Ant. Chris.

1608.

A. M. 2553, themselves ambassadors come from a far distant country, in order to obtain a league &c. or 3803. with the people of Israel: And to gain credit to this their pretence, they dressed them1451, &c. or selves in old clothes, had old clouted shoes on their feet, carried dry musty bread in their bags, and the bottles wherein they kept their wine were † all sadly tarnished and torn. In this plight they came to the camp at Gilgal, and, being introduced to Joshua, they told him, "That the fame of many miracles which God had wrought for them in the land of Egypt, and the wonderful successes wherewith he had blessed their arms against every power that had opposed them in their coming to that place, had reached even their remote and distant country; for which reason their states and rulers had sent them a long way, that by all means imaginable they might obtain a peace with a people so renowned all the world over, and so favoured and honoured by God." And then shewing their clothes, shoes, and other tokens of the long journey they had taken, they solemnly assured them, that all these things were quite new when at first they set out from home, and thence left them to judge how distant and remote their country was. This plausible story confirmed, as they thought, by so many evidences, gained credit with the Israelites, so that they entered into amicable alliance with them; and the other took care to have the treaty immediately ratified, both by Joshua and all the princes of the congregation. In three days time the imposture was discovered; and they who pretended to come from a distant country were found to be near neighbours, and some of those very people whom Joshua was commissioned to destroy: So that when the thing came to be rumoured about, the people began to murmur against their princes for their indiscretion, and were for having the league cancelled; but as it was confirmed by a solemn oath, this they could not do without incurring the Divine displeasure. And therefore, though they might not take away their lives, they might nevertheless hold them in a state of servitude, and, as long as they lived, make them useful drudges, hewers of wood, and drawers of water, and the like, which would both punish them much, and prove fully as beneficial to the commonwealth; and with this apology the people were appeased. Joshua however sent for some of the chief of the Gibeonites, and having expostulated the cheat with them (which they excused upon the score of saving their own lives), he told them what the determination of the princes was, viz. that they should remain in a state of perpetual bondage; which they received without any manner of murmuring, and humbly acquiesced in whatever was thought proper to be imposed upon them.

The confederate princes, hearing of this separate treaty, which the Gibeonites had made with Israel, were resolved to be revenged of them for their desertion of the common cause; and accordingly, joining all their forces together, they came and invested their town. The Gibeonites in this distress, not daring to trust to their own strength, sent an express to Joshua for speedy help; who set out with all expedition, and by quick marches, and the favour of the night, came upon the enemy sooner than they expected, and early next morning fell upon them, and routed them. In this expedition God had all along encouraged Joshua, and promised him success; and therefore, as the confederate forces were endeavouring to escape, and save themselves by flight, he poured such a storm of hail upon them, as destroyed more than what perished by the sword.

that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two
kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan,
&c." Josh. ix. 9, 10. The idea which they had con-
ceived of the God of Israel should have put them up-
on some other expedient than that of lying and de-
ceit. They should have enquired (as far as the ob-
scure dispensation they were under would have per-
mitted them) into the cause of God's severity against
them. They should have acknowledged, that it was
their grievous sins which drew down this heavy judge-
ment upon their nation; and after they had repented

thereof in sack-cloth and ashes, they should have committed the rest to Providence, never doubting but that he, who had changed the very course of nature to punish the guilty, would always find out some means or other to save the penitent; but this they did not. do; and therefore they were culpable. Saurin, vol. iii. dissertation 4.

These bottles were not of glass or clay, as those in use among us, but were made of leather, in which they formerly (and even now in some countries) kept their wine.

Joshua, on the other hand, was very desirous to make the most of this happy oppor- From Josh. i. tunity; and therefore, in full chase of victory, he addressed himself to God, that the to the end. sun and moon might stand still, and so prolong the day, until he had completed his victory which God was pleased to grant; so that this was the most memorable day that ever happened, wherein the " Almighty listened to the voice of a man" to change the course of nature, and stop the motion of those rolling orbs.

The confederate kings being thus put to flight, and either frightened at the storm of hail, or at the close pursuit of the enemy, made to a cave near † Makkedah, and there ran in to hide themselves: but Joshua having intelligence of it, commanded the cave to be blocked up, and a guard to be set over it, and so continued his pursuit, that he might cut off as many as he possibly could before they reached to their fortified towns. In his return he ordered the cave to be opened, and the kings to be brought forth; and when execution was done upon them, he caused their bodies to be hanged upon several trees until the evening; when they were taken down, and cast into the cave where they thought to have hid themselves, so that the place of their intended sanctuary became their sepulchre. After this signal victory, Joshua took all the southern parts of Canaan, which afterwards belonged to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Dan, and Ephraim; and having thus ended his second campaign, he returned with his army to the camp at Gilgal.

Here he continued for some time without entering upon any fresh action, until several princes of the north of Canaan, under Jabin king of Hazor, confederated together, and raised a vast number of forces, which encamped not far from † the waters of Merom; and what made the army more formidable, was the great number of horses and *2

It was a city in the tribe of Judah, about eight miles distant from Eleutheropolis, which place, though it is no where mentioned in the Scripture History, because it was built after the destruction of Jerusalem, is nevertheless frequently taken notice of by Eusebius and Jerom, as a point from whence they measure the distances of other places. Its name imports a free city, and was itself situate in the tribe of Judah. Wells's Geography of the Old Testament, vol. ii. c. 4.

+ These waters are generally supposed by learned men to be the lake Semechon, which lies between the head of the river Jordan and the lake of Gennesareth; since it is agreed on all hands that the city Hazor, where Jabin reigned, was situate upon this lake But others think, that the waters of Merom, or Merome, were somewhere about the brook Kishon; since there is a place of that name mentioned in the account of the battle against Sisera, Judges v. 21. And it is more rational to think, that the confederate kings advanced as far as the brook Kishon, and to a pass which led into their country, to hinder Joshua from penetrating it, or even to attack him in the country where he himself lay encamped, than to imagine that they waited for him in the midst of their own country, leaving all Galilee at his mercy, and the whole tract from the brook of Kishon to the lake Semechon. Wells's Geography of the Old Testament, vol. iii. c. 5. Reland's Palest. lib. 1. c. 40. and Calmet on Josh. xi. 5.

* Their whole army, according to Josephus, was computed to amount to three hundred thousand foot, ten thousand horse, and two thousand chariots; and to oppose against these the Israelites had no horse

in their armies, because God had interdicted them,
(Deut. xvii. 16.) lest a traffic into Egypt for that sort
of cattle should be a snare to entangle them in idola-
try; or lest, having a quantity thereof, they should
put their confidence rather in them than in the Di-
vine assistance; for which reason the prophet denoun-
ces a "woe upon them that go down into Egypt for
help, and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, be-
cause they are many, and in horsemen, because they
are strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Is-
rael, neither seek they the Lord, Isa. xxxi. 1.

* The chariots, which the ancient historians usu-
ally call currus falciferi, covini falciferi, quadrigæ fal-
catæ, quara desampoga, &c. are described after the
following manner: "The beam, to which the horses
were fastened, was armed with spikes with iron-points,
which projected forward: The yokes of the horses
had two cutting falchions of three cubits length: The
axle trees had fixed to them two iron spits, with
sycthes at their extremities; the spokes of the wheels
were armed with javelins, and the very fellows with
scythes, which tore every thing they met with to
pieces. The axle-tree was longer, and the wheels
stronger than usual, that they might be the better
able to bear a shock, and the chariot less liable to be
overturned." The charioteer, who was covered all
over with armour, sat in a kind of tower made of very
solid wood, about breast high, and sometimes men
well armed were put into the chariot, and fought from
thence with darts and arrows. So that a dreadful
slaughter these machines must at first have made
when they met with the enemy's troops; but, in time,
when men came to find out the way of declining then,
they did not do so much execution, and were conse-

A. M. 2553, armed chariots they had, whereas the Israelites were all on foot.

Ant. Chris. 1451, &c. or 1608.

This, however, did

is not in the least discourage Joshua, who, in pursuance of the instructions which God had given him, immediately took the field, marched directly towards the enemy, fell suddenly upon them, and put all (except those that made their escape into other countries) to the sword; hamstrung their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. Jabin had been the head of the confederacy against him; and therefore he killed him, and caused his city to be burnt to the ground; but the other cities, whose inhabitants were slain in battle, he left standing, and gave the plunder of them to the soldiers.

Thus Joshua subdued all the land of Canaan † by degrees: He put its inhabitants, its kings (who were one and thirty in number), and all the giants that dwelt therein, except some few that still remained among the Philistines, to the sword; and having now extended his conquest, as far as it was convenient at that time, he began to think of dividing the country among the tribes that were yet unprovided for, and of dismissing the two tribes and an half, who had accompanied him in the wars, but had their habitations already settled by Moses on the east side of the river Jordan. To this purpose he appointed commissioners, who should take an exact survey of the country, and bring in a full report without delay; which, when they had done, † the country was di

quently disused.
Vid. Diodorus Siculus, lib. 17.
Quint. Curtius, lib. 4. Xenophon, Cyropæd, lib. 6.
Lucretius, De Rer. Nat. lib. 6.

* Some Jewish authors will needs have it, that
when Joshua went into the land of Canaan he pro-
posed three things to the inhabitants thereof, either
that they should leave the country, or come and make
their submission, or take up arms and fight him. But
this is said in some measure to excuse the Jewish ge-
neral, and to mollify the rigour of his proceedings.
His express command from God was to extirpate the
seven nations, without making any treaty or giving
quarter: And, though the Gibeonites by guile had
obtained a kind of league with him, yet the condi-
tions which he thereupon imposed, were so very hard,
that they could not but deter others from making the
like attempt. It is not therefore to be wondered, that
the Canaanites, who saw themselves drove to the ne-
cessity either of death or slavery, (after they had
tried the fate of their arms so often to no purpose),
should endeavour to make their escape from a people
everywhere victorious, and who were enjoined to be
cruel and remorseless by their very God who had gi-
ven them this success. Nor can we suppose but that
God, who was minded to make room for his own peo-
ple, did (according to his promise, Exod. xxiii. 27.)
inject upon this occasion a terror extraordinary into
the natives of the country, and make them desire to
be gone: And when they were desirous to be gone,
they had ports, lying upon the Mediterranean Sea,
very commodious for their purpose. For whe.
ther the towns of Tyre and Sidon were at this time
built or no, it is certain that the places where these
towns stood could not but be proper harbours for
shipping; and as the Phoenicians were still masters
of the sea-coasts, by their assistance the Canaanites
might make their escape into what parts they plea
sed. The Phœricians, much about this tinie, did
certainly send out a vast many colonies; but, as it
cannot be supposed that so small a country should

produce such swarms, the greatest part of them are presumed to be the refugees of Canaan, who made their escape by shipping to all the coasts which lay round the Mediterranean and Egean Seas, and even to other parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, as the learned Bochart has given us a large account in his Canaan, from page 345-699. Calmet's Dissertation sur le Pays, où se sauverent les Cananénes chassez par Josuè.

These great achievements may be allowed to have taken up some years. The history indeed informs us, that " Joshua made war a long time with all these kings," Josh. xi. 18. And from the words of Caleb, wherein he gives Joshua an account of his age, and that it was five and forty years since he was sent a spy to Kadesh-barnea, there cannot be well less than between six and seven years spent in this war; and why the war was so long continued, God himself assigns this reason:-" I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee: By little and little will I drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land.” Exod. xxiii. 29, 50.

+ Those who are minded to know what particular towns and territories fell to each tribe, had best consult what Josephus, in his Jewish Antiquities; Jerome, de Locis Hebraicis; Reland, de Urbibus et Vicis Palestine: Masius, in Joshuam; Fuller, in his Pisgahsight; Raleigh, in his History, part i. lib. 2. Wells, in his Geography of the Old Testament, vel il Patrick, Pool, Le Clerc, and several others, in their Commentaries, have said upon this subject. We shall make this one remark, which Masius, in his rich Commentry upon Joshua, furnishes us with, viz. that as Jacob and Moses, at the approach of their deaths, foretold the very soil and situation of every particular country that should fall to each tribe; so, upon this division by lots, it accordingly came to pass. To the tribe of Judah, there feli a country abounding

vided into equal portions, for which each tribe (according (a) to God's directions) cast From Josh. i. lots: But because some tribes were larger, and some territories richer than others, Jo-to the end. shua and Eleazar, together with the princes of the people, took care to adjust the proportion of land to the largeness of the tribe, and in subdividing that, to consider the number of each family and household; pursuing exactly the orders which God gave to bis servant Moses: (b) "Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance, according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance; and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance.-Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to lot shall the possession thereof be divided among many and few." Having thus divided the country on the west side of the Jordan, Joshua had a little place given him for his own habitation not far from Shiloh, where, after the wars, the tabernacle was set up, that he might have an opportunity of consulting God upon any occasion; and, after all things were in this manner regulated, he called together the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, who had served for almost seven years as auxiliaries in the wars of Canaan, and gave them an honourable dismission. "He acknowledged, that they had duly executed the condition which they promised to Moses, in accompanying their brethren, and helping them to subdue their enemies, and commended their courage and fidelity for so doing. He exhorted them, now that they were going to separate from the tabernacle, never to neglect the service of God, but to bear always in mind those venerable laws which he had given them by his great legislator. He advised them to distribute a share of the rich booty they had taken from the Canaanites among their brethren on the other side of Jordan; because, though they had not partaken of the peril of the late war, they had nevertheless done them great service, in protecting their families from the insults of their enemies on every side :" And with these acknowledgments and exhortations, together with many sincere wishes for their prosperity and welfare, *2 he sent them away; but they had not been long gone, before a sad misunderstanding had like to have happened between them and the other tribes.

Upon their arrival on the other side of Jordan, they erected an altar near the place where they and their brethren had miraculously passed over, not for any religious use,

with vines and pasture-grounds, Gen. xlix. 11. To
that of Ashur, one plenteous in oil, iron, and brass,
Deut. xxxiii. 24, 25. To that of Naphthali, one ex-
tending from the west to the south of Judea, ibid.
xxxiii. 23. To that of Benjamin, one in which the
temple was afterwards built, ibid. xxxiii. 12. To
those of Zebulun and Issachar, such as had plenty of
sea ports, Gen. xlix. 13. To those of Ephraim and
Manasseh, such as were renowned for their precious
fruits, Deut. xxxiii. 14. And to those of Simeon and
Levi, no particular countries at all; for as much as
the former had a portion with Judah, and the other
was interspersed among the several tribes. Since
therefore (as our commentator reasons) each particu
lar lot answered so exactly to each prediction, it
must needs be the height of insolence or stupidity
not to acknowledge the Divine inspiration in these
predictions, and the Divine direction in these lots.
(a) Josh. xiv. 2.
(b) Numb. xxvi. 53, &c.
Josephus, in the speech which he introduces Jo-
shua making to the Reubenites, &c. at their parting,
concludes with these words:" But, I pray ye, let
no distance of place set limits to our friendship. The
interposition of rivers must never divide our affec-
tions: for, on which bank soever, we are all Hebrews
still. Abraham was the common father of us all, let

our abode be where it will. It was from one and the
same God that all our forefathers received their be-
ing; and that God we are all to worship, according
to the ordinances and institutions left us by Moses.
So long as we stand firm to that, way of religion, we
may be sure of the favour and protection of that God
for our comfort; but whenever you apostatise into
an hankering after strange gods, the God of your fa-
thers will cast you off." Jewish Antiquities, lib. 5.
c. 1.

** The Chronicon Samaritanum (if we may believe
what it reports, page 92, 93.) tells us, that when Jo-
shua sent the Reubenites away, he appointed Nephiel
to be his deputy on the other side of Jordan; that he
clothed him with a royal robe, put a crown on his
head, and made him ride on an horse of state, whilst
a crier went before him, proclaiming, "This is the
king of the two tribes and an half, the president of
justice, the director of affairs, and the general in the
camp: Let his determination be conclusive. In all dif-
ficult causes let him desire an answer from Eleazar the
high priest; and if any one shall contradict his sentence,
or withdraw from his allegiance, it shall be lawful for
any one to kill that man, and the whole congregation
shall be blameless." [This seems to be a groundless
fiction.]

&c. or 3803.

1451, &c.

or 1608.

A M. 2553, but as a memorial to succeeding generations, that though they were parted by the river, Ant. Chris. yet they were of the same extract and religion, and held an equal right to the tabernacle at Shiloh, and to the worship of God performed there, that the inhabitants of the other side had. But whether those on the other side were misinformed, or misapprehended their intent, so it was that they fell into a violent rage against them, as apostates from the true religion; and immediately took up arms for the vindication of the worship and religion of their forefathers, and to avenge the cause of God upon the heads and chief authors of this defection. But before they proceeded to these extremities, they were advised by their rulers to suspend the execution of their wrath, until they had sent a deputation to them, in order to know the reason of their building such an altar; which accordingly they did, and made choice of Phineas, the son of Eleazar, with ten other persons of eminent distinction, to go upon the embassy. As soon as they were come into the land † of Gilead, * they represented the great surprise that the rest of the tribes were in at their building this altar; and told them very roundly, that they feared it portended a defection into idolatry. To dissuade them therefore from that, they put them in mind of the calamities which God had formerly sent upon them for their worship of Baal peor; and that, if so lately he had been so severe upon them for the offence of one man, viz. Achan only, what might they not expect, when two tribes and an half were going to make a general revolt? And as they suspected that the absence of the tabernacle might give some occasion to this innovation, they invited them to come and live among them, where they might not want an opportunity of serving God, according to the custom of their ancestors.

Concerned to hear the ill opinion which their brethren had thus conceived of them, the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites * protested their innocence of any idolatrous intention, and made a solemn appeal to God, that so far were they from setting up any altar in opposition to his, that the only design of that structure was to perpetuate their

+ Gilead, which took its name from Gilead, the son of Machir, and grandson of Manasseh, is ofen put for the whole country that lies on the east side of Jor dan, which the children of Israel took from the Moab ites and Midianites, &c.

* Josephus makes Phineas the speaker upon this occasion, who delivers his commission in words to this effect:"We are very sensible that the crime charged upon you at present is too heinous to be punished by words only; but we have not taken up arms (hand over head) to execute a vengeance according to the degree of the iniquity: For it is out of respect to our allies, and in hopes that second and sounder thoughts may bring you to better reason, that we are engaged upon this embassy, and speak in this assembly. We do but desire to be sincerely informed, upon what motives, and with what design you have now raised this altar. If you have done it out of any pious end, we have no quarrel with you; but if you are gone over to a false worship, it is for our God and our religion that we must draw our swords against you. We speak our fears; for we cannot think it credible yet, that a people, so well instructed in the will and in the laws of God, our friends and allies that we have but just now parted with, a people newly established in the lot of a plentiful possession by God's special grace and Providence: we cannot, I say, believe you to be go insensible and ungrateful, as to abandon the holy tabernacle, the ark, the altar, and the worship of your forefathers, to join with the Canaanites in the wor

ship of false gods: Or if unhappily you should have been so misled, do but repent and disclaim your error, and return to that reverence you owe to the laws of God and of your country, and you shall be still received, &c." Jewish Antiquities, lib. 5. c. 1.

*If we can suppose any truth in the Samaritan tradition, Nephiet, who is said to have been Joshua's lieutenant over the two tribes and a half, may very properly be thought the person who answered Phineas in the words which Josephus thus puts in his mouth:

"We are not conscious of having ever departed from your alliance, neither are we in any sort guilty of that affectation of novelty in erecting this altar, which is now charged upon us. We know but one God, and that God is the God of all the Hebrews; and but one altar, which is the brazen altar before the tabernacle. As for this altar here, which we are suspected for, it was never intended for any religious use, but only for a civil memorial to future times of our friendship and alliance, and rather to keep us steady in our ancient religion, than to be any ways introductive to the violation of it. We can safely ap peal to God, that we had no such thought in setting up this altar as is imputed to us: And therefore, let us intreat you to have a better opinion of your brethren for the future, than to think us guilty of so mortal an apostacy from the rites and customs of our progenitors, a sin not to be expiated in any of the sons of Abraham, but with the loss of his life. Jewish Antiquities, lib. 5. c. 1.