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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 Five
Chapter 5
How The Canaanites Brought The Israelites
Under Slavery For Twenty Years; After Which They Were Delivered
By Barak And Deborah, Who Ruled Over Them For Forty Years
1. And now it was that the Israelites, taking no warning by
their former misfortunes to amend their manners, and neither
worshipping God nor submitting to the laws, were brought under
slavery by Jabin, the king of the Canaanites, and that before
they had a short breathing time after the slavery under the
Moabites; for this Jabin out of Hazor, a city that was situate
over the Semechonitis, and had in pay three hundred footmen, and
ten thousand horsemen, with fewer than three thousand chariots.
Sisera was commander of all his army, and was the principal
person in the king's favor. He so sorely beat the Israelites
when they fought with him, that he ordered them to pay tribute.
2. So they continued to that hardship for twenty years, as not
good enough of themselves to grow wise by their misfortunes. God
was willing also hereby the more to subdue their obstinacy and
ingratitude towards himself: so when at length they were become
penitent, and were so wise as to learn that their calamities
arose from their contempt of the laws, they besought Deborah, a
certain prophetess among them, (which name in the Hebrew tongue
signifies a Bee,) to pray to God to take pity on them, and not
to overlook them, now they were ruined by the Canaanites. So God
granted them deliverance, and chose them a general, Barak, one
that was of the tribe of Naphtali. Now Barak, in the Hebrew
tongue, signifies Lightning.
3. So Deborah sent for Barak, and bade him choose out ten
thousand young men to go against the enemy, because God had said
that that number was sufficient, and promised them victory. But
when Barak said that he would not be the general unless she
would also go as a general with him, she had indignation at what
he said Thou, O Barak, deliverest up meanly that authority which
God hath given thee into the hand of a woman, and I do not
reject it!" So they collected ten thousand men, and pitched
their camp at Mount Tabor, where, at the king's command, Sisera
met them, and pitched his camp not far from the enemy; whereupon
the Israelites, and Barak himself, were so aftrighted at the
multitude of those enemies, that they were resolved to march
off, had not Deborah retained them, and commanded them to fight
the enemy that very day, for that they should conquer them, and
God would be their assistance.
4. So the battle began; and when they were come to a close
fight, there came down from heaven a great storm, with a vast
quantity of rain and hail, and the wind blew the rain in the
face of the Canaanites, and so darkened their eyes, that their
arrows and slings were of no advantage to them, nor would the
coldness of the air permit the soldiers to make use of their
swords; while this storm did not so much incommode the
Israelites, because it came in their backs. They also took such
courage, upon the apprehension that God was assisting them, that
they fell upon the very midst of their enemies, and slew a great
number of them; so that some of them fell by the Israelites,
some fell by their own horses, which were put into disorder, and
not a few were killed by their own chariots. At last Sisera, as
soon as he saw himself beaten, fled away, and came to a woman
whose name was Jael, a Kenite, who received him, when he desired
to be concealed; and when he asked for somewhat to drink, she
gave him sour milk, of which he drank so unmeasurably that he
fell asleep; but when he was asleep, Jael took an iron nail, and
with a hammer drove it through his temples into the floor; and
when Barak came a little afterward, she showed Sisera nailed to
the ground: and thus was this victory gained by a woman, as
Deborah had foretold. Barak also fought with Jabin at Hazor; and
when he met with him, he slew him: and when the general was
fallen, Barak overthrew the city to the foundation, and was the
commander of the Israelites for forty years.
Continue on to
Book
Five,
Chapter 6,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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