the antiquities of the jews-1-第99章

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not　lawful　for　him　to　lie　against　God；　but　that　he　must　speak
what　he　should　say　to　him　about　the　king；　whatsoever　it　were。
When　he　came　to　Ahab；　and　he　had　adjured　him　upon　oath　to　speak
the　truth　to　him；　he　said　that　God　had　shown　to　him　the
Israelites　running　away；　and　pursued　by　the　Syrians；　and
dispersed　upon　the　mountains　by　them；　as　flocks　of　sheep　are
dispersed　when　their　shepherd　is　slain。　He　said　further；　that　God
signified　to　him；　that　those　Israelites　should　return　：in　peace
to　their　own　home；　and　that　he　only　should　fall　in　the　battle。
When　Micalab　had　thus　spoken；　Ahab　said　to　Jehoshaphat；　〃I　told
thee　a　little　while　ago　the　disposition　of　the　man　with　regard　to
me；　and　that　he　uses　to　prophesy　evil　to　me。〃　Upon　which　Micaiah
replied；　that　he　ought　to　hear　all；　whatsoever　it　be；　that　God
foretells；　and　that　in　particular；　they　were　false　prophets　that
encouraged　him　to　make　this　war　in　hope　of　victory；　whereas　he
must　fight　and　be　killed。　Whereupon　the　king　was　in　suspense　with
himself：　but　Zedekiah；　one　of　those　false　prophets；　came　near；
and　exhorted　him　not　to　hearken　to　Micaiah；　for　he　did　not　at　all
speak　truth；　as　a　demonstration　of　which　he　instanced　in　what
Elijah　had　said；　who　was　a　better　prophet　in　foretelling
futurities　than　Micaiah　（42）　for　he　foretold　that　the　dogs　should
lick　his　blood　in　the　city　of　Jezreel；　in　the　field　of　Naboth；　as
they　licked　the　blood　of　Naboth；　who　by　his　means　was　there
stoned　to　death　by　the　multitude；　that　therefore　it　was　plain
that　this　Micalab　was　a　liar；　as　contradicting　a　greater　prophet
than　himself；　and　saying　that　he　should　be　slain　at　three　days'
journey　distance：　〃and　＇said　he＇　you　shall　soon　know　whether　he
be　a　true　prophet；　and　hath　the　power　of　the　Divine　Spirit；　for　I
will　smite　him；　and　let　him　then　hurt　my　hand；　as　Jadon　caused
the　hand　of　Jeroboam　the　king　to　wither　when　he　would　have　caught
him；　for　I　suppose　thou　hast　certainly　heard　of　that　accident。〃
So　when；　upon　his　smiting　Micaiah；　no　harm　happened　to　him；　Ahab
took　courage；　and　readily　led　his　army　against　the　king　of　Syria；
for；　as　I　suppose；　fate　was　too　hard　for　him；　and　made　him
believe　that　the　false　prophets　spake　truer　than　the　true　one；
that　it　might　take　an　occasion　of　bringing　him　to　his　end。
However；　Zedekiah　made　horns　of　iron；　and　said　to　Ahab；　that　God
made　those　horns　signals；　that　by　them　he　should　overthrow　all
Syria。　But　Micaiah　replied；　that　Zedekiah；　in　a　few　days；　should
go　from　one　secret　chamber　to　another　to　hide　himself；　that　he
might　escape　the　punishment　of　his　lying。　Then　did　the　king　give
orders　that　they　should　take　Micaiah　away；　and　guard　him　to　Amon；
the　governor　of　the　city；　and　to　give　him　nothing　but　bread　and
water。

5。　Then　did　Ahab；　and　Jehoshaphat　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　take
their　forces；　and　marched　to　Ramoth　a　city　of　Gilead；　and　when
the　king　of　Syria　heard　of　this　expedition；　he　brought　out　his
army　to　oppose　them；　and　pitched　his　camp　not　far　from　Ramoth。
Now　Ahalx　and　Jehoshaphat　had　agreed　that　Ahab　should　lay　aside
his　royal　robes；　but　that　the　king　of　Jerusalem　should　put　on　his
＇Ahab's＇　proper　habit；　and　stand　before　the　army；　in　order　to
disprove；　by　this　artifice；　what　Micaiah　had　foretold。　（43）　But
Ahab's　fate　found　him　out　without　his　robes；　for　Benhadad；　the
king　of　Assyria；　had　charged　his　army；　by　the　means　of　their
commanders；　to　kill　nobody　else　but　only　the　king　of　Israel。　So
when　the　Syrians；　upon　their　joining　battle　with　the　Israelites；
saw　Jehoshaphat　stand　before　the　army；　and　conjectured　that　he
was　Ahab；　they　fell　violently　upon　him；　and　encompassed　him
round；　but　when　they　were　near；　and　knew　that　it　was　not　he；　they
all　returned　back；　and　while　the　fight　lasted　from　the　morning
till　late　in　the　evening；　and　the　Syrians　were　conquerors；　they
killed　nobody；　as　their　king　had　commanded　them。　And　when　they
sought　to　kill　Ahab　alone；　but　could　not　find　him；　there　was　a
young　nobleman　belonging　to　king　Benhadad；　whose　name　was　Naaman；
he　drew　his　bow　against　the　enemy；　and　wounded　the　king　through
his　breastplate；　in　his　lungs。　Upon　this　Ahab　resolved　not　to
make　his　mischance　known　to　his　army；　lest　they　should　run　away；
but　he　bid　the　driver　of　his　chariot　to　turn　it　back；　and　carry
him　out　of　the　battle；　because　he　was　sorely　and　mortally
wounded。　However；　he　sat　in　his　chariot　and　endured　the　pain　till
sunset；　and　then　he　fainted　away　and　died。

6。　And　now　the　Syrian　army；　upon　the　coming　on　of　the　night；
retired　to　their　camp；　and　when　the　herald　belonging　to　the　camp
gave　notice　that　Ahab　was　dead；　they　returned　home；　and　they　took
the　dead　body　of　Ahab　to　Samaria；　and　buried　it　there；　but　when
they　had　washed　his　chariot　in　the　fountain　of　Jezreel；　which　was
bloody　with　the　dead　body　of　the　king；　they　acknowledged　that　the
prophecy　of　Elijah　was　true；　for　the　dogs　licked　his　blood；　and
the　harlots　continued　afterwards　to　wash　themselves　in　that
fountain；　but　still　he　died　at　Ramoth；　as　Micaiah　had　foretold。
And　as　what　things　were　foretold　should　happen　to　Ahab　by　the　two
prophets　came　to　pass；　we　ought　thence　to　have　high　notions　of
God；　and　every　where　to　honor　and　worship　him；　and　never　to
suppose　that　what　is　pleasant　and　agreeable　is　worthy　of　belief
before　what　is　true；　and　to　esteem　nothing　more　advantageous　than
the　gift　of　prophecy　（44）　and　that　foreknowledge　of　future　events
which　is　derived　from　it；　since　God　shows　men　thereby　what　we
ought　to　avoid。　We　may　also　guess；　from　what　happened　to　this
king；　and　have　reason　to　consider　the　power　of　fate；　that　there
is　no　way　of　avoiding　it；　even　when　we　know　it。　It　creeps　upon
human　souls；　and　flatters　them　with　pleasing　hopes；　till　it　leads
them　about　to　the　place　where　it　will　be　too　hard　for　them。
Accordingly　Ahab　appears　to　have　been　deceived　thereby；　till　he
disbelieved　those　that　foretold　his　defeat；　but；　by　giving　credit
to　such　as　foretold　what　was　grateful　to　him；　was　slain；　and　his
son　Ahaziah　succeeded　him。

BOOK　9。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　One　Hundred　And　Fifty…Seven　Years。　

From　The　Death　Of　Ahab　To　The　Captivity　Of　The　Ten　Tribes。

CHAPTER　1。

Concerning　Jehoshaphat　Again；　How　He　Constituted　Judges　And；　By
God's　Assistance　Overcame　His　Enemies。

1。　When　Jehoshaphat　the　king　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　from　the
assistance　he　had　afforded　Ahab；　the　king　of　Israel；　when　he
fought　with　Benhadad；　king　of　Syria；　the　prophet　Jehu　met　him；
and　accused　him　for　assisting　Ahab；　a　man　both　impious　and
wicked；　and　said　to　him；　that　God　was　displeased　with　him　for　so
doing；　but　that　he　delivered　him　from　the　enemy；　notwithstanding
he　had　sinned；　because　of　his　own　proper　disposition；　which　was
good。　Whereupon　the　king　betook　himself　to　thanksgivings　and
sacrifices　to　God；　after　which　he　presently　went　over　all　that
country　which　he　ruled　round　about；　and　taught　the　people；　as
well　the　laws　which　God　gave　them　by　Moses；　as　that　religious
worship　that　was　due　to　him。　He　also　constituted　judges　in　every
one　of　the　cities　of　his　kingdom；　and　charged　them　to　have　regard
to　nothing　so　much　in　judging　the　multitude　as　to　do　justice；　and
not　to　be　moved　by　bribes；　nor　by　the　dignity　of　men　eminent　for
either　their　riches　or　their　high　birth；　but　to　distribute
justice　equally　to　all；　as　knowing　that　God　is　conscious　of　every
secret　action　of　theirs。　When　he　had　himself　instructed　them
thus；　and　gone　over　every　city　of　the　two　tribes；　he　returned　to
Jerusalem。　He　there　also　constituted　judges　out　of　the　priests
and　the　Levites；　and　principal　persons　of　the　multitude；　and
admonished　them　to　pass　all　their　sentences　with　care　and　justice
（1）　And　that　if　any　of　the　people　of　his　country　had　differences
of　great　consequence；　they　should　send　them　out　of　the　other
cities　to　these　judges；　who　would　be　obliged　to　give　righteous
sentences　concerning　such　causes；　and　this　with　the　greater　care；
because　it　is　proper　that　the　sentences　which　are　given　in　that
city　wherein　the　temple　of　God　is；　and　wherein　the　king　dwells；
be　given　with　great　care　and　the　utmost　justice。　Now　he　set　over
them　Amariah　the　priest；　and　Zebadiah；　＇both＇　of　the　tribe　of
Judah；　and　after　this　manner　it　was　that　the　king　ordered　these
affairs。

2。　About　the　same　time　the　Moabites　and　Ammonites　made　an
expedition　against　Jehoshaphat；　；and　took　with　them　a　great　body
of　Arabians；　and　pitched　their　camp　at　Engedi；　a　city　that　is
situate　at　the　lake　Asphaltiris；　and　distant　three　hundred
furlongs　from　Jerusalem。　In　that　place　grows　the　best　kind　of
palm　trees；　and　the　opobalsamum。　（2）　Now　Jehoshaphat　heard　that
the　enemies　had　passed　over　the　lake；　and　had　made　an　irruption
into　that　country　which　belonged　to　his　kingdom；　at　which　news　he
was　aftrighted；　and　called　the　people　of　Jerusalem　to　a
congregation　in　the　temple；　and　standing　over　against　the　temple
itself；　he　called　upon　God　to　afford　him　power　and　strength；　so
as　to　inflict　punishment　on　those　that　made　this　expedition
against　them　（for　that　those　who　built　this　his　temple　had
prayed；　that　he　would　protect　that　city；　and　take　vengeance　on
those　that　were　so　bold　as　to　come　against　it）；　for　they　are　come
to　take　from　us　that　land　which　thou　hast　given　us　for　a
possession。　When　he　had　prayed　thus；　he　fell　into　tears；　and　the
whole　multitude；　together　with　their　wives　and　children；　made
their　supplications　also：　upon　which　a　certain　prophet；　Jahaziel
by　name；　came　into　the　midst　of　the　assembly；　and　cried　out；　and
spake　both　to　the　multitude　and　to　the　king；　that　God　heard　their
prayers；　and　promised　to　fight　against　their　enemies。　He　also
gave　order　that　the　king　should　draw　his　forces　out　the　next　day；
for　that　he　should　find　them　between　Jerusalem　and　the　ascent　of
Engedi；　at　a　place　called　The　Eminence；　and　that　he　should　not
fight　against　them；　but　only　stand　still；　and　see　how　God　would
fight　against　them。　When　the　prophet　had　said　this；　both　the　king
and　the　multitude　fell　upon　their　faces；　and　gave　thanks　to　God；
and　worshipped　him；　and　the　Levites　continued　singing　hymns　to
God　with　their　instruments　of　music。

3。　As　soon　as　it　was　day；　and　the　king　was　come　into　that
wilderness　which　is　under　the　city　of　Tekoa；　he　said　to　the
multitude；　〃that　they　ought　to　give　credit　to　what　the　prophet
had　said；　and　not　to　set　themselves　in　array　for　fighting；　but　to
set　the　priests　with　their　trumpets；　and　the　Levites　with　the
singers　of　hymns；　to　give　thanks　to　God；　as　having　already
delivered　our　country　from　our　enemies。〃　This　opinion　of　the　king
pleased　＇the　people＇；　and　they　did　what　he　advised　them　to　do。　So
God　caused　a　terror　and　a　commotion　to　arise　among　the　Ammonites；
who　thought　one　another　to　be　enemies；　and　slew　one　another；
insomuch　that　not　one　man　out　of　so　great　an　army　escaped；　and
when　Jehoshaphat　looked　upon　that　valley　wherein　their　enemies
had　been　encamped；　and　saw　it　full　of　dead　men；　he　rejoiced　at　so
surprising　an　event；　as　was　this　assistance　of　God；　while　he
himself　by　his　own　power；　and　without　their　labor；　had　given　them
the　victory。　He　also　gave　his　army　leave　to　take　the　prey　of　the
enemy's　camp；　and　to　spoil　their　dead　bodies；　and　indeed　so　they
did　for　three　days　togethe