the antiquities of the jews-1-第147章

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with　the　Assyrians；　but　he　persuaded　him　to　accept　of　a　thousand
talents　of　silver；　and　to　go　away；　and　so　put　an　end　to　the　war。
This　sum　the　multitude　collected　for　Menahem；　by　exacting　fifty
drachme　as　poll…money　for　every　head；　（23）　after　which　he　died；
and　was　buried　in　Samaria；　and　left　his　son　Pekahiah　his
successor　in　the　kingdom；　who　followed　the　barbarity　of　his
father；　and　so　ruled　but　two　years　only；　after　which　he　was　slain
with　his　friends　at　a　feast；　by　the　treachery　of　one　Pekah；　the
general　of　his　horse；　and　the　son　of　Remaliah；　who　laid　snares
for　him。　Now　this　Pekah　held　the　government　twenty　years；　and
proved　a　wicked　man　and　a　transgressor。　But　the　king　of　Assyria；
whose　name　was　Tiglath…Pileser；　when　he　had　made　an　expedition
against　the　Israelites；　and　had　overrun　all　the　land　of　Gilead；
and　the　region　beyond　Jordan；　and　the　adjoining　country；　which　is
called　Galilee；　and　Kadesh；　and　Hazor；　he　made　the　inhabitants
prisoners；　and　transplanted　them　into　his　own　kingdom。　And　so
much　shall　suffice　to　have　related　here　concerning　the　king　of
Assyria。

2。　Now　Jotham　the　son　of　Uzziah　reigned　over　the　tribe　of　Judah
in　Jerusalem；　being　a　citizen　thereof　by　his　mother；　whose　name
was　Jerusha。　This　king　was　not　defective　in　any　virtue；　but　was
religious　towards　God；　and　righteous　towards　men；　and　careful　of
the　good　of　the　city　（for　what　part　soever　wanted　to　be　repaired
or　adorned　he　magnificently　repaired　and　adorned　them）。　He　also
took　care　of　the　foundations　of　the　cloisters　in　the　temple；　and
repaired　the　walls　that　were　fallen　down；　and　built　very　great
towers；　and　such　as　were　almost　impregnable；　and　if　any　thing
else　in　his　kingdom　had　been　neglected；　he　took　great　care　of　it。
He　also　made　an　expedition　against　the　Ammonites；　and　overcame
them　in　battle；　and　ordered　them　to　pay　tribute；　a　hundred
talents；　and　ten　thousand　cori　of　wheat；　and　as　many　of　barley；
every　year；　and　so　augmented　his　kingdom；　that　his　enemies　could
not　despise　it；　and　his　own　people　lived　happily。

3。　Now　there　was　at　that　time　a　prophet；　whose　name　was　Nahum；
who　spake　after　this　manner　concerning　the　overthrow　of　the
Assyrians　and　of　Nineveh：　〃Nineveh　shall　be　a　pool　of　water　in
motion　（23）　so　shall　all　her　people　be　troubled；　and　tossed；　and
go　away　by　flight；　while　they　say　one　to　another；　Stand；　stand
still；　seize　their　gold　and　silver；　for　there　shall　be　no　one　to
wish　them　well；　for　they　will　rather　save　their　lives　than　their
money；　for　a　terrible　contention　shall　possess　them　one　with
another；　and　lamentation；　and　loosing　of　the　members；　and　their
countenances　shall　be　perfectly　black　with　fear。　And　there　will
be　the　den　of　the　lions；　and　the　mother　of　the　young　lions！　God
says　to　thee；　Nineveh；　that　they　shall　deface　thee；　and　the　lion
shall　no　longer　go　out　from　thee　to　give　laws　to　the　world。〃　And
indeed　this　prophet　prophesied　many　other　things　besides　these
concerning　Nineveh；　which　I　do　not　think　necessary　to　repeat；　and
I　here　omit　them；　that　I　may　not　appear　troublesome　to　my
readers；　all　which　thing　happened　about　Nineveh　a　hundred　and
fifteen　years　afterward：　so　this　may　suffice　to　have　spoken　of
these　matters。

CHAPTER　12。

How　Upon　The　Death　Of　Jotham；　Ahaz　Reigned　In　His　Stead；　Against
Whom　Rezin；　King　Of　Syria　And　Pekah　King　Of　Israel；　Made　War；　And
How　Tiglath…Pileser；　King　Of　Assyria　Came　To　The　Assistance　Of
Ahaz；　And　Laid　Syria　Waste　And　Removing　The　Damascenes　Into　Media
Placed　Other　Nations　In　Their　Room。

1。　Now　Jotham　died　when　he　had　lived　forty…one　years；　and　of　them
reigned　sixteen；　and　was　buried　in　the　sepulchers　of　the　kings；
and　the　kingdom　came　to　his　son　Ahaz；　who　proved　most　impious
towards　God；　and　a　transgressor　of　the　laws　of　his　country。　He
imitated　the　kings　of　Israel；　and　reared　altars　in　Jerusalem；　and
offered　sacrifices　upon　them　to　idols；　to　which　also　he　offered
his　own　son　as　a　burnt…offering；　according　to　the　practices　of
the　Canaanites。　His　other　actions　were　also　of　the　same　sort。　Now
as　he　was　going　on　in　this　mad　course；　Rezin；　the　king　of　Syria
and　Damascus；　and　Pekah；　the　king　of　Israel；　who　were　now　at
amity　one　with　another；　made　war　with　him；　and　when　they　had
driven　him　into　Jerusalem；　they　besieged　that　city　a　long　while；
making　but　a　small　progress；　on　account　of　the　strength　of　its
walls；　and　when　the　king　of　Syria　had　taken　the　city　Elath；　upon
the　Red　Sea；　and　had　slain　the　inhabitants；　he　peopled　it　with
Syrians；　and　when　he　had　slain　those　in　the　＇other＇　garrisons；
and　the　Jews　in　their　neighborhood；　and　had　driven　away　much
prey；　he　returned　with　his　army　back　to　Damascus。　Now　when　the
king　of　Jerusalem　knew　that　the　Syrians　were　returned　home；　he；
supposing　himself　a　match　for　the　king　of　Israel；　drew　out　his
army　against　him；　and　joining　battle　with　him　was　beaten；　and
this　happened　because　God　was　angry　with　him；　on　account　of　his
many　and　great　enormities。　Accordingly　there　were　slain　by　the
Israelites　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　of　his　men　that　day；
whose　general；　Amaziah　by　name；　slew　Zechariah　the　king's　son；　in
his　conflict　with　Ahaz；　as　well　as　the　governor　of　the　kingdom；
whose　name　was　Azricam。　He　also　carried　Elkanah；　the　general　of
the　troops　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　into　captivity。　They　also
carried　the　women　and　children　of　the　tribe　of　Benjamin　captives；
and　when　they　had　gotten　a　great　deal　of　prey；　they　returned　to
Samaria。

2。　Now　there　was　one　Obed；　who　was　a　prophet　at　that　time　in
Samaria　；he　met　the　army　before　the　city　walls；　and　with　a　loud
voice　told　them　that　they　had　gotten　the　victory　not　by　their　own
strength；　but　by　reason　of　the　anger　God　had　against　king　Ahaz。
And　he　complained　that　they　were　not　satisfied　with　the　good
success　they　had　had　against　him；　but　were　so　bold　as　to　make
captives　out　of　their　kinsmen　the　tribes　of　Judah　and　Benjamin。
He　also　gave　them　counsel　to　let　them　go　home　without　doing　them
any　harm；　for　that　if　they　did　not　obey　God　herein；　they　should
be　punished。　So　the　people　of　Israel　came　together　to　their
assembly；　and　considered　of　these　matters；　when　a　man　whose　name
was　Berechiah；　and　who　was　one　of　chief　reputation　in　the
government；　stood　up；　and　the　others　with　him；　and　said；　〃We　will
not　suffer　the　citizens　to　bring　these　prisoners　into　the　city；
lest　we　be　all　destroyed　by　God；　we　have　sins　enough　of　our　own
that　we　have　committed　against　him；　as　the　prophets　assure　us；
nor　ought　we　therefore　to　introduce　the　practice　of　new　crimes。〃
When　the　soldiers　heard　that；　they　permitted　them　to　do　what　they
thought　best。　So　the　forenamed　men　took　the　captives；　and　let
them　go；　and　took　care　of　them；　and　gave　them　provisions；　and
sent　them　to　their　own　country；　without　doing　them　any　harm。
However；　these　four　went　along　with　them；　and　conducted　them　as
far　as　Jericho；　which　is　not　far　from　Jerusalem；　and　returned　to
Samaria。

3。　Hereupon　king　Ahaz；　having　been　so　thoroughly　beaten　by　the
Israelites；　sent　to　Tiglath…Pileser；　king　of　the　Assyrians；　and
sued　for　assistance　from　him　in　his　war　against　the　Israelites；
and　Syrians；　and　Damascenes；　with　a　promise　to　send　him　much
money；　he　sent　him　also　great　presents　at　the　same　time。　Now　this
king；　upon　the　reception　of　those　ambassadors；　came　to　assist
Ahaz；　and　made　war　upon　the　Syrians；　and　laid　their　country
waste；　and　took　Damascus　by　force；　and　slew　Rezin　their　king；　and
transplanted　the　people　of　Damascus　into　the　Upper　Media；　and
brought　a　colony　of　Assyrians；　and　planted　them　in　Damascus。　He
also　afflicted　the　land　of　Israel；　and　took　many　captives　out　of
it。　While　he　was　doing　thus　with　the　Syrians；　king　Ahaz　took　all
the　gold　that　was　in　the　king's　treasures；　and　the　silver；　and
what　was　in　the　temple　of　God；　and　what　precious　gifts　were
there；　and　he　carried　them　with　him；　and　came　to　Damascus；　and
gave　it　to　the　king　of　Assyria；　according　to　his　agreement。　So　he
confessed　that　he　owed　him　thanks　for　all　he　had　done　for　him；
and　returned　to　Jerusalem。　Now　this　king　was　so　sottish　and
thoughtless　of　what　was　for　his　own　good；　that　he　would　not　leave
off　worshipping　the　Syrian　gods　when　he　was　beaten　by　them；　but
he　went