the antiquities of the jews-1-第69章

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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　might　cease；　and　that　he　would　be
satisfied　with　these　two　defeats；　and　give　them　the　victory　and
power　over　their　enemies。　Accordingly　God　promised　them　so　to　do；
by　the　prophesying　of　Phineas。

11。　When　therefore　they　had　divided　the　army　into　two　parts；　they
laid　the　one　half　of　them　in　ambush　about　the　city　Gibeah　by
night；　while　the　other　half　attacked　the　Benjamites；　who　retiring
upon　the　assault；　the　Benjamites　pursued　them；　while　the　Hebrews
retired　by　slow　degrees；　as　very　desirous　to　draw　them　entirely
from　the　city；　and　the　other　followed　them　as　they　retired；　till
both　the　old　men　and　the　young　men　that　were　left　in　the　city；　as
too　weak　to　fight；　came　running　out　together　with　them；　as
willing　to　bring　their　enemies　under。　However；　when　they　were　a
great　way　from　the　city　the　Hebrews　ran　away　no　longer；　but
turned　back　to　fight　them；　and　lifted　up　the　signal　they　had
agreed　on　to　those　that　lay　in　ambush；　who　rose　up；　and　with　a
great　noise　fell　upon　the　enemy。　Now；　as　soon　as　ever　they
perceived　themselves　to　be　deceived；　they　knew　not　what　to　do；
and　when　they　were　driven　into　a　certain　hollow　place　which　was
in　a　valley；　they　were　shot　at　by　those　that　encompassed　them；
till　they　were　all　destroyed；　excepting　six　hundred；　which　formed
themselves　into　a　close　body　of　men；　and　forced　their　passage
through　the　midst　of　their　enemies；　and　fled　to　the　neighboring
mountains；　and；　seizing　upon　them；　remained　there；　but　the　rest
of　them；　being　about　twenty…five　thousand；　were　slain。　Then　did
the　Israelites　burn　Gibeah；　and　slew　the　women；　and　the　males
that　were　under　age；　and　did　the　same　also　to　the　other　cities　of
the　Benjamites；　and；　indeed；　they　were　enraged　to　that　degree；
that　they　sent　twelve　thousand　men　out　of　the　army；　and　gave　them
orders　to　destroy　Jabesh　Gilead；　because　it　did　not　join　with
them　in　fighting　against　the　Benjamites。　Accordingly；　those　that
were　sent　slew　the　men　of　war；　with　their　children　and　wives；
excepting　four　hundred　virgins。　To　such　a　degree　had　they
proceeded　in　their　anger；　because　they　not　only　had　the　suffering
of　the　Levite's　wife　to　avenge；　but　the　slaughter　of　their　own
soldiers。

12。　However；　they　afterward　were　sorry　for　the　calamity　they　had
brought　upon　the　Benjamites；　and　appointed　a　fast　on　that
account；　although　they　supposed　those　men　had　suffered　justly　for
their　offense　against　the　laws；　so　they　recalled　by　their
ambassadors　those　six　hundred　which　had　escaped。　These　had　seated
themselves　on　a　certain　rock　called　Rimmon；　which　was　in　the
wilderness。　So　the　ambassadors　lamented　not　only　the　disaster
that　had　befallen　the　Benjamites；　but　themselves　also；　by　this
destruction　of　their　kindred；　and　persuaded　them　to　take　it
patiently；　and　to　come　and　unite　with　them；　and　not；　so　far　as　in
them　lay；　to　give　their　suffrage　to　the　utter　destruction　of　the
tribe　of　Benjamin；　and　said　to　them；　〃We　give　you　leave　to　take
the　whole　land　of　Benjamin　to　yourselves；　and　as　much　prey　as　you
are　able　to　carry　away　with　you。〃　So　these　men　with　sorrow
confessed；　that　what　had　been　done　was　according　to　the　decree　of
God；　and　had　happened　for　their　own　wickedness；　and　assented　to
those　that　invited　them；　and　came　down　to　their　own　tribe。　The
Israelites　also　gave　them　the　four　hundred　virgins　of　Jabesh
Gilead　for　wives；　but　as　to　the　remaining　two　hundred；　they
deliberated　about　it　how　they　might　compass　wives　enough　for
them；　and　that　they　might　have　children　by　them；　and　whereas　they
had；　before　the　war　began；　taken　an　oath；　that　no　one　would　give
his　daughter　to　wife　to　a　Benjamite；　some　advised　them　to　have　no
regard　to　what　they　had　sworn；　because　the　oath　had　not　been
taken　advisedly　and　judiciously；　but　in　a　passion；　and　thought
that　they　should　do　nothing　against　God；　if　they　were　able　to
save　a　whole　tribe　which　was　in　danger　of　perishing；　and　that
perjury　was　then　a　sad　and　dangerous　thing；　not　when　it　is　done
out　of　necessity；　but　when　it　is　done　with　a　wicked　intention。
But　when　the　senate　were　affrighted　at　the　very　name　of　perjury；
a　certain　person　told　them　that　he　could　show　them　a　way　whereby
they　might　procure　the　Benjamites　wives　enough；　and　yet　keep
their　oath。　They　asked　him　what　his　proposal　was。　He　said；　〃That
three　times　in　a　year；　when　we　meet　in　Shiloh；　our　wives　and　our
daughters　accompany　us：　let　then　the　Benjamites　be　allowed　to
steal　away；　and　marry　such　women　as　they　can　catch；　while　we　will
neither　incite　them　nor　forbid　them；　and　when　their　parents　take
it　ill；　and　desire　us　to　inflict　punishment　upon　them；　we　will
tell　them；　that　they　were　themselves　the　cause　of　what　had
happened；　by　neglecting　to　guard　their　daughters；　and　that　they
ought　not　to　be　over　angry　at　the　Benjamites；　since　that　anger
was　permitted　to　rise　too　high　already。〃　So　the　Israelites　were
persuaded　to　follow　this　advice；　and　decreed；　That　the　Benjamites
should　be　allowed　thus　to　steal　themselves　wives。　So　when　the
festival　was　coming　on；　these　two　hundred　Benjamites　lay　in
ambush　before　the　city；　by　two　and　three　together；　and　waited　for
the　coming　of　the　virgins；　in　the　vineyards　and　other　places
where　they　could　lie　concealed。　Accordingly　the　virgins　came
along　playing；　and　suspected　nothing　of　what　was　coming　upon
them；　and　walked　after　an　unguarded　manner；　so　those　that　laid
scattered　in　the　road；　rose　up；　and　caught　hold　of　them：　by　this
means　these　Benjamites　got　them　wives；　and　fell　to　agriculture；
and　took　good　care　to　recover　their　former　happy　state。　And　thus
was　this　tribe　of　the　Benjamites；　after　they　had　been　in　danger
of　entirely　perishing；　saved　in　the　manner　forementioned；　by　the
wisdom　of　the　Israelites；　and　accordingly　it　presently
flourished；　and　soon　increased　to　be　a　multitude；　and　came　to
enjoy　all　other　degrees　of　happiness。　And　such　was　the　conclusion
of　this　war。

CHAPTER　3。

How　The　Israelites　After　This　Misfortune　Grew　Wicked　And　Served
The　Assyrians；　And　How　God　Delivered　Them　By　Othniel；　Who　Ruled
Over　The　Forty　Years。

1。　Now　it　happened　that　the　tribe　of　Dan　suffered　in　like　manner
with　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　and　it　came　to　do　so　on　the　occasion
following：　…　When　the　Israelites　had　already　left　off　the
exercise　of　their　arms　for　war；　and　were　intent　upon　their
husbandry；　the　Canaanites　despised　them；　and　brought　together　an
army；　not　because　they　expected　to　suffer　by　them；　but　because
they　had　a　mind　to　have　a　sure　prospect　of　treating　the　Hebrews
ill　when　they　pleased；　and　might　thereby　for　the　time　to　come
dwell　in　their　own　cities　the　more　securely；　they　prepared
therefore　their　chariots；　and　gathered　their　soldiery　together；
their　cities　also　combined　together；　and　drew　over　to　them
Askelon　and　Ekron；　which　were　within　the　tribe　of　Judah；　and　many
more　of　those　that　lay　in　the　plain。　They　also　forced　the　Danites
to　fly　into　the　mountainous　country；　and　left　them　not　the　least
portion　of　the　plain　country　to　set　their　foot　on。　Since　then
these　Danites　were　not　able　to　fight　them；　and　had　not　land
enough　to　sustain　them；　they　sent　five　of　their　men　into　the
midland　country；　to　seek　for　a　land　to　which　they　might　remove
their　habitation。　So　these　men　went　as　far　as　the　neighborhood　of
Mount　Libanus；　and　the　fountains　of　the　Lesser　Jordan；　at　the
great　plain　of　Sidon；　a　day's　journey　from　the　city；　and　when
they　had　taken　a　view　of　the　land；　and　found　it　to　be　good　and
exceeding　fruitful；　they　acquainted　their　tribe　with　it；
whereupon　they　made　an　expedition　with　the　army；　and　built　there
the　city　Dan；　of　the　same　name　with　the　son　of　Jacob；　and　of　the
same　name　with　their　own　tribe。

2。　The　Israelites　grew　so　indolent；　and　unready　of　taking　pains；
that　misfortunes　came　heavier　upon　them；　which　also　proceeded　in
part　from　their　contempt　of　the　Divine　worship；　for　when　they　had
once　fallen　off　from　the　regularity　of　their　political
government；　they　indulged　themselves　further　in　living　according
to　their　own　pleasure；　and　according　to　their　own　will；　till　they
were　full　o