrew it from its foundation, and denounced a curse against its inhabitants, if any one When he had said this, and had set his army should desire to rebuild it; how upon his layin order, he brought it against the city; soing the foundations of the walls he should be they went round the city again, the ark going before them, and the priests encouraging the people to be zealous in the work; and when they had gone round it seven times, and had stood a little, the wall fell down; while no instruments of war, nor any other force, were applied to it by the Hebrews. So they entered into Jericho, and slew all the men that were therein, while they were affrighted at the surprising overthrow of the walls, and their courage was become useless, and they were not able to defend themselves; * Upon occasion of this devoting of Jericho to destruction, and the exemplary punishment of Achar, who broke that cherem, or anathema, and of the punishment of the future breaker of it, Hiel, 1 Kings xvi, 34. as also of the punishment of Saul, for breaking the like cherem or anathema against the Amalekites, 1 Sam. xv. we may observe what was the true meaning of that law, Leviticus xxvii. 29. None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death, i. e. Whenever any of the Jews' public enemies had been for their wickedness solemnly devoted to destruction, according to the Divine command, as were generally the seven wicked nations of Canaan, and those sinners the Amalekites, 1 Sam. xv. 18. (see the note on IV. 7.) it was utterly unlawful to permit those enemies to be redeemed, but they were to be all utterly destroyed. See also Num. xxi. 2,|| 3. The words of Joshua's execration are these:-Cursed be the man before the Lord, that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his youngest shall he set up the gates of it, Josh. vi. 26. This anathema (says Maimonides) was pronounced, that the miracle of the subversion of Jericho might be kept in perpetual memory; for whosoever saw deprived of his eldest son, and upon finishing it he should lose his youngest son; † but what happened hereupon‡ we shall speak of hereafter. Now there was an immense quantity of silver and gold, and, besides those, of brass also, that was heaped together out of the city when it was taken; no one transgressing the decree, nor purloining for their own peculiar advantage: which spoils Joshua delivered to the priests, to be laid up among their treasures ; and thus did Jericho perish. But there was one Achar,§ the son of Char the wall sunk deep in the earth, (as he understands it,) This is now wanting in Josephus. That the name of this thief was not Achan, as in the |