the antiquities of the jews-1-第149章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　taught　the　laws；　and　the　holy　worship　of　God；　they
worshipped　him　in　a　respectful　manner；　and　the　plague　ceased
immediately；　and　indeed　they　continue　to　make　use　of　the　very
same　customs　to　this　very　time；　and　are　called　in　the　Hebrew
tongue　Cutlans；　but　in　the　Greek　tongue　Samaritans。　And　when　they
see　the　Jews　in　prosperity；　they　pretend　that　they　are　changed；
and　allied　to　them；　and　call　them　kinsmen；　as　though　they　were
derived　from　Joseph；　and　had　by　that　means　an　original　alliance
with　them；　but　when　they　see　them　falling　into　a　low　condition；
they　say　they　are　no　way　related　to　them；　and　that　the　Jews　have
no　right　to　expect　any　kindness　or　marks　of　kindred　from　them；
but　they　declare　that　they　are　sojourners；　that　come　from　other
countries。　But　of　these　we　shall　have　a　more　seasonable
opportunity　to　discourse　hereafter。

BOOK　X。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　One　Hundred　And　Eighty…Two　Years　And　A
Half。

From　The　Captivity　Of　The　Ten　Tribes　To　The　First　Year　Of　Cyrus。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Sennacherib　Made　An　Expedition　Against　Hezekiah；　What
Threatenings　Rabshakeh　Made　To　Hezekiah　When　Sennacherib　Was　Gone
Against　The　Egyptians；　How　Isaiah　The　Prophet　Encouraged　Him；　How
Sennacherib　Having　Failed　Of　Success　In　Egypt；　Returned　Thence　To
Jerusalem；　And　How　Upon　His　Finding　His　Army　Destroyed；　He
Returned　Home；　And　What　Befell　Him　A　Little　Afterward。

1。　It　was　now　the　fourteenth　year　of　the　government　of　Hezekiah；
king　of　the　two　tribes；　when　the　king　of　Assyria；　whose　name　was
Sennacherib；　made　an　expedition　against　him　with　a　great　army；
and　took　all　the　cities　of　the　tribes　of　Judah　and　Benjamin　by
force；　and　when　he　was　ready　to　bring　his　army　against　Jerusalem；
Hezekiah　sent　ambassadors　to　him　beforehand；　and　promised　to
submit；　and　pay　what　tribute　he　should　appoint。　Hereupon
Sennacherib；　when　he　heard　of　what　offers　the　ambassadors　made；
resolved　not　to　proceed　in　the　war；　but　to　accept　of　the
proposals　that　were　made　him；　and　if　he　might　receive　three
hundred　talents　of　silver；　and　thirty　talents　of　gold；　he
promised　that　he　would　depart　in　a　friendly　manner；　and　he　gave
security　upon　oath　to　the　ambassadors　that　he　would　then　do　him
no　harm；　but　go　away　as　he　came。　So　Hezekiah　submitted；　and
emptied　his　treasures；　and　sent　the　money；　as　supposing　he　should
be　freed　from　his　enemy；　and　from　any　further　distress　about　his
kingdom。　Accordingly；　the　Assyrian　king　took　it；　and　yet　had　no
regard　to　what　he　had　promised；　but　while　he　himself　went　to　the
war　against　the　Egyptians　and　Ethiopians；　he　left　his　general
Rabshakeh；　and　two　other　of　his　principal　commanders；　with　great
forces；　to　destroy　Jerusalem。　The　names　of　the　two　other
commanders　were　Tartan　and　Rabsaris。

2。　Now　as　soon　as　they　were　come　before　the　walls；　they　pitched
their　camp；　and　sent　messengers　to　Hezekiah；　and　desired　that
they　might　speak　with　him；　but　he　did　not　himself　come　out　to
them　for　fear；　but　he　sent　three　of　his　most　intimate　friends；
the　name　of　one　was　Eliakim；　who　was　over　the　kingdom；　and
Shebna；　and　Joah　the　recorder。　So　these　men　came　out；　and　stood
over　against　the　commanders　of　the　Assyrian　army；　and　when
Rabshakeh　saw　them；　he　bid　them　go　and　speak　to　Hezekiah　in　the
manner　following：　That　Sennacherib；　the　great　king；　（1）　desires
to　know　of　him；　on　whom　it　is　that　he　relies　and　depends；　in
flying　from　his　lord；　and　will　not　hear　him；　nor　admit　his　army
into　the　city？　Is　it　on　account　of　the　Egyptians；　and　in　hopes
that　his　army　would　be　beaten　by　them？　Whereupon　he　lets　him
know；　that　if　this　be　what　he　expects；　he　is　a　foolish　man；　and
like　one　who　leans　on　a　broken　reed；　while　such　a　one　will　not
only　fall　down；　but　will　have　his　hand　pierced　and　hurt　by　it。
That　he　ought　to　know　he　makes　this　expedition　against　him　by　the
will　of　God；　who　hath　granted　this　favor　to　him；　that　he　shall
overthrow　the　kingdom　of　Israel；　and　that　in　the　very　same　manner
he　shall　destroy　those　that　are　his　subjects　also。　When　Rabshakeh
h