A. M. B. C. 2820 2827 2828 $909 1184 1095 well know; and in the time of Priam himself, during the last siege of Troy, we see Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ulysses, Hector, Sarpedon the son of Jupiter, Eneas the son of Venus, whom the Romans acknowledge for their founder; and many others, from whom illustrious families and whole nations have esteemed it their glory to descend. This Epoch is, therefore, adapted to include all that is most certain or beautiful in the fabulous times. But what we find in sacred history is every way more remarkable: the prodigious 1177 strength of Sampson, and his amazing im1176 becility; Eli the high priest, venerable for his piety, but unfortunate in the wickedness of his children; Samuel, an unblameable judge, and a prophet chosen of God to consecrate the kings; Saul, the first king of the people of God, his victories, his presumption in sacrificing without priests, his disobedience ill justified by the pretence of religion, his reprobation, and his fatal fall. In this period Codrus, king of Athens, laid down his life to save his people, and by his death procured them victory. His sons, Medon and Nileus, dispute the kingdom. On this occasion the Athenians abolished the regal dignity, and declared Jupiter sole king of the people of Athens. They created governors, or perpetual presidents, who were however to give an account of their administration. These magistrates were called Archons. Medon, son of Codrus, was the first who exercised this magistracy, and it continued a long time in his family. The ; 1055 Athenians spread their colonies over that A. M. B. C. part of Asia Minor, which was called Ionia. The Eolian colonies were planted much 2949 about the same time, and all Lesser Asia was filled with Grecian cities. After Saul, appears David, that wonderful shepherd, the vanquisher of the proud Goliath, and of all the enemies of the people of God; a great king, a great conqueror, a great prophet, worthy to sing the wonders of divine Omnipotence! a man, in short, after 2970 God's own heart, as he himself terms him, and who, by his penitence, made even his crime turn to the glory of his Creator. To 2990 this pious warrior succeeded his son Solomon, wise, just, and peaceful, whose hands, undefiled with blood, were counted worthy 2992 to build the Temple of God. VI. Epoch. Solomon, or the Completion of the Temple. IT was about the 3000th year of the world, 3000 the 488th from the departure out of Egypt, and, to adjust the times of sacred History with those of profane, 180 years after the taking of Troy, 250 years before the foundation of Rome, and 1000 years before Jesus Christ, that Solomon finished that stupendous edifice. He solemnized the dedication of it with extraordinary piety and 3001 magnificence, This celebrated action is followed by the other wonders of Solomon's reign, which ends with shameful weaknesses. He gives himself up to the love of women; 1034 1014 1012 1004 1000 3001 1003 5029 975 A. M. B. C. his mind becomes debased, his heart depraved, and his piety degenerates into idolatry. God, though justly provoked, yet spares him in remembrance of David his servant; but would not suffer his ingratitude to pass wholly unpunished: he divided his kingdom after his death, and under his son Rehoboam. The brutal haughtiness of this young prince made him lose ten tribes, whom Jeroboam turned aside from their God, and from their king. Lest they should return to the kings of Judah, he prohibited their going to sacrifice at the temple of Jerusalem, and set up golden calves, to which he gave the name of the God of Israel, that the alteration might appear the less strange. The same reason made him retain the law of Moses, which he interpreted in his own way*; but caused almost all its polity, both civil and religious, to be observed; so that the Pentateuch continued always in veneration amongst the separated tribes. Thus was the kingdom of Israel set up against the kingdom of Judah. In that of Israel, impiety and idolatry triumphed. Religion, though often over-clouded in that of Judah, still kept some footing there. In those days the kings of Egypt were powerful. The four kingdoms were united under that of Thebes. It is thought that Sesostris, the famous Egyptian conqueror, was the Shishak king of Egypt, whom God employed to chastise the impiety of Rehoboam. In the reign of Abijam, son of Rehoboam, * 1 Kings, xii. 25, &c. we see the famous victory which the piety A. M. B. C. of that prince obtained over the schismatic 3033 tribes. His son Asa, whose piety is commended in scripture, is there described as a man, who in his sicknesses relied more upon the aid of medicine, than upon the goodness of God. 3085 In his time Omri king of Israel built 3080 Samaria, where he established the seat of his kingdom. This period is succeeded by the admirable reign of Jehoshaphat, in which 3090 flourish piety, justice, navigation, and the art of war. While he exhibited another David to the kingdom of Judah, Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who reigned in Israel, to the Idolatry of Jeroboam, added all the impieties of the Gentiles. They both pe- 3105 rished miserably. God, who had borne with their Idolatries, resolved to avenge on them the blood of Naboth, whom they caused to be put to death, because he had refused, as the law of Moses enjoined him, to sell them the inheritance of his fathers. The sentence was pronounced to them by the mouth of the prophet Elijah. Ahab was slain some time after, notwithstanding the precautions he took for his safety. About this time must be placed the foundation of Carthage, which Dido, who came from Tyre, built in a situation, where, after the example of Tyre, she might trade to advantage, and aspire to the empire of the sea. It is not easy to fix the time, when it took the form of a commonwealth; but the mixture of the Tyrians and Africans made it at once 3107 3112 3116 971 919 A. M. B. C. martial and mercantile. The ancient his torians, who place its origin before the destruction of Troy, would make it appear that Dido rather enlarged and fortified it, than laid its foundations. The face of affairs changed in the kingdom of Judah, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, brought impiety along with her into the house of Jehoshaphat. Jehoram, the son of so pious a prince, chose rather to imitate his father-in-law, than his father. The hand of God was upon him. His reign was short, and his end dreadful. In the midst of these chastisements, God wrought unheard-of wonders, even in behalf of the Israelites, whom he was willing to call to repentance. They saw, without being converted, the miracles of Elijah and Elisha, who prophesied during the reigns of Ahab and five of his successors. In this period Homer* flourished, as did Hesiod thirty years before him. The primitive manners which they represent to us, and the vestiges of the ancient simplicity, which they still retain with much dignity, are of no small use to us in understanding antiquities much more remote, and the divine simplicity of scripDreadful scenes now took place in the kingdoms of Judah and Israel! Jezebel was thrown headlong from the top of a tower by order of Jehu. In vain had she adorned her person: Jehu trampled her under his horses feet; he smote Joram king of Israel, the son of Ahab: the whole house ture. * Marm. Arund, |