Antiquities of the Jews — Book 3, Chapter 2

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 put in a 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.