the antiquities of the jews-1-第46章

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army　to　be　of　good　courage；　and　went　round　about　the　city；　with
the　senate　following　them；　and　when　the　priests　had　only　blown
with　the　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　these　good　tidings；　That　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
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　exploit；　as
having　gotten　them　from　the　city　they　first　took；　only　that　they
should　save　Rahab　and　her　kindred　alive；　because　of　the　oath
which　the　spies　had　sworn　to　her。

6。　When　he　had　said　this；　and　had　set　his　army　in　order；　be
brought　it　against　the　city：　so　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　still　a　little；　the　wall　fell　down；　while　no
instruments　of　war；　nor　any　other　force；　was　applied　to　it　by　the
Hebrews。

7。　So　they　entered　into　Jericho；　and　slew　all　the　men　that　were
therein；　while　they　were　aftrighted　at　the　surprising　overthrow
of　the　walls；　and　their　courage　was　become　useless；　and　they　were
not　able　to　defend　themselves；　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　to　her　that　they　owed　her　thanks　for
her　preservation　of　the　spies：　so　he　said　he　would　not　appear　to
be　behind　her　in　his　benefaction　to　her；　whereupon　he　gave　her
certain　lands　immediately；　and　had　her　in　great　esteem　ever
afterwards。

8。　And　if　any　part　of　the　city　escaped　the　fire；　he　overthrew　it
from　the　foundation；　and　he　denounced　a　curse　（3）against　its
inhabitants；　if　any　should　desire　to　rebuild　it；　how；　upon　his
laying　the　foundation　of　the　walls；　he　should　be　deprived　of　his
eldest　son；　and　upon　finishing　it；　he　should　lose　his　youngest
son。　But　what　happened　hereupon　we　shall　speak　of　hereafter。

9。　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。

10。　But　there　was　one　Achar；　（4）　the　son　＇of　Charmi；　the　son＇　of
Zebedias；　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　who　finding　a　royal　garment
woven　entirely　of　gold；　and　a　piece　of　gold　that　weighed　two
hundred　shekels；　（5）　and　thinking　it　a　very　hard　case；　that　what
spoils　he；　by　running　some　hazard；　had　found；　he　must　give　away；
and　offer　it　to　God；　who　stood　in　no　need　of　it；　while　he　that
wanted　it　must　go　without　it；　…　made　a　deep　ditch　in　his　own
tent；　and　laid　them　up　therein；　as　supposing　he　should　not　only
be　concealed　from　his　fellow　soldiers；　but　from　God　himself　also。

11。　Now　the　place　where　Joshua　pitched　his　camp　was　called
Gilgal；　which　denotes　liberty；　（6）　for　since　now　they　had　passed
over　Jordan；　they　looked　on　themselves　as　freed　from　the　miseries
which　they　had　undergone　from　the　Egyptians；　and　in　the
wilderness。

12。　Now；　a　few　days　after　the　calamity　that　befell　Jericho；
Joshua　sent　three　thousand　armed　men　to　take　Ai；　a　city　situate
above　Jericho；　but；　upon　the　sight　of　the　people　of　Ai；　with　them
they　were　driven　back；　and　lost　thirty…six　of　their　men。　When
this　was　told　the　Israelites；　it　made　them　very　sad；　and
exceeding　disconsolate；　not　so　much　because　of　the　relation　the
men　that　were　destroyed　bare　to　them；　though　those　that　were
destroyed　were　all　good　men；　and　deserved　their　esteem；　as　by　the
despair　it　occasioned；　for　while　they　believed　that　they　were
already；　in　effect；　in　possession　of　the　land；　and　should　bring
back　the　army　out　of　the　battles　without　loss；　as　God　had
promised　beforehand；　they　now　saw　unexpectedly　their　enemies　bold
with　success；　so　they　put　sackcloth　over　their　garments；　and
continued　in　tears　and　lamentation　all　the　day；　without　the　least
inquiry　after　food；　but　laid　what　had　happened　greatly　to　heart。

13。　When　Joshua　saw　the　army　so　much　afflicted；　and　possessed
with　forebodings　of　evil　as　to　their　whole　expedition；　he　used
freedom　with　God；　and　said；　〃We　are　not　come　thus　far　out　of　any
rashness　of　our　own；　as　though　we　thought　ourselves　able　to
subdue　this　land　with　our　own　weapons；　but　at　the　instigation　of
Moses　thy　servant　for　this　purpose；　because　thou　hast　promised
us；　by　many　signs；　that　thou　wouldst　give　us　this　land　for　a
possession；　and　that　thou　wouldst　make　our　army　always　superior
in　war　to　our　enemies；　and　accordingly　some　success　has　already
attended　upon　us　agreeably　to　thy　promises；　but　because　we　have
now　unexpectedly　been　foiled；　and　have　lost　some　men　out　of　our
army；　we　are　grieved　at　it；　as　fearing　what　thou　hast　promised
us；　and　what　Moses　foretold　us；　cannot　be　depended　on　by　us；　and
our　future　expectation　troubles　us　the　more；　because　we　have　met
with　such　a　disaster　in　this　our　first　attempt。　But　do　thou；　O
Lord；　free　us　from　these　suspicions；　for　thou　art　able　to　find　a
cure　for　these　disorders；　by　giving　us　victory；　which　will　both
take　away　the　grief　we　are　in　at　present；　and　prevent　our
distrust　as　to　what　is　to　come。〃

14。　These　intercessions　Joshua　put　up　to　God；　as　he　lay　prostrate
on　his　face：　whereupon　God　answered　him；　That　he　should　rise　up；
and　purify　his　host　from　the　pollution　that　had　got　into　it；　that
〃things　consecrated　to　me　have　been　impudently　stolen　from　me；〃
and　that　〃this　has　been　the　occasion　why　this　defeat　had　happened
to　them；〃　and　that　when　they　should　search　out　and　punish　the
offender；　he　would　ever　take　care　they　should　have　the　victory
over　their　enemies。　This　Joshua　told　the　people；　and　calling　for
Eleazar　the　high　priest；　and　the　men　in　authority；　he　cast　lots；
tribe　by　tribe；　and　when　the　lot　showed　that　this　wicked　action
was　done　by　one　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　he　then　again　proposed　the
lot　to　the　several　families　thereto　belonging；　so　the　truth　of
this　wicked　action　was　found　to　belong　to　the　family　of　Zachar；
and　when　the　inquiry　was　made　man　by　man；　they　took　Achar；　who；
upon　God's　reducing　him　to　a　terrible　extremity；　could　not　deny
the　fact：　so　he　confessed　the　theft；　and　produced　what　he　had
taken　in　the　midst　of　them；　whereupon　he　was　immediately　put　to
death；　and　attained　no　more　than　to　be　buried　in　the　night　in　a
disgraceful　manner；　and　such　as　was　suitable　to　a　condemned
malefactor。

15。　When　Joshua　had　thus　purified　the　host；　he　led　them　against
Ai：　and　having　by　night　laid　an　ambush　round　about　the　city；　he
attacked　the　enemies　as　soon　as　it　was　day；　but　as　they　advanced
boldly　against　the　Israelites；　because　of　their　former　victory；
he　made　them　believe　he　retired；　and　by　that　means　drew　them　a
great　way　from　the　city；　they　still　supposing　that　they　were
pursuing　their　enemies；　and　despised　them；　as　though　the　case　had
been　the　same　with　that　in　the　former　battle；　after　which　Joshua
ordered　his　forces　to　turn　about；　and　placed　them　against　their
front。　He　then　made　the　signals　agreed　upon　to　those　that　lay　in
ambush；　and　so　excited　them　to　fight；　so　they　ran　suddenly　into
the　city；　the　inhabitants　being　upon　the　walls；　nay；　others　of
them　being　in　perplexity；　and　coming　to　see　those　that　were
without　the　gates。　Accordingly；　these　men　took　the　city；　and　slew
all　that　they　met　with；　but　Joshua　forced　those　that　came　against
him　to　come　to　a　close　fight；　and　discomfited　them；　and　made　them
run　away；　and　when　they　were　driven　towards　the　city；　and　thought
it　had　not　been　touched；　as　soon　as　they　saw　it　was　taken；　and
perceived　it　was　burnt；　with　their　wives　and　children；　they
wandered　about　in　the　fields　in　a　scattered　condition；　and　were
no　way　able　to　defend　themselves；　because　they　had　none　to
support　them。　Now　when　this　calamity　was　come　upon　the　men　of　Ai；
there　were　a　great　number　of　children；　and　women；　and　servants；
and　an　immense　quantity　of　other　furniture。　The　Hebrews　also　took
herds　of　cattle；　and　a　great　deal　of　money；　for　this　was　a　rich
country。　So　when　Joshua　came　to　Gilgal；　he　divided　all　these
spoils　among　the　soldiers。

16。　But　the　Gibeonites；　who　inhabited　very　near　to　Jerusalem；
when　they　saw　what　miseries　had　happened　to　the　inhabitants　of
Jericho；　and　to　those　of　Ai；　and　suspected　that　the　like　sore
calamity　would　come　as　far　as　themselves；　they　did　not　think　fit
to　ask　for　mercy　of　Joshua；　for　they　supposed　they　should　find
little　mercy　from　him；　who　made　war　that　he　might　entirely
destroy　the　nation　of　the　Canaanites；　but　they　invited　the　people
of　Cephirah　and　Kiriathjearim；　who　were　their　neighbors；　to　join
in　league　with　them；　and　told　them　that　neither　could　they
themselves　avoid　the　danger　they　were　all　in；　if　the　Israelites
should　prevent　them；　and　seize　upon　them：　so　when　they　had
persuaded　them；　they　resolved　to　endeavor　to　escape　the　forces　of
the　Israelites。　Accordingly；　upon　their　agreement　to　what　they
proposed；　they　sent　ambassadors　to　Joshua　to　make　a　league　of
friendship　with　him；　and　those　such　of　the　citizens　as　were　best
approved　of；　and　most　capable　of　doing　what　was　most　advantageous
to　the　multitude。　Now　these　ambassadors　thought　it　dangerous　to
confess　themselves　to　be　Canaanites；　but　thought　they　might　by
this　contrivance　avoid　the　danger；　namely；　by　saying　that　they
bare　no　relation　to　the　Canaanites　at　all；　but　dwelt　at　a　very
great　distance　from　them：　and　they　said　further；　that　they　came　a
long　way；　on　account　of　the　reputation　he　had　gained　for　his
virtue；　and　as　a　mark　of　the　truth　of　what　they　said；　they　showed
him　the　habit　they　were　in；　for　that　their　clothes　were　new　when
they　came　out；　but　were　greatly　worn　by　the　length　of　thee　they
had　been　on　their　journey；　for　indeed　they　took　torn　garments；　on
purpose　that　they　might　make　him　believe　so。　So　they　stood　in　the
midst　of　the　people；　and　said　that　they　were　sent　by　the　people
of　Gibeon；　and　of　the　circumjacent　cities；　which　were　very　remote
from　the　land　where　they　now　were；　to　make　such　a　league　of
friendship　with　them；　and　this　on　such　conditions　as　were
customary　among　their　forefathers；　for　when　they　understood　that；
by　the　favor　of　God；　and　his　gift　to　them；　they　were　to　have　the
possession　of　the　land