the antiquities of the jews-1-第140章

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resolution；　they　came　by　night　to　the　enemy's　camp。　Now　God　had
begun　to　affright　and　disturb　the　Syrians；　and　to　bring　the　noise
of　chariots　and　armor　to　their　ears；　as　though　an　army　were
coming　upon　them；　and　had　made　them　suspect　that　it　was　coming
nearer　and　nearer　to　them　In　short；　they　were　in　such　a　dread　of
this　army；　that　they　left　their　tents；　and　ran　together　to
Benhadad；　and　said　that　Joram　the　king　of　Israel　had　hired　for
auxiliaries　both　the　king　of　Egypt　and　the　king　of　the　Islands；
and　led　them　against　them　for　they　heard　the　noise　of　them　as
they　were　coming。　And　Benhadad　believed　what　they　said　（for　there
came　the　same　noise　to　his　ears　as　well　as　it　did　to　theirs）；　so
they　fell　into　a　mighty　disorder　and　tumult；　and　left　their
horses　and　beasts　in　their　camp；　with　immense　riches　also；　and
betook　themselves　to　flight。　And　those　lepers　who　had　departed
from　Samaria；　and　were　gone　to　the　camp　of　the　Syrians；　of　whom
we　made　mention　a　little　before；　when　they　were　in　the　camp；　saw
nothing　but　great　quietness　and　silence：　accordingly　they　entered
into　it；　and　went　hastily　into　one　of　their　tents；　and　when　they
saw　nobody　there；　they　eat　and　drank；　and　carried　garments；　and　a
great　quantity　of　gold；　and　hid　it　out　of　the　camp；　after　which
they　went　into　another　tent；　and　carried　off　what　was　in　it；　as
they　did　at　the　former；　and　this　did　they　for　several　times；
without　the　least　interruption　from　any　body。　So　they　gathered
thereby　that　the　enemies　were　departed；　whereupon　they　reproached
themselves　that　they　did　not　inform　Joram　and　the　citizens　of　it。
So　they　came　to　the　walls　of　Samaria；　and　called　aloud　to　the
watchmen；　and　told　them　in　what　state　the　enemies　were；　as　did
these　tell　the　king's　guards；　by　whose　means　Joram　came　to　know
of　it；　who　then　sent　for　his　friends；　and　the　captains　of　his
host；　and　said　to　them；　that　he　suspected　that　this　departure　of
the　king　of　Syria　was　by　way　of　ambush　and　treachery；　and　that
out　of　despair　of　ruining　you　by　famine；　when　you　imagine　them　to
be　fled　away；　you　may　come　out　of　the　city　to　spoil　their　camp；
and　he　may　then　fall　upon　you　on　a　sudden；　and　may　both　kill　you；
and　take　the　city　without　fighting；　whence　it　is　that　I　exhort
you　to　guard　the　city　carefully；　and　by　no　means　to　go　out　of　it；
or　proudly　to　despise　your　enemies；　as　though　they　were　really
gone　away。〃　And　when　a　certain　person　said　that　he　did　very　well
and　wisely　to　admit　such　a　suspicion；　but　that　he　still　advised
him　to　send　a　couple　of　horsemen　to　search　all　the　country　as　far
as　Jordan；　that　〃if　they　were　seized　by　an　ambush　of　the　enemy；
they　might　be　a　security　to　your　army；　that　they　may　not　go　out
as　if　they　suspected　nothing；　nor　undergo　the　like　misfortune；
and；〃　said　he；　〃those　horsemen　may　be　numbered　among　those　that
have　died　by　the　famine；　supposing　they　be　caught　and　destroyed
by　the　enemy。〃　So　the　king　was　pleased　with　this　opinion；　and
sent　such　as　might　search　out　the　truth；　who　performed　their
journey　over　a　road　that　was　without　any　enemies；　but　found　it
full　of　provisions；　and　of　weapons；　that　they　had　therefore
thrown　away；　and　left　behind　them；　in　order　to　their　being　light
and　expeditious　in　their　flight。　When　the　king　heard　this；　he
sent　out　the　multitude　to　take　the　spoils　of　the　camp；　which
gains　of　theirs　were　not　of　things　of　small　value；　but　they　took
a　great　quantity　of　gold；　and　a　great　quantity　of　silver；　and
flocks　of　all　kinds　of　cattle。　They　also　possessed　themselves　of
＇so　many＇　ten　thousand　measures　of　wheat　and　barley；　as　they
never　in　the　least　dreamed　of；　and　were　not　only　freed　from　their
former　miseries；　but　had　such　plenty；　that　two　seahs　of　barley
were　bought　for　a　shekel；　and　a　seah　of　fine　flour　for　a　shekel；
according　to　the　prophecy　of　Elisha。　Now　a　seah　is　equal　to　an
Italian　modius　and　a　half。　The　captain　of　the　third　band　was　the
only　man　that　received　no　benefit　by　this　plenty；　for　as　he　was
appointed　by　the　king　to　oversee　the　gate；　that　lm　might　prevent
the　too　great　crowd　of　the　multitude；　and　they　might　not　endanger
one　another　to　perish；　by　treading　on　one　another　in　the　press；
he　suffered　himself　in　that　very　way；　and　died　in　that　very
manner；　as　Elisha　had　foretold　such　his　death；　when　he　alone　of
them　all　disbelieved　what　he　said　concerning　that　plenty　of
provisions　which　they　should　soon　have。

6。　Hereupon；　when　Benhadad；　the　king　of　Syria；　had　escaped　to
Damascus；　and　understood　that　it　was　God　himself　that　cast　all
his　army　into　this　fear　and　disorder；　and　that　it　did　not　arise
from　the　invasion　of　enemies；　he　was　mightily　cast　down　at　his
having　God　so　greatly　for　his　enemy；　and　fell　into　a　distemper。
Now　it　happened　that　Elisha　the　prophet；　at　that　time；　was　gone
out　of　his　own　country　to　Damascus；　of　which　Berthadad　was
informed：　he　sent　Hazael；　the　most　faithful　of　all　his　servants；
to　meet　him；　and　to　carry　him　presents；　and　bade　him　inquire　of
him　about　his　distemper；　and　whether　he　should　escape　the　danger
that　it　threatened。　So　Hazael　came　to　Elisha　with　forty　camels；
that　carried　the　best　and　most　precious　fruits　that　the　country
of　Damascus　afforded；　as　well　as　those　which　the　king's　palace
supplied。　He　saluted　him　kindly；　and　said　that　he　was　sent　to　him
by　king　Berthadad；　and　brought　presents　with　him；　in　order　to
inquire　concerning　his　distemper；　whether　he　should　recover　from
it　or　not。　Whereupon　the　prophet　bid　him　tell　the　king　no
melancholy　news；　but　still　he　said　he　would　die。　So　the　king's
servant　was　troubled　to　hear　it；　and　Elisha　wept　also；　and　his
tears　ran　down　plenteously　at　his　foresight　of　what　miseries　his
people　would　undergo　after　the　death　of　Berthadad。　And　when
Hazael　asked　him　what　was　the　occasion　of　this　confusion　he　was
in；　he　said　that　he　wept　out　of　his　commiseration　for　the
multitude　of　the　Israelites；　and　what　terrible　miseries　they　will
suffer　by　thee；　〃for　thou　wilt　slay　the　strongest　of　them；　and
wilt　burn　their　strongest　cities；　and　wilt　destroy　their
children；　and　dash　them　against　the　stones；　and　wilt　rip　up　their
women　with　child。〃　And　when　Hazael　said；　〃How　can　it　be　that　I
should　have　power　enough　to　do　such　things　？〃　the　prophet
replied；　that　God　had　informed　him　that　he　should　be　king　of
Syria。　So　when　Hazael　was　come　to　Benhadad；　he　told　him　good　news
concerning　his　distemper　（12）　but　on　the　next　day　he　spread　a　wet
cloth；　in　the　nature　of　a　net；　over　him；　and　strangled　him；　and
took　his　dominion。　He　was　an　active　man；　and　had　the　good…will　of
the　Syrians；　and　of　the　people　of　Damascus；　to　a　great　degree；　by
whom　both　Benhadad　himself；　and　Hazael；　who　ruled　after　him；　are
honored　to　this　day　as　gods；　by　reason　of　their　benefactions；　and
their　building　them　temples　by　which　they　adorned　the　city　of　the
Damascenes。　They　also　every　day　do　with　great　pomp　pay　their
worship　to　these　kings；　（13）　and　value　themselves　upon　their
antiquity；　nor　do　they　know　that　these　kings　are　much　later　than
they　imagine；　and　that　they　are　not　yet　eleven　hundred　years　old。
Now　when　Joram；　the　king　of　Israel；　heard　that　Berthadad　was
dead；　he　recovered　out　of　the　terror　and　dread　he　had　been　in　on
his　account；　and　was　very　glad　to　live　in　peace。

CHAPTER　5。

Concerning　The　Wickedness　Of　Jehoram　King　O　Jerusalem；　His　Defeat
And　Death。

1。　Now　Jehoram　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　for　we　have　said　before
that　he　had　the　same　name　with　the　king　of　Israel；　as　soon　as　he
had　taken　the　government　upon　him；　betook　himself　to　the
slaughter　of　his　brethren；　and　his　father's　friends；　who　were
governors　under　him；　and　thence　made　a　beginning　and　a
demonstration　of　his　wickedness；　nor　was　he　at　all　better　than
those　kings　of　Israel　who　at　first　transgressed　against　the　laws
of　their　country；　and　of　the　Hebrews；　and　against　God's　worship。
And　it　was　Athaliah；　the　daughter　of　Ahab；　whom　he　had　married；
who　taught　him　to　be　a　bad　man　in　other　respects；　and　also　to
worship　foreign　gods。　Now　God　would　not　quite　root　out　this
family；　because　of　the　promise　he　had　made　to　David。　However；
Jehoram　did　not　leave　off　the　introduction　of　new　sorts　of
customs　to　the　propagation　of　impiety；　and　to　the　ruin　of　the
c