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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Three
Chapter 2
How The Amalekites And The Neighbouring
Nations, Made War With The Hebrews And Were Beaten And Lost A
Great Part Of Their Army
1. The name of the Hebrews began already to be every where
renowned, and rumors about them ran abroad. This made the
inhabitants of those countries to be in no small fear.
Accordingly they sent ambassadors to one another, and exhorted
one another to defend themselves, and to endeavor to destroy
these men. Those that induced the rest to do so, were such as
inhabited Gobolitis and Petra. They were called Amalekites, and
were the most warlike of the nations that lived thereabout; and
whose kings exhorted one another, and their neighbors, to go to
this war against the Hebrews; telling them that an army of
strangers, and such a one as had run away from slavery under the
Egyptians, lay in wait to ruin them; which army they were not,
in common prudence and regard to their own safety, to overlook,
but to crush them before they gather strength, and come to be in
prosperity: and perhaps attack them first in a hostile manner,
as presuming upon our indolence in not attacking them before;
and that we ought to avenge ourselves of them for what they have
done in the wilderness, but that this cannot be so well done
when they have once laid their hands on our cities and our
goods: that those who endeavor to crush a power in its first
rise, are wiser than those that endeavor to put a stop to its
progress when it is become formidable; for these last seem to be
angry only at the flourishing of others, but the former do not
leave any room for their enemies to become troublesome to them.
After they had sent such embassages to the neighboring nations,
and among one another, they resolved to attack the Hebrews in
battle.
2. These proceedings of the people of those countries occasioned
perplexity and trouble to Moses, who expected no such warlike
preparations. And when these nations were ready to fight, and
the multitude of the Hebrews were obliged to try the fortune of
war, they were in a mighty disorder, and in want of all
necessaries, and yet were to make war with men who were
thoroughly well prepared for it. Then therefore it was that
Moses began to encourage them, and to exhort them to have a good
heart, and rely on God's assistance by which they had been state
of freedom and to hope for victory over those who were ready to
fight with them, in order to deprive them of that blessing: that
they were to suppose their own army to be numerous, wanting
nothing, neither weapons, nor money, nor provisions, nor such
other conveniences as, when men are in possession of, they fight
undauntedly; and that they are to judge themselves to have all
these advantages in the Divine assistance. They are also to
suppose the enemy's army to be small, unarmed, weak, and such as
want those conveniences which they know must be wanted, when it
is God's will that they shall be beaten; and how valuable God's
assistance is, they had experienced in abundance of trials; and
those such as were more terrible than war, for that is only
against men; but these were against famine and thirst, things
indeed that are in their own nature insuperable; as also against
mountains, and that sea which afforded them no way for escaping;
yet had all these difficulties been conquered by God's gracious
kindness to them. So he exhorted them to be courageous at this
time, and to look upon their entire prosperity to depend on the
present conquest of their enemies.
3. And with these words did Moses encourage the multitude, who
then called together the princes of their tribes, and their
chief men, both separately and conjointly. The young men he
charged to obey their elders, and the elders to hearken to their
leader. So the people were elevated in their minds, and ready to
try their fortune in battle, and hoped to be thereby at length
delivered from all their miseries: nay, they desired that Moses
would immediately lead them against their enemies without the
least delay, that no backwardness might be a hindrance to their
present resolution. So Moses sorted all that were fit for war
into different troops, and set Joshua, the son of Nun, of the
tribe of Ephraim, over them; one that was of great courage, and
patient to undergo labors; of great abilities to understand, and
to speak what was proper; and very serious in the worship of
God; and indeed made like another Moses, a teacher of piety
towards God. He also appointed a small party of the armed men to
be near the water, and to take care of the children, and the
women, and of the entire camp. So that whole night they prepared
themselves for the battle; they took their weapons, if any of
them had such as were well made, and attended to their
commanders as ready to rush forth to the battle as soon as Moses
should give the word of command. Moses also kept awake, teaching
Joshua after what manner he should order his camp. But when the
day began, Moses called for Joshua again, and exhorted him to
approve himself in deeds such a one as a his reputation made men
expect from him; and to gain glory by the present expedition, in
the opinion of those under him, for his exploits in this battle.
He also gave a particular exhortation to the principal men of
the Hebrews, and encouraged the whole army as it stood armed
before him. And when he had thus animated the army, both by his
words and works, and prepared every thing, he retired to a
mountain, and committed the army to God and to Joshua.
4. So the armies joined battle; and it came to a close fight,
hand to hand, both sides showing great alacrity, and encouraging
one another. And indeed while Moses stretched out his hand
towards heaven (7) the Hebrews were too hard for the Amalekites:
but Moses not being able to sustain his hands thus stretched
out, (for as often as he let down his hands, so often were his
own people worsted,) he bade his brother Aaron, and Hur their
sister Miriam's husband, to stand on each side of him, and take
hold of his hands, and not permit his weariness to prevent it,
but to assist him in the extension of his hands. When this was
done, the Hebrews conquered the Amalekites by main force; and
indeed they had all perished, unless the approach of the night
had obliged the Hebrews to desist from killing any more. So our
forefathers obtained a most signal and most seasonable victory;
for they not only overcame those that fought against them, but
terrified also the neighboring nations, and got great and
splendid advantages, which they obtained of their enemies by
their hard pains in this battle: for when they had taken the
enemy's camp, they got ready booty for the public, and for their
own private families, whereas till then they had not any sort of
plenty, of even necessary food. The forementioned battle, when
they had once got it, was also the occasion of their prosperity,
not only for the present, but for the future ages also; for they
not only made slaves of the bodies of their enemies, but subdued
their minds also, and after this battle, became terrible to all
that dwelt round about them. Moreover, they acquired a vast
quantity of riches; for a great deal of silver and gold was left
in the enemy's camp; as also brazen vessels, which they made
common use of in their families; many utensils also that were
embroidered there were of both sorts, that is, of what were
weaved, and what were the ornaments of their armor, and other
things that served for use in the family, and for the furniture
of their rooms; they got also the prey of their cattle, and of
whatsoever uses to follow camps, when they remove from one place
to another. So the Hebrews now valued themselves upon their
courage, and claimed great merit for their valor; and they
perpetually inured themselves to take pains, by which they
deemed every difficulty might be surmounted. Such were the
consequences of this battle.
5. On the next day, Moses stripped the dead bodies of their
enemies, and gathered together the armor of those that were
fled, and gave rewards to such as had signalized themselves in
the action; and highly commended Joshua, their general, who was
attested to by all the army, on account of the great actions he
had done. Nor was any one of the Hebrews slain; but the slain of
the enemy's army were too many to be enumerated. So Moses
offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, and built an altar,
which he named The Lord the Conqueror. He also foretold that the
Amalekites should utterly be destroyed; and that hereafter none
of them should remain, because they fought against the Hebrews,
and this when they were in the wilderness, and in their distress
also. Moreover, he refreshed the army with feasting. And thus
did they fight this first battle with those that ventured to
oppose them, after they were gone out of Egypt. But when Moses
had celebrated this festival for the victory, he permitted the
Hebrews to rest for a few days, and then he brought them out
after the fight, in order of battle; for they had now many
soldiers in light armor. And going gradually on, he came to
Mount Sinai, in three months' time after they were removed out
of Egypt; at which mountain, as we have before related, the
vision of the bush, and the other wonderful appearances, had
happened.
Continue on to
Book
Three,
Chapter 3,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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