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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 Six
Chapter 6
How The Philistines Made Another Expedition
Against The Hebrews And Were Beaten
1. Now Saul chose out of the multitude about three thousand men,
and he took two thousand of them to be the guards of his own
body, and abode in the city Bethel, but he gave the rest of them
to Jonathan his son, to be the guards of his body; and sent him
to Gibeah, where he besieged and took a certain garrison of the
Philistines, not far from Gilgal; for the Philistines of Gibeah
had beaten the Jews, and taken their weapons away, and had put
garrisons into the strongest places of the country, and had
forbidden them to carry any instrument of iron, or at all to
make use of any iron in any case whatsoever. And on account of
this prohibition it was that the husbandmen, if they had
occasion to sharpen any of their tools, whether it were the
coulter or the spade, or any instrument of husbandry, they came
to the Philistines to do it. Now as soon as the Philistines
heard of this slaughter of their garrison, they were in a rage
about it, and, looking on this contempt as a terrible affront
offered them, they made war against the Jews, with three hundred
thousand footmen, and thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand
horses; and they pitched their camp at the city Michmash. When
Saul, the king of the Hebrews, was informed of this, he went
down to the city Gilgal, and made proclamation over all the
country, that they should try to regain their liberty; and
called them to the war against the Philistines, diminishing
their forces, and despising them as not very considerable, and
as not so great but they might hazard a battle with them. But
when the people about Saul observed how numerous the Philistines
were, they were under a great consternation; and some of them
hid themselves in caves and in dens under ground, but the
greater part fled into the land beyond Jordan, which belonged to
Gad and Reuben.
2. But Saul sent to the prophet, and called him to consult with
him about the war and the public affairs; so he commanded him to
stay there for him, and to prepare sacrifices, for he would come
to him within seven days, that they might offer sacrifices on
the seventh day, and might then join battle with their enemies.
So he waited (11) as the prophet sent to him to do; yet did not
he, however, observe the command that was given him, but when he
saw that the prophet tarried longer than he expected, and that
he was deserted by the soldiers, he took the sacrifices and
offered them; and when he heard that Samuel was come, he went
out to meet him. But the prophet said he had not done well in
disobeying the injunctions he had sent to him, and had not staid
till his coming, which being appointed according to the will of
God, he had prevented him in offering up those prayers and those
sacrifices that he should have made for the multitude, and that
he therefore had performed Divine offices in an ill manner, and
had been rash in performing them. Hereupon Saul made an apology
for himself, and said that he had waited as many days as Samuel
had appointed him; that he had been so quick in offering his
sacrifices, upon account of the necessity he was in, and because
his soldiers were departing from him, out of their fear of the
enemy's camp at Michmash, the report being gone abroad that they
were coming down upon him of Gilgal. To which Samuel replied,
"Nay, certainly, if thou hadst been a righteous man, (12) and
hadst not disobeyed me, nor slighted the commands which God
suggested to me concerning the present state of affairs, and
hadst not acted more hastily than the present circumstances
required, thou wouldst have been permitted to reign a long time,
and thy posterity after thee." So Samuel, being grieved at what
happened, returned home; but Saul came to the city Gibeah, with
his son Jonathan, having only six hundred men with him; and of
these the greater part had no weapons, because of the scarcity
of iron in that country, as well as of those that could make
such weapons; for, as we showed a little before, the Philistines
had not suffered them to have such iron or such workmen. Now the
Philistines divided their army into three companies, and took as
many roads, and laid waste the country of the Hebrews, while
king Saul and his son Jonathan saw what was done, but were not
able to defend the land, having no more than six hundred men
with them. But as he, and his son, and Abiah the high priest,
who was of the posterity of Eli the high priest, were sitting
upon a pretty high hill, and seeing the land laid waste, they
were mightily disturbed at it. Now Saul's son agreed with his
armor-bearer, that they would go privately to the enemy's camp,
and make a tumult and a disturbance among them. And when the
armor-bearer had readily promised to follow him whithersoever he
should lead him, though he should be obliged to die in the
attempt, Jonathan made use of the young man's assistance, and
descended from the hill, and went to their enemies. Now the
enemy's camp was upon a precipice which had three tops, that
ended in a small but sharp and long extremity, while there was a
rock that surrounded them, like lines made to prevent the
attacks of an enemy. There it so happened, that the out-guards
of the camp were neglected, because of the security that here
arose from the situation of the place, and because they thought
it altogether impossible, not only to ascend up to the camp on
that quarter, but so much as to come near it. As soon,
therefore, as they came to the camp, Jonathan encouraged his
armor-bearer, and said to him, "Let us attack our enemies; and
if, when they see us, they bid us come up to them, take that for
a signal of victory; but if they say nothing, as not intending
to invite us to come up, let us return back again." So when they
were approaching to the enemy's camp, just after break of day,
and the Philistines saw them, they said one to another, "The
Hebrews come out of their dens and caves:" and they said to
Jonathan and to his armor-bearer, "Come on, ascend up to us,
that we may inflict a just punishment upon you, for your rash
attempt upon us." So Saul's son accepted of that invitation, as
what signified to him victory, and he immediately came out of
the place whence they were seen by their enemies: so he changed
his place, and came to the rock, which had none to guard it,
because of its own strength; from thence they crept up with
great labor and difficulty, and so far overcame by force the
nature of the place, till they were able to fight with their
enemies. So they fell upon them as they were asleep, and slew
about twenty of them, and thereby filled them with disorder and
surprise, insomuch that some of them threw away their entire
armor and fled; but the greatest part, not knowing one another,
because they were of different nations, suspected one another to
be enemies, (for they did not imagine there were only two of the
Hebrews that came up,) and so they fought one against another;
and some of them died in the battle, and some, as they were
flying away, were thrown down from the rock headlong.
3. Now Saul's watchmen told the king that the camp of the
Philistines was in confusion; then he inquired whether any body
was gone away from the army; and when he heard that his son, and
with him his armor-bearer, were absent, he bade the high priest
take the garments of his high priesthood, and prophesy to him
what success they should have; who said that they should get the
victory, and prevail against their enemies. So he went out after
the Philistines, and set upon them as they were slaying one
another. Those also who had fled to dens and caves, upon hearing
that Saul was gaining a victory, came running to him. When,
therefore, the number of the Hebrews that came to Saul amounted
to about ten thousand, he pursued the enemy, who were scattered
all over the country; but then he fell into an action, which was
a very unhappy one, and liable to be very much blamed; for,
whether out of ignorance or whether out of joy for a victory
gained so strangely, (for it frequently happens that persons so
fortunate are not then able to use their reason consistently,)
as he was desirous to avenge himself, and to exact a due
punishment of the Philistines, he denounced a curse (13) upon
the Hebrews: That if any one put a stop to his slaughter of the
enemy, and fell on eating, and left off the slaughter or the
pursuit before the night came on, and obliged them so to do, he
should be accursed. Now after Saul had denounced this curse,
since they were now in a wood belonging to the tribe of Ephraim,
which was thick and full of bees, Saul's son, who did not hear
his father denounce that curse, nor hear of the approbation the
multitude gave to it, broke off a piece of a honey-comb, and ate
part of it. But, in the mean time, he was informed with what a
curse his father had forbidden them to taste any thing before
sun-setting: so he left off eating, and said his father had not
done well in this prohibition, because, had they taken some
food, they had pursued the enemy with greater rigor and
alacrity, and had both taken and slain many more of their
enemies.
4. When, therefore, they had slain many ten thousands of the
Philistines, they fell upon spoiling the camp of the
Philistines, but not till late in the evening. They also took a
great deal of prey and cattle, and killed them, and ate them
with their blood. This was told to the king by the scribes, that
the multitude were sinning against God as they sacrificed, and
were eating before the blood was well washed away, and the flesh
was made clean. Then did Saul give order that a great stone
should be rolled into the midst of them, and he made
proclamation that they should kill their sacrifices upon it, and
not feed upon the flesh with the blood, for that was not
acceptable to God. And when all the people did as the king
commanded them, Saul erected an altar there, and offered
burnt-offerings upon it to God (14) This was the first altar
that Saul built.
5. So when Saul was desirous of leading his men to the enemy's
camp before it was day, in order to plunder it, and when the
soldiers were not unwilling to follow him, but indeed showed
great readiness to do as he commanded them, the king called
Ahitub the high priest, and enjoined him to know of God whether
he would grant them the favor and permission to go against the
enemy's camp, in order to destroy those that were in it. And
when the priest said that God did not give any answer, Saul
replied, "And not without some cause does God refuse to answer
what we inquire of him, while yet a little while ago he declared
to us all that we desired beforehand, and even prevented us in
his answer. To be sure there is some sin against him that is
concealed from us, which is the occasion of his silence. Now I
swear by him himself, that though he that hath committed this
sin should prove to be my own son Jonathan, I will slay him, and
by that means will appease the anger of God against us, and that
in the very same manner as if I were to punish a stranger, and
one not at all related to me, for the same offense." So when the
multitude cried out to him so to do, he presently set all the
rest on one side, and he and his son stood on the other side,
and he sought to discover the offender by lot. Now the lot
appeared to fall upon Jonathan himself. So when he was asked by
his father what sin he had been guilty of, and what he was
conscious of in the course of his life that might be esteemed
instances of guilt or profaneness, his answer was this, "O
father, I have done nothing more than that yesterday, without
knowing of the curse and oath thou hadst denounced, while I was
in pursuit of the enemy, I tasted of a honey-comb." But Saul
sware that he would slay him, and prefer the observation of his
oath before all the ties of birth and of nature. And Jonathan
was not dismayed at this threatening of death, but, offering
himself to it generously and undauntedly, he said, "Nor do I
desire you, father, to spare me: death will be to me very
acceptable, when it proceeds from thy piety, and after a
glorious victory; for it is the greatest consolation to me that
I leave the Hebrews victorious over the Philistines." Hereupon
all the people were very sorry, and greatly afflicted for
Jonathan; and they sware that they would not overlook Jonathan,
and see him die, who was the author of their victory. By which
means they snatched him out of the danger he was in from his
father's curse, while they made their prayers to God also for
the young man, that he would remit his sin.
6. So Saul, having slain about sixty thousand of the enemy,
returned home to his own city, and reigned happily: and he also
fought against the neighboring nations, and subdued the
Ammonites, and Moabites, and Philistines, and Edomites, and
Amalekites, as also the king of Zobah. He had three male
children, Jonathan, and Isui, and Melchishua; with Merab and
Michal his daughters. He had also Abner, his uncle's son, for
the captain of his host: that uncle's name was Ner. Now Ner, and
Kish the father of Saul, were brothers. Saul had also a great
many chariots and horsemen, and against whomsoever he made war
he returned conqueror, and advanced the affairs of the Hebrews
to a great degree of success and prosperity, and made them
superior to other nations; and he made such of the young men as
were remarkable for tallness and comeliness the guards of his
body.
Continue on to
Book
Six,
Chapter 7,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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