the antiquities of the jews-1-第47章

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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　of　Canaan　bestowed　upon　them；　they　said
that　they　were　very　glad　to　hear　it；　and　desired　to　be　admitted
into　the　number　of　their　citizens。　Thus　did　these　ambassadors
speak；　and　showing　them　the　marks　of　their　long　journey；　they
entreated　the　Hebrews　to　make　a　league　of　friendship　with　them。
Accordingly　Joshua；　believing　what　they　said；　that　they　were　not
of　the　nation　of　the　Canaanites；　entered　into　friendship　with
them；　and　Eleazar　the　high　priest；　with　the　senate；　sware　to　them
that　they　would　esteem　them　their　friends　and　associates；　and
would　attempt　nothing　that　should　be　unfair　against　them；　the
multitude　also　assenting　to　the　oaths　that　were　made　to　them。　So
these　men；　having　obtained　what　they　desired；　by　deceiving　the
Israelites；　went　home：　but　when　Joshua　led　his　army　to　the
country　at　the　bottom　of　the　mountains　of　this　part　of　Canaan；　he
understood　that　the　Gibeonites　dwelt　not　far　from　Jerusalem；　and
that　they　were　of　the　stock　of　the　Canaanites；　so　he　sent　for
their　governors；　and　reproached　them　with　the　cheat　they　had　put
upon　him；　but　they　alleged；　on　their　own　behalf；　that　they　had　no
other　way　to　save　themselves　but　that；　and　were　therefore　forced
to　have　recourse　to　it。　So　he　called　for　Eleazar　the　high　priest；
and　for　the　senate；　who　thought　it　right　to　make　them　public
servants；　that　they　might　not　break　the　oath　they　had　made　to
them；　and　they　ordained　them　to　be　so。　And　this　was　the　method　by
which　these　men　found。　safety　and　security　under　the　calamity
that　was　ready　to　overtake　them。

17。　But　the　king　of　Jerusalem　took　it　to　heart　that　the
Gibeonites　had　gone　over　to　Joshua；　so　he　called　upon　the　kings
of　the　neighboring　nations　to　join　together；　and　make　war　against
them。　Now　when　the　Gibeonites　saw　these　kings；　which　were　four；
besides　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　and　perceived　that　they　had
pitched　their　camp　at　a　certain　fountain　not　far　from　their　city；
and　were　getting　ready　for　the　siege　of　it；　they　called　upon
Joshua　to　assist　them；　for　such　was　their　case；　as　to　expect　to
be　destroyed　by　these　Canaanites；　but　to　suppose　they　should　be
saved　by　those　that　came　for　the　destruction　of　the　Canaanites；
because　of　the　league　of　friendship　that　was　between　them。
Accordingly；　Joshua　made　haste　with　his　whole　army　to　assist
them；　and　marching　day　and　night；　in　the　morning　he　fell　upon　the
enemies　as　they　were　going　up　to　the　siege；　and　when　he　had
discomfited　them；　he　followed　them；　and　pursued　them　down　the
descent　of　the　hills。　The　place　is　called　Bethhoron；　where　he
also　understood　that　God　assisted　him；　which　he　declared　by
thunder　and　thunderbolts；　as　also　by　the　falling　of　hail　larger
than　usual。　Moreover；　it　happened　that　the　day　was　lengthened　（7）
that　the　night　might　not　come　on　too　soon；　and　be　an　obstruction
to　the　zeal　of　the　Hebrews　in　pursuing　their　enemies；　insomuch
that　Joshua　took　the　kings；　who　were　hidden　in　a　certain　cave　at
Makkedah；　and　put　them　to　death。　Now；　that　the　day　was　lengthened
at　this　thee；　and　was　longer　than　ordinary；　is　expressed　in　the
books　laid　up　in　the　temple。　（8）

18。　These　kings　which　made　war　with；　and　were　ready　to　fight　the
Gibeonites；　being　thus　overthrown；　Joshua　returned　again　to　the
mountainous　parts　of　Canaan；　and　when　he　had　made　a　great
slaughter　of　the　people　there；　and　took　their　prey；　he　came　to
the　camp　at　Gilgal。　And　now　there　went　a　great　fame　abroad　among
the　neighboring　people　of　the　courage　of　the　Hebrews；　and　those
that　heard　what　a　number　of　men　were　destroyed；　were　greatly
aftrighted　at　it：　so　the　kings　that　lived　about　Mount　Libanus；
who　were　Canaanites；　and　those　Canaanites　that　dwelt　in　the　plain
country；　with　auxiliaries　out　of　the　land　of　the　Philistines；
pitched　their　camp　at　Beroth；　a　city　of　the　Upper　Galilee；　not
far　from　Cadesh；　which　is　itself　also　a　place　in　Galilee。　Now　the
number　of　the　whole　army　was　three　hundred　thousand　armed
footmen；　and　ten　thousand　horsemen；　and　twenty　thousand　chariots；
so　that　the　multitude　of　the　enemies　aftrighted　both　Joshua
himself　and　the　Israelites；　and　they；　instead　of　being　full　of
hopes　of　good　success；　were　superstitiously　timorous；　with　the
great　terror　with　which　they　were　stricken。　Whereupon　God
upbraided　them　with　the　fear　they　were　in；　and　asked　them　whether
they　desired　a　greater　help　than　he　could　afford　them；　and
promised　them　that　they　should　overcome　their　enemies；　and　withal
charged　them　to　make　their　enemies'　horses　useless；　and　to　burn
their　chariots。　So　Joshua　became　full　of　courage　upon　these
promises　of　God；　and　went　out　suddenly　against　the　enemies；　and
after　five　days'　march　he　came　upon　them；　and　joined　battle　with
them；　and　there　was　a　terrible　fight；　and　such　a　number　were
slain　as　could　not　be　believed　by　those　that　heard　it。　He　also
went　on　in　the　pursuit　a　great　way；　and　destroyed　the　entire　army
of　the　enemies；　few　only　excepted；　and　all　the　kings　fell　in　the
battle；　insomuch；　that　when　there　wanted　men　to　be　killed；　Joshua
slew　their　horses；　and　burnt　their　chariots　and　passed　all　over
their　country　without　opposition；　no　one　daring　to　meet　him　in
battle；　but　he　still　went　on；　taking　their　cities　by　siege；　and
again　killing　whatever　he　took。

19。　The　fifth　year　was　now　past；　and　there　was　not　one　of　the
Canaanites　remained　any　longer；　excepting　some　that　had　retired
to　places　of　great　strength。　So　Joshua　removed　his　camp　to　the
mountainous　country；　and　placed　the　tabernacle　in　the　city　of
Shiloh；　for　that　seemed　a　fit　place　for　it；　because　of　the　beauty
of　its　situation；　until　such　thee　as　their　affairs　would　permit
them　to　build　a　temple；　and　from　thence　he　went　to　Shechem；
together　with　all　the　people；　and　raised　an　altar　where　Moses　had
beforehand　directed；　then　did　he　divide　the　army；　and　placed　one
half　of　them　on　Mount　Gerizzim；　and　the　other　half　on　Mount　Ebal；
on　which　mountain　the　altar　was；　he　also　placed　there　the　tribe
of　Levi；　and　the　priests。　And　when　they　had　sacrificed；　and
denounced　the　＇blessings　and　the＇　curses；　and　had　left　them
engraven　upon　the　altar；　they　returned　to　Shiloh。

20。　And　now　Joshua　was　old；　and　saw　that　the　cities　of　the
Canaanites　were　not　easily　to　be　taken；　not　only　because　they
were　situate　in　such　strong　places；　but　because　of　the　strength
of　the　walls　themselves；　which　being　built　round　about；　the
natural　strength　of　the　places　on　which　the　cities　stood；　seemed
capable　of　repelling　their　enemies　from　besieging　them；　and　of
making　those　enemies　despair　of　taking　them；　for　when　the
Canaanites　had　learned　that　the　Israelites　came　out　of　Egypt　in
order　to　destroy　them；　they　were　busy　all　that　time　in　making
their　cities　strong。　So　he　gathered　the　people　together　to　a
congregation　at　Shiloh；　and　when　they；　with　great　zeal　and　haste；
were　come　thither；　he　observed　to　them　what　prosperous　successes
they　had　already　had；　and　what　glorious　things　had　been　done；　and
those　such　as　were　worthy　of　that　God　who　enabled　them　to　do
those　things；　and　worthy　of　the　virtue　of　those　laws　which　they
followed。　He　took　notice　also；　that　thirty…one　of　those　kings
that　ventured　to　give　them　battle　were　overcome；　and　every　army；
how　great　soever　it　were；　that　confided　in　their　own　power；　and
fought　with　them；　was　utterly　destroyed；　so　that　not　so　much　as
any　of　their　posterity　remained。　And　as　for　the　cities；　since
some　of　them　were　taken；　but　the　others　must　be　taken　in　length
of　thee；　by　long　sieges；　both　on　account　of　the　strength　of　their
walls；　and　of　the　confidence　the　inhabitants　had　in　them　thereby；
he　thought　it　reasonable　that　those　tribes　that　came　along　with
them　from　beyond　Jordan；　and　had　partaken　of　the　dangers　they　had
undergone；　being　their　own　kindred；　should　now　be　dismissed　and
sent　home；　and　should　have　thanks　for　the　pains　they　had　taken
together　with　them。　As　also；　he　thought　it　reasonable　that　they
should　send　one　man　out　of　every　tribe；　and　he　such　as　had　the
testimony　of　extraordinary　virtue；　who　should　measure　the　land
faithfully；　and　without　any　fallacy　or　deceit　should　inform　them
of　its　real　magnitude。

21。　Now　Joshua；　when　he　had　thus　spoken　to　them；　found　that　the
multitude　approved　of　his　proposal。　So　he　sent　men　to　measure
their　country；　and　sent　with　them　some　geometricians；　who　could
not　easily　fail　of　knowing　the　truth；　on　account　of　their　skill
in　that　art。　He　also　gave　them　a　charge　to　estimate　the　measure
of　that　part　of　the　land　that　was　most　fruitful；　and　what　was　not
so　good：　for　such　is　the　nature　of　the　land　of　Canaan；　that　one
may　see　large　plains；　and　such　as　are　exceeding　fit　to　produce
fruit；　which　yet；　if　they　were　compared　to　other　parts　of　the
country；　might　be　reckoned　exceedingly　fruitful；　yet；　if　it　be
compared　with　the　fields　about　Jericho；　and　to　those　that　belong
to　Jerusalem；　will　appear　to　be　of　no　account　at　all；　and
although　it　so　falls　out　that　these　people　have　but　a　very　little
of　this　sort　of　land；　and　that　it　is；　for　the　main；　mountainous
also；　yet　does　it　not　come　behind　other　parts；　on　account　of　its
exceeding　goodness　and　beauty；　for　which　reason　Joshua　thought
the　land　for　the　tribes　should　be　divided　by　estimation　of　its
goodness；　rather　than　the　largeness　of　its　measure；　it　often
happening　that　one　acre　of　some　sort　of　land　was　equivalent　to　a
thousand　other　acres。　Now　the　men　that　were　sent；　which　were　in
number　ten；　traveled　all　about；　and　made　an　estimation　of　the
land；　and　in　the　seventh　month　came　to　him　to　the　city　of　Shiloh；
where　they　had　set　up　the　tabernacle。

22。　So　Joshua　took　both　Eleazar　and　the　senate；　and　with　them　the
heads　of　the　tribes；　and　distributed　the　land　to　the　nine　tribes；
and　to　the　half…tribe　of　Manasseh；　appointing　the　dimensions　to
be　according　to　the　largeness　of　each　tribe。　So　when　he　had　cast
lots；　Judah　had　assigned　him　by　lot　the　upper　part　of　Judea；
reaching　as　far　as　Jerusalem；　and　its　breadth　extended　to　the
Lake　of　Sodom。　Now　in　the　lot　of　this　tribe　there　were　the　cities
of　Askelon　and　Gaza。　The　lot　of　Simeon；　which　was　the　second；
included　that　part　of　Idumea　which　bordered　upon　Egypt　and
Arabia。　As　to　the　Benjamites；　their　lot　fell　so；　that　its　length
reached　from　the　river　Jordan　to　the　sea；　but　in　breadth　it　was
bounded　by　Jerusalem　and　Bethel；　and　this　lot　was　the　narrowest
of　all；　by　reason　of　the　goodness　of　the　land；　for　it　included
Jericho　and　the　city　of　Jerusalem。　The　tribe　of　Ephraim　had　by
lot　the　land　that　extended　in　length　from　the　river　Jordan　to
Gezer；　but　in　breadth　as　far　as　from　Bethel；　till　it　ended　at　the
Great　Plain。　The　half…tribe　of　Manasseh　had　the　land　from　Jordan
to　the　city　of　Dora；　but　its　breadth　was　at　Bethsham；　which　is
now　called　Scythopolis。　And　after　these　was　Issachar；　which　had
its　limits　in　length；　Mount　Carmel　and　the　river；　but　its　limit
in　breadth　was　Mount　Tabor。　The　tribe　of　Zebulon's　lot　included
the　land　which　lay　as　far　as　the　Lake　of　Genesareth；　and　that
which　belonged　to　Carmel　and　the　sea。　The　tribe　of　Aser　had　that
part　which　was　called　the　Valley；　for　such　it　was；　and　all　that