the antiquities of the jews-1-第131章

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excursions；　and　do　mischief　to　the　kingdom　of　Asa。

4。　Whereupon　Asa　was　afraid　of　the　attempts　the　enemy　might　make
upon　him；　and　considering　with　himself　how　many　mischiefs　this
army　that　was　left　in　Ramah　might　do　to　the　country　over　which　he
reigned；　he　sent　ambassadors　to　the　king　of　the　Damascenes；　with
gold　and　silver；　desiring　his　assistance；　and　putting　him　in　mind
that　we　have　had　a　friendship　together　from　the　times　of　our
forefathers。　So　he　gladly　received　that　sum　of　money；　and　made　a
league　with　him；　and　broke　the　friendship　he　had　with　Baasha；　and
sent　the　commanders　of　his　own　forces　unto　the　cities　that　were
under　Baasha's　dominion；　and　ordered　them　to　do　them　mischief。　So
they　went　and　burnt　some　of　them；　and　spoiled　others；　Ijon；　and
Dan；　and　Abelmain　（32）　and　many　others。　Now　when　the　king　of
Israel　heard　this；　he　left　off　building　and　fortifying　Ramah；　and
returned　presently　to　assist　his　own　people　under　the　distresses
they　were　in；　but　Asa　made　use　of　the　materials　that　were
prepared　for　building　that　city；　for　building　in　the　same　place
two　strong　cities；　the　one　of　which　was　called　Geba；　and　the
other　Mizpah；　so　that　after　this　Baasha　had　no　leisure　to　make
expeditions　against　Asa；　for　he　was　prevented　by　death；　and　was
buried　in　the　city　Tirzah；　and　Elah　his　son　took　the　kingdom；
who；　when　he　had　reigned　two　years；　died；　being　treacherously
slain　by　Zimri；　the　captain　of　half　his　army；　for　when　he　was　at
Arza；　his　steward's　house；　he　persuaded　some　of　the　horsemen　that
were　under　him　to　assault　Elah；　and　by　that　means　he　slew　him
when　he　was　without　his　armed　men　and　his　captains；　for　they　were
all　busied　in　the　siege　of　Gibbethon；　a　city　of　the　Philistines。

5。　When　Zimri；　the　captain　of　the　army；　had　killed　Elah；　he　took
the　kingdom　himself；　and；　according　to　Jehu's　prophecy；　slew　all
the　house　of　Baasha；　for　it　came　to　pass　that　Baasha's　house
utterly　perished；　on　account　of　his　impiety；　in　the　same　manner
as　we　have　already　described　the　destruction　of　the　house　of
Jeroboam。　But　the　army　that　was　besieging。　Gibbethon；　when　they
heard　what　had　befallen　the　king；　and　that　when　Zimri　had　killed
him；　he　had　gained　the　kingdom；　they　made　Omri　their　general
king；　who　drew　off　his　army　from　Gibbethon；　and　came　to　Tirzah；
where　the　royal　palace　was；　and　assaulted　the　city；　and　took　it
by　force。　But　when　Zimri　saw　that　the　city　had　none　to　defend　it；
he　fled　into　the　inmost　part　of　the　palace；　and　set　it　on　fire；
and　burnt　himself　with　it；　when　he　had　reigned　only　seven　days。
Upon　which　the　people　of　Israel　were　presently　divided；　and　part
of　them　would　have　Tibni　to　be　king；　and　part　Omri；　but　when
those　that　were　for　Omri's　ruling　had　beaten　Tibni；　Omri　reigned
over　all　the　multitude。　Now　it　was　in　the　thirtieth　year　of　the
reign　of　Asa　that　Omri　reigned　for　twelve　years；　six　of　these
years　he　reigned　in　the　city　Tirzah；　and　the　rest　in　the　city
called　Semareon；　but　named　by　the　Greeks　Samaria；　but　he　himself
called　it　Semareon；　from　Semer；　who　sold　him　the　mountain　whereon
he　built　it。　Now　Omri　was　no　way　different　from　those　kings　that
reigned　before　him；　but　that　he　grew　worse　than　they；　for　they
all　sought　how　they　might　turn　the　people　away　from　God　by　their
daily　wicked　practices；　and　oil　that　account　it　was　that　God　made
one　of　them　to　be　slain　by　another；　and　that　no　one　person　of
their　families　should　remain。　This　Omri　also　died　in　Samaria　and
Ahab　his　son　succeeded　him。

6。　Now　by　these　events　we　may　learn　what　concern　God　hath　for　the
affairs　of　mankind；　and　how　he　loves　good　men；　and　hates　the
wicked；　and　destroys　them　root　and　branch；　for　many　of　these
kings　of　Israel；　they　and　their　families；　were　miserably
destroyed；　and　taken　away　one　by　another；　in　a　short　time；　for
their　transgression　and　wickedness；　but　Asa；　who　was　king　of
Jerusalem；　and　of　the　two　tribes；　attained；　by　God's　blessing；　a
long　and　a　blessed　old　age；　for　his　piety　and　righteousness；　and
died　happily；　when　he　had　reigned　forty　and　one　years；　and　when
he　was　dead；　his　son　Jehoshaphat　succeeded　him　in　the　government。
He　was　born　of　Asa's　wife　Azubah。　And　all　men　allowed　that　he
followed　the　works　of　David　his　forefather；　and　this　both　in
courage　and　piety；　but　we　are　not　obliged　now　to　speak　any　more
of　the　affairs　of　this　king。

CHAPTER　13。

How　Ahab　WHen　He　Had　Taken　Jezebel　To　Wife　Became　More　Wicked
Than　All　The　Kings　That　Had　Been　Before　Him；　Of　The　Actions　Of
The　Prophet　Elijah；　And　What　Befell　Naboth。

1。　Now　Ahab　the　king　of　Israel　dwelt　in　Samaria；　and　held　the
government　for　twenty…two　years；　and　made　no　alteration　in　the
conduct　of　the　kings　that　were　his　predecessors；　but　only　in　such
things　as　were　of　his　own　invention　for　the　worse；　and　in　his
most　gross　wickedness。　He　imitated　them　in　their　wicked　courses；
and　in　their　injurious　behavior　towards　God；　and　more　especially
he　imitated　the　transgression　of　Jeroboam；　for　he　worshipped　the
heifers　that　he　had　made；　and　he　contrived　other　absurd　objects
of　worship　besides　those　heifers：　he　also　took　to　wife　the
daughter　of　Ethbaal；　king　of　the　Tyrians　and　Sidonians；　whose
name　was　Jezebel；　of　whom　he　learned　to　worship　her　own　gods。
This　woman　was　active　and　bold；　and　fell　into　so　great　a　degree
of　impurity　and　madness；　that　she　built　a　temple　to　the　god　of
the　Tyrians；　Which　they　call　Belus；　and　planted　a　grove　of　all
sorts　of　trees；　she　also　appointed　priests　and　false　prophets　to
this　god。　The　king　also　himself　had　many　such　about　him；　and　so
exceeded　in　madness　and　wickedness　all　＇the　kings＇　that　went
before　him。

2。　There　was　now　a　prophet　of　God　Almighty；　of　Thesbon；　a　country
in　Gilead；　that　came　to　Ahab；　and　said　to　him；　that　God　foretold
he　would　not　send　rain　nor　dew　in　those　years　upon　the　country
but　when　he　should　appear。　And　when　he　had　confirmed　this　by　an
oath；　he　departed　into　the　southern　parts；　and　made　his　abode　by
a　brook；　out　of　which　he　had　water　to　drink；　for　as　for　his　food；
ravens　brought　it　to　him　every　day：　but　when　that　river　was　dried
up　for　want　of　rain；　he　came　to　Zarephath；　a　city　not　far　from
Sidon　and　Tyre；　for　it　lay　between　them；　and　this　at　the　command
of　God；　for　＇God　told　him＇　that　he　should　there　find　a　woman　who
was　a　widow　that　should　give　him　sustenance。　So　when　he　was　not
far　off　the　city；　he　saw　a　woman　that　labored　with　her　own　hands；
gathering　of　sticks：　so　God　informed　him　that　this　was　the　woman
who　was　to　give　him　sustenance。　So　he　came　and　saluted　her；　and
desired　her　to　bring　him　some　water　to　drink；　but　as　she　was
going　so　to　do；　he　called　to　her；　and　would　have　her　to　bring　him
a　loaf　of　bread　also；　whereupon　she　affirmed　upon　oath　that　she
had　at　home　nothing　more　than　one　handful　of　meal；　and　a　little
oil；　and　that　she　was　going　to　gather　some　sticks；　that　she　might
knead　it；　and　make　bread　for　herself　and　her　son；　after　which；
she　said；　they　must　perish；　and　be　consumed　by　the　famine；　for
they　had　nothing　for　themselves　any　longer。　Hereupon　he　said；　〃Go
on　with　good　courage；　and　hope　for　better　things；　and　first　of
all　make　me　a　little　cake；　and　bring　it　to　me；　for　I　foretell　to
thee　that　this　vessel　of　meal　and　this　cruse　of　oil　shall　not
fail　until　God　send　rain。〃　When　the　prophet　had　said　this；　she
came　to　him；　and　made　him　the　before…named　cake；　of　which　she　had
part　for　herself；　and　gave　the　rest　to　her　son；　and　to　the
prophet　also；　nor　did　any　thing　of　this　fall　until　the　drought
ceased。　Now　Menander　mentions　this　drought　in　his　account　of　the
acts　of　Ethbaal；　king　of　the　Tyrians；　where　he　says　thus：　〃Under
him　there　was　a　want　of　rain　from　the　month　Hyperberetmus　till
the　month　Hyperberetmus　of　the　year　following；　but　when　he　made
supplications；　there　came　great　thunders。　This　Ethbaal　built　the
city　Botrys　in　Phoenicia；　and　the　city　Auza　in　Libya。〃　By　these
words　he　designed　the　want　of　rain　that　was　in　the　days　of　Ahab；
for　at　that　time　it　was　that　Ethbaal　also　reigned　over　the
Tyrians；　as　Menander　informs　us。　

3。　Now　this　woman；　of　whom　we　spake　before；　that　sustained　the
prophet；　when　her　son　was　fallen　into　a　distemper　till　he　gave　up
the　ghost；　and　appeared　to　be　dead