the antiquities of the jews-1-第345章

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18：25；　which　he　did　accordingly；　with　God's　help；　at　the　expense
of　a　miracle。

（8）　Dr。　Hudson；　with　very　good　reason；　suspects　that　there　is　no
small　defect　in　our　present　copies　of　Josephus；　just　before　the
beginning　of　this　section；　and　that　chiefly　as　to　that　distinct
account　which　he　had　given　us　reason　to　expect　in　the　first
section；　and　to　which　he　seems　to　refer；　ch。　8。　sect。　6。
concerning　the　glorious　miracles　which　Elisha　wrought；　which
indeed　in　our　Bibles　are　not　a　few；　2　Kings　6…9。；　but　of　which　we
have　several　omitted　in　Josephus's　present　copies。　One　of　those
histories；　omitted　at　present；　was　evidently　in　his　Bible；　I　mean
that　of　the　curing　of　Nanman's　leprosy；　2　Kings　5。；　for　he
plainly　alludes　to　it；　B。　III。　ch。　11。　sect。　4；　where　he
observes；　that　〃there　were　lepers　in　many　nations　who　yet　have
been　in　honor；　and　not　only　free　from　reproach　and　avoidance；　but
who　have　been　great　captains　of　armies；　and　been　intrusted　with
high　offices　in　the　commonwealth；　and　have　had　the　privilege　of
entering　into　holy　places　and　temples。〃　But　what　makes　me　most
regret　the　want　of　that　history　in　our　present　copies　of　Josephus
is　this；　that　we　have　here；　as　it　is　commonly　understood；　one　of
the　greatest　difficulties　in　all　the　Bible；　that　in　2　Kings　5：18；
19；　where　Naaman；　after　he　had　been　miraculously　cured　by　a
prophet　of　the　true　God；　and　had　thereupon　promised　（ver。　17）
that　〃he　would　henceforth　offer　neither　burnt…offering　nor
sacrifice　unto　other　gods；　but　unto　the　Lord；〃　adds；　〃In　this
thing　the　Lord　pardon　thy　servant；　that　when　my　master　goeth　into
the　house　of　Rimnu　to　worship　there；　and　he　leaneth　on　my　hands；
and　I　bow　myself　in　the　house　of　Rimmort；　when　I　bow　down　myself
in　the　house　of　Rimmort；　the　Lord　pardon　thy　servant　in　this
thing。　And　Elisha　said；　Go　in　peace。〃　This　looks　like　a　prophet's
permission　for　being　partaker　in　idolatry　itself；　out　of
compliance　with　an　idolatrous　court。

（9）　Upon　occasion　of　this　stratagem　of　Elisha；　in　Josephus；　we
may　take　notice；　that　although　Josephus　was　one　of　the　greatest
lovers　of　truth　in　the　world；　yet　in　a　just　war　he　seems　to　have
had　no　manner　of　scruple　upon　him　by　all　such　stratagems　possible
to　deceive　public　enemies。　See　this　Josephus's　account　of
Jeremiah's　imposition　on　the　great　men　of　the　Jews　in　somewhat
like　case；　Antiq。　B。　X。　ch。　7。　sect。　6；　2　Samuel　16：16；　&c。

（10）　This　son　of　a　murderer　was　Joram；　the　son　of　Ahab；　which
Ahab　slew；　or　permitted　his　wife　Jezebel　to　slay；　the　Lord's
prophets；　and　Naboth；　1　Kings　18：4；　21：19；　and　he　is　here　called
by　this　name；　I　suppose；　because　he　had　now　also　himself　sent　an
officer　to　murder　him；　yet　is　Josephus's　account　of　Joram's
coming　himself　at　last。　as　repenting　of　his　intended　cruelty；
much　more　probable　than　that　in　our　copies；　2　Kings　6：33；　which
rather　implies　the　contrary。

（11）　This　law　of　the　Jews；　for　the　exclusion　of　lepers　out　of　the
camp　in　the　wilderness；　and　out　of　the　cities　in　Judea；　is　a
known　one；　Leviticus　13：46；　Numbers　5：14。

（12）　Since　Elijah　did　not　live　to　anoint　Hazael　king　of　Syria
himself；　as　he　was　empowered　to　do；　1　Kings　19：15；　it　was　most
probably　now　done；　in　his　name；　by　his　servant　and　successor
Elisha。　Nor　does　it　seem　to　me　otherwise　but　that　Benhadad
immediately　recovered　of　his　disease；　as　the　prophet　foretold；
and　that　Hazael；　upon　his　being　anointed　to　succeed　him　though　he
ought　to　have　staid　till　he　died　by　the　course　of　nature；　or　some
other　way　of　Divine　punishment；　as　did　David　for　many　years　in
the　like　case；　was　too　impatient；　and　the　very　next　day　smothered
or　strangled　him；　in　order　to　come　directly　to　the　succession。

（13）　What　Mr。　Le　Clerc　pretends　here；　that　it　is　more　probable
that　Hazael　and　his　son　were　worshipped　by　the　Syrians　and　people
of　Damascus　till　the　days　of　Josephus；　than　Benhadad　and　Hazael；
because　under　Benhadad　they　had　greatly　suffered；　and　because　it
is　almost　incredible　that　both　a　king　and　that　king's　murderer
should　be　worshipped　by　the　same　Syrians；　is　of　little　force
against　those　records；　out　of　which　Josephus　drew　this　history；
especially　when　it　is　likely　that　they　thought　Benhadad　died　of
the　distemper　he　labored　under；　and　not　by　Hazael's　treachery。
Besides；　the　reason　that　Josephus　gives　for　this　adoration；　that
these　two　kings　had　been　great　benefactors　to　the　inhabitants　of
Damascus；　and　had　built　them　temples；　is　too　remote　from　the
political　suspicions　of　Le　Clerc；　nor　ought　such　weak　suspicions
to　be　deemed　of　any　force　against　authentic　testimonies　of
antiquity。

（14）　This　epistle；　in　some　copies　of　Josephus；　is　said　to　come　to
Jotare　from　Elijah；　with　this　addition；〃　for　he　was　yet　upon
earth；〃　which　could　not　be　true　of　Elijah；　who；　as　all　agree；　was
gone　from　the　earth　about　four　years　before；　and　could　only　be
true　of　Elisha；　nor　perhaps　is　there　any　more　mystery　here；　than
that　the　name　of　Elijah　has　very　anciently　crept　into　the　text
instead　of　Elisha；　by　the　copiers；　there　being　nothing　in　any
copy　of　that　epistle　peculiar　to　Elijah。

（15）　Spanheim　here　notes；　that　this　putting　off　men's　garments；
and　strewing　them　under　a　king；　was　an　Eastern　custom；　which　he
had　elsewhere　explained。

（16）　Our　copies　say　that　this　〃driving　of　the　chariots　was　like
the　driving　of　Jehu　the　son　of　Nimshi；　for　he　driveth　furiously；〃
2　Kings　9：20；　whereas　Josephus's　copy；　as　he　understood　it；　was
this；　that；　on　the　contrary；　Jehu　marched　slowly；　and　in　good
order。　Nor　can　it　be　denied；　that　since　there　was　interval　enough
for　king　Joram　to　send　out　two　horsemen；　one　after　another；　to
Jehu；　and　at　length　to　go　out　with　king　Ahaziah　to　meet　him；　and
all　this　after　he　was　come　within　sight　of　the　watchman；　and
before　he　was　come　to　Jezreel；　the　probability　is　greatly　on　the
side　of　Josephus's　copy　or　interpretation。

（17）　This　character　of　Joash；　the　son　of　Jehoahaz；　that　〃he　was　a
good　man；　and　in　his　disposition　not　at　all　like　to　his　father；〃
seems　a　direct　contradiction　to　our　ordinary　copies；　which　say　（2
Kings　13：11）　that　〃he　did　evil　in　the　sight　of　the　Lord；　and　that
he　departed　not　from　all　the　sins　of　Jeroboam；　the　son　of　Nebat；
who　made　Israel　to　sin：　he　walked　therein。〃　Which　copies　are　here
the　truest　it　is　hard　positively　to　determine。　If　Josephus's　be
true；　this　Joash　is　the　single　instance　of　a　good　king　over　the
ten　tribes；　if　the　other　be　true；　we　have　not　one　such　example。
The　account　that　follows；　in　all　copies；　of　Elisha　the　prophet's
concern　for　him；　and　his　concern　for　Elisha；　greatly　favors
Josephus's　copies；　and　supposes　this　king　to　have　been　then　a
good　man；　and　no　idolater；　with　whom　God's　prophets　used　not　to
be　so　familiar。　Upon　the　whole；　since　it　appears；　even　by
Josephus's　own　account；　that　Amaziah；　the　good　king　of　Judah；
while　he　was　a　good　king；　was　forbidden　to　make　use　of　the
hundred　thousand　auxiliaries　he　had　hired　of　this　Joash；　the　king
of　Israel；　as　if　he　and　they　were　then　idolaters；　2　Chronicles
25：6…9；　it　is　most　likely　that　these　different　characters　of
Joash　suited　the　different　parts　of　his　reign；　and　that；
according　to　our　common　copies；　he　was　at　first　a　wicked　king；
and　afterwards　was　reclaimed；　and　became　a　good　one；　according　to
Josephus。

（18）　What　I　have　above　noted　concerning　Jehoash；　seems　to　me　to
have　been　true　also　concerning　his　son　Jeroboam　II。；　viz。　that
although　he　began　wickedly；　as　Josephus　agrees　with　our　other
copies；　and；　as　he　adds；　〃was　the　cause　of　a　vast　number　of
misfortunes　to　the　Israelites〃　in　those　his　first　years；　（the
particulars　of　which　are　unhappily　wanting　both　in　Josephus　and
in　all　our　copies；）　so　does　it　seem　to　me　that　he　was　afterwards
reclaimed；　and　became　a　good　king；　and　so　was　encouraged　by　the
prophet　Jonah；　and　had　great　successes　afterward；　when　〃God　had
saved　the　Israelites　by　the　hand　of　Jeroboam；　the　son　of　Joash；〃
2　Kings　14：27；　which　encouragement　by　Jonah；　and　great　successes；
are　equally　observable　in　Josephus；　and　in　the　other　copies。

（19）　When　Jonah　is　said　in　our　Bibles　to　have　gone　to　Tarshish；
Jonah　1：3；　Josephus　understood　it　that　he　went　to　Tarsus　in
Cilicia；　or　to　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　upon