the antiquities of the jews-1-第134节

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and　that　he　made　an　expedition　against　all　Asia　and　Egypt；　and
says　thus：

5。　〃Now　when　Sennacherib　was　returning　from　his　Egyptian　war　to
Jerusalem；　he　found　his　army　under　Rabshakeh　his　general　in
danger　＇by　a　plague＇；　for　God　had　sent　a　pestilential　distemper
upon　his　army；　and　on　the　very　first　night　of　the　siege；　a
hundred　fourscore　and　five　thousand；　with　their　captains　and
generals；　were　destroyed。　So　the　king　was　in　a　great　dread　and　in
a　terrible　agony　at　this　calamity；　and　being　in　great　fear　for
his　whole　army；　he　fled　with　the　rest　of　his　forces　to　his　own
kingdom；　and　to　his　city　Nineveh；　and　when　he　had　abode　there　a
little　while；　he　was　treacherously　assaulted；　and　died　by　the
hands　of　his　elder　sons；　（3）　Adrammelech　and　Seraser；　and　was
slain　in　his　own　temple；　which　was　called　Araske。　Now　these　sons
of　his　were　driven　away　on　account　of　the　murder　of　their　father
by　the　citizens；　and　went　into　Armenia；　while　Assarachoddas　took
the　kingdom　of　Sennacherib。〃　And　this　proved　to　be　the　conclusion
of　this　Assyrian　expedition　against　the　people　of　Jerusalem。

CHAPTER　2。

How　Hezekiah　Was　Sick；　And　Ready　To　Die；　And　How　God　Bestowed
Upon　Him　Fifteen　Years　Longer　Life；　＇And　Secured　That　Promise＇　By
The　Going　Back　Of　The　Shadow　Ten　Degrees。

1。　Now　king　Hezekiah　being　thus　delivered；　after　a　surprising
manner；　from　the　dread　he　was　in；　offered　thank…offerings　to　God；
with　all　his　people；　because　nothing　else　had　destroyed　some　of
their　enemies；　and　made　the　rest　so　fearful　of　undergoing　the
same　fate　that　they　departed　from　Jerusalem；　but　that　Divine
assistance。　Yet；　while　he　was　very　zealous　and　diligent　about　the
worship　of　God；　did　he　soon　afterwards　fall　into　a　severe
distemper；　insomuch　that　the　physicians　despaired　of　him；　and
expected　no　good　issue　of　his　sickness；　as　neither　did　his
friends：　and　besides　the　distemper　（4）　itself；　there　was　a　very
melancholy　circumstance　that　disordered　the　king；　which　was　the
consideration　that　he　was　childless；　and　was　going　to　die；　and
leave　his　house　and　his　government　without　a　successor　of　his　own
body；　so　he　was　troubled　at　the　thoughts　of　this　his　condition；
and　lamented　himself；　and　entreated　of　God　that　he　would　prolong
his　life　for　a　little　while　till　he　had　some　children；　and　not
suffer　him　to　depart　this　life　before　he　was　become　a　father。
Hereupon　God　had　mercy　upon　him；　and　accepted　of　his
supplication；　because　the　trouble　he　was　under　at　his　supposed
death　was　not　because　he　was　soon　to　leave　the　advantages　he
enjoyed　in　the　kingdom；　nor　did　he　on　that　account　pray　that　he
might　have　a　longer　life　afforded　him；　but　in　order　to　have　sons；
that　might　receive　the　government　after　him。　And　God　sent　Isaiah
the　prophet；　and　commanded　him　to　inform　Hezekiah；　that　within
three　days'　time　he　should　get　clear　of　his　distemper；　and　should
survive　it　fifteen　years；　and　that　he　should　have　children　also。
Now；　upon　the　prophet's　saying　this；　as　God　had　commanded　him；　he
could　hardly　believe　it；　both　on　account　of　the　distemper　he　was
under；　which　was　very　sore；　and　by　reason　of　the　surprising
nature　of　what　was　told　him；　so　he　desired　that　Isaiah　would　give
him　some　sign　or　wonder；　that　he　might　believe　him　in　what　he　had
said；　and　be　sensible　that　he　came　from　God；　for　things　that　are
beyond　expectation；　and　greater　than　our　hopes；　are　made　credible
by　actions　of　the　like　nature。　And　when　Isaiah　had　asked　him　what
sign　he　desired　to　be　exhibited；　he　desired　that　he　would　make
the　shadow　of　the　sun；　which　he　had　already　made　to　go　down　ten
steps　＇or　degrees＇　in　his　house；　to　return　again　to　the　same
place；　（5）　and　to　make　it　as　it　was　before。　And　when　the　prophet
prayed　to　God　to　exhibit　this　sign　to　the　king；　he　saw　what　he
desired　to　see；　and　was　freed　from　his　distemper；　and　went　up　to
the　temple；　where　he　worshipped　God；　and　made　vows　to　him。

2。　At　this　time　it　was　that　the　dominion　of　the　Assyrians　was
overthrown　by　the　Medes；　（6）　but　of　these　things　I　shall　treat
elsewhere。　But　the　king　of　Babylon；　whose　name　was　Baladan；　sent
ambassadors　to　Hezekiah；　with　presents；　and　desired　he　would　be
his　ally　and　his　friend。　So　he　received　the　ambassadors　gladly；
and　made　them　a　feast；　and　showed　them　his　treasures；　and　his
armory；　and　the　other　wealth　he　was　possessed　of；　in　precious
stones　and　in　gold；　and　gave　them　presents　to　be　carried　to
Baladan；　and　sent　them　back　to　him。　Upon　which　the　prophet　Isaiah
came　to　him；　and　inquired　of　him　whence　those　ambassadors　came；
to　which　he　replied；　that　they　came　from　Babylon；　from　the　king；
and　that　he　had　showed　them　all　he　had；　that　by　the　sight　of　his
riches　and　forces　he　might　thereby　guess　at　＇the　plenty　he　was
in＇；　and　be　able　to　inform　the　king　of　it。　But　the　prophet
rejoined；　and　said；　〃Know　thou；　that；　after　a　little　while；　these
riches　of　thine　shall　be　carried　away　to　Babylon；　and　thy
posterity　shall　be　made　eunuchs　there；　and　lose　their　manhood；
and　be　servants　to　the　king　of　Babylon；　for　that　God　foretold
such　things　would　come　to　pass。〃　Upon　which　words　Hezekiah　was
troubled；　and　said　that　he　was　himself　unwilling　that　his　nation
should　fall　into　such　calamities；　yet　since　it　is　not　possible　to
alter　what　God　had　determined；　he　prayed　that　there　might　be
peace　while　he　lived。　Berosus　also　makes　mention　of　this　Baladan；
king　of　Babylon。　Now　as　to　this　prophet　＇Isaiah＇；　he　was　by　the
confession　of　all；　a　divine　and　wonderful　man　in　speaking　truth；
and　out　of　the　assurance　that　he　had　never　written　what　was
false；　he　wrote　down　all　his　prophecies；　and　left　them　behind　him
in　books；　that　their　accomplishment　might　be　judged　of　from　the
events　by　posterity：　nor　did　this　prophet　do　so　alone；　but　the
others；　which　were　twelve　in　number；　did　the　same。　And　whatsoever
is　done　among　us；　Whether　it　be　good；　or　whether　it　be　bad；　comes
to　pass　according　to　their　prophecies；　but　of　every　one　of　these
we　shall　speak　hereafter。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Manasseh　Reigned　After　Hezekiah；　And　How　When　He　Was　In
Captivity　He　Returned　To　God　And　　Was　Restored　To　His　Kingdom　And
Left　It　To　＇His　Son＇　Amon。

1。　When　king　Hezekiah　had　survived　the　interval　of　time　already
mentioned；　and　had　dwelt　all　that　time　in　peace；　he　died；　having
completed　fifty…four　years　of　his　life；　and　reigned　twenty…nine。
But　when　his　son　Manasseh；　whose　mother's　name　was　Hephzibah；　of
Jerusalem；　had　taken　the　kingdom；　he　departed　from　the　conduct　of
his　father；　and　fell　into　a　course　of　life　quite　contrary
thereto；　and　showed　himself　in　his　manners　most　wicked　in　all
respects；　and　omitted　no　sort　of　impiety；　but　imitated　those
transgressions　of　the　Israelites；　by　the　commission　of　which
against　God　they　had　been　destroyed；　for　he　was　so　hardy　as　to
defile　the　temple　of　God；　and　the　city；　and　the　whole　country；
for；　by　setting　out　from　a　contempt　of　God；　he　barbarously　slew
all　the　righteous　men　that　were　among　the　Hebrews；　nor　would　he
spare　the　prophets；　for　he　every　day　slew　some　of　them；　till
Jerusalem　was　overflown　with　blood。　So　God　was　angry　at　these
proceedings；　and　sent　prophets　to　the　king；　and　to　the　multitude；
by　whom　he　threatened　the　very　same　calamities　to　them　which
their　brethren　the　Israelites；　upon　the　like　affronts　offered　to
God；　were　now　under。　But　these　men　would　not　believe　their　words；
by　which　belief　they　might　have　reaped　the　advantage　of　escaping
all　those　miseries；　yet　did　they　in　earnest　learn　that　what　the
prophets　had　told　them　was　true。

2。　And　when　they　persevered　in　the　same　course　of　life；　God
raised　up　war　against　them　from　the　king　of　Babylon　and　Chaldea；
who　sent　an　army　against　Judea；　and　laid　waste　the　country；　and
caught　king　Manasseh　by　treachery；　and　ordered　him　to　be　brought
to　him；　and　had　him　under　his　power　to　inflict　what　punishment　he
pleased　upon　him。　But　then　it　was　that　Manasseh　perceived　what　a
miserable　condition　he　was　in；　and　esteeming　himself　the　cause　of
all；　he　besought　God　to　render　his　enemy　humane　and　merciful　to
him。　Accordingly；　God　heard　his　prayer；　and　granted　him　what　he
prayed　for。　So　Manasseh　was　released　by　the　king　of　Babylon；　and
escaped　the　danger　he　was　in；　and　when　he　was　come　to　Jerusalem；
he　endeavored；　if　it　were　possible；　to　cast　out　of　his　memory
those　his　former　sins　against　God；　of　which　he　now　repented；　and
to　apply　himself　to　a　very　religious　life。　He　sanctified　the
temple；　and　purged　the　city；　and　for　the　remainder　of　his　days　he
was　intent　on　nothing　but　to　return　his　thanks　to　God　for　his
deliverance；　and　to　preserve　him　propitious　to　him　all　his　life
long。　He　also　instructed　the　multitude　to　do　the　same；　as　having
very　nearly　experienced　what　a　calamity　he　was　fallen　into　by　a
contrary　conduct。　He　also　rebuilt　the　altar；　and　offered　the
legal　sacrifices；　as　Moses　commanded。　And　when　he　had
re…established　what　concerned　the　Divine　worship；　as　it　ought　to
be；　he　took　care　of　the　security　of　Jerusalem：　he　did　not　only
repair　the　old　walls　with　great　diligence；　but　added　another　wall
to　the　former。　He　also　built　very　lofty　towers；　and　the
garrisoned　places　before　the　city　he　strengthened；　not　only　in
other　respects；　but　with　provisions　of　all　sorts　that　t