the antiquities of the jews-1-第97章

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Ahimelech　the　high　priest；　with　Ahimelech　himself；　and　the　city
of　the　high　priests。　Now　Saul；　when　he　had　reigned　eighteen　years
while　Samuel　was　alive；　and　after　his　death　two　＇and　twenty＇；
ended　his　life　in　this　manner。

BOOK　VII。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Forty　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Saul　To　The　Death　Of　David。

CHAPTER　1。

How　David　Reigned　Over　One　Tribe　At　Hebron　While　The　Son　Of　Saul
Reigned　Over　The　Rest　Of　The　Multitude；　And　How；　In　The　Civil　War
Which　Then　Arose　Asahel　And　Abner　Were　Slain。

1。　This　fight　proved　to　be　on　the　same　day　whereon　David　was　come
back　to　Ziklag；　after　he　had　overcome　the　Amalekites。　Now　when　he
had　been　already　two　days　at　Ziklag；　there　came　to　him　the　man
who　slew　Saul；　which　was　the　third　day　after　the　fight。　He　had
escaped　out　of　the　battle　which　the　Israelites　had　with　the
Philistines；　and　had　his　clothes　rent；　and　ashes　upon　his　head。
And　when　he　made　his　obeisance　to　David；　he　inquired　of　him
whence　he　came。　He　replied；　from　the　battle　of　the　Israelites；
and　he　informed　him　that　the　end　of　it　was　unfortunate；　many　ten
thousands　of　the　Israelites　having　been　cut　off；　and　Saul；
together　with　his　sons；　slain。　He　also　said　that　he　could　well
give　him　this　information；　because　he　was　present　at　the　victory
gained　over　the　Hebrews；　and　was　with　the　king　when　he　fled。　Nor
did　he　deny　that　he　had　himself　slain　the　king；　when　he　was　ready
to　be　taken　by　the　enemy；　and　he　himself　exhorted　him　to　do　it；
because；　when　he　was　fallen　on　his　sword；　his　great　wounds　had
made　him　so　weak　that　he　was　not　able　to　kill　himself。　He　also
produced　demonstrations　that　the　king　was　slain；　which　were　the
golden　bracelets　that　had　been　on　the　king's　arms；　and　his　crown；
which　he　had　taken　away　from　Saul's　dead　body；　and　had　brought
them　to　him。　So　David　having　no　longer　any　room　to　call　in
question　the　truth　of　what　he　said；　but　seeing　most　evident　marks
that　Saul　was　dead；　he　rent　his　garments；　and　continued　all　that
day　with　his　companions　in　weeping　and　lamentation。　This　grief
was　augmented　by　the　consideration　of　Jonathan；　the　son　of　Saul；
who　had　been　his　most　faithful　friend；　and　the　occasion　of　his
own　deliverance。　He　also　demonstrated　himself　to　have　such　great
virtue；　and　such　great　kindness　for　Saul；　as　not　only　to　take　his
death　to　heart；　though　he　had　been　frequently　in　danger　of　losing
his　life　by　his　means；　but　to　punish　him　that　slew　him；　for　when
David　had　said　to　him　that　he　was　become　his　own　accuser；　as　the
very　man　who　had　slain　the　king；　and　when　he　had　understood　that
he　was　the　son　of　an　Amalekite；　he　commanded　him　to　be　slain。　He
also　committed　to　writing　some　lamentations　and　funeral
commendations　of　Saul　and　Jonathan；　which　have　continued　to　my
own　age。

2。　Now　when　David　had　paid　these　honors　to　the　king；　he　left　off
his　mourning；　and　inquired　of　God　by　the　prophet　which　of　the
cities　of　the　tribe　of　Judah　he　would　bestow　upon　him　to　dwell
in；　who　answered　that　he　bestowed　upon　him　Hebron。　So　he　left
Ziklag；　and　came　to　Hebron；　and　took　with　him　his　wives；　who　were
in　number　two；　and　his　armed　men；　whereupon　all　the　people　of　the
forementioned　tribe　came　to　him；　and　ordained　him　their　king。　But
when　he　heard　that　the　inhabitants　of　Jabesh…gilead　had　buried
Saul　and　his　sons　＇honorably＇；　he　sent　to　them　and　commended
them；　and　took　what　they　had　done　kindly；　and　promised　to　make
them　amends　for　their　care　of　those　that　were　dead；　and　at　the
same　time　he　informed　them　that　the　tribe　of　Judah　had　chosen　him
for　their　king。

3。　But　as　soon　as　Abner；　the　son　of　Ner；　who　was　general　of
Saul's　army；　and　a　very　active　man；　and　good…natured；　knew　that
the　king；　and　Jonathan；　and　his　two　other　sons；　were　fallen　in
the　battle；　he　made　haste　into　the　camp；　and　taking　away　with　him
the　remaining　son　of　Saul；　whose　name　was　Ishbosheth；　he　passed
over　to　the　land　beyond　Jordan；　and　ordained　him　the　king　of　the
whole　multitude；　excepting　the　tribe　of　Judah；　and　made　his　royal
seat　in　a　place　called　in　our　own　language　Mahanaim；　but　in　the
language　of　the　Grecians；　The　Camps；　from　whence　Abner　made　haste
with　a　select　body　of　soldiers；　to　fight　with　such　of　the　tribe
of　Judah　as　were　disposed　to　it；　for　he　was　angry　that　this　tribe
had　set　up　David　for　their　king。　But　Joab；　whose　father　was　Suri；
and　his　mother　Zeruiah；　David's　sister；　who　was　general　of
David's　army；　met　him；　according　to　David's　appointment。　He　had
with　him　his　brethren；　Abistiai　and　Asahel；　as　also　all　David's
armed　men。　Now　when　he　met　Abner　at　a　certain　fountain；　in　the
city　of　Gibeon；　he　prepared　to　fight。　And　when　Abner　said　to　him；
that　he　had　a　mind　to　know　which　of　them　had　the　more　valiant
soldiers；　it　was　agreed　between　them　that　twelve　soldiers　of　each
side　should　fight　together。　So　those　that　were　chosen　out　by　both
the　generals　for　this　fight　came　between　the　two　armies；　and
throwing　their　lances　one　against　the　other；　they　drew　their
swords；　and　catching　one　another　by　the　head；　they　held　one
another　fast；　and　ran　each　other's　swords　into　their　sides　and
groins；　until　they　all；　as　it　were　by　mutual　agreement；　perished
together。　When　these　were　fallen　down　dead；　the　rest　of　the　army
came　to　a　sore　battle；　and　Abner's　men　were　beaten；　and　when　they
were　beaten；　Joab　did　not　leave　off　pursuing　them；　but　he　pressed
upon　them；　and　excited　the　soldiers　to　follow　them　close；　and　not
to　grow　weary　of　killing　them。　His　brethren　also　pursued　them
with　great　alacrity；　especially　the　younger；　Asahel；　who　was　the
most　eminent　of　them。　He　was　very　famous　for　his　swiftness　of
foot；　for　he　could　not　only　be　too　hard　for　men；　but　is　reported
to　have　overrun　a　horse；　when　they　had　a　race　together。　This
Asahel　ran　violently　after　Abner；　and　would　not　turn　in　the　least
out　of　the　straight　way；　either　to　the　one　side　or　to　the　other。
Hereupon　Abner　turned　back；　and　attempted　artfully　to　avoid　his
violence。　Sometimes　he　bade　him　leave　off　the　pursuit；　and　take
the　armor　of　one　of　his　soldiers；　and　sometimes；　when　he　could
not　persuade　him　so　to　do；　he　exhorted　him　to　restrain　himself；
and　not　to　pursue　him　any　longer；　lest　he　should　force　him　to
kill　him；　and　he　should　then　not　be　able　to　look　his　brother　in
the　face：　but　when　Asahel　would　not　admit　of　any　persuasions；　but
still　continued　to　pursue　him；　Abner　smote　him　with　his　spear；　as
he　held　it　in　his　flight；　and　that　by　a　back…stroke；　and　gave　him
a　deadly　wound；　so　that　he　died　immediately；　but　those　that　were
with　him　pursuing　Abner；　when　they　came　to　the　place　where　Asahel
lay；　they　stood　round　about　the　dead　body；　and　left　off　the
pursuit　of　the　enemy。　However；　both　Joab　（1）　himself；　and　his
brother　Abishai；　ran　past　the　dead　corpse；　and　making　their　anger
at　the　death　of　Asahel　an　occasion　of　greater　zeal　against　Abner；
they　went　on　with　incredible　haste　and　alacrity；　and　pursued
Abner　to　a　certain　place　called　Ammah：　it　was　about　sun…set。　Then
did　Joab　ascend　a　certain　hill；　as　he　stood　at　that　place；　having
the　tribe　of　Benjamin　with　him；　whence　he　took　a　view　of　them；
and　of　Abner　also。　Hereupon　Abner　cried　aloud；　and　said　that　it
was　not　fit　that　they　should　irritate　men　of　the　same　nation　to
fight　so　bitterly　one　against　another；　that　as　for　Asahel　his
brother；　he　was　himself　in　the　wrong；　when　he　would　not　be
advised　by　him　not　to　pursue　him　any　farther；　which　was　the
occasion　of　his　wounding　and　death。　So　Joab　consented　to　what　he
said；　and　accepted　these　his　words　as　an　excuse　＇about　Asahel＇；
and　called　the　soldiers　back　with　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　as　a
signal　for　their　retreat；　and　thereby　put　a　stop　to　any　further
pursuit。　After　which　Joab　pitched　his　camp　there　that　night；　but
Abner　marched　all　that　night；　and　passed　over　the　river　Jordan；
and　came　to　Ishbosheth；　Saul's　son；　to　Mahanaim。　On　the　next　day
Joab　counted　the　dead　men；　and　took　care　of　all　their　funerals。
Now　there　were　slain　of　Abner's　soldiers　about　three　hundred　and
sixty；　but　of　those　of　David　nineteen；　and　Asahel；　whose　body
Joab　and　Abishai　carried　to　Bethlehem；　and　when　they　had　buried
him　in　the　sepulcher　of　their　fathers；　they　came　to　David　to
Hebron。　From　this