Antiquities Book 4, Chapter 7
How The Hebrews Fought With The Midianites, And Overcame Them.
1. Now Moses sent an army against the land of Midian, for the causes
forementioned, in all twelve thousand, taking an equal number out of
every tribe, and appointed Phineas for their commander; of which Phineas
we made mention a little before, as he that had guarded the laws of the
Hebrews, and had inflicted punishment on Zimri when he had transgressed
them. Now the Midianites perceived beforehand how the Hebrews were
coming, and would suddenly be upon them: so they assembled their army
together, and fortified the entrances into their country, and there
awaited the enemy's coming. When they were come, and they had joined
battle with them, an immense multitude of the Midianites fell; nor could
they be numbered, they were so very many: and among them fell all their
kings, five in number, viz. Evi, Zur, Reba, Hur, and Rekem, who was of
the same name with a city, the chief and capital of all Arabia, which is
still now so called by the whole Arabian nation, Arecem, from the name
of the king that built it; but is by the Greeks called—Petra. Now when
the enemies were discomfited, the Hebrews spoiled their country, and
took a great prey, and destroyed the men that were its inhabitants,
together with the women; only they let the virgins alone, as Moses had
commanded Phineas to do, who indeed came back, bringing with him an army
that had received no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two thousand
beeves, seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep, sixty thousand asses,
with an immense quantity of gold and silver furniture, which the
Midianites made use of in their houses; for they were so wealthy, that
they were very luxurious. There were also led captive about thirty-two
thousand virgins. 14 So Moses parted the prey into parts, and gave one
fiftieth part to Eleazar and the two priests, and another fiftieth part
to the Levites; and distributed the rest of the prey among the people.
After which they lived happily, as having obtained an abundance of good
things by their valor, and there being no misfortune that attended them,
or hindered their enjoyment of that happiness.
2. But Moses was now grown old, and appointed Joshua for his successor,
both to receive directions from God as a prophet, and for a commander of
the army, if they should at any time stand in need of such a one; and
this was done by the command of God, that to him the care of the public
should be committed. Now Joshua had been instructed in all those kinds
of learning which concerned the laws and God himself, and Moses had been
his instructor.
3. At this time it was that the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the
half tribe of Manasseh, abounded in a multitude of cattle, as well as in
all other kinds of prosperity; whence they had a meeting, and in a body
came and besought Moses to give them, as their peculiar portion, that
land of the Amorites which they had taken by right of war, because it
was fruitful, and good for feeding of cattle; but Moses, supposing that
they were afraid of fighting with the Canaanites, and invented this
provision for their cattle as a handsome excuse for avoiding that war,
he called them arrant cowards, and said they had only contrived a decent
excuse for that cowardice; and that they had a mind to live in luxury
and ease, while all the rest were laboring with great pains to obtain
the land they were desirous to have; and that they were not willing to
march along, and undergo the remaining hard service, whereby they were,
under the Divine promise, to pass over Jordan, and overcome those our
enemies which God had shown them, and so obtain their land. But these
tribes, when they saw that Moses was angry with them, and when they
could not deny but he had a just cause to be displeased at their
petition, made an apology for themselves; and said, that it was not on
account of their fear of dangers, nor on account of their laziness, that
they made this request to him, but that they might leave the prey they
had gotten in places of safety, and thereby might be more expedite, and
ready to undergo difficulties, and to fight battles. They added this
also, that when they had built cities, wherein they might preserve their
children, and wives, and possessions, if he would bestow them upon them,
they would go along with the rest of the army. Hereupon Moses was
pleased with what they said; so he called for Eleazar the high priest,
and Joshua, and the chief of the tribes, and permitted these tribes to
possess the land of the Amorites; but upon this condition, that they
should join with their kinsmen in the war until all things were settled.
Upon which condition they took possession of the country, and built them
strong cities, and put into them their children and their wives, and
whatsoever else they had that might be an impediment to the labors of
their future marches.
4. Moses also now built those ten cities which were to be of the number
of the forty-eight [for the Levites;]; three of which he allotted to
those that slew any person involuntarily, and fled to them; and he
assigned the same time for their banishment with that of the life of
that high priest under whom the slaughter and flight happened; after
which death of the high priest he permitted the slayer to return home.
During the time of his exile, the relations of him that was slain may,
by this law, kill the manslayer, if they caught him without the bounds
of the city to which he fled, though this permission was not granted to
any other person. Now the cities which were set apart for this flight
were these: Bezer, at the borders of Arabia; Ramoth, of the land of
Gilead; and Golan, in the land of Bashan. There were to be also, by
Moses's command, three other cities allotted for the habitation of these
fugitives out of the cities of the Levites, but not till after they
should be in possession of the land of Canaan.
5. At this time the chief men of the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses,
and informed him that there was an eminent man of their tribe dead,
whose name was Zelophehad, who left no male children, but left
daughters; and asked him whether these daughters might inherit his land
or not. He made this answer, That if they shall marry into their own
tribe, they shall carry their estate along with them; but if they
dispose of themselves in marriage to men of another tribe, they shall
leave their inheritance in their father's tribe. And then it was that
Moses ordained, that every one's inheritance should continue in his own
tribe.
forementioned, in all twelve thousand, taking an equal number out of
every tribe, and appointed Phineas for their commander; of which Phineas
we made mention a little before, as he that had guarded the laws of the
Hebrews, and had inflicted punishment on Zimri when he had transgressed
them. Now the Midianites perceived beforehand how the Hebrews were
coming, and would suddenly be upon them: so they assembled their army
together, and fortified the entrances into their country, and there
awaited the enemy's coming. When they were come, and they had joined
battle with them, an immense multitude of the Midianites fell; nor could
they be numbered, they were so very many: and among them fell all their
kings, five in number, viz. Evi, Zur, Reba, Hur, and Rekem, who was of
the same name with a city, the chief and capital of all Arabia, which is
still now so called by the whole Arabian nation, Arecem, from the name
of the king that built it; but is by the Greeks called—Petra. Now when
the enemies were discomfited, the Hebrews spoiled their country, and
took a great prey, and destroyed the men that were its inhabitants,
together with the women; only they let the virgins alone, as Moses had
commanded Phineas to do, who indeed came back, bringing with him an army
that had received no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two thousand
beeves, seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep, sixty thousand asses,
with an immense quantity of gold and silver furniture, which the
Midianites made use of in their houses; for they were so wealthy, that
they were very luxurious. There were also led captive about thirty-two
thousand virgins. 14 So Moses parted the prey into parts, and gave one
fiftieth part to Eleazar and the two priests, and another fiftieth part
to the Levites; and distributed the rest of the prey among the people.
After which they lived happily, as having obtained an abundance of good
things by their valor, and there being no misfortune that attended them,
or hindered their enjoyment of that happiness.
2. But Moses was now grown old, and appointed Joshua for his successor,
both to receive directions from God as a prophet, and for a commander of
the army, if they should at any time stand in need of such a one; and
this was done by the command of God, that to him the care of the public
should be committed. Now Joshua had been instructed in all those kinds
of learning which concerned the laws and God himself, and Moses had been
his instructor.
3. At this time it was that the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the
half tribe of Manasseh, abounded in a multitude of cattle, as well as in
all other kinds of prosperity; whence they had a meeting, and in a body
came and besought Moses to give them, as their peculiar portion, that
land of the Amorites which they had taken by right of war, because it
was fruitful, and good for feeding of cattle; but Moses, supposing that
they were afraid of fighting with the Canaanites, and invented this
provision for their cattle as a handsome excuse for avoiding that war,
he called them arrant cowards, and said they had only contrived a decent
excuse for that cowardice; and that they had a mind to live in luxury
and ease, while all the rest were laboring with great pains to obtain
the land they were desirous to have; and that they were not willing to
march along, and undergo the remaining hard service, whereby they were,
under the Divine promise, to pass over Jordan, and overcome those our
enemies which God had shown them, and so obtain their land. But these
tribes, when they saw that Moses was angry with them, and when they
could not deny but he had a just cause to be displeased at their
petition, made an apology for themselves; and said, that it was not on
account of their fear of dangers, nor on account of their laziness, that
they made this request to him, but that they might leave the prey they
had gotten in places of safety, and thereby might be more expedite, and
ready to undergo difficulties, and to fight battles. They added this
also, that when they had built cities, wherein they might preserve their
children, and wives, and possessions, if he would bestow them upon them,
they would go along with the rest of the army. Hereupon Moses was
pleased with what they said; so he called for Eleazar the high priest,
and Joshua, and the chief of the tribes, and permitted these tribes to
possess the land of the Amorites; but upon this condition, that they
should join with their kinsmen in the war until all things were settled.
Upon which condition they took possession of the country, and built them
strong cities, and put into them their children and their wives, and
whatsoever else they had that might be an impediment to the labors of
their future marches.
4. Moses also now built those ten cities which were to be of the number
of the forty-eight [for the Levites;]; three of which he allotted to
those that slew any person involuntarily, and fled to them; and he
assigned the same time for their banishment with that of the life of
that high priest under whom the slaughter and flight happened; after
which death of the high priest he permitted the slayer to return home.
During the time of his exile, the relations of him that was slain may,
by this law, kill the manslayer, if they caught him without the bounds
of the city to which he fled, though this permission was not granted to
any other person. Now the cities which were set apart for this flight
were these: Bezer, at the borders of Arabia; Ramoth, of the land of
Gilead; and Golan, in the land of Bashan. There were to be also, by
Moses's command, three other cities allotted for the habitation of these
fugitives out of the cities of the Levites, but not till after they
should be in possession of the land of Canaan.
5. At this time the chief men of the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses,
and informed him that there was an eminent man of their tribe dead,
whose name was Zelophehad, who left no male children, but left
daughters; and asked him whether these daughters might inherit his land
or not. He made this answer, That if they shall marry into their own
tribe, they shall carry their estate along with them; but if they
dispose of themselves in marriage to men of another tribe, they shall
leave their inheritance in their father's tribe. And then it was that
Moses ordained, that every one's inheritance should continue in his own
tribe.