the antiquities of the jews-1-第108章

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treachery　of　a　friend　of　his；　whose　name　was　Hoshea；　who　retained
the　kingdom　nine　years'　time；　but　was　a　wicked　man；　and　a
despiser　of　the　Divine　worship；　and　Shalmaneser；　the　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。　Now；　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　Abijah；　a　citizen　of　Jerusalem。　His
nature　was　good；　and　righteous；　and　religious；　for　when　he　came
to　the　kingdom；　he　thought　that　nothing　was　prior；　or　more
necessary；　or　more　advantageous　to　himself；　and　to　his　subjects；
than　to　worship　God。　Accordingly；　he　called　the　people　together；
and　the　priests；　and　the　Levites；　and　made　a　speech　to　them；　and
said；　〃You　are　not　ignorant　how；　by　the　sins　of　my　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　to　the　ancient　honor
which　our　fathers　paid　to　it；　for　by　this　means　we　may　render　God
favorable；　and　he　will　remit　the　anger　he　hath　had　to　us。〃

2。　When　the　king　had　said　this；　the　priests　opened　the　temple；
and　when　they　had　set　in　order　the　vessels　of　God；　and　east　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　feast　of
unleavened　bread；　for　it　had　been　intermitted　a　long　time；　on
account　of　the　wickedness　of　the　forementioned　kings。　He　also
sent　to　the　Israelites；　and　exhorted　them　to　leave　off　their
present　way　of　living；　and　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　coming　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：　as　also　they
affronted　the　prophets；　which　gave　them　the　same　exhortations；
and　foretold　what　they　would　suffer　if　they　did　not　return　to　the
worship　of　God；　insomuch　that　at　length　they　caught　them；　and
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。　However；　many　there　were　of　the　tribe　of　Manasseh；　and
of　Zebulon；　and　of　Issachar；　who　were　obedient　to　what　the
prophets　exhorted　them　to　do；　and　returned　to　the　worship　of　God。
Now　all　these　came　running　to　Jerusalem；　to　Hezekiah；　that　they
might　worship　God　＇there＇。

3。　When　these　men　were　come；　king　Hezekiah　went　up　into　the
temple；　with　the　rulers　and　all　the　people；　and　offered　for
himself　seven　bulls；　and　as　many　rams；　with　seven　lambs；　and　as
many　kids　of　the　goats。　The　king　also　himself；　and　the　rulers；
laid　their　hands　on　the　heads　of　the　sacrifices；　and　permitted
the　priests　to　complete　the　sacred　offices　about　them。　So　they
both　slew　the　sacrifices；　and　burnt　the　burnt…offerings；　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　by　David　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　threw　themselves　down　upon　their　face；
and　worshipped　God。　He　also　sacrificed　seventy　bulls；　one　hundred
rams；　and　two　hundred　lambs。　He　also　granted　the　multitude
sacrifices　to　feast　upon；　six　hundred　oxen；　and　three　thousand
other　cattle；　and　the　priests　performed　all　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　after　that　offered
other　sacrifices　for　seven　days。　When　the　king　had　bestowed　on
the　multitude；　besides　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　so
well　observed　from　the　days　of　king　Solomon；　as　it　was　now　first
observed　with　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　charges；　and　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　distributed　them　to　every
one　of　the　priests　and　Levites；　and　to　their　children　and　wives；
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　beat　them；　and
possessed　himself　of　all　the　enemy's　cities；　from　Gaza　to　Gath；
but　the　king　of　Assyria　sent　to　him；　and　threatened　to　overturn
all　his　dominions；　unless　he　would　pay　him　the　tribute　which　his
father　paid　him　formerly；　but　king　Hezekiah　was　not　concerned　at
his　threatenings；　but　depended　on　his　piety　towards　God；　and　upon
Isaiah　the　prophet；　by　whom　he　inquired　and　accurately　knew　all
future　events。　And　thus　much　shall　suffice　for　the　present
concerning　this　king　Hezekiah。

CHAPTER　14。

How　Shalmaneser　Took　Samaria　By　Force　And　How　He　Transplanted　The
Ten　Tribes　Into　Media；　And　Brought　The　Nation　Of　The　Cutheans
Into　Their　Country　＇In　Their　Room＇。

1。　When　Shalmaneser；　the　king　of　Assyria；　had　it　told　him；　that
＇Hoshea＇　the　king　of　Israel　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；　but　when　he　was　not　admitted　＇into　the　city＇
by　the　king；　（24）　he　besieged　Samaria　three　years；　and　took　it　by
force　in　the　ninth　year　of　the　reign　of　Hoshea；　and　in　the
seventh　year　of　Hezekiah；　king　of　Jerusalem；　and　quite　demolished
the　government　of　the　Israelites；　and　transplanted　all　the　people
into　Media　and　Persia　among　whom　he　took　king　Hoshea　alive；　and
when　he　had　removed　these　people　out　of　this　their　land　he
transplanted　other　nations　out　of　Cuthah；　a　place　so　called；　（for
there　is　＇still＇　a　river　of　that　name　in　Persia；）　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　forefathers　were　come　out　of　the　land　of　Egypt；
and　possessed　themselves　of　the　country；　but　eight　hundred　years
after　Joshua　had　been　their　leader；　and；　as　I　have　already
observed；　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　evil　doings。　What　gave　birth　to　these　evil　doings；　was
that　sedition　which　they　raised　against　Rehoboam；　the　grandson　of
David；　when　they　set　up　Jeroboam　his　servant　to　be　their　king；
when；　by　sinning　against　God；　and　bringing　them　to　imitate　his
bad　example；　made　God　to　be　their　enemy；　while　Jeroboam　underwent
that　punishment　which　he　justly　deserved。

2。　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　Menander　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　reigned　thirty…six　years；　this　king；　upon　the　revolt
of　the　Citteans；　sailed　to　them；　and　reduced　them　again　to　a
submission。　Against　these　did　the　king　of　Assyria　send　an　army；
and　in　a　hostile　manner　overrun　all　Phoenicia；　but　soon　made
peace　with　them　all；　and　returned　back；　but　Sidon；　and　Ace；　and
Palsetyrus　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
threescore　ships；　and　eight　hundred　men　to　row　them；　and　when　the
Tyrians　had　come　upon　them　in　twelve　ships；　and　the　enemy's　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　rivers
and　aqueducts；　who　should　hinder　the　Tyrians　from　drawing　water。
This　continued　for　five　years；　and　still　the　Tyrians　bore　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；　the　king　of　Assyria。

3。　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　be　angry　and　displeased　at　them；　for　a　plague　seized　upon
them；　by　which　they　were　destroyed；　and　when　they　found　no　cure
for　their　miseries；　they　learned　by　the　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