the antiquities of the jews-1-第68章

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tribe　of　Judah。　Now　he　was　very　fond　of　his　wife；　and　overcome
with　her　beauty；　but　he　was　unhappy　in　this；　that　he　did　not　meet
with　the　like　return　of　affection　from　her；　for　she　was　averse　to
him；　which　did　more　inflame　his　passion　for　her；　so　that　they
quarreled　one　with　another　perpetually；　and　at　last　the　woman　was
so　disgusted　at　these　quarrels；　that　she　left　her　husband；　and
went　to　her　parents　in　the　fourth　month。　The　husband　being　very
uneasy　at　this　her　departure；　and　that　out　of　his　fondness　for
her；　came　to　his　father　and　mother…in…law；　and　made　up　their
quarrels；　and　was　reconciled　to　her；　and　lived　with　them　there
four　days；　as　being　kindly　treated　by　her　parents。　On　the　fifth
day　he　resolved　to　go　home；　and　went　away　in　the　evening；　for　his
wife's　parents　were　loath　to　part　with　their　daughter；　and
delayed　the　time　till　the　day　was　gone。　Now　they　had　one　servant
that　followed　them；　and　an　ass　on　which　the　woman　rode；　and　when
they　were　near　Jerusalem；　having　gone　already　thirty　furlongs；
the　servant　advised　them　to　take　up　their　lodgings　some　where；
lest　some　misfortune　should　befall　them　if　they　traveled　in　the
night；　especially　since　they　were　not　far　off　enemies；　that
season　often　giving　reason　for　suspicion　of　dangers　from　even
such　as　are　friends；　but　the　husband　was　not　pleased　with　this
advice；　nor　was　he　willing　to　take　up　his　lodging　among
strangers；　for　the　city　belonged　to　the　Canaanites；　but　desired
rather　to　go　twenty　furlongs　farther；　and　so　to　take　their
lodgings　in　some　Israelite　city。　Accordingly；　he　obtained　his
purpose；　and　came　to　Gibeah；　a　city　of　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；
when　it　was　just　dark；　and　while　no　one　that　lived　in　the
market…place　invited　him　to　lodge　with　him；　there　came　an　old　man
out　of　the　field；　one　that　was　indeed　of　the　tribe　of　Ephraim；
but　resided　in　Gibeah；　and　met　him；　and　asked　him　who　he　was；　and
for　what　reason　he　came　thither　so　late；　and　why　he　was　looking
out　for　provisions　for　supper　when　it　was　dark？　To　which　he
replied；　that　he　was　a　Levite；　and　was　bringing　his　wife　from　her
parents；　and　was　going　home；　but　he　told　him　his　habitation　was
in　the　tribe　of　Ephraim：　so　the　old　man；　as　well　because　of　their
kindred　as　because　they　lived　in　the　same　tribe；　and　also　because
they　had　thus　accidentally　met　together；　took　him　in　to　lodge
with　him。　Now　certain　young　men　of　the　inhabitants　of　Gibeah；
having　seen　the　woman　in　the　market…place；　and　admiring　her
beauty；　when　they　understood　that　she　lodged　with　the　old　man；
came　to　the　doors；　as　contemning　the　weakness　and　fewness　of　the
old　man's　family；　and　when　the　old　man　desired　them　to　go　away；
and　not　to　offer　any　violence　or　abuse　there；　they　desired　him　to
yield　them　up　the　strange　woman；　and　then　he　should　have　no　harm
done　to　him：　and　when　the　old　man　alleged　that　the　Levite　was　of
his　kindred；　and　that　they　would　be　guilty　of　horrid　wickedness
if　they　suffered　themselves　to　be　overcome　by　their　pleasures；
and　so　offend　against　their　laws；　they　despised　his　righteous
admonition；　and　laughed　him　to　scorn。　They　also　threatened　to
kill　him　if　he　became　an　obstacle　to　their　inclinations；
whereupon；　when　he　found　himself　in　great　distress；　and　yet　was
not　willing　to　overlook　his　guests；　and　see　them　abused；　he
produced　his　own　daughter　to　them；　and　told　them　that　it　was　a
smaller　breach　of　the　law　to　satisfy　their　lust　upon　her；　than　to
abuse　his　guests；　supposing　that　he　himself　should　by　this　means
prevent　any　injury　to　be　done　to　those　guests。　When　they　no　way
abated　of　their　earnestness　for　the　strange　woman；　but　insisted
absolutely　on　their　desires　to　have　her；　he　entreated　them　not　to
perpetrate　any　such　act　of　injustice；　but　they　proceeded　to　take
her　away　by　force；　and　indulging　still　more　the　violence　of　their
inclinations；　they　took　the　woman　away　to　their　house；　and　when
they　had　satisfied　their　lust　upon　her　the　whole　night；　they　let
her　go　about　daybreak。　So　she　came　to　the　place　where　she　had
been　entertained；　under　great　affliction　at　what　had　happened；
and　was　very　sorrowful　upon　occasion　of　what　she　had　suffered；
and　durst　not　look　her　husband　in　the　face　for　shame；　for　she
concluded　that　he　would　never　forgive　her　for　what　she　had　done；
so　she　fell　down；　and　gave　up　the　ghost：　but　her　husband　supposed
that　his　wife　was　only　fast　asleep；　and；　thinking　nothing　of　a
more　melancholy　nature　had　happened；　endeavored　to　raise　her　up；
resolving　to　speak　comfortably　to　her；　since　she　did　not
voluntarily　expose　herself　to　these　men's　lust；　but　was　forced
away　to　their　house；　but　as　soon　as　he　perceived　she　was　dead；　he
acted　as　prudently　as　the　greatness　of　his　misfortunes　would
admit；　and　laid　his　dead　wife　upon　the　beast；　and　carried　her
home；　and　cutting　her；　limb　by　limb；　into　twelve　pieces；　he　sent
them　to　every　tribe；　and　gave　it　in　charge　to　those　that　carried
them；　to　inform　the　tribes　of　those　that　were　the　causes　of　his
wife's　death；　and　of　the　violence　they　had　offered　to　her。

9。　Upon　this　the　people　were　greatly　disturbed　at　what　they　saw；
and　at　what　they　heard；　as　never　having　had　the　experience　of
such　a　thing　before；　so　they　gathered　themselves　to　Shiloh；　out
of　a　prodigious　and　a　just　anger；　and　assembling　in　a　great
congregation　before　the　tabernacle；　they　immediately　resolved　to
take　arms；　and　to　treat　the　inhabitants　of　Gibeah　as　enemies；　but
the　senate　restrained　them　from　doing　so；　and　persuaded　them；
that　they　ought　not　so　hastily　to　make　war　upon　people　of　the
same　nation　with　them；　before　they　discoursed　them　by　words
concerning　the　accusation　laid　against　them；　it　being　part　of
their　law；　that　they　should　not　bring　an　army　against　foreigners
themselves；　when　they　appear　to　have　been　injurious；　without
sending　an　ambassage　first；　and　trying　thereby　whether　they　will
repent　or　not：　and　accordingly　they　exhorted　them　to　do　what　they
ought　to　do　in　obedience　to　their　laws；　that　is；　to　send　to　the
inhabitants　of　Gibeah；　to　know　whether　they　would　deliver　up　the
offenders　to　them；　and　if　they　deliver　them　up；　to　rest　satisfied
with　the　punishment　of　those　offenders；　but　if　they　despised　the
message　that　was　sent　them；　to　punish　them　by　taking；　up　arms
against　them。　Accordingly　they　sent　to　the　inhabitants　of　Gibeah；
and　accused　the　young　men　of　the　crimes　committed　in　the　affair
of　the　Levite's　wife；　and　required　of　them　those　that　had　done
what　was　contrary　to　the　law；　that　they　might　be　punished；　as
having　justly　deserved　to　die　for　what　they　had　done；　but　the
inhabitants　of　Gibeah　would　not　deliver　up　the　young　men；　and
thought　it　too　reproachful　to　them；　out　of　fear　of　war；　to　submit
to　other　men's　demands　upon　them；　vaunting　themselves　to　be　no
way　inferior　to　any　in　war；　neither　in　their　number　nor　in
courage。　The　rest　of　their　tribe　were　also　making　great
preparation　for　war；　for　they　were　so　insolently　mad　as　also　to
resolve　to　repel　force　by　force。

10。　When　it　was　related　to　the　Israelites　what　the　inhabitants　of
Gibeah　had　resolved　upon；　they　took　their　oath　that　no　one　of
them　would　give　his　daughter　in　marriage　to　a　Benjamite；　but　make
war　with　greater　fury　against　them　than　we　have　learned　our
forefathers　made　war　against　the　Canaanites；　and　sent　out
presently　an　army　of　four　hundred　thousand　against　them；　while
the　Benjamites'　army…was　twenty…five　thousand　and　six　hundred；
five　hundred　of　whom　were　excellent　at　slinging　stones　with　their
left　hands；　insomuch　that　when　the　battle　was　joined　at　Gibeah
the　Benjamites　beat　the　Israelites；　and　of　them　there　fell　two
thousand　men；　and　probably　more　had　been　destroyed　had　not　the
night　came　on　and　prevented　it；　and　broken　off　the　fight；　so　the
Benjamites　returned　to　the　city　with　joy；　and　the　Israelites
returned　to　their　camp　in　a　great　fright　at　what　had　happened。　On
the　next　day；　when　they　fought　again；　the　Benjamites　beat　them；
and　eighteen　thousand　of　the　Israelites　were　slain；　and　the　rest
deserted　their　camp　out　of　fear　of　a　greater　slaughter。　So　they
came　to　Bethel；　（13）　a　city　that　was　near　their　camp；　and　fasted
on　the　next　day；　and　besought　God；　by　Phineas　the　high　priest；
that　his　wrath　against　them　mi