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The Antiquities of the Jews

F >> Flavius Josephus >> The Antiquities of the Jews




CHAPTER 8.

How The King Of Babylon Took Jerusalem And Burnt The Temple And
Removed The People Of Jerusalem And Zedekiah To Babylon. As Also,
Who They Were That Had Succeeded In The High Priesthood Under The
Kings.

1. Now the king of Babylon was very intent and earnest upon the
siege of Jerusalem; and he erected towers upon great banks of
earth, and from them repelled those that stood upon the walls; he
also made a great number of such banks round about the whole
city, whose height was equal to those walls. However, those that
were within bore the siege with courage and alacrity, for they
were not discouraged, either by the famine, or by the
pestilential distemper, but were of cheerful minds in the
prosecution of the war, although those miseries within oppressed
them also, and they did not suffer themselves to be terrified,
either by the contrivances of the enemy, or by their engines of
war, but contrived still different engines to oppose all the
other withal, till indeed there seemed to be an entire struggle
between the Babylonians and the people of Jerusalem, which had
the greater sagacity and skill; the former party supposing they
should be thereby too hard for the other, for the destruction of
the city; the latter placing their hopes of deliverance in
nothing else but in persevering in such inventions in opposition
to the other, as might demonstrate the enemy's engines were
useless to them. And this siege they endured for eighteen months,
until they were destroyed by the famine, and by the darts which
the enemy threw at them from the towers.

2. Now the city was taken on the ninth day of the fourth month,
in the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah. They were indeed
only generals of the king of Babylon, to whom Nebuchadnezzar
committed the care of the siege, for he abode himself in the city
of Riblah. The names of these generals who ravaged and subdued
Jerusalem, if any one desire to know them, were these: Nergal
Sharezer, Samgar Nebo, Rabsaris, Sorsechim, and Rabmag. And when
the city was taken about midnight, and the enemy's generals were
entered into the temple, and when Zedekiah was sensible of it, he
took his wives, and his children, and his captains, and his
friends, and with them fled out of the city, through the
fortified ditch, and through the desert; and when certain of the
deserters had informed the Babylonians of this, at break of day,
they made haste to pursue after Zedekiah, and overtook him not
far from Jericho, and encompassed him about. But for those
friends and captains of Zedekiah who had fled out of the city
with him, when they saw their enemies near them, they left him,
and dispersed themselves, some one way, and some another, and
every one resolved to save himself; so the enemy took Zedekiah
alive, when he was deserted by all but a few, with his children
and his wives, and brought him to the king. When he was come,
Nebuchadnezzar began to call him a wicked wretch, and a
covenant-breaker, and one that had forgotten his former words,
when he promised to keep the country for him. He also reproached
him for his ingratitude, that when he had received the kingdom
from him, who had taken it from Jehoiachin, and given it to him,
he had made use of the power he gave him against him that gave
it; "but," said he, "God is great, who hated that conduct of
thine, and hath brought thee under us." And when he had used
these words to Zedekiah, he commanded his sons and his friends to
be slain, while Zedekiah and the rest of the captains looked on;
after which he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him, and
carried him to Babylon. And these things happened to him, (13) as
Jeremiah and Ezekiel had foretold to him, that he should be
caught, and brought before the king of Babylon, and should speak
to him face to face, and should see his eyes with his own eyes;
and thus far did Jeremiah prophesy. But he was also made blind,
and brought to Babylon, but did not see it, according to the
prediction of Ezekiel.

3. We have said thus much, because it was sufficient to show the
nature of God to such as are ignorant of it, that it is various,
and acts many different ways, and that all events happen after a
regular manner, in their proper season, and that it foretells
what must come to pass. It is also sufficient to show the
ignorance and incredulity of men, whereby they are not permitted
to foresee any thing that is future, and are, without any guard,
exposed to calamities, so that it is impossible for them to avoid
the experience of those calamities.

4. And after this manner have the kings of David's race ended
their lives, being in number twenty-one, until the last king, who
all together reigned five hundred and fourteen years, and six
months, and ten days; of whom Saul, who was their first king,
retained the government twenty years, though he was not of the
same tribe with the rest.

5. And now it was that the king of Babylon sent Nebuzaradan, the
general of his army, to Jerusalem, to pillage the temple, who had
it also in command to burn it and the royal palace, and to lay
the city even with the ground, and to transplant the people into
Babylon. Accordingly, he came to Jerusalem in the eleventh year
of king Zedekiah, and pillaged the temple, and carried out the
vessels of God, both gold and silver, and particularly that large
laver which Solomon dedicated, as also the pillars of brass, and
their chapiters, with the golden tables and the candlesticks; and
when he had carried these off, he set fire to the temple in the
fifth month, the first day of the month, in the eleventh year of
the reign of Zedekiah, and in the eighteenth year of
Nebuchadnezzar: he also burnt the palace, and overthrew the city.
Now the temple was burnt four hundred and seventy years, six
months, and ten days after it was built. It was then one thousand
and sixty-two years, six months, and ten days from the departure
out of Egypt; and from the deluge to the destruction of the
temple, the whole interval was one thousand nine hundred and
fifty-seven years, six months, and ten days; but from the
generation of Adam, until this befell the temple, there were
three thousand five hundred and thirteen years, six months, and
ten days; so great was the number of years hereto belonging. And
what actions were done during these years we have particularly
related. But the general of the Babylonian king now overthrew the
city to the very foundations, and removed all the people, and
took for prisoners the high priest Seraiah, and Zephaniah the
priest that was next to him, and the rulers that guarded the
temple, who were three in number, and the eunuch who was over the
armed men, and seven friends of Zedekiah, and his scribe, and
sixty other rulers; all which, together with the vessels which
they had pillaged, he carried to the king of Babylon to Riblah, a
city of Syria. So the king commanded the heads of the high priest
and of the rulers to be cut off there; but he himself led all the
captives and Zedekiah to Babylon. He also led Josedek the high
priest away bound. He was the son of Seraiah the high priest,
whom the king of Babylon had slain in Riblah, a city of Syria, as
we just now related.

6. And now, because we have enumerated the succession of the
kings, and who they were, and how long they reigned, I think it
necessary to set down the names of the high priests, and who they
were that succeeded one another in the high priesthood under the
Kings. The first high priest then at the temple which Solomon
built was Zadok; after him his son Achimas received that dignity;
after Achimas was Azarias; his son was Joram, and Joram's son was
Isus; after him was Axioramus; his son was Phidens, and Phideas's
son was Sudeas, and Sudeas's son was Juelus, and Juelus's son was
Jotham, and Jotham's son was Urias, and Urias's son was Nerias,
and Nerias's son was Odeas, and his son was Sallumus, and
Sallumus's son was Elcias, and his son [was Azarias, and his son]
was Sareas, (14) and his son was Josedec, who was carried captive
to Babylon. All these received the high priesthood by succession,
the sons from their father.

7. When the king was come to Babylon, he kept Zedekiah in prison
until he died, and buried him magnificently, and dedicated the
vessels he had pillaged out of the temple of Jerusalem to his own
gods, and planted the people in the country of Babylon, but freed
the high priest from his bonds.

CHAPTER 9.

How Nebuzaradan Set Gedaliah Over The Jews That Were Left In
Judea Which Gedaliah Was A Little Afterward Slain By Ishmael; And
How Johanan After Ishmael Was Driven Away Went Down Into Egypt
With The People Which People Nebuchadnezzar When He Made An
Expedition Against The Egyptians Took Captive And Brought Them
Away To Babylon.

1. Now the general of the army, Nebuzaradan, when he had carried
the people of the Jews into captivity, left the poor, and those
that had deserted, in the country, and made one, whose name was
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, a person of a noble family, their
governor; which Gedaliah was of a gentle and righteous
disposition. He also commanded them that they should cultivate
the ground, and pay an appointed tribute to the king. He also
took Jeremiah the prophet out of prison, and would have persuaded
him to go along with him to Babylon, for that he had been
enjoined by the king to supply him with whatsoever he wanted; and
if he did not like to do so, he desired him to inform him where
he resolved to dwell, that he might signify the same to the king.
But the prophet had no mind to follow him, nor to dwell any where
else, but would gladly live in the ruins of his country, and in
the miserable remains of it. When the general understood what his
purpose was, he enjoined Gedaliah, whom he left behind, to take
all possible care of him, and to supply him with whatsoever he
wanted. So when he had given him rich presents, he dismissed him.
Accordingly, Jeremiah abode in a city of that country, which was
called Mispah; and desired of Nebuzaradan that he would set at
liberty his disciple Baruch, the son of Neriah, one of a very
eminent family, and exceeding skillful in the language of his
country.

2. When Nebuzaradan had done thus, he made haste to Babylon. But
as to those that fled away during the siege of Jerusalem, and had
been scattered over the country, when they heard that the
Babylonians were gone away, and had left a remnant in the land of
Jerusalem, and those such as were to cultivate the same, they
came together from all parts to Gedaliah to Mispah. Now the
rulers that were over them were Johanan, the son of Kareah, and
Jezaniah, and Seraiah, and others beside them. Now there was of
the royal family one Ishmael, a wicked man, and very crafty, who,
during the siege of Jerusalem, fled to Baalis, the king of the
Ammonites, and abode with him during that time; and Gedaliah
persuaded them, now they were there, to stay with him, and to
have no fear of the Babylonians, for that if they would cultivate
the country, they should suffer no harm. This he assured them of
by oath; and said that they should have him for their patron, and
that if any disturbance should arise, they should find him ready
to defend them. He also advised them to dwell in any city, as
every one of them pleased; and that they would send men along
with his own servants, and rebuild their houses upon the old
foundations, and dwell there; and he admonished them beforehand,
that they should make preparation, while the season lasted, of
corn, and wine, and oil, that they might have whereon to feed
during the winter. When he had thus discoursed to them, he
dismissed them, that every one might dwell in what place of the
country he pleased.

3. Now when this report was spread abroad as far as the nations
that bordered on Judea, that Gedaliah kindly entertained those
that came to him, after they had fled away, upon this [only]
condition, that they should pay tribute to the king of Babylon,
they also came readily to Gedaliah, and inhabited the country.
And when Johanan, and the rulers that were with him, observed the
country, and the humanity of Gedaliah, they were exceedingly in
love with him, and told him that Baalis, the king of the
Ammonites, had sent Ishmael to kill him by treachery, and
secretly, that he might have the dominion over the Israelites, as
being of the royal family; and they said that he might deliver
himself from this treacherous design, if he would give them leave
to slay Ishmael, and nobody should know it, for they told him
they were afraid that, when he was killed by the other, the
entire ruin of the remaining strength of the Israelites would
ensue. But he professed that he did not believe what they said,
when they told him of such a treacherous design, in a man that
had been well treated by him; because it was not probable that
one who, under such a want of all things, had failed of nothing
that was necessary for him, should be found so wicked and
ungrateful towards his benefactor, that when it would be an
instance of wickedness in him not to save him, had he been
treacherously assaulted by others, to endeavor, and that
earnestly, to kill him with his own hands: that, however, if he
ought to suppose this information to be true, it was better for
himself to be slain by the other, than to destroy a man who fled
to him for refuge, and intrusted his own safety to him, and
committed himself to his disposal.

4. So Johanan, and the rulers that were with him, not being able
to persuade Gedaliah, went away. But after the interval of thirty
days was over, Ishmael came again to Gedaliah, to the city
Mispah, and ten men with him; and when he had feasted Ishmael,
and those that were with him, in a splendid manner at his table,
and had given them presents, he became disordered in drink, while
he endeavored to be very merry with them; and when Ishmael saw
him in that case, and that he was drowned in his cups to the
degree of insensibility, and fallen asleep, he rose up on a
sudden, with his ten friends, and slew Gedaliah, and those that
were with him at the feast; and when he had slain them, he went
out by night, and slew all the Jews that were in the city, and
those soldiers also which were left therein by the Babylonians.
But the next day fourscore men came out of the country with
presents to Gedaliah, none of them knowing what had befallen him;
when Ishmael saw them, he invited them in to Gedaliah, and when
they were come in, he shut up the court, and slew them, and cast
their dead bodies down into a certain deep pit, that they might
not be seen; but of these fourscore men Ishmael spared those that
entreated him not to kill them, till they had delivered up to him
what riches they had concealed in the fields, consisting of their
furniture, and garments, and corn: but he took captive the people
that were in Mispah, with their wives and children; among whom
were the daughters of king Zedekiah, whom Nebuzaradan, the
general of the army of Babylon, had left with Gedaliah. And when
he had done this, he came to the king of the Ammonites.

5. But when Johanan and the rulers with him heard of what was
done at Mispah by Ishmael, and of the death of Gedaliah, they had
indignation at it, and every one of them took his own armed men,
and came suddenly to fight with Ishmael, and overtook him at the
fountain in Hebron. And when those that were carried away
captives by Ishmael saw Johanan and the rulers, they were very
glad, and looked upon them as coming to their assistance; so they
left him that had carried them captives, and came over to
Johanan: then Ishmael, with eight men, fled to the king of the
Ammonites; but Johanan took those whom he had rescued out of the
hands of Ishmael, and the eunuchs, and their wives and children,
and came to a certain place called Mandra, and there they abode
that day, for they had determined to remove from thence and go
into Egypt, out of fear, lest the Babylonians should slay them,
in case they continued in the country, and that out of anger at
the slaughter of Gedaliah, who had been by them set over it for
governor.

6. Now while they were under this deliberation, Johanan, the son
of Kareah, and the rulers that were with him, came to Jeremiah
the prophet, and desired that he would pray to God, that because
they were at an utter loss about what they ought to do, he would
discover it to them, and they sware that they would do whatsoever
Jeremiah should say to them. And when the prophet said he would
be their intercessor with God, it came to pass, that after ten
days God appeared to him, and said that he should inform Johanan,
and the other rulers, and all the people, that he would be with
them while they continued in that country, and take care of them,
and keep them from being hurt by the Babylonians, of whom they
were afraid; but that he would desert them if they went into
Egypt, and, out of this wrath against them, would inflict the
same punishments upon them which they knew their brethren had
already endured. So when the prophet had informed Johanan and the
people that God had foretold these things, he was not believed,
when he said that God commanded them to continue in the country;
but they imagined that he said so to gratify Baruch, his own
disciple, and belied God, and that he persuaded them to stay
there, that they might be destroyed by the Babylonians.
Accordingly, both the people and Johanan disobeyed the counsel of
God, which he gave them by the prophet, and removed into Egypt,
and carried Jeremiah and Barnch along with him.

7. And when they were there, God signified to the prophet that
the king of Babylon was about making an expedition against the
Egyptians, and commanded him to foretell to the people that Egypt
should be taken, and the king of Babylon should slay some of them
and, should take others captive, and bring them to Babylon; which
things came to pass accordingly; for on the fifth year after the
destruction of Jerusalem, which was the twenty-third of the reign
of Nebuchadnezzar, he made an expedition against Celesyria; and
when he had possessed himself of it, he made war against the
Ammonites and Moabites; and when he had brought all these nations
under subjection, he fell upon Egypt, in order to overthrow it;
and he slew the king that then reigned (15) and set up another;
and he took those Jews that were there captives, and led them
away to Babylon. And such was the end of the nation of the
Hebrews, as it hath been delivered down to us, it having twice
gone beyond Euphrates; for the people of the ten tribes were
carried out of Samaria by the Assyrians, in the days of king
Hoshea; after which the people of the two tribes that remained
after Jerusalem was taken [were carried away] by Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of Babylon and Chaldea. Now as to Shalmanezer, he
removed the Israelites out of their country, and placed therein
the nation of the Cutheans, who had formerly belonged to the
inner parts of Persia and Media, but were then called Samaritans,
by taking the name of the country to which they were removed; but
the king of Babylon, who brought out the two tribes, (16) placed
no other nation in their country, by which means all Judea and
Jerusalem, and the temple, continued to be a desert for seventy
years; but the entire interval of time which passed from the
captivity of the Israelites, to the carrying away of the two
tribes, proved to be a hundred and thirty years, six months, and
ten days.

CHAPTER 10.

Concerning Daniel And What Befell Him At Babylon.

1. But now Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took some of the most
noble of the Jews that were children, and the kinsmen of Zedekiah
their king, such as were remarkable for the beauty of their
bodies, and the comeliness of their countenances, and delivered
them into the hands of tutors, and to the improvement to be made
by them. He also made some of them to be eunuchs; which course he
took also with those of other nations whom he had taken in the
flower of their age, and afforded them their diet from his own
table, and had them instructed in the institutes of the country,
and taught the learning of the Chaldeans; and they had now
exercised themselves sufficiently in that wisdom which he had
ordered they should apply themselves to. Now among these there
were four of the family of Zedekiah, of most excellent
dispositions, one of whom was called Daniel, another was called
Ananias, another Misael, and the fourth Azarias; and the king of
Babylon changed their names, and commanded that they should make
use of other names. Daniel he called Baltasar; Ananias, Shadrach;
Misael, Meshach; and Azarias, Abednego. These the king had in
esteem, and continued to love, because of the very excellent
temper they were of, and because of their application to
learning, and the profess they had made in wisdom.

2. Now Daniel and his kinsmen had resolved to use a severe diet,
and to abstain from those kinds of food which came from the
king's table, and entirely to forbear to eat of all living
creatures. So he came to Ashpenaz, who was that eunuch to whom
the care of them was committed, (17) and desired him to take and
spend what was brought for them from the king, but to give them
pulse and dates for their food, and any thing else, besides the
flesh of living creatures, that he pleased, for that their
inclinations were to that sort of food, and that they despised
the other. He replied, that he was ready to serve them in what
they desired, but he suspected that they would be discovered by
the king, from their meagre bodies, and the alteration of their
countenances, because it could not be avoided but their bodies
and colors must be changed with their diet, especially while they
would be clearly discovered by the finer appearance of the other
children, who would fare better, and thus they should bring him
into danger, and occasion him to be punished; yet did they
persuade Arioch, who was thus fearful, to give them what food
they desired for ten days, by way of trial; and in case the habit
of their bodies were not altered, to go on in the same way, as
expecting that they should not be hurt thereby afterwards; but if
he saw them look meagre, and worse than the rest, he should
reduce them to their former diet. Now when it appeared that they
were so far from becoming worse by the use of this food, that
they grew plumper and fuller in body than the rest, insomuch that
he thought those who fed on what came from the king's table
seemed less plump and full, while those that were with Daniel
looked as if they had lived in plenty, and in all sorts of
luxury. Arioch, from that time, securely took himself what the
king sent every day from his supper, according to custom, to the
children, but gave them the forementioned diet, while they had
their souls in some measure more pure, and less burdened, and so
fitter for learning, and had their bodies in better tune for hard
labor; for they neither had the former oppressed and heavy with
variety of meats, nor were the other effeminate on the same
account; so they readily understood all the learning that was
among the Hebrews, and among the Chaldeans, as especially did
Daniel, who being already sufficiently skillful in wisdom, was
very busy about the interpretation of dreams; and God manifested
himself to him.

3. Now two years after the destruction of Egypt, king
Nebuchadnezzar saw a wonderful dream, the accomplishment of which
God showed him in his sleep; but when he arose out of his bed, he
forgot the accomplishment. So he sent for the Chaldeans and
magicians, and the prophets, and told them that he had seen a
dream, and informed them that he had forgotten the accomplishment
of what he had seen, and he enjoined them to tell him both what
the dream was, and what was its signification; and they said that
this was a thing impossible to be discovered by men; but they
promised him, that if he would explain to them what dream he had
seen, they would tell him its signification. Hereupon he
threatened to put them to death, unless they told him his dream;
and he gave command to have them all put to death, since they
confessed they could not do what they were commanded to do. Now
when Daniel heard that the king had given a command, that all the
wise men should be put to death, and that among them himself and
his three kinsmen were in danger, he went to Arioch, who was
captain of the king's guards, and desired to know of him what was
the reason why the king had given command that all the wise men,
and Chaldeans, and magicians should be slain. So when he had
learned that the king had had a dream, and had forgotten it, and
that when they were enjoined to inform the king of it, they had
said they could not do it, and had thereby provoked him to anger,
he desired of Arioch that he would go in to the king, and desire
respite for the magicians for one night, and to put off their
slaughter so long, for that he hoped within that time to obtain,
by prayer to God, the knowledge of the dream. Accordingly, Arioch
informed the king of what Daniel desired. So the king bid them
delay the slaughter of the magicians till he knew what Daniel's
promise would come to; but the young man retired to his own
house, with his kinsmen, and besought God that whole night to
discover the dream, and thereby deliver the magicians and
Chaldeans, with whom they were themselves to perish, from the
king's anger, by enabling him to declare his vision, and to make
manifest what the king had seen the night before in his sleep,
but had forgotten it. Accordingly, God, out of pity to those that
were in danger, and out of regard to the wisdom of Daniel, made
known to him the dream and its interpretation, that so the king
might understand by him its signification also. When Daniel had
obtained this knowledge from God, he arose very joyful, and told
it his brethren, and made them glad, and to hope well that they
should now preserve their lives, of which they despaired before,
and had their minds full of nothing but the thoughts of dying. So
when he had with them returned thanks to God, who had
commiserated their youth, when it was day he came to Arioch, and
desired him to bring him to the king, because he would discover
to him that dream which he had seen the night before.

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